Chapter 135 – The Island
The speedboat drove a long distance, situated in the middle of the ocean, gazing into the distance where the sea and sky merged into one.
Lu Tinghan slowed down the speed of the boat, bringing it to a stop, drifting with the current. He said, “Shi Yuan, there are two small islands nearby. Which one do you want to go to?”
He pointed out the locations on the map, two islands, one larger and one smaller, with a considerable distance between them.
Shi Yuan asked, “What’s the difference?”
“Not much difference,” he replied.
“Then let’s go to the one you like.”
Lu Tinghan chuckled, “I haven’t been to either of them.”
Shi Yuan was undecided, staring at the map, curling the tip of his tail.
Lu Tinghan remained calm, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Shi Yuan.
Normally, Lu Tinghan was always sharp, like a blade ready to be unsheathed. But now, basking in the warm sunlight, listening to the sound of crashing waves, with Shi Yuan in his arms, smelling of floral fragrance, he relaxed and leaned back almost leisurely. The clear sky reflected in his gray-blue eyes, as if another gentle sea lay within them.
Shi Yuan’s tail curled up, and after a while, he pointed with his hand, saying, “Let’s go to this island. It looks a bit bigger.”
“Alright,” Lu Tinghan agreed.
The engine started again, and the speedboat headed towards the island. Shi Yuan sat at the bow, taking a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
He asked, “Lu Tinghan, is this also your first time going out to sea like this?”
“Yes,” Lu Tinghan replied. “It’s beautiful.”
After half an hour, they could see the outline of the small island from a distance.
Getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, Shi Yuan saw several small silver lights jumping out of the sea under the sunlight, shimmering and dazzling before plunging back into the water like silver needles.
“What’s that?” The lights were too fast and too bright for Shi Yuan to see clearly.
“You’ll know when we get closer,” Lu Tinghan said.
The speedboat slowed down as it approached that area, and the silver lights leaped again—this time Shi Yuan saw it clearly, it was a school of fish.
Not infected creatures, just ordinary fish.
Shi Yuan exclaimed, “It’s fish!”
They were different from the ornamental fish he had seen before, but they seemed more powerful.
“Yes,” Lu Tinghan replied. “The Alliance is also cultivating fish. This is a designated protected area.” He opened the bag at his feet and pointed inside. “We brought feed. Go ahead and throw some for them to eat.”
Shi Yuan held a handful of dark red feed, with a slightly fishy and pungent smell within an acceptable range. He asked, “Should I throw it directly into the water?”
“Yes,” Lu Tinghan replied, stopping the speedboat at the edge of the protected area.
Whether it was because they had approached or not, the lively school of fish dove back underwater, and the shimmering waves made it difficult to see clearly. Shi Yuan stared for a long time before catching sight of a few dark shadows flashing beneath the waves. Then he exerted his strength and threw the feed into the water.
The surface of the water instantly boiled!
Countless fish swarmed over, stirring the sea with splashes and commotion. Their scales reflected light, creating a dazzling sight resembling a silver waterfall or metallic silk.
Shi Yuan was too close to the water, and just as he was about to say “Wow!”, he got a face full of seawater from the fish.
Shi Yuan: ?!
A few drops of salty seawater entered his mouth. He wiped the water droplets off his face with his sleeve and turned to see Lu Tinghan’s expression. “Are you laughing at me?”
“How could I?” Lu Tinghan’s face was calm.
“I saw you laughing… Ah!” Shi Yuan got another face full of water. He turned around, and sure enough, Lu Tinghan was laughing heartily.
But feeding the fish was quite fun.
Shi Yuan chose not to engage with his low-quality human. The speedboat slowly sailed along the protective net as he threw large handfuls of feed into the water, receiving a warm welcome from the fish.
In addition to silverfish, he also saw jellyfish, seaweed, corals, various colorful fish, sea anemones clinging to the rocks, and oysters… Actually, the species didn’t exceed twenty, but it was fresh enough for him.
They fed the fish all the way and only reached the island after two hours.
There wasn’t much vegetation on the island, and there were no other people. The Alliance had established simple facilities, such as observation instruments and makeshift accommodations. Four-legged robots roamed around, recording data and taking care of the fish.
Lu Tinghan said, “There are vacant houses here. If you want, we can stay for a night.”
Shi Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he readily agreed.
In the afternoon, they walked along the beach. Shi Yuan attempted to build a sandcastle and dragged Lu Tinghan, who also had no experience, to join him. They built a sloping fortress and named it “Castle Zero.”
Lu Tinghan gently remarked, “Your naming style is still so unique.”
Shi Yuan declared, “This is my territory, and everything inside is zero.”
Lu Tinghan: “…”
There were too many holes, and he didn’t know what to say for a moment. Lu Tinghan asked, “Does that mean it’s going to marry Castle One?”
“What a great idea!” Shi Yuan exclaimed happily. “Let’s build another one!”
Lu Tinghan: “…?”
Unexpectedly, before construction on Castle One even began, a huge wave came crashing in and destroyed Castle Zero.
The sand collapsed and was swept away, and King Shi Yuan lost all his territory.
He mourned for his subjects for a mere two seconds, and was immediately captivated by the shells on the beach. He put the sandcastle behind him and started studying the different types of shells with Lu Tinghan.
The two of them walked along the coastline, stopping here and there. As dusk approached, Shi Yuan grew tired and sat in the shade of a tree.
They leaned against the trees and watched the slow movements of the robots. Gears rotated, power arms swung, and heat vents expelled scorching breaths as they measured the water temperature and nutrients in each protected area.
Gigantic machines, ceaseless waves, silent reefs, fading skies—darkness gradually consumed the world, submerging the vibrant creatures.
This scene felt familiar.
Long ago, the two of them sat side by side in a wheat field, witnessing the fading daylight, as everything seemed inevitably heading towards decline. Shi Yuan didn’t know the meaning of life, but Lu Tinghan told him that ‘being here’ was the most important thing.
After many years, Shi Yuan was no longer lost.
He nestled against his human companion, wrapped his tail comfortably around himself, and enjoyed the majestic sunset over the sea. He knew that these views would still be there tomorrow, the sun would still rise, and Lu Tinghan would still be by his side.
At night, they stayed in a small house atop the island.
The house served as a resting place for soldiers and was usually empty. Its furnishings were simple: a few beds, a stove, a wooden storage cabinet, a workbench, and a small window facing the sea. They cooked congee in a pot and had a simple meal with the canned meat and beans from the storage cabinet.
While Lu Tinghan washed the dishes, Shi Yuan pushed open the window and leaned on the windowsill, feeling the sea breeze.
The temperature dropped quickly after nightfall, and before long, a thick fog blanketed the sea.
A dense fog.
The wind carried the fog, accompanied by moisture and a chilling atmosphere, as it drifted in a hazy manner. Lu Tinghan sat down beside Shi Yuan, leaving only a narrow gap in the window. They watched the overwhelming sea fog, with a fuzzy, bright yellow light from the lamp hanging at the entrance, radiating in the fog.
It was quite strange that even though the sea fog was dense and cold, it spread freely as the night grew darker…
Perhaps the light of the lamp was too comforting, or maybe the interior of the house was too cozy, or the lingering fragrance and heat of the white congee, or maybe it was the gentleness of the ocean, or simply the fact that the two of them were so close, there was not a trace of loneliness in this world.
Instead, there was a peacefulness in their solitude.
They didn’t speak, but Lu Tinghan half embraced Shi Yuan from behind, tilting his head slightly and smelling the fresh scent from his hair.
In this sea, on this solitary island, there were only the two of them in this fog.
After a while, Lu Tinghan said softly, “It’s getting late, let’s sleep?”
Shi Yuan replied, “Ah, I’ve already slept two rounds. You didn’t sleep?”
Lu Tinghan remained silent.
Lu Tinghan closed the window tightly, then tucked Shi Yuan into the bed, turned off the light, and got into bed. The fog over the sea continued to surge, the room was quiet, and in the darkness, Lu Tinghan caressed Shi Yuan passionately, listening to the soothing sound of his purring.
As Shi Yuan continued to purr, he fell asleep.
The next day, when they opened their eyes, the first light of day broke through, and outside the window was an endless and vibrant blue, with schools of fish shimmering brightly.
They went to another island after that, and then returned to the mainland.
They traveled to other cities, saw more flora and fauna, beautiful buildings, and numerous construction sites—the Alliance was developing rapidly, and new buildings were rising soon.
Shi Yuan stood on the city wall, enjoying the breeze, and discussed with Lu Tinghan what to have for dinner. Lu Tinghan declined soybean stew. They went to a grassy plain and encountered a group of Alliance researchers who explained the knowledge of seeds and pollen.
In the foothills, Lu Tinghan found a dandelion for Shi Yuan, who cherished it dearly and carefully wrapped it in his tail. However, in his excitement, his tail wagged frantically, causing the dandelion to instantly go bald. They also found a tranquil lake surrounded by ancient trees, and Shi Yuan cupped some water to wash his face, feeling relaxed in body and mind.
It was a delightful journey.
They left everything behind, and the mountains, rivers, ocean, and wilderness were all theirs. The world was beautiful, the gentle breeze was just right, and Lu Tinghan sketched many drawings, each featuring his little monster.
After enjoying themselves for a whole half month, the two finally headed back.
Shi Yuan had collected a heap of souvenirs, and when the aircraft landed, he talked to Lu Tinghan about the lizards he had seen.
Shi Yuan said, “I had so much fun this time!”
“We can still have fun like this in the future,” Lu Tinghan told him.
They unloaded the flowers and fruits and put them in the car. Lu Tinghan drove, but instead of going home directly, he took a detour. By the time Shi Yuan realized this, they had already stopped in front of a new store.
Shi Yuan was puzzled and asked, “Why are we here?”
Lu Tinghan said, “You’ll see when you get off the car. It’s a surprise.”
Shi Yuan got out of the car and followed Lu Tinghan into the empty store.
There were shelves arranged at different heights, a complete water source and reservoir, a photo wall, and a storage room.
This setup looked familiar.
Shi Yuan was stunned for a few seconds, and remembered that this was the layout of the flower shop that he had failed several times.
His flower shop had faced numerous setbacks, and even Lu Tinghan couldn’t figure out the reasons. In the end, it had closed down. After several months, he didn’t immediately recognize it when he saw it again.
Lu Tinghan said, “We said back then that we would try again next year during the flowering season.” He put his arm around Shi Yuan’s shoulder and smiled, “Now is the time, Shi Yuan. Congratulations, you have another flower shop.”
