Pandora’s Box

I was also very embarrassed. For Lu Feng, I didn’t know what his grades were in those years. Cheng Yichen, Zhuo Wenyang, and Ke Luo were all top students. However, it may be difficult for them to celebrate the idea of me getting 60 points.

It was okay. Let me, a natural-born idiot, could lead them for a joyous experience of flying at low altitudes that they had never been in!

When it came to hanging out, Ke Luo was in high spirits. “Okay, where are we going?”

So we had a heated discussion for a while, from Japan and South Korea to Singapore, Malaysia to Europe and then the United States, from Hokkaido to Jeju Island to Koi Samui to Machi Picchu and to the African Savannah. Only Lu Feng was focusing on breaking crab shells in an unsightly way, disengaged from the group’s conversation.

So Cheng Yichen stretched out his finger and poked the man who then transformed from a hedgehog to a rice bucket (silly idiot).

Lu Feng immediately suggested, “I’m fine, you choose and I’ll pay.”

Okay, he didn’t need to do much, as this one thing was enough.

Then Lu Feng placed the broken crab claw meat into Cheng Yichen’s bowl.

“…..” Damn = = This dog food was hard to guard against.

In the end, I chose to go to the island to celebrate in our vacation of “Lin Jing did not fail his exams.”

Although Cheng Yichen enthusiastically expressed that he would be fine wherever we went, everyone tacitly understood that his health was not great. Therefore, the Amazon jungle and African Rift Valley were not considered. It was better to find a place with beautiful sceneries. On an island, we could go eat and drink while enjoying the ocean view, swimming and snorkeling on our free time before heading back to rest at any time whenever one was tired.

Of course, if we didn’t take him with us, we younger folks could go wherever we liked. However, I would then feel that something was missing and would be quickly bored.

I would rather bask in the sun and sleep peacefully with them on the island, living like an aging Buddhist.

Regarding this trip, Lu Feng originally suggested to simply reserve an entire island to save us the trouble, but Cheng Yichen sternly vetoed it.

I found that although Cheng Yichen was very generous and would try his best to provide high-quality enjoyment, he disliked unnecessary excess and extravagance.

After being around Lu Feng for many years, he was still able to maintain this mentality. It could be said that he remained unstained from mud!

I was exhausted as I landed into the airport. I was still a little drowsy because I woke up early and the journey was long. After waiting to take a seaplane to the resort, the view from the porthole gradually expanded from half-closed to an endless scene. The coral reef island was covered with tropical plants and surrounded by a light blue halo, jolting me awake.

I was not a person who had never seen the world but this significance was akin to the tears of God, pearls of the ocean, and had such enchanting beauty.

I felt that this trip was worthwhile.

After 20 minutes of sailing, we approached the island we reserved. From above, the sea water of this tiny island was so blue that it seemed unrealistic. There were large bodies of transparent blue, pure blue, calm blue, and infinite blue, as if it slowly consumed the entire world.

Facing this breathtaking, mystical scenery, I could only sincerely shout out, “Damn it!”

Alas, I still suffered from being uncouthly.

The island advocated and encouraged guests to not wear shoes and I happily complied.

Usually at home, my feet repelled shoes. Cheng Yichen always chided me to not go barefoot all the time, saying that if I didn’t wear slippers, my feet would get dirty and I would catch a cold. There was nothing he could do about it now.

I swaggered around barefoot in front of him, feeling naughty.

Cheng Yichen watched me helplessly, “I knew it. Are you happy?”

I ran around him in circles, “Hey, hey, hey!”

The island was surrounded by lush greenery. The more we walked towards the villa with the guide who led us, the more it felt like we were diving deeper into the jungle. The villa was also surrounded by dense bushes and coconut trees. With my bare feet, I walked on the slightly moist soil, feeling the subtle touch from both soles of my feet. The liberation made me feel like a deer in the forest, bouncing wonderfully free.

I chose the island as a vacation destination for Cheng Yichen. So didn’t he also recommend this island because of me?

Check-in was complete and the rest of the time was dedicated to leisure.

I hastily ate and slathered on sunscreen, planning to run to the beach and play.

Because the atmosphere was too tranquil and relaxed, I ended up not going into the water and decided to simply rest on the private beach’s recliner bed. I basked in the sun like a disabled person, watching the sun descend little by little into a sunset.

I didn’t look for my mobile phone for the rest of the day and forgot to play games.

Contrary to my habit of staying up late, I did not care for that and nestled in the big bed early, surrounded by snow-white curtains. In the thick jungle, I listened to the sound of insects and took advantage of the beautiful moonlight as I drifted off to a good night of sleep.

I went to bed early and woke up the next morning. After washing up, I walked out of the room and found Zhuo Wenyang awake as well.

Seeing me, he smiled, “You’re so early.”

“Morning.”

He was already neatly dressed unlike me, who looked like I was going to stay in bed today while waiting for the housekeeper to deliver food. I asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to take a walk and have breakfast,” he glanced at me and replied, “There is also an organic vegetable garden here, where you can pick fresh vegetables and fruits. Do you want to go with me?”

My spirits immediately lifted up, “Okay, okay.”

However, when I went out, I was worried. The island was very, very big and it was designed to look sparsely populated. The villa Lu Feng reserved was ridiculously humungous, and I felt already exhausted as I headed downstairs. Once we went out further, it would definitely stretch out further.

“How are we going?”

“By riding a bicycle.” Zhuo Wenyang pointed to the bicycles parked next to the villa for residents to freely use. I was baffled.

The idea of riding side by side with Zhuo Wenyang, biking through the forest path and letting the breeze blow on my face was picturesque, but…

“I can’t do this.”

Zhuo Wenyang asked, “Huh?”

I immediately felt a little shy and admitted, “I don’t know how to ride a bike.”

There shouldn’t be many people who didn’t know how to ride a bicycle. After all, it was a common childhood memory for most, with parents holding onto the tail end of the bike, children peddling hard in the front as they staggered and did their best to learn how to ride a bicycle.

But I didn’t have that.

No one taught me how to.

Zhuo Wenyang looked at me. He didn’t say “Why not, it’s very simple” when he heard that I didn’t know how to ride a bicycle like others. He simply looked at me as if he understood and said, “I will take you.”

“?!!!!”

Zhuo Wenyang took the bike and rode on it. His long legs easily supported the bicycle with ease, and he called out to me, “Come over.”

“…..”

I didn’t know how to sit for a moment, so could I just sit on it? Or should I wait until he started riding and then jump on it? Sit with both legs on the same side like a girl? Or did I have to sit with legs apart?

I froze and Zhuo Wenyang looked back at me.

“…..”

I had never felt so nervous and timid like when I took Lee’s supercar for the first time when I was younger.

Seeing me standing still, Zhuo Wenyang tilted his head confusedly, “What’s wrong?”

I finally headed over, with my nose tip facing Zhuo Wenyang’s back and carefully placing my buttocks on the narrow back seat.

Zhuo Wenyang announced, “Let’s go.” Then he pedaled steadily, the bicycle carrying the weight of the two of us, slightly creaking and riding on the road leisurely.

At first, I was still worried about whether I was too heavy, whether I was sitting improperly and affecting his riding… Soon, these messy thoughts were blown away into the beautiful morning breeze as I rode with Zhuo Wenyang.

From time to time, there were rabbits jumping out of the forest onto the road. Birds were chirping and the oncoming wind had a strong aroma of leaves.

Zhuo Wenyang’s back in a fitted snow-white shirt was right in front of my eyes. I could see the outlines of his muscles and even if I didn’t touch them, I could imagine the hidden power underneath. There was also a faint scent of sweat on his body, smelling pleasant and clean, better than all fragrances of the world.

Originally, my hands were tightly grasping onto the iron railing of the back seat, behaving properly. Now involuntarily, my hands were itching to move.

I sighed half-truthfully, “This bike is so small. It feels like I’m about to fall at any moment.”

Zhuo Wenyang smiled and said, “Then you need to hold on tight.”

I replied, “Okay.” Then brazenly, I grabbed his waist with both hands.

Zhuo Wenyang shivered as if he was slightly ticklish, but didn’t say anything.

In the silence that followed, the elation in my heart was indescribable. This was a hundred times better than sitting in the back seat of Lu Feng’s Rolls-Royce and letting the boss drive for me.

I suddenly had a brief flash of deja vu. It seemed that at some point in time, I also felt similar inexplicable happiness. There was this joyous moment that made me feel like I was a whole new person.

However, I couldn’t pinpoint it as I couldn’t remember.

Sitting in this backseat with a sore butt, for the first time, I wished the distance was longer since it felt like the journey was too short.

We arrived early and there were not many people in the open-air restaurant.

This restaurant looked minimalistic but it was surrounded by the beautiful ocean breeze, beach, and coconut trees. There weren’t any magnificently decorated countertops and luxurious decorations. The tables and chairs were made of logs and placed directly on the sandy floor. Pots and pans were made out of rough pottery, looking like it belonged in the countryside’s kitchen.

Compared with the price of luxury, this appearance had nothing to do with such. However, it didn’t matter anymore. Sitting and eating with Zhuo Wenyang felt more luxurious than anything else.

Zhuo Wenyang smiled and asked, “Do you think this is not worth the money?”

Did this guy have mind reading abilities?

I admitted, “The food is still delicious.”

The food itself wasn’t light at all. There were more than 20 types of fruits displayed such as cantaloupe, guava, lime, rambutan, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya, pomegranate, coconut, mangosteen, …everything was neatly arranged and the stalls were full.

What was more was that breakfast consisted of rice noodles, shrimp dumplings, scrambled eggs, grilled eel, and very sweet juices and jams that were suitable for my appetite.

Zhuo Wenyang said with a smile, “The main reason is that the concept of the design of this entire resort is not solely based on opulence. It centers around nature and environmental concerns so it appears relatively simple. Have you noticed that you haven’t come across a plastic bottle? The water here is from the ocean that has been desalinated and treated, and the glasses were recycled from glass waste. In order to reduce carbon footprint, they don’t rely on using disposable plastic bottles.”

I half understood and inquired, “What’s wrong with plastic bottles?”

“Plastic,” he said after thinking for a while, “originally, when the first plastic was invented, the inventors thought that it would save the planet because people would no longer need to cut down trees for paper bags. After all, the energy of making a paper bag can make a thousand plastic bags. Yet, they didn’t expect that plastic bags would be thrown away…” He continued on to talk about micro-plastic pollution, permanent toxicity it produced, micro-plastics ingested by humans, the never ending cycle, and speaking of King Midas…

I even forgot to drink my juice, staring blankly at him.

He seemed a little embarrassed, “Is it a bit too disappointing for me to share this?”

I shook my head like a rattle, “How could that be?!”

Everything was a compelling story and could open up a new world with him. With him, I could never feel bored.

After taking our time eating breakfast, we gave up our original plan to head to the organic garden to pick fruits and vegetables because it was getting late. So, we returned by bicycle.

This time, as soon as I sat down, I placed my hand on his waist generously and pretended nothing of it.

Starved the timid to death and also starved the bold to death! I was shameless.

After returning to the hotel vila, I heard a sound of “Wuhu~~~” from the second floor’s terrace as I walked downstairs to the swimming pool. Looking up, I spotted Ke Luo sliding down the slide directly from the terrace into the swimming pool. He dropped into the water like a cannonball, splashing us both on the head and face.

“…..” How old were you and you still acted childishly like this.

Ke Luo emerged from the bottom of the pool and spat out water from his mouth. He shouted at us, “You two! Where did you go to eat by yourselves?”

I was smug and guilty at the same time. I hummed and said, “Who told you to wake up so late?”

He shook his head and sighed, “The early birds get their own food, and the late dogs get dog food.”

Then he got out of the water and went ashore. He grabbed a towel, wiped his face and head, and said smilingly, “This slide is quite fun. Let’s play together later.”

I could care less about the slide but Ke Luo’s muscle definition surprised me even though I knew he was in good shape. First, it was not hot before we came here. Second, none of us would run around shirtless at home. We were all properly dressed in either a T-shirt or tank top.

This was the first time that I saw Ke Luo openly topless and wearing only swimming trunks. Looking at his back, pectoral, and abdominal muscles, I felt ashamed to compare my muscle content to his body.

Same with the sports department, why was I so behind? Because I simply didn’t go to the gym, were they all blessed?

“Look at Ke Luo’s muscle definition,” I tsked-tsked personally to Zhuo Wenyang. “What is his routine? I didn’t realize his arms are so strong when he wore clothes, and those abdominal muscles are really awesome.”

“…..”