The wooden boat slowly approached the continent.
Qingqing tilted her head, a few strands of hair clinging to her snow-white neck. Her profile was breathtakingly beautiful. Only when the boat came within a dozen meters of shore did she calmly withdraw her gaze and look at the person beside her:
"They mean us no harm."
"Mm."
"My spiritual senses didn't pick up any hostility either!" Zhang Suannai hurried to add.
"..."
A clear, drawn-out whale call rang through the air.
Everyone on the boat except Qingqing turned back at once: Chen Shu, Zhang Suannai, and the strange bird.
"Splash..."
A huge creature leaped from the sea behind them, showing its pure-black back and snow-white belly before crashing down with a thunderous boom. Spray soared into the sky.
"Wow!"
Zhang Suannai could not help crying out.
Chen Shu remained silent.
After a few seconds, there was still only that one figure.
Perhaps its companion was busy with something else.
Chen Shu turned back.
Just then, the strange bird seemed to receive some information. It lowered its head, its round eyes sweeping over them before lingering on Chen Shu. When it opened its beak, out came that same voice, impossible to tell as male or female, like a parrot or myna:
"Humans! When did you get here?"
"Three months ago."
"Three months..."
"More than ninety days, I suppose."
"More than ninety days..."
"Quite a while, anyway."
"Came with the big fish?"
"Yes."
"I know!"
"What is it?"
"I know!"
"Is there a problem?"
"I know!"
"..."
Chen Shu closed his mouth helplessly.
Zhang Suannai, on the other hand, kept trying to chat with the strange bird, full of enthusiasm. Even when it only repeated that one line, she did not grow bored. Her eyes seemed to shine every time she spoke to