Chapter 76 - Losing miserably: Stranded for one day!

In an H-shaped artificial island, two individuals were seen picking fruits under the hot sun. Both were wearing farming attire with a basket to store the ripe fruits. However the farming looks, the pairs were looking great working together. Sometimes, an occasional fight could be heard among the two people of the opposite gender.

"Squeeze it gently. Yes, good,"

"Wait, you can't pick that one! It's still green,"

"You should've told me earlier!"

"Haven't you seen a ripe peach?"

"I have. Who said I haven't?!"

"Then, why did you pick the green one?"

Bella Lim scowled at Eric Wu as she sat under a peach tree, a pout on her face. Seeing her sulking, Eric Wu shook his head as he took off the wide hat that shaded him from the hot weather. He sat beside her while using the hat as a fan.

"How did we become fruit pickers again?" Eric Wu asked as he unbuttoned the outer layer of his outfit. He looked at the woman who was staring at the young peach she had picked from the peach tree they currently leaned on.

"You lose in the race," she pointed out the truth. "Miserably...," she pressed on as she looked at Eric Wu who tsked at the fact being thrown at him.

"Well, who would have thought that we got a flat tire the second the flag went off," he scoffed. Bella Lim pursed her lips, trying to suppress her laughter. Eric Wu noticed this and he looked at her with a narrowed gaze.

"What?" he asked as he tried to pinch her cheek. However, she quickly shifted her body, successfully avoiding his hand. Eric Wu laughed when he saw her rolling her eyes.

Bella Lim hugged her knees as she stared at the harvest with green and deep golden fruits. It was hilarious, how she thought they could win the race when all of sudden, bad luck tampered with their vehicle, granting them the penalty to pick fruits at Madam Olivia's garden.

Then, she remembered the talk she had with Eric Wu before the race. Although she acted indifferent to his request, truthfully she anticipated the date he talked about. Sadly, they lose.

"How regretful," she mumbled. Her eyes showed a slight disappointment which disappeared like the flash of lighting.

Eric Wu was surprised. The words she said were interpreted well by his brain and the one-second frustration she shed didn't skip his eyes. He thought of teasing her but restrained from doing so because he didn't want her to misinterpret it as being playful. He couldn't help but ȧssociate the regret she had with the promise he made. This was an indirect affirmation that she too shared his feeling.

Eric Wu got up as he removed the dirt that was stuck on his pants. "I think we've picked enough. We should go back," he suggested as he held out his right hand to ȧssist Bella Lim to stand up. He saw the contemplation on her face whether to accept his hand or not.

In the end, she took his hand with a quick 'thank you'. When their hands touched, both could feel the electricity that ran across their veins. Instead of pain, what they felt was craving and dėsɨrė... the dėsɨrė to hold each other's hands forever. However, none discussed the matter.

Eric Wu and Bella Lim left the peach garden and moved towards the bridge of the island. The bridge was the horizontal land that connected both the vertical gardens. All the buildings and the only docks in this man-made island were in this area.

"Hmm, where is everybody?" Bella Lim looked around. When they came here this morning, the place was lively.

Unlike right now...

Not a single soul could be seen within the perimeter. Eric Wu went towards the closest building and Bella Lim followed behind. The buildings were the residential area, living quarters for the workers. This morning, they even greeted some of the workers, a contrast to the dismay they felt at the moment. These buildings were empty as well.

Bella Lim and Eric Wu looked at each other with their brows knitted, before they came up with a tacit understanding. They ran to the dock, only to find out that their boat was nowhere to be seen. Plus, the other boats that were there when they first came were gone as well.

"Eric, what is happening?" Bella Lim uttered as her eyes scanned the area. When she heard no reply, she made another round in the residential area, leaving Eric Wu alone at the dock.

Eric Wu didn't notice that Bella Lim had left as he was occupied with the phone in his hand. Just now, it was vibrating non-stopped inside his pocket. When he took out his phone, he saw one new long message from his mother. With an eyebrow arched, he tapped on the notification and read the lengthy message his mother sent to him.

[My son Eric, I heard from Lu Fei that there is discord between you and Bella. So, please use this time to mend your misunderstanding with her. Tomorrow afternoon, all the workers will return and I'll send a boat to fetch you guys. I know she is special to you and based on my awesome observation, you're special to her too. So my son, please be proactive! Your mom is waiting for the good news! P.S: You can find the key to my cottage under the rug. Bye!]

'Another setup, huh?' Eric Wu chuckled as he turned to his left, the side where Bella Lim was standing earlier. However, what he saw was the ocean and not her.

Worried that she got lost, Eric Wu searched for her.

Meanwhile, Bella Lim was walking on a walkway in front of the residential buildings when she heard a ding sound; the notification sound she ȧssigned for any incoming message. She walked towards a gazebo at the end of the walkway and sat on one of the stools. She took out her phone and start reading the new chat. An amused look appeared on her face after reading the content.

'I see,' she thought, eyes staring at the unique man-made island. She remembered that it took them two hours to reach here by a speed boat. Since this was a private island, no one except Madam Olivia's personnel was given permission to make a stop here.

'Heh, this was her plan all along? Lu Fei must've known about this. Little pumpkin... he is a smart child, so he will understand their intention and will not cause much ruckus if I'm gone for one day,' Bella Lim chuckled.

At that time, Eric Wu who was searching for Bella Lim was running around, anxiously looking for her. He was relieved the moment he saw her at the gazebo in front of the residential buildings.

"Bella!" he called and walked as fast as he could to reach her. When he came close, he noticed that she was staring at the phone on his hand.

"You receive Olivia's message?" she asked while pointing to the phone he was holding.

"You got one too?" Eric Wu returned a question.

[Extra punishment - stranded for one day! *Wink* I'll take care of little Ryan and do your best dealing with your nemesis!]

Eric Wu subconsciously took a deep breath, thankful that her mom was still thoughtful. It would be awkward if she sent her a message telling her to woo him because she wasn't that kind of person. Even if he stood nȧkėd in front of her, she probably would just run away instead of clinging to him.