After dinner, the waves on the sea were still rough.
No matter how much Ruan Xi pressed him, Cheng Daichuan refused to say a word about his dream.
Ruan Xi was not satisfied with this at all.
She walked unsteadily down the carpeted corridor, hands behind her back, stubbornly turning around and staring dead-on at Cheng Daichuan, who was two steps behind her, all the while walking backward: “Cheng Daichuan, if you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to sleep tonight…”
Cheng Daichuan was calm: “Even if I tell you, you still won’t be able to sleep. You’ve already slept a whole day.”
Ruan Xi gritted her teeth: “Fine, then tomorrow morning I’ll call Shi Chao as soon as I get up, and tell him you’ve betrayed the Organization and are keeping secrets from us.”
Cheng Daichuan nodded: “Go ahead. While you’re at it, explain why the other members of the Organization didn’t take him on this trip.”
Ruan Xi felt a headache coming on.
Granny Shi’s birthday was these few days—Shi Chao couldn’t come even if invited, but he’d definitely nag them to death over this…
Cheng Daichuan was the kind of person who could brush aside anything you threw at him.
If being tough didn’t work, try being soft.
The Cruise Ship swayed gently, and Ruan Xi’s steps wobbled; she steadied herself on the wall. “Just tell me, what’s the big deal? I can handle anything, gege.”
This time, Cheng Daichuan fell silent.
It wasn’t until they were almost at the elevator that he helplessly said, “Don’t learn these useless tricks from Shi Chao.”
Ruan Xi tried both soft and hard approaches, but didn’t get a single clue.
She pouted and muttered, “Back then, whenever I had a dream, I always shared it with you guys!”
It was true.
Cheng Daichuan remembered after-school walks back in high school, when Ruan Xi suddenly said to them, “I dreamed I died.”
He turned to look at her; she was holding a big bag of Potato Chips, the Sunset casting a golden glow in her sparkling eyes.
She told them about her dream with great excitement—
She dreamed she died, and after death, met Meng Po by the Naihe Bridge. The water of the Forgetfulness River surged and churned, and Meng Po scooped up a ladle of water to cook a pot of soup with a very unusual color.
According to the totally carefree Ruan Xi herself, that soup was steaming hot and incredibly fragrant.
It made her drool just thinking about it.
In the dream, she rubbed her hands together and went to beg Meng Po for a bowl. After drinking it, she forgot everything.
Of course, she also forgot she’d already drunk the soup.
So she rubbed her hands together and went to beg Meng Po for another bowl…
Ruan Xi said, “I kept asking for soup, but after drinking it I’d forget and go ask again. Do you think what I drank was the legendary Meng Po Soup? Is Meng Po Soup really that tasty?”
Shi Chao said, “Not to pick on you, Xi-zi, but you’re way too greedy.”
Even as he said this, he was secretly reaching his hand into the bag of Potato Chips Ruan Xi was holding.
Ruan Xi smacked Shi Chao’s hand away: “And you have the nerve to say that to me?”
Shi Chao gripped the Potato Chips tightly, refusing to let go even after being hit.
The Potato Chips snapped from Ruan Xi’s force, but Shi Chao’s quick reflexes— honed from years of soccer—let him catch the broken half and shove it into his mouth along with the rest: “Boss Cheng, tell me, who’s greedier, me or Ruan Xi?”
Cheng Daichuan didn’t hesitate: “You.”
Ruan Xi munched on Potato Chips and flashed a “Yay” sign.
Shi Chao protested, saying Ruan Xi even went after Meng Po Soup, so she was clearly greedier.
He also said Cheng Daichuan shouldn’t blindly side with Ruan Xi just because she was a girl.
Ruan Xi bounced along beside them, looking especially cute with her smug little expression.
Back then, she wore her hair in a ponytail, the Sunset giving her hair a warm halo.
She suddenly turned back, stuck her tongue out at Shi Chao, and gave Cheng Daichuan a sweet smile.
So that day, Cheng Daichuan lowered his head to look at Hearthstone on his phone, but without any will to win, he casually tossed out two Cards: “Yeah, I’m blindly siding with her, so what?”
Shi Chao took a deep breath, pinched the air like he was smoothing out imaginary long hair, and shrilled in a fake girl’s voice: “Brother Chuan, who’s greedier, me or Ruan Xi? Say it again, say it!”
Shi Chao had been Cheng Daichuan’s neighbor since childhood. They knew each other from birth, were in the same Kindergarten class.
Even after Shi Chao’s family moved out of the Family Building, throughout their Elementary School years and beyond, they were often in the same class or at the same school, always close.
Ruan Xi was Cheng Daichuan’s…
Good friend, maybe.
That’s what Ruan Xi herself said.
Anyway, the two of them would bicker with Cheng Daichuan in the middle, always lively.
The three of them walked shoulder to shoulder on the road home bathed in orange light, their shadows stretched long by the Sunset…
Whenever Cheng Daichuan remembered scenes like that, he’d always lower his head and smile quietly.
Ruan Xi turned her head: “!”
Ruan Xi caught a glimpse of Cheng Daichuan’s smile.
What on earth did he dream about? Couldn’t he just tell her?
She was dying of curiosity.
Ruan Xi was about to argue with him in earnest when the Cruise Ship happened to sway at just that moment.
Walking backward, already unsteady, she lost her balance and pitched forward.
Cheng Daichuan reached out and almost hugged Ruan Xi to steady her.
He withdrew his hand: “Are you okay?”
The questioning died down.
Ruan Xi’s nose bumped into Cheng Daichuan’s shoulder. Surrounded by the gentle woody scent of laundry detergent, she quieted down, shook her head, and slipped out of his arms.
The Cruise Ship’s broadcast began reminding passengers to pay attention to safety, and announced that, for safety reasons, entertainment and leisure areas such as the Theater Performance, Infinity Pool, and Gym would be temporarily closed.
A couple was complaining to the Cruise Ship staff, saying they’d paid money but couldn’t enjoy themselves, and now had to suffer.
The staff, helpless about the weather, could only patiently explain: “We’re really sorry. Once the weather improves…”
The couple were not happy: “If the weather stays bad, are we supposed to just lie around on the Cruise Ship for ten days?”
As the initiator of the Cruise Ship trip, Ruan Xi looked worriedly at Cheng Daichuan, almost by instinct.
Would he also find it boring or not worth it?
Cheng Daichuan glanced at Ruan Xi and said just one thing: “Don’t overthink.”
“Then do you think…”
“The steak at the restaurant is pretty good. I wouldn’t get sick of it in ten days.”
Ruan Xi’s eyes curved in a smile: “That’s true.”
Good food and drink were nice, too.
With this weather, stargazing was obviously impossible, so Ruan Xi and Cheng Daichuan could only return to their cabin.
After calling home to let their families know they were safe, Ruan Xi asked Cheng Daichuan for last night’s Sunset video and started editing their Cruise Ship vlog.
Maybe seasickness medicine really does make you drowsy. She’d planned to work hard, but had only just started— hadn’t even picked a BGM to match the horn sound at departure— before she fell asleep holding her phone.
When she woke up, it was nearly noon.
Cheng Daichuan looked freshly showered, sitting on the bed and drying his hair.
Ruan Xi climbed up lazily: “Morning, gege.”
Cheng Daichuan, like a character in a slow-motion video, paused mid-action, turned his head frame by frame, fell silent, and then spoke with a blank face: “Morning.”
After such a long sleep, Ruan Xi was full of energy. She stretched: “…What’s with that expression? Didn’t sleep well?”
“It was fine. The horn was pretty hypnotic.”
Ruan Xi’s phone was on the nightstand. Thinking back, she’d probably fallen asleep too quickly, with her phone still replaying a candidate BGM and the horn.
Cheng Daichuan must have helped her turn it off.
“Did it disturb you?”
“No, it wasn’t loud. I didn’t hear it until the middle of the night.”
Ruan Xi asked offhandedly, “How was my sleeping posture?”
Cheng Daichuan teased her: “Not great.”
Ruan Xi clicked her tongue and glanced out at the balcony—the waves had stopped, but the clouds hadn’t cleared.
The weather wasn’t exactly bad, but it wasn’t good either. The sea was still dark and heavy.
The only good news—
No seasickness today.
After getting up, Ruan Xi spent a full hour and a half in the bathroom.
She kept thinking about the girl she’d seen yesterday.
Jealous of how put-together the girl looked even in the swaying cabin, Ruan Xi put on a fresh, light makeup herself, changed into a dress, and sprayed on some perfume.
But the weather wouldn’t cooperate.
On the way back to their room after lunch, Ruan Xi and the others ran into more passengers complaining to the staff.
Because of the waves, the planned shore excursions were also canceled. All they could do was enjoy the seasickness and bed rest “gift package” on the Cruise Ship, so it was no wonder the passengers were grumbling.
Even Ruan Xi felt a little deflated.
The bad weather lasted until dusk that day. With her fresh, energetic makeup, Ruan Xi lay bored on the balcony’s little round table, editing the Cruise Ship travel vlog.
She ate a bite of Ice Cream Ball, cut another empty frame, and suddenly noticed the light.
The clouds parted, and sunlight streamed through the gaps, forming a Tyndall effect.
Excited, Ruan Xi put down her phone and dragged Cheng Daichuan out to the balcony: “Look, the Sun’s out, this is great!”
Cheng Daichuan smiled and gave a soft “Mm.”
Her face was practically plastered with bullet comments like “Hurry up and say you don’t have one,” “I already have a plan,” and “Just follow Xi-jie and you won’t go wrong.” She looked up at him: “Cheng Daichuan, let’s go out and play. Do you have anywhere you want to go?”
Cheng Daichuan stared at Ruan Xi for two seconds, then smiled and said, “No, I’ll follow your lead.”
Ruan Xi clapped her hands: “Where’s your phone? Take it out.”
Cheng Daichuan took out his phone. Ruan Xi, feeling lazy, didn’t take it from him but leaned in and tapped open the Cruise Ship APP.
The Theater Performance and Star Cinema were still closed.
Ruan Xi clapped her hands: “It’s settled. Let’s start with the Infinity Pool. There’s a Mobile Ice Cream Cart over there that makes animal-shaped ice cream— it must be better than just Ice Cream Balls.”
Cheng Daichuan nodded and said he’d go to the Laundry Room to get their clothes first, then they could head out.
She grinned and gave an OK sign, following him all the way to the door.
She didn’t notice at all that she was acting like a clingy little girlfriend.
Cheng Daichuan left the cabin and rubbed his brow.
Ruan Xi was always cute, but today…
She was almost too cute.
Ruan Xi had put on what was said to be Grapefruit-colored Lip Glaze, and wore a creamy yellow spaghetti-strap dress.
He couldn’t tell if it was the makeup or the perfume, but she smelled very sweet—like the Sweet Osmanthus Scent she loved.
That afternoon, when she was eating Vanilla Ice Cream Ball on the little round table on the balcony, there was an extra layer of sweetness.
Cheng Daichuan couldn’t stand watching Ruan Xi lick the ice cream spoon, so he went to the Laundry Room to do some washing.
Now he had to pick up the clothes.
When Ruan Xi mentioned the Infinity Pool earlier, Cheng Daichuan had actually been stunned for a second.
Aside from the dress for the dance, Madam Shang’s gift had also included Swim Trunks.
Cheng Daichuan had seen them, of course, but he’d never actually thought about inviting Ruan Xi to go swimming.
Ruan Xi probably got a Swimsuit too, but was too shy to mention it— she’d only said she wanted to go to the pool for ice cream.
That was fine, though. At least he could get some good sleep for a few days.
Cheng Daichuan draped the dried clothes over his arm one by one, thinking to himself that otherwise, it really would be torture.
Back at the cabin, he swiped the card.
Before the door was even open, he could already hear Ruan Xi’s cheerful voice.
Ruan Xi was recording a vlog.
She leaned over the balcony railing, facing the sea breeze, holding her phone up to film the orange-red Sun peeking through the clouds: “After more than thirty hours of waves and turbulence, we finally get to see the Sun again, yay…”
Cheng Daichuan came in without a word, put the clothes on the single bed, and leaned against the wardrobe to wait for Ruan Xi to finish recording.
On Ruan Xi’s single bed was a Straw Bag, its mouth open, revealing Sunscreen Spray, Sunglasses, Towel, Tripod, and other odds and ends.
At first, Cheng Daichuan didn’t notice anything, until he saw Ruan Xi’s Swimsuit.
It wasn’t folded, just laid out on the single bed.
A Blue Striped Bikini.
Cheng Daichuan suddenly felt a headache coming on: “Ruan Xi.”
“What?”
“Your plan— let’s hear it.”
Ruan Xi shifted her gaze from the recording video to Cheng Daichuan’s face, looking confused: “Didn’t we just say we’re going to the pool? Did you forget already?”