Chapter Sixty: The Reunited Children

"Qin Fei! Qin Fei!"

A gentle shaking pulled Qin Fei up from the depths of his drowsiness.

"What’s the matter?"

Blinking hard to clear his sleepy eyes, Qin Fei realized that the luxurious cruise ship beneath him had come to a stop without his noticing.

But before Loretta Beast could answer, a very familiar voice called up from below the ship, tinged with a hint of pleading.

"Snot Beast, could you let us onboard for a bit of rest?"

Hearing Taiyi’s voice, Qin Fei’s lingering sleepiness vanished in an instant. The children chosen for this adventure had finally found their way here.

Yet Taiyi’s voice sounded weak, as if the “wrong” evolution of Greymon into SkullGreymon had left him deeply shaken, far less brave and fearless than before.

Snot Beast glanced at Taiyi, then looked toward Qin Fei, as if seeking the new captain’s opinion.

The children below, seeing Snot Beast’s hesitant expression, assumed that it didn’t want to let them board.

Suddenly, Mimi stepped forward with confidence, smiling at the others with pride. “Watch this! Leave convincing Snot Beast to me.”

Clearing her throat, Mimi walked ahead of the group and called out loudly, “Snot Beast, we’re all so tired… Could you let us rest a while on your luxurious cruise ship?”

Then, with feigned pitifulness, she pleaded, “Please~~ I’m~~ begging~~ you~~”

Her drawn-out, trembling tone sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

But Mimi herself seemed oblivious, even tossing a coquettish wink in Snot Beast’s direction.

Until Qin Fei’s head appeared over the edge of the ship…

Qin Fei: "..."

Mimi: "..."

The children: "..."

After a moment of silence, everyone saw Mimi’s previously affected expression turn a fiery red, as bright as a baboon’s backside.

"Qin Fei, you’re alive!"

"Oh my god! Am I seeing this right?"

"Why is Qin Fei on this luxury cruise ship?"

Below the ship, upon seeing Qin Fei’s familiar face, the once dispirited children erupted in excitement.

Paying little mind to their incredulous gazes, Qin Fei signaled Snot Beast to lower the gangway, then headed toward the dining area beneath the deck.

After all this time, the kitchen’s dishes should be just about ready.

...

"Qin Fei, how did you end up on this luxury cruise ship?!"

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the group of children and Digimon came rushing up the stairs.

Seeing Qin Fei calmly enjoying a meal in such surroundings, their faces were a mix of shock and disbelief; even Mimi approached cautiously, poking Qin Fei’s cheek to make sure he was real.

Upon confirming that Qin Fei was indeed flesh and blood, Mimi was nearly moved to tears of joy.

"Is this a hallucination?" Koushiro circled Qin Fei, still unable to believe his eyes.

The Digimon were hesitant as well, unsure whether to prepare for battle.

"No mistake—just one look in his eyes and I know he’s the real Qin Fei!" Taiyi, with newfound confidence, gave Qin Fei a big bear hug.

"Who would have thought you really waited for us, Qin Fei?"

At that moment, Loretta Beast descended slowly, smiling warmly at the chosen children.

Seeing Qin Fei’s uniquely familiar Digimon partner, everyone’s doubts eased.

"But, how did you and Loretta Beast end up on this luxury cruise ship? Was it the captain who rescued you?"

"That’s a long story," Qin Fei replied. "I’ll explain later. By the way, your Koromon doesn’t look well?"

Noticing the sickly Koromon in Taiyi’s arms, Qin Fei asked knowingly.

"…Yeah, it’s all my fault." Qin Fei’s question struck a nerve; Taiyi’s excitement at seeing Qin Fei alive faded into renewed gloom.

"Grr~"

The sound of Koromon’s stomach rumbling made Qin Fei smile. He gestured toward the table. "You must all be hungry. Find a seat and fill your stomachs first."

"This…" The children eyed the feast before them, swallowing involuntarily, but still hesitated.

"Um… Qin Fei, is it rude of us to just sit down without the cruise ship owner’s permission?"

The drool at the corner of Koushiro’s mouth betrayed his true feelings.

"No need to worry. The owner of this cruise ship is none other than Qin Fei himself," Loretta Beast explained with a chuckle.

"What?!"

"Eat, eat! Once your stomachs are full, I’ll tell you all about it," Qin Fei said, waving off their incredulous expressions and questions.

...

"So, after you and Loretta Beast defeated Giant Roostermon, you took over the cruise ship?"

On the deck by the pool, everyone’s faces were a sight to behold as they listened to Qin Fei’s story.

Especially Mimi—upon learning the cruise ship belonged to Qin Fei, her eyes practically sparkled.

After their meal, the chosen children followed Qin Fei onto the sunlit deck to hear his tale.

"But won’t Monkeymon come after us? Didn’t you say Giant Roostermon was his subordinate?"

Takeru voiced his concern, feeling as though someone was watching them from the shadows.

"For now, we’re safe. Monkeymon seems to have run into some trouble and can’t pursue us," Qin Fei replied. He added, "Still, even on the cruise ship, we should assign someone to keep watch at night."

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly.

"By the way, are those the Candlemon and Minemon you mentioned?" The children glanced at the two solicitous Digimon, unsure how to respond.

Hearing their requests, the children could only shrug. They didn’t know how Digimon evolved—only their own partners seemed capable of it, and there was no way to help others do so.

When the children explained this, Candlemon and Minemon finally gave up and retreated sadly to a corner to sulk.

Seeing their dejected figures, the children felt a pang of sympathy despite their helplessness.

"Qin Fei, you said this cruise ship is yours…" Suddenly, Mimi sidled up with a sheepish expression.

"Wh…what is it?" Qin Fei nodded, sensing something odd in Mimi’s gaze.

Her cheeks flushed, recalling her earlier flirtatious antics below deck, but she quickly banished the embarrassment and looked at Qin Fei expectantly.

"Does that mean we can use all the rooms and bathrooms as we please?"

So that was Mimi’s true intention.

"Yes, you can use them all. But I suggest pairing up in twos, just in case."

"Wonderful! Right, Sora?" Mimi immediately linked arms with Sora, winking playfully.

Sora caught Mimi’s meaning and let herself be led away, delighted.

No one asked where they were headed; after all, Mimi had been grumbling about needing a bath for ages.

"Oh wow, vacation on a luxury cruise! I’m going swimming!"

"Me too!"

"I’ll pass. I want to take a nap."

"Same here."

The boys cheered and dispersed in pairs, remembering Qin Fei’s advice to stick together to avoid any mishaps.