The boat creaked softly as it cut through calmer waters. Moonlight spilled through the small cabin window, catching the faint mist still clinging to the air.
Wang San lay on the narrow bed, his hair still damp, skin pale from the cold. Wei Xie had gone above deck to check the course, leaving only Yun Zhan in the dim, quiet room.
Wang San cracked an eye open. "You're still here?"
"I'm making sure you don't stop breathing," Yun Zhan replied without looking up from the cup of tea in his hands.
"Pff. You were worried." Wang San grinned faintly, though his voice was hoarse. "Admit it."
"You fell into the sea during a monster attack," Yun Zhan said, his tone clipped. "Any sensible person would be concerned."
"I'm not talking about sensible people," Wang San murmured, shifting under the blanket. "I'm talking about you."
Yun Zhan finally glanced at him, but didn't answer.
A beat of silence passed, filled only by the faint slosh of water against the hull.
"You know…" Wang San continued, voice quiet, "back there, when I was sinking… I heard voices. Like something was calling me down."
Yun Zhan's brow furrowed slightly. "Voices?"
"Yeah." Wang San's gaze drifted to the ceiling. "It was… warm. Almost like it didn't want to hurt me. But it felt wrong."
Yun Zhan didn't respond immediately, but set the tea on the bedside table. "Rest. We'll talk about it when you're stronger."
Wang San smirked faintly. "You're bossy even when you're nice."
"I'm not nice," Yun Zhan said.
"You are to me."
Yun Zhan's hand lingered near the blanket, as if to tuck it in — but he stopped short and stepped back. "Sleep."
Wang San's eyes drifted shut, but a faint smile remained.The Cabin at Sea
The boat creaked softly as it cut through calmer waters. Moonlight spilled through the small cabin window, catching the faint mist still clinging to the air.
Wang San lay on the narrow bed, his hair still damp, skin pale from the cold. Wei Xie had gone above deck to check the course, leaving only Yun Zhan in the dim, quiet room.
Wang San cracked an eye open. "You're still here?"
"I'm making sure you don't stop breathing," Yun Zhan replied without looking up from the cup of tea in his hands.
"Pff. You were worried." Wang San grinned faintly, though his voice was hoarse. "Admit it."
"You fell into the sea during a monster attack," Yun Zhan said, his tone clipped. "Any sensible person would be concerned."
"I'm not talking about sensible people," Wang San murmured, shifting under the blanket. "I'm talking about you."
Yun Zhan finally glanced at him, but didn't answer.
A beat of silence passed, filled only by the faint slosh of water against the hull.
"You know…" Wang San continued, voice quiet, "back there, when I was sinking… I heard voices. Like something was calling me down."
Yun Zhan's brow furrowed slightly. "Voices?"
"Yeah." Wang San's gaze drifted to the ceiling. "It was… warm. Almost like it didn't want to hurt me. But it felt wrong."
Yun Zhan didn't respond immediately, but set the tea on the bedside table. "Rest. We'll talk about it when you're stronger."
Wang San smirked faintly. "You're bossy even when you're nice."
"I'm not nice," Yun Zhan said.
"You are to me."
Yun Zhan's hand lingered near the blanket, as if to tuck it in — but he stopped short and stepped back. "Sleep."
Wang San's eyes drifted shut, but a faint smile remained.