Chapter 68
Jiang Liu could hardly describe the feeling of this moment.
The empty space in her heart was filled with a contradictory emotion, both sour and sweet.
Yang Caisi glanced down at her watch. There were still forty-seven minutes until five o’clock.
Although Gu Ran had chewed her out over the phone, she was still concerned about her friend and had immediately contacted someone to cover for her.
Gao Yuan was still out of contact, so she had only managed to buy herself a few hours. As long as she left the instance before five, the Inspection Team wouldn’t notice anything unusual.
Recovering from the joy of their reunion, Yang Caisi quickly explained, “Something came up on my end. You need to be careful of the people around you. Don’t let anyone know about the scale. This instance is very complex, and I might not be able to monitor your situation at all times. You must be careful.”
The string of words, delivered almost like a last will and testament, nearly made Jiang Liu’s head spin. She looked up slightly at Yang Caisi’s chattering mouth, and as if having made up her mind, she couldn’t help but lean in and kiss her.
“Also, I gave…”
Yang Caisi hadn’t finished her sentence when her mouth was blocked by something soft, which carried the cool touch of the sea breeze.
Her voice was cut off, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
She had done this sort of thing many times while Jiang Liu was fast asleep, but this was the first time Jiang Liu had taken the initiative while they were both fully conscious.
Despite her flashy appearance and penchant for teasing remarks, Jiang Liu was actually a complete novice when it came to romance.
It wasn’t until their lips were intimately pressed together, and the scent of Yang Caisi’s shampoo filled her nose, that she dazedly wondered… what was the next step supposed to be?
Jiang Liu recalled scenes from TV dramas, clumsily extending her tongue to tentatively touch those lips. The moment their lips and tongues intertwined, it was as if an electric current shot through her entire body, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.
She had initially had the upper hand, but with one of them on the boat and the other in the water, Yang Caisi could see her darting eyes with just a slight downward glance, as if she were hesitating about whether to proceed to the next step.
A soft chuckle escaped Yang Caisi’s throat. Her hands wrapped around Jiang Liu’s waist, and with a gentle pull, Jiang Liu stumbled onto the boat, their positions instantly reversed.
Pinning her against the driver’s seat, Yang Caisi’s breathing became momentarily ragged as she followed her heart and deepened the kiss.
The sky gradually brightened. A seagull swooped low over the sea, creating a ripple. Yang Caisi’s hand covered Jiang Liu’s eyes. In the darkness, her other senses became particularly sharp.
They were entangled for who knows how long. Jiang Liu only remembered that her movements were uncharacteristically fierce. The two of them swayed gently with the boat like waves. When they finally separated, she was completely drained of strength, panting as they exchanged a light kiss.
Her cheeks were a little hot, but she stared unblinkingly at the figure in front of her. She gently raised her hand to brush away the beads of sweat on Yang Caisi’s forehead, her voice laced with a smile. “Have we done this before?”
Yang Caisi cleared her throat and helped her tidy her slightly disheveled clothes. She seemed to relax completely, letting down her guard as she complained in a half-joking, half-serious tone, “How would I dare?”
Jiang Liu was half-convinced, half-skeptical. She thought for a moment and couldn’t help but smile again. “Then perhaps I’m just very good at keeping my composure.”
If she hadn’t experienced so much in the System, she might not have discovered her own feelings.
Yang Caisi pursed her lips and smiled softly, her flushed face even more alluring than the morning sun.
Seeing that it was almost five o’clock, Jiang Liu noticed her glance at her watch and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you leaving?”
Yang Caisi didn’t answer, instead handing her the speedboat key. “This is for you. It should come in handy.”
Jiang Liu looked at the advanced piece of equipment and whistled, teasing with a grin, “So this is what it feels like to have special treatment. Not bad.”
Yang Caisi put a hand to her forehead. Seeing her being so improper, she simply leaned in again and placed a kiss on her forehead.
The sound of an engine came from the distance. The two of them looked up and saw Gu Ran driving another speedboat at high speed. Noticing their gazes, she leaned out and gave them a wave.
With an unlit cigarette dangling from her lips, she coolly maneuvered the yacht to a stop beside them. The moment she saw Jiang Liu, she broke into a grin.
“I was wondering what urgent matter could make our Model Worker drop everything and run. So it was you!”
Gu Ran’s gaze swept over the two of them, and she waved with a smile. “First time meeting. My name is Gu Ran, Number 163.”
After speaking, she looked at Yang Caisi with a teasing expression. “You’re much prettier in person than in the photo. No wonder you couldn’t hold back.”
Yang Caisi’s face flushed slightly. She glared at Gu Ran, signaling her to shut up, then turned to Jiang Liu with a serious expression. “Be safe. I’ll come find you as soon as I’ve dealt with my business.”
Jiang Liu rubbed her chin, thinking that this Gu Ran seemed to know a lot. And the photo—
Unfortunately, now was not the right time to ask questions. She had to temporarily put the thought aside and just looked at Yang Caisi hesitantly. “What were you trying to say before?”
She vaguely remembered that she had interrupted her mid-sentence earlier.
At Jiang Liu’s reminder, Yang Caisi also remembered. She quickly pointed to the cooler at the back of the speedboat. “I brought you fresh fish. The seasonings are all inside. You can grill it if you’re hungry.”
Several question marks appeared above Gu Ran’s head. “…”
Wasn’t that the seafood feast she had set aside for herself? You’re just giving it away as a favor like that???
Yang Caisi pretended not to see her accusing gaze and gave Jiang Liu a deep look before striding onto the other boat and leaving.
***
Tang Rui was woken up by an alluring aroma.
It would have been fine in a town instance, where he could scrounge up a hot meal through trickery or begging. But here, by the sea, with no village in sight, he had been eating biscuits for a day and was about to throw up. Even the water was purified seawater.
Suddenly smelling such a fresh scent of grilled fish, the glutton in his stomach stirred. He immediately rolled over and sat up, meeting his sister’s equally puzzled expression.
The siblings exchanged a look and went out to check, spotting Jiang Liu busy by the fire at a glance.
Somehow, Jiang Liu had managed to string up a series of cleaned fish over the bonfire. They were already grilled to a crispy brown, and waves of fragrance wafted over from that direction, making Tang Rui’s stomach growl.
Tang Rui stood there, stunned. “What’s going on? Am I still dreaming?”
He and his sister had also thought about catching fish yesterday, but there wasn’t a single fishing rod on this vast sea, and catching fish by hand was unrealistic. So they had resigned themselves to eating compressed biscuits.
Jiang Liu heard him and turned around, her face glowing as she waved at them. “You’re awake? Come and eat.”
As she spoke, she held two small bottles and sprinkled their contents onto the grilled fish. Tang Rui immediately recognized the smell of cumin.
“You’re amazing, sis. Where did you get this? Pinch me, I’m really dying for a hot meal!”
Jiang Liu chuckled and pointed to the speedboat docked not far away, her tone full of pride. “My exclusive delivery.”
Tang Rui’s jaw dropped. He immediately ran over to inspect it, touching this and that, his eyes practically materializing with envy.
Tang Ruo was also stunned for a moment. Fortunately, she was always more reserved and didn’t lose her composure with excitement like Tang Rui. She just walked over to Jiang Liu and said, “Do you need my help?”
Since Jiang Liu hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t ask. After all, everyone had their secrets.
Jiang Liu waved her hand. “It’s almost ready. Just sit down for a bit.”
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and turned to point not far away. A simple clothes rack had been set up with a few branches, and Tang Ruo’s clothes from last night were hanging on it, freshly washed.
“Can I have these clothes? I’ll buy you a couple more when we get out.”
Tang Ruo raised an eyebrow. Although she didn’t know her intentions, she still nodded. “It’s fine.”
Clothes were the cheapest thing in the instances. Apart from winter gear like down jackets and parkas, summer clothes could be bought for four or five for one point. She wasn’t too concerned about it.
Jiang Liu’s face lit up. She gestured for the two of them to come over and eat first, looking contentedly at the speedboat not far away.
Xiao Si had been exceptionally thoughtful. Besides the ingredients, there was even a case of mineral water. If it weren’t for the lack of a pot here, she would have even wanted to cook something else to try.
Who knew that just as they were halfway through their meal, a familiar song came drifting from the distance, causing them all to stop what they were doing.
“It’s a Sea Demon!” Tang Ruo carefully identified it, her expression gradually becoming grave.
Jiang Liu frowned, staring at the half-eaten grilled fish and cursing under her breath. Of all the times for this thing to show up, it had to be when they were eating. How inconsiderate.
She had intended to ignore the voice, but it seemed as if the other party was determined. The singing grew louder and louder, the voice melodious and lingering, yet the moment they heard it clearly, their chests tightened, as if all the blood in their bodies was being stirred up, rushing rampantly through them.
Jiang Liu took a deep breath. “Is there no end to this!”
“Should we go take a look?” Tang Ruo stood up, took out a pair of earplugs from her bag, and handed them to Jiang Liu, her gaze fixed on the direction the sound was coming from.
“Let’s go.” Jiang Liu said thanks, put on the earplugs, and charged forward. Her pace was fast, and Tang Rui behind her could barely keep up.
After about five minutes of walking, the scene ahead finally became clear.
A merman with a pitch-black fishtail floated in the churning waves, among which were several sawed-off tree stumps. As his song rang out, the waves churned more violently, as if a wall of water had been erected out of thin air on the beach.
Beneath this huge wall, two figures appeared exceptionally small.
“They look like players. Should we save them first?” Tang Rui had good eyesight and saw the two figures from afar, asking for their opinion.
Tang Ruo didn’t speak, but she had already found a position and taken out her slingshot, quickly aiming for the merman’s eyes.
Jiang Liu couldn’t help but purse her lips, reaching up to touch the scale in her pocket.
Thanks to this thing, she no longer had much aversion to the merman species.
If only there was some way to make it leave.
As the thought crossed her mind, the merman in the distance seemed to sense something. Its originally closed eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing a pair of clear, azure eyes that met Jiang Liu’s gaze from a distance.
Jiang Liu let out a soft “huh.” She saw him suddenly stop singing, ignore the two people on the shore, and with a flick of his tail, quickly dive into the water and disappear.