CH 33

The person on her door was wearing a fiery red halter dress, her fragrant shoulders were half exposed, her black and soft long black hair was let loose, and her collarbones were looming, flamboyant and sexy. Her eyes were curved like crescent moons, and there was a happy smile on her lips: "Happy New Year."

Lu Zhiqiao stared at her blankly, suddenly thought that she was dreaming, and there was a hint of joy in her dark eyes: "You..." Suddenly realized that her expression was wrong, her throat choked, her lips pursed, and the luster in her eyes dimmed, pretending to be half surprised and half indifferent: "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to play." Qi Yan raised her brows slightly, and under her smile was a deep uneasiness.

She came here to give Lu Zhiqiao a surprise. She originally wanted to take the same flight with the two, but she wasn't able to book a ticket, so she booked to fly over the day before. She had already stayed here for one night, and she only booked two nights in total. She doesn't know where to go after tonight.

She calculated the time and waited at the corner of the stairs, watching the mother and daughter enter the room, hesitating whether to knock on the door, before she could think clearly, her legs had already taken initiative, and then her hands didn't listen. The moment she knocked on the door, she had no way out, lowered her expectations to the lowest, and comforted herself as if she was revisiting an old place and just happened to meet an acquaintance.

"By the way, I'd like to say Happy New Year to you in person."

After she finished speaking, she raised her mobile phone, and there were unanswered WeChat messages on the screen.

Lu Zhiqiao glanced at her, and there were layers of ripples in her heart, mixed with surprise and warmth, but her expression was still calm: "When did you arrive?"

"Yesterday."

"How do you know that we're staying in this hotel?" Asking this, she lowered her eyes sheepishly, pretending to be calm.

Her face reflected in Qi Yan's eyes, and she felt a little nervous. Naturally, the other woman didn't notice it, and lied, "Coincidence. I wanted to live in a hotel by the beach, so I chose this place. I just saw you coming up here. Doesn't this just mean that we are destined?"

No coincidence, she must have seen it that night. Lu Zhiqiao thought.

"Aren't you supposed to go home to accompany your parents during Chinese New Year?"

Qi Yan smiled, and shook her head helplessly: "My parents have already flown to the southern hemisphere for vacation, how can they still remember me as a daughter." Her lips curved up, slightly relieved when she didn't say anything. But she was still self-conscious, so she said: "Okay, I won't bother you, I'll go to the beach to take pictures."

She is holding a camera in her other hand.

Lu Zhiqiao suddenly remembered the photo of the nude girl, and the hot red bikini… She is still wearing winter clothes, and the temperature was already hot at nearly 30 degrees, but now it became even hotter, and her ears became dry.

Just as she was about to speak, her daughter ran over and pushed her aside, her eyes lit up: "Teacher Qi?!"

Qi Yan who had turned around was stunned.

"Ahhhh, Teacher Qi!" The little girl pushed Lu Zhiqiao away completely, jumped out excitedly and took Qi Yan's arm, her small face smiled like a delicate flower, "I thought you really weren't coming…"

After a pause, she turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Lu Zhiqiao: "Mom is so good at lying, she even said she wouldn't bring Teacher Qi, but she brought her secretly."

"..."

The atmosphere was suddenly awkward.

Lu Zhiqiao frowned slightly, and gave Qi Yan a guilty look, but Qi Yan also looked at her thoughtfully, their eyes collided, and they were like sticky glue together, entwined for a moment before separating.

"Teacher Qi brought a camera, hey, it's time to take pictures, mom, we—"

"Niu Niu." Lu Zhiqiao snorted and pulled her daughter back.  She was worried that Qi Yan would be annoyed by the child's ignorance, she didn't reject the idea in her heart, but she had to wait for Qi Yan to take the initiative and express her opinion.

If she agrees, then it's good, if she refuses, at least she saved face.

Qi Yan thought it was a refusal, and swallowed back the words she wanted to say, the loss in her eyes flashed away, she knew that Lu Zhiqiao didn't want to be disturbed, so she cooperated with a smile and said: "Maybe some other time, I want to take pictures of the scenery today, I'm gonna go first, bye."

She said knowingly.

The moment she turned around, Lu Zhiqiao's heart sank.

It was just after noon, the sun near the equator was at its peak, and the golden beach was hot and shiny. There were many people downstream of the coconut grove, men, women and children with different colors, wearing swimsuits, shorts and bikinis, some lying on the beach and sunbathing.  Some went into the water carefully holding a floating board. The sea water piled up fine and white waves and rushed ashore, soaking a piece of soft mud and fine sand.

If you look around, there are many blonde beauties with hot bodies, and there are also two or three black beauties with long legs and hips.

Lu Zhiqiao is wearing a long snow-colored dress. The tulle texture is light and elegant, and it drapes smoothly. The open-shoulder style is warm and quiet, but also a bit sexy.  Daughter and mother wore the same style, parent-child outfit.

The mother and daughter put on plenty of sunscreen before going out, and each wore a camel sun hat.  There are two deer antlers on Lu Wei's hat, short and soft; very cute. She is so excited that she bounces when she walks. If Lu Zhiqiao have not forbade her from running too far, she would have jumped into the sea by now.

There is a stone sculpture standing in the middle of the beach. It looks like a fisherman in rags, with a harpoon in his right hand and a string of fish in his left hand, but he is carrying a surfboard on his back, which is a bit funny. English notes are engraved on the square base at the bottom, to the effect of the history and culture of the island.

Lu Zhiqiao stopped to look at it, and translated it to her daughter. The little girl was absent-minded, and her attention was all attracted by the person pushing the kayak on the beach.

"Mom, shall we go kayaking?"

"Okay, let's go."

There are many shops along the coast where you can rent all kinds of equipment and kayaks for self-rental and play. Unlike domestic attractions, the shops will only talk about basic methods and precautions. The mother and daughter rented a two-person boat. They rode one before, and it was easy to get started, and they found the groove as soon as they entered the water.

There are sparkling waves on the boundless sea, and the waves are rushing towards the shore. Three or five muscular teenagers are playing with the sea water on surfboards.  Shrunk into white dots one by one, and then faintly disappeared under the horizon.

Lu Zhiqiao squinted her eyes and looked into the distance, her eyes stretched infinitely without end, and her mood gradually calmed down like this wide sea.

However, her heart was empty and full of melancholy.

"Mom, hurry up, the people next to us are going to overtake us." Her daughter's voice brought her back to her thoughts, she glanced left and right, and several more kayaks were launched into the water.

Lu Wei paddled hard by herself, insisting on competing with others, her white and tender face held back her strength, her cheeks arched, and she rowed seriously. Lu Zhiqiao turned to look at her daughter, her heart softened and burst out laughing: "Niu Niu, we don't compete, we paddle slowly."

She said so with her mouth, but her hands increased their movements and strength.

Because she couldn't swim, Lu Zhiqiao didn't dare to paddle too far, so she went to the other side of the bay and circled around. The mother and daughter paddled back, floating on the sea, basking in the sun, watching others surfing and playing, and when they got tired, they went ashore.

There are green shadows of coconut groves on the shore, and the warm wind is blowing.

There was someone half lying down under the parasol eating ice cream, and her daughter wanted to eat it too, so Lu Zhiqiao took her to buy it. After shopping and returning to the beach, a red shadow flashed in her eyes. She subconsciously followed it with her gaze, passed through the tourists in front of her, and finally landed obliquely in front of her.

Qi Yan stood under the coconut tree, her waist-length hair loose, and the fiery red dress was sexy and attractive, very eye-catching. She was facing sideways, her black and soft long hair was blown by the wind in a swaying arc, revealing the large expanse of fair skin on the back; charming and provocative.

A ray of sunlight fell on the top of her head and poured down. She raised her hand to brush her hair, stretched, and then raised her camera as if she saw some rare scenery.

It can be seen that the corners of her mouth are slightly hooked up, showing a confident smile, which is soul-stirring.

Red like her, like a flame, burning freely and passionately.

Lu Zhiqiao looked at the woman silently, her heart beating violently, trembling, as if there was a fire burning in her chest, the scalding heat flowed down to her fingertips, causing a burst of numbness.

Suddenly, the woman put down the camera and turned her head.

Their eyes met, colliding fiercely, Lu Zhiqiao curled up her fingers, and took half a step back, the woman didn't move, watching her quietly, the distance was only a few meters away, the look in her eyes were dark and unclear, but she felt a trace of heat.

Like her soul being seized away.

With heat on her cheeks, Lu Zhiqiao hurriedly looked away as if nothing had happened. After a while, when she looked back, the person had disappeared.

….

After eating ice cream, Lu Wei excitedly ran to the beach to play in the water. There were several white children with high noses and deep eyes making sand sculptures. She didn't know where the courage came from, but she stumbled into it while speaking dumb English, and the communication was smooth.

Lu Zhiqiao found the shade of a coconut tree, spread out the cushions and sat down, took off her straw hat and sunglasses, and let the salty sea breeze blow over her face, blowing the broken hair on her forehead. She leaned against the tree trunk, straightened her legs, and squinted comfortably.  Raising her eyes, she quietly looked at the figure of her daughter playing.

She is watching her daughter and someone is watching her.

Leaning behind, Qi Yan quietly raised the camera, and took a few consecutive shots of the person sitting under the tree, and then the camera moved slightly to capture the little girl playing by the beach.

Different angles, different tones, light and dark lines from clear to subtle.

Lu Zhiqiao was lazily leaning against the tree trunk, her head tilted, her slightly curly black hair fell on her shoulders, and she wore an elegant and clean white dress with her thin ankles exposed at the hem of the skirt. She was comfortable and peaceful, exuding a warm and soft temperament.

She didn't know how many photos were taken, Qi Yan lowered her head to sift through, picking through one by one, but couldn't pick out one to delete, she wanted to keep every one.

She simply gave up on shooting, no matter how clear the camera lens is, it is not as good as her own eyes and heart.

She stared at them, the distance was only a few meters, she stretched out her legs and retracted them, she couldn't dare to disturb them after all.  Secretly like this, there is something to watch anyway, if Lu Zhiqiao is rashly startled, there would be nothing to watch.

The sea breeze is mixed with a hint of saltiness, gently caressing her hair and skirt, comfortable and lazy, and some people also become inexplicably sentimental.

When did she fall in love with her?

Maybe it was that early in the morning, when Lu Zhiqiao hurried back, she sat down in front of her daughter's bed distressed and helpless, and then wept in embarrassment, she was able to peek into the cracks of her inner world.  Maybe it was that evening, every word Lu Zhiqiao solemnly told her daughter pierced into her heart.  Maybe it was that morning, when Lu Zhiqiao got out of the strange man's car and chatted happily with him, she really felt the subtle sourness.  Maybe... There are many, many moments that she doesn't remember, which are honestly burned into her subconscious.

She likes her tear mole, her lips, she likes her from head to toe.

But she doesn't like her always picking on her as a teacher.

—One day you will be willing.

Qi Yan still remembered what she said, and now that she thinks about it, it seems like she's only comforting herself. Lu Zhiqiao won't like her, right?  Even if she would, it is only physiological; an instinct.

Even so, this can be regarded as hope, dripping into her long-drought and cracked heart, a trace of smoke suddenly emerged...

The sun glows like blood as it sets, and the rays dye the layers of clouds on the horizon red. On Roland Island, which is close to the equator, the day and night are of equal length throughout the year, and the dusk is very short. Today the sun sinks, and it will rise again in twelve hours.

When night fell, the whole main island became lively. Tents were set up on the beach, and the lights flickered along the coastline, making it hazy from a distance. The sky and the sea merged into one color, blurred in the dense darkness, the sky was full of bright stars, and a dim crescent moon rose up.

Lu Zhiqiao took her daughter to the city for a stroll, tasted the local specialties, and came back after walking around. The stomachs of the mother and daughter were full.

At about eight o'clock, a huge bonfire was ignited on the beach. Professional actors dressed up as the natives of Roland Island danced around the fire with a harpoon in their hands and chanted songs in their language, just like an ancient troubadour. The surrounding tourists continued to join, and the circle became bigger and bigger, and soon surrounded two or three layers.

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound.

Blossoming fireworks exploded in the night sky, and the colorful and shining colors were as bright as shooting stars, dyeing the sky as bright as day, and everyone looked up.

She doesn't know who lit the fireworks, they were arranged and combined to form a string of letters that exploded. If you look carefully, it spells a name of a person.

It seems that someone is pretending to be romantic. This thing looks fresh at first glance, but becomes boring after a long time. Lu Zhiqiao looked at it for a while, letting her ears thump with bang, and looked away.

The round of fireworks ended, there was a moment of silence, and another round rose.

"Mom!" The daughter suddenly grabbed her hand, tugging excitedly, "Look, look! It's your name!"

"?"

Lu Zhiqiao raised her head suddenly, and the night sky was full of light, showing a big "Qiao", followed by "Lu" and "Zhi", repeating "Qiao", repeating the cycle over and over again.

At that moment, her eyes were also lit up.

A little trick that has long been out of fashion, she felt bored watching others do it, but when it was her turn, her heart gradually became densely itchy. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, her name is hung in the sky, but not everyone can see it. That sense of mystery is unique.

Lu Zhiqiao blushed immediately, kept her head up until the fireworks burned out, and then looked around, looking for the figure of that person.

Amidst the vast sea of people and the dark night sky, it is difficult to distinguish.

Is it her?

....

After playing until ten o'clock, the mother and daughter dragged their tired bodies back to the hotel.

Lu Zhiqiao asked her daughter to take a bath, took out the adapter plug and connected it to charge the phone. She hasn't checked it all afternoon. There are two unread messages on WeChat, one is a news feed, and the other is from Qi Yan.

[Do the fireworks look good?]

She froze for a moment, slightly bent the corners of her tightly pursed lips, and typed a word: Rustic.

She just wanted to click send, but hesitated, it was someone's good intentions, and it will be really hurtful for her to say this on purpose, it was inappropriate. So she deleted it and re-edit the reply.

[I liked it very much]

[I'm following the trend of others, let's join in the fun and try the effect] Replied in seconds.

Lu Zhiqiao's eyes darkened, the corners of her mouth drooped, she slid her fingertips out of WeChat, pressed the lock screen, and ignored her. Then the screen never came on again.

Not long after, her daughter came out of the shower, and she took her nightgown into the bathroom.

She was a little tired from playing all afternoon. The hot water flowed down her taut back, washing away her exhaustion, the steam rose up, making the  mirror foggy, and her swaying shadows were looms. Lu Zhiqiao's cheeks were slightly flushed from the heat, and her eyes were fascinated, staring at her blurred figure in the mirror, a flash of ostentatious red flashed in her mind...

The more she washed, the more sleepy she became. She shook her head, speeded up, rubbed the shower gel a few times, and turned off the water to get dressed and applied skin care products.

"Mom~" Lu Wei ran into the bathroom and hugged her, "What are we going to play tomorrow?"

Lu Zhiqiao resisted the drowsiness, pondered for a moment, and said with a smile: "Let's rent a boat and go fishing."

"Okay!"

"Go to bed early."

The little girl looked at her eagerly, as if she still wanted to say something, but seeing her smearing her face and drooping eyelids in a sleepy manner, Niu Niu had no choice but to swallow her words.

....

The next morning, the duo were awakened by a knock on the door.

Lu Zhiqiao got up from the bed in a daze, opened the door, saw the person outside, and suddenly woke up from sleepiness. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the other party spoke first.

"I'm going to check out, I'm here to say goodbye to you." Qi Yan said calmly, with a small smile on her lips.

Lu Zhiqiao's heart tightened: "Go home?"

"No."

"That……"

Qi Yan wore a dark blue long-sleeved tulle dress today, white hot pants, and a black tube top inside, revealing half of her thin waist. It looked simple and cool, and it is two different styles from yesterday's charming and coquettish red dress.  She shrugged and explained: "This hotel is too popular. I booked the room late, and only booked the two nights, the day before yesterday and yesterday. It is very difficult for other hotels to open rooms now, so—"

"I'm going to go camping on the beach."

With that, she smiled wryly, lowering her gaze, feeling helpless.

Lu Zhiqiao pursed her lips, shrank her hand holding the door handle, and hesitated for a moment. It’s good that the camping site is fresh, but still, sleeping in a tent every day must be uncomfortable. Currently, it is peak tourist season and there are indeed full of people everywhere, and it’s hard to book a room, she knows about this too.

If she let Qi Yan stay here...

No, she didn't book a suite, because it was too late. The hotel only has a large standard room with two single beds, one is enough for her and her daughter, and another person is squeezed. How would they divide it?

"Mom!" Lu Wei picked up the slippers and came over. She heard the conversation between the two clearly just now, and said urgently, "Let Teacher Qi stay in our room!"

"Is it okay?" Qi Yan asked with a smile, looking up at Lu Zhiqiao.

Before Lu Zhiqiao could speak, the little girl took her hand and nodded vigorously: "Of course it's okay. I will sleep in the one bed, and you and mom will sleep in the same bed."

Author's Note:

Lu Mama: She is really my well-behaved and sensible daughter [gritting teeth.jpg]