Pandora’s Box

Zhuo Wenyang suddenly said, “Actually, our swimming pool doesn’t look bad at all.”

“Huh?” Of course, it wasn’t bad. But was it really that nice?

“Do you want to go swim for a while after lunch?”

“Ah?” He could still swim?

While chatting, Ke Luo came up to the second floor again, showing off his muscles and slid back down livelily.

“…..”

When Ke Luo was not talking, he looked like a cold and unapproachable domineering man. However, he was much more comedic and childish than me. I was about to complain, but when I turned around, I found that Zhuo Wenyang beside me disappeared.

“Hah? Where did you go?”

I looked around for a while until I saw the most memorable scene of this entire trip.

Zhuo Wenyang also changed into his swimming trunks and stepped out of the house.

I suddenly felt dizzy.

It was so dangerous.

If I truly didn’t have enough for breakfast, I’d have fainted into the pool on the spot. He usually wore button-up shirts and only changed into cotton pajamas when relaxing at home. He was gentle and meticulous.

But now, like Ke Luo, he was also topless and only wore swimming trunks, standing in the sun openly.

Unlike Ke Luo, he was very fair, too fair. His smooth, white skin glowed in the bright sun like a statue carved from jade.

It never occurred to me that he also worked out. After all, he was so pale, so white that he didn’t look like the type of person that would sweat or pant. He usually wore a shirt and sometimes looked thin in them.

However, the muscle definition of his body clearly indicated that I had blind dog eyes even though I was used to seeing beauty.

His figure and muscles did not lose out to Ke Luo at all. Expectingly, he also had everything that I was envious of. The visual impact was so powerful that for the first time, I felt at a loss and so shy in front of a man’s body.

Merely by looking at his face and upper body dazed me so I didn’t dare to look directly at him in the bright light, let alone had the slightest intention of looking at other places randomly.

Zhuo Wenyang then jumped into the water and briskly swam. His movements were stretched and smooth. He swam gracefully and easily, seemingly effortlessly, but still retained a lot of strength in each stroke.

Ke Luo was originally watching excitedly with his elbows resting on the edge of the pool, but he exclaimed with a smile, “Wow, how awesome, Wenyang!” Then he kicked his legs and also swam over.

The two of them sliced through the waves together in the water like two flexible fish of different colors.

I sat down on the sofa by the pool, dazedly. There was nothing else to say. I was so happy and my life was fulfilling.

I couldn’t remember what everyone had for lunch and it didn’t matter anyway. Zhuo Wenyang only swam for less than half an hour, but this dizzy feeling of happiness lasted for an entire afternoon.

In the evening, Lu Feng took us to eat at a Japanese restaurant on the beach because it had the most beautiful sunset and delicious fish.

During dinner, a man came over to our table and said with a smile, “What a coincidence, Mr. Lu. I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

He greeted Lu Feng flatteringly, but Lu Feng had no expression on his face and did not return the greetings. Lu Feng was like this. He did not need to fake politeness if he thought there wasn’t a need. I found this habit to be quite distasteful and offensive, but since it was Lu Feng, there really wasn’t anyone to be afraid of offending.

Even though he was cold, the man was not embarrassed and continued smiling. He looked at me strangely and then left with a polite and knowing smile.

The sashimi tonight was very succulent and delicious, enough to conquer taste buds of people who were not keen on eating raw food. Thus, I quickly forgot about this little episode.

However, this happiness lasted only for a day. The next morning, Zhuo Wenyang announced, “I have to go back.”

“Ah? Didn’t you agree to take a week off? It’s only been two days since we came here.”

Zhuo Wenyang apologized, “There’s an urgent issue with the company.”

Wasn’t it the point to come here to escape world problems? There was still a “no shoes, no work” sign on the island. How could anyone still handle work here? Lu Feng and Ke Luo was not in charge, but he was the only one who was still busy.

I felt frustrated and extremely disappointed.

“I’m going to the airport now and I should still be able to catch a flight back to T City,” he looked at me and continued, “I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

I felt exhausted as if my whole body was weak. I suddenly felt tired and wronged for him when I watched his back as he left alone in the morning light. At this age when most people were still in the ivory tower and didn’t care for world affairs, his luxury was a week’s worth of vacation.

Why was it so hard?

And there was nothing I could do to help.

I looked at Cheng Yichen as he watched his son with silent worry and distress. After a while, he sighed and said, “Wenyang is too stressed.”

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Luckily you’re here.”

“Ah?”

“He’s happy to be here with you; he’s very relaxed,” he looked at me and smiled. “It’s good to have you here.”

“…..” Really?

Zhuo Wenyang was not here. Although Lu Feng, Cheng Yichen, and Ke Luo were all here, I felt frustrated and bored all the time as if all excitement and laughter had nothing to do with me.

No one could ride with me anymore. So, I called the housekeeper to use a car and take me to the restaurant where I had breakfast yesterday, trying to live my memories of eating with Zhuo Wenyang.

However, it was past breakfast time and only lunch was served. Without Zhuo Wenyang, the seafood fried rice with rich and plump shrimp would not taste good.

I was uninterestedly poking at the wood-burning pizza on the plate and occasionally poked the tandoori chicken in front of me. I then felt a faint stare from a man. I turned my head to meet his gaze head on.

Seeing that I didn’t dodge or avoid, he smiled and waved at me before approaching.

I realized that he was the man who came to greet Lu Feng that night. I couldn’t recognize the face of this acquaintance but he asked me, “Are you Lin Jing?”

I was a little surprised. “Huh?”

“Sure enough,” he said, “You’ve changed a bit but you’re still recognizable.”

“Uh,” I asked, “Do we know each other?”

He smiled and said, “You don’t have an impression of me, do you? I had a deep impression of you back then.”

I stretched out my hand without hitting the smiling person. The other person looked friendly so I politely responded, “I’m sorry, I was ill before, affecting my memory and may cause me to forget some people.”

“Oh, really.” He raised his eyebrows suddenly and thoughtfully smiled, “No wonder.”

“Why did you come out to eat alone? Don’t you want to be with them?”

I replied, “Oh, Uncle Lu and others thought it was too hot so they ate at the villa at noon.”

He repeated, “Uncle Lu?” Then, he smiled again, “How interesting.”

A woman came over gracefully and by the looks of it, it was his female companion. She leaned against him and took his arm, whispering coquettishly. He smiled at me again, “I’ll head out first. I won’t bother you. I’ll talk to you later if I have a chance.”