Chapter 23: Premonition

Suddenly, a current seemed to surge through Qin Ling’s mind, and her consciousness was instantly transported to another scene. She was standing alone on a burning ship, surrounded by raging flames. All the others had vanished, leaving her as the sole presence. Just as fear gripped her, the heavy thud of footsteps echoed around her. Looking up, she saw a monstrous being, five or six meters tall, grotesque beyond measure, its body writhing with countless tentacles.

“Lingling, what’s wrong? What happened?” Zeng Yilong was startled by her sudden scream. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her awake. In the distance, where a tense standoff was unfolding, YOYO leapt down from the deck at the sound. Only then did Li Ning get a good look at her—a girl with sky-blue hair.

“There... there was a monster... a huge one...”

“A monster?” Zeng Yilong saw her trembling and glanced over at YOYO, who shook her head to indicate she hadn’t seen anything.

“I saw it... in the middle of the ship.” Qin Ling pointed shakily toward the center of the vessel, pressing her aching head with both hands as she sat on the deck. Zeng Yilong hugged her tightly and tried to comfort her. “Don’t be afraid. It was just a dream.”

Yet unease gnawed at Zeng Yilong. For the sake of the plan, he’d once agreed to let Wu Qiwei transfer an ability to her. Now, seeing her so terrified, he wondered if he’d considered the consequences carefully enough. Thankfully, they were at the stern, with most of the passengers gathered in the main hall, so he wasn’t too worried about word getting out. Still, Li Ning, who had hidden herself when things turned strange, was watching secretly. She was beginning to suspect that Qin Ling possessed some sort of power.

“Why is this happening to you?” Zeng Yilong feigned ignorance.

Qin Ling slowly stood and shook her head. “I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going on. Ever since that night at the Binxing Grand Hotel, whenever danger is near, I get these premonitions—like I know what’s about to happen before it does.”

Zeng Yilong found this odd. “It seems you really do have foresight.”

“Tell me, does this weird ability of mine have anything to do with you?”

“How do you feel now? Are you seeing those visions again?” Realizing she was catching on, Zeng Yilong deliberately changed the subject.

“You don’t have to say it, I can guess. It must be that Wu Qiwei’s doing.” Qin Ling eyed him suspiciously, voicing her conjecture. To her surprise, he didn’t deny it. Without another word, Zeng Yilong simply scooped her up and carried her back to their cabin.

Meanwhile, Du and Hu, who had been monitoring for ages without any progress, received a call from Li Ping and returned to their room. There, they found Li Ning sitting on the bed, absorbed in her mobile game. Li Ping, with a mysterious air, said, “I just got word—Qin Ling apparently has the power of premonition.”

“You can’t be serious!” Du and Hu blurted out in unison.

“My sister saw it herself. She even predicted that a huge monster would appear soon.”

“So that’s why those people tried to capture her before. Now that she’s alone, isn’t she in danger?”

“She’s perfectly safe. Even if you died a hundred times, nothing would happen to her. You should save your energy for running away,” Li Ning retorted, not missing a chance to mock Du Bin while tapping away at her game.

Hu Guozheng gave her a thumbs-up, barely suppressing his laughter, but Du Bin’s forehead pulsed with frustration at the two of them. Li Ning, in particular, seemed to take every opportunity to poke fun at him.

Seeing the mood sour, Li Ping steered the conversation back on track. “It’s our duty to keep everyone on this ship safe. We have no idea what sort of monster we’ll be facing next, so let’s all stay vigilant.”

Around 8 p.m., after Zeng Yilong had carried the exhausted Qin Ling back to their cabin, he stayed by her side as she slept until she woke.

When she finally stirred, Qin Ling stretched languidly, her eyes still clouded with sleep. “You’re awake,” Zeng Yilong said softly.

“Yeah! I feel much better after a nap. I’m hungry.” Qin Ling rubbed her stomach, giving him a playful look.

Her antics made Zeng Yilong chuckle. He turned to YOYO. “YOYO, could you take care of it?”

“Yes, sir.” With that, YOYO left the room for the main hall.

Qin Ling gazed out the window into the pitch-black night, then checked her phone. “I slept so long.”

“It’s fine—your best friend’s wedding ceremony doesn’t start until nine. There’s no rush.” Zeng Yilong stroked her hair with gentle affection.

“Even so, I should get ready, Mr. Chairman. I can’t show up looking like this.” She glanced in embarrassment at her tangled hair and disheveled clothes.

“I don’t mind,” he teased.

Qin Ling, unwilling to banter further, grabbed a purple gown from the wardrobe and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Out on the deck, guests were starting to gather. Tonight was the wedding of Chen Zhuohao and Yanyan—the most important celebration and the highlight of the evening.

Hu Guozheng, having eaten his fill, leaned against the railing and smoked with Li Ping. “Eight-thirty. The most important part is about to begin.”

Li Ping gazed out at the sea with a sigh. Ever since hearing about the prophecy, he’d felt uneasy.

“Don’t overthink it. Let things happen as they will.”

“Easy to say. If it were someone else, maybe I could pretend not to care. But just seeing her makes my heart twist with confusion.”

Hu Guozheng sighed, taking a drag on his cigarette. “If it were Du Bin, he’d grit his teeth and go offer his congratulations no matter what.”

The two exchanged a knowing smile. Li Ping looked up, staring into the endless depths of the ocean, feeling as if he were alone at the bottom of the sea, like a ship sunk by war slowly settling into the icy abyss.

After half an hour, Qin Ling finally appeared at the open-air wedding, arm in arm with Zeng Yilong. Their arrival caused quite a stir among the gold-diggers and socialites, but Zeng Yilong brushed them all off with perfunctory politeness. When they found no advantage to gain from him, they shifted their fawning attention to his fiancée.

Du Bin, seeing that Qin Ling and her boyfriend were not arguing—and had even gotten engaged—felt genuinely happy for her. As a friend, he poured himself a glass of wine and toasted her from afar, and Qin Ling responded in kind.

Li Ping, on the other hand, felt out of place amid the celebratory atmosphere. With her wedding ceremony about to begin, his presence would only make things awkward for both sides—she belonged to someone else now.

Hu Guozheng gave a long sigh, just as Li Ning came over and asked, “Fatty, where’s my brother? Wasn’t he just here?”

He gestured toward the cabins. “He must have gone back inside.”

“Seriously? At a time like this?” Li Ning stood with hands on her hips, displeased.

“He’s your brother—don’t you know what he’s like?”

Li Ping returned to his room alone, answering a few greetings in passing with little enthusiasm. When he reached his door, he found Yanyan waiting there in her wedding dress. He froze. She looked stunning—like an angel—but in her eyes lingered a melancholy and disappointment no bride should ever know.

She saw Li Ping, and for a long moment, they simply stared at each other in silence. His eyes were evasive, heavy with guilt—she could see and feel it. Li Ping was running away, unable to face her.