Chapter 2472: My Wife Is a Pirate 02

The light in the room was somewhat dim, carrying the moisture soaked by the sea breeze.

Jin Chen carefully placed the unsupported Bu Changji from his arms onto the bed spread with clean coarse cloth.

To the touch, it was astonishingly cold and soft, like holding a handful of snow that might scatter at any moment.

Jin Chen furrowed his brows, testing Bu Changji's forehead with the back of his hand—it was scorching hot.

He turned to the corner water barrel, scooped half a ladle of boiled plain water, returned to the bedside, half-supporting and half-embracing Bu Changji, and brought the ladle to his cracked lips.

"Drink some water." Jin Chen's voice was low.

Bu Changji's eyelids twitched, and he obediently took small sips, following his hand.

He indeed had no strength to resist, nor any inclination.

Moreover, given the current situation, it was good to have someone looking after him.

He simply relaxed his strength, letting Jin Chen act, and leaned wearily against the still-sturdy old wooden board at the head of the bed.

After drinking the water, his spirits lifted a little.

Bu Changji surveyed the small hut without changing expression.

The furnishings were extremely crude—just a bed, a table, a cabinet; fishing nets and tools piled in the corner, yet it was kept quite tidy, and the floor was swept clean.

One could see the owner was diligent and knew how to manage things.

He was lost in thought when a warm, dry hand suddenly pressed on his wrist.

Bu Changji's heart jumped; following the fingers resting on his wrist, he looked toward Jin Chen.

Only see this fisherman's brows furrowed tighter, his fingertip pressing on his wrist, his face turning grim.

"Are you poisoned?"

Bu Changji's pupils constricted slightly, and a storm surged in his heart.

This fisherman actually knows how to take a pulse!

He warily pulled back his hand, then, as if realizing his reaction was too strong, quickly lowered his eyelids, deliberately making his voice sound weak and pitiable.

"... Hmm." Bu Changji paused, his thoughts racing: "It's not a deadly poison; it's what the pirates gave us to prevent escape. Once ashore and away from their ship, it will gradually wear off."

Jin Chen, hearing this, felt his taut nerves loosen a little.

Still uneasy, he pressed on: "Anywhere else feeling uncomfortable?"

Bu Changji lightly shook his head, his gaze falling on Jin Chen's face: "Thank you for your concern, strong man... I'm already much better."

He shifted the tone, somewhat probing: "Just... why did you, strong man, save me?"

Jin Chen looked at his pale face, eyes glistening with moisture, his heart softened, and he teased with a joke.

"You're born so handsome; if the pirates killed you and tossed you into the sea to feed the fish, wouldn't that be a waste?"

This straightforward, slightly teasing praise left Bu Changji slightly startled.

He quickly glanced at Jin Chen, seeing the other's gaze open and honest, seeming truly just admiring his appearance with no deeper meaning, and only then did he relax a bit.

Bu Changji cooperatively lowered his head, putting on a somewhat bashful demeanor, while inside he rapidly calculated.

He needed to search for the hidden treasure vault in this fishing village, and also needed a quiet place to suppress the residual poison.

This fisherman's home, however, made an excellent cover.

"Thank you for your rescue, strong man," Bu Changji said, his voice softer, like gratitude after surviving a disaster, "May I ask your honored name?"

"Just call me Jin Chen."

Jin Chen suddenly thought of something, stood up, tucked the blanket corner for Bu Changji, pressing the covers firmly onto his thin shoulders: "Rest easy here to recover, don't overthink, I'll go get you something to eat."

Having said that, he turned and pushed the door open to go out.

The wooden door creaked shut.

On the bed, that hint of meekness in Bu Changji's eyes vanished completely.

He lifted his hand again, fingertips resting on the other wrist, focusing intently to probe.

Fortunately, though the poison is potent, it hasn't penetrated the organs; only this bone‑gnawing cold and occasional sharp pain need time to gradually dissipate.

Beneath him lay a dry, thick blanket, exuding the solid feeling of land.

Bu Changji also couldn't hold up; his head slumped and he fell asleep.

Jin Chen outside the house was patting Ling Gun Gun back and forth.

【Are you messed up? What's this round's blackening value?】

Ling Gun Gun was about to faint from being patted.

It hurriedly pushed against Jin Chen's fingers to free itself, sticking out its tongue and spinning dazedly in place before settling down.

【I'm not sure either, I'll try again…】

Ling Gun Gun restarted the system broadcast program.

Not long after, a somewhat stuck system voice sounded.

【Detected this world's villain…, triggering… blackening value, current blackening value……87!】

So stuck, Jin Chen shook his head at hearing it; after hearing the blackening value, he didn't bother further, turned to cook porridge for his wife.

——

Meanwhile, inside the abandoned stone building at the east end of the village.

Here, the pirates temporarily occupied it, lighting several bonfires to dispel the stone walls' chill.

Fang Yun Yao was sitting on a relatively flat stone, gulping from a waterskin, while also enthusiastically gesturing to a few nearby pirate petty leaders.

"... That place is near the old banyan tree at the west end of the village; my father buried it deep back then, but as long as we get the bearing right, digging it up will be quick! Wait for Boss Bu to return, and we…"

Before his words finished, the broken door of the stone building was slammed open; Hai Liu came rolling and crawling in, his face still smeared with sand, and before he could catch his breath he howled.

"Not good! The boss was grabbed by a fisherman… no! He was snatched away!"

"Pfft!" Fang Yun Yao spat out a mouthful of water, choking and coughing.

What?!

Who the hell ate a bear's heart and leopard's gall?!

Several minor leaders all stood up, their knives half-drawn, glaring angrily.

Hai Liu patted his chest to calm himself, recalling that fisherman's swift kick, his heart still pounding.

He was just a fisherman, tall and strong, with freakish strength! He carried the boss away at lightning speed...

He paused, recalling how weak the boss had been, leaning against the other's arms, and his mind slipped, he unconsciously added a line.

... He was also pretty good-looking...

The next second, his older brother Hai Wu's fist slammed solidly into the back of his head.

Good looks, you're babbling! That's the boss, the boss got taken, and we're still doing nothing!

Hai Wu was so angry his face reddened and his neck thickened.

Fang Yunyao also finally caught his breath; hearing this, he almost jumped up.

Bu Changji was kidnapped? Who took him to dig the treasure vault? His father's treasures are still waiting for him!

His expression made the pirates even more furious, tenfold, as he slapped his thigh and stood up, filled with righteous indignation: 'How dare they! In broad daylight, robbing the people... uh, robbing your boss! Is there any law left? Brothers, grab your weapons, we must hurry and rescue your boss!'

His reaction was even more enthusiastic than the pirates', leaving several minor leaders stunned.

Hai Er was comparatively steady, quickly reaching out to stop the crowd about to rush out.

Wait, don't be impulsive! Didn't the boss specifically order earlier? He wants to gather intel in the fishing village, so we must absolutely not act rashly, lest we ruin his plans!

What if... what if the boss deliberately let that fisherman snatch him?

Everyone looked at each other.

Yeah, the boss is deep-minded and inscrutable; maybe this is part of his plan.

But...

Fang Yunyao still wanted to stir things up; he really worried that no one would lead the way to dig the treasure vault.

No 'buts' about it!

Hai Er hammered the point home: 'Stay put and wait for the boss's news! Anyone who dares to move recklessly, ruining the boss's affairs, I'll be the first to chop them!'

The pirates, thinking of Bu Changji's methods, sat back down, each seething with anger.

Fang Yunyao sat back down on the stone, gloomy, watching the jumping flames, his mind full of doubts.

Bu Changji, Bu Changji, you better really be gathering intel, and definitely don't fall into the hands of that 'tall, strong, freakishly strong' fisherman...

My treasure vault is still counting on you!