Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back!
Chapter 373: Boarding the Ship

Chapter 373: Chapter 373: Boarding the Ship

Airport parking lot.

The accompanying doctor administered emergency care to Ji Muye’s wound.

Lu Xining learned about the man’s condition from Ma Sai. Looking at Ji Muye resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, his lips pale, and blood staining the bandage on his abdomen, her gaze grew heavier with unspoken emotions.

"The kid is just going abroad for a week; it’s not like they’re not coming back. Why do you have to put yourself in such a state?"

She understood that Ji Muye carried too many unspeakable secrets. Otherwise, given his status as a golden boy with countless bodyguards, it wouldn’t be his turn to shield against harm—unless what he was doing could not be known by too many people, and even Ji family’s bodyguards couldn’t follow him around more than necessary.

"Kids grow up too fast; every moment counts."

Ji Muye opened his eyes and gazed at the woman’s profile in front of him. Thinking of her leaving for the Royal Cruise tomorrow, the words urging her not to go reached his lips but were swallowed back. He had come to understand her nature—once she made a decision, there was little that could change her mind.

Talking about the kids softened the coldness in Lu Xining’s eyes slightly.

Children do grow up quickly; the jackets she had bought for Ji Chao and Ji Ze were now half a sleeve too short.

When Lu Nuonuo was little, she looked like a delicate, tiny bundle due to illness, much smaller in height and build than other kids her age.

But after proper care and recovery, she had grown rapidly.

With Ji Muye being over 1.9 meters tall, and Lu Xining considered tall among women as well, their genes combined—it was hard to say just how tall their kids would become.

The doctor quickly finished treating Ji Muye’s wound, reminded him to rest more, and soon left from the other side of the car.

The car fell into silence.

"I still have things to handle. If you’re okay, then..."

Lu Xining, sitting beside Ji Muye, saw he was fine and was about to get out of the car when suddenly she heard the door lock click shut.

From the driver’s seat, Ma Sai chuckled and said, "Miss Lu, the airport area doesn’t seem that safe to me either. I’ll escort you back to the vacation villa."

Thinking of Ji Muye risking everything last night to come see her, only to remain silent once they met, Ma Sai was thoroughly anxious for him.

Once he finished speaking, Ma Sai pressed the accelerator, and the car sped toward the exit.

He didn’t give Lu Xining any chance to get out.

From the outside, the car was neither flashy in brand nor model, blending seamlessly into the traffic without drawing any attention, but the interiors were fully modified with luxurious configurations. Most importantly, the windows were made from the strongest bulletproof materials.

Lu Xining had noticed the car’s exceptional nature the moment she got in.

Since things had already reached this point, she chose not to dwell on it further. After watching the endless stream of cars outside the window for a while, she began thinking about the plans for tomorrow’s boarding.

The previous day, after meeting with members of the old Chu Family, Cheng Cang had disappeared along with them.

Before leaving, he had cast her a deep look filled with indescribable intrigue and anticipation, which left Lu Xining feeling that he knew other hidden matters and made her wariness toward the Royal Cruise grow even heavier.

"You..." Ji Muye began hesitantly.

The man’s voice was low. Immersed in the whirlpool of thoughts about the boarding, Lu Xining didn’t immediately catch his words.

Ji Muye turned his head to look at her, her eyes closed as she sat next to him. Her cheeks seemed thinner than before, faint dark circles under her eyes betraying exhaustion; none of these small details had really caught his attention in the past, but now they were magnified before him.

Perhaps because she’d been spending recent days immersed in the lab without much exposure to sunlight, her skin appeared even paler.

Her eyelashes were long and thick, like a curled-up fan casting delicate shadows on her complexion under the sunlight.

Her nose was high and defined...

No matter how lost she was in her thoughts, it was impossible to ignore the overwhelming presence of the gaze beside her.

Lu Xining opened her eyes and turned to Ji Muye, her brow furrowed slightly, asking coldly, "Do you need something?"

The man rubbed the small hair clip in his palm—a gift from Lu Nuonuo before she left.

Shaped like candy, its edges felt a bit sharp in his hand, yet he cherished it deeply.

"You’re going to the Royal Cruise tomorrow." His tone was firm, stating what he already knew about her plans as fact.

Lu Xining’s eyelashes quivered slightly. She raised her eyes to meet his and said, "You seem to enjoy prying into my affairs."

Ji Muye’s grip on the candy-shaped clip tightened slightly. His face revealed no specific emotion, but his words came more earnest and resolute than ever before, bearing his understanding of and concern for her.

"You’re not one to suddenly leave your three kids behind."

"If it were something that could be easily dealt with, you wouldn’t have gone so far as to have Fu Junhang send them back to C Country. His territory lets you feel more at ease, doesn’t it?"

His voice was calm, his statements bluntly factual.

Ji Muye had come to realize one thing: compared to Fu Junhang—whom Lu Xining met after divorcing him—his place in her heart and her trust toward him were far lesser.

But between Lu Xining and Fu Junhang, he couldn’t sense the slightest hint of anything beyond platonic friendship.

Lu Xining’s gaze flickered, resolute: "Yes."

He cast her a deep look, saying nothing further to dissuade her from boarding. Silence seemed to have become the most familiar dynamic between them.

Ma Sai drove the car to the villa where Lu Xining was temporarily staying. The guards scanned the unfamiliar vehicle sharply but relaxed immediately upon seeing Lu Xining’s face through the rolled-down window. They quickly approached to open the door for her.

As Lu Xining stepped out of the car, Ji Muye spoke softly, "Xining, you can count on me."

Lu Xining only fully grasped the weight of his words when she saw Ji Muye appear aboard the Royal Cruise. But at the moment, she simply expressed polite gratitude.

Returning to the empty villa, she thought about how just over an hour ago, the three kids had been laughing and playing in the living room, yet now their absence left the space feeling hollow.

Fu Junhang had rented the villa for three months, so there wasn’t much to pack. However, an evening gown for the banquet would be necessary.

Opening her suitcase to prepare items, she was greeted by an unexpected sight: the case had been stuffed full of the kids’ favorite toys and snacks. She could finally guess why their faces had been sweaty with exertion that morning.

In the center of the suitcase was a small note from Ji Chao and Ji Ze: [Mom, we’re waiting for you to come home.]

Lu Nuonuo, not yet able to write, had affixed her favorite smiling-face stickers beside her brothers’ message.

Lu Xining stared quietly at the contents of the suitcase for a long time, unwilling to disturb the children’s heartfelt gesture.

She switched to a new suitcase and packed only the essentials, keeping her clothing minimal.

Before boarding, there would be machines for security checks on personal belongings, ensuring guests couldn’t bring dangerous items onboard. But as for whether the people on the ship carried weapons—no one could say.

Preparedness was something Lu Xining had always valued.

She placed certain items that could be assembled into specific tools inside different pieces of jewelry and accessories. This way, even during security scans, they wouldn’t be discovered.

Now, all she could do was wait for tomorrow’s boarding.

The following day, as the car arrived at the North City Pier, Lu Xining spotted several familiar faces among the crowd boarding the ship.