479: 8.79 Supermodel Ellen*

8.79 Supermodel Ellen*

As he expected, it was not a simple card game like 666 had remarked. Instead, this was a cat and mouse chase. The one who stood on top of the food chain would prey on the bottom. It was simply the crude and most basic rule of survival of the fittest.1

Lu Yizhou quickly calmed himself down. 

His first reaction was to look around to see if there was someone suspicious. Judging from the appearance of the male corpse, he did not seem to have died for long. From the time when the woman screamed until Lu Yizhou got here, it had been less than fifteen seconds. 

If he was the killer, then he would definitely mix in with the crowd to ensure that the murder was successful. His silver eyes sharply gazed at the surrounding crowd. Unfortunately, he could not find anyone who behaved suspiciously. Either the culprit possessed brilliant acting skills or they had long fled from this place. 

A frown settled between his brows. [This man is a guest so the one who kills him should be the… werewolf?] But he recalled the guide saying that werewolves awoke at night but this crime had clearly happened in broad daylight. How could this be…?

[666: Right, right! The werewolves usually act at night, Host!]

[Usually?] Lu Yizhou firmly grasped onto the point. 

Come to think of it, the guide could be considered as very general and full of loopholes. For instance, it did not clearly state that werewolves were not allowed to hunt the guest during the day. People who were a bit more clever could definitely take advantage of it to gain a head start. He still had no idea what kind of consequences he would receive if he abstained from killing. Moreover, he had to carry 666 in this quest, meaning that the number of people he had to hunt had increased twofold.

The question was, what if the one who killed the man wasn't the werewolves? There was no rule that prohibited killing between guests, right? 

[666: T–This… How can this be?! Are you implying that there's an internal conflict in the guests camp, Host? But if that's the case, they will give the werewolves camp a huge advantage!]

[I am just stating the possibility.] Lu Yizhou calmly remarked. 

He wished he could go forward to check on the corpse, maybe he could derive more clues from that. However, the crowd was getting larger and larger. People panicked at the sight of a corpse. They clearly came here for a leisure vacation so how could a murder suddenly take place?!

It was not long until the captain of the cruise ship, having been attracted by the loud commotion outside, showed up. Sensing that the situation wasn't conducive anymore, Lu Yizhou minimized his presence and stood amidst the crowd, pretending to be one of the curious onlookers. 

Captain Rong was a robust middle aged man with a steady personality. His thick eyebrows and heroic face amplified his domineering presence. As soon as he appeared, the crowd subconsciously gave way to him. "What's wrong?" He asked. Upon seeing the corpse, his expression sank lightly but he didn't show any panic. Instead, he quickly controlled the chaos and directed his crews to maintain order. 

"I apologize for the disturbance, everyone." He stated with a solemn tone. "Please don't worry, I will definitely give you a proper account. As a token of apology, today's entertainment service will be free. Please lift the burden on your mind and have fun on this cruise ship."

Lu Yizhou had no idea whether everyone held superb psychological quality or something, but the crowd was easily appeased just like that and scattered about. Soon, no one cared about the pitiful man who died mysteriously on the cruise. Lu Yizhou pretended to hang around as he eavesdropped on the nearby conversation. 

The corpse was quickly identified. 

His name was Liu Shi, age 32, a single man who coincidentally came here for a vacation without any company. Without a family to claim his body, the ship crew could only move him temporarily away.

The woman, who was the first witness, was a foreigner named Jenny. At this point, she had calmed down albeit her face was still frighteningly pale and her eyes were dazed, at a loss of what to do. No doubt the earlier incident had dealt her quite a heavy blow. She could not provide any other clue and insisted that she was only passing by when she inadvertently saw Liu Shi's morbid appearance. 

The two of them were strangers so Jenny was soon excluded from the list of suspects. Moreover, they could not find anyone who could have the motive to harm Liu Shi either. 

Even in their wildest dreams, these NPCs couldn't have thought that the reason for Liu Shi's death was actually very simple. It was because he was a convenient prey. He was alone, defenseless and even if he died, no one would come forward to demand for the culprit, making him a perfect candidate for the hunt.

The last thing Lu Yizhou heard was a crew member saying to the other, "Let's go to the doctor and ask him to perform an autopsy. Who knows whether he died of food poisoning or severe allergy?"

There were two distinct cases here. If Liu Shi died of severe allergy, then it would be no one's fault but his own and the crew members could close the case peacefully. However, if this was a case of food poisoning, then either someone deliberately poisoned him or there was a problem with the food and drink in the cruise from the beginning. 

Lu Yizhou's heart sank in his chest. He could not ignore the possibility that this was a trap set from this world. Fortunately, he had not even had a sip of drink ever since he woke up. 

From now on, he had to tread with utmost caution and alert. He might be a werewolf but who could guarantee that no one would try to kill him?

Deep in thought, Lu Yizhou decided to explore the cruise ship to familiarize himself with the way. He went to the deck to check the number of lifeboats. By estimation, the number of people in this ship, including the crew members should be approximately 800 people. At most, the lifeboats could only accommodate 200 people. It was one fourth of the total passengers.

If more than 300 people survived on the last day, Lu Yizhou could not imagine how chaotic the situation would be. Disregarding the people who got into accidents halfway, people would fight to get to the lifeboats, shoving and pushing, creating a mass stampede that was comparable to the macabre of death. Lu Yizhou had a headache just by thinking of it.

More importantly, where should he start to search for his lover?

Faint cheers in the distance drew his attention. Lu Yizhou raised a brow, followed the throng of people and found himself walking to the bar and lounge. There was a row of bodyguards in black suits and glasses, firmly blocking people a few meters away like an impenetrable fortress. Complicated wires and many lighting equipment stood on the side. People with professional cameras flitted back and forth. Once in a while, there was a bright flash of the cameras.

Lu Yizhou blinked. This was… a photoshoot scene?

From up close, the cheers were almost ear deafening. Most of them were young girls and boys, screaming. "Oh my God, oh my God, so beautiful!"

"My Goddess Lingling, look here!"

"Is that the international supermodel Ellen with her?!"

"Oh dear, I won't regret ever coming to this ship if I can get their autograph!"

Lu Yizhou's heart skipped a beat. Ellen? Did they just say Ellen…? He marched forward in a few long strides and approached the bar and lounge. Even though the bodyguards were unmoved, Lu Yizhou was tall and could easily crane his neck to see past them. His breath abruptly ceased as he caught sight of a familiar side profile. 

The last time Lu Yizhou saw him… he had been covered in blood like a tragic fallen angel. However, now, all of his beautiful features were exposed and further enchanted by the light make-up and dazzling lighting. 

His waist length hair was styled meticulously so that not even a strand was out of place. Thick lashes shrouded his magnetic golden eyes and the smile that curled on the corner of his lips was plainly captivating. Alas, he exuded such an aloof aura as though everything around him was not even worthy of a glance. Dressed in a tailored suit and furry coat, he was simply a sight to behold.

Without any regard to the crowd, he lifted a glass of wine and brought it to his lips. Every movement, from his fair wrist that was exposed behind the sleeves, the shift of his silken hair to the light that caught on his black stud earrings, was peerlessly elegant and for some reason, ambiguously seductive. The bob of his throat when he swallowed sent the surrounding fangirls and fanboys boiling wilder.

His slender frame was not feminine at all, yet somehow it still made him look heartbreakingly fragile as though he was a precious porcelain glass that could only be admired but not touched. 

Lu Yizhou stood still like a statue, unable to tear his gaze away as he greedily raked in the sight of his lover. 

Perhaps his gaze had been too intense, the man suddenly shifted his eyes to the crowd before landing squarely on Lu Yizhou, whose height made him stand out like a sore thumb. 

As soon as their gazes locked midair, Lu Yizhou felt like the time had stopped ticking and the whole world faded away. He did not even notice the excited squeals around him, too enamored by the breathtaking sight of his lover.

Lu Yizhou's lips parted to utter his name. Ellen…?

The man might have the same appearance as his lover. However, Lu Yizhou immediately realized the difference in his golden eyes. Those eyes that were staring straight at him were so frosty that it sent shivers down his spine. 

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