TIMO - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
It was June, the height of summer. The scorching sun hung high in a sky as blue as if it had been washed clean, cradling clusters of milky-white clouds as soft as cotton. The sunlight piercing through the clouds was warm and translucent-hot, yet healing.
The roses in the courtyard were in full bloom, a riot of splendid, colorful clusters. A faint, delicate fragrance drifted from the flowers, accompanied by the loud chirping of cicadas. The scenery of high summer, along with the afternoon's leisure, rushed forth.
“Little Island Master and Fiancée’s Passionate Kiss at the Closing Ceremony~”
“The True Face of the Little Island Master’s ‘Lovely Her’~”
“Little Island Master’s Fiancée’s Childhood Photos~”
“The Little Island Master and Her Fiancée Have Raised My Expectations for Arranged Marriages~”
Kong Weiyan read a string of headlines from the tablet in her hand, deliberately drawing out the last syllable of each, as if afraid the person lying on the swing chair with a newspaper over their face couldn't hear.
But the person on the swing chair remained motionless, arms crossed, showing no reaction, save for the newspaper on her face being gently lifted into an arc by the breeze before settling back down.
Kong Weiyan, keeping an eye on the swing chair, tutted again. She cleared her throat and began speaking in a calm and composed manner, “You know, it’s been a week, but how are the headlines in all the major entertainment media outlets still the same? They’re practically digging up every single detail about Shi Nan. I heard… that the Nanke Daily and Nan Ke Has Something to Say even went off-island to dig for news…”
A gust of wind, a bit strong, blew the newspaper off her face, sending it fluttering to the ground.
The page that had been covering her face was now flipped over. The headline in the entertainment section was rather interesting: Little Island Master Wins the Beauty's Heart, Her Competitors Are…
The ellipsis at the end left one hanging, making one desperately curious to know who those “competitors” were.
Kong Weiyan watched the newspaper curl and roll in the wind, trying to make out the sub-headline. The next second, the paper was snatched up by a fair, slender hand with well-proportioned knuckles, which then placed it back over that expressionless face.
The wind had died down considerably and no longer blew the newspaper away, only rustling its edges.
Kong Weiyan pouted. She and Fu Zhao had finished their work for the Mid-year Celebration and were now on a long vacation. She was the type who couldn't sit still and was always looking for something to do. But after the celebration, Fu Zhao was like an old turtle about to “summer hibernate,” spending her days either cooped up in her room or lying outside sunbathing.
She hadn't seen her go out, nor had she seen her with Shi Nan again.
Kong Weiyan had been coming over to find Fu Zhao every day, but she hadn't caught a single glimpse of Shi Nan, who lived right next door. The island's gossip had been running wild for a week, and she had been reciting these entertainment headlines in Fu Zhao's ear for just as long, but Fu Zhao remained just as she was now, showing no reaction.
But was it a genuine lack of reaction, or was she just pretending?
Kong Weiyan preferred to believe it was the latter.
Could it be that after their group left that night, something clandestine had happened between Fu Zhao and Shi Nan?
As this thought occurred to Kong Weiyan, her suspicion grew. She frowned in thought, then said with a feigned air of surprise, “Wow~ Shi Nan was so cute as a child. Look at these little braids, look at this little face, all rosy red. She’s just so lovable…”
The wind picked up again, making the newspaper rustle loudly.
The person still looked motionless, as if in deep meditation, but the arc of the swing chair's sway had widened slightly.
Kong Weiyan silently laughed so hard she almost rolled over. But she quickly composed herself, stifling her laughter. After calming down, she placed the tablet back on her lap and said tentatively, “I heard from our Island Master Fu that when you came back on the morning after the Mid-year Celebration, you were like a drenched little puppy, pitifully asking her if you could take the initiative to break off the engagement?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Although Island Master Fu righteously rejected your request, I still want to ask-didn't you say before that you didn't want to break off the engagement with Shi Nan? Why did you bring it up right after the performance ended?”
“Could it be that you…”
Fu Zhao didn't move. She only felt that Kong Weiyan's voice by her ear was getting increasingly noisy, more so than the cicadas hiding in the trees. Unable to bear it any longer, she ripped the newspaper off her face. A piercingly bright beam of light slipped through the gaps in the leaves and flowers overhead, landing on her face.
It was a bit glaring and made her feel drowsy. She squinted and spoke, her expression unchanged.
“You’ve been on break for a week. Why haven’t you gone back to work yet?”
“Hey,” Kong Weiyan said, leaning back on the adjacent lounge chair. She casually picked up a glass of watermelon juice from the table and took a sip, looking completely at ease. “You haven’t gone either, have you? And you’re lecturing me?”
“Hmm? The newly appointed assistant to the department head?”
At this, Kong Weiyan couldn't help but chuckle. Fu Zhao helping her plan the Mid-year Celebration had just been a casual favor, but after the event, Fu Zhao had been logically appointed as her assistant by her own mother, the Island Master.
The reason given was to temper Fu Zhao's habit of getting bored and wanting to break off her engagement whenever she had nothing to do.
Although Kong Weiyan and Fu Zhao had been good friends for over a decade, having the Little Island Master as her subordinate was something that brought her a great deal of prestige. Besides, Fu Zhao wouldn't get angry over it, which made her even happier, to the point where she wanted to tell everyone she met.
“We just finished the Mid-year Celebration, so our entire department is on a half-month annual leave. It’s not like you don’t know that, so why are you asking me?”
“I know, I know,” Fu Zhao said, her face impassive. “But I didn’t expect that your half-month annual leave meant you planned to spend the entire time here, freeloading off me.”
“Hey, how is this freeloading?”
Kong Weiyan waved her hand, not minding Fu Zhao's words. Her eyes darted around before she brought up the topic she was interested in again. “Hey, don’t change the subject. Why do you want to break off the engagement again? And why have you been avoiding Shi Nan all week, refusing to see her?”
“Could it be that you, having had your heart broken by Shi Nan and planning to lock it away, discovered during this recent time together that you’re madly in love with her, and now you’re all conflicted about it?”
It had to be said, Kong Weiyan had some potential as a detective. It was just that this potential was only suited for gossip and embellishment.
Fu Zhao glanced at Kong Weiyan. Despite the storm raging in her heart, her face remained calm. “You should be writing novels or making movies. What you’re doing now is a waste of your talents.”
“A waste? Not at all.”
Kong Weiyan blinked, propping her face up with her hand as she looked over. “As long as you tell me how you feel about Shi Nan right now-whether you’ve made up your mind to break off the engagement and create distance, or if you’re just flustered and trying to escape, stuck in this dilemma-then it won’t be a waste.”
“Please, I really want to know!!”
Hearing Kong Weiyan's wheedling tone, Fu Zhao almost broke out in goosebumps. She lowered her gaze and remained silent for a moment, not answering Kong Weiyan's question. She didn't know the answer herself.
After clearly realizing she had fallen for Shi Nan, was she more inclined to immediately break off the engagement and send Shi Nan off the island, or was she just avoiding Shi Nan on the surface out of panic, while in reality, she simply wanted to postpone a decision that had to be made sooner or later?
If she knew the answer to that question, she wouldn't be shutting herself away every day.
Logically speaking, she should do as she had originally planned: break off the engagement and leave Shi Nan immediately.
But deep down, she didn't want to do that. That was why, after Fu Wanqing rejected her request to end the engagement once again, she had secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But when she tried to truly accept the fact that she had fallen for Shi Nan, a sliver of reason would surface, telling her that she shouldn't love Shi Nan, that she should break off the engagement.
And when she faintly considered admitting and accepting it, trying to find excuses for herself by saying there were other ways to resolve the final outcome, the deepest part of her heart began to ache faintly, as if someone had seized her heart and wouldn't let go, leaving her breathless.
It was as if the original host, reliving this, was regretting her past choices-a mix of unwillingness and regret. She couldn't describe the feeling, so she simply hid away, unwilling to contemplate the answer to this question.
If only people could act based on reason alone.
Or, if only people could act based on emotion alone.
Then she wouldn't be swinging between fear and panic one moment, and optimistic thoughts the next.
Recognizing and admitting one's own inner thoughts was truly an agonizing process.
“Sigh… forget it if you don’t want to talk about it.”
“Anyway, if you can’t figure it out on your own, you can talk to me. I don’t have much experience, but it’s more than you. And more importantly, an onlooker sees things more clearly.”
Kong Weiyan's voice, chattering on, echoed in her ear, abruptly pulling Fu Zhao back from her thoughts. She glanced at the frank and open Kong Weiyan beside her, closed her eyes for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was much lighter.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. None of that formal stuff.” Kong Weiyan tilted her head, a few strands of hair falling loose as she spoke lazily. “It’s like I said the other day. I just think that in life, you should be happy. Do what you want to do. Don’t always be pushing and pulling, wasting time and energy. It’s better for the two of you to talk things through and start living a sweet, happy life sooner.”
“After all…” She paused, her eyes calm, but her tone took on a thought-provoking quality, “Who knows how much time is left.”
There was something strange about the way Kong Weiyan said that, especially her tone. It was the same last time, always reminding her to cherish time and the person in front of her. But that wasn't Kong Weiyan's personality at all. Fu Zhao found it odd, but she didn't let it show, only asking casually, “What’s with you lately? Why do you keep reminding me of things like that?”
Kong Weiyan looked up and smiled, reverting to her usual carefree self. She tapped the tablet in her hand a few times, then suddenly tossed it to Fu Zhao. “What could be wrong with me? I’m just an onlooker who sees things clearly.”
“I’ve heard a little about what happened with your two mothers, and I’ve told you everything I should. I just hope you don’t repeat their mistakes.”
“By then, it’ll be too late for regrets.”
After saying this, Kong Weiyan slowly placed her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, looking like she was ready for a good rest and didn't want to be disturbed.
Fu Zhao, who had a tablet unexpectedly thrown into her lap, was about to ask Kong Weiyan what she was doing. But seeing Kong Weiyan's expression, as if she were reminiscing about something, she moved her lips but said nothing.
Kong Weiyan was right. Fu Zhao understood all these principles, but when it came to her own situation, there were always things she couldn't figure out.
She sighed softly and picked up the tablet Kong Weiyan had just tossed her. It was a bit reflective. She glanced at it, swiped through a few pictures, and found the corners of her mouth turning up in an unconscious smile.
It was a set of photos.
The little girl in the photos was as cute as a button. Her round, slightly downturned eyes sparkled at the camera. When she smiled, a few flowers were stuck to her chubby cheeks. She wore a beautiful white dress and held a bouquet of daisies.
There were four or five photos, all set against a backdrop of sun and grass, exuding a cheerful and lively atmosphere.
In the interstellar era, photo preservation techniques were much more advanced, so none of the pictures looked old at all.
But the little girl in the photos was clearly Shi Nan.
This must be the childhood photo of the “rosy-cheeked” Shi Nan that Kong Weiyan had just mentioned.
But looking at it now, Fu Zhao realized Kong Weiyan had been deliberately speaking in opposites. Her skin was clearly fair and tender, and she didn't have little braids.
The only truth in that sentence was that Shi Nan was really cute as a child.
Truly, to the point of being loved by all who saw her.
“Ding-dong-”
Just as Fu Zhao was thinking this, the doorbell rang. She sat up abruptly, and the swing chair swayed with her large movement. The sunlight overhead shifted, glinting in her eyes. She felt a little uncomfortable, unsure if it was because of the sun or the thought that had just popped into her head.
Who would be visiting at this time?
Could it be Shi Nan?
Fu Zhao looked at Kong Weiyan with some trepidation, but Kong Weiyan's eyes were tightly shut, and she seemed to have no intention of moving.
She closed her eyes and took a light breath, deciding to follow the principle Kong Weiyan had just mentioned. She couldn't hide forever, wasting her entire life. Calming herself, she walked over to the monitor by the door and took a look.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Shi Nan.
Regrettably, it wasn't Shi Nan.
Standing outside the door was a tall, slender, fair-skinned woman with narrow shoulders and a slim waist. Despite the hot weather, she wore a black trench coat. Her demeanor was elegant, her hands tucked into her pockets. Her blonde hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and she wore a khaki baseball cap. When she looked up, her eyes were sharp, her features striking and three-dimensional. The corners of her lips were slightly upturned in what looked like a smile, yet it still gave off an inexplicable sense of aggression.
Clearly, this was someone Fu Zhao had never seen on the island.
“Who are you looking for?” Fu Zhao pressed the call button and asked.
“Hello, I’m looking for Shi Nan.”
Hearing Fu Zhao's voice, a flicker of confusion crossed the woman's eyes, but it was quickly masked by a smile. Her brownish-gold pupils reflected rings of light.
“Looking for Shi Nan? And you are?”
When had Shi Nan met someone like this on the island?
And she was so beautiful, dressed like a movie star.
“Holy crap!”
Before the woman outside could answer, Kong Weiyan, who had been lying on the lounge chair, shot up and instantly moved to the monitor. Staring at the smiling woman on the screen, she exclaimed,
“Isn’t that… the Double Film Queen from RT Planet, the most ‘A’ goddess for Omegas across the galaxy, Shen Caiwei…”
After her loud declaration, Kong Weiyan paused, leaned close to Fu Zhao's ear, and lowered her voice.
“She’s also one of Shi Nan’s pursuers. In other words, she’s one of your competitors.”
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