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Bonus chapter! Thank you to Min for the donation! ^^
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When Lin Zhiyan spoke, there was a suspicious pause between "college student" and "life," subtly altering the meaning of the sentence.
(T/N: In Chinese, this slight hesitation could reinterpret "dàxuéshēng de shēnghuó" (大学生的生活, "a college student's life") as something more ominous, like "dàxuéshēng huó" (大学生活, "college students live" with an implied "only if I allow it"). In Mandarin, the absence or presence of the possessive particle "的 (de)" can completely change meaning. Here, the pause creates intentional ambiguity between the normal phrase "college life" and a more threatening interpretation.)
Yet his expression remained indifferent from start to finish, and he didn’t add any odd inflection—like a drawn-out "er"—to the word "life." It made one wonder if they were overthinking it.
(T/N: He pronounced the word "huó" (活, "life") cleanly without adding the casual Beijing-style "er" suffix that might have softened it. This clinical delivery made Ruan Qing wonder if he was imagining the implied threat. The Beijing dialect often adds "儿 (ér)" endings to words, making speech sound more colloquial. By avoiding this, Lin Zhiyan maintains formal, precise diction that heightens the tension.)
As if he truly meant nothing more than "college life is wonderful."
But either interpretation carried an undercurrent of threat.
Lin Zhiyan was making it clear: he could end Ruan Qing’s college life at any moment, or render all his efforts meaningless.
If Ruan Qing were merely a player, academics wouldn’t matter to him.
But he wasn’t. Before realizing he might not survive this ordeal, Xia Qing had cared deeply about his studies and future.
Ruan Qing’s face paled further. His lips parted soundlessly, trembling with unspoken words, before he finally managed a quiet, "Mm."
Lin Zhiyan tilted his chin slightly, gesturing beside him. "Come here."
Ruan Qing shuddered, then stiffly circled the desk to stand at Lin Zhiyan’s side.
The man pivoted his chair with lazy grace, exuding an air of aristocratic ease. Now facing Ruan Qing, he spoke coolly: "Sit."
Ruan Qing froze. He stared at Lin Zhiyan in disbelief, then glanced around reflexively.
The office had plenty of seating—a sofa for guests near the entrance, lounge chairs on the deck overlooking the ocean—but where he stood now, by the desk, the only options were Lin Zhiyan’s own chair…
Or his lap.
Lin Zhiyan was tall and lean, his silver suit immaculate, every line of him radiating restrained opulence. Even with one leg crossed over the other, he carried himself with a detached elegance.
But it wasn’t the kind of elegance that put others at ease. Instead, it pressed down like an invisible weight, a reminder of the unbridgeable gap between them.
This was exactly how the original Ruan Qing had felt upon first meeting him.
Had it not been for boarding this ship, the original would never have dared provoke someone like him.
Ruan Qing bit his lip, hesitating for several seconds before stiffly kneeling on the floor. His slender fingers clutched at his knees, knuckles whitening.
He looked like a rabbit caught by a vicious wolf, forced to obediently submit to the wolf’s commands, his entire body radiating an aura of helplessness and vulnerability.
Lin Zhiyan froze for a second at the sight—then the next moment, he let out a soft laugh, his voice brimming with amusement.
But as he laughed, his smile suddenly faltered.
The boy’s kneeling posture accentuated his slender, delicate figure to perfection, and even the way he knelt carried an alluring, almost indecent charm.
It was as if the two of them were playing some unspeakable roleplay game.
And he—Lin Zhiyan—was the master of this game.
The amusement in Lin Zhiyan’s eyes had long since vanished, replaced by something dark and unfathomable, laced with an indefinable hint of danger.
Lin Zhiyan had never paid attention to this boy—someone who wasn’t even on the guest list yet had the audacity to sneak onto the cruise ship.
If he was looking for death, Lin Zhiyan was more than happy to oblige.
But…
His gaze darkened as he looked down at the boy kneeling before him. He uncrossed his legs, leaning forward slightly, then reached out with slender fingers to grip Ruan Qing’s chin, forcing his head up with deliberate indifference.
"You’re quite practiced at this. Do you play like this often?"
Ruan Qing met Lin Zhiyan’s inscrutable stare, momentarily confused.
Play like what often?
Seeing the bewilderment in the boy’s beautiful eyes, Lin Zhiyan realized he’d asked a stupid question. After all, every detail about the boy was laid out in the dossier on his desk.
The file was exhaustive—it chronicled every aspect of the boy’s life, including his past with his former patron.
Nothing had ever happened between them. The most intimate thing they’d done was sit together.
And the boy’s flustered, inexperienced reaction only confirmed it.
Most likely… his former patron was impotent.
Amusement flickered in Lin Zhiyan’s eyes again. He released Ruan Qing’s chin, then abruptly yanked him up by the arm—
—pulling him straight into his lap.
Ruan Qing’s eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, he tried to struggle, frantically attempting to break free from Lin Zhiyan’s grasp.
However, Lin Zhiyan’s strength was overwhelming. Not only could Ruan Qing not break free from his grasp, but Lin Zhiyan even wrapped an arm around his slender waist and forcibly pulled him down onto his lap.
The unfamiliar warmth against his body made Ruan Qing stiffen instantly, and he began struggling even more frantically.
Lin Zhiyan trapped Ruan Qing’s wrist with one hand and his slender waist with the other, dragging him firmly into his embrace.
Leaning close to Ruan Qing’s ear, he watched the flustered young man squirm and murmured in a low, husky voice laced with deliberate temptation, "Didn’t you say… college students are good in bed?"
"Want to test that?"
The way he spoke—slow, deliberate, with a rough edge—carried an undeniable seduction, enough to make anyone’s heartbeat stutter.
But Ruan Qing wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it. His delicate frame tensed even further the moment Lin Zhiyan finished speaking.
Before, he might have convinced himself he was overthinking things. But this time, there was no mistaking it.
Lin Zhiyan’s deliberate pause, the suggestive inflection—he wasn’t talking about college life at all.
Ruan Qing trembled slightly, his beautiful eyes wide with panic. "N-no, I… I didn’t mean—"
"Hmm?" Lin Zhiyan cut him off, his tone teasing but edged with something darker. "Don’t tell me you lied just to get on this ship?"
It was meant as a joke, but the way the boy in his arms froze told him otherwise.
Lin Zhiyan’s grip on Ruan Qing’s waist tightened, pulling him even closer. His voice dropped, laced with quiet danger. "What? Did I hit the mark?"
"You think you can just walk away now that you’re here?"
Under Lin Zhiyan’s piercing gaze, Ruan Qing’s eyes welled up with unshed tears. He shook his head desperately. "No! That’s not it, I just—"
"Then prove it." Lin Zhiyan didn’t let him finish.
His fingers, which had been gripping Ruan Qing’s wrist, now trailed up to trace the boy’s pale lips, stroking them with deliberate slowness. "If it’s not true… show me."
Ruan Qing’s lashes fluttered nervously, but he didn’t dare move, sitting rigidly on Lin Zhiyan’s lap like a frightened rabbit.
Lin Zhiyan didn’t seem to mind his stillness. His hand slid lower, tilting Ruan Qing’s chin up with a firm grip, forcing their eyes to meet.
Just as he leaned in to close the distance between them—
A knock sounded at the office door.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
A flicker of impatience flashed in Lin Zhiyan’s eyes. Tilting his head slightly, he cast a cold glance toward the office door.
“Knock, knock, knock.” The knocking came again, followed by a respectful voice from outside.
“Mr. Lin, are you there?”
Lin Zhiyan withdrew his gaze, his dark eyes fixed on Ruan Qing. As his fingers brushed the corner of Ruan Qing’s lips, his voice dropped low, rough with restrained emotion. “What is it?”
Perhaps because someone was outside, Ruan Qing stiffened further, allowing Lin Zhiyan to trace his lips without resistance.
Hearing the dangerous edge in the man’s tone, the staff member outside grew even more deferential. “Mr. Lin, we’ve received word from the fourth floor—another guest has had an incident.”
Lin Zhiyan’s impatience deepened. His voice was icy. “Let Lin Yun handle it.”
Yet the staff member hesitated. After a brief pause, he spoke again, cautiously. “Mr. Lin… Mr. Qi was also there when it happened.”
At the mention of “Mr. Qi,” Lin Zhiyan’s hand stilled. His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before he turned toward the door.
“I’ll be right there.”
“Understood, Mr. Lin.” This time, the staff member left, footsteps fading down the hall.
Lin Zhiyan tightened his grip on Ruan Qing’s waist, effortlessly lifting him with one arm before turning and depositing him onto a chair.
After straightening his tie, Lin Zhiyan bent down, his movements restrained as he smoothed Ruan Qing’s disheveled hair—tousled from struggling.
“Be good and wait for me.”
With that, he strode out of the office.
Once alone, Ruan Qing exhaled in relief. He wiped his sore lips, then stood, subtly scanning the room.
There were surveillance cameras here.
A trace of disappointment flickered in his eyes. Under surveillance, searching Lin Zhiyan’s office freely was impossible—after all, the original owner would never do such a thing.
Unless he could block or disable the cameras.
But he was already within their range. Acting without raising suspicion would be difficult.
For now, Ruan Qing had no choice but to give up.
Ruan Qing glanced toward the deck.
There was a floor-to-ceiling window there, offering a clear view of the deck outside.
However, it was already completely dark outside. The room’s lights only illuminated the nearby area, leaving everything beyond shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
Ruan Qing walked toward the deck.
Just as his hand touched the sliding door of the window, the room’s door was knocked on again—this time with urgent, rapid strikes, as if something critical had happened.
“Mr. Lin, are you there?”
Ruan Qing glanced at the surveillance monitor, then turned and headed for the entrance.
But the person outside seemed impatient. When no response came, they knocked again—though this time, it sounded different, as if someone else had taken over.
A cold, aristocratic male voice rang out from the other side:
“Lin Zhiyan, open the door.”
Ruan Qing froze for a moment. There was something eerily familiar about that voice, but before he could place it, the man spoke again.
“Kick the door down.”
The moment the words left the man’s mouth, a violent crash shook the door.
Ruan Qing’s eyes widened as he stared at the trembling door—because he had finally remembered who the voice belonged to.
It was the voice of… the former sugar daddy the original owner had dumped.
