Behind her was a vast expanse of blue, the direction of the dock now invisible and indistinguishable.
Ye Ziyu wondered how Di Mingjue was doing, looking back towards the cockpit.
Gu Xiuyu, who had been at the controls moments ago, had vanished. The yacht continued forward, showing no sign of turning back.
She had been tricked!
After Gu Xiuyu brought her onto the yacht, how could he possibly let her leave?
Gazing at the seemingly bottomless sea, Ye Ziyu fell into deep thought.
"Gu Xiuyu, you've tricked me again!" Ye Ziyu shouted into the empty yacht.
The yacht had not stopped. She knew Gu Xiuyu was still on board. Could she hide from him forever?
Ye Ziyu slid down from the railing and strode towards the yacht's controls. The panel was a dense array of switches, which she couldn't understand.
Seeing the stairs nearby, Ye Ziyu, without a second thought, reached out to manipulate the switches.
"Gu Xiuyu!"
On the silent yacht, even the sound of her tiptoeing was incredibly clear. Ye Ziyu turned her head; Gu Xiuyu had reappeared behind her.
"Stop the boat!" she commanded.
Gu Xiuyu walked towards her, raised his hand without a word, and struck her.
His arm landed on her shoulder, Ye Ziyu's vision went black, and she collapsed into Gu Xiuyu's arms.
Even in her unconscious state, Ye Ziyu's brow remained tightly furrowed.
"Ziyu, I love you, why don't you understand? I'll forgive your stubbornness this time, but my patience has its limits. You must obey me; you can't defy me anymore." Gu Xiuyu caressed her delicate face, then lowered his head and kissed her fair forehead.
The yacht continued its journey. Gu Xiuyu had long set a course, allowing it to proceed to its destination without manual control.
Half an hour later, the yacht docked by the shore.
Before them lay a small island, featuring a villa surrounded by towering vegetation.
Gu Xiuyu carried Ye Ziyu ashore, stepping onto the soft sand. With each step towards the villa, birds in the surrounding woods took flight, startled by their approach.
Upon entering the villa, Gu Xiuyu placed Ye Ziyu on the sofa. He squatted on the carpet, resting his chin on his hands, watching her silently.
One minute, two minutes... outside, darkness fell, and Ye Ziyu finally awoke.
The first thing she saw was Gu Xiuyu's adoring face, which frightened her so much that she sat up abruptly on the sofa. Clutching the blanket in front of her, she curled into a corner of the sofa.
"You're afraid of me?" Gu Xiuyu asked, a hurt expression on his face. "I knocked you out because I was worried you'd get emotional and jump overboard."
Seeing him stand up and move closer, Ye Ziyu immediately pulled her hands out from the blanket to block him. "Don't come any closer!"
Gu Xiuyu continued to approach, then scooped Ye Ziyu into his arms. "You are to be my wife; why can't I come near you?"
He had already stated on the yacht that he would not indulge her repeatedly. Just like raising a pet, only through proper training would a pet become obedient and even more endearing.
He stroked Ye Ziyu's shoulder, his cheek brushing against hers. "As long as you stay by my side honestly, I will give you whatever you want. Even if you miss the children at the Ye family, as long as you don't leave me, I can arrange for them to be brought here. I can overlook it and become their biological father."
"You're a lunatic, you're just a lunatic!" Ye Ziyu struggled, tearing at him and desperately trying to break free from his embrace.
What if he was a lunatic? As long as he could obtain what he desired, he could do anything, no matter how mad.
Gu Xiuyu restrained Ye Ziyu's struggling hands and then effortlessly slung her over his shoulder.
His large, strong hands rested on her thighs, sending a shiver through Ye Ziyu, who dared not move again.