Chapter 9 South Cowes Island He is an ordinary boy named Leon...

There are currently nearly 100 indigenous residents on South Cowes Island. The young people have gone to the city to work, and most of the people left on the island are elderly.

With its exceptional natural environment, picturesque scenery, and distance from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place has become a rare haven on the sea. On weekdays, many photography and camping enthusiasts come to the island to collect inspiration.

With the completion of A Hotel and related public supporting facilities, this place will develop into a 5A scenic spot-level resort.

The people on the island are simple and honest. The walls of the houses are covered with green vines. Not only are there no fences, but many houses have their doors open.

At dinner time in the evening, Bai Ying and Qin Yonglian were strolling on the street and they could already smell the faint scent of seafood in the air.

The girls were excitedly taking pictures with their phones in hand, and Qin Yonglian found that the series of explanatory lines he had prepared in his mind were useless.

"Leon, you're back!" A dark-skinned old lady called him with a smile.

"Aunt Liao." Qin Yonglian's brows relaxed and he smiled back, "Thank you for watering the vegetable garden and taking care of Huazi and Weizi during the few days I was away."

Andy Lau and Tony Leung? Two local movie stars? Bo Ying couldn't help but smile as she thought of the two yellow-winged, blue-capped parrots at the door.

Qin Yonglian took in the changes in Bai Ying's expression, and the corners of his lips gradually curved up.

"So, you really planted all the vegetable gardens?"

"Of course, in fact, I am not only a vegetable farmer, but also a fisherman." The man raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Do you really live on this island?" Bai Ying turned to face Qin Yonglian and walked backwards with big strides. The sea breeze playfully blew the girl's hair on her forehead.

"Yes, I've lived here for about 20 years. I lived on campus during middle school, and then I moved back."

Qin Yonglian lowered his eyes, his expression slightly serious. "I didn't expect that after a few years, I would return to school and become your classmate."

"Have you taken a gap year before? Actually, this time is worth it." The only reason Bai Ying could think of was a gap year.

Many people abroad will experience a unique trip or take a break for a while before going to college or working.

"I guess so." Qin Yonglian thought about one of the exchange conditions between him and Qin Ansen, which was to exchange his degree certificate for freedom of movement, which was considered worth it.

Bai Ying looked at him seriously and reached out to touch his arm. "Leon, I noticed that you have been smiling since you came to this island."

"Well, you discovered it." Qin Yonglian smiled. He also found that the girl's arms were so soft and not as scorching as he had imagined.

Only when he came to this island, he was an ordinary young man named Leon, not Qin Yonglian.

Leon has all the happiness that belongs to ordinary people.

*** ***

Bai Ying thought that Qin Yonglian took her to a food stall on the beach, but she didn't expect it to be a farm restaurant owned by the fisherman Aunt Liao and his wife. All the seafood was the freshest gift from the sea after the tide went out that day.

Aunt Liao's yard offers an unobstructed view of the sea view. The two of them enjoyed the sea breeze, facing the sea, and feasting on the food.

Bai Ying's favorite of the day is fish congee, a simple-looking bowl of rice porridge. The porridge base is smooth and fluffy, and the fish fillet is fresh and tender. There's no extra seasoning in the rice broth; the fish alone brings out the flavor.

Fish porridge is paired with two authentic fried snacks. One is soft and the other is crispy, and the aroma is fragrant, which makes people feel infinite joy from the inside out.

"Zha Liang" is a Cantonese specialty snack. As the name suggests, it's a combination of rice noodle rolls and fried dough sticks, cut into small pieces, dipped in soy sauce or chili sauce, and sprinkled with white sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

She found that Aunt Liao and Qin Yonglian were very familiar with each other and knew his taste very well.

"Leon has loved my fried liang since he was little," Aunt Liao said kindly. "He always adds extra sesame oil to the ginger in his fish congee, and a third of chili sauce to the soy sauce in his fried liang."

"Aunt Liao knows me best. No one's cooking skills can compare to yours." Qin Yonglian replied with a smile, then turned to ask Bai Ying, "Is it delicious?"

"Yeah!" Bai Ying nodded heavily. Only when delicious food is infused with a strong sense of human touch can it become the most delicious food.

Qin Yonglian rested his chin on one hand as he watched Bai Ying eat, fascinated. This girl's eating manners had a certain magical quality that could infect those around her. Just watching her eat brought a sense of happiness.

After eating at the beach stall, the two walked back slowly.

As night fell, the sea breeze on the island became stronger and the temperature dropped suddenly.

South Cowes Island is long and runs from north to south. It only takes half an hour to drive around the island along the highway, and you will be accompanied by magnificent sea views along the way.

There are very few vehicles on the island, and people mostly travel by bicycle or on foot. Compared to the busy city, where one side is a jungle of steel, this place is a natural paradise.

The island is mostly mountainous, and most residents live in the flatter north.

Walking on the beach, Bai Ying felt that her steps became lighter, and suggested that they take a walk around the island to digest the food before going back.

Qin Yonglian felt a little weird. He had measured this island countless times on foot. He had been to a food stall with Su Jiahao and Qin Yuan before, and they would just go home after eating.

I have never tried walking with someone by my side, just for the pure purpose of taking a walk, just walking and stopping casually.

For the first time, he was at a loss. What should he say in this situation? Or did he need to say anything?

Bai Ying walked in front, not paying attention to the man's mental activities behind her. Her black braid swung behind her with every footstep.

Just by looking at her back, Qin Yonglian knew that the girl was in a good mood. He couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. He just had to let everything take its course. He didn't need to worry too much, nor did he need to use the tiring tricks he used to deal with the Qin family.

It’s also good to not say anything and just walk now.

*** ***

The southern part of the island is a government-planned public camping area. From a distance, you can see rows of tents and dots of lights.

After making the routine phone call to Qu Chengyuan to report that she was safe, Bai Ying made an excuse, saying that she and her classmates came to the beach to camp and would return to the city after staying for one night.

She was not good at lying, especially to her strict and smart grandmother, as the consequences of being exposed would be serious.

Qin Yonglian was her classmate. She and her classmates came to the beach to watch others camping. She just omitted the three words "watch others" in the sentence. She was telling the truth.

After realizing this, Bai Ying was no longer timid. She even happily told Qu Chengyuan that she drove a Ferrari GTB.

Qin Yonglian followed her silently, listening to her acting coquettishly with her family in the soft Wu dialect.

Recalling the night when the two met again in Hong Kong, the little girl used the same soft and cute tone to count the squid skewers behind him.

At that moment, the girl's voice swirled softly into Qin Yonglian's ears. He didn't know why he suddenly felt a mischievous urge to tease her and listen to her more.

After listening to Bai Ying and Qu Chengyuan discussing the performance of sports cars, Qin Yonglian was curious about where she learned her driving skills.

Bai Ying told him the truth: Grandma taught me, and by the way, she told him the story of the sports car and the cattle in the Spanish coastal town that year, and how today's God of Cars in Akina Mountain was born.

The man's eyes were like stars in the sky, looking at her with a smile. When the girl was excited, her bright red lips made her face look even whiter.

"Really! My grandma is amazing." Bai Ying's face was filled with pride when talking about his family.

"She is my role model in life. She learned to drive tractors and trucks in the 1960s and even went to Peru to participate in the Dakar Rally at the age of 60."

Qin Yonglian smiled and nodded, indicating that he believed it.

The person who taught him how to drive was Qin Yongli. When he was a child, he watched others drive and had already memorized the steps.

What his eldest brother taught him were actually the top skills that can be used in Formula One racing. He could tell from Bai Ying's driving strategy and on-the-spot judgment that her grandmother had taught her granddaughter very well.

Only through Bai Ying's story did he realize that family members could have such a close bond. He couldn't imagine asking Mrs. Qin to teach him how to drive.

I could faintly hear the sound of wind, the same sound I heard during the car race in the afternoon.

The reason why Qin Yonglian doesn't drive fast is that his brain always unconsciously remembers everything his eyes see, making it impossible for him to concentrate all his attention on driving, so the original pure pleasure of driving is lost.

The straight-line drifting demonstrated by the girl in the afternoon reminded him of his elder brother Qin Yongli.

Qin Yongli had always been kind to him, and in this respect he and Deng Yuqian didn't act like mother and son at all. His eldest brother had visited him on the island and often took him to the racetrack. But since he went to Canada to recuperate, they seemed to have lost contact.

Qin Yonglian seemed to be thinking about something, so let's wait and see.

*** ***

The cold wind from the seaside seemed to have become a spirit, blowing towards her collar. Bai Ying shivered and crossed her arms.

A long-sleeved shirt with body temperature fell from the sky and was gently draped over her shoulders.

Qin Yonglian was only wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt. Because of his long legs, he took wide steps and was able to easily walk in front of Bai Ying in just a few steps.

"Leon, are we friends now?"

"Hmm?" The man turned around and was stunned by Bai Ying's passionate and straightforward eyes. He turned his face away without saying a word.

The sudden emergence of the concept of friends is so unfamiliar that it makes people feel dazed for a moment.

Bai Ying said sincerely, "I just wanted to formally apologize to you for what happened that night. We were playing Dare or Dare, and I had a few drinks."

Qin Yonglian felt his forehead getting a little hot as if by reflex. This girl's hands were indeed very strong, but they also had a fresh energy.

Bai Ying raised her eyes and looked at him seriously. Her deer-like eyes and long, curly eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her eye sockets, making the thoughts that she always suppressed and concealed unusually active.

He likes Bai Ying's liveliness, freedom and openness.

After several contacts, Bai Ying must have known that Qin Yonglian had a background, and the people on this island also knew it, but the difference between them and others was that they did not care about what his background was.

They would not ask him: [Qin Yonglian, who are you?]

They would just greet him with a smile: [Leon, long time no see! ]

After Qin Yonglian returned to Hong Kong at the age of six, he felt like he was locked in an invisible cage, which was full of boring human relationships and vanity.

For 20 years, he had domestic servants, neighbors, classmates, colleagues... but no friends or relatives.

Apart from Tan Yuan, his elder brother, his childhood friend Su Jiahao and the old neighbors on the island, Tan Yonglian found that he was always alone.

The tall man was still recalling the past, his slender body leaving a shadow on the ground, and his handsome face was also hidden in the shadow.

Bai Ying waited for a long time. The night was dim, and she didn't notice the change in the man's expression. She said with a sense of chivalry, "Leon, we have experienced life and death together today. Let's be friends."

Qin Yonglian's eyes flickered slightly, and he couldn't help but smile, "Okay."

"Really? That's great." Bai Ying felt relieved immediately. She had actually been feeling bad about her childish behavior of flicking her forehead.

The girl raised her hands and wrapped Qin Yonglian's shirt tightly around her shoulders. She immediately became more talkative: "Today you treated me to authentic seafood from South Cowes Island. Next time I will make you a seafood feast."

"Yeah." The man stopped, leaned slightly towards Bai Ying, and responded seriously.

The author has something to say:

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Bai Ying: I just want to be friends with you, but you want...

Qin Yonglian: Yes, I’ll be your boyfriend.