Сhаpter 21: Аrе Yоu thе Dеvil?
It was too lаtе, so Li Musi bоoked rооms аt а fivе-stаr hotеl nехt tо the shoрping mall.
Jing Ge’s roоm wаs neхt tо his.
“Rооm сard,” Li Мusi rеаched оut tо her, “I’ll hаve someоne fеtch your luggаge.”
Jing Gе handеd him thе card.
Shе felt at eаsе bеing а child with an еldеr аs hеr suppоrt.
Evеn though she wаs no longеr a child.
Jing Gе’s flight was the neхt mоrning, whilе Li Musi’s wаs in thе afternoоn.
Clеаrly, he wаs taking cаre оf hеr, еnsuring she lеft safelу.
After lуing dоwn in hеr room and playing on her рhоne for a while, Li Мusi knоcked on hеr dоor.
He briefed her on the precautions for the trip.
And handed her the tickets.
“The tour guide’s surname is Wang. She’ll pick you up tomorrow,” he said. “She’ll accompany you throughout the journey. If you have any issues, let her know.”
Jing Ge was surprised: “There’s even a dedicated tour guide?”
Li Musi: “Yes, I arranged it for myself. I don’t like spending energy on such matters.”
“Oh, okay.”
That’s how the big shots are.
Rather than wasting time and effort researching guides and information, it’s better to pay professionals to handle professional matters.
They only focus on relaxing and resting completely.
Then, Li Musi handed her a card: “There’s five hundred thousand in it.”
Jing Ge quickly waved her hands: “No, no…”
Li Musi: “It’s a recharge card, only usable for consumption on the cruise. Non-refundable, non-convertible to cash, and expires after the trip. Use it up before you return. Don’t let others benefit from it.”
Jing Ge was instantly convinced.
She took the card.
After saying all this, Li Musi lowered his gaze and pondered briefly, as if his own child were leaving home alone for the first time, and he couldn’t help but worry about everything, wanting to explain things as thoroughly as possible.
A moment later, he uttered: “That’s all.”
Jing Ge: “…Oh.”
The two exchanged a glance, and Jing Ge suddenly smiled brightly: “I’ll bring you a gift.”
“No need,” Li Musi said. “I prefer simplicity and don’t like adding extra things.”
“……”
Sigh.
No wonder he still hasn’t found a partner.
Her future aunt-in-law must have a tough time in some aspects.
Jing Ge didn’t dare say it out loud, silently grumbling to herself.
The next day, the tour guide arrived at the hotel on time to pick her up.
This meant Jing Ge only needed to bring her documents and ensure she was well-fed and clothed. Everything else was taken care of.
Li Musi accompanied them to the airport.
While the tour guide went to handle the check-in, Jing Ge belatedly felt a wave of parting emotions.
Perhaps because there was no official business, Li Musi dressed casually that day, appearing less distant and cold. It made it easy to overlook his seniority and realize he was just a young man only a few years older than her.
Jing Ge mumbled: “Uncle…”
Li Musi glanced at her: “Want to go back to Haishi?”
Jing Ge’s parting sadness vanished instantly.
“No, I’m leaving right away.”
Li Musi casually mentioned: “When you return, write a five-thousand-word essay about this trip.”
Jing Ge stared at him with an “Are you the devil?” expression.
Li Musi actually smiled.
A very faint smile.
The tour guide hurried back: “All set. We need to take two flights before boarding the cruise.”
“Thank you for your hard work,” Li Musi nodded to her. “It’s her first time leaving home. Please take good care of her.”
“You’re too kind.”
Jing Ge walked inside, glancing back.
Li Musi stood with one hand in his pocket. When he saw her looking back, he smiled and nodded at her.
The perfect image of an elder.
Jing Ge sat in the comfortable seat of the first-class cabin, wiping away her unwelcome tears with the back of her hand.Amanda said that nothing was worth making first-class passengers sad. Jing Ge understood she was just giving an example—”first-class” here was a broad concept.
Just like Li Mushi was a broad concept to her.
He wasn’t her parent or family, nor was he someone like Li Zhan.
Yet, he was almost the person who treated her best.
On this trip, Jing Ge had a great time. The ticket was for a luxury cabin with excellent views and a wonderful environment, and the three daily meals were sumptuous.
Afraid of wasting the five hundred thousand in her prepaid card, Jing Ge would order extra meals, book spa massages, and play cards and games with a group of like-minded young people on the ship.
Tour guide Sister Wang, fifteen years older than her, indulged her all the way.
Only after arriving in Antarctica, when everyone lined up to experience winter swimming, did Sister Wang put on a stern face and forbid her from joining the fun.
Jing Ge had already changed into her swimsuit: “I want to swim…”
“No,” Sister Wang said seriously. “You’ll catch a cold.”
Jing Ge shook her arm: “Others won’t, I want to try…”
“Our constitution is different from these foreigners,” Sister Wang said. “Do you want me to call your uncle?”
“…No need,” Jing Ge said dejectedly. “Phone calls are expensive here. Please don’t waste your money.”
Sister Wang finally smiled: “Go over there, I’ll take photos for you. Who knows if there are viruses from tens of thousands of years ago in that water.”
Jing Ge puffed her cheeks and gave up.
After taking photos, Sister Wang let her roam freely, and Jing Ge wandered around on her own.
A girl she had played Monopoly with yesterday approached and whispered: “Sis, you brought a bodyguard on your trip?”
“…Who?” Jing Ge was confused. “What bodyguard?”
The girl said: “The sister who’s been following you all the time.”
Jing Ge: “She’s not a bodyguard, she’s a tour guide.”
“Don’t lie,” the girl scoffed. “The calluses on her palms are clearly from holding a gun for a long time. My family runs a shooting range—do you think I can tell?”
Jing Ge paused for a moment and suddenly understood.
Sister Wang was originally assigned to Li Mushi. Li Mushi was a big shot, so it made sense for him to travel with a bodyguard—after all, he was quite valuable, and safety naturally came first.
She was just lucky to benefit from it.
The girl looked her over: “You seem to have gained weight since boarding the ship.”
“……” Jing Ge was stunned. “Really? Is it true? Did I eat too much?”
The girl nodded, giving her a definite answer.
Jing Ge murmured: “But I still have money left on my card.”
“What card?”
“A prepaid card.”
“…Is there such a thing?” the girl wondered. “I should’ve asked my parents to get me one too.”
With that, the girl enthusiastically invited her: “Let’s go look at bags. They’re duty-free. Don’t just eat all the time—buy a bag and spend it all at once.”
Jing Ge happily let herself be dragged away.
Meanwhile, in Haishi.
As soon as Li Mushi stepped out of the airport, he made a call to someone unknown: “If anyone asks about Jing Ge’s business trip, help cover it up.”
“Yes, I’m responsible for her safety.”
“Thanks for your hard work.”
After the New Year, the Jing family came to pay their respects to the Li family’s Grandfather and Grandmother.
Because their relationship was maintained only by the marriage arrangement, Father Jing couldn’t help but feel inferior. When speaking to the elderly couple, he only said things they liked to hear.
With Jing Ge absent, Father Jing felt even more ashamed: “When she returns, I’ll make her quit her job immediately.”
“Ah~” Grandmother disagreed. “It’s good for a young girl to be ambitious. You mustn’t do that, or I’ll have your mother punish you.”The group laughed along.
“She should have come to wish you both a happy New Year,” Father Jing said. “But her phone has been unreachable the whole time. I even asked her supervisor, who said the place she’s on a business trip to is remote, with poor signal, and told me not to worry.”