Chapter One: Long Legs and a Slim Waist

When Yixun’s WeChat call request came through, Gu Yao was dining in the cruise ship’s second-floor restaurant. The steak on her plate had grown a little cold and tasted bland, so she set aside her knife and fork, picked up her coffee, and took a sip.

At the table behind her, two women’s conversation was especially loud, their shrill laughter piercing the ears.

“Where have you been all these days?” Yixun’s voice came through the gaps in their laughter, patchy and intermittent—WiFi signal was poor.

“Your hospital keeps calling me! I’m lying in bed, half dead with exhaustion, and still have to deal with those nagging old men for you.” Yixun’s tone was full of complaint.

“I’m on a cruise, five days and four nights. I booked a trip to Japan.” Gu Yao finished the last sip of coffee and spoke at a leisurely pace.

She removed her earphones and held them slightly away.

Sure enough, Yixun’s angry shout burst out: “Gu Yao! You actually ditched me and went off to play by yourself! I’m furious!”

“I’ll bring back cosmetics and figurines for you—free of charge.” When Yixun’s voice quieted down, Gu Yao put her earphones back on.

“Alright, for the sake of the figurines, I forgive you.” As expected, the person on the other end brightened immediately.

After carefully listing the brands and types of cosmetics, Yixun was finally satisfied. She switched topics, asking, “By the way, what’s going on over there? It’s been so noisy since earlier.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll just change seats.” Gu Yao shook her head, too lazy to confront the women behind her. She picked up her cup and stood, her long skirt revealing slender ankles as she moved.

She was a tall, slender young woman, her posture upright and elegant. Her long hair, uncolored and uncurled, was trimmed just enough at the ends, falling gracefully above her narrow shoulders, resting on a slim, straight collarbone that gave her a chilly, fierce beauty.

“When are you coming back? I’ll pick you up,” Yixun’s voice finally grew clear, relieved to be free of background noise.

“When I feel like it—or when I’ve had enough fun.” Gu Yao found an empty table, sat down, and absent-mindedly wiped the surface with a napkin.

Her black hair, tousled by the breeze, covered one side of her face. She brushed it aside with slender fingers, turned her head slightly, and her gaze was suddenly drawn to something outside on the deck.

“Alright, as long as you’re happy.” Yixun sounded helpless, about to say more, but the wind noise on the phone abruptly stopped, replaced by a distant woman’s cry.

“Doctor! Is there a doctor? My daughter has fainted!”

The sunlight was bright, and many tourists were taking photos on the deck, but at this moment, everyone stopped and gathered in a circle.

In the center, a young woman in a short skirt lay on her back, eyes closed, one hand on her chest. No matter how her mother shook her, she didn’t respond.

“Could it be sudden death?”

“Someone died on board? How unlucky…”

People began to whisper.

A chubby middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd. “Excuse me, I’m the ship’s doctor!”

He hurried forward, squatted down to examine her, but before he could check further, the young woman suddenly opened her eyes, confused.

“Qianqian, you’re alright? You scared me to death!” Her mother cried out, rushing to embrace her.

“Madam, please step aside.” The ship’s doctor managed to move her away and opened his medical kit.

After a quick examination, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Nothing serious. The sun is strong today; it’s just heatstroke.”

As he spoke, he turned away, furtively wiping sweat from his forehead.

He hadn’t worked on the cruise for long—usually it was quiet. Today was his first time facing such a situation, so he was inevitably nervous.

A cool, clear female voice came from behind: “Are you sure about that?”

Startled, the ship’s doctor turned to see a woman parting the crowd and stepping forward.

A long skirt, messy black hair, thin lips pressed tight—a presence both aloof and detached.

The young woman had woken, but her mind was unclear. With her mother continuing to shake her, she suddenly began to retch.

Gu Yao’s brows furrowed after a brief glance. She briskly pushed the mother aside, squatted down, and checked carefully. The suspicion in her mind was confirmed.

She looked at the ship’s doctor and spoke directly: “Preliminary suspicion of cerebral hemorrhage. She must go to a hospital for thorough examination as soon as possible.”

Her tone was calm but carried an undeniable certainty.

The ship’s doctor was stunned, his eyes lingering on her bare shoulders, clearly not convinced. “You are…”

“Gu Yao, neurosurgeon at Mingxi Hospital, Y City.”

“Mingxi Hospital… Gu Yao?” The ship’s doctor’s eyes widened, his expression growing serious.

Mingxi Hospital was nationally renowned, its medical standards exceptional.

More importantly, he’d heard Gu Yao’s name—three years ago, she gained fame in the medical world for a groundbreaking surgery.

She was someone not to be trifled with.

He wiped his forehead again, dared not argue further, and signaled a crew member, whispering instructions.

Not far away, Gu Yao straightened, arms crossed, watching coolly.

She wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, but since the incident happened right before her eyes, she wouldn’t avoid it.

Yet this matter wasn’t hers to decide alone. The cruise was currently sailing; to reach a hospital, they’d need to dock immediately, which would surely upset some passengers.

Indeed, murmurs began among the onlookers.

“So, we have to dock?”

“What if it messes up our vacation?”

“What do you mean? You want my daughter to get off the ship early?” The young woman’s mother finally recovered, unexpectedly joining the dissenters.

Her face was unfriendly, now red with anger, ready for a quarrel. As she spoke, spittle flew from her lips.

Gu Yao recognized her voice—she was one of the two women laughing loudly behind her earlier.

Cardiovascular disease is most aggravated by emotional stress; perhaps the earlier boisterous laughter triggered her daughter’s sudden collapse.

It had disrupted others, and now brought harm to herself.

Finding the situation ironic, Gu Yao raised an eyebrow and said coolly, “Your daughter’s condition is dangerous now—she must go to a major hospital for treatment. As her guardian, you need to accompany her.”

“We’re not going to the hospital! She just has heatstroke, some medicine will fix it. The tickets were so expensive, we haven’t enjoyed anything yet—how can we get off just after boarding?” The woman grew even more agitated.

Her eyes filled with sudden hostility as she loudly demanded, “So young—pretending to be a doctor? Are you colluding with others to trick us off the ship? Watch me teach you a lesson!”

She was accustomed to quarrels, and her age made others reluctant to confront her; she rarely suffered losses. Emboldened, she rushed forward, intent on striking Gu Yao.

But her hand grasped at empty air. When she looked again, the woman had already slid softly to the ground, leaning against the railing.

“You… what’s…”

“What now, madam? It seems you’ve caused me to miscarry.” After a moment, Gu Yao looked up, one hand on her abdomen, her tone calm.

Though she said this, her expression showed no pain—she looked relaxed, as if simply resting.

The middle-aged woman’s bravado faltered; she stood dazed, no longer daring to advance.

She wasn’t stupid. The woman before her seemed suspicious, but what if she really was pregnant? Hurting her would mean compensation.

Gu Yao remained motionless, still lazily seated. The standoff continued, the crowd growing larger, voices buzzing, some even stepping forward to mediate.

Yet at some point, the surrounding air quieted. Many people looked curiously in one direction.

Gu Yao tilted her head and looked as well.

On the cruise’s staircase, several people descended slowly. Those at the sides wore impeccably formal suits, but the man in the center was different: white shirt, black trousers, more suited for a holiday than business.

His posture was casual, right hand tucked in his pocket, the hem of his loose white shirt fluttering in the breeze, front buttons undone to reveal toned muscles beneath.

Long legs, narrow waist, tall and upright, his skin slightly tanned, hair cropped very short, blue-black stubble visible in profile. A pair of sunglasses covered half his face, obscuring his features, but even so, he radiated a strange sense of pressure.

Perhaps sensing Gu Yao’s gaze, he turned his head slightly and looked her way.

Though the sunglasses concealed his eyes, Gu Yao somehow felt he was looking directly at her.

A flicker of interest stirred in her heart. She didn’t look away, but curved her lips in a slight smile, meeting his gaze openly for several seconds.