Sea fishing

When Liang An woke up, it was still dark, but the east was already tinged with the first light of dawn. He tiptoed out of the room and found Ling Xiao already on the balcony, his back to him, facing the sea.

"You're awake?" Ling Xiao didn't turn around, but seemed to know that he was behind him.

Liang An walked to his side. As dawn broke, the horizon changed from deep blue to orange-red where the sea met the sky. They waited quietly, neither of them speaking.

Finally, the sun peeked over the horizon, its rays radiating and painting the sky a tapestry of gold and pink. The waves were edged with gold, and the whole world seemed to be illuminated.

Liang An turned to look at Ling Xiao, only to meet his gaze, which had already been fixed on him. In the morning light, Ling Xiao's facial features were clearly defined, his eyelashes glistening with golden light, and his eyes were like soft, melting honey.

Liang An's heart skipped a beat. Ling Xiao didn't speak, but just looked at him, his eyes half filled with the glow of dawn and half with an indescribable tenderness. Liang An could clearly hear his own heart pounding like a drum, and even his breath became hot, yet, as if possessed, he didn't pull away, letting the ambiguous feelings envelop him layer by layer.

The sun has fully risen, and a new day has begun.

The sea breeze carries the scent of distant lands and endless possibilities. On this small island, thousands of miles from home, two hearts quietly draw closer in the morning light, like two streams that will eventually merge into the same ocean.

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After breakfast, Ling Xiao planned to take Liang An sea fishing.

Winter in the South Island is like a child spoiled by gentleness, always reluctant to show its harshness. In the depths of winter in Haicheng, the sky is clear and bright, and the sunlight shines through the sparse clouds, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

"Sea fishing? Just the two of us?" Liang An asked doubtfully. "Aren't we going surfing? Showing off your skills as a little white dragon in the waves?"

Ling Xiao ruffled Liang An's soft hair and smiled helplessly, "I'll take you surfing after I've nourished you and replenished your energy. Today, let's experience the fun of sea fishing."

Liang An blushed, gently pulled away from Ling Xiao's hand, and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

Ling Xiao followed and continued, "I checked, there are fishing boats for rent at the port, which can take tourists out to sea to fish."

Liang An hesitated for a moment: "But we haven't prepared anything..."

“The boat rental company will provide equipment. How about it, want to go?” Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Liang An stood up, his tone filled with eager excitement, "Yes, of course I'll go."

An hour later, the two stood at the fishing port of the island city. The fishing boats rocked gently in the sunlight, their masts clanging together with a crisp sound. Ling Xiao checked the information on his phone: "This should be the boat, the 'Qiong Yu'."

A young woman, probably in her early thirties, emerged from the cabin. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she wore a shy smile on her healthy, tanned face. She wore a faded blue coat with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a slender but strong arm.

"Are you Ling and Liang? My name is He Xiufang, and I'm the owner of the 'Qiongyu' boat." Her Mandarin had a South Island accent, and her voice was soft. "Come on aboard, everything is ready."

The two boarded the boat and were surprised to find it much cleaner and tidier than they had imagined. The deck was gleaming, the fishing gear was neatly arranged in its designated spots, and even the railings were spotless. He Xiufang noticed their expressions and smiled sheepishly, "We always clean it before going out to sea; it's a habit."

She deftly untied the mooring ropes, started the engine, and the fishing boat slowly drifted away from the dock. As she turned to steer, her collar was slightly open, revealing a faint purplish-blue mark near her collarbone, as if left by a heavy object. But He Xiufang quickly pulled up her collar, concealing the mark.

As the fishing boat approached the nearshore waters, He Xiufang slowed down and began explaining the basic techniques of sea fishing. She unconsciously lowered her head while speaking, avoiding direct eye contact, but she spoke fluently and knowledgeably about fishing seasons and ocean currents, demonstrating her extensive experience.

“The water isn’t deep in this area, but there are hidden reefs underneath, which fish like to hide in.” He Xiufang handed them two fishing rods. “The bait is already on, let’s try our luck.”

Liang An took the fishing rod and carefully walked to the side of the boat. The sea breeze brushed his face, bringing a salty smell, and the sunlight shimmered on the sea. In the distance, the island city appeared and disappeared in the mist, like a mirage.

"It's so beautiful," Ling Xiao exclaimed, casting the fishing line into the water.

He Xiufang stood to the side, quietly observing the sea. Occasionally, seagulls would fly by, letting out clear cries. She seemed used to silence, only occasionally reminding them to pay attention to the tension of the fishing line.

"Sister He, how long have you been sailing?" Ling Xiao tried to break the silence.

"I've been going to sea with my father since I was little," He Xiufang answered briefly, her gaze still fixed on the sea. "My father said I was a born sailor, it's a pity I'm a daughter..."

"Does Sister He operate the boat all by herself?" Liang An asked. Seeing He Xiufang nod, he continued, "Then you are a truly outstanding woman to single-handedly manage a boat."

He Xiufang pursed her lips shyly and replied softly, "I'm used to it, it's not that bad." Her fingers unconsciously touched her left wrist, where there seemed to be a scar hidden by her sleeve.

Time passed slowly as they waited. Ling Xiao caught two palm-sized groupers, while Liang An hadn't caught anything yet, but he didn't mind. He simply watched the sea quietly, enjoying the tranquility.

At midday, the sun grew even stronger. He Xiufang took out water and some simple food from the cabin: "Are you hungry? I've prepared some food."

She handed over two lunchboxes containing steaming hot South Island chicken rice and a few slices of mango. Liang An was surprised to find that even the edges of the lunchboxes were wiped clean.

"Sister He, you're so thoughtful," Liang An said sincerely.

He Xiufang smiled shyly and turned to check the anchor. In that instant, Liang An saw a faint bruise on the back of her neck, below her collar. The color had faded, but it was still clearly visible.

Liang An frowned slightly, exchanged a glance with Ling Xiao, and the two of them remained silent, silently lowering their heads to eat.

After lunch, the three continued fishing. The sea was as calm as a mirror, with only the fishing boat gently rocking with the waves. Ling Xiao followed He Xiufang to the stern to rearrange the fishing rods.

Liang An stood alone at the bow of the boat, continuing to fish.

Suddenly, Liang An felt the black bracelet on his left wrist getting slightly hot. He frowned and felt beads of blood flowing down his nose and dripping onto the damp deck.

His face quickly grew paler and paler. He tried to maintain his balance, but his steps began to falter. He opened his mouth, trying to call for help, but suddenly his body swayed, his foot slipped, and he lost his balance, falling backward. His hands flailed wildly in the air, trying to grab something, but only touched the cold railing.

"Watch out!" Ling Xiao shouted from the stern, but he was a step too late.

Liang An's body leaped over the low railing at the side of the boat and fell into the sea like a kite with a broken string, splashing up a spray of water.

"Liang An!" Ling Xiao's shout shattered the tranquility of the sea.

Almost at the same moment, a blue figure leaped into the water from the other side of the boat—it was He Xiufang. She nimbly dove into the sea like a fish and quickly swam toward Liang An, who was struggling.

Ling Xiao didn't have time to think, so he jumped down as well.

The seawater was colder than he had imagined, and Ling Xiao shivered as he swam desperately toward Liang An. He saw He Xiufang had already grabbed Liang An's arm and was trying to lift him to the surface. Liang An seemed to have lost consciousness, his body sinking heavily to the bottom.

"Help me hold his head up!" He Xiufang shouted, her voice muffled in the seawater.

Ling Xiao swam over and, together with He Xiufang, lifted Liang An's head above the water. Liang An's face was pale, his lips were purple, and his eyes were tightly closed.

"Get on the boat!" He Xiufang commanded briefly, swimming towards the fishing boat while using one hand to keep Liang An's head above the water.

Ling Xiao then noticed that He Xiufang's swimming posture was a bit strange—her left arm seemed hesitant to exert too much force, relying only on her right arm to paddle. But even under these circumstances, her movements were still swift and effective.

Finally reaching the boat, He Xiufang called out, "You go up first, then we'll pull him up!"

Ling Xiao climbed onto the ship via the boarding ladder. He quickly found the lifeline with a buoy and threw it to He Xiufang. He Xiufang secured the lifeline under Liang An's armpits, supported Liang An's neck and back, and helped Ling Xiao pull Liang An onto the deck. She also quickly climbed up, soaked to the bone, water droplets dripping from her hair.

"Quickly!" He Xiufang knelt down beside Liang An and checked his breathing and pulse. "His breathing is very weak, and his pulse is almost undetectable."

Ling Xiao's heart was pounding, but he forced himself to calm down. He recalled what he had learned in his first aid class—checking the airway and starting CPR.

He laid Liang Anping flat on the deck, tilted his head back, and cleared any foreign objects from his mouth. Then, he placed his palm on the lower half of Liang Anping's sternum, placed his other hand on top of it, and began to press rhythmically.

"One, two, three..." Ling Xiao counted, pressing down to a depth of about five centimeters, maintaining a frequency of about one hundred times per minute.

After thirty compressions, he lifted his head, took a deep breath, pinched Liang An's nose, and bent down to perform artificial respiration. The first breath didn't cause Liang An's chest to rise or fall noticeably. Ling Xiao adjusted the angle and breathed again. This time, Liang An's chest rose slightly.

"Keep going!" He Xiufang encouraged from the side, having already brought a blanket from the cabin and covered Liang An with it.

Ling Xiao continued CPR—thirty chest compressions followed by two artificial respirations, and so on. Sweat streamed down his forehead, mingling with seawater and dripping onto the deck.

Time seemed to slow down. Ling Xiao only knew to press, blow, press again, and blow again. His arms began to ache, and his breathing became rapid, but he dared not stop.

He Xiufang stayed by Liang An's side the whole time, constantly checking his pulse and breathing. Her usual shyness was gone, replaced by focus and determination.

"There's a pulse!" she suddenly exclaimed. "It's very faint, but there is!"

Ling Xiao stopped pressing and leaned down to listen to Liang An's breathing. It was still shallow, but there was definitely something there.

“Continue with artificial respiration!” He Xiufang said.

Ling Xiao pinched Liang An's nose again, took a deep breath, and leaned down to blow it in. This time, as his lips left, Liang An suddenly coughed, and seawater gushed from his mouth.

"Liang An!" Ling Xiao exclaimed excitedly.

Liang An's eyes trembled a few times before slowly opening. His gaze was unfocused, as if he didn't know where he was.

"Don't move, lie down." He Xiufang pressed down on his shoulder. "You fell into the water and just recovered."

Liang An's gaze gradually focused. He looked at Ling Xiao, then at He Xiufang, and finally at the sky. The sunlight was dazzling, and he blinked.

The black bracelet on my left wrist was no longer hot; it seemed to have quietly settled down.

Liang An felt like he was dreaming. He was sinking into a bottomless sea, squeezed by the invisible darkness around him. Every lung was screaming for oxygen, his eardrums were buzzing, and a dull pain throbbed in his bones. His consciousness floated in the dark waves. He tried to cry for help, but the seawater was even more icy. The feeling of suffocation wrapped around his neck like vines, and his strength was being drained away little by little, leaving only boundless panic and the numbness of impending death.

Then, a ray of light shone down, a warm ray of light. Immediately following were soft lips, carrying oxygen and vitality, like a living tide, surging into the body.

He blinked, staring at the soft, vibrant lips above him—it was Ling Xiao. He then realized that Ling Xiao had been giving him CPR.

"Thank you," Liang An said sincerely, looking at Ling Xiao.

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters." Ling Xiao stared at Liang An as if looking at a lost treasure that had been found again. He turned to He Xiufang, "We should thank Sister He. She was the first to jump down and save you."

He Xiufang waved her hand, regaining her shy demeanor: "It's my pleasure, you are my guests." She stood up, "I'm going to set sail back to port, you need to see a doctor."

The fishing boat changed direction and headed towards the harbor. Ling Xiao sat next to Liang An, wrapped him in a thin blanket, and looked at his still pale face: "Are you still feeling unwell? Why did you suddenly feel dizzy?"

Liang An shook his head: "I don't know, it just suddenly felt dizzy." He paused, then fell silent. His story bracelet had suddenly become hot, as if an invisible force was forcibly pulling his consciousness away and pushing him into the sea. But he didn't know how to tell Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao didn't ask any further questions, and gently embraced Liang An.

The fishing boat slowly entered the dock. He Xiufang skillfully moored and tied the ropes, her movements fluid and efficient. She turned to the two men and said, "Let me take you to the hospital for a check-up."

Liang An was able to stand up on his own, although his steps were still a little unsteady: "No need, I feel much better. I just need to go back and rest for a bit."

"Are you sure you don't need to?" He Xiufang asked, still worried.

Ling Xiao nodded: "If he's not feeling well, we'll go to the hospital ourselves. Sister He, thank you so much for today."

He Xiufang seemed to want to say something more, but in the end she just nodded: "Then... please be careful."

The two disembarked and walked back along the dock.

Ling Xiao called a car and took Liang An to a nearby hospital. Ignoring Liang An's objections, he insisted that the doctor give Liang An a full examination. Only after confirming that there was nothing wrong did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Back in his apartment, Liang An took a hot shower, and his complexion finally regained some color. He sat on the bed, looking at the sea view outside the window, and suddenly said, "That Sister He... she has injuries."

“I saw it,” Ling Xiao replied.

The two fell silent. The sun was setting, the sky was dyed orange-red, and the sea shimmered, a beauty that seemed unreal.

Ling Xiao recalled He Xiufang's shy smile, her tidy fishing boat, her decisiveness in saving Liang An, and the faint scars on her body. These images intertwined in his mind, forming a complex and contradictory impression.

"I'm thinking of buying some gifts for Sister He in a few days to express my gratitude," Liang An said.

Ling Xiao nodded.