“So… You mean… you want this young master to do manual maintenance for you?”
Zheng Hao looked at Mo Yurou with a sly expression. Her body trembled slightly.
At the words “manual maintenance,” she seemed both resistant and expectant.
“If… if it’s inconvenient for you… Then… then forget it… I’ll find a female Ship Maiden and pay her to help me with maintenance…”
Hesitantly putting the Repair Liquid back away, Mo Yurou did not know why she had impulsively wanted Zheng Hao to help.
Perhaps…
It was because he was the first strange person in years who had looked excited upon seeing her unsightly hull.
Perhaps…
It was because if she asked him for maintenance, he would not charge a labor fee.
Her thoughts were a complete mess. A faint sense of disappointment welled up in her as she turned to leave toward the railing.
“Give it here!”
“Huh?”
A firm voice suddenly rang out. Mo Yurou froze.
Looking up, she saw Zheng Hao already extending his hand toward her. “What are you spacing out for? Give me the maintenance liquid. I’ll do manual maintenance for you!”
“You… you… Come with me!”
Grabbing her hand, Zheng Hao could not help the smile curling at his lips.
Good, good!
He had thought Jian Chunxue was planning something big. Turns out she had deliberately given the maintenance liquid as an assist.
As expected, the older generation truly knew their moves.
“Tap tap tap~”
Under the moonlight, the boy led the girl past rows of small cabins and around to the rear deck of the cargo ship.
The night was clear and the stars sparse. The rear deck was empty, with only the salty sea breeze blowing through.
“So… Where do you want maintenance?”
His gaze swept over Mo Yurou. She pressed her lips together. “If possible… the whole hull surface… could you apply it everywhere?”
“Uh… Does that include the Captain’s Cabin?”
He teased her lightly. Mo Yurou’s face tightened instantly. “Not there! Not there!”
“Oh~ Fine, fine… In that case… transform first. I’ll start with the bottom of the hull…”
Turning around with mock disappointment, Zheng Hao quietly unscrewed the bottle cap of the maintenance liquid.
“Plop~”
Squeezing out a small amount, he rubbed it between his palms. His hands became slick and smooth, almost like coated with essential oil.
“Hiss… This maintenance liquid is something else! I wonder if Navigators can use it…”
As his thoughts drifted mischievously, a shy voice sounded behind him.
“Oh?”
Turning around, Zheng Hao saw the vast rear deck now occupied by the Demon Ship, inverted on the deck. The mast supported one side, while the stern rested on the other. The hull bottom was tilted, one side higher than the other.
The posture looked… oddly suggestive.
“Uh…”
Zheng Hao circled around the hull, rubbing the repair liquid between his hands, producing soft slapping sounds.
“Are you ready?”
“Mm…”
The hull swayed gently.
“Alright! I’m starting!”
He pressed his palms against the wooden planks of the hull bottom. Due to prolonged contact with seawater, the underside had darkened with corrosion. The wood had slightly shrunk and wrinkled, and seawater seeped out at his touch.
“You… If you don’t maintain it soon, the hull bottom will rot through.”
Squeezing more repair liquid, Zheng Hao carefully spread it across every inch of the hull bottom.
“Buzz~ buzz~ buzz~”
Kneeling beneath the hull, he could feel the Demon Ship vibrating continuously.
“Mm… mm…”
The small ship trembled rhythmically.
Until—
“Slap!”
Zheng Hao suddenly slapped the mast and teased, “What? Feels good?”
“G-good…”
“So good you forgot to turn over?”
“Ah?! S-sorry! I forgot!”
The hull hurriedly shifted, and with a heavy thud, the inverted body slowly righted itself.
“Next… Let’s maintain the front side…”
Looking at the Demon Ship with mock annoyance, Zheng Hao never imagined that after transmigrating into a young master, he would still be doing hull maintenance work.
Yet…
Seeing the once darkened hull bottom now smooth and glossy after his effort, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
“Damn it! Am I destined to be a workhorse?”
Shaking his head, he moved along the ship’s sides and deck, rubbing the repair liquid steadily, producing soft rhythmic sounds.
When he reached the mast—
“Whoosh~” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Whoosh~”
The torn sail of the Demon Ship, despite no wind, bulged dramatically.
“Heh…”
Calmly stroking the mast a few more times, the entire Demon Ship began trembling again.
“D-don’t touch it anymore… If you keep touching it, my propeller… will start spinning uncontrollably…”
The shy voice made Zheng Hao withdraw his hand and walk toward the Captain’s Cabin.
The last of the repair liquid was poured generously across the outer wooden panels of the Captain’s Cabin. As he rubbed thoroughly, the Demon Ship shook uncontrollably.
“Drip…”
When the final drop was evenly spread, under the moonlight the entire Demon Ship appeared darker and more lustrous.
“Ah~ I’m exhausted!”
Jumping down from the deck, Zheng Hao landed on the floor and realized the Demon Ship had been motionless for quite some time.
“Hey! Wake up! Wake up!”
After tapping the hull, Mo Yurou’s faint voice finally responded.
“Mm? S-sorry! Sorry! It felt too good… so I… I fell asleep…”
“Buzz~ buzz~”
The hull gradually blurred as Mo Yurou’s figure appeared on the deck.
Her skin now looked several shades fairer. The thick foundation on her face had mostly been wiped away during the process, revealing a clear, delicate oval face.
Her clothes clung tightly to her body. The fair skin beneath shone even more brightly after the repair liquid application.
Blushing deeply, Mo Yurou looked at Zheng Hao differently now.
“You… Aren’t you afraid that while doing maintenance, I’d force my way into your Captain’s Cabin?”
Zheng Hao teased while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Unexpectedly, Mo Yurou stared at him blankly and softly asked, “Do you… really want to be my Navigator?”
“Of course! Otherwise, with my conditions, why wouldn’t I find another Ship Maiden?”
“I… You! Give me time to think! Let’s get to know each other more! Anyway… anyway… just wait for me!”
Her gaze lingered on him with complicated emotion.
“Tap tap tap~”
Under the moonlight, Mo Yurou covered her flushed face and ran toward the front deck.
[Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully gained the favor of the Destiny Protagonist’s main Ship Maiden!]
[You have seized four strands of the Destiny Protagonist’s luck!]
[Your SSS-grade Talent “Dice of Fate” awakening probability +4%. Current probability: 44%!]