Chen Hao glanced out the window. The setting sun was sinking into the sea, the sky shading from orange-red to deep purple. The first star had already appeared on the horizon.
"Let's find a nearby tourist island to spend the night."
"You got it!" The captain returned to the wheelhouse and sounded the horn.
The yacht slowly changed course, heading toward the nearest island.
Chen Siyao stood on the stern deck, looking back toward the island. Nothing remained in sight but the boundless sea and the gradually darkening sky.
But she knew the island was still there, hidden by the Formation.
Jingwei's tree hollow was still there, as were Jingwei's murals, Mirror Dusk Lake, and the Violet Coral.
She lowered her gaze to the box in her hands. The feather-blue garment lay quietly inside, giving off a faint glow in the twilight.
"Yaoyao, come inside! It's windy out there!" Yang Wanqing called from the cabin.
Chen Siyao called back and turned to enter the cabin.
Xiao Yue crouched by the window, watching the sea outside. The last ray of sunset was fading from the water, and stars were lighting up one by one on the horizon.
Her ears stood erect, her eyes reflecting the starlight. She was as still as a little statue.
Chen Hao sat on a sofa in the corner with a cup of tea in his hand. He gazed out the window, his eyes distant, giving no hint of what he was thinking.
The yacht moved slowly across the sea, leaving a long white wake behind it.
Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the thin mist over Star Sand Island and spilled into the hotel room. A sea breeze drifted in from the balcony, carrying the scent of salt and moisture.
Yang Wanqing, who normally refused