As Pei Hao and Jiang Maochuan tussled over the fishing rod, their struggle escalated into pushing and shoving. Everyone else was focused on the fish ahead, so no one noticed the commotion.

Seeing the fins of the fish getting closer, Pei Hao decided to let go. “Jiang, you can reel it in if you want. The fish is yours if you catch it.”

But Jiang Maochuan’s eyes gleamed with a plan. He suddenly cried out, feigning a twisted ankle, and used all his strength to crash into Pei Hao.

Splash—

The sound of something heavy hitting the water alarmed everyone on the boat. The nearby bodyguards rushed over to see what had happened.

Jiang Maochuan, trying to cover his tracks, quickly pretended to be panicked. “Oh no! Second Young Master was dragged into the water by a big fish! Quick! We need to rescue him!”

He then slapped his forehead as if realizing his mistake. “I forgot to put on my life jacket!”

He played the part of someone making a frantic mistake, all the while secretly hoping that the sharks would injure or kill Pei Hao.

The others were too busy focusing on Pei Hao in the water to question whether Jiang’s act was genuine. Everyone gathered at the railing, calling out for him. Pei Yan, with a tense expression, began directing the rescue, and two bodyguards prepared to dive in.

Just then, a strong wind suddenly swept over the water, and an invisible force stirred up the waves. Moments later, Pei Hao was lifted out of the water by some unseen power, dripping wet, and suspended in mid-air.

This force gently deposited him back on the deck, and from above, the voice of the goddess rang out:

“How could you be so careless? When fishing, you must always be aware of your surroundings and not let danger get too close.”

Her words almost explicitly revealed the truth behind the incident, causing everyone to turn their suspicions toward the most obvious culprit.

Pei Yan’s eyes went cold, and with a silent command, three bodyguards swiftly advanced, overpowering and detaining Jiang Maochuan.

“What’s going on? I didn’t push Second Young Master!” Jiang Maochuan protested with an innocent, aggrieved expression, acting as if he was confused by Pei Yan’s decision.

Even if the surveillance footage was reviewed, it wouldn’t show him doing it on purpose, especially since the angle wouldn’t capture the act clearly.

Having regained his composure, Pei Hao stood up, draping himself in a dry towel offered by a bodyguard. His gaze was filled with disdain as he said:

“Don’t take us for fools. The railing is high; you’d need a lot of force to push someone over it. How about you give it a try yourself?”

Ever since he was thrown off a ship by Luo Yihui and his crew, Pei Hao had developed a slight phobia of water, deeply scarred by the terrifying experience of drowning.

While it hadn’t completely taken away his ability to swim, facing the same life-threatening situation again could easily paralyze him with fear. If it weren’t for the goddess’s intervention, he might have suffered through the painful ordeal of suffocation all over again.

“I’m sorry, Second Young Master. I just twisted my ankle,” Jiang Maochuan apologized sullenly, still refusing to admit his guilt.

Pei Hao raised his hand and delivered a heavy punch to Jiang Maochuan, knocking out two of his teeth as instant payback.

Pei Yan, not wanting to waste time on someone with ill intentions, ordered the bodyguards to lock him up.

“You okay?” Gao Yun handed Pei Hao a cup of hot ginger tea, reminding him, “If you want to fish again, stay close to me. Don’t go wandering off where no one can see you. If something happens, no one will know.”

Pei Hao nodded, still shaken. “I understand.”

Pei Yan also reassured his brother with a few words before turning his attention back to the fins cutting through the water.

“Good thing those were just two orcas. If they had been sharks, things could have gone much worse.”

Pei Hao followed everyone’s gaze to the sea. Two orcas were swimming leisurely near the boat. Their black backs and white bellies made them look both powerful and endearing. They were about 8 meters long, and Gao Yun guessed they were an adult male and female pair.

The two large creatures occasionally leaped out of the water or spouted water from their blowholes, doing various tricks to catch the humans’ attention. They seemed genuinely curious about the yacht and its passengers.

Gao Yun grabbed a box of ice from the freezer and tossed a chunk toward the orcas.

One of the orcas swam over and caught the ice in its mouth, soon making cooing sounds that resembled a baby’s whimpering.

The orca swam closer again, this time bringing the other orca along, both opening their mouths wide as if asking for more.

“You’re quite cheeky, aren’t you?”

Gao Yun chuckled but obligingly shoveled more ice into their waiting mouths.

The two giant animals happily wagged their heads, looking adorably pleased. They submerged briefly, then suddenly leaped out of the water, tracing an elegant arc through the air.

“Wow!” The people on the yacht spontaneously broke into applause, clapping loudly in excitement.

The orcas, seeming encouraged by the applause, made even more joyful cooing noises.

Pei Hao’s earlier distress melted away as curiosity took over. “What are you feeding them?”

Gao Yun handed him the small shovel. “Freshwater ice. Marine animals often have to travel far to find freshwater, or they get thirsty just like us. Now that they’ve got so much of it without effort, of course, they’re happy.”

Pei Hao tried feeding the orcas a couple of times himself, and they quickly warmed up to him. One of them even boldly approached, allowing Pei Hao to pet its head while cooing in its whale language that no one could understand.

“Why are there only two of you? Did you get separated from your group?”

Most fish travel in schools, so seeing just two orcas likely meant they were strays. Pei Hao was considering whether to help them find their family when the two orcas suddenly began swimming toward the front of the boat.

They would swim a long distance, then circle back a bit, continuously emitting a whistling sound as if trying to guide the yacht somewhere.

The group was puzzled, sensing that the orcas might be trying to lead them to something.

After some thought, Pei Yan suggested, “Let’s follow them and see where they’re taking us. Maybe they’re asking for help.”

The yacht followed the orcas to a location near the city, where they realized the area used to be a beach. After several tsunamis and earthquakes, debris from buildings had washed ashore, creating a hazardous area where large marine animals could easily get stranded.

And now, right before their eyes, a small orca was trapped among the debris.

Not far from it, five adult orcas and two smaller ones were circling anxiously, making urgent and distinctive calls, likely trying to figure out how to rescue their companion.

“So that’s it. They really were asking for help.”

“Orcas truly are smart! They even tested us with a little performance first to get our attention.”

“What can we do to help it? The yacht’s too big to get in there. Maybe we could try using a smaller boat?”

As the Pei family discussed possible rescue plans, the stranded orca suddenly began to float into the air. It flailed about in panic, flapping its fins as if trying to free itself.

Moments later, it was gently lowered back into the water, safely reunited with its family.

Confused about what had just happened, the little orca whimpered as it nestled into the group.

“So cute!” Outside the cabinet, Yun Zhen smiled warmly.

These orcas, small enough to hold in one hand and large enough to need both, were incredibly adorable. Just seeing one peek its head out of the water could melt your heart.