Yumi stepped forward and looked up, unable to see the end or any light. She couldn't imagine what a pitch-black world they would be in if the deck lights weren't on.
Next, Yumi looked around. In the light of the cruise ship, she could vaguely see various strange-looking undersea rocks and coral reefs in the distance, as well as colorful, oddly shaped fish, all blocked outside an invisible barrier. She couldn't help but sigh, "We are, indeed, at the bottom of the sea."
Qiu Zhi'an, walking behind Yumi, looked incredulous. "Is this cruise ship enclosed in a giant bubble? Won't this bubble burst?"
"It's simply magical," Lü Da, from Qiu Zhi'an's team, walked step by step to the edge of the deck, observing left and right. "This cruise ship isn't very large, but it's not small either. If the eleven of us split up to explore, it would probably take about an hour to search it all."
"Then let's start exploring as soon as possible," Wan Zuo spoke up. "Since this cruise ship is enclosed in a large bubble, even if the bubble doesn't burst, the oxygen inside is likely limited. We'd best hurry to leave here. Otherwise, even if we aren't killed by the dungeon rules, if we delay too long, we might suffocate or drown."
Hearing Wan Zuo's analysis, Jing Minghe raised an eyebrow slightly. Another potential teammate had emerged.
After Wan Zuo finished his analysis, the two people with him immediately agreed and went off to explore on their own.
Qiu Zhi'an and his group hesitated for a moment before also choosing places they wanted to investigate.
Tong Zheng, Ke Wuwen, and Yumi were all waiting for Jing Minghe's opinion.
Jing Minghe nodded and said, "Wan Zuo's analysis makes a lot of sense. Let's split up and explore too. Remember, don't casually touch anything here for now; just use your eyes. Afterwards, we'll meet in the restaurant. If you encounter anyone else, tell them the meeting place."
"Okay."
Everyone agreed and then dispersed, heading in different directions.
Seeing Chi Hao still standing in place, Jing Minghe asked, "What is it? Brother Hao, do you have any thoughts?"
"No, see you later. Be careful."
With that, Chi Hao turned and left.
Jing Minghe lowered his head and gave a wry smile, laughing at himself for having had the illusion that Chi Hao didn't want to be separated from him.
"Is my brain malfunctioning?"
Jing Minghe mumbled to himself, looking around. He decided to check the lowest cabins first. Normally, clues were most likely to be found in such places.
Jing Minghe spent about half an hour searching the areas he wanted to check, but found nothing, feeling somewhat disappointed. As he went up the stairs, he met Yumi coming down from above.
"No need to go down there; there's nothing."
"Is that so? Then I won't go."
Yumi waited for Jing Minghe to come up and walked with him, telling him about the place she had just visited. "I just went into the cruise ship's grand theater. The stage is very large, but there are very few seats in the audience area. It's also very dark inside, with only one light above the stage, and it's a deep red."
"Deep red," Jing Minghe tapped his chin. "That color gives a very bad feeling."
He then mentioned where he had searched. "The place I just came from is the boiler room. There are two extinguished large boilers and many pipes leading everywhere. Other than that, there were no other discoveries."
Noticing Jing Minghe's disappointment, Yumi comforted him, "We've only just arrived; there's still time."
"Mhm," Jing Minghe replied. "I know it's impossible to figure everything out immediately in a place like this. I'm not in a hurry."
As they neared the deck, Jing Minghe suddenly asked Yumi, "Sister, during the past few days in the rest area, did you interact with that woman named Shen Rong? What kind of person do you think she is?"
Yumi shook her head slightly and gave a wry smile. "I tried to communicate with her, but I was ignored. However, based on my observations, she should be a very intelligent person. Her demeanor and speech show her confidence; she's a woman with a strong personality. For more, you can ask Mr. Chi. I once overheard her telling Qiu Zhi'an that Mr. Chi is her ex-boyfriend."
"What!" Jing Minghe missed a step and almost tumbled down the stairs. Fortunately, he managed to grab the handrail in time, but his palm was still cut, and blood flowed from his palm down his arm.
"Minghe! Are you alright?" Yumi quickly stepped forward to help Jing Minghe up, asking with concern, "Are you okay? Your hand is bleeding? Let me see, I'll help you treat it."
As Yumi spoke, she enlarged the small medical kit slung across her body and took out iodine and wound medicine. "How could you be so careless?"
Jing Minghe steadied himself and waved his hand. "No need to treat it; it's just a minor injury."
"Nonsense, why wouldn't it need treatment? Quickly, hold out your hand."
"This... alright."
While Yumi was treating the wound on his palm, Jing Minghe couldn't help but want to confirm again, to make sure he hadn't misheard.
"Sister Yumi, what did you just say? Brother Hao is Shen Rong's what?"
"Ex-boyfriend? I don't think I misheard. What? Didn't Mr. Chi tell you?" Yumi carefully treated Jing Minghe's wound, feeling a little uneasy. Should she have told Jing Minghe that Chi Hao might be Shen Rong's ex-boyfriend?
At the same time, Yumi couldn't help but wonder.
Why didn't Chi Hao tell Jing Minghe himself? Even if they had dated, they were exes now. What was there to hide? Was he worried that Jing Minghe would misunderstand?
But Yumi believed that Jing Minghe was definitely not a petty person!
Yumi sighed softly, thinking that since it had already been said, she had to find a way to salvage the situation. So, while bandaging Jing Minghe's hand, she softly said, "Minghe, everyone has a past. Besides, Mr. Chi isn't young anymore. It's very normal for him to have had a relationship before. You don't need to care too much."
"Ah?" Jing Minghe gave a wry smile. "Sister Yumi, what are you talking about? Who Brother Hao is with and what relationships he has, what does that have to do with me?"
"What?" Yumi looked up at Jing Minghe, confused.
Jing Minghe smiled and said, "Sister Yumi, did you misunderstand something? Mr. Chi Hao's personal affairs have nothing to do with me."
"Really?" Yumi gave an awkward laugh. "Then just now..."
"I was just a little curious," Jing Minghe explained. "I didn't expect someone as cold as Chi Hao to have had a girlfriend."
"An ex-girlfriend," Yumi couldn't help but emphasize, yet she couldn't help but doubt. Just a curious question, would it cause such a strong reaction as to miss a step upon hearing it?
Could it be that I really misunderstood?
It shouldn't be. A woman's intuition is usually accurate, not to mention that Chi Hao has already shown it so obviously. His special attention to Jing Minghe, other than that explanation, could there be any other possibility?