Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups

Chapter 1458: Chapter 703:

Fang Cheng had just sat up straight and was about to reach for the little silver fork on the plate.

From under the parasol beside them came a light "snap" sound, the sound of a book being closed.

Lin Chuqiao, in flat lace-up sandals, walked over with light, easy steps.

She came to stand beside the two of them and gave Zhou Xiumei a gentle smile.

Then, as naturally as anything, she extended her fair, slender fingers and directly picked up a piece of watermelon from the fruit plate.

"Thanks, Xiumei. I was just reading for a bit and really did get a little thirsty."

Lin Chuqiao brought the watermelon to her lips and took a bite, then her eyes turned softly as she looked at Fang Cheng:

"Brother Cheng, just eating watermelon is a bit monotonous. Want me to go down and wash some grapes and cherries?"

As she spoke, she smoothly took the fruit plate from Zhou Xiumei’s hands and set it steadily down on the round table between the two rattan chairs.

The whole motion was practiced and natural, like a hostess entertaining guests, carrying a subtle sense of unspoken control.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng shook his head:

"No need to go to the trouble. Coke and watermelon are enough."

Lin Chuqiao’s face blossomed into a smile, then she took hold of Zhou Xiumei’s wrist and said softly:

"Xiumei, come, sit here. We’ve known each other for quite a while, but we’re always busy with our own stuff and haven’t really had a good chat."

Zhou Xiumei pressed her lips together; the fruit plate she had been holding was gone, and her fingers unconsciously tightened.

She had no reason to refuse, and could only follow Lin Chuqiao’s pull and sit down on the rattan chair beside her.

In front of Fang Cheng, she could still show a bit of a young girl’s lively nature.

But the moment she faced the noble Qi Field of Lin Chuqiao, that little bit of timidity in her bones would instinctively surface.

Fang Cheng took all of this in but couldn’t really say anything, so he simply picked up a piece of watermelon and popped it into his mouth.

In the tug-of-war between women, a grown man like him was better off not getting involved.

Over the next few hours, the yacht cut through the waves, cruising at a steady speed over the vast sea.

The sea breeze gradually died down, and the sun slowly sank westward.

"Brother, there’s an island ahead. I see a really big island!"

Wen Xin, who had been running herself tired on the deck, suddenly pointed at the increasingly clear outline of land on the horizon and bounced up and down with excitement.

On the heels of the little girl’s shout, that subtle atmosphere on deck dissolved in an instant.

Fang Cheng stood up and walked to the front of the deck.

Lin Chuqiao and Zhou Xiumei also stopped their conversation, followed his steps, and stood by the railing.

Splash—

The sliding hatch door below was shoved open, and Pan Wendi came out of the cabin yawning.

He had just taken a nap below and been woken by Wen Xin’s shouting. Rubbing his eyes, he muttered:

"We’re here, we’re here, finally..."

As the yacht drew closer, the scenery of Yong’an Island rapidly enlarged in their field of vision.

Stretching beaches, staggered buildings rising along the shore, and cars driving along the ring road around the island all came into clear view.

"Wow, look over there, why are there so many big iron frames?"

Wen Xin cried out in curiosity.

Zhou Xiumei crouched down and gently straightened Wen Xin’s collar that had gone crooked from running.

Following the direction of the little hand, Lin Chuqiao looked over and picked up the thread with a smile:

"Xinxin, that’s Yong’an Island’s deep-water freight terminal, used specially for unloading cargo."

After that heart-to-heart talk just now, Zhou Xiumei’s mood had already relaxed.

She, too, took a step forward, looking at the town that was far more prosperous than a typical island and murmured softly:

"It’s really big, feels like a little city built on the sea."

Lin Chuqiao straightened up, pressing down the straw hat that the wind had tilted a bit with one hand, and took on the role of guide in a gentle tone:

"This place used to just be a Pearl Harbor. Later, when the ocean currents changed and pearl production plummeted, the town gritted its teeth and switched over completely to tourism."

"It just so happened the natural coral reefs on the east side of the island grew beautifully, and as more divers came, the island’s entire economy got revived and they built all these star-rated hotels."

Accompanied by Lin Chuqiao’s explanation and Pan Wendi’s occasional jokes, the main engine’s roar gradually weakened, turning into a low idle hum.

The hull broke through the gentle ripples inside the harbor and steadily eased toward the sightseeing pier’s jetty.

The mooring ropes were thrown out, looping securely around the cast-iron posts.

Everyone grabbed their luggage and walked down the aluminum gangway.

As soon as their feet stepped onto the solid wooden boardwalk, a smell mixed with grilled seafood and fishiness rushed into their faces.

The pier was full of tourists wearing sun hats, and peddlers pushing three-wheeled carts hawking their wares along the street.

Pan Wendi walked at the back, hanging his sunglasses on the collar of his floral shirt.

He looked around at the newly built shops rising on all sides and gave his broad shoulders a hard stretch, his joints letting out two dull pops.

The roguishness on his face reined in a bit, and he said with some emotion,

"Only half a year away and the place’s already been renovated again. I almost didn’t recognize it."

He paused, turned his head to look at Fang Cheng, and there was a touch more respect in his tone

"Brother Cheng, speaking of it, that night, if you hadn’t single-handedly snatched Chu Qiao and me out from under those lunatics in the Noah Organization, this hundred-plus jin of mine would’ve long been turtle chow in the sea."

"Coming back to the old place this time, we’ve at least got to go to the best restaurant on the whole island so I can properly toast you a few rounds."

Walking slightly behind and to the side of the two men, Lin Chuqiao’s steps faltered a little when she heard this.

She turned her head, her gaze deeply fixed on Fang Cheng’s broad, straight back.

The bloody carnage of that night seemed as vivid as ever: this man descending like a god, holding her in his arms as he fought his way out through a storm of bullets. The image had long since been carved deep into her memory.

She said nothing; as her eyes flowed, the faint trace of resentment that had been in her heart quietly dissolved, while her tenderness deepened yet again.

Beside her, Zhou Xiumei listened quietly. Seeing the way Lin Chuqiao looked at Fang Cheng, she felt a sudden, inexplicable pang of loss.

Between them, there seemed to lie a bond of life and death that she had never been part of and would never be able to truly understand.

It made her feel like an outsider, without even a chance to cut in.

"Enough, don’t keep going on about it in the middle of the street. Let’s go drop our bags at the hotel first, then find a highly rated food stall and have a big seafood feast."

Fang Cheng lifted his hand and gave Pan Wendi’s solid shoulder a firm slap, cutting off his emotional speech.

They walked through the market, hailed a cab, and headed straight for the seaside resort hotel they had booked in advance.

In less than ten minutes, they arrived.

After checking in, a bellboy pushed the luggage cart and led each of them to their rooms.

Fang Cheng pushed open the heavy solid-wood door of the top-floor suite and casually pressed the smart switch on the wall.

The central air-conditioning immediately sent out a strong wave of cold air, quickly sweeping away the blazing heat brought in from outside.

He walked to the large bed, slipped the black single-strap travel bag off his shoulder, and set it on the bench at the foot.

He pulled open the zipper, took out the few spare T-shirts inside, shook out the creases, and hung them in the wardrobe one by one.

His toiletries were set out in order on the marble counter in the bathroom.

Once everything was tidied up, Fang Cheng walked to the window and looked outside.

This hotel did not come cheap, but the service and environment were indeed worth the price, and the view was superb.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window facing the bed, the crescent-shaped golden coastline was laid out in full.

The azure sea was tirelessly washing over the golden beach, rolling up layer after layer of snowy surf.

Fang Cheng slowly closed his eyes, his mind drawing in at once, his consciousness plunging straight into the depths of his Dantian.

In his subtle inner perception, that Qi Sea which should have been surging with waves of blue at this moment appeared nearly dried up.

The surface had sunk drastically, almost reaching the bottom region.

The once-mighty Dantian True Qi was now like a pool of stagnant water lacking vitality, barely maintaining its basic circulation.

The total reserve of his Qi Sea was already less than a quarter of what it had been at his peak.

Fang Cheng’s eyes snapped open, his gaze passing through the clear glass to the deep, distant sea.

In truth, the reason he chose to come vacation on Yong’an Island had nothing to do with how beautiful the scenery was or how fun the beaches might be.

It was because there was one crucial matter that he had to personally come here to take care of.

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