TIMO - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
It was her again.
It was that same pair of gentle eyes that gave one a constant sense of security. The amber pupils shone under the night lights, sparkling like a pair of bright, clear springs-soft, gentle, and warm. Her eyelashes curled up slightly, pretty and radiant.
Looking down, her face was fair and clear with sharp lines, yet her features exuded a bright gentleness. It was a combination of two striking qualities, like a sea breeze carrying moisture across the island in summer.
Her temperament was gentle, yet she radiated boundless vitality.
In the moment Shi Nan opened her eyes, still groggy, she was met with such a pair of eyes, like a mild spring breeze that brought an infinite sense of security and peace of mind.
As for why it was Fu Zhao, she didn't seem to know the answer to that question either.
Perhaps, the living, breathing Fu Zhao before her could give her the answer.
"Miss Shi?"
A gentle, soft voice entered her ears, and Shi Nan woke up completely. She snapped her eyes open, only then realizing that the person and the eyes she had met in her hazy state were looking at her from the rearview mirror in front.
But that pair of eyes was somewhat different from what she had seen before.
Perhaps it was the brightness and radiance in them, which was more than she had ever seen before.
"Miss Shi? Are you awake?"
Seeing no reaction from her, Fu Zhao in the rearview mirror called out softly again. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, and when she smiled, a clear light sparkled in her eyes again, the corners of her eyes curving slightly. She was the very picture of bright eyes and a brilliant smile.
"I'm sorry, I took the liberty of stopping. It's 11:55 now. We're near the West Archipelago. At twelve o'clock, there will be a fireworks display here. It's a tradition for Nanke Island's Mid-year Celebration. I thought that since you said you weren't a resident of Nanke Island, you might not have seen the fireworks display here, so I presumptuously stopped here."
"I've heard from others that this is the best viewing spot."
"If you're not in a hurry, Miss Shi, I think we can wait here for a little while and watch the fireworks."
"As the Little Island Master, I can quietly assure you, Miss Shi, that the fireworks for this display were all specially customized for the event. They will definitely be beautiful."
Fu Zhao didn't use a condescending tone to tell her she shouldn't have suicidal thoughts. Instead, she chose to let her personally experience and feel the beauty of this world.
As Fu Zhao said this, she was smiling, the light in her eyes twinkling like the bright stars in the sky. Her expression was radiant, vivid, and full of life.
Every action, every word, revealed her love for life and her passion for Nanke Island.
Shi Nan suddenly felt a sense of relief, relieved that this time she hadn't met Fu Zhao as "Shi Nan." It allowed her to see a side of Fu Zhao she had never seen before.
This time, Fu Zhao was no longer a Fu Zhao who revolved solely around her.
Just a competent, or rather, a dutiful and excellent Little Island Master.
"Alright. I'd also like to see just how beautiful Nanke Island is in the eyes of the Little Island Master."
Shi Nan gently closed her eyelids, lifting her head from Fu Zhao's shoulder and releasing her hands from around Fu Zhao's waist. She straightened her back, putting some distance between herself and Fu Zhao.
She had just seen Fu Zhao's earlobe, which was so red it was almost the color of a tomato. She had also felt how Fu Zhao's neck and back were ramrod straight when she had been leaning on her shoulder.
Still such an innocent Little Island Master.
Shi Nan thought this, and a curve couldn't help but form on her lips. She met the pair of eyes that were secretly staring at her in the rearview mirror. "Regardless of whether this is the Little Island Master's responsibility, or whether the Little Island Master is acting merely out of the kindness of a passerby, I still have to thank you."
"After all, the Little Island Master saved my life."
Fu Zhao was stunned for a moment, listening quietly to what Shi Nan said. Then she nodded lightly and curved her lips. "Since Miss Shi insists on thanking me, then please stay on Nanke Island for a few more days. Later, you can also promote our Nanke Island to people you know and help us attract more tourists. The tourism industry is a major source of our island's economy."
Shi Nan couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter. "The Little Island Master is truly the Little Island Master."
"You really think about what's best for Nanke Island," she said.
"Yes, so Miss Shi, you can also take more time to appreciate the beauty of Nanke Island. Although it can't compare to the vast world outside the island, it has some unique scenery that can't be found elsewhere. It would truly be a pity to miss it."
Fu Zhao was probably still afraid that she hadn't recovered from her suicidal thoughts. Every word she spoke expressed the idea that "this world is beautiful, and she must not miss it."
Realizing this, Shi Nan silently stared at Fu Zhao's smiling face in the rearview mirror for a good while before speaking, her tone a little uneasy. "Then, when the Little Island Master has time, could you take me to see the island's unique scenery?"
She didn't know why she had asked that question.
But she had asked it.
And Fu Zhao... fell silent for a moment after hearing it, not answering her right away.
The night wind was a bit cool, cool enough that much of the redness on Fu Zhao's face had faded.
Shi Nan paused, then spoke tentatively, her tone uneasy. "I was just saying it casually, please don't mind, Little Island Master. Even if you don't take me, I'll still stay on the island for a few more days."
"After all, the Little Island Master has a fiancée. It might not be convenient."
She took the initiative to bring up "Shi Nan," the fiancée that the current Fu Zhao didn't recognize.
Perhaps she wanted to hear what the current Fu Zhao thought of her fiancée, Shi Nan.
"It's not because it's inconvenient, but because I was thinking about when I'll have free time recently to take you to see the sunflowers on the island, to go around the coast, and to see the other ceremonies of the Mid-year Celebration."
"In short, if I'm not busy, you can contact me, Miss Shi."
"As for my fiancée... you don't need to worry about it, Miss Shi. Although I can't explain the details to you yet, I can guarantee that my fiancée won't mind. Of course, we aren't doing anything shameful either."
"It's just a matter of hospitality."
Fu Zhao's gaze became sincere, letting Shi Nan feel the earnestness in her words, and also the wholehearted sincerity from the Little Island Master, Fu Zhao.
Look, how wonderful the Little Island Master of Nanke Island was, treating guests and islanders with such utter sincerity.
But if Fu Zhao knew she was Shi Nan, her attitude might be different.
Should she not take advantage of Fu Zhao's sincerity, but instead be honest with her?
Shi Nan had an answer in her heart.
"Okay-"
She had just spoken a single word.
The next second, a deafening sound erupted in the sky.
She and Fu Zhao turned their heads at the same time and saw the brilliant fireworks blooming toward the stars in the sky. They exploded one after another, blanketing everything overhead in a dazzling, brilliant light, making the originally dim sky as bright as daybreak, shining with splendor.
"Miss Shi, I didn't lie to you. It is now 12:00:13 AM on May 25th."
"It's already a new day. The fireworks are beautiful. Everything will be okay."
A voice as gentle as the wind, yet like a fine rain, sounded by her ear, softly saying those words.
Everything will be okay.
It was a cure-all phrase used to comfort people.
But coming from Fu Zhao's mouth, it didn't seem like such a platitude.
Shi Nan knew that Fu Zhao was being sincere. Perhaps it was Fu Zhao's soft, gentle voice, or perhaps it was the sparkling gaze Fu Zhao gave her when she said it.
"Fu Zhao..."
Shi Nan called her name. When Fu Zhao focused her attention, Shi Nan met her gaze squarely and spoke, word by word.
"I was invited to the island as a guest. The host who invited me now lives in Building 1 of Yanghua Park by the West Archipelago. The address prepared for me is the building next door, Building 2."
Fu Zhao froze, her eyes blinking in confusion. The sound of the fireworks was deafening, but her gaze was completely captured by Miss Shi's eyes, which were brighter than the fireworks in the sky.
Building 1 of Yanghua Park was her home address.
Building 2 was the address her mother, Fu Wanqing, had prepared for Shi Nan after inviting her to Nanke Island.
Before she could react, the "Miss Shi" before her pursed her lips again and said something that made her heart pound.
"Although I don't know why you don't recognize me anymore, and I did think before that maybe it would be better if you didn't recognize me, which is why I didn't admit it."
"But now, I feel that if I don't say anything, it wouldn't be fair to the Little Island Master. After all, you saved my life and showed me a different... world."
Shi Nan paused for a moment, ultimately deciding not to say the most direct words, thinking it was already obvious enough. It would be fine to let Fu Zhao figure it out herself.
This was the first time she felt shy about admitting she was Shi Nan in front of Fu Zhao.
This speech from "Miss Shi," accompanied by the fireworks exploding across the sky, blasted Fu Zhao's already muddled mind into a complete blank.
She swallowed with difficulty, her voice hoarse.
"Miss Shi, you mean..."
"You are... Shi Nan?"
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