When Bai Yu woke up, the sunlight outside the window was just right. The azure sea stretched as far as the eye could see, and looking out from the balcony, the outline of land was almost invisible.

He was on a giant cruise ship.

This cruise ship set sail from Benoa, passing through Sri Lanka and Petra, finally crossing the Suez Canal and docking at Naples. The voyage would take nearly thirty days, during which it would cross large expanses of unregulated international waters.

This transnational trip was a company employee benefit. Bai Yu's friend, employer, and boss had paid the massive fare to invite him along for the fun.

Today was the fourth day of the trip.

It took Bai Yu two minutes to fully wake up. He subconsciously reached out to the side, as if wanting to scoop something into his arms. The action was so natural that it had almost become muscle memory, as if he had done it on countless mornings before.

However, he grasped nothing but air.

Beside him was the cold bedding, completely empty. There was nothing there. Bai Yu slowly sat up, frowning at his palm, feeling a certain sense of displeasure.

It seemed like he had forgotten something important.

He pondered for a long time, not knowing what this thing actually was. He could only temporarily put it aside, freshen up a little, and head to the dining room for breakfast.

Breakfast on the cruise ship was buffet-style. When Bai Yu arrived, his boss was already sitting at their usual spot, waving at him.

The pet hospital where Bai Yu worked was actually constantly losing money. The hospital used the most advanced medical equipment and hired the best doctors with top salaries, but the fees were not expensive. His boss, Lewis, was an idealistic second-generation heir and an eccentric playboy. The money invested in the hospital was pocket change to him; he simply enjoyed the happiness of healing kittens and puppies, unwilling to see owners forced to give them up due to treatment costs.

Bai Yu was the best doctor he had hired. Their acquaintance could be considered bizarre. They met in a bar in City A, where Lewis drooled over Bai Yu's face and bought him a drink. Only after drinking did they realize they bumped into the same 'role'.

Two strict tops couldn't be partners, so they became friends instead.

Bai Yu sat opposite him with his meal tray. Lewis hooked an arm over the doctor's back, "Hey, I booked a booth at the top-floor bar tonight. You definitely have to come."

Bai Yu pulled his arm down. "Got it."

He reminded his boss, "We'll be sailing in international waters these next two days. Be careful."

The cruise ship they were on was an international one. The gambling industry had always been the main source of revenue for this cruise company. In addition to bars, the ship also legally featured casinos, and they were located in the same area, without even a wall separating them.

Lewis didn't care at all.

That night, they walked into the bar side by side.

Although the doctor didn't drink often, he was quite the connoisseur and could distinguish good from bad with a single sip. The two sat down in the lounge. Lewis chose something with a high alcohol content that would easily go to his head, while Bai Yu, lacking interest, only ordered a refreshing and mild liqueur.

After two drinks, Lewis began looking around, searching for solitary, pretty young men.

For a playboy like him, hunting for romance in a bar was a common occurrence.

Bai Yu was still thinking about the feeling of loss from earlier in the day. His heart felt terribly empty, as if he had lost something important. He had no interest in the men and women filling the venue. However, when he casually looked up, his gaze suddenly froze.

Sitting at a card table to the front right was an extremely gorgeous beauty.

He looked like of mixed heritage, with rich and striking features. His lake-blue eyes were more beautiful than the most expensive jewels. At this moment, he was leaning lazily against the table, casually playing with chips like a kitten with nothing to do, just killing time at the card table.

But the amount of chips in front of him was staggering. This casual game was enough to make the cruise company a fortune on this voyage.

Bai Yu couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

This person was wrapped up very tightly, wearing a suede cloak. His entire body was tightly covered in fabric without exposing an inch of skin. Even his long, slender fingers were encased in leather gloves. He held a glass of red wine in his hand, gently swirling it.

And beside him, he was even accompanied by bodyguards.

All in all, an overly beautiful mixed-race beauty of noble status and generous wealth.

He stared for so long that Lewis also followed his gaze. Lewis's face instantly turned pale, and he immediately sobered up by half.

Using the table as cover, he stomped hard on Bai Yu's foot and lowered his voice, "Hey man, you want to hook up with him? Do you have a death wish?"

Bai Yu retracted his gaze. "You know him?"

Lewis: "Look at the family crest on the chest of his clothes, do you see it?"

Lewis grew up abroad and came from a business family, so he was much clearer about these intricacies than Bai Yu.

"The cruise ship is a mixed bag of dragons and snakes, with all kinds of people. This one is probably from a wealthy faction in Country B. They have a lot of connections between politics and business, and their influence is not small... Anyway, you don't need to know that much, just know that if you offend him, it won't end well."

Bai Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is it that exaggerated?"

Lewis nodded frantically. "More exaggerated than you can imagine."

He leaned in close to Bai Yu's ear, using a volume that others could barely hear, "Anyway, I've roughly matched this one with a name. From the Holladriel family. He used to be an ignored child from a collateral branch of the main family, but at some point, he suddenly became the head. I heard he's quite capable; after taking power, he subdued the other branches completely. In short, he's not someone I can afford to offend... Oh, and you can afford it even less."

He kicked Bai Yu again. "If you see him, take a detour, do you hear me? Otherwise, if you get thrown into the international waters, I won't be responsible for fishing you out, hear me?!"

Bai Yu raised his eyebrows, noncommittal, and only asked, "So what is his name?"

Although Lewis said so, Bai Yu had a strange sixth sense that this beautiful, kitten-like beauty wouldn't hurt him. If possible, Bai Yu even wanted to buy him a drink.

But looking at the mountain of chips in front of the beauty, he secretly shook his head.

—So wealthy; he didn't need him to buy a drink.

Lewis leaned in even closer. "Alright, since you're curious, I'll tell you, so you can go check if what I'm saying is true. His name is Imuel. Imuel Holladriel."

Bai Yu: "The name sounds nice."

He rolled the name Imuel on the tip of his tongue; the rhythm felt inexplicably familiar.

The two of them had a few more drinks. Lewis was already slightly tipsy. He stood up unsteadily, bought two chips, and went to find a small table to try his hand. Meanwhile, Bai Yu sat alone in the corner, finishing the sake in his glass.

He completely failed to notice that the kitten unnaturally adjusted his bowtie and cufflinks—every accessory here had been carefully selected, even that casual demeanor.

Seeing the doctor look away after only a few glances, he unconsciously frowned.

As for Bai Yu, he ordered another drink. Once the waiter brought it over, he sipped it while taking out his phone to search for the kitten's family.

Holladriel was indeed a prominent and noble family. In the early years, they made their fortune in the oil and mining industries, and later their businesses spread across various fields. The internal family news couldn't be found on public websites, but Bai Yu managed to dig up some gossip, such as "The Hidden Romantic Histories of the Dukes," "Who Will the Right of Inheritance Fall To," and so on.

Bai Yu scrolled casually and found one that stood out—"The Old Duke's Secret: Once Gifted Rubies to Over Thirty Young Models".

He clicked in to read and found that the old patriarch was exceptionally flirtatious. If he took a fancy to someone at a banquet, he would give them a ruby. If the person was willing, they would walk into the patriarch's room with the ruby that night, and the patriarch would give them whatever they desired.

Bai Yu had little interest in these irrelevant matters. He finished his drink, got up, informed Lewis at the card table, and went upstairs to sleep.

During this time, he happened to pass by Imuel's table. But the doctor didn't like to cause trouble, nor did he like to provoke those he couldn't afford to provoke. Thus, he controlled his gaze, didn't look at him, simply passing by peacefully and leaving calmly, like an ordinary passerby.

When leaving the card table area, a cracking sound came from behind him, like something had shattered.

Bai Yu remained completely oblivious.

He returned to his bedroom and slept soundly until dawn. However, before he was fully awake, a knock sounded at the door.

Thinking it was Lewis, he rolled out of bed. To his surprise, outside the door was a waiter dressed as a dealer. Looking hesitant, he quickly explained to Bai Yu that Lewis had been detained and couldn't return for the time being.

Bai Yu's brow twitched. The other party gestured and spoke until things were finally clarified.

Lewis had drunk too much and played too big yesterday. Losing control for a moment, he not only lost everything he had on him but also owed a lot.

He was indeed a wealthy second-generation heir, but the family's money was in the accounts of various companies, and other investments couldn't be cashed out immediately. The amount of cash he could withdraw and pay with was also limited. Caught in a pinch, he actually couldn't scrape the money together.

When Bai Yu followed the waiter downstairs, Lewis was being detained in a bar private room. A man over 1.8 meters tall was crying so hard he couldn't catch his breath. A vein popped out on Bai Yu's forehead. "Lewis, I recall reminding you to take it easy, didn't I?"

Lewis was also a somewhat famous dom in City A, but hearing this, he held his head and wept bitterly, acting like a complete coward. Bai Yu took a deep breath. "How much do you owe?"

Lewis gave a number. Bai Yu's salary wasn't low, but this amount was an astronomical figure for him, which he couldn't cover no matter what. Bai Yu could only grab Lewis by the collar, toss him back onto the sofa, and slap a phone down in front of him. "Call your old man."

Only Lewis's father could pay this sum of money.

Lewis cried even more miserably. "No! I'll be dragged back! If that happens, my hobbies, my life, and my clinic will all be gone!"

His father had long had enough of him drinking, womanizing, and slacking off, and also had quite a few complaints about the clinic he invested in that kept losing money. If his father caught him this time, he would definitely be locked up at home.

Bai Yu couldn't be bothered with his life and hobbies, which were all shady business anyway, but he had to consider the clinic's future. Frowning, he paused for a long time before saying coldly, "Lewis, we don't have a choice right now."

Without paying enough chips, Lewis couldn't leave.

"Think carefully... Alternatively, my entire net worth is this amount, which I can lend you if you have a way to find other friends to gather the rest."

The doctor took a deep breath, feeling he would be angered to death by his boss sooner or later. He shoved the phone into Lewis's hands without a word and turned to go to the deck for some fresh air.

The cruise ship's deck had entertainment facilities and an open-air lounge. He leaned against the railing, gazing at the azure sea for quite a while before completely suppressing his anger.

Thus, he completely failed to notice that not far behind him, someone was standing and looking in his direction.

That mixed-race beauty born of a noble family was holding a ruby with a pure crystal and beautiful fire, hesitating whether to step forward.

Imuel Holladriel, a year ago, was still the Grand Duke of Illyria.

He and Bai Yu had walked hand in hand through countless springs and autumns. They had been to the church in Illyria, finding suitable adoptive parents for the children there. They had opened schools to teach the knowledge of pet treatment. They had also passed through neighboring countries, finding the fragrant spices from their memories. Bards sang their stories, court painters painted them on murals, and the ruby Imuel had initially left for the doctor was inlaid on a crown as a symbol of the doctor's noble title.

On an ordinary night, Imuel suddenly woke up in a state of confusion, having become an unfavored collateral branch member of a prominent family, tightly grasping this ruby in his hand.

The tricks of a noble family were truly childish to Imuel, who had grown up steeped in conspiracies. He secured the position of the family head with almost no effort.

This world was very good; technology was advanced, medical levels were high, and more importantly, people were very friendly to kittens. During his mutation period, Imuel could run out of the house and swagger over to lie on a park bench to bask in the sun. No one would catch him for experiments or hurt and abuse him. Over the course of a year, he had come to really enjoy life here.

The only problem was, he couldn't find the doctor.

Imuel panicked for a while, then calmed down. He was absolutely sure that this world was the one from the doctor's fairy tales, and there was a high probability that the doctor was in this world too.

And so, Imuel began a long search.

His forces were mostly on the other side of the ocean, making it somewhat difficult to investigate. With no news for a long time and unable to find the person, Imuel felt depressed, which was why he went out to sea for a vacation.

But unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

When he saw Bai Yu, the Grand Duke wanted to turn into a kitten and make him give a good rub, but he maintained his reserve, dressing up meticulously, hoping to make the doctor show a hint of awe.

As a result, the doctor didn't recognize him at all.

The memories of Illyria seemed to be completely erased. The doctor treated him worse than a stranger; he was even willing to put his arm around a tall stranger's shoulder but unwilling to spare an extra glance at the kitten.

Imuel scratched the table in anger, grinding his back teeth to pieces, yet completely helpless. Finally, he lowered his eyes to look at the gem in his hand, able only to place his hopes on this ruby—which carried their shared memories—to awaken the doctor's memories.

So he stepped forward with a hint of apprehension and pushed the gem in front of the doctor.

Imuel carefully weighed his words. "Sir, I feel this gem suits you very well. I would like to give it to you, may I?"

And Bai Yu, looking at the gem, then at the mixed-race beauty in front of him, abruptly raised his eyebrows.

It was true that he liked beauties, but he didn't like being threatened with the safety of his friend.

"Is this what you wish?" Bai Yu's tone was a bit cold. He accepted the gem, his meaning unclear. "I will carefully consider it."