Jiang Si had no idea that this person had gone to the beach early in the morning and stood in the cold wind for two hours.
She was even more unaware that he had bought so many things for her.
Due to seasickness, Jiang Si had barely slept since last night.
Even after taking motion sickness pills, she still felt nauseous—nothing seemed to help.
At her worst, she even considered turning back and giving up on the trip.
Fortunately, Jiang Si was somewhat lucky. The older woman sharing her cabin noticed how severely she was suffering from the seasickness and took special care of her throughout the journey.
She fetched water for her, bought meals for her, and even brought back a few green-skinned oranges from the dining hall when she saw someone selling them.
On the other hand, Su Wanwan, staying in the second-class cabin, wasn’t as fortunate.
Her cabinmates were an elderly couple.
The old man had a heavy smoking habit—his pipe barely left his hand from the moment he entered the room.
He puffed away during the day, then coughed incessantly at night. Just when the coughing subsided, the old woman started snoring like a power drill, loud enough to make one’s ears ache.
The couple also brought along their seven- or eight-year-old grandson, who not only bounced around the cabin all day but also had sticky fingers.
Earlier, when Su Wanwan and Yu Manli stepped out to use the restroom, they returned to find their belongings ransacked by the child.
A few missing pieces of walnut cake? Su Wanwan could let that slide.
But the little brat had also gotten into her box of "Jing Ba Jian"—a premium pastry set she had painstakingly carried all the way from the capital, intending to gift it to Huo Tingzhou the next morning.
From her past life’s experience, she knew that if Huo Tingzhou accepted her gift, he would naturally show her more consideration in the future.
With such exchanges, wouldn’t they gradually become friends?
She had even rehearsed what to say to him tomorrow, down to the exact tone—only for this wretched child to ruin everything!
Su Wanwan instantly lost her composure.
"You little brat! Are you some starving ghost reborn? Stealing others’ food—hope your heart and stomach rot!"
"Wanwan…"
Yu Manli was the first to be stunned.
In her eyes, Su Wanwan was as gentle and kind as her name suggested—the type who wouldn’t even step on an ant.
How could such a person resort to a street-style shouting match?
Noticing Yu Manli’s shocked expression, Su Wanwan didn’t bother explaining.
In her past life, she had repressed her emotions for too long, eventually sinking into severe depression.
Now that she had a second chance, she refused to suffer in silence anymore!
The old couple had initially felt a twinge of guilt over their grandson’s misbehavior.
But Su Wanwan’s outburst erased any trace of remorse—instead, they felt their grandson had been wronged.
"Who are you calling a brat?"
"He’s just a child! So what if he ate a few of your things? A scolding would’ve been enough!"
"What kind of heartless person curses a child like that?"
Su Wanwan sneered. "If he hadn’t stolen, I wouldn’t have cursed him."
"I cursed him because he’s sick—if he weren’t sick, why would I curse him?"
"You’re the sick one! Your whole family’s sick!" the old woman snapped.
"You cursed me, so you’re the sick one! If you weren’t sick, why would you curse me?"
What kind of nonsense was this?
The old couple’s heads spun from her roundabout logic.
Outmatched in the argument and with a growing crowd in the corridor, the old man suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor.
The old woman immediately took the cue, accusing Su Wanwan of pushing him.
The commotion eventually drew the ship’s security officers.
What could they do? The old man was elderly—there was no way to resolve it fairly. In the end, both sides were reprimanded.
As for Su Wanwan’s request to change cabins, the crew tried mediating, but no one was willing to swap.
After such a scene, who would risk being extorted by this couple?
And so, Su Wanwan and Yu Manli spent the rest of their time in a silent standoff with the old couple.
After enduring a full day and night, the ship was finally less than an hour from docking.
Su Wanwan, no longer in the mood to argue, hurriedly packed a clean set of clothes to freshen up in the washroom.
After being cooped up in that smoky cabin, she felt filthy from head to toe.
She needed a thorough wash and a fresh, stunning look—something to captivate Huo Tingzhou at first sight.
But just as she reached the washroom door, she found it locked. She quickly sought out a crew member.
"Comrade, could you open the washroom? I need to clean up."
"Can’t do that. We’ve run out of fresh water on board."
Su Wanwan’s vision darkened at the news.
With no other choice, she gritted her teeth and changed into fresh clothes in the ship’s restroom, fighting back disgust.
An hour later, the ship docked steadily at Xiuying Port in Coconut City.
The line of passengers disembarking was long, and Jiang Si wasn’t in any particular hurry, so she decided to stay in her room a little longer.
Only when most of the passengers had left did she finally pick up her luggage and make her way off the ship.
Su Wanwan had the same idea.
Worried that the crowded dock might make it hard for Huo Tingzhou to spot her, she had deliberately waited until now.
However, her mind was entirely preoccupied with Huo Tingzhou.
She didn’t even notice Jiang Si walking behind her, barely ten meters away.
"Wanwan, look! He’s here to pick you up!"
Yu Manli’s sharp eyes caught sight of a tall, imposing figure in the distance.
Following her pointed finger, Su Wanwan looked up.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Her face grew warm.
As if sensing her gaze, Huo Tingzhou also glanced over.
Watching him stride toward her, Su Wanwan couldn’t help but smile.
Was it her imagination, or was the way he looked at her different now?
And—he was actually smiling at her!
Her joy soared. Her decision had been the right one after all.
At this moment, she couldn’t maintain the demure restraint expected of a young lady—she just wanted to reach his side as quickly as possible.
She broke into a light run.
"Brother Huo, I’m so happy to see you!"
Just as Su Wanwan was about to call out those words, Huo Tingzhou walked straight past her without even a glance.
He didn’t spare her a single extra look.
All his attention was fixed on the person behind Su Wanwan.
Jiang Si was walking along when suddenly, a wall-like figure appeared in her line of sight.
Then, a large, well-defined hand reached out.
Huo Tingzhou took her suitcase in one hand while the other hovered protectively near her shoulder—close enough to shield her without touching, creating a secure half-circle around her.
Jiang Si blinked, her eyes filled with confusion.
She wasn’t flustered—just completely caught off guard by Huo Tingzhou’s sudden appearance.
"The dock is crowded. Let’s talk more once we’re away from here."
Jiang Si nodded. "Alright."
The two walked side by side, chatting as if no one else existed, their familiarity resembling that of a long-married couple.
Huo Tingzhou had been blocking Jiang Si from view earlier, so Su Wanwan hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face.
But as the pair drew closer—
Su Wanwan’s pupils constricted sharply at the sight of Jiang Si’s breathtakingly beautiful features.
How was this possible?
Why was she here—
