Chapter 76. At times like this, when sea fishing, it's best to keep quiet. ...
"Next time you fight, can you not be so reckless? I caught a glimpse of that guy who ambushed me out of the corner of my eye, and I was just about to dodge when he missed me completely..."
On the town street, Guan Mengxing walked along with a stern face, scolding Chen Zui beside her as she went.
Chen Zui lowered her head, remaining silent but not arguing either, simply listening obediently.
Guan Mengxing's output was abruptly cut off only when a clear and familiar voice called from not far away.
"Awaken from the dream! Become lost in the dream!"
"Huh?"
Guan Mengxing suddenly stopped in her tracks, listened intently, and a hint of doubt appeared on her face. "It's Sister Shu's voice. She's calling us."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Chen Zui raised her arm and pointed to a terrace diagonally above, her voice low: "Sister Ling is over there."
Guan Mengxing followed his slender finger and indeed saw Ling Shu standing smiling by the balcony railing.
She immediately broke into a smile and waved excitedly.
Ling Shu's gaze lingered between the two for a moment, then her smile deepened: "Come on up and eat with us."
Since we've already run into each other, let's have dinner together.
She took the opportunity to find out what had happened between the two of them.
-
When Sheng Yun Shen returned from ordering food, he saw Guan Meng Xing and Shen Zui sitting opposite Ling Shu. The two of them had their heads down, looking down at their noses and minds, like two obedient little quails.
He paused, thought for a moment, then turned back and ordered five more dishes.
After adding the dishes, he went back and sat down next to Ling Shu, calmly observing the two little quails in front of them together.
The two sides of the dining table present a striking contrast.
Ling Shu reached out and tapped her knuckles on the table, smiling as she spoke, "So, tell me, what happened to you two last night?"
She thought about it carefully and realized that Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui had been acting strangely since morning. The two, who had been fighting all day yesterday, were sitting on the same sofa this morning without arguing at all.
It seems something must have happened between the two of them last night.
Guan Mengxing lowered her head even further and stammered, "Well, Sister Shu, we went out for drinks last night, and we drove to this town. But halfway through our barbecue, a group of drunk men suddenly barged in and started harassing the waitresses..."
The waitress had youthful features and was studying vocabulary in her notebook while serving dishes; she was clearly a student working part-time.
They are most likely still high school students.
Surrounded by a group of drunkards, the waitress turned pale with fright, her body trembling uncontrollably, and she dared not utter a single word.
How could Guan Mengxing bear to watch?
Given her fiery temper, she immediately slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
These drunkards were all burly men, two of whom had large tattoos on their arms; they were clearly not good people.
However, Guan Mengxing was confident in herself and knew that these drunkards couldn't beat her.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to make a move, Chen Zui, who was sitting next to her, also stood up, silently protecting her, and confronted the drunkards without hesitation.
Two men fought six, but the drunkards didn't get away with it and ran away groaning in pain.
The waitress was rescued and was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She insisted on treating them to barbecue skewers.
The three of them drank and chatted until it was late at night. It wasn't until the waitress's parents came looking for them that they reluctantly waved goodbye.
On the way back, Guan Mengxing couldn't help but steal glances at Chen Zui, who was resting with his eyes closed beside her. The dim light in the car outlined his handsome profile, making him appear less cold and hard than usual.
For the first time, she actually found him somewhat pleasing to the eye.
Chen Zui, perhaps because he was drunk, had a much gentler expression and didn't look at her coldly.
The relationship between the two miraculously improved.
The next morning, after they got up, they both felt a little awkward seeing each other.
Guan Mengxing had originally planned to go to the island with Ling Shu, but while waiting for Ling Shu to get up, Chen Zui said to her, "Those drunkards from last night left with fierce looks in their eyes. They might cause trouble at that shop again today. I want to go check it out. Do you want to come with me?"
The thought of the tearful waitress instantly awakened Guan Mengxing's sense of justice.
She considered it for a moment and agreed to be intoxicated.
After Ling Shu and Sheng Yun Shen left, she and Shen Zui returned to the small town.
Chen Zui was right. As soon as the barbecue restaurant opened this morning, those drunkards with bruised and swollen faces from yesterday stormed in, shouting and demanding compensation.
They were also making outrageous demands, asking for 50,000 yuan right off the bat. They even threatened to confiscate the waitress's ID card and force her to work to pay off the debt if she couldn't pay that much.
How can we tolerate this?
Guan Mengxing roared and charged in like an arrow, once again engaging the group in combat.
This time, the drunks were well-prepared; two of them with large tattoos even brought baseball bats as weapons. Guan Mengxing was caught off guard and almost got attacked by one of the tattooed men. Fortunately, Shen Zui rushed over in time to block the attack, but he still took a hit to the hand, scraping it and leaving it red and swollen.
Guan Mengxing never expected to be saved by Chen Zui, and immediately went into berserk mode, kicking the drunkard unconscious with a few kicks.
Seeing that they couldn't win the fight, the drunken leader started cursing and questioning the two of them about who they were, where they came from, and why they were meddling in their business.
Guan Mengxing didn't think much of it and only said that she lived on Liuli Island.
Upon hearing "Liuli Island," the drunkard's face instantly changed, like a mouse seeing a cat, and he hurriedly ordered his men to flee.
Even after waking up from a dream, I was completely bewildered.
Later, the owner of the barbecue restaurant came out to explain that everyone in the town knew that the nearby Liuli Island was a private island belonging to a wealthy family.
Those drunkards were just local thugs in the small town, so naturally they didn't dare to mess with people from Liuli Island.
"Sister Shu, I never realized before how useful the Sheng family's reputation could be." Guan Mengxing finished recounting the events of the day and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I was able to solve the problem thanks to your influence, I'm truly ashamed."
Ling Shu smiled and nodded: "My influence is meant to protect you, so feel free to use it."
Her eyes swept between Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui with amusement. "Looks like you two have finally stopped arguing."
As she spoke, her voice trailed off, and her eyes began to dart around. "But, he... he did save me, after all..."
If Chen Zui hadn't intervened in time, she would have been the one hit by the baseball bat.
Moreover, this conflict was originally caused by her, and Chen Zui not only did not blame her for being reckless, but also stood by her side without hesitation.
Guan Mengxing now thinks that being immersed in something is actually quite nice.
Ling Shu looked at Chen Zui again, not letting him off the hook, "And what about you?"
Chen Zui sat upright, his back ramrod straight, his expression calm: "I apologize for what I said before."
"What did you say?"
Guan Mengxing stared at him curiously.
Chen Zui turned to look at her and answered in a serious tone, "You... truly deserve to be Sister Ling's sister. I'm sorry."
Guan Mengxing was stunned for a full two seconds before she reacted.
What Chen Zui was referring to was when they first met, they didn't like each other at all, and he mocked her, "With your loud and boisterous personality, how can you be worthy of being Sister Ling's sister?"
She had actually forgotten those words long ago, but she didn't expect Chen Zui to still remember them.
He would also apologize to her in a very serious manner.
The last trace of resentment in her heart vanished instantly, like ice melting away. Guan Mengxing narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips: "Hey, it's nothing, I forgive you. This is what they call... well, no pain, no gain, right, Chenzui?"
A faint smile curved her lips, revealing a blissful expression: "Mm."
Ling Shu, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, chimed in, "Great! You two have no idea how much my ears have been hurting from all this time. Why don't you shake hands and make up? And stop arguing in the future."
Guan Mengxing was slightly taken aback: "Shake...hands?"
For some reason, her cheeks suddenly flushed when she heard those two words.
Being intoxicated is more generous in comparison.
He stretched out his hand, palm up, and opened it in front of Guan Mengxing: "I'm sorry, Miss Guan... I hope you can forgive my past recklessness."
His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, possessing the lean and powerful quality unique to martial artists, like a section of resilient bamboo.
Guan Mengxing lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on his outstretched hand. She paused for a moment, then slowly, with a hint of barely perceptible hesitation, reached out her own hand and gently grasped his.
"We're so familiar with each other, why call me so formally? Just call me Mengxing."
She raised her head, her eyes clear and earnest, meeting the entranced gaze. "Let bygones be bygones. From now on... let's get along well."
Ling Shu looked at their clasped hands with a smile, her eyes full of satisfaction.
The anxiety that had been hanging over me finally subsided.
Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the back of her hand, which was supporting her against the backrest, was suddenly covered by a warm touch.
Sheng Yun Shen, who was sitting next to her, had quietly reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers, holding her hand firmly in his palm.
Ling Shu raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but she did not pull away. She simply scratched the back of his hand lightly with her fingertips as a "warning."
The long dining table was set up with four people seated on either side.
On one side, two hands completed the ritual of reconciliation; on the other side, two hands quietly intertwined under the table, their fingers tightly clasped.
The scene was interrupted when the waiter brought the dishes over.
Guan Mengxing and Shen Zui reacted as if they had been burned, quickly letting go of each other's hands, picking up their chopsticks and pretending to be calm as they picked up food.
Ling Shu's right hand was being held, and she tried to move it to pull it away.
Sheng Yun Shen, however, tightened his grip on her hand even more firmly, showing no intention of letting go.
Helpless, she turned to look at him and said, "The food is served, I want to eat."
Sheng Yun Shen said in a serious tone, "I can feed you."
Ling Shu raised her voice slightly: "Sheng Yun Shen!"
Sheng Yun let out a low chuckle before slowly releasing his grip.
He gently brushed his fingertips across the skin of the back of her hand before picking up his own chopsticks and casually pointing to the newly served dishes on the table.
"Try it! This place has a really unique spicy stir-fried orchid crab."
Ling Shu glanced at him, but didn't say anything, and slowly picked up her chopsticks.
They enjoyed their meal to the fullest, and after leaving the restaurant, the four of them took a walk along the beach.
Sheng Yun Shen walked beside Ling Shu, hands in his pockets, and suggested casually, "It's not too sunny today, and the wind isn't too strong either. It's a good day for sea fishing. How about it? Want to give it a try?"
"Sea fishing?"
Guan Mengxing's eyes lit up slightly. "I've never tried sea fishing before. Sister Shu, would you like to try it together?"
Ling Shu was also quite interested and nodded in agreement: "Okay. Shall we drive back now?"
"Need not."
Sheng Yunshen smiled and said, "I made arrangements before we came. We will board the ship directly at the dock in the town. I still have some things to prepare. You go to the dock and wait for me. I will be there soon."
Chen Zui took the initiative to speak up: "President Sheng, I'll go with you. Is there anything I can help you carry?"
Sheng Yun Shen agreed: "Okay."
He nodded to Ling Shu and went in another direction with Shen Zui.
Guan Mengxing naturally took Ling Shu's arm, and the two walked side by side slowly toward the dock not far away.
The waves gently surged onto the beach, churning up tiny sprays before quietly receding, leaving behind trails of moisture. In the distance, children chased the tide, laughing and playing, their laughter echoing like silver bells.
Guan Mengxing looked at the scenery in front of her with a smile: "Sister Shu, what are your plans for the future?"
So much has happened since yesterday, and now that we finally have a chance to be alone, we can finally have a good chat.
Ling Shu glanced at her sideways: "Are you referring to me and Sheng Yun Shen?"
"Um."
Guan Mengxing's face showed a hint of worry, "Your marriage with President Sheng... wasn't based on mutual consent. He used to be in a vegetative state, unable to speak or move, and had no chance to resist. But now... what if he..."
She hesitated to say it aloud.
Will Sheng Yun Shen disapprove of this marriage?
What if... they don't approve of Ling Shu?
Although Sheng Yun Shen's performance over the past two days has been impeccable and perfect, Guan Meng Xing, as Ling Shu's best friend, still feels worried.
Ling Shu gently shook her head, the sea breeze ruffling the stray hairs on her cheeks. Her eyes were calm and resolute: "He won't, you don't need to worry."
Her entanglement with Sheng Yun Shen goes far beyond a simple marriage of convenience.
Ling Shu was confident about this.
Guan Mengxing didn't relax after hearing this; she was still very worried: "Then... Sister Shu, what about you?"
"Now, Sheng Yun Shen is no longer in a vegetative state; he has his own thoughts and emotions, and he also shoulders the heavy responsibility of the Sheng family..."
"If you continue to be with him, you'll likely face a lot of pressure and restrictions. Sister Shu, will you... leave him?"
Ling Shu did not answer immediately. She slightly raised her face, her gaze passing over Guan Mengxing's shoulder and landing on the distant horizon.
Her gaze was distant and calm, like the deep sea at that moment.
After a moment, she turned her gaze to Guan Mengxing, a carefree smile curving her lips: "Mengxing, no matter how the future changes, no matter how unpredictable people's hearts are, my heart will always be free."
“If I choose to stay,” she paused, her eyes sparkling like stars, “it will be because staying by his side brings me genuine joy and contentment every moment. If one day…”
"When this happiness is gone, when I feel no longer free..."
Ling Shu blinked lightly, her tone relaxed: "Then, I will leave without hesitation. The world is vast, and there is a place for me to go."
Guan Mengxing was silent for a few seconds, then nodded in full agreement: "I understand, Sister Shu!"
She looked at Ling Shu earnestly, her eyes sparkling with tiny stars, "I hope you are happy when you are with him, Sister Shu, you can definitely do it."
The two walked arm in arm, chatting idly as they drew closer to the dock.
"Sister Shu, your husband and the others have arrived too."
As they approached the dock, Guan Mengxing, with her sharp eyes, pointed to something not far away.
Sheng Yunshen and Shen Zui walked quickly one after the other.
Sheng Yunshen was carrying a rather professional-looking refrigerated box and two fishing rod bags, while Chen Zui was holding a pile of scattered fishing gear and another box.
"Is everything ready?" Ling Shu stepped forward, her gaze falling on the equipment in Sheng Yunshen's hands.
"Yes, sorry to keep you waiting." Sheng Yun Shen put down the cooler, a gentle smile on his lips. "Everything is ready, let's get on the ship."
A sleek white mid-sized yacht was moored in its designated berth, with the captain and two assistants already waiting patiently on board.
The four people stepped onto the ship one by one via the gangway.
Chen Zui took the fishing rod bag from Sheng Yun Shen and deftly helped arrange the items.
With a deep roar from the engine, the yacht smoothly cut through the deep blue sea, leaving a long white trail as it sailed towards the vast ocean.
Forty minutes later, the yacht slowly came to a stop near a small, lush green island. The seawater here was a crystal clear blue-green, so clear that you could vaguely see the swaying coral reefs underwater, and it seemed that various colorful fish were swimming among them.
"Let's go here; the fishing should be good."
Sheng Yunshen walked to the center of the deck, skillfully opened the tackle box, and began distributing equipment. "Come on, I'll teach you some basic sea fishing techniques."
He patiently explained how to assemble the fishing rod, tie the fishing line, attach the sinker, and choose and use the bait.
Guan Mengxing listened intently, eager to try.
Chenzui remained silent as always, but she picked it up very quickly, meticulously following Sheng Yunshen's instructions.
Sheng Yun Shen naturally arranged, "Ling Shu and I will be on this side at the stern, and Meng Xing, you and Shen Zui will be on the bow. Spreading out a bit will help the boat maintain its balance and prevent the lines from getting tangled."
Guan Mengxing responded loudly with "Okay!" and pulled the still-unresponsive Chenzui towards the bow of the boat.
Chen Zui was pulled so hard she stumbled, but she didn't break free. She just lowered her eyes and let her go.
The setting sun is slowly sinking in the west, painting the sky into a magnificent, fiery canvas. The brilliant sunset is reflected on the shimmering sea, like countless glittering gold fragments.
At the stern of the yacht, Ling Shu, imitating Sheng Yun Shen, awkwardly cast her fishing rod out.
Sheng Yunshen reached out, but it was too late. "Ling Shu, you haven't baited the fish yet..."
"ah?"
Ling Shu turned her head and realized that she really had forgotten.
But it was too late; the fishing line, with its empty hook, sank into the depths of the sea.
She reached out to try and reel in the fishhook: "It's okay, it's okay, I'll cast it again."
However, before she could even make a move, the fishing rod in her hand suddenly sank downwards.
A clear and powerful pulling sensation traveled along the fishing line and rod, all the way to her palm.
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, Ling Shu gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands, letting out a soft gasp of surprise and delight.
"What's wrong?"
Sheng Yun Shen immediately approached and, seeing the taut fishing line, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "A fish has taken the bait?"
"It seems so."
Ling Shu nodded and immediately began reeling in the wires.
Soon, Ling Shu successfully pulled a silvery-gray fish, about the length of a hand, out of the water.
"I caught one! Sea fishing is so much fun, you can even catch fish with an empty hook!"
Ling Shu's eyes sparkled as she eagerly showed her spoils to Sheng Yun Shen beside her, her voice filled with excitement.
Sheng Yunshen's gaze did not immediately fall on the fish.
He gazed at her.
The dazzling sunset glow bathed Ling Shu in a flowing golden hue. The light dancing in her eyes was brighter than the shattered gold on the sea and more beautiful than the brocade of clouds on the horizon.
Her radiant smile was like an invisible arrow, instantly piercing through all his composure and calm. The hushed exclamations from the bow, the absorbed and steady instructions, the gentle murmur of the waves... all seemed to recede into the distance at that moment, fading into a distant background sound.
At the center of the world, only her upturned face remained, and the light in her eyes shone brighter than the stars.
Sheng Yunshen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Almost instinctively drawn to the light, he slowly lowered his head and moved closer to her.
A deep and burning desire surged in his deep eyes.
The distance between the two was silently shrinking.
Ling Shu's hand, still holding the fish, was suspended in mid-air. The smile on her face froze slightly as he suddenly approached, and her heart skipped a beat for a moment.
She could clearly see the flame burning in his eyes, feel his approaching temperature, and the intensity that almost materialized.
At the closest distance, he suddenly stopped and gazed at her silently.
Both of them could feel each other's warm breath.
Sheng Yun Shen slowly opened his mouth: "I..."
Ling Shu lowered her hand and accurately placed the fish into the bucket beside her. She did not back down and looked back at him confidently.
She raised her hand and placed it on his neck, her eyes filled with laughter.
"At a time like this, it's best to keep quiet."
She knew why Sheng Yun Shen had stopped.
He was a gentleman; even though the atmosphere had reached this point, he still considered her feelings and wanted to get her permission before taking any further action.
What Sheng Yun Shen didn't know was that if she really didn't want to, he wouldn't be able to get close to her at all.
With the atmosphere already set and a top-tier handsome man in full swing right in front of her, Ling Shu would naturally cherish the opportunity.
Besides, this isn't the first time.
We've kissed so many times before, we're already very familiar with each other, why be so polite?
She applied slight pressure with her hand, pulling his head down.
Sheng Yunshen closed his eyes and obediently moved closer.
The two intertwined, merging together into the brilliant sunset.
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