The night was tranquil, and the warships had ceased their nocturnal navigation. They had not yet cleared the Bashi Channel, and to avoid colliding with submerged reefs, they generally refrained from sailing at night. This was a peaceful evening during their formal voyage; once they truly entered the open ocean, it would be a continuous journey day and night.
Qin Kewei and Yue Hengyi successively walked onto the deck. The moonlight was serene, and a cool breeze continuously blew, dissipating the sweltering heat.
When Qin Kewei left, she had carefully observed Li Keyi on the other bed. She could hear Li Keyi’s steady breathing, so at this time, Li Keyi was likely still fast asleep. Yue Hengyi was also the same; after confirming Fang Qinghao was asleep, he left. It was already two in the morning. Although there were personnel on duty on the deck, they were far away and would not inquire about ability users.
Therefore, both Qin Kewei and Yue Hengyi felt that no one else would overhear their conversation at this time.
However, in reality, Li Keyi had not slept at all. After Qin Kewei left the dormitory, she quietly used her invisibility ability and followed. She dared not get too close, so she followed from a distance. Qin Kewei and Yue Hengyi ascended to the deck from the stairs on the starboard side. Li Keyi went the opposite way, preparing to ascend from the port side.
As a result, Li Keyi discovered four large men on the port side. Shen Feng was hidden at the front, while Ke Yiming, Hou Xiaohua, and Jiang Kui followed behind.
At this moment, Li Keyi couldn't help but reveal herself and asked, "Shen Feng, what's going on? Did you call these people over?"
Shen Feng shrugged and smiled, saying, "Didn't I say we were going to watch a good show? I thought about it myself and felt that only you and I shouldn't be the only ones to see this, so I called Ke Yiming. I didn't expect him to call these two as well."
Ke Yiming swayed the fishing rod and plastic bucket in his hand, saying, "Aren't we going to fish after watching the show? The weather is too hot, and I can't sleep. Fishing is for relaxation. After I cool down all over, I can go back to the dormitory to sleep!"
Li Keyi looked again and saw that Hou Xiaohua and Jiang Kui were also holding fishing rods. These people were truly leisurely, thinking about fishing at this time with no sense of danger at all.
"Sigh!" Li Keyi sighed helplessly and said, "Later, you absolutely must not make any noise. I will use my ability to make you invisible too. Remember, if we are exposed, it will be a big problem, so you must remain calm."
Everyone nodded quickly. At this moment, Li Keyi used her ability to make everyone invisible, then tiptoed onto the deck. Li Keyi's ability did not have much combat application at the moment, but for tasks like stealthy reconnaissance, it was too simple. Ordinary people would find it difficult to discover them.
The stairs were made of steel plates, and if they walked carelessly, they would make a "thump-thump-thump" sound. However, everyone deliberately slowed their steps, and even when stepping on the stairs, they made no sound. Next, they reached the deck and immediately spotted Qin Kewei and Yue Hengyi talking by the railing on one side.
Qin Kewei asked first, "You must have heard my true nature from Li Keyi. I am just a woman waiting to be priced and sold. Why did you still come to meet me?"
Qin Kewei clearly had not expected Yue Hengyi to agree to meet her secretly. Seeing his current expression, he didn't seem angry. At this moment, Qin Kewei felt some confusion.
Yue Hengyi said earnestly, "I am not the 'lapdog' they talk about because I believe my own eyes. During the past year of carrying out missions, I have always followed you, Big Sister. Therefore, I know that you are not a bad woman who plays with others' feelings. The reason you have been slow to answer my questions, besides not wanting to hurt me, must be for other reasons. I am waiting for you to tell me the truth!"
Yue Hengyi sincerely spoke these words. Although he was only eighteen, with the internet being so developed, he knew what he needed to know. He was certain of one thing: Qin Kewei could not be the kind of promiscuous woman; her indecisiveness had a reason.
Qin Kewei suddenly smiled with relief and said, "If only everyone were as understanding as you. But it's good that you can consider so much, it shows you care about me. Then I also want to tell you some truths. Are you willing to listen?"
Yue Hengyi nodded quickly. He desperately wanted to know what unspeakable difficulties Qin Kewei had faced before.
"Actually, I have a childhood sweetheart boyfriend, but I still have some things to say, which is that he's a scumbag..." Qin Kewei suddenly began to speak.
Originally, Qin Kewei and her boyfriend grew up together, and their relationship as childhood sweethearts was naturally very close. However, after graduating from university, she discovered that her boyfriend gradually changed. He was not diligent at work, often went out early and returned late, and there were strange perfume scents on him. She even frequently found women's hair on him.
Qin Kewei knew that her boyfriend might be having an affair, but she did not want this relationship to end, so she repeatedly proposed marriage to her boyfriend, hoping that after marriage, he would restrain himself.
However, her boyfriend kept making excuses and never agreed. This continued until the doomsday descended, and the zombies broke out!
After being rained on, Qin Kewei slept for a week. During this time, Qin Kewei lay alone in her rented apartment, with no one to care for her. When Qin Kewei woke up, she had become an ability user. She was discovered by headquarters and subsequently joined the Ability Management Bureau. Because she was the oldest, she naturally became the captain. However, she didn't manage things much, leading Xiao Sheng to become the de facto captain.
Qin Kewei eventually found her boyfriend, who was hiding from the zombies. At this time, there was a young and beautiful woman beside him. Qin Kewei wanted to sever this relationship completely, but unexpectedly, her boyfriend saw her heroic and valiant side. Moreover, after becoming an ability user, he repented and, after kicking away the woman beside him, began to fuss over Qin Kewei.
Thirty years of feelings still lingered in Qin Kewei's heart, which made her somewhat helpless. Therefore, Qin Kewei did not want to break contact so heartlessly and accepted her boyfriend again.
At this time, her boyfriend also proposed marriage. It turned out he had calculated that in the apocalypse, only ability users could survive relatively well. Therefore, after marriage, he would have good security.
Qin Kewei hesitated. She worried that after marriage, her boyfriend would still be unfaithful, so she never agreed. However, her boyfriend didn't care about this and loudly proclaimed to the neighbors that they were already husband and wife.
Qin Kewei, out of consideration for her reputation, could not decisively end this relationship. After the Yan Jing Defense War ended, she obtained an ability potion and prepared to give it to her boyfriend. This way, her boyfriend would become an ability user, perhaps he would stop bothering her, and she would have a reason to break up.
After explaining these matters, Qin Kewei lowered her head helplessly and said, "Now you understand, don't you? Family shame should not be spread. How can someone like me, who has been played by a scumbag, be worthy of you? I don't even have the courage to break off contact with my boyfriend, so how can I accept your feelings?"
Now, Yue Hengyi finally understood the truth of the matter, but he quickly said, "This is not your fault; it's the scumbag's fault. I am the one who is not worthy of you. Now I am disfigured, and I look like an ugly monster. I am worried that you will dislike me!"
Qin Kewei looked at Yue Hengyi's earnest expression and felt a wave of comfort. She then said, "You are truly a good person. I think you will definitely meet a woman you like in the future. As for me, my beauty has faded, and I am more than a decade older than you. I was born for you to live, and when you live, I will be old!"
"Sister Qin, don't say that. Didn't Miss Li already say it? Ability users gain long lifespans. More than ten years is nothing. You are only a few years older. For me, this is like striking several gold bricks. I'm too happy to be bothered!" Yue Hengyi, seeing a glimmer of hope, quickly seized the opportunity and said.
"How annoying! You always talk nonsense!" Qin Kewei's emotional burden had been lifted, and a smile appeared on her face. However, upon hearing Yue Hengyi's words, she still playfully slapped him.
Qin Kewei's palm landed on Yue Hengyi's chest. Although it was a palm strike from an ability user, it didn't exert much force; it was more like a flirtatious gesture.
Yue Hengyi, however, displayed great emotional intelligence. He reached out and grasped Qin Kewei's tender hand, saying softly, "Then, will you agree to me? I promise I will treat you well for my entire life."
What Qin Kewei was most worried about before was that her past experiences would cause gossip, especially from the neighbors. In her boyfriend's words, she was already considered a married woman. At this moment, Yue Hengyi's sincere words finally moved her, making her feel that as long as there was someone who truly liked her, nothing else mattered.
"Okay, when we complete the mission and retrieve the meteorite, I will agree to you!" Qin Kewei said with a smile.
Yue Hengyi knew that his wish had finally come true. In his excitement, he hugged Qin Kewei and spun her around twice in the air, saying excitedly, "When the mission is completed and we return, I will take you to meet my family. I will let them know that you are a very virtuous woman!"
Qin Kewei quickly patted Yue Hengyi's arm and said, "Let me down! Hurry and let me down! If someone sees us, how embarrassing it will be!"
Yue Hengyi looked around and said, "Who is here? Even if the on-duty soldiers see us, so what? What's there to be afraid of?"
However, at this moment, Li Keyi withdrew her ability and began to clap, applauding and saying, "Congratulations, congratulations!"
Previously, Li Keyi did not understand the situation at all. Instinctively, she thought Qin Kewei's behavior of stringing along two men was that of a "green tea" girl, playing both sides to her advantage. But now, after hearing Qin Kewei's story, Li Keyi realized that Qin Kewei was the one who was most helpless.
Therefore, after Li Keyi removed the light screen and stopped being invisible, she began to congratulate the two in front of her. It proved that it was best not to make hasty conclusions about situations one did not fully understand.
Yue Hengyi quickly put Qin Kewei down from mid-air and asked, "What are you all doing here?"
Li Keyi couldn't answer. She couldn't possibly say they had teamed up to eavesdrop, could she?
It was Shen Feng who quickly thought of an excuse, pointing at the fishing rod in Ke Yiming's hand and saying, "We came to fish. We didn't expect to disturb you. We apologize. You continue your date; we didn't see anything!"
Yue Hengyi believed Shen Feng's explanation, but Qin Kewei was not so easily fooled. She directly asked, "Then why were you invisible while fishing? Honestly, were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Li Keyi could only walk forward helplessly and admit her mistake, "Sister Qin, I was talking nonsense before, and it was my fault. I judged you as promiscuous without understanding the full picture. I'm sorry. Tonight's events were my idea, and they just came along with me. Blame me if you must."
Seeing Li Keyi apologize now, Qin Kewei, who had been holding her head high, lowered it. Seeing the other party admit her mistake, Qin Kewei's anger subsided. In the past few days, Li Keyi's words had constantly pierced her heart. Now that Li Keyi apologized, Qin Kewei felt relieved.
"Don't say that. It's my fault too; I shouldn't have explained the situation earlier, which led to misunderstandings." Qin Kewei also forgave Li Keyi for eavesdropping. The two looked at each other and smiled, their previous grievances settled.
In fact, many times, disputes between two people arise from misunderstandings. When misunderstandings are resolved, both parties realize that when one does not understand the full picture, it is best not to make hasty assumptions, as things may later take a turn.