If it were just Li Xiaozhong, it would have been manageable.
After all, they had interacted quite a bit before, and Li Xiaozhong wasn't one to meddle or act recklessly.
But Nie Qingkong…
Xia Qingyu subtly glanced at Miao Tong, who was eating with gusto, and had a thought she wasn't sure whether to voice.
"Qingyu, what are you spacing out about?" Xia Qingtian placed a piece of tender, easy-to-chew beef tendon into Xia Qingyu's bowl, "This is delicious."
"Mmm~" Seeing Xia Qingtian serve her, Xia Qingyu's eyes lit up, and she flashed a happy smile, momentarily forgetting Miao Tong and Nie Qingkong. She savored this moment of bliss.
She realized she had never been on a cruise with Xia Qingtian before.
Knowing that this was likely Xia Qingtian's special arrangement to help her relax before the joint entrance exams, Xia Qingyu felt even sweeter.
As they were finally about to board, the sky turned a bit cloudy.
Xia Honglang personally drove the sisters and their luggage to the ferry terminal. After giving them a lengthy series of instructions, he drove away.
Xia Qingtian then led Xia Qingyu onto the private yacht that had been waiting there.
Staff bustled below the ship. On deck, Bai Yuqi, dressed in beach shorts and a casual shirt with a striking head of blonde hair, waved at them. "Qingtian~ Over here!"
"Young Master Bai," Xia Qingtian waved back, then explained to Xia Qingyu, "This is the young master of the Bai family in the capital. Due to his personal interests, he also works as a detective. I've asked him to help investigate some matters, so I'm one of his clients. This yacht is also his."
"I see," Xia Qingyu responded and looked at Bai Yuqi.
Bai Yuqi was wearing oversized sunglasses and flashed a smile, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth. "Is this little beauty your sister, Qingtian?"
"Yes, this is my sister, Xia Qingyu," Xia Qingtian put her arm around Xia Qingyu's shoulders and introduced her generously. "She's a top student! We're going to the capital for her exams this time."
"Excellent, excellent~ A future pillar of the nation, perhaps?" Bai Yuqi chuckled, his handsome peach blossom eyes narrowing like a fox's behind his sunglasses.
The sisters, Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu, who were not related by blood, had an almost ridiculously close relationship.
He was very interested in unusual things.
Xia Qingyu merely sized up Bai Yuqi before mentally giving him a big X. This person seemed too ostentatious, even a bit sleazy. He wasn't worthy of her sister and didn't deserve to be her brother-in-law.
Maintaining her composure, Xia Qingyu smiled and greeted him before obediently staying by Xia Qingtian's side, watching her chat with Bai Yuqi.
Seeing that they were just having a casual conversation and that Xia Qingtian didn't seem overly interested in Bai Yuqi, Xia Qingyu felt relieved, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"Wow! This ship is so cool!" a male voice called from below the ship, followed by an excited exclamation, "Li Xiaozhong! How could you not want to bring me to play on such a cool yacht! My goddess is the one with a conscience!"
"So noisy," Li Xiaozhong grumbled, digging in his ear with a look of helplessness. "We're going for an exam. It would be strange for you to come. You skipped your afternoon class too."
"What does it matter? I can't understand anything anyway, and who skipped class? I had my dad go through the proper channels to get me leave!" Shi Xingwu protested. "Seriously, you sneak out to have fun without me. Are you trying to hook up with my goddess on the sly?"
"I can't be bothered with you!" Li Xiaozhong shook his head speechlessly and then looked at Nie Qingkong beside him.
Nie Qingkong appeared much more placid, as if he had seen it all.
"You're here~ Come on up," Xia Qingtian said, leaning on the edge of the deck railing and waving to the three people below. "Just use the stairs over there."
"Goddess sister~" Seeing Xia Qingtian, Shi Xingwu waved his arms excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
Beautiful women, who didn't like to look at them?
Xia Qingtian smiled and waved back at Shi Xingwu.
Nie Qingkong also spotted Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu standing beside her.
Seeing Xia Qingyu quickly shift her gaze away after their eyes met, Nie Qingkong's gaze deepened slightly, his lips pursing as if suppressing his displeasure.
Shi Xingwu, not noticing Nie Qingkong's subtle emotions, grabbed Li Xiaozhong with his left hand and Nie Qingkong with his right, and briskly ran onto the ship.
"Sister, thank you for agreeing to let me bring another classmate," Xia Qingyu said to Xia Qingtian.
When Shi Xingwu had approached her, saying he wanted to join them on the cruise, Xia Qingyu had wondered if it would be troublesome for Xia Qingtian.
But then, thinking of the dangerous Nie Qingkong, Xia Qingyu felt it wouldn't be so bad to have Shi Xingwu along.
In a critical moment, he might be able to stop Nie Qingkong from doing anything dangerous.
After all, Shi Xingwu's combat prowess was one of the few things she could praise about him.
Of course, she had asked Xia Qingtian beforehand. Xia Qingtian had said it was completely fine, reiterating her sentiment: "It's better to have more people around; it's livelier."
Xia Qingtian had a pretty good impression of Shi Xingwu; he was an enthusiastic, cheerful, sunny young man. Although he seemed a bit dim-witted, he was confident and lively.
Having a friend like that was a good thing for Qingyu.
Besides, Bai Yuqi didn't seem to mind at all, so she wouldn't refuse.
After all, the wool came from the sheep's back. Xia Qingtian was prepared to be charged handsomely for asking Bai Yuqi to find A Long's whereabouts.
"Happiness is the most important thing," Xia Qingtian said with a smile. "And this ship of Young Master Bai's is so big, it wouldn't matter even if a few more people came, right?"
"That's right. My ship might not look as magnificent as other yachts of the same type, but it has its own charm. Forget just a few people, you could bring your entire class, and it wouldn't be a problem," Bai Yuqi said proudly of his custom-made yacht, the "Detective," which took over a year to complete and was one of a kind in the world.
"It looks magnificent enough as it is," Xia Qingyu said with a light laugh. "It must be very expensive, right?"
"Considering the ship, the name, and all the daily maintenance... it's eight figures," Bai Yuqi said, raising an eyebrow at Xia Qingtian. "It's all thanks to the benefactors showing their favor."
Xia Qingtian just chuckled and didn't respond. Good heavens, he was already trying to fleece her.
At this moment, Li Xiaozhong and the other two had already boarded the deck. Shi Xingwu looked around curiously, while Li Xiaozhong casually glanced towards the ship's cabin and lost interest.
Only Nie Qingkong kept his gaze fixed on Xia Qingyu, his expression nuanced.
Xia Qingyu, however, deliberately avoided Nie Qingkong's stare and asked awkwardly, "Are we setting sail soon?"
"There's still Miao Tong; he should be here soon..." Xia Qingtian said, raising her wrist to check the time.
Just then, a figure dashed onto the deck, panting, "I'm not late, am I?"
"Just in time," Xia Qingtian smiled before looking at Bai Yuqi and saying, "Young Master Bai, everyone's here. We can set sail."
"Okay," Bai Yuqi made a gesture and went to inform the staff to set sail. Xia Qingtian followed him to see if she could help with anything.
Meanwhile, Shi Xingwu, who remained behind, saw the person who had arrived and immediately looked as if facing a great enemy, pointing at him in surprise. "Holy crap! Isn't that... Xiao Xiaosu!"
Li Xiaozhong, who had been somewhat surprised, remembered seeing Miao Tong at the entrance of City No. 1 High School upon hearing Shi Xingwu's words.
Nie Qingkong also looked over, his eyes cold.
This scoundrel dared to approach Xia Qingyu?
What had he said?
"See him once, beat him once!"