By 8:30, all the parents were up.

The kitchen and dining area were bustling like an orchestra about to perform. No one knew who bumped into what, but it always caused a series of clangs and bangs.

Someone needed salad dressing; another wanted rose salt. Back and forth they went, making quite a commotion.

While operating the blender to make fresh orange juice, Qi Lin said, “Qi Ran, go upstairs and ask your brother if he wants breakfast.”

Meng Qi Ran, who was munching on an apple while sitting on the sofa, got up and went upstairs.

He returned two minutes later and said, “He said he won’t eat. He wants to sleep a bit longer.”

Chen Qing Wu, the “culprit” who caused someone’s lack of sleep, felt inexplicably guilty.

Qi Lin asked again, “We’re leaving at 9:30. Is he coming with us?”

Meng Qi Ran hesitated, “Oh, I didn’t ask…”

“…You child, do I have to push you to do everything?”

Meng Qi Ran laughed and said, “I’ll go ask again.”

Moments later, he came back, “He said we should go ahead. He’ll come in the afternoon.”

After a chaotic breakfast, everyone went back to their rooms to change and pack up.

Downstairs, the mothers were already applying sunscreen to each other.

Chen Qing Wu shook the bottle of sunscreen spray, pressed the nozzle, and sprayed her legs from the ankles up to her thighs.

The spray had a fresh lemon scent. Qi Lin laughed and said, “Qing Wu, spray some on me too.”

Qi Lin spread her arms, and Chen Qing Wu helped her spray all over her skin.

“Your earrings are beautiful. Are they ceramic, Qing Wu?” Qi Lin asked.

Chen Qing Wu smiled and said, “Yes, I made them myself. If you like them, I can make a couple more pairs for you next time.”

Qi Lin expressed her delight repeatedly.

Once everyone was ready, they all headed out, getting into two pre-rented convertible sports cars, driving to a bay on the other side of the island.

There was an aquarium nearby. After visiting it, they went to a restaurant for lunch, took a short break, and then headed to the beach.

Various sun umbrellas were already set up on the beach. They found a spacious spot and set up their things.

Meng Qi Ran walked over to Chen Qing Wu, “Want to go for a swim, Wu Wu?”

“I’m a bit sleepy; I want to nap first.”

Nearby, the two dads were warming up, eager to get into the water. They called out, “Qi Ran, let’s have a race later.”

Meng Qi Ran looked at Chen Qing Wu, a bit hesitant.

Chen Qing Wu said, “Don’t worry about me; go with them.”

Meng Qi Ran said, “I’ll swim a couple of laps with them and then come back to keep you company.”

The three of them went swimming.

The two mothers didn’t want to miss the beautiful scenery of the blue sea and sky. They asked Chen Qing Wu to take photos from various angles. After receiving the photos, they lay down on the loungers under the umbrella and started editing the pictures.

Chen Qing Wu sat on the outermost lounger, checked the time on her phone, and sent a message to Meng Fu Yuan.

Chen Qing Wu: Are you still asleep?

Ten minutes later, she got a reply.

Meng Fu Yuan: I’m awake.

Chen Qing Wu: There’s a sandwich in the kitchen fridge for you. I guess it’s too late for breakfast now.

Meng Fu Yuan: I’m flattered.

Meng Fu Yuan: Thanks. I haven’t had lunch yet.

Chen Qing Wu couldn’t help but smile and replied: You should have a good lunch then.

Meng Fu Yuan asked her to share their location, and he said he would come over after getting ready.

Putting her phone down, Chen Qing Wu lay back on the lounger, covering her face with a sun hat.

The sea breeze was pleasant, and the rhythmic sound of the waves hitting the shore was hypnotic. She fell asleep without realizing it.

When Meng Fu Yuan arrived, the two mothers were about to go for a swim.

Qi Lin waved and smiled, “Had a good nap?”

Meng Fu Yuan nodded and walked over to them, “Are you going swimming?”

Liao Shuman laughed, “We’re here, so we should take a dip.”

She walked over to wake Chen Qing Wu to ask her to watch their stuff.

Meng Fu Yuan said, “Auntie, you go ahead. I’ll watch the things.”

Seeing the two mothers go into the water, Meng Fu Yuan walked over to the outermost lounger.

He sat down on a towel on the ground, propping up one leg, and looked at the lounger.

Under the sun-protective clothing, he could faintly see she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit.

Without looking too much, he reached out and gently removed the hat covering Chen Qing Wu’s face.

The sudden bright light made her frown and instinctively raise her arm to shield her eyes. After a moment, she slowly opened them.

Turning her head, she met Meng Fu Yuan’s gaze.

Chen Qing Wu sat up immediately, “…You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

Meng Fu Yuan had changed into a white, linen outfit, looking relaxed and casual.

Chen Qing Wu looked toward the sea. In the distance, she could vaguely see Qi Lin and Liao Shuman swimming, but Meng Qi Ran and the two dads were nowhere to be seen.

“Did you get enough rest?” Chen Qing Wu asked.

“Almost.”

Chen Qing Wu felt a bit thirsty. She looked around, and her backpack was near Meng Fu Yuan. She pointed at it and asked him to hand it over.

Receiving the backpack, she took out a water bottle, unscrewed it, and took a sip.

Sitting on the lounger, it felt awkward talking with Meng Fu Yuan sitting lower. She put the bottle back in the bag and asked him to move over a bit so she could sit on the towel.

With her feet in the sand, she leaned forward, grabbing a handful of sand and letting it flow through her fingers.

“Your earrings are beautiful,” Meng Fu Yuan suddenly said.

She turned her head slightly and noticed he was admiring her openly, without any intention of looking away.

It felt like being in the spotlight. The side of her body closest to him seemed to warm up under the sun’s intense gaze.

“…I made them myself,” Chen Qing Wu said, unconsciously touching the earrings.

“The colors are unique,” Meng Fu Yuan observed. “They don’t look exactly the same.”

“I used differently colored clay and mixed them together before firing them.”

Meng Fu Yuan nodded.

Chen Qing Wu felt that just when she was starting to feel more comfortable around Meng Fu Yuan, the morning’s incident of him touching her ankle kept replaying in her mind, making it hard to act as if nothing had happened.

Especially now, with Meng Fu Yuan sitting so close, less than half an arm’s length away.

It seemed like every inch of her skin was tense. His every breath, his distinctive clean scent, felt overwhelmingly present.

She suddenly didn’t know what to say. She leaned forward, grabbed more sand, and covered her feet with it, repeating the action until both her feet were completely buried.

Meng Fu Yuan remained silent.

The air between them felt charged, like an undercurrent beneath the tropical heat.

Her phone vibrated suddenly.

Brushing the sand off her hands, she picked up her phone from the lounger.

To her surprise, the message was from Meng Fu Yuan.

Meng Fu Yuan: What should we talk about?

Chen Qing Wu turned her head quickly to see Meng Fu Yuan holding his phone, looking at her with a slightly innocent expression.

She laughed and typed back: Why are we talking on WeChat?

Meng Fu Yuan: You talk more on WeChat.

Chen Qing Wu: Do I?

Scrolling up, she realized he was right.

It was easier without having to face him directly.

Chen Qing Wu: What do you want to talk about?

Meng Fu Yuan: Anything. Or nothing. But if we don’t talk, I’ll just keep looking at you.

His words were so earnest that they seemed almost like a simple statement of fact.

If he weren’t sitting right next to her, she might have buried her face in her hands.

Chen Qing Wu lowered her eyes, typing: …Do you want some water? I have more in my bag.

She heard him chuckle softly but didn’t dare look up.

Her phone vibrated with a new message.

Meng Fu Yuan: Is deflection your only tactic?

Her only move exposed, she had no idea how to respond.

But Meng Fu Yuan spoke up, “Give me a bottle of water.”

…This person corners her and then gives her a way out.

She took an unopened bottle from her backpack and handed it to him.

“Not even looking at me, Qing Wu?” His tone was teasing yet gentle.

Unable to stand it anymore, she impulsively grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at him.

Meng Fu Yuan looked down at the sand on his clothes, “Do you think I won’t retaliate?”

“…Then go ahead.”

Calmly brushing the sand off, he opened the water bottle and took a drink, “I won’t stoop to the level of a child.”

“…”

Three figures approached from not far away.

Before they got too close, Chen Qing Wu stood up quickly, took off her sun-protective shirt, and grabbed the ceramic clip-on earrings from her ears, tossing them into her bag, “…I’m going for a swim.”

Meng Fu Yuan glanced up, his eyes darkening slightly.

She was wearing a two-piece swimsuit in a grapefruit red color. She actually suited red well. The cheongsam from before, the brick-red top she wore last time, these vibrant colors balanced her cool demeanor perfectly, making her skin look almost luminescent.

Her legs, revealed beneath the swimsuit, were long and well-proportioned.

He quickly averted his gaze, knowing another second would lead to inappropriate thoughts.

Meng Qi Ran looked up, seeing Chen Qing Wu approach with Meng Fu Yuan sitting not far behind her.

He was about to greet Meng Fu Yuan, but his gaze was drawn to Chen Qing Wu, momentarily distracted.

He awkwardly touched his nose, unsure of where to look.

Meng Chengyong smiled at Chen Qing Wu, “Going for a swim, Qing Wu?”

“Yeah.”

Meng Qi Ran immediately went to join her, “I’ll go with you.”

“You just swam.”

“That was ages ago. After that, I took my dad to ride jet skis.”

After a few steps, Meng Qi Ran turned back to look.

Meng Fu Yuan was no longer in his spot.

Meng Fu Yuan had gone to a nearby store to buy a pack of cigarettes.

Standing under the palm tree outside the store, he looked out at the sea.

Immediately, he spotted the figure in the grapefruit-red swimsuit, moving gracefully in the deep blue water like a fish.

Come to think of it, he had taught both Qi Ran and her how to swim.

And ride a bike, too.

He lowered his head, lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and then looked back at the sea, his gaze lingering.

After several laps, Chen Qing Wu and Meng Qi Ran returned to the shore.

It was almost dinner time, so they went to the nearby showers to clean up, changed into fresh clothes, and headed to the restaurant.

They had seafood again. After eating, they took a short break before preparing to return to the hotel.

On the way to the parking lot, Chen Qing Wu opened her bag to get a wet wipe, suddenly pausing, “You go ahead. I think I left my earrings on the beach. I’ll go check if they’re still there.”

Meng Qi Ran quickly caught up, “Wu Wu, I’ll go with you!”

It was already dark, making it hard to see.

Meng Qi Ran turned on his phone flashlight, bending down to check around the loungers, “Are you sure you took them off here?”

“Yeah, I last took them off here.”

They searched the area but couldn’t find them. Finding such small items in the dark was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Not wanting to keep the others waiting, Chen Qing Wu said, “Forget it. They’re not valuable. Losing them isn’t a big deal.”

“Let’s search a bit longer.”

“No, it’s fine. Let’s go.”

Meng Qi Ran didn’t insist.

They ran back to the parking lot, out of breath.

“Did you find them?” Qi Lin asked from the car.

“No,” Chen Qing Wu replied with a smile, opening the car door, “It’s okay. I’ll just make more when we get back.”

Meng Fu Yuan, who was driving, glanced at her through the rearview mirror but said nothing.

They got back to the villa around nine o’clock.

After parking, they went inside, each going to their rooms to put away their things.

After washing her hair and taking a shower, Chen Qing Wu changed and went downstairs.

Everyone was sitting in the courtyard, chatting over tea.

There was no sign of Meng Fu Yuan.

Sitting next to Qi Lin, Chen Qing Wu casually asked, “Auntie Qi, where’s Brother Yuan?”

“He’s probably still in his room. Maybe he’s already resting.”

Meng Fu Yuan was methodical and disliked being controlled, so Qi Lin rarely questioned his whereabouts.

Chen Qing Wu nodded, not wanting to ask more. She picked up a coconut, sipping from the straw absentmindedly.

In this setting, she couldn’t pull out her phone to secretly chat.

Fortunately, everyone was exhausted from the day’s activities, and by ten, Qi Lin said she was tired and wanted to rest.

Meng Qi Ran approached Chen Qing Wu, asking if she wanted to go out for a late-night snack.

“I’m not hungry. I’m a bit tired and don’t want to go out,” she said.

So, Meng Qi Ran went with her upstairs, each returning to their rooms.

Lying on her bed, Chen Qing Wu picked up her phone and opened WeChat.

After some thought, she decided not to send a message.

Since he always replied instantly, she worried that a message might wake him if he were resting.

Not feeling sleepy, she took out a book she brought with her, turned on the bedside lamp, and leaned against the headboard to read.

Around eleven, her phone vibrated.

A new WeChat message from Meng Fu Yuan.

Meng Fu Yuan: Are you asleep?

Chen Qing Wu quickly replied: Not yet.

Meng Fu Yuan: I’m in the living room. Can you come down?

Chen Qing Wu: Okay.

She put on a light jacket, grabbed her phone, and quietly went downstairs.

The living room lights were on. Meng Fu Yuan was sitting on the sofa.

Hearing her footsteps, he turned to look at her.

She noticed he was still wearing the same clothes from earlier, suggesting he had just returned from outside.

She walked over to him and said softly, “Weren’t you in your room? Auntie Qi thought you were already asleep.”

“No. I went out.”

Meng Fu Yuan reached into his pocket, took something out, and opened his palm, extending it to her.

She was stunned.

The earrings she thought were lost.

“…Where did you find them?” she asked, astonished.

“At the restaurant.”

He had little hope, thinking he might have to retrace their steps. But when he called the restaurant, they had found them.

She took the earrings, “…It really wasn’t necessary. They weren’t valuable.”

He looked up at her, “But you seemed to regret losing them.”

She lowered her eyes, her emotions swirling. Clutching the earrings, she whispered, “Can I treat you to a late-night snack?”

He chuckled softly, still gazing at her, “Not afraid of being caught coming back?”

“…Never mind then.”

“Of course, let’s go.” Seeing her turn to leave, he quickly grabbed her wrist.

She froze.

He released her immediately, his voice calm, “…Let’s go.”

She looked down, “I might need to change clothes.”

“No need. We’re just going for a drive.”

Realizing going upstairs and back down would increase the risk of being caught, she went out as she was, in her nightgown and jacket.

After getting in the car, she buckled up and then pulled down the sun visor mirror to put the earrings back on.

He watched her actions, only starting the car once she was done.

The island road was quiet at night, with the sound of waves against the cliffs echoing in the distance.

At a lookout point by a cliff, he parked the car.

She walked towards the edge but didn’t get too close, listening to the waves below. In the distance, the sea glowed faintly under the moonlight.

He joined her, standing side by side in silence.

After a long while, he exhaled and spoke softly, “I shouldn’t ask this. If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer.”

“It’s okay, go ahead.”

He looked at her, “Qing Wu, what made you decide to give up on Qi Ran?”

She paused, then calmly said, “It’s like that math problem: filling a tank while draining it at the same time. Maybe it would eventually fill, but no one cares about the wasted water.”

Turning to him, she said earnestly, “My affection was like that wasted water.” Her voice softened to almost a whisper.

He breathed lightly, “…That water can find other paths.”

She looked up sharply.

His gaze was serious, but he didn’t press further.

After a while, they headed back.

After parking, they walked to the door.

He asked, “Have you thought this through, Qing Wu?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean…” He stepped closer, looking down at her, his voice lowering, “If we get caught, do you know how to explain it? Coming back with me in the middle of the night?”

His words made her breath catch.

“…No,” she heard herself say hoarsely.

“Then let’s take a chance.”

His finger moved to the keypad, his eyes never leaving her face, watching for any reaction.

She stared as he typed in the code.

With a beep, the door unlocked.

The living room was just as they had left it.

“Go in,” he said softly.

They entered, one after the other, quietly climbing the stairs. Even on the second floor, no one woke up.

At the landing, they stopped.

He looked at her briefly, “Goodnight.”

“…Goodnight.”

She walked down the hallway, hearing his light steps ascending.

In her room, she collapsed on the bed, feeling utterly drained.

Upstairs, she heard a faint door closing and soft footsteps, barely audible.

Her phone vibrated.

As expected, it was a message from him.

But it wasn’t a goodnight or anything else.

Meng Fu Yuan: What a shame.

Her heart trembled.

They weren’t caught.

He said, what a shame.