Chapter 30

After peaking everyone’s curiosity, Lan Xiruo simply said, “Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you after we’re done.”

Because of her words, everyone finished their meal unusually fast, even Uncle Jiang He.

As soon as Sun Yuqing put down her bowl, she eagerly asked, “Xiruo, tell us quickly—how do we catch lobsters?”

After spending over ten days at sea, she had fallen in love with fishing, and anything related to it now fascinated her.

Seeing everyone’s eager gazes, Lan Xiruo smiled slightly, went into the sleeping quarters, and took out a piece of fine fishing net from her bag. Then, she retrieved an eel from the storage compartment at the bow, chopped it into small pieces, and set them aside.

“A’Dong, get me a bamboo pole.”

“Here.” A’Dong conveniently had one at his feet. He handed it to her, then watched curiously as she worked. “Xiruo, why are you wrapping the fish meat in the net?”

“You’ll see.”

Lan Xiruo wrapped the fish meat inside the net, double-layered it, and tied it securely with fishing line, leaving both layers about 30 to 40 centimeters long. She then attached it to another line with a lead weight and tied it to the bamboo pole before casting it into the sea.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the water.

Three minutes later, the fishing line gave a slight tug, then the movements grew more intense.

“It’s hooked,” Lan Xiruo said softly, gradually shortening the line. Once it reached the right length, she swiftly lifted the pole and flung the catch onto the deck.

“Wow, you really caught a big lobster!”

“Xiruo, you’re amazing!”

“Quick, let’s see how big it is!”

Gu Xizhi and Uncle Jiang He remained silent—one stared at Lan Xiruo with burning eyes, while the other watched the lobster with an eager expression.

When Lan Xiruo bent down to untangle the lobster from the net, Uncle Jiang He moved faster than her.

Layer by layer, he unwrapped the net from the lobster’s body. As soon as it was free, the lobster waved its large claws aggressively, trying to pinch him.

But Uncle Jiang He wouldn’t let it succeed. He swiftly pinned it down by its back and lifted it with ease. Weighing it in his hand, he chuckled, “Hey, this little guy is quite feisty—must be over two pounds.”

“Our Xiruo is really something, coming up with a method like this,” Gu Xizhi said proudly.

His words instantly drew everyone’s attention. Their gazes darted back and forth between him and Lan Xiruo, exchanging knowing glances.

Gu Xizhi had just spoken casually, but now, under everyone’s suggestive looks, he felt a bit nervous and stole a glance at Lan Xiruo, afraid she might get mad.

But instead of getting angry, Lan Xiruo smiled and said, “You guys don’t need to look at us like that. Yes, our relationship is special—because I am pursuing Gu Zhiqing.”

Gu Xizhi: “???”

When did she start pursuing me? Why didn’t I know about this?

Sun Yuqing & others: “!!!”

Whoa! This girl is so bold!

After staring at Lan Xiruo in admiration for a moment, everyone simultaneously turned to Gu Xizhi.

For someone who usually had a sharp tongue and strong opinions, Gu Xizhi unexpectedly blushed, rubbing his nose awkwardly. “Ahem… what Xiruo said is true.”

Lan Xiruo tapped the bamboo pole to regain their attention and asked, “So, do you want to catch lobsters or gossip about us?”

A’Dong and Sun Yuqing answered in unison, “Of course, we want to catch lobsters!”

After all, Lan Xiruo and Gu Xizhi were both on the fishing boat—they could learn about their relationship later. Right now, catching lobsters was more fun.

Lan Xiruo made a fishing rod for Gu Xizhi, then handed the remaining fishing net to Sun Yuqing so they could make their own rods.

Gu Xizhi took the rod she made for him, grinning as he moved closer. “Xiruo, teach me.”

Lan Xiruo glanced at him. “Didn’t I just demonstrate?”

“I didn’t watch carefully. Teach me again, step by step.”

Lan Xiruo didn’t believe his excuse. She scooted away slightly. “Don’t sit too close, or you won’t catch anything.”

“Xiruo, you just told everyone you’re pursuing me—is this how you show affection?” Gu Xizhi pouted, looking a little aggrieved.

“Oh, right.” Lan Xiruo sighed. “Fine, come here. I’ll teach you.”

She just couldn’t resist when he looked so pitiful—especially since this was the man she had secretly liked for years.

Gu Xizhi’s face immediately lit up with a smile. “I knew you wouldn’t ignore me, Xiruo.”

Lan Xiruo carefully guided Gu Xizhi’s hands, explaining each step seriously, but his eyes stayed on her face the entire time. Whether he actually listened was another question.

After she finished, she looked up at him. “Did you get all that?”

Gu Xizhi quickly averted his gaze from her face and nodded earnestly. “Mm-hmm, I got it.”

“Alright, go have fun. I need to catch more lobsters to cook for you tonight.”

Sun Yuqing, holding her finished fishing rod, eagerly cast her line into the sea and challenged Lan Xiruo, “Xiruo, let’s compete to see who catches more!”

“Sure!”

“Let’s count by number, not size, okay?” Jiang Dazhu suggested.

For some reason, in the past ten days, others had caught one big fish after another, but the biggest one he managed to get was barely two pounds.

“Haha, Dazhu, I’ll compete with you on quantity,” A’Dong said.

Heiyu chimed in, “I’ll compete too!”

As usual, Uncle Jiang He sat at the stern, watching them with a smile. Occasionally, he adjusted their direction to prevent the boat from drifting off course.

Seeing everyone team up, Gu Xizhi glanced around and eventually chose to challenge Lan Xiruo. “Xiruo, I’ll compete with you—are we measuring by size?”

Lan Xiruo nodded.

Just as she did, Gu Xizhi’s fishing line twitched. He excitedly shouted, “I got one! Xiruo, look!”

While shouting, he hastily yanked the line.

The result? An empty hook.

Lan Xiruo sighed. “You need patience, just like when you do experiments. If you pull too hard, you’ll scare everything away.”

“Oh…”

After his failed attempt, Gu Xizhi looked a little dejected but obediently cast his line again.

Meanwhile, Jiang Dazhu’s line twitched. He reeled it in and flung a massive lobster onto the deck. “Haha, look! This one’s even bigger than Lan Zhiqing’s!”

After bragging, he suddenly regretted it. “Ah, I should’ve competed in size instead. Such a waste of a big one!”

Just as he finished speaking, Sun Yuqing reeled in another lobster. Jiang Dazhu glanced at it—it was smaller than his. He immediately regretted his decision even more.

And then—”Thud!”—something landed near his feet.

His expression changed, and he quickly turned to leave.