Chapter 34: Out to Sea

As dawn barely broke, Zhu Jia was suddenly awakened by a small hand slapping her face. Rubbing her eyes, she realized Xiao Wen was playfully striking her cheek with his palm.

Zhu Jia: …

“Xiao Wen, don’t hit me, it hurts.” Zhu Jia turned her head to avoid his hand, the drowsiness gone.

Mo Yichen had also woken up, disturbed by Xiao Wen’s feet kicking him.

Xiao Wen had slept between them the night before, which was probably the happiest experience he’d ever had. On the left was his soft, fragrant mother, and on the right, his father, who made him feel completely safe.

Xiao Wen: I really hope we can do this every day!

Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen quickly brushed their teeth. The schedule for the morning was tight as they planned to go out to sea to visit a nearby island.

Two days ago, when it was known that Mo Yichen’s family would be vacationing in Lucheng, Fang Boran had lent them his private yacht for a sea trip.

It was said that Fang Boran spent almost every year in Lucheng with his friends, hosting endless parties. He was very familiar with the area, owning several luxury yachts and several resort hotels.

The family of three boarded the customized three-story yacht before eight o’clock.

The yacht had an elegant black-and-white design, with four decks, including a rectangular jacuzzi with a massage function.

The expansive interior space included a living room, bedroom, bar, entertainment room, and sauna. All the furniture was from the high-end European brand Minotti.

Zhu Jia couldn’t help but feel that with just the three of them on the giant yacht, it felt eerily empty.

After boarding, Fang Boran made a half-joking, half-boastful call to Mo Yichen. “Look at you, working all year round and never enjoying life. You even have to borrow my yacht to travel with your wife and child. I told you to buy one, but you didn’t listen. Now you regret it, right?”

“This yacht is a custom model worth billions, one of a kind in the world. I suggest you buy one soon; you could bring your family here every year.”

After hanging up, Mo Yichen seemed to be considering buying one himself, surveying the environment with interest.

Once aboard, Zhu Jia let Xiao Wen explore freely. He didn’t mind crawling around on the floor, and fortunately, he didn’t experience any seasickness on his first trip out to sea.

Lying on his father’s arm, sitting on the sunny deck and drinking milk, Xiao Wen felt extremely content.

Excited, he wanted to explore the edge of the deck, trying to touch the clear, blue sea below. But for some reason, his father kept holding onto his leg to prevent him from going.

Soon, they reached their destination for the day, Zhoul Island. The waters around the island were nearly transparent, resembling glass, and the marine life was clearly visible.

“This water is so clear!” Zhu Jia squinted, admiring the sea and constantly praising it. She was wearing an avocado-green beach dress, which perfectly complemented the color of the sea.

Xiao Wen babbled enthusiastically, gesturing with his hands, clearly enjoying the place as well.

When they docked, a local tour guide, a young, tall, and healthy-looking local boy with bronzed skin, was already waiting at the pier.

“Mr. Mo, Mrs. Mo, just call me Mark,” the guide said with a smile, showing his eight white teeth.

This had been arranged by Zhu Jia in advance. Traveling with a child requires extra planning.

Xiao Wen, like a little koala, hung on Mo Yichen, and upon seeing the new friend, waved his hand and smiled, eager to greet him.

Mark, a little nervous at first because of Mo Yichen’s cold expression, relaxed when he saw Xiao Wen’s friendly attitude. He threw himself into his work with joy.

“Our Zhoul Island is quite small, and most of the activities are water-based. Mrs. Mo mentioned that you wanted some activities suitable for children, so I selected a few family-friendly ones,” Mark explained as he led them toward the vehicle.

Zhu Jia nodded. If they hadn’t brought Xiao Wen, there would have been many more thrilling water sports available, like surfing, water jetpacks, parasailing, and diving. Although tempting, these weren’t part of the plan for today.

The family of three boarded a seven-seater Alphard van and drove along the coastline for about ten minutes, eventually arriving at a sea area where the water and sky blended seamlessly in color.

They changed into swimsuits and headed straight for the “feeding stingrays” activity. Stingrays are soft-bodied fish found in tropical and subtropical waters, with a unique and mysterious umbrella-like appearance.

“Don’t be fooled by their name. Stingrays are actually gentle and playful, but be careful! Don’t slap them or step on them. Their tail spines are not only sharp but also venomous!”

Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen bought a bag of small fish and waded into a shallow area of water, where they soon saw stingrays swimming nearby.

Seeing these strange sea creatures, Xiao Wen was a little scared and clung tightly to Mo Yichen’s neck, staying very obedient.

“Xiao Wen, you’re always so bold and mischievous at home. How come you’re hiding now?” Zhu Jia teased, smiling as she poked at Xiao Wen, who clung to her like a little koala.

Feeding the stingrays turned into a joint activity for Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen, while Xiao Wen stood by warily, watching every move.

The strange, intimidating fish swam toward his parents, and Xiao Wen tightened his grip around his father, terrified of the possibility of falling into the water and finding himself among those bizarre creatures.

A trainer guided Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen through the process of feeding the stingrays, explaining their habits and how to distinguish males from females.

The stingrays felt soft and squishy, but their sharp tails made Zhu Jia uneasy as they glided closer.

After feeding the stingrays, Mark took them to a marine animal show. The performance featured dolphins, sea lions, and elegant belugas. Afterward, the audience was invited to interact with the animals.

The children were thrilled, running up to pet the animals, while the adults stayed back, observing. Xiao Wen watched the older kids enviously but clung tightly to Mo Yichen when his father carried him closer to a dolphin.

“Xiao Wen, I never pegged you as someone brave at home but a scaredy-cat outside,” Zhu Jia said helplessly, looking at him burying his face in Mo Yichen’s shoulder.

Mo Yichen crouched down, bringing Xiao Wen closer to the dolphin.

It was a baby dolphin, endearing and gentle. Mo Yichen stroked its smooth surface, and Xiao Wen, seeing no sign of danger, hesitated before reaching out a hand.

The dolphin’s skin was slippery and soft, with a slight bounce, and Xiao Wen’s eyes lit up with wonder. Though too young to fully grasp the concept of connection, he felt instinctively that the dolphin liked him and wanted to be friends.

Encouraged, Xiao Wen gave it a few more gentle pats, his smile widening with each touch.

The morning on Zhou Island revolved around animal encounters. After the dolphins, Mark guided them to a tortoise breeding base, where they bathed tortoises and fed animals like squirrels, prairie dogs, and Mandarin ducks.

Xiao Wen’s natural love for animals made it a perfect morning, leaving him thrilled and exhausted.

“Wow, so many different kinds of friends in the world!” he thought, brimming with excitement.

At lunchtime, they dined at a floating seafood restaurant that swayed gently with the waves.

After eating, Xiao Wen—who never skipped his long afternoon nap—dozed off on the yacht’s return trip to the hotel.

The midday sun was too harsh to stay on deck, so Zhu Jia lounged in the yacht’s living room, scrolling through photos she’d taken. Xiao Wen slept soundly nearby.

After a full morning under the heat, Zhu Jia’s hair stuck to her temples, damp with sweat. She curled up against the soft cushions, feeling completely spent.

She glanced at Mo Yichen, who looked as composed as ever. There was no sign of fatigue, only a faint blush on his skin from the sun.

Mo Yichen retrieved a cold can of cola from the fridge and handed it to her. Zhu Jia opened it with a hiss, only to have the cola spill out, drenching her hands and soaking her green dress.

Her face froze as she looked down. The sticky soda made the fabric cling to her skin uncomfortably.

Mo Yichen frowned and called Fang Boiran, the yacht’s owner.

“Women’s clothes? There should be some in the guestroom closets. We keep spares from parties. Check there,” Fang replied.

Zhu Jia went to the guestroom and found a silver dress in the wardrobe. Delighted at first, she quickly realized the dress was far too revealing.

Her green dress was unwearable, so she reluctantly changed. Luckily, she had worn adhesive covers that suited the dress’s design.

The dress fit snugly, especially around her chest, leaving her slightly breathless.

Without a mirror in the room, Zhu Jia wasn’t sure how she looked but hoped it wasn’t as revealing as it felt. She stepped out and descended the stairs.

Mo Yichen sat on the sofa, flipping through a magazine. Xiao Wen remained sound asleep.

The spiral staircase creaked as Zhu Jia descended. Her pale legs emerged first, followed by the shimmering fringe of the silver dress, which barely covered her thighs.

The dress’s design hugged her waist and framed her delicate figure. Its plunging neckline accentuated her soft curves, striking a balance between innocence and allure.

Feeling self-conscious, Zhu Jia crossed her arms over her chest and tried to act natural. “What are you reading? Is it interesting?” she asked, trying to break the tension.

Their eyes met, and Zhu Jia froze. Mo Yichen’s gaze was dark, intense, and unfamiliar.

Flustered, she turned toward the window, pretending to admire the view.

The air grew heavy with an unspoken tension. Even with her back turned, Zhu Jia could feel his gaze, warm and unrelenting.

Mo Yichen leaned back, smirking at her nervous posture. She reminded him of a frightened deer, trying to appear calm but betraying herself with every fidget.

He glanced at her slender legs, which looked so delicate that his hands could easily encircle them. Did she really think she could escape?

Zhu Jia gripped the windowsill, her ears straining to hear his footsteps approaching.

She didn’t dare look back. Her heart raced, unsure of his next move.

The usual cold and aloof cedarwood scent seemed to carry an unexpected edge of aggression. Mo Yichen approached her step by step, and Zhu Jia, growing more nervous, felt a thin layer of sweat form on her skin.

When he was within a single step of her, Zhu Jia bit her lip, looking every bit like a helpless little animal awaiting its fate. But in the next moment, a lightweight men’s jacket was draped gently over her shoulders.

“The sea breeze is strong. You should wear something extra,” he said.

Zhu Jia turned around in surprise, meeting Mo Yichen’s calm gaze. There was something different about him, though—a newfound ease in his expression that hadn’t been there before.

Mo Yichen offered her a rare, gentle smile, as if to say that if she enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game, he was more than willing to keep playing.