Chapter 75: Facing the Sea, Embracing the Blossoming Spring

After greeting Lu Mengyao, Cheng Yao returned to his room, leaving her gazing after him with quiet resentment. Zhang Ya and the others had just woken up as well. Cheng Yao had already bought breakfast and called everyone to gather at the door; since the hotel included tickets to the water park, there was no need to pay extra.

Even early in the morning, the place was already crowded. At this hour, the sun was at its gentlest. Cheng Yao cast a discreet glance at Rong Xuelin and the others—his eyes strictly averted, not daring to linger. Bikinis, one-piece swimsuits… In the end, his gaze settled on Zhang Ya. Tall and slender, her fair skin was mostly covered by a conservative swimsuit, with an extra jacket over it; only her legs and arms were exposed. Cheng Yao breathed a sigh of relief at this. In truth, even a single extra glance from a stranger felt like a loss to him. Perhaps he seemed a bit hypocritical, but he never denied his own possessiveness.

The water rides were manageable—nothing too extreme for him. Zhang Ya and her friends, on the other hand, shrieked with fright at every turn. By the time they had tried all the attractions, it was already noon. The sun was blazing now. They went back to their rooms for a shower, checked out, and hurried to the waiting car at the hotel entrance.

Plans rarely keep up with changes; in the end, the group headed straight for Wuzhizhou Island. The island was famous for its scenery and its water sports. After half a day at Atlantis Water World, Zhang Ya and her friends had lost their enthusiasm for more activities, so Cheng Yao took Cheng Cheng to try everything else, while the girls busied themselves with endless photoshoots. Beauty is truly an advantage—they were approached for conversation at least three times.

Cheng Linlin teased with a laugh, “Cheng Yao, you owe the three of us a meal. We’ve been keeping an eye on your wife for you. Isn’t a coconut chicken dinner a fair price?”

“Exactly—a meal of coconut chicken!”

“Fine, just don’t insist on splitting the bill again, spouting off about gender equality and all that nonsense.”

Cheng Yao couldn’t help but laugh. These girls always said such things, but in the end, everything was split evenly. Even the cab fare was shared equally, and if he refused to accept their share, they would simply transfer the money to Zhang Ya.

Rong Xuelin shook her head. “This time for sure—we won’t. Don’t worry, coconut chicken isn’t expensive anyway.”

“Alright, looks like there’s not much left to do here. Let’s head to Yalong Bay.”

“Let’s go.”

There wasn’t much to do on Wuzhizhou Island other than admire the scenery, watch the sea, and stroll around; it was more suited for couples seeking seclusion. With six of them together, the atmosphere was lively but not exactly romantic. They bought some skewered squid from a snack vendor at the pier, took the ferry back, and went straight to Yalong Bay.

…

They asked the driver for recommendations, and he took them to the most famous street near the Coconut Dream Promenade. There, along with coconut chicken, they found seafood restaurants and a variety of other delicacies. Zhang Ya remarked, “The coconut chicken is pretty good. I really like the local millet chili—it’s incredibly spicy.”

“I can handle spicy food too.”

They went up to the third floor—the place was bustling. After a ten-minute wait, they were seated. Seeing that coconut chicken was essentially a hot pot, Cheng Yao ordered various ingredients for dipping, as well as some cold dishes. Zhang Ya glanced at the menu and said, “Tomorrow we’ll rent a yacht and spend half a day at sea. In the evening, we can check out the night market, and the day after I’ll take you all to the best Hunan restaurant in town.”

“They have Gongman Xiting here too?”

“Yes, and there are two locations very close to each other.”

They chatted over the meal about what to eat and where to go next. For travelers, life revolves around food, clothing, shelter, and entertainment. Coconut chicken was simply boiled free-range chicken in coconut water, with a very spicy dipping sauce; the chicken itself was rather bland, with only a hint of coconut flavor… All in all, it was pretty good. Afterward, they bought coconuts to sip as they strolled through the streets, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

That evening, they had some seafood for supper—mantis shrimp, cat-eye snails, and various other shellfish. In truth, none of the shellfish compared to the spicy stir-fried field snails from the countryside. Cheng Yao wasn’t trying to disparage seafood; it just didn’t excite him. Most seafood in Sanya was steamed to preserve the original flavor, which he found unappealing—only the spicy crab met his tastes.

On the third day, they rented a yacht and spent the whole afternoon at sea. In the evening, they went shopping again. On the fourth day, they visited the famous “Eternal Love” show, and in the afternoon dined on Hunan cuisine at a restaurant next to Gongman Xiting in Sanya Bay—the marinated cured meat was truly delicious, aromatic but not greasy, and he simply couldn’t stop eating.

All in all, Cheng Yao hardly spent any money—at most ten thousand yuan, including the hotel, as they hadn’t bought any luxury goods.

At last, they checked in at the famous Tianya Haijiao, where Zhang Ya and the others tried out the remaining water sports, before returning to the hotel to rest.

Their flight back to Jinling was scheduled for after lunch the next day. As soon as Cheng Yao returned to the hotel, he received a message.

Lu Mengyao: Living by the sea is wonderful. Facing the ocean, in the warmth of spring—my apartment complex here is absolutely amazing, and the Coconut Dream Promenade is right next door.

Cheng Yao: Living by the sea is too damp, though.

Lu Mengyao: That’s true.

Cheng Yao: Still…

Lu Mengyao: ?

Cheng Yao: We could buy a seaview apartment to keep for vacations, but I’m heading back tomorrow at noon.

Lu Mengyao: Should I contact the sales office?

Cheng Yao: Go ahead.

After some back and forth, Cheng Yao felt it would be a shame to pass up the chance to spend money so easily, so Lu Mengyao contacted the sales office, explained the situation, and arranged to visit at 6:30 the next morning.

…

On the sixth, Cheng Yao rose early. With no plans for the day, it was a rare chance to relax in the morning. Zhang Ya and the others would probably sleep till eight or nine, so he set out alone for Yalong Bay.

At dawn, he arrived at Sea and Sky, perfectly on time.

This was a seaside residential complex right on the coast by the Coconut Dream Promenade—fully integrated with commercial facilities, though Cheng Yao didn’t bother to learn the details; it hardly mattered. He would likely only visit a few times in his life, so the apartment would mostly sit unused.

Coconut palms lined both sides, and the sea breeze was cool and refreshing. Golden waves crashed onto the beach, smoothing out the dunes.

“Cheng Yao…” Lu Mengyao appeared, wrapped in a jacket despite the early hour, and waved.

Cheng Yao yawned. “You’re up early. When are you heading back?”

“My flight’s on the night of the seventh.”

“Is the agent here yet?”

Lu Mengyao nodded. “I called them—they’re on their way. No one’s even started work yet at this hour.”

Just then, a young man in a suit rode up on an electric scooter, parked, and walked over after glancing at them.

“Good morning, are you Miss Lu?”

“Hello.”

“My surname is Lin—just call me Xiao Lin. You’re catching a flight later, right? Let me show you around.”

Cheng Yao nodded, following him into the complex.

As Xiao Lin spoke, he entered a code: “The side gates all use the same password for residents. Most of the units at the front have already sold; only the buildings on the left and right are left. I recommend the left side—the right has a partially obstructed view. Let’s go up and have a look…”

The building was impressive—elegant and well-built. The interior was nicely finished, too; elevators, corridors—all up to standard, though since it wasn’t meant for permanent residence, their expectations weren’t too high.

“Where are you both from?” asked Xiao Lin.

“Jinling.”

“Jinling, huh? Then you definitely need a place here. Winters in Jinling are bitterly cold. Some of our clients buy homes here just to spend the winter, only returning when things warm up back home.”

“So that’s how it is.”

The price was eight million yuan for a duplex of two hundred square meters, with a large balcony that wrapped around one hundred and eighty degrees, offering a view of the endless blue sea from every angle. Unfortunately, another building partially blocked the view at the front—without it, the scenery would be even more spectacular.

Facing the ocean,
With spring flowers in bloom—
Isn’t this the dream of so many?