Pretty idiots are born to be played with and ruined by their husbands.

Chapter 103 It doesn't matter; he never truly believed in that dream from the very beginning.

About half an hour later, the fire downstairs was brought under control, and the water under the boat was drained to make the boat stable.

The announcement resumed: "The cruise ship is now operating normally. Ladies and gentlemen on other decks, please move to the second-floor lobby as soon as possible to assist with the headcount."

Upon hearing the announcement, people on deck began moving downstairs.

When Ruan Zhijuan was carried downstairs by Zhou Gangxun, government and cruise ship staff were handling the bodies of the victims. They put the bodies into body bags and placed them in designated areas in the lobby. There were at least thirty bodies at a glance.

The bodies were all covered with white sheets, making them look like they were piled up in a morgue.

Reports of deaths rang out one after another: "Trampled, multiple fractures, internal organ damage and bleeding leading to death..." "Fell down the stairs, headfirst..." "Suffocated from inhaling thick smoke from the fire..."

So many people died...

Ruan Zhijuan looked at the white cloths and couldn't help but sigh. Suddenly, she felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Then, a chill ran down her spine and spread throughout her body, making her hands and feet numb.

He snuggled closer to Zhou Gangxun, his gaze falling on a corpse covered with a white sheet.

He was dead; Ruan Zhijuan saw nothing else.

But there was a feeling that someone was standing there, staring intently at him and Zhou Gangxun, which gave him the creeps and made him extremely uneasy.

"Stop looking." Zhou Gangxun reached out and covered Ruan Zhijuan's eyes. "You're going to have nightmares tonight."

There are too many dead people here; I'm afraid some unsightly, filthy thing might haunt his wife again.

Zhou Gangxun was right. Yang Siyan's talisman had not failed. If Ruan Zhijuan could see it, she would see a soul standing next to each corpse, although most of them had their heads down, looking at their own bodies.

Zhou Gangxun carried Ruan Zhijuan and walked towards the other side where there were more living people.

As the two left, the staff member standing next to the body recorded, "Acute shock caused by cancer complications...no vital signs, confirmed dead."

After government officials counted the number of people, they gathered everyone in a safe area, and the cruise ship began its return journey.

The sounds of fireworks and firecrackers celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival could be heard continuously from the surrounding urban area, a stark contrast to the quiet and silent cruise ship.

……

9:30 PM, Room 601.

The television was broadcasting the late-night news: "At 8 PM tonight, the Anlina 1 cruise ship caught fire due to listing. The death toll is 38, and 63 people were injured. The following is a list of the victims..."

Zhou Gangxun stared at the list on the television screen, flipping through page after page, and finally found Kuang Yehai's name.

Officials have confirmed that he died from an accidental fall into the sea.

The news anchor on the television continued, "Among them, Mr. Zhuang Siyi, a real estate developer from Fucheng, passed away yesterday on a cruise ship due to complications caused by cancer, at the young age of 30."

"And the high-end residential project that Ransheng Group, under Zhuang Siyi's name, is responsible for developing in the west of the city may change from its current temporary suspension to permanent suspension."

It's his previous construction site, which has now completely turned into an unfinished building.

As Zhou Gangxun was looking at the water, he heard his wife call out, "Zhou Gangxun, why isn't the foot bath water hot? Did you even bother to boil it properly?"

Ruan Zhijuan's body temperature has returned to normal, and she has started calling out to Zhou Gangxun again.

To be precise, it's unreasonable, like making up for all the bad things that weren't done when I was wearing a suit.

While adding water, Zhou Gangxun retorted, "Boiling water is the kettle's job. What's the use of me putting my heart into it?"

Ruan Zhijuan snorted coldly and said matter-of-factly, "I'm your wife. If you don't care about me, are you going to care about that guy who asked you to teach him how to put on a life jacket today?"

Zhou Gangxun's dark eyes paused for a moment, "..." as if he now understood why his wife was so vicious.

So, Ruan Zhijuan was stripped naked and kissed.

"Say it again, wife, who am I truly in love with, hmm?" Zhou Gangxun kissed Ruan Zhijuan's ear repeatedly, pressing her for an answer.

Ruan Zhijuan, her mouth agape and eyes brimming with tears, clung tightly to Zhou Gangxun, replying slowly and sluggishly, "I... I've been devoted to you... You... You have no one else..."

……

Two o'clock in the morning.

Having seen too many corpses before going to sleep, Ruan Zhijuan indeed had nightmares.

He dreamt that Zhou Gangxun had set up a strange incense and candlestick at home, with something like a picture frame standing on it, covered with a red cloth. In front of it, on a white plate, were raw chicken, raw fish, and raw pork with blood on them. On the left were four red candles, and on the right were three white candles, all of which were burning.

Ruan Zhijuan asked Zhou Gangxun curiously, "Zhou Gangxun, what is this? Why do you keep this in your house?"

However, Zhou Gangxun did not answer his question. He just stared at the incense burner, then closed his eyes and mumbled something while offering incense.

Ruan Zhijuan couldn't hear clearly, as if a wad of water-soaked cotton was blocking his ears. All the sounds he heard were mixed with the sound of water, sticky and soaking into his ears, making it buzzing and indistinct.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock..."

Suddenly, a dripping sound came from inside the house, as if there was a leak somewhere.

Ruan Zhijuan followed the sound and realized that he was dripping wet. So cold… As if suddenly realizing it, his body began to shiver. So cold, so very cold…

The water flowed more and more, soaking a large puddle at Ruan Zhijuan's feet.

Ruan Zhijuan nervously squatted down to wipe it with his clothes, but it was no use; the more he wiped, the dirtier it became... Then, feeling guilty, he looked up and met Zhou Gangxun's frowning gaze.

Ruan Zhijuan didn't know what kind of expression it was; perhaps it wasn't even an expression at all.

All he knew was that he was panicked, scared, and cold.

"!"

Ruan Zhijuan shuddered and suddenly woke up from her dream.

He was covered in cold sweat, his body was limp and weak, as if he had collapsed, and his heart was pounding, as if he was still shaken by the dream he had just had.

Ruan Zhijuan was startled. He subconsciously moved closer to Zhou Gangxun, pressing his body against him.

It's cold...it's cold. Why is it cold?

Is Zhou Gangxun dead?

Ruan Zhijuan sat up abruptly and reached out to check Zhou Gangxun's breathing. She noticed that Zhou Gangxun's face had suddenly changed, yet it seemed unchanged; it just felt so unfamiliar...

A strange chill ran through his body. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruan Zhijuan thought she saw someone standing behind her—a man…

Before she could even see who it was, Ruan Zhijuan woke up with a start.

He opened his eyes and was breathing rapidly.

Still in the bedroom, Zhou Gangxun was still sleeping next to him.

Ruan Zhijuan sat up and tentatively touched Zhou Gangxun's body with trembling hands.

It is hot.

"It's hot, it's hot." Ruan Zhijuan breathed a sigh of relief, grunted, and kicked Zhou Gangxun repeatedly. "Bastard, stinky dog, waaaah, he was almost scared to death."

"I was wrong, wife." Zhou Gangxun was suddenly woken up while sleeping. He answered, grabbed Ruan Zhijuan's mischievous foot, and pulled her directly into his arms. "I didn't steal any food. I'll stew fish for you tomorrow..."

"Wh...what kind of fish?" Ruan Zhijuan's attention was successfully diverted. She blinked and snuggled into Zhou Gangxun's warm arms. "I don't want fish with bones. If you're going to cook fish with bones, you have to pick them out clean for me."

"Okay, I'll pick one for you," Zhou Gangxun replied, pulling the person closer, so close that his arms trembled almost imperceptibly.

As Ruan Zhijuan gradually fell asleep in his arms, Zhou Gangxun slowly opened his dark eyes and stared at her.

He had that dream again, lying on a bed in an illegal clinic, numbly and helplessly watching as one organ after another was removed from him while he was still alive, his body being cut open and torn apart... blood flowing endlessly.

What's extra is the audio recordings of his daily life with Ruan Zhijuan that he made on his phone.

"Zhou Gangxun, kiss me again. I didn't taste anything yesterday. From now on, kiss me every day..."

"My husband touches me... I only let my husband touch me..."

"Zhou Gangxun, a man whose fever can make him stupid..."

"Zhou Gangxun, you can't even take care of yourself, how are you going to serve me? You're incredibly stupid! You're the stupidest person in the world..."

Zhou Gangxun took a deep breath, buried his head in Ruan Zhijuan's neck, and breathed.

Do you really want me to die, wife?

Zhou Gangxun swallowed hard, his throat dry, and kissed Ruan Zhijuan's lips. It didn't matter; he had never truly believed in that dream from the beginning.

He treated it as a gamble, accepting both the win and the loss.