Volume One, Chapter 18: The Temptation of the Adam's Apple

Zhang Wang, aware someone nearby was going to the restroom, tapped Zhou Yu on the shoulder, silently warning him not to say anything reckless. Zhou Yu, feeling the mood dampen, decided to keep quiet rather than invite trouble, and focused on finding the restroom.

Listening carefully, he realized the person wasn’t speaking, so he followed Bai Yang’s footsteps to the restroom.

On the way back, Bai Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Old Zhao, be honest with me. Do you like her?”

Zhao Yue shot him a glance and said, “No.”

“That’s impossible. You even glared at me in the car and said you don’t like her?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I just didn’t like the look of you earlier!”

Bai Yang thought Zhao Yue was pretending; from his expression, it was clear he did like her! He was just arguing weakly. Bai Yang waited eagerly for the day Old Zhao would be proven wrong.

After Su Jinxia finished in the restroom, she noticed someone staring at her—a girl with a slightly dark complexion.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Are you here to work by the seaside?”

“No, I’m here to find my grandfather.”

“What’s your grandfather’s name? I’ve worked there for years; maybe I know him.”

Su Jinxia, seeing the young girl’s age, replied, “My grandfather’s name is Su An.”

“Su An?” Li Haixia muttered, then looked the girl over carefully. “No one uses full names around here, but there’s an older man called Uncle An. Maybe he’s your grandfather.”

Su Jinxia’s eyes brightened. “My grandfather has a mole on his forehead. He’s not tall, just a bit taller than me.”

Li Haixia smiled, “Then we’re probably talking about the same person. I know your grandfather. He’s a good man.”

“It’s been a long time since we got letters from him. I miss him, so I came here to see him and also check out the work environment. He’s getting old; I don’t want him working outside anymore.”

“I haven’t seen Uncle An for a long time. He probably went to work on one of the ships. He doesn’t live where I live; he’s in the shantytown. So we only get to say a few words when we meet. I don’t know when he left exactly, but I can ask around for you. Someone should know.”

“Shantytown?” Su Jinxia frowned slightly, thinking it couldn’t be a good place.

“It’s just where ordinary boat workers live collectively, in makeshift shelters. When you get to the island, you’ll see. The temperature there doesn’t vary much through the year. The shelters are enough to live in, though it gets chilly when the wind blows. Nothing else to worry about.”

“Could you tell me where you live?”

“I can’t explain the address clearly, but I’ll point it out when we get off the boat. Oh, I haven’t told you my name yet. I’m Li Haixia. If you mention Haixia to people on the island, most will know me.”

“I’m Su Jinxia. You can call me Xia.”

“Alright! Your name is beautiful, as beautiful as mine!”

Su Jinxia spoke little after that, mostly listening to Li Haixia chatter endlessly—she was quite the talker.

One by one, the group returned to the car. The driver counted everyone to ensure no one was missing, then closed the doors and started driving again.

Li Haixia felt hungry and remembered she had some apples in her bag. She opened it and saw several. Eating alone wasn’t fun, so she thought of Su Jinxia and gently tapped the person sitting in front.

Bai Yang turned around to see the young girl holding apples.

“Need something?”

Li Haixia smiled brightly, “Give this apple to the girl in front and tell her it’s from Haixia.”

Looking at the red apple extended to him, Bai Yang thought, “Not bad, sister-in-law. You’ve made friends quickly.” Apples were rare on the island and only those returning from the mainland could bring them.

He tapped Su Jinxia’s shoulder, handing over the apple while pointing behind.

Seeing Li Haixia nod in confirmation, Su Jinxia accepted the large apple, barely able to hold it in one hand.

Zhao Yue observed everything quietly. “You know her?”

Su Jinxia, pleased with the apple, wiped it on her sleeve and said, “We met in the restroom.”

She bit into it; the apple was crisp and exceptionally sweet. A fine taste.

Zhao Yue found her way of eating adorable. He hadn’t paid much attention to how women eat before, so he wondered if all women ate like that.

Bai Yang saw everything too and still claimed Zhao Yue didn’t like her. That was clearly a lie—he liked her deeply but wouldn’t admit it. Men’s hearts were an enigma; they liked someone but kept silent.

He could only watch helplessly.

By now, it was past noon, and everyone began pulling out dry rations to eat.

Su Jinxia wasn’t hungry after the apple but seeing others eat, she wanted some staple food. Her space contained only hard dry rations or tiny bottles of nutritional supplements. Just thinking about them made her lose appetite—they were either too hard or tasteless.

“Here!” Zhao Yue took a steamed bun from a paper bag and handed it to her.

Su Jinxia immediately accepted the white bun, which looked delicious and soft when bitten into. She noticed he was eating the same.

When her mouth felt dry, Zhao Yue pulled out a water bottle from his pocket and drank. As he tilted his head back, the movement of his Adam’s apple was quite alluring.

Su Jinxia ate the bun quickly and choked a bit.

Zhao Yue quickly offered her the water bottle. “Drink some water to wash it down.”

She took the bottle gratefully and drank. After swallowing, she glanced at the bottle’s mouth, feeling a touch of awkwardness.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she wiped her lips, returned the bottle, then looked down and continued eating to hide her discomfort.

She sensed movement beside her and looked at Zhao Yue. He had taken off his jacket, wearing only a large vest underneath. His strong biceps matched her expectations—clothes made him look slim, but underneath, he had a well-built physique.

He casually tossed the jacket into his satchel. He noticed the window was closed, so he turned sideways to reach out and open it, giving the illusion he was leaning close.

Bai Yang watched everything from behind. Who said Old Zhao couldn’t pursue a girl? This guy was good at it. If he were a woman, he’d like him too. Besides a handsome face, his figure was great.

A perfect clothes hanger. Surely sister-in-law would like him. Bai Yang had already accepted Su Jinxia as his sister-in-law and was content to watch as a spectator.

A gentleman doesn’t steal another’s lover; he wouldn’t poach his brother’s woman.

After a bumpy ride, they finally arrived at a small, lonely bus station surrounded by desolation with no residents nearby. Zhu San parked the car and opened the door.

Zhou Yu stepped out, arrogantly facing the driver.

“Don’t think you’ll always have someone backing you up. At this rate, you’re bound to have bad luck someday!”

Zhu San looked at the half-grown boy and said, “Is that how your parents taught you to speak? How do you talk to adults?”

Zhou Yu retorted, “With your attitude, you deserve to be a driver for life!”

Proud of his work, Master Zhu raised his hand and patted the boy’s head.

“If your parents don’t teach you, I’ll teach you how to speak today!”