CH 40

Yaba Island was a little further away from De Carma than Wine City, but Joe’s space shuttle was considerably faster than a regular space shuttle.

Twelve hours later, the group of them arrived at Yaba Island, the largest resort in the Tian Qin system. 

This place was home to the most beautiful sea and the largest forest of lamp pines. The accommodation Joe arranged was situated on a hill next to a lamp pine forest, with the best view of the whole island.

Yaba Island and De Carma had inverse season cycles. It was now the beginning of summer, and also midday. They nearly had a heat stroke on the walk to their accommodation in their cotton coats.

The two more casual of the bunch stripped off their coats and wool vests as they walked, leaving only their shirts and pants.

“I’ll be damned, I really detest hot weather.” One of them fanned his shirt collar. “These are fucking winter clothing. Will anyone mind if I walked through here naked?” 

The other said, “We certainly won’t mind, you can walk around naked with your pants down if you want. But you have to take Laura and Elena’s feelings into account. Are you sure you want both ladies to see your belly?”

Similarly, Laura had taken off her outer coat. As she fanned herself, she turned over and smiled at Elena, “Then we’ll use Gu to cleanse our eyes.”

The hand Gu Yan had on his coat paused. His eyes flickered to them.

“Nonono, we didn’t say anything,” Laura laughed merrily, her hand doing a zipping motion over her mouth. “Go on, don’t mind us.”

Yan Suizhi watched them tease Gu Yan from the side; flirt and quickly retreat, then flirt again not much later, like they had masochistic streaks in them or something.

Gu Yan didn’t bother with them. He took off his coat and draped it over his arm. Turning over, he glanced at Yan Suizhi and asked in a low voice, “What are you smiling at?”

Student Gu rarely spoke anything proper to him; Yan Suizhi obviously wouldn’t dissuade this. He raised his eyebrows, checking his reflection in the glass next to him. “I’m smiling? Wherever did you see that from?”

Gu Yan tapped a finger to the corner of his own eyes. “Here.” 

He spoke very casually. Perhaps due to the heat or the environment here, his voice even sounded slightly languid.

Yan Suizhi startled, and didn’t say anything more.

They didn’t see any other tourists all the way to their accommodation. The whole island seemed quiet and peaceful, what should have been an impossible sight on Yaba Island. It was apparent that this rich second generation had booked out the entire island for their leisure for the next few days.

The accommodation was a compound of small villas which, unlike elsewhere, were connected to each other by glass verandas. The weather on Yaba was unpredictable with frequent downpours. Therefore, the verandas prevented the tragedy of them turning into drowned chickens from walking between the different villas. 

Because of these verandas, the villas formed a whole, which looked like a modern castle at first sight.

“Have you ever seen a lamp pine before?” Joe asked Yan Suizhi as he made the housing arrangements.

He didn’t hold the airs of a rich second generation at all—or, maybe he was just much warmer to a guest of Gu Yan’s.

Yan Suizhi smiled and shook his head. “Only the electric versions.” 

Joe, “Oh, that’s normal. After all, this is a type of pine unique to Yaba Island. I heard that it can’t be grown elsewhere.”

This type of pine tree emitted a special scent at night, quiet and faint, and slightly frosty to the nose. All in all, it was a pleasing fragrance for most. And to a type of insect, it was their most beloved.

Ktfrf lcrfmar kfgf mjiifv ijwqoilfr. Ktfs kfgf rbwfktja rlwlijg ab atf olgfoilfr atja erfv ab fzlra bc jcmlfca qijcfar, yea j ilaaif ijgufg, jcv klat j njgljyif cewyfg bo ylbiewlcfrmfca rjmr, gjculcu ogbw jr wjcs jr atgff ab jr ofk jr bcf.

Snfgs cluta ktfc atf ijwq qlcfr fwlaafv atflg rqfmlji rmfca, atf lcrfmar rffwfv ab jqqfjg ogbw atlc jlg, oieaafglcu jcv vjcmlcu jgbecv atf ijwq qlcfr. 

A single lamp pine could attract around thirty to forty lampflies regardless of distance; a forest of lamp pines would be an enchanting view.

And Yaba Island, with the largest forest of lamp pines in the stellar system, had a beauty in the night that could astound the world.

Naturally, Yan Suizhi had seen this sight before. He had once spent a short vacation here and loved this lamp pine forest. When he returned to De Carma, he whimsically had in his head the idea of planting two lamp pines outside by the entrance of his villa like a pair of door guardians, and got someone to sell him several seeds.

However, it was difficult for lamp pines to survive in De Carma; they must be tended to with great care. Professor Yan simply didn’t have that kind of time. During the first few days, he remembered to water and trim the trees religiously. But before long, he was away for half a month on a business trip, and by the time he returned, the lamp pines had already departed for the good man’s land. 

After wrecking three batches of trees, he finally gave up and stopped persecuting those lamp pines.

Thanks to the blessing of Student Gu and the rich second generation, he was able to make another trip down and was in quite a good mood.

“You guys can stay in Villa 3, then. It’s quiet over there too.” Joe patted Gu Yan on the shoulder, pointing to the villa closest to the lamp pine forest. It was a little further away from the other villas and had a longer glass veranda.

“It’s just the group of us for these couple of days, the others haven’t arrived yet so they’re all empty. There’s more than enough room for two people to share a single villa. When more arrive tomorrow, it might be three or four to a villa instead.” 

“That’s fine,” Gu Yan nodded.

They would be on the return shuttle tomorrow evening in any case, so sharing a villa with others wouldn’t have anything to do with them at all. But Lawyer Gu still answered without batting an eye.

“Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?” Joe asked.

“We just finished eating half an hour ago,” Laura said shortly, “I don’t think I can recklessly take your shuttle in the future. I got fed like a pig the whole way. I ate twelve meals in twelve hours! That’s a meal for every hour; this one trip gained me three kilograms. Just like that, my half-month of exercise went down the drain.” 

Joe, “You could have chosen not to eat. Gu and his intern only ate three meals.”

Gu Yan didn’t hesitate to correct him. “My intern ate five meals.”

Yan Suizhi, “…” Of all times, you turn talkative now?

“Since no one is hungry, let’s each go back to our villas and change our clothes. Who was the one yelling that they wanted to go diving and fishing the last time? I’ve got all the diving gear ready,” Joe shouted. 

And so the crowd dispersed.

Yan Suizhi followed Gu Yan into Villa 3.

It was purportedly a small villa, but in fact, it wasn’t small. There were enough rooms upstairs and downstairs for the whole lot of them to stay in.

Yan Suizhi hung the coat draped over his arm in the cloakroom. He found that the cloakroom was actually well stocked with a change of clothes, brand new and suitable for wear in the summer. 

“That’s thoughtful,” Yan Suizhi murmured.

Gu Yan said, “He sends people to prepare clothes here every season, so that he can invite people over anytime.”

The summer wear that Joe had initially stocked here were all floral shirts and baggy trousers, in an ill-intentioned attempt to see Gu Yan wearing them. Eventually, the entire cloakroom was blacklisted by Lawyer Gu.

Had this gone on, the next thing to enter Lawyer Gu’s blacklist would be Young Master Joe himself. 

After two attempts, Joe wised up and swapped the clothes for normal ones.

“Where are you staying?” Yan Suizhi asked.

Gu Yan said, “Are you interested in seeing the lamp pine forest?”

Yan Suizhi, “Not particularly.” Actually, he would be delighted if he could stay on the third floor, directly opposite the lamp pine forest. But the esteemed Professor Yan was very dignified and wouldn’t say so directly. It all depended on whether or not the student in front of him could pass basic comprehension. 

Gu Yan nodded, a look of understanding on his face. He scanned the general distribution of the rooms and pointed to the one on the third floor facing the lamp pine forest. “I’ll stay in that one.”

“…”

Pass, my ass. Give this student a big fat zero.

Professor Yan smiled and nodded, but in his head, menaced, ‘I’ll remember this.’ 

Everyone took a short break, changed into the summer wear that Young Master Joe had readied beforehand, and slowly made their way down to the beach.

As they came out from the main entrance of the villa compound, Laura noticed two scanning gates erected at the two entrances of the courtyard to the villa compound. They weren’t very eye-catching and also weren’t currently in use.

“Huh? Why are there security scanners here as well?” a few of them questioned.

Gu Yan was closer friends with Joe than the others were, thus was more informed about this. “They are not just security scanners.” 

Everyone gave a start. “Then what are they for?”

After a few seconds, Laura was the first to catch on. “Oh, I got it! It’s that kind, isn’t it? The kind that can detect traces of genetic modification?”

“Did he bring them over from Spring Ivy Hospital?”

“They weren’t here the last time I came.” 

This group of friends were all well aware of what happened back then, and knew Young Master Joe’s sensitivity towards such matters.

People checked for dangerous goods. Joe checked for genetic modifications.

Yan Suizhi glanced over that side then breezily shifted his gaze away, as if those things had nothing to do with him.

“Why don’t you turn it on?” Laura said again. 

“What’s the point of having it on for nothing?”

“I’ve never tried it, so I thought it’d be fun.”

Everyone chatted merrily.

Joe happened to follow Ke Jin over from the other side of the beach and overheard their conversation. He said, “I can’t let you try it, they malfunctioned not long after I brought them over. There’ll be someone coming to fix them in the afternoon. Anyway, once fixed they won’t be placed here, they’ll be moved to the entry points to the island. Why would I have to check my own friends?” 

Joe had all the diving gear ready. In high spirits, the group changed into them and went into the water with instructors that Joe had specially hired.

Ke Jin sat quietly by the beach. This vibrant and laid-back scene indeed seemed to relax him. Two caretakers followed from not far off, giving him enough space for freedom, yet also close enough to attend to him.

“Are you going to dive?” Joe asked Yan Suizhi after he made sure Ke Jin was well settled. “Won’t you feel bored sitting on the beach? You should exercise more while you’re still young.”

Yan Suizhi motioned at Gu Yan with his chin, smiling as he said, “Why don’t you ask him?” 

Joe, “I’ve already given up on him. He’s an excellent diver, but he just isn’t willing to dive with me. Do tell, what’s the use of having friends like this?”

Yan Suizhi lounged back on the comfortable deck chair. “Yeah, do away with him.”

Joe laughed raucously. “Gu, this intern of yours is really interesting.”

Gu Yan didn’t fail to use his smart device for work matters even as he sat on a beach, and couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. He was currently sending a voice message to someone else. “Okay. I’ll take a look and get back to you tonight.” 

“Have you dived before?” Joe asked.

Yan Suizhi said, “I was passionate about it for a while back when I was in school.”

He seldom talked about his past. So when he said this, Gu Yan actually deigned to lift his gaze away from his smart device.

Joe, “Sounds like a thing of the past. You’ve lost the passion, now?” 

Yan Suizhi, “I’m lazier now.”

The truth was, he had been involved in a diving accident once; he never really went diving much after that.

“Okay then.”

Joe didn’t stay with them for too long. Just as he had changed and was about to enter the sea, Uncle Chang, the butler who attended to him, suddenly came rushing over. 

“Sir, a few other guests have arrived early.”

“Arrived early?” Joe gave a start.

The early guests were a group of friends that Joe had known since childhood. Their parents frequently had dealings with one another, so they could be considered as having grown up together.

Although Joe remained as warm as usual, laughing and joking along with them, it was clear that he wasn’t as close to this group of people as he was to Gu Yan and the rest. 

After a brief introduction, they each drank a glass of wine, and each went into the water.

For no particular reason, as Yan Suizhi watched the figures disappear one by one into the sea from where he sat on the shore, inexplicable unease stirred his heart.