Pet Romance

After hanging up, Shen Qian started unpacking her luggage. Staying on the ship for over sixty days was no small affair. She toured her luxurious suite, which, apart from being overly festive, had all the furniture and amenities one could need. What caught Shen Qian’s eye was the oversized bathroom, which was surprising. Inside was a large bathtub, at least twenty square meters, recessed into the floor, almost like a small swimming pool. Shen Qian stepped in barefoot, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes with satisfaction. She accidentally pressed a button on the handrail beside the tub, which made a “ding” sound, seemingly activating something. Before she could look closely, the TV on the wall turned on, and a polite customer service lady smiled at the screen, “May I help you? For room service, press one. For a massage, press two. For customer inquiries, press three.” It was like dealing with a telecom service. Shen Qian frowned but was subconsciously curious about the buttons on the handrail, all touch-sensitive… She selected three, and a human service dialogue appeared on the screen, “Hello.”
Shen Qian widened her eyes in astonishment, filled with sudden joy, “How interesting!” “Miss, do you need any help?” Shen Qian was taken aback, realizing this was an interactive dialogue. She could only respond awkwardly, “What does ‘ordering food’ mean? And what does ‘massage’ mean?” “Ordering food means going online to order a meal, which will then be delivered to your bathroom.” Upon hearing this, Shen Qian was mortified; who eats while bathing? The customer service continued, “A massage means we’ll find a professional to help with your calf muscles.” This service was indeed comprehensive. Shen Qian thanked them, hung up, and the TV screen started playing. She thought watching TV while bathing was quite the mood. She got up, walked barefoot to the bed, felt a wave of comfort, rolled around, and actually fell asleep. When she woke up, the sealed windows showed it was already evening. Shen Qian realized with a start that she had planned to find You Ran after lunch, and now it was well past dinner. She hurriedly took out her phone and dialed, but no one answered. She called again, and finally, someone picked up, “Hello?” It wasn’t You Ran’s voice? Shen Qian checked her phone screen to confirm she had indeed called You Ran. She asked, “Who are you?” “Are you looking for Mr. You? He’s inside but can’t answer the phone right now.” Can’t answer the phone? Shen Qian’s mind raced. Inside yet unable to answer, and then a strange man picks up? The more she thought, the more horrified she became, her mouth forming an “O” shape. Could it be that You Ran has a preference for men? Considering his delicate appearance, perhaps his inability to answer was due to an overindulgence in… Shen Qian shook her head, dispelling her wild thoughts. “Is it convenient for me to go see him now?” Shen Qian asked, her eyelids twitching furiously. “I’ll check, please wait.” After a while, the polite man came back, “Mr. You says to give him about twenty minutes to get dressed.” Get dressed? Shen Qian’s jaw dropped. She adjusted her bangs, “Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Unable to wait twenty minutes, Shen Qian left after five. Unfamiliar with the cruise ship’s layout, she wandered around, unable to find You Ran’s location, getting herself thoroughly lost. She grabbed a passing waiter, “Excuse me, how do I get to room 101?” “Go past this corridor, turn right twice, then left; it’s at the end.” Shen Qian felt dizzy but remembered the instructions, nodding and following the directions. Just as she turned right, someone came out of a room, and they collided. Shen Qian staggered back, looked up, and to her surprise, it was Qin Hao? He was equally shocked, looking at Shen Qian in disbelief, and then burst into laughter, “What are you doing here?” “Ah?” “This is the first-class cabin, and this area is for guests invited by my grandfather. Are you here to find me?” “…” Shen Qian hadn’t thought of looking for Qin Hao at all. She gave an awkward smile, “Actually…” “Qianqian, do you think this engagement ceremony is absurd?” Shen Qian was slightly surprised; Qin Hao rarely showed such intense emotions in front of her, and now there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Then she recalled the scene from last night when Yu Cheng came looking for You Ran in the middle of the night. Could Qin Hao know about their affair? “I was just about to go swimming. Want to join me?” That’s when she noticed Qin Hao was holding a towel, dressed casually in a brown T-shirt, shorts, and black flip-flops. “Where’s your wife?” Shen Qian naturally looked into the room he came from. Qin Hao frowned, “We’re not married yet; we won’t live together.” “Oh.” Shen Qian gave a silly smile, “You can swim now? Did the near-death experience last time make you realize how important swimming is?” “Not yet, I plan to use a float.” Qin Hao grinned. Shen Qian’s face darkened, imagining a grown man swimming at night with a float. Since she had some time before the twenty minutes were up, and seeing her once crush looking so down, she decided to accompany him. Qin Hao led Shen Qian to the pool he wanted to visit, which they passed by You Ran’s room 101. Shen Qian paused briefly but then followed Qin Hao’s steps. To her surprise, up the stairs from 101 was a special deck with a pool. Qin Hao grabbed a float from a rack, grinning, “Qianqian, want to join me in the water?” She glanced down at the water, where the moon’s reflection was distorted, shining brightly, with no one else around. It wouldn’t be appropriate to swim with Qin Hao, so she shook her head. Qin Hao didn’t insist, started to undress, and prepared to enter the water. His tall, inverted triangle figure was fully revealed to Shen Qian, who was momentarily stunned, recalling Li Meili’s words, “Qianqian, why do you like him?” “He’s very handsome.” “He’s a triple good man… good looks, good family, good physique.” Back then, she only knew two of his good qualities, but now she discovered the third. He got into the water, trying to dive in, but the float’s buoyancy prevented him from doing so. He said helplessly, “Qianqian, can I throw away the float to experience diving into the water?” “That’s your business, why ask me?” Shen Qian, being a water baby, was already sitting by the pool, her feet in the water, swinging back and forth. “I want to get rid of you. If I don’t come up, remember to save me.” “…” Shen Qian gave him a blank look, “I just changed into this outfit today, I don’t want it to get wet.” “Fine.” He clasped his hands together, not looking sincere, but rather playful. He quickly tossed the float away, dove in, and didn’t resurface. Shen Qian called out, “Qin Hao.” No answer. “Hey… little rat.” Now genuinely worried, she threw her phone aside and jumped in. Just as she hit the water, Qin Hao surfaced, laughing, “Qianqian, you fell for it.” Shen Qian was stunned, then glared at him, “You can swim?” “I was planning to have you rescue me so we could share a mouth-to-mouth, but you were too slow. I couldn’t hold my breath any longer.” “Ah!” Shen Qian angrily slapped the water, “Jerk.” Then she scooped up water and splashed it in his face. Qin Hao laughed heartily, then turned to leave the water.
At that moment, Qin Hao’s phone on the shore kept ringing incessantly. Qin Hao also climbed ashore, not even having time to wipe the water off his body before answering the call. “Grandpa, what’s up? Ah? You want to see me now?” Qin Hao sneakily glanced at Shen Qian, who was wringing out her clothes, and said, “Yes, I’ll be right there.” He handed the towel he had brought to Shen Qian, “Dry yourself off, I have to go.” He paused, wanting to say more but hesitated, then simply said, “Bye.” As soon as he turned around, he saw You Ran leaning against the cabin door. You Ran’s gaze was icy, his face expressionless, staring intently at them. Qin Hao approached and politely greeted, “Cousin, are you here to swim?” “No, I just heard some shouting and came to check it out,” You Ran said lightly, glancing at Shen Qian without much emphasis. Qin Hao nodded. “You’d better hurry, Grandpa is looking for you.” Qin Hao was taken aback, “How do you know Grandpa wants to see me?” “Didn’t you just answer a call?” You Ran’s lips curved into a slight, ambiguous smile. Qin Hao was momentarily stunned; although he wasn’t very close to You Ran, he knew that his grandfather had adopted two children, one being his father and the other You Ran’s mother. You Ran’s mother had passed away early, and the familial bonds had faded significantly. But at least he knew that his cousin, even if indifferent, would always maintain a slight smile, like a gentle breeze. Now, Qin Hao sensed an icy chill in that indifference, making him shiver involuntarily. After nodding, he left.