Be Careful, Scum Dad! Mommy Is Back! -
Chapter 389: Mysterious Route
Chapter 389: Chapter 389: Mysterious Route
Carefully listening, one could still detect traces of cheerfulness in his voice.
Seeing Shang Lvxing pacing back and forth in front of her, Ji Muye’s expression remained unapproachable.
Upon hearing Lu Xining’s remark, his expression resembled the look Lu Nuonuo had every time after finishing a piece of candy and receiving yet another one from Lu Xining—clearly delighted, but feigning a "Oh, Mom, you’re too much..." sort of pout.
Meanwhile, in C Country, as Lu Nuonuo was frolicking and chasing after her two brothers, she suddenly sneezed.
Rubbing her nose, she knew for certain—it must be her mom thinking of her!
In the blink of an eye, Lu Xining retracted the hand she had placed near his neck. Anyone peeking closely would notice that her palm had never actually touched his skin; visually, however, the act came across as profoundly intimate.
Not far away, Shang Lvxing, who was also keeping an eye on the situation, dug his fingertips into his palm as his taut figure betrayed his current emotions.
On the adjacent lounge chair, Shang Yueling—rescued earlier—had been sniffling and sobbing incessantly, while Zhuang Tian, sitting beside her, attempted to console and comfort her, though her gaze revealed sheer irritation and disdain for the endless theatrics.
Seriously, eight hundred bouts of crying in a single day! She was about to lose her mind!
Yet Shang Yueling still had utility for her; at least when it came to dealing with Lu Xining, she could serve as a sharp blade in her hands.
"Alright, Yueling, stop crying. I promise I’ll help you sort this out."
Recalling the earlier glance Zhuang Tian had given her during the banquet’s laugh-inducing moment, Shang Yueling’s damp lashes drooped with a hint of derision, though her voice remained in that naive and thoughtless tone.
"Sister Tiantian, how exactly do you plan to help me?"
Raising the phone in her hand, Zhuang Tian remarked, "I recorded Lu Xining pushing you off the boat. After you return to Beicheng, you can sell this footage to the gossip journalists. With the fame of her lab and reputation, there’s no way internet users will let her off the hook for this scandal."
A career-driven woman suddenly exposed for moral shortcomings—jealous netizens were guaranteed to seize upon this and unleash a storm of criticism.
They, too, would become blades in her arsenal against Lu Xining!
While the two women conspired their next moves to frame Lu Xining, elsewhere Lu Xining shifted her gaze toward Cheng Cang, who had slipped into the banquet hall and quietly settled on a lounge chair, his eyes closed in rest.
But a closer look revealed his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
Opening his eyes to meet her gaze, the man placed his hand on his thigh, tapping lightly—a silent flow of information being transmitted.
[There’s a biological laboratory at the bottom of the ship.]
[The ship is rigged with bombs.]
[Lott isn’t the mastermind here.]
[Beware...]
Beware of what, Cheng Cang hadn’t fully finished tapping.
Because at that moment, the cabin lights dimmed again under Lott’s control.
Compared to these weighty revelations about the Royal Cruise, what stuck with Lu Xining the most was his communication method.
These techniques were things her mother had taught her during childhood.
Initially, she had assumed it was merely a special secret between her and her mother, only to later learn it was part of the Chu Family’s encoded language.
Cheng Cang, barely in his twenties or thirties, logically couldn’t have encountered her grandfather.
But his foster father, who had taken him in, was old—a former bodyguard of the Chu Family from the old days.
When the Chu Family eventually fell from grace and faded from the world of elite households, he and other loyalists of the Chu Family lived in anonymity, meeting only when it was absolutely necessary, otherwise leading solitary lives.
Yun City County was the registered hometown of Cheng Cang’s foster father. Upon returning, he began to develop his own capabilities and took in many wandering children, Cheng Cang being one of the last he adopted in his twilight years.
Knowing his time was short, he imparted all his secrets and skills to Cheng Cang, instructing him that even in death, he must complete the missions assigned—this being the condition under which he was adopted.
Lu Xining showed remarkable aptitude for learning, so much so that her mother had once remarked that she was more like her grandfather than herself.
When it came to decoding Chu Family’s encoded language, there was no one more adept than her in grasping its nuances.
From Ji Muye’s perspective, it was clear Cheng Cang was tapping rhythms against his leg—seemingly absentminded gestures, yet upon closer observation, one could notice a discernible pattern.
Though Ji Muye couldn’t decipher their meanings, Lu Xining’s sudden shift in expression left no doubt that she understood something.
Ji Muye’s eyes swept across the banquet hall to land on Lott, ascending the stage, his concern growing that whatever information Lu Xining had gathered might spur her to act solo, putting herself in danger.
He asked outright, "What did he say?"
Since Lu Xining had decided to work alongside Ji Muye on this Royal Cruise investigation, she shared Cheng Cang’s other critical message with him.
"The whole ship... is a ticking time bomb."
Should the shadowy figures behind the Royal Cruise suspect their secrets were exposed, then perhaps none aboard would leave alive.
"There’s someone above Lott."
This person was likely observing the banquet hall from the monitoring room—or perhaps... mingling among the very guests present!
Despite the gravity of these revelations, Ji Muye showed little surprise upon hearing them.
The true villainous mastermind always operated from the shadows.
Those who appeared in public were either decoys drawing all the fire or puppets meant to confuse the crowd.
Lu Xining: "For now, the best strategy is to make no move."
Ji Muye: "Yes, hold steady for now. Let’s see what they plan next."
Their words synchronized perfectly, the alignment of their thoughts giving them pause as they registered each other’s response.
Just then, Lott’s voice rang out in the cabin, synchronized with the fading lights; no one noticed their shifting moods or the faint upward curve at the corner of Ji Muye’s lips.
[Distinguished guests, our Royal Cruise’s first-night banquet is about to move into its second act...]
The spotlight this time redirected to the space behind Lott.
Back there stood a layered white curtain, discreetly tucked away, with little prominence since the banquet had begun.
Yet now, as the curtain fell, guests were confronted with a scene that defied natural order.
[Ladies and gentlemen, the Royal Cruise’s ultimate destination is the South Atlantic’s... Dest Strait. We’ve prepared a one-of-a-kind, breathtaking spectacle there; here’s a brief preview for all of you.]
Every voyage route of the Royal Cruise was unique, with no advance details disclosed to passengers before boarding.
It was only after setting sail that the final destination became known.
Even Lu Xining and Ji Muye’s gazes flickered momentarily.
The South Atlantic was recognized globally as the most perilous sea region.
The ocean floor was perilously complex, currents erratic and unpredictable, with numerous whirlpools capable of engulfing massive freight vessels annually.
A cruise ship venturing there was practically unheard of!
At the mention of the South Atlantic, a sharp intake of breath echoed through the crowd.
Before that hesitant breath could fully exhale, the ominous Dest Strait’s name stoked more anxiety in every face.
This strait was...
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