Deriving Data

The thirty-eighth day after returning to the Orange Islands. Light rain.

Early in the morning, fine rain fell like silver threads. The damp air carried a faint earthy fragrance as it quietly slipped through the cracks of the cabin.

Yu Hai slowly woke from his sleep and habitually reached for Umbreon beside his pillow. Only after touching Umbreon's soft, curled-up body did he reach for his old keypad phone.

Having experienced smartphones before, he had no desire to play with an old keypad phone at night.

After unlocking the screen, he saw a message from A Ping and immediately opened it to read its contents.

In an instant, his still-sleepy eyes flew wide open. The corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, and his eyes filled with surprise and excitement. His joy seemed enough to chase away the endless rain, and even his foul mood from the weather improved considerably.

"A Ping, A Ping, you really are my lucky star! You actually pulled off something that had been troubling me for so long!" Yu Hai muttered. After calming himself, he gently set down his phone.

He wore a loose set of loungewear with dark blue shorts. People dressed cooler in the Orange Islands. Then, barefoot, he slowly walked downstairs.

He went outside and sat on the wooden rocking chair beneath the eaves, quietly watching the misty curtain of rain. A Ping had truly given him a surprise, and he would have to adjust his upcoming itinerary.

"Umbre~" Umbreon called softly, interrupting Yu Hai's thoughts.

He turned his head and saw Umbreon's fluffy head rubbing against his arm again and again, its normally deep eyes full of tenderness.

Only then did he realize that he had not prepared breakfast. He quickly smiled and comforted it. "All right, all right, don't worry. I'll