Chapter 2500: My Wife Is a Pirate 30

Only two people remained in the room.

Jin Chen sat by the bedside, carefully applying the cool herbal pack to the swollen spot on Bu Changji's forehead, his movements gentle, occasionally pushing back the sweat-damp strands of hair that clung to his face.

Suddenly, Jin Chen noticed Bu Changji's wrist was bare and casually asked, "Where is that seashell bracelet? Why aren't you wearing it?"

Bu Changji opened his eyes at the words, his expression turning alert, he turned to look at Jin Chen, his tone heated: "That's what you gave me, it's mine! Don't even think about taking it… or giving it again to that Fang Yunyao!"

Jin Chen: "……"

He felt utterly defeated by this bizarre and stubborn train of thought—what nonsense is this?

He pulled the pale-faced Bu Changji into his embrace, switched hands to hold the herbal pack on his forehead, and with his other hand habitually pinched Bu Changji's cool earlobe, gently rubbing and playing with it.

"Bu Changji, can we talk properly, lay everything out, okay?"

Seeing Jin Chen's serious attitude, Bu Changji bit his own tongue to force himself to calm down.

He nodded, couldn't help but scoot closer to Jin Chen, then, putting on a tough front, spoke.

"You say, what should we talk about?"

Jin Chen softened his tone, but his question was blunt: "The one who deceived me is you, the one who first wanted to use me is also you—how did it end up that your temper is bigger than anyone's?"

"What exactly are you angry about?"

But hearing this, Bu Changji still felt as if pricked by a needle, his eye rims reddening again.

He turned his head away, voice choking, "But you clearly said before… you came here for Fang Yunyao, you were supposed to protect him."

Only then did Jin Chen realize.

It turned out the misunderstanding lay right here.

He pinched Bu Changji's bloodless cheek, "Think carefully—when I carried you home that day, what did I say to you on the beach?"

Bu Changji froze, enduring the dizziness, frowning as he struggled to recall that day's scene.

Jin Chen looked at his bewildered expression and sighed helplessly, "I said then that I came here for you, that I wanted to protect you."

Jin Chen paused, then added, "The information I received was wrong, I mistook your identity, but I have never mistaken who I want to protect—I help whoever you are."

"And you—what exactly have you been throwing tantrums about, being so difficult?"

Bu Changji's heart pounded, his head buzzed, everything in a jumble.

So that's how it is, indeed it is.

After the shock came overwhelming regret and shame.

He had misunderstood for so long, and consequently drove the person away time and again…

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -15, total 55!】

Jin Chen guessed the time for applying the medicine was about up, so he loosened his grip, lifted the now-cool herbal pack from Bu Changji's forehead, and rose.

"Since you haven't fully decided yet, wait until you figure it out…"

"Wait!"

Bu Changji was genuinely panicked, not even minding his dizziness, he reached out and grabbed Jin Chen's sleeve, fearing that if he left now he would never come back.

A tear slid down the corner of his eye, his voice choking badly.

"I… I did want to use you, but later I truly came to like you—I'm afraid of losing you! Is that not allowed?"

"I've fallen for you—what can I do?"

Bu Changji finally shouted out the words buried deepest in his heart, but after speaking he still felt unsettled, even more panicked.

He had misunderstood so deeply, spoken so many hurtful words, done so many excessive things—could it still be salvaged now?

Recalling each previous argument, it seemed they had been gradually pushing Jin Chen away…

Bu Changji knelt up, tightly embracing Jin Chen's waist, lifted his head to look at him, tears streaming down uncontrollably, a pitiful sight.

"Let me apologize to you, okay? Don't be angry, don't leave…"

Jin Chen lowered his gaze, looking at the person in his arms trembling with sobs, he reached out to gently brush away the strands of hair stuck to his cheeks by tears, his voice softening.

"All right, let's not say more—you hit your head and need rest; we can talk after you wake up."

Bu Changji clung to his clothes, insisting, "Then… after I fall asleep, will you leave?"

Jin Chen gently wiped the tear from his eye, held Bu Changji back onto the bed, and lightly covered his eyes.

"Close your eyes and sleep."

——

Next day.

A squad of soldiers actually showed up at White Wave Bay, Yue Ling among them, his face grave.

Fang Yunyao followed at his side, his expression torn and troubled.

He knew well that Bu Changji's pirate band was not the utterly evil lot of rumor—in fact, they had saved him.

But he hadn't expected that Yue Ling, as a general, would ultimately be more loyal to his court duties; this time he came, he still sought to reclaim the treasures the pirates had seized.

Fang Yunyao was caught in the middle, torn between sides, not knowing what to do.

The soldiers headed straight to the desolate Rotten Beach to search, found nothing, and began questioning the fishermen of White Wave Bay.

However, times were different now.

The fishermen had received life-saving aid from the Wave-Slaying Pirates; how could they leak any information to the soldiers?

Each either feigned ignorance or spoke with one voice:

"Pirates? What pirates? I've never heard of them, sir."

"Our White Wave Bay has been peaceful lately; all who come are merchants and friends."

"Yeah, yeah, we haven't seen any suspicious people."

Seeing that questioning ordinary fishermen yielded nothing, Yue Ling personally went out and happened to encounter Jin Chen near the Rotten Beach, seemingly casually reinforcing the illusionary spell he had previously set up with reef stones.

Yue Ling stepped forward, his eyes sharp, "We meet again—you ought to know who I am, right?"

Jin Chen brushed off the dirt on his hands, stood up, and his expression was calm and breezy.

"I know. General Yue Ling, what do you want with me?"

Fang Yunyao, standing behind Yue Ling, glanced away, wanting to speak but holding back.

Yue Ling said in a deep voice: "I've heard you have close ties with the pirate gang that occupies the East Head Stone Tower."

"The clues to that treasure vault… you must know them, right?"

Upon hearing that, Jin Chen gave Fang Yunyao, who stood behind Yue Ling, a cold glance, his tone laced with obvious mockery.

"Fang Heir Apparent, you really know everything—why not just tell him all eighteen generations of my ancestors?"

Fang Yunyao's face turned pale under his gaze, and he lowered his head in shame, "I…"

Yue Ling's face darkened, he stepped sideways to shield Fang Yunyao behind him, his tone protective.

"Yun Yao is the Heir Apparent of Prince Jing; his conduct is none of your business. As General, I advise you to confess honestly to avoid physical punishment."

"My people aren't something you can bully!"

A fierce angry shout suddenly came from not far away!

Only saw Bu Changji with a medicine patch still on his forehead, his face somewhat pale, but his eyes fierce like a wolf.

He gripped a long sword, leading his pirate lackeys with murderous aura as they rushed over, instantly half-encircling Yue Ling and a small squad of government soldiers.

Bu Changji pointed his long sword at Yue Ling and shouted rudely: "You useless coward!"

"If you can't find what I've hidden, you come to bully the people on my turf—you imperial lot are really something!"