Chapter 25: Only Gratitude, Not Love

With a thunderous boom, the ship’s engine suddenly exploded. Deprived of power, the vessel gradually slowed, soon coming to a halt in the middle of the sea.

“What just happened?”

“What’s going on?”

Everyone was thrown into panic by the unexpected turn of events, watching as the ship drifted to a stop.

“Li Ping… Li Ping, I can’t believe it was you. Was that letter yours?” Chen Zhuohao stared in disbelief, unable to accept that they had done this behind his back. For a moment, the truth was too much to bear.

“Zhuohao, actually we…”

“You don’t need to say anything. I understand now—it’s clear to me. The one you’ve always loved wasn’t me at all, was it? It was him, wasn’t it?”

Yan Yan hesitated, then nodded. This admission was the last thing he wanted to hear. “No wonder you both acted so strangely when you met. Did you ever stop to think who stood by your side in your darkest moments, who did everything to make you smile when you were sad? Everything I did was for you, yet in two days of your reunion, I was eclipsed by the past two years.”

Li Ping stood frozen, tormented by guilt. With a hollow laugh, he said, “You want to break off the engagement? Was everything I did not enough to win your heart? Have you forgotten how ruthlessly he abandoned you?”

Yan Yan knew how much Chen Zhuohao had done for her. When she was lost and helpless, it was his arms that helped her forget her pain.

“I’m sorry.” Yan Yan knew she had wronged him. All this time, she had used him to numb her feelings and forget Li Ping. Tears streamed down her cheeks—she was deeply sorry.

“I don’t need your apology. You never loved me. You’ve been using me, lying to me all along.”

“That’s not true. I admit I used you and lied to you, but… the more you cared for me, the more guilty I felt. I tried to love you, but all I feel is gratitude, not love.”

Chen Zhuohao’s smile became vacant, his mind teetering on the edge of collapse. In agony and self-mockery, he murmured, “Gratitude… guilt… that’s all.”

“My heart belongs to Li Ping. I hope you find someone who can bring you happiness for a lifetime.”

Suddenly, explosions erupted on both sides of the cruise ship. The shifting waves rocked the vessel violently. People stumbled and screamed in terror.

“What’s happening? Is it a tsunami or an earthquake? Could this be a terrorist attack?” Hu Guozheng lay calmly in a hammock, eating cake.

“Ah!” Qin Ling cried out in pain, her eyes wide with fear. She sensed danger again, clutching her head and crouching down. Zeng Yilong pressed her down, asking, “Is that monster back?”

Qin Ling weakly pointed outside. “There are so many out there, attacking them.”

Zeng Yilong wanted to send YOYO out to scout, but she refused. “My only responsibility is your safety.”

He stayed silent, keeping Qin Ling company. Outside the cabin, cyborgs were crawling up from the sea on all sides. The captain stood at the highest deck, gazing at the chaos with a sinister grin—a terrifying sight.

A sudden jolt sent Yan Yan stumbling. Li Ping caught her just in time, holding her against the wall to keep her steady. Chen Zhuohao was knocked to the floor by people fleeing for their lives as crowds rushed back into the cabin.

“It’s impossible. I can’t love anyone but you. I hate you both! I swear—I hate you!” he cried.

He could not bear the blow any longer. The one he loved only felt guilt for him; everything had been a lie, a reality he could not accept. Life had lost all meaning; it felt as if the whole world no longer belonged to him.

“I will never forgive you, especially you, you wretch. Even if I’m killed, I won’t let you go.” Chen Zhuohao wiped away his tears. If death was inevitable, he would make sure she felt even more guilt. With those words, he turned and dashed out the cabin door toward the cyborgs.

“Zhuohao!” Yan Yan called after him, but he didn’t look back. Li Ping restrained her, afraid she would follow and get hurt.

“I can’t let him die. Let me go, Ping!”

“Calm down. Those cyborgs have lost all humanity—if they catch you, you’re dead.”

“But Zhuohao…” Yan Yan grew more distraught until she collapsed weakly on the deck. Seeing her like this broke Li Ping’s heart.

For her sake, he was determined to bring that fool back no matter what. With resolve, he said, “Yan Yan, calm down. I’ll go find him for you. I promise I’ll bring him back.”

She saw the determination in Li Ping’s eyes and felt a surge of fear; she didn’t want to lose anyone else. But before she could object, Li Ping had already run out, leaving her sitting there in a daze.

Outside, Li Ping found the deck awash in violence—cyborgs everywhere, blood and gore turning his stomach. He searched frantically for Chen Zhuohao but saw no sign of him, unable to tell which way he’d gone. Suddenly, he was surrounded by several cyborgs wielding sharp weapons. One man lunged at him with a dagger, but Li Ping, trained in hand-to-hand combat, didn’t give him the chance. The commotion drew even more cyborgs—soon, more than a dozen were converging on his position.

He sprinted in another direction, using his knowledge of the ship’s layout to escape. Kicking a cyborg climbing the stairs, he searched for a weapon and soon spotted Hu Guozheng not far away.

Hu Guozheng was surrounded by three fierce men, brandishing a cake knife and muttering to himself, naming his improvised techniques: “Half-moon Dog Strike, Peach Snatch Slash, Undersea Castration—damn, so tough it won’t come off. Play with yourselves!”

Sweat beaded on Li Ping’s forehead as he rushed over. The two stood back to back.

“Where did they come from?” Li Ping asked.

“How should I know? I was just eating cake, got an upset stomach, came out of the bathroom, and suddenly started fighting these guys.”

“Why isn’t the ship moving?”

“I heard the engine exploded.”

“Have you seen Chen Zhuohao?”

Hu Guozheng thought for a moment. “I think I saw him. I called out, but he ignored me.”

“What?” Li Ping was shocked. At that moment, the three cyborgs attacked from different directions, and the two of them fought back immediately.

Shortly after Li Ping left, Du Bin and Li Ning ran over and found Yan Yan sobbing on the deck, staring out at the chaos.

“Yan Yan, what’s wrong?”

Her voice trembled as she replied, “They’re all out there. I can’t just sit and watch them in danger.”

“They?” Li Ning wondered if her brother was among them.