Chapter Fifteen: The Arabian Feast

The perilous moments had passed, and everyone had narrowly escaped with their lives. Now, a sense of relief and joy filled the room. Liu Yunfei had changed into a pure white robe and stood beside Shalina at the second-floor railing, watching the servants busily tidy the hall and tend to the injured. Fortunately, none of the wounds were serious; to lose only three lightly wounded in exchange for killing two kidnappers was an outcome worthy of praise.

What startled Liu Yunfei most was that Shalina had killed one of them herself. "You were quite brave—do you shoot often?"

Shalina smiled with a touch of embarrassment. "It was my first time firing a gun. When the kidnappers burst in, the servants were so used to being submissive that, even with guns in their hands, they didn't dare use them. The kidnappers laughed, completely unguarded. My mind was a blank, but all I could think was that if they caught me, nothing good would come of it..." She seemed to recall the humiliating moment in that small room, and her face flushed. "So I just raised my hand and fired, and who would have guessed I’d kill him with one shot? I’ve never even killed an insect before."

The old prince came up from below. "Yes, it was Shalina’s shot that gave everyone the courage to fight back against the kidnappers," he said, patting Liu Yunfei’s shoulder. "I doubt the kidnappers will return anytime soon. Our warship is nearly here. I'll arrange dinner for you—a proper Arabian feast."

After waiting for some time, Liu Yunfei was finally treated to the long-anticipated Arabian dinner. The table was overflowing, and his first impression was of its beauty—colorful dishes in reds, yellows, blues, and greens, dazzling to the eye. The Arabian flatbread was brought out, puffed up like a balloon, then deflated, resembling a Chinese pancake. Yet he couldn’t eat until their prayers were finished.

"Oh, my dear Yunfei, come and try this," the old prince finally said.

Unable to restrain himself, Liu Yunfei forked a piece of meat—he didn't know what kind—and put it in his mouth. What was this? The beef was charred, unsalted, and drenched in a thick layer of lemon juice, making it both sour and bitter. It was so greasy that his teeth felt as though they couldn't cut through it.

The Arabian dishes were far less enticing than they appeared. Liu Yunfei wanted to spit it out, but he didn’t dare spoil the prince’s mood, so he tilted his head back and forced it down. "Mm, mm, what’s that? Oh, the flavor is... quite good. Delicious."

"Oh, my dear child, I knew you’d like it. Here, have another," the old prince said enthusiastically.

"Alright, I’ll try something else," Liu Yunfei replied, glancing at the roasted lamb, beef, tomatoes, and other grilled items—potatoes, shrimp, anything you could imagine, all roasted. He looked around and realized that aside from the flatbread, everything was grilled. Seeing the prince’s expectant look, he said, "Let me try the famous Arabian flatbread."

The prince eagerly picked up a piece of flatbread, scraped a generous amount of red salad—he had no idea what it was made of—spread it on the bread, grabbed a handful of chopped celery leaves, sprinkled them on top, then took a small halved lemon and squeezed it vigorously over the bread.

After performing this ritual like a street vendor, the prince sincerely handed the flatbread to Liu Yunfei. "This is how it’s best eaten. Please allow me to express my gratitude; Saudi Arabia and China have been friends for generations, and you will always be my little brother, Saleh."

For the sake of friendship between Saudi Arabia and China, Liu Yunfei endured the taste, feeling as though he were being executed, but smiled bravely and managed to swallow the entire piece. Instantly, his stomach turned, and he couldn’t hold back; covering his mouth, he rushed to the restroom.

After vomiting, Liu Yunfei returned to the hall. The old prince told him that the warship had arrived, so he could sleep peacefully tonight. The Arabian food had nearly broken him; he now felt nauseated at the sight of anything roasted. He quickly apologized, claimed exhaustion, and retreated to his room to rest.

No sooner had he entered his room than his phone began ringing incessantly. He hurried to answer—it was his parents, worried about their son traveling abroad. They asked many questions, and after a lengthy conversation, Liu Yunfei checked his account and found he owed more than two hundred dollars. International roaming was expensive indeed!

Liu Yunfei lay on the bed and calculated the time—it was midnight in New York, and Park Minji was likely deep in dreams. With nowhere else to go, he decided to sleep, for he truly was tired.

In the haze of sleep, he heard a faint, rustling sound, which startled him awake. His senses were especially sharp in dangerous times; even the slightest noise would rouse him. He listened quietly—nothing from his own room. The sound seemed to come from the open-air balcony. Then he heard the splashing of water; he remembered there was something like a bathtub—not quite a bathtub, not quite a pool—out there. Who would be swimming at midnight?

Curiosity piqued, Liu Yunfei got up and left the bedroom. The living room led to the balcony through a large floor-to-ceiling glass window, with only half the curtains drawn. Stepping out, he could clearly see the balcony.

Bathed in silver moonlight, a figure lay in the tub, long brown hair swaying, snow-white shoulders and back gleaming like a beautiful sprite.

"Who’s bathing in my room at midnight?" Liu Yunfei asked in a low voice, puzzled.

The figure in the tub turned sharply at his voice. "Is that Yunfei?"

It was Shalina. She hadn’t had a chance to bathe all day; after sneaking onto the yacht, she’d gone two days without washing, and today, after Billy’s filthy hands had touched her, she’d found her own bathroom dry—likely the water pipe had been damaged during the evening’s battle.

Unable to sleep, she realized that both her room and Liu Yunfei’s shared access to the balcony. Late at night, she slipped off her clothes, hoping to wash in the little pool.

"Ah, Shalina, carry on—I'm going to sleep," Liu Yunfei replied, not knowing whether she was bathing or swimming. He returned to his bedroom, but as he lay there, listening to the splashing water, images of Shalina’s curvaceous figure, her smooth white back, and soft skin floated through his mind. He remembered how she had pressed against him, her soft curves, her taut thighs...

Liu Yunfei’s thoughts ran wild. After a while, he heard Shalina gently open the glass door to his room and enter, standing beside his bed. "Yunfei, are you asleep?"

Liu Yunfei wondered if she had come for that purpose. He was still a virgin, but with such a beauty, sacrificing himself was no hardship. Could today be the last day of his life as a virgin?