The next morning, Chu Shangluo woke up with dark circles under his eyes—clearly, he hadn’t slept well. The words “he just doesn’t love you” replayed in his mind like a curse, keeping him awake all night.

Already fuming from the day before, his lack of sleep only worsened his mood. Chu Shangluo was so irritated that he didn’t even want to acknowledge Ren Jiaoming. With a scowl plastered on his face, he spent the entire morning in silence, not uttering a single word to Ren Jiaoming. Once they got into the car, he immediately reclined his seat and tried to catch up on sleep.

Ren Jiaoming, noticing Chu Shangluo’s foul mood, remained unfazed and didn’t react at all.

When the car reached the pier, Ren Jiaoming unbuckled Chu Shangluo’s seatbelt as he woke up. Chu Shangluo pushed Ren Jiaoming’s hand away, yanked off the seatbelt himself, and got out of the car with a yawn. Ren Jiaoming stared after him for a moment, momentarily lost in thought.

The May sunshine was warm, and as Chu Shangluo stepped out, a cool sea breeze greeted him. Before him stretched the vast, azure ocean, with the faint silhouette of a private island visible in the distance. A yacht docked at the pier awaited them—it had been sent to take them to the island.

Chu Shangluo lit a cigarette to perk himself up and walked toward the yacht, puffing away as Ren Jiaoming trailed behind.

The yacht wasn’t crowded; only a select few—people highly regarded by Elder Chen—were on board. Chu Shangluo glanced around at the other guests. Most were notable figures from the capital’s elite circles, wealthy and influential. Of course, among them was one particular person who didn’t quite belong.

As soon as this person saw Chu Shangluo, his eyes lit up, but the moment he spotted Ren Jiaoming, he shrank back, practically turtling into his shell.

Young Master Jiang had been avoiding Ren Jiaoming ever since the night he drugged him. He had vanished the very next day, clearly lying low to dodge Ren Jiaoming.

Chu Shangluo wasn’t angry with Jiang; if anything, he found the situation amusing. After all, without Jiang’s little stunt, he and Ren Jiaoming wouldn’t have progressed so quickly.

As the yacht set sail, Chu Shangluo gazed at the approaching island, lazily smoking his cigarette. His family’s hometown was on a similar small island surrounded by the sea. It had been many, many years since he last visited.

There was something captivating about the way Chu Shangluo looked when he smoked, his carefree demeanor enhanced by the soft swirls of white smoke. The sight of him, so at ease and uninhibited, was mesmerizing.

Young Master Jiang, who had been sneaking glances at Chu Shangluo, couldn’t resist taking out his phone to snap a photo of him gazing out at the sea.

Noticing this, Chu Shangluo turned and glared at Jiang, who grinned sheepishly and hurriedly put his phone away.

The trip to the island was dull. Chu Shangluo, still upset with Ren Jiaoming, didn’t initiate a conversation, and Ren Jiaoming, true to form, said nothing either. This only made Chu Shangluo even angrier.

Once they reached the island, Chu Shangluo brought Ren Jiaoming to meet Elder Chen, and afterward, they were shown to their accommodations.

Throughout the journey, Ren Jiaoming hadn’t said a single word. Chu Shangluo’s frustration simmered as they entered their room. Without a word, he changed into swim trunks, threw on a white shirt over them, and stormed out.

He was furious and badly needed to cool down in the water.

Ren Jiaoming grabbed his arm. “You forgot your swim cap.”

Chu Shangluo shook off Ren Jiaoming’s hand. “I can’t be bothered!”

Ren Jiaoming’s hand froze midair. After a moment, he tossed the swim cap aside and strode after Chu Shangluo.

When Chu Shangluo reached the beach, he immediately spotted Young Master Jiang, who was digging in the sand while wearing only a pair of briefs. Jiang’s eyes lit up when he saw Chu Shangluo, dressed in a white shirt and black swim trunks. Dropping his handful of sand, Jiang bolted toward him.

“Chu Shangluo! Long time no see!”

Chu Shangluo reached out and pressed down on Jiang Jia’s head to stop him from pouncing. “Young Master Jiang, where have you been off having fun lately?”

Jiang, disappointed that his hug attempt had failed, sulked and straightened up.

Chu Shangluo walked toward the shallow water and began unbuttoning his shirt. Jiang’s gaze was glued to him. When Chu Shangluo took off his shirt, revealing a well-toned, pale body, Jiang couldn’t help swallowing hard. His greedy eyes scanned every inch of Chu Shangluo’s physique—his sculpted chest, perky rear, and long, slender legs.

Too hot!

Jiang touched his now-warm nose and grinned slyly at Chu Shangluo. “Want me to help you apply sunscreen?”

Chu Shangluo frowned and tossed his shirt at Jiang’s face. “Wipe your nosebleed!”

With that, Chu Shangluo dove into the sea. As the cool ocean enveloped him, he felt an exhilarating sense of freedom.

He swam freely and joyfully in the water, his smooth skin gleaming in the sunlight like polished gold. He looked like a radiant merman.

Jiang couldn’t take his eyes off him, staring in awe for what felt like an eternity. Then, using Chu Shangluo’s shirt, he wiped his nose haphazardly and walked over to Ren Jiaoming. Handing the shirt to him, Jiang said, “Here’s your boss’s shirt.”

Ren Jiaoming pulled his gaze away from Chu Shangluo, coldly eyeing Jiang. The young master shivered, dropped the shirt, and ran toward the water.

Jiang wasn’t a strong swimmer, and by the time he finally reached Chu Shangluo, a big wave hit him, leaving him dazed. Instinctively, he clung to Chu Shangluo’s waist, yelling incoherently.

“Are you an idiot?” Chu Shangluo snapped. He had been enjoying his swim, only to have it ruined by this human barnacle. His mood, which had finally improved a little, was once again sour.

Onshore, Ren Jiaoming watched the two clinging together in the water. Without a word, he turned and walked away.

A little later, Chu Shangluo, panting, dragged himself ashore, hauling Jiang behind him and tossing him onto the sand like a sack of potatoes. He sat down to catch his breath and glared at the limp Jiang, who lay sprawled out like a puddle.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you have to mess everything up?” Chu Shangluo scolded, looking around for Ren Jiaoming.

Instead of Ren Jiaoming, his eyes landed on Gu Yao, who had an arm wrapped around a petite beauty.

The moment Gu Yao saw Chu Shangluo, he opened his arms wide, only for Chu Shangluo to dodge.

Gu Yao laughed. “Where’s your excellent secretary?”

Chu Shangluo waved dismissively. “He can go wherever he wants. I’m mad at him today!”

“What’s there to be mad about?” Gu Yao leaned in mysteriously and whispered in Chu Shangluo’s ear, “Honestly, someone like him isn’t impossible to handle.”