Hei Shi lowered his gaze, his stern face showing no sign of change. He didn’t know much about the Boss’s past, but he had heard that the Boss and the sister-in-law had some kind of nominal kinship.
As a subordinate, the most important thing is to learn when to keep one’s mouth shut.
The ferry sailed smoothly on the sea, but even its occasional swaying did nothing to disturb Xu Si’s dreams. Someone had come to her cabin to check on her several times but chose not to wake her, instead carrying her into the Triad Society’s mansion.
It was probably due to the strange drug she had inhaled.
Xu Si’s usually fragile sleep lasted for a very long time.
However, the quality of her sleep was worrisome. Dreams descended one after another, all of them stories she had buried deep inside, stories she was unwilling to speak of: her father’s betrayal, her mother’s death, her uncle’s vile behavior, and the terror of being shot in the head by dangerous individuals.
It wasn’t until she heard a few calls near her ear that the dreams suddenly receded.
That was the most painful sleep Xu Si had ever experienced. She had never thought life could feel so excruciating.
Even after waking, she didn’t want to open her eyes to the world. She felt utterly exhausted, her body aching all over.
With her eyes closed and brows furrowed, she rhythmically pressed and massaged her aching temples.
Suddenly, something felt off.
It was very quiet and stable.
There was no humming sound typical of a ferry voyage, nor the sensation of floating on the sea’s undulations. It felt as if she had already set foot on land.
Xu Si’s hand paused at her temple. She suddenly opened her bright, upturned eyes and propped herself up from the bed, calmly and hesitantly surveying her surroundings.
Indeed, she was in a spacious room.
It was a familiar gray and black color scheme, with an exquisite floating staircase and warm, muted lighting that created a tranquil atmosphere.
She had seen every piece of the décor before.
"Back at the Triad Society," she murmured softly.
She seemed to sense something.
She turned her head, searching around. Finally, her gaze fell on the reflection in the arched window’s glass, where she saw an indistinct shadow.
Looking closer, the dark figure was a person.
He leaned against the back of a black patent leather sofa, his bare feet on the carpet. His features were strikingly handsome, evoking both allure and trepidation. His eyes were closed as if he were soundly asleep, yet she heard no gentle, even breaths.
For an instant, Xu Si didn’t even see his well-defined chest rise and fall with breath.
"Pei Zhen," she called out hesitantly.
Under the gentle light, Pei Zhen remained still. His lips, usually red, were slightly pale. His smoky-gray eyes slowly opened, and his originally stunning, enticing face suddenly took on a sharp aggressiveness.
His gaze pierced the glass, meeting Xu Si’s accurately. "Having a nightmare?" he asked, his voice a low murmur.
That feeling came again—piercing her soul, hard to endure, hard to articulate.
Xu Si’s heart suddenly tightened. She felt some of her strength return. After hesitating for a moment, she asked in surprise, "How could you know that? Can you see into people’s dreams?"
He stood up, his face hidden in an impenetrable shadow. The light caught the corners of his lips, illuminating a carefree curve.
"How could I? I don’t have such an ability."
Xu Si pondered for a while, her fingertips pinching the soft corner of the blanket. "Then how did you know?" she asked.
"You were talking in your sleep."
The man moved slightly, revealing those pale gray eyes. He stared at her, his voice lazy and hoarse, his words like the Devil seducing humankind.
"So, what kind of dreams does sister have that make her talk in her sleep like that?"