Wen Feiran: "..."
The two stared at each other silently for a minute in the cold wind. Just as Wen Feiran was about to suffocate, Chu Chengping finally spoke up, "Is there anything else?"
Wen Feiran gasped before realizing what was happening, and whispered, "It's alright."
Chu Chengping nodded, leaving him with a cool back view.
Wen Feiran didn't take it to heart. He was the one who couldn't get enough sleep, and he was also the one who didn't want to go back. Only when the tide came in again did he reluctantly walk back.
Zou Yuxing, always eager to win or lose, came over carrying a bucket and boasted, "I'm incredibly lucky today! Every step I take yields something; look, I've filled almost half a bucket!"
Wen Feiran's gait was almost unsteady, his nose practically flying to the sky. He casually remarked, "Maybe the ones I found were bigger; I filled half a bucket, a little more than you."
Zou Yuxing: "..."
His eyes were wide open as he stared back and forth between the two buckets placed side by side, and it took him a full half minute to finally accept the reality.
"Indeed, you also picked up a starfish; it takes up quite a bit of space."
Wen Feiran: "..." Tch, so stubborn.
Su Shangting would never miss any opportunity to belittle Zou Yuxing, so he immediately walked over, wanting to join Wen Feiran in attacking him. But before he could speak, he suddenly caught sight of Chu Chengping out of the corner of his eye.
Chu Chengping was far from the main group, and everyone thought he had gone back to rest. Unexpectedly, he was still there, his expression still cold, but his hair was blown into a bird's nest by the sea breeze. To achieve this look, he must have been wet with seawater. His pants were also rolled up to his knees, and he was barefoot on the beach.
He walked over silently, his eyes fixed straight ahead, as if he didn't care about anyone, and deftly put down the plastic bucket he was carrying.
Wen Feiran and Zou Yuxing immediately stopped their infighting, speechless with surprise.
Chu Chengping was incredibly efficient; he collected an entire bucketful, more than the two of them combined!
An eerie silence fell over the scene. It was Su Shangting first spoke, his focus unusual. "Where are your shoes?"
He had noticed long ago that Chu Chengping's shoes were a limited edition, and he also had a pair in his collection. His slight liking for Chu Chengping stemmed from this excellent aesthetic sense.
Upon hearing this, Chu Chengping's shoulders trembled, and a crack appeared in his cold expression, as if he had just realized this and stared at his feet in disbelief.
He was silent for a few seconds, then turned and walked back, his steps very hurried.
Wen Feiran felt like she had returned to elementary school, doing the last question in her Chinese class, "Analyze the characters' emotions based on the picture and describe the scene."
He thought Chu Chengping wasn't interested in beachcombing, but it turned out he was quite engrossed in it, so much so that he accidentally lost his limited-edition shoes...
Chapter 50 Essential for Macho Men
The turn of events was so sudden that, after Wen Feiran and Su Shangting realized what was happening, they didn't immediately chase after Chu Chengping to help him find his shoes. Instead, they both turned to look at Zou Yuxing.
Zou Yuxing was still preoccupied with his limited-edition sneakers, completely bewildered by the two men staring at him. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"..."
This sounds like something a childish person like Zou Yuxing would do, but it doesn't seem like something Chu Chengping would do.
Is this what they call "one who stays near ink gets stained black"?
Wen Feiran looked away with a troubled expression, put down the shovel, and said, "Let's go help Chu Chengping."
The group chased after him, searching everywhere, but found nothing.
Seeing Chu Chengping's anxious and heartbroken expression, Wen Feiran couldn't bear to tell the truth.
The tide is coming in now. If those shoes were left on the beach, they would probably be submerged by the sea. If you're lucky, you might find them when the tide goes out, but there's a higher chance they'll be washed away.
Zou Yuxing was even more heartbroken than Chu Chengping, pounding his chest and stamping his feet, "These were limited edition sneakers! I wanted you to take them off and show them to me that day, how could they be lost!"
Chu Chengping pursed his lips and remained silent.
Feeling irritated by the sea breeze, Su Shangting asked, "Should we continue looking?"
Chu Chengping was silent for two seconds, then slowly shook his head.
Zou Yuxing, as if they were old friends, put his arm around his shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay, I'll come with you to look for it when the tide goes out."
Chu Chengping always maintained a strong sense of distance from people, but this time he didn't shake off Zou Yuxing's hand. He just stared intently at the distant sea, his face showing no emotion, but Wen Feiran sensed a deep sadness emanating from him.
He was also moved by the emotions and couldn't help but step forward. Just as he was about to offer some words of comfort, Chu Chengping seemed to sense his intentions, turned away coldly, and left him with only his back to him.
Wen Feiran had the words on the tip of her tongue but couldn't say them. Just then, the sea started to ripple, and Wen Feiran caught a mouthful of wind, her breathing became disordered, and she coughed.
He patted his chest, finally managing to stop coughing. By then, Chu Chengping had already walked three or four meters away, raising his hand as if to do something, the gesture resembling wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
Wen Feiran paused, his thoughts churning. Just as he was about to grasp the loose end of the thread, a hand with distinct knuckles appeared in front of him. "Have some water."
His throat was a little itchy, and after taking a sip of cool water, the discomfort subsided. He turned to look at the considerate Gu Suian and said gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher Gu."
Gu Suian smiled at him.
Director Gu Suian's smile was like the sun rising, captivating Wen Feiran completely. He focused all his attention on Gu Suian, forgetting his earlier confusion.
****
They went out to gather seafood without having eaten breakfast. Wen Feiran was so hungry that her legs were weak, and she felt dizzy and almost suffered from hypoglycemia.