Chapter 16: The Effeminate Feng Sanniang

"Aliens?" Xu Bing muttered to herself, then let out a cry of pain. Fearing she was dreaming, she pinched her arm hard, tears welling in her eyes and nearly spilling over.

"It hurts!" she exclaimed, gazing at the bruise forming on her arm.

The pain was real, yet it all still felt like a dream—impossible to believe. A little dolphin not only communicated with her but could write as well. But it was that last message that left her utterly bewildered.

"Aliens... Could there really be aliens in this world?" she whispered, her eyes fixed on the enormous seahorse on the sea’s surface, a creeping dread filling her heart.

She was starting to believe it—how else could she explain the seahorse?

"We have to get away from this ocean!" Xu Bing’s face turned pale as her thoughts raced. If a seahorse could mutate like that, what about the other creatures?

She imagined the ocean beasts—each as large as a small island—and felt utterly lost and helpless. For the first time, the ocean she’d always loved filled her with fear.

She started the speedboat and headed swiftly toward the approaching ship.

"Bingbing! Bingbing!" a delighted call reached her as she drew near.

She looked up sharply, and her expression darkened.

"It's you, Feng San-niang?!"

Xu Bing’s voice was icy. She’d never liked this childhood tagalong, and what irritated her most was her brother’s wish for her to marry Feng San-niang.

The Feng family’s son, nicknamed Bao, was the third child, and because of his personality, Xu Bing had always called him Feng San-niang. Far from being offended, Feng Bao was secretly pleased, thinking it an expression of Xu Bing’s affection.

"Bingbing, you scared me to death," Feng Bao’s eyes were red, tears brimming. He pulled out a handkerchief, delicately wiping his eyes with a flourish, voice choked with emotion. "When I heard you were here, I rushed over as fast as I could. If I hadn’t contacted the shipyard and gotten the signal from them, I’d never have found you in this endless sea!"

The more Feng Bao spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded, until tears streamed down his face.

Xu Bing felt utterly exasperated watching this six-foot-tall man dabbing at his tears with such daintiness. How could someone like this exist? With the physique of Xiang Yu and the affectations of Lady Yu.

She watched, veins throbbing at her temple.

"Why are you here? Where’s my brother?"

She climbed aboard, looking around for Xu Bancheng but finding no sign of him, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

"Hmph, don’t mention your cold-hearted brother. See? I’m the one who cares about you!"

Feng Bao dabbed his tears, reaching to tug lightly at Xu Bing’s sleeve.

"Feng San-niang, shut your mouth. Say one more word against my brother and I’ll tear it right off," Xu Bing snapped, thoroughly displeased.

"But Bingbing! You have no idea what he said when I went to find him!"

"What did he say?" Xu Bing’s curiosity was piqued in spite of herself.

"Your heartless brother said, ‘So what? Live or die—it’s all fate.’" Feng Bao recounted, face flushed with indignation. "He’s such a jerk—your brother-in-law is truly insufferable!"

"Shut up!" Xu Bing barked, but inside she grew uneasy. No one knew her genius brother better than she did. If he’d said something like that, he must truly be angry.

Just then, her eyes widened as she spotted a large ship approaching on the horizon. On the deck stood a young man in a white suit, hands clasped behind his back.

"Brother..." Xu Bing’s voice trembled. She instinctively took a step back, unease and fear in her eyes.

"Ah!" Feng Bao cried, covering his mouth with his handkerchief, his voice muffled with alarm. "Speak of the devil, and he appears!"

"Feng San-niang..." Xu Bing whirled around, scolding him. "How dare you talk about my brother like that? Now you’re really done for."

"Ah! Bingbing, I was wrong! Don’t tell him—he’ll skin me alive!" Feng Bao wailed.

Xu Bing answered him with nothing but a cold snort.

The great ship drew alongside, anchor dropping with a thunderous clang that shattered the seabed and held the vessel fast. A gangway extended from the ship, connecting to Feng Bao’s boat.

Xu Bancheng walked calmly down the passageway, hands still clasped behind him. His personal butler and bodyguard, Xu Tianming, followed a step behind.

"Brother!" Xu Bing called out softly, head bowed, barely daring to breathe.

In the Xu family, she feared neither her grandfather nor her parents—only her stern, unsmiling brother.

From childhood, Xu Bancheng had taught her that in their home, he was the one in charge. As long as he was her elder brother, she would always be the little sister, always second.

She had rebelled many times as a child, but every time, she ended up bruised and battered for her efforts. Xu Bancheng didn’t care if she was a girl or his own sister—if she was disobedient, she was punished. Her parents and grandfather turned a blind eye; her brother never did.

As soon as he stepped onto the boat, Xu Bancheng raised his right hand and brought it down hard.

Smack! The slap rang out, and Feng Bao clutched his cheek, tears brimming as he looked miserably at Xu Bancheng, unable to understand why his brother-in-law had struck him.

"If I catch you bad-mouthing me again, I’ll throw you to the fish," Xu Bancheng said coolly.

Behind him, Xu Tianming stepped forward and plucked a listening device from Feng Bao’s collar.

"When did you put that there?" Feng Bao gasped, recoiling in shock and fear at the sight of the bug in Xu Tianming’s hand.

Xu Bancheng ignored him, turning to Xu Bing. "That slap was a warning. You’d better learn some discipline. Don’t think that just because you’ve grown up, I won’t lay a hand on you. Next time you act out, I’ll break your legs."

His icy words made Xu Bing tremble. She had no doubt he meant it. When she was eighteen, she’d gone out for a night without telling anyone or calling home. The next morning, she found Xu Bancheng sitting on the living room sofa, no one knew how long he’d been there. But that wasn’t what mattered; what mattered was the cane lying on the armrest, its surface rough and uneven.