Duoduo knocked on Xu Jinxin's door. The door opened, and Xu Jinxin walked out from inside.
"Duoduo, are you here to play with Yingniang? Come on in!"
Duoduo smiled and looked Xu Jinxin over. "Aunt Xu, are you and sister doing alright?"
Xu Jinxin pulled Duoduo into the room. "We're both fine, why do you ask?"
Xu Jinxin suddenly realized, "Is your mother seasick?"
Duoduo nodded, and Yingniang ran over.
"Duoduo, is the Princess Consort seasick? Just have her go outside for a walk and she'll be fine!"
"When I took a boat for the first time, I got seasick too, and it was so awful!"
Yingniang couldn't wait to share this with Duoduo.
"Sister, my mother is already fine. I gave her some medicine."
Seeing that Xu Jinxin and Yingniang were both fine, Duoduo finally let go of her anxiety.
Yingniang pulled Duoduo to sit down. "Duoduo, let's play Gomoku. I was just playing chess with my mother."
Duoduo nodded. She reached out to grab a chess piece when she suddenly realized that the luminous pearl in her hand was gone!
Duoduo sprang to her feet.
"Sister, Aunt Xu, I just remembered I have something to do. I have to go!"
Saying this, Duoduo pattered away, running back the way she came.
She remembered holding the luminous pearl tightly in her hand all the way into her mother's room.
Later, when she administered acupuncture to her mother, the luminous pearl was no longer in her hand.
Therefore, the luminous pearl must still be in her mother's room.
Yingniang watched Duoduo run off so fast, feeling quite confused.
"Mother, why did Duoduo run away right after she came? Wasn't she here to play with me?"
Xu Jinxin rubbed Yingniang's head.
"Duoduo was probably worried about us getting seasick, so she came over specifically to check on us."
"Besides, she just said she had something to do, which is why she left."
"Alright, it's your turn to move now."
Yingniang's attention was drawn back, and she began to ponder her next move.
Duoduo quickly ran back to Su Xian's room.
Su Xian was already feeling much better. She was sitting by the window, looking at the scenery outside.
"Duoduo, you're back?" Su Xian greeted Duoduo.
"Mother, are you alright now?" Duoduo greeted her while looking all over the floor.
"Much better, thank you, Duoduo. What are you looking for?"
Su Xian noticed Duoduo's actions.
"Mother, I dropped something. I'm looking for it."
Duoduo searched around the room but found nothing.
She had searched all around as she retraced her steps back from Yingniang's place.
It wasn't on the way!
And now, it wasn't in the room either!
It seemed the luminous pearl was truly lost!
Duoduo felt a little dejected.
Seeing Duoduo looking so disappointed, Su Xian slowly walked over and pulled Duoduo into her arms.
"What did you lose that's making you so upset?"
Duoduo tilted her little head up. "Nothing. I just bought a pearl and wanted to show it to you, Mother, but I lost it somewhere along the way."
Su Xian recalled how nervous Duoduo looked when she had rushed into the room earlier, guessing that Duoduo's item must have been lost right around then.
"Never mind! Don't be sad, Mother will find a prettier one for you another day!"
Su Xian stroked Duoduo's little face to comfort her.
Duoduo didn't dare tell the truth, worried that her mother would also get anxious if she knew it was a luminous pearl that was lost.
"Mother, I'll accompany you for a walk outside," Duoduo said, holding Su Xian's hand.
"Alright." Su Xian also wanted to adapt to life on the ship as quickly as possible.
After all, they would be living on this ship for over a month.
If she stayed seasick all the time, her days would be miserable.
Just as Duoduo reached the door, Yun Xiao came over, holding a box in his hands.
"Your subordinate greets the Princess and the Princess Consort. His Highness ordered me to deliver this box to the Princess."
Duoduo nodded. "Thank you for your hard work. Please help me put it in the room."
"Mother, let's go." Duoduo pulled Su Xian's hand and continued outside.
Having lost the luminous pearl, Duoduo had lost interest in any other pearls.
Su Xian was puzzled. "Duoduo, aren't you going to see what your father sent over?"
Duoduo shook her head.
Su Xian continued to urge her, "Who knows, it might be something rare and precious. Aren't you curious at all?"
Duoduo shook her head. "Mother, I know what's inside that box."
Su Xian was even more puzzled.
She could see that Duoduo's expression wasn't quite right, but since Duoduo wouldn't say anything, she didn't know how to comfort her.
"Duoduo, what did the thing you just lost look like?"
"Tell Mother, maybe Mother can find an identical one for you?"
Duoduo shook her head. "Mother, there won't be another one like it."
Duoduo thought for a moment and added, "Even Father said it was very rare!"
"Forget it, Mother. It's already lost. I'll be fine in a little while."
"Look, now that we're outside, do you feel a bit better?"
Seeing that Duoduo was in a bad mood but still cared about her health, Su Xian was deeply moved.
Su Xian stroked Duoduo's head.
"Don't you always advise Mother to look on the bright side?"
"Maybe that thing isn't lost at all, but just hiding in some place you don't know about."
"Perhaps one day it will just pop right out?"
Duoduo tilted her head and thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Mother, you're right!"
After saying that, a smile appeared on Duoduo's face.
"Mother, look, a bird!"
Seeing Duoduo finally smile, Su Xian also looked toward the water.
"Duoduo, coming out for a walk has made Mother feel so much better."
Duoduo stayed close to Su Xian's side as they looked at the distant scenery together.
"Mother, Li Jiangyu said the ocean is even wider than this!"
"Who is Li Jiangyu?" Su Xian was a bit surprised; it was her first time hearing Duoduo mention this name.
"Mhm, he's the ship's boss! The box Yun Xiao just brought over has the pearls he found in the sea."
Pearls? Su Xian's eyes showed surprise.
"He said there are lots of fish in the ocean, as well as lots of seashells and coral."
Duoduo said, a look of longing on her face.
"Mother, where is the ocean?"
"Mother doesn't know either, but your father should know."
At the mention of her father, Duoduo fell silent.
She didn't want to go look for Xiao Yi. Duoduo was worried that her father would ask about the luminous pearl.
Duoduo looked around. Suddenly, she saw Li Jiangyu at the stern of the ship holding a pole, doing who knows what.
"Mother, I want to go over and see what Li Jiangyu is doing."
Li Jiangyu? Su Xian looked over following Duoduo's line of sight.
She saw a tall, strong, bearded man at the stern, staring at the water as if in a daze.
"Go ahead, Mother is going back." Su Xian turned around to head back.
Just then, a wave crashed over, and the ship rocked gently.
Su Xian was already unsteady on her feet, and with this rock, she instantly fell to the ground.
"Mother!" Duoduo was frightened and hurriedly went to help her mother up.
Su Xian was also startled, but her first reaction was to comfort Duoduo.
"Don't be afraid, Duoduo, Mother is fine!"
The next second, Su Xian felt as though she were a little chick, being hoisted up into the air by someone.
