Zhan took a deep calming breath. Don't panic. Everything's going to be fine. Perhaps this man's nothing like Jeffrey Moore... or Councilor Zhao... He wants to quell the rising fear in his chest. The man used the word "marooned". He didn't want to think about the literal meaning of that.
Perhaps when he boarded his yacht, Yibo was on his way home to the island and he had no choice but to take Zhan with him. And it will probably be a while before it returns to Beijing.
"Gusu Island," Zhan murmured. "I know it's an island owned by your family and-"
"Why wasn't I surprised?" Yibo cut him off, his brows rose mockingly. "Now I think you planned all this. Chengpeng probably told you that my yacht is moored in The Port of Tianjin. Now, tell me. How did you get to the yacht? I never heard of a motorboat. Or use rowing boat for the surprise effect?"
"W-what do you mean?"
"Don't play innocent, Xiao Zhan. You must have known that night I am a very rich man." Yibo laughed without humor. "You waited for all my guests to be gone before you swam to the yacht. I admire your originality. No one would have thought of going aboard my yacht in the middle of the night in a birth suit. No wonder men are crazy about you."
"You're wrong!" Zhan said hoarsely. Can't believe what Yibo means.
"I am rarely wrong, Xiao Zhan. Especially with someone like you. And if you just want to see me, it's easy to find me. You could have told me that night that you wanted us to meet again. Instead, you played, the hard-to-get maiden."
Zhan eyes narrowed, he couldn't stop the anger rising in his chest. This guy thinks he plans all of this! Didn't he know that he was almost out of strength when he saw the rope ladder?
"I'm not interested in your wealth, Mr. Wang! And I'm even less interested in you. Me ending into your yacht last night was an accidental mistake. It could have been someone else's yacht. If I had continued swimming, I would have drowned! And to prove to you the truth of what I say, tell me how I can leave this island. Or allow me to use your phone so I can call Zhuocheng to-"
"Zhuocheng?" Yibo repeated the name as if it were something bitter in his tongue. And the anger flashed his eyes to Zhan's astonishment. "Of course, your lover..."
"Lover?" Zhan said, eyes wide. "Me and Zhuocheng? You thought Zhuocheng and I-"
"You deny that you have a relationship with Jiang Zhuocheng?" Somewhere deep inside Yibo, he wanted Zhan to deny the accusation. For Meng Ziyi.
"If he were, it's none of your business!" Zhan hissed. "Now tell me how to get out of this place."
Yibo's jaws growled. "I told you, you are marooned here."
"I don't have to wait for you to come back to Beijing!" Zhan almost screamed.
"I can go out on my own if you lend me something to wear." Zhan got off the bed, not caring that the oversized shirt he was wearing was only two inches from being inappropriate. Yibo had seen him all anyway.
Zhan ran to the first door he saw. He turned an antique lock opened it and went out. A gust of wind met him, followed by his strong breathing. He could see the endless ocean. And the chirping of the birds he heard earlier were seagulls. Slowly, as if in a trance, he walked towards the railings. He looked around in complete amazement. His entire place is surrounded by railings. He looks down. His eyes widened at what he saw. He must be more than thirty feet from the ground!
Then he faced and raised his eyes to the whole of where he was. He was in an octagonal lighthouse!
Now panic rose in his chest. His eyes filled with unmistakable horror as Jeffrey Moore's and Councilor Zhao's faces loomed up in his mind alternately. And for a moment he lost all control of himself.
