Upon hearing about the surveillance footage, Aisen was unfazed. "Alright, Butler, retrieve the surveillance immediately!"
He noticed Ai Qi shivering behind him and quickly turned to comfort her. Once his sister calmed down, he turned his venomous gaze back to Shen Qingqing. "You wait. Once the evidence is conclusive, I'll send you to jail! I mean what I say!"
Shen Qingqing gave him a cool glance before looking at Ai Qi. "An Qi, are you truly not going to say a word?"
She wasn't calling out to Ai Qi.
Ai Qi shivered again and couldn't help but look up at her, only to see the beautiful older sister's eyes were very cold, looking at her as if she were a stranger. She involuntarily glanced at Fu Jingshu, then hastily lowered her head. His gaze was even colder.
She remained silent. Shen Qingqing gave up. "Butler, I'll trouble you."
"Not at all, please wait a moment."
Regardless of any unfolding situation, the butler maintained his smile and had the corridor surveillance brought over as quickly as possible.
The footage showed that before everyone boarded the ship yesterday, this girl had appeared quietly and hidden in the storage room, never coming out until two hours ago. Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu emerged from room Z, seemed to hear a sound, and went to check the storage room. Not long after, they came out with the girl.
The surveillance captured high-definition footage, clearly showing that the girl was not coerced and showed no reluctance. In fact, she followed Shen Qingqing closely, as if afraid of being left behind. How could this possibly be considered a kidnapping?
The surveillance even captured later footage of Fu Jingshu and Shen Qingqing leaving the room one after another. Shen Qingqing got into an argument with Aisen in the corridor at a turn. Meanwhile, Fu Jingshu went upstairs, knocked on the door, and then waited by the door with a tray. Any discerning eye would see that he made sure there was only one girl inside before entering, a gentlemanly act... How could this be the behavior of a kidnapper?!
Aisen's face turned green, feeling as if he had been slapped. He couldn't believe his sister had gone willingly!
The butler smiled. "So, it was all a misunderstanding. However, Miss Ai Qi, how did you slip past our ship's security and end up here?"
Ai Qi kept her head down, silent.
Aisen's mind buzzed, but he instinctively protected his sister. "My sister came with me. I didn't keep a good watch on her..."
The butler said nothing, only showing a hint of surprise on his face. Aisen dared not look at Shen Qingqing now. She had been misunderstood. They had brought his sister out, even given her food. They had even thoughtfully allowed her to have private time alone... And him? Like an ungrateful wretch, he had unleashed a torrent of abuse on them. Thinking about what he had just said, his vision went black. How embarrassing!
Seeing his friend looking like he wanted to sink into the ground, Pei Ji sighed. "Miss Shen, I apologize. We misunderstood." He was naturally easygoing, and apologizing wasn't difficult for him. However, Aisen found it very hard. Knowing he was wrong, he just couldn't bring himself to apologize to the woman in front of him! Then he remembered he had been drugged. Yes, that would even things out! He jutted out his neck, his face burning. "I misunderstood you, but you heard my phone call and stayed silent. It's hard to say you weren't intentional. Anyway, you drugged me too, so we're even now!"
Shen Qingqing narrowed her eyes. "Your sister told me her name was An Qi."
Aisen choked and glared at Ai Qi. She lowered her head, looking like a quail that had made a mistake. Aisen immediately felt a pang of sympathy. He took a deep breath and, enduring the humiliation, said, "In any case, since the misunderstanding is cleared up, let's just let it go. We'll be leaving now." He grabbed his sister and quickly ran off, their retreating figures looking somewhat like a hasty escape.
The butler smiled and withdrew. Pei Ji, a step behind, turned back to look at the couple in the room as he reached the doorway. "I am truly sorry. Aisen was too impulsive, and thank you for being willing to take care of Ai Qi."
Unfortunately, despite his sincerity, neither the man nor the woman paid him any mind. Knowing they were in the wrong, he didn't dare to linger and turned to leave.
As soon as they were gone, the room became quiet. Shen Qingqing looked at the door, her expression somewhat displeased. "What a nuisance."
Fu Jingshu changed the bedsheet Ai Qi had used and tidied the bed. Then he pulled his little wife to sit down and gently comforted her in his arms. "Don't be angry. The trouble is gone."
"Pfft." Shen Qingqing didn't feel anything when she said it, but seeing him say it so seriously, with a poker face, she found it amusing for some reason. She cupped his face, feeling his indulgence and leniency, and her mischievous spirit flared. Her two small hands began to knead his face. His exceedingly handsome face was contorted out of shape. But he didn't move or struggle, letting her have her way, his eyes full of doting affection and helplessness. Shen Qingqing, however, began to feel reluctant. She let go and lightly kissed his slightly flushed handsome face. "You fool?"
"Mm." He agreed to everything she said without objection, his arms around her never loosening. Shen Qingqing relaxed her body and nestled into his embrace. "Wait..."
Before she could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"
The door was gently pushed open, and a head poked in. It was Ai Qi. However, upon seeing the intimate posture of the couple sitting on the bed, her face flushed. "Um, beautiful older sister, I..."
"Speak if you have something to say."
"I want to apologize to you." Ai Qi knew she was in the wrong, and besides, the two of them hadn't changed their posture even when she appeared, so she didn't dare to look directly at them. "After we went back, brother scolded me. I know I was wrong..."
"So, why didn't you explain clearly just now?" Shen Qingqing couldn't understand. How could she help, only to be misunderstood? Was she a born ungrateful person?
Ai Qi quickly said, "It's because I was afraid, afraid of being scolded by my brother, so..."
For such a trivial reason, she remained silent and deliberately misled others. Shen Qingqing watched the last flicker of warmth in her eyes disappear. She had thought she was a cute girl like A'Lang, but unexpectedly...
"You can go."
"Beautiful older sister..."
"Get out."
Ai Qi wanted to say more, but the man's icy gaze and stern tone made her heart tremble, and she dared not say another word. She bit her lip, glanced at Fu Jingshu, and turned to leave. However, before closing the door, she couldn't help but look up. The man's strong arms were holding the woman in his embrace tightly. He whispered something in her ear, making the woman blush, her charm deepening. She lightly punched him. He chuckled, his eyes and brows brimming with tenderness and desire, and he lowered his head to kiss her.
Ai Qi's heart skipped a beat as she watched. She quickly closed the door and leaned against it, covering her chest, not understanding why her heart was pounding so rapidly. It felt as if it would leap out of her throat. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, thinking it was probably just the first time she had seen such an intimate scene. Yes, that was it. She turned and walked away with slightly unsteady steps, hurrying off.