novelnext Chapter 224 Hainan Rendez-Vous
Chapter 224 Hainan Rendez-Vous
Chapter 224 Hainan Rendez-Vous
On the sea in the dead of night, moonlight scatters like shattered silver, and the ship rocks gently, making rhythmic creaking sounds.
Kanna was indeed sleepy.
Just now, she was circling around the tuna, pointing to its belly and asking, "Isn't this the best part?"
Before he could finish speaking, he started to lean to the side, like a seedling being blown askew by the wind.
Bai Yu reacted quickly and grabbed her.
Kanna's eyelashes fluttered, she mumbled something, and leaned her head against Bai Yu's chest, her breathing quickly becoming long and even. Her small body was soft and squishy, like a kitten that had just finished playing.
"Ah, she's asleep."
Yachiru leaned over and glanced at Kanna's sleeping face. Her delicate, porcelain-like face still had a little bit of seasoning on it, which shimmered under the light.
Yachiru reached out and gently picked off the piece of seasoning, her movements as delicate as if she were touching a fragile piece of porcelain.
"Put her in the room."
Mirajane put down his glass and gestured with his chin toward the cabin.
"I'll do it."
Bai Yu picked up Kanna; her small body felt heavy in his arms, yet very comforting.
Kanna instinctively buried her face in Bai Yu's neck and mumbled "Brother" in a soft voice.
Bai Yu paused for a moment.
Looking down at her, Kanna hadn't woken up; she had simply turned over and found a more comfortable position in his arms, with a trace of drool still on the corner of her mouth.
Bai Yu didn't say anything, and carried her into the cabin.
The others on deck watched this scene unfold, and for a moment no one spoke.
Rangiku was the first to break the silence.
"Oh my god!" 6
She nudged Robin beside her with her elbow, her tone carrying a knowing, teasing tone.
"This scene, wow, it's melting my girlish heart."
Robin held his wine glass, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
"Indeed, it feels like an older brother taking care of his younger sister."
He then took a sip of wine.
"It's that kind of gentle feeling that comes from not doing anything at all."
"It's just that Bai Yu himself probably doesn't know."
Mirajane walked over, sat down at the table, rested her chin on her hands, and spoke with a knowing tone.
"He's always been like this; he doesn't say it, but his actions always put people at ease."
"That's the most troublesome part."
Rangiku sighed and picked up the bottle to refill her glass.
"If he's the kind of person who's deliberately flirting, people will be able to stay rational."
But the fact that he was unconscious about it is the most dangerous thing of all.
"What are you talking about?"
Yachiru's smile remained gentle, but her eyes clearly held a hint of composure that seemed to see through everything.
Robin then smiled and changed the subject.
When Bai Yu came out of the cabin, the atmosphere on the deck had returned to its lively state.
Artoria was squatting next to the tuna, gesturing with her hand to show the length of the fish's body.
"It is about 5.2 meters long from the chin to the base of the tail, and its body circumference is about 3 meters, which is a very rare size."
She looked up, her eyes shining brightly in the moonlight.
"If it were alive, it would definitely be an excellent hunter in the sea."
"Now it's excellent ingredients."
Robin corrected.
Artoria's Adam's apple bobbed.
"----you're right."
Rangiku had already invited everyone to sit down again. Several bottles of wine and some snacks to go with the drinks were laid out on the table—dried squid, peanuts, and smashed cucumber. Although simple, they felt especially warm and welcoming in this atmosphere.
"Come, sit down, sit down. Is Kanna asleep?"
"Going to sleep."
Bai Yu sat down in the empty chair.
"She's sleeping very soundly."
"That's good. Kids can't stay up all night."
Rangiku pushed a glass of wine towards Shiraha.
"Come on, have a drink."
Bai Yu glanced at the wine glass but did not refuse.
The liquor was slightly spicy upon tasting; it was a very ordinary spirit, but in the dead of night, far from land, it had a unique flavor.
The sea breeze carried a salty and fishy smell, and everything seemed unreal under the moonlight.
It felt as if the whole world consisted of only this ship, these people, and this sea.
"Where were we?"
Rangiku tilted her head and thought for a moment.
"Speaking of Mirajane, your past."
"Wait a moment."
Mirajane smiled and waved her hand.
Why did it suddenly jump to my past?
"Because of curiosity."
Rangiku shrugged matter-of-factly.
Mirajane's smile faltered for a moment.
The pause was so short that it would be completely unnoticed unless you were watching her intently.
But Bai Yu noticed it.
Rangiku, oblivious, continued speaking.
"You mentioned before that you had a nickname called 'Demon Man,' right?"
"yes----"
Mirajane blinked.
"In mysterious legends, demons are beings that can destroy a city with a wave of their hand."
Rangiku made a "boom" gesture with her hand.
"But you seem like the kind of older sister next door, and the kind who can cook delicious food too."
Mirajane smiled.
Her voice was calm, as calm as the sea at that moment.
"The demons and stuff, that's a thing of the past."
Robin held his glass but didn't drink; he just looked at Mirajane.
"Is it because you've lost something important that you're unwilling to use that power anymore? Or is it because that power once hurt someone important to you?"
Mirajane looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Robin, you're really perceptive."
Robin put down his glass.
"Archaeologists are always used to piecing together the truth from fragments."
She picked up her glass, took a sip, and then stared at the remaining wine at the bottom of the glass, as if she were looking into a very, very far place.
"I have indeed hurt many people because of my demonic transformation—people I shouldn't have hurt."
"enemy?"
Eight thousand streams of questions.
"Mostly."
Mirajane nodded.
"But there are some that aren't."
The deck fell silent.
Artoria walked back from beside the tuna, sat down at the table, and listened quietly without saying a word.
"My magical abilities awakened very late when I was a child."
Mirajane began to speak, her voice soft and gentle, as if she were telling someone else's story.
"Before that, I was just an ordinary girl who liked to cook, take care of my younger siblings, and dreamed of one day opening my own restaurant."
"And then?"
Eight thousand streams of questions.
"Later, a lot of things happened."
Mirajane didn't elaborate, only vaguely mentioning that gap in the story.
"One day, in order to protect my family, I awakened to receive magic. The feeling was very strange, like something inside my body was unsealed, and a huge power surged out from every cell, so powerful that it frightened me."
"And then you started fighting?"
Ranju asked.
"right."
Mirajane nodded.
"But there's a big problem with receiving magic and becoming a demon; it affects your mental state. The stronger the demon's power, the weaker your sanity becomes, and you'll have to constantly fight against it."
She looked down at her hands.
Those long, slender, fair hands looked very gentle, like hands that only knead dough and cut vegetables.
But Bai Yu knew that these hands could unleash a power powerful enough to destroy a warship in an instant.
"Once, I almost hurt my younger brother."
Mirajane's voice softened.
"Because I couldn't control myself at that moment, I almost—"
She stopped.
Robin poured a glass of wine and gently pushed it towards her.
Mirajane took it and drank a big gulp.
"Later I learned to control it, to use that power while remaining rational."
Artoria said, "This is the effort you put in to protect the people who are important to you; not a single bit of it was wasted."
Mirajane glanced at her and smiled.
"Artoria, you always speak so seriously."
"I'm just stating the facts."
Artoria picked up her glass and, unusually, took a sip.
"I'm someone who fought to protect something too, so I understand that feeling. Power is never free; every time you use it, you're burning yourself out. But you still chose to use it, and that says a lot."
Mirajane lowered her head, and the smile on her lips softened.
"Thank you."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Rangiku stood up and picked up the sake bottle.
"Alright, alright, let bygones be bygones! Mirajane's here perfectly fine now, isn't she? She can cook and fish!"
Bai Yu didn't speak, but just looked at Mirajane's profile.
The moonlight fell on her face, softly outlining her features.
That gentleness contrasted sharply with the brutal power she described.
Bai Yu thought, "This is Mirajane Strauss."
A person who once possessed the power to destroy everything, yet chose to use that power to protect and create.
The bottles of wine on the ship were emptied one after another.
Rangiku was the one who drank the most, and now she's gone from slightly tipsy to completely drunk. She's slumped on the table, muttering something like, "Tuna—my tuna—don't take it—"
Mirajane had also drunk quite a bit. Now, he was resting his chin on his hand, leaning back in his chair, his eyes somewhat unfocused, but a smile still lingered on his lips.
Robin's alcohol tolerance is surprisingly good; he's only slightly flushed after drinking so much.
Yachiru drank in moderation and remained sober throughout, but the blush on the tips of her ears betrayed her.
Artoria ate a whole swordfish sashimi and drank two bottles of wine. Now she sat upright with a serious expression, but her eyes were somewhat fixed on something.
Bai Yu looked at the group of women, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He didn't know what kind of fate had brought this group of people from different worlds and with different backgrounds together on the same boat.
But at this moment, in this quiet of the night, far from all the noise, they were just girls who were drunk, laughing and joking, talking nonsense.
"White Feather——
'
Rangiku suddenly raised her head, her hazy eyes locking onto him.
Why aren't you drinking?
"I drank it."
Bai Yu swirled the wine glass in his hand; he had indeed drunk quite a bit.
"You're not drinking enough!"
Rangiku said, shaking her head.
"Look how drunk we are, and you're still so sober. That's not fair!"
"What's unfair about that?"
"It's just not fair!"
Rangiku stood up, propped herself up on the table, and swayed as she walked to Shiraha, bending down to get close to his face.
The strong aroma of alcohol wafted over, mixed with her unique fragrance; the two distinct scents intertwined, creating a somewhat surreal experience.
"Bai Yu, I want you to drink with me."
Rangiku brought her face very close, her golden hair hanging down and swaying in front of Shiroha's eyes.
"I can have a drink with you, but please sit down first."
Bai Yu reached out and held her shoulder, trying to push her back into her seat.
But Rangiku doesn't dry up.
She leaned forward and lay on top of Bai Yu, resting her head on his shoulder.
"No way~ It's no fun sitting back down~"
Her voice carried a languid and coquettish quality, with the last syllable rising in pitch, like a whiny cat.
Bai Yu froze.
It wasn't because of Rangiku lying on top of him, but because Rangiku wasn't the only one lying on top of him.
"I want one too."
At some point, Yachiru walked to his other side, leaned lightly against him, rested her head on his other shoulder, and smiled as gently as a spring breeze in March.
There is a head on each of Bai Yu's left and right shoulders.
"you----"
"It's warmer when there are many people."
When Yachiru said this, her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Is that so?"
Bai Yu's voice sounded somewhat unnatural.
Robin walked over with a wine glass in his hand, looking down at the situation with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Do you need my help?"
"What kind of help do you need?"
Bai Yu asked.
"Should I push them away for you?"
Robin asked the question seriously, but his eyes clearly showed a hint of amusement.
Or rather—
'
She put down her wine glass, bent down, placed her hands on the back of Bai Yu's chair, and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"Should I join too?"
Bai Yu's breath hitched.
It wasn't because I was nervous, but because several different scents suddenly filled my nostrils.
Robin's breath was very close, so close that he could feel the warm breath she exhaled as she spoke brushing against his ear.
Your ears are red.
Robin whispered in his ear, his voice so low it sounded like a sigh.
"Is it because he drank alcohol or because—"
'
She didn't finish her sentence, but just chuckled softly.
The laughter, like a feather, gently landed on the nerve endings of the white feather.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Mirajane's voice came from the other side of the table.
She stood up, leaning on the table, and walked over the haphazardly placed bottles.
"You've all moved over there, I want some too."
As she spoke, she walked straight over, pounced on Bai Yu from the front, wrapped her arms around Bai Yu's neck, and hung on him.
The sudden weight caused Shiraha's chair to tilt backward, almost tipping over, but Yachiru and Rangiku simultaneously reached out and steadied it.
Three women surrounded Bai Yu from all sides.
Artoria sat there, a dried squid still in her hand, watching the scene with a blank expression.
"Aren't you going?"
Rangiku tilted her head and asked her.
Artoria took a bite of the dried squid, chewed it slowly, and only spoke after swallowing it.
"I am a knight, I do not participate in this kind of drunken chaos."
"Oh one "6"
Rangiku smiled meaningfully.
"Then why are you blushing?"
Artoria didn't answer, but silently turned away from everyone and continued to gnaw on her dried squid.
But her ears were indeed red, clearly visible in the moonlight.
Mirajane hung around Bai Yu's neck, looking up at him.
Her face was so close that Bai Yu could see the curve of her eyelashes, the starlight reflected in her pupils, and the luster of the wine on her moist red lips under the moonlight.
"White Feather."
Mirajane called his name, her voice soft and gentle.
"Um?"