It wasn’t until the two of them walked hand in hand back to the shore that the lifeguards and medical staff arrived, strolling over leisurely.
Xu Yinsheng waved them off, indicating she was fine, while Zhao Yicheng stood rooted to the spot, his fingertips tracing the lips still warm from their kiss.
Seeing their expressions, everyone immediately understood.
It was a playful moment shared between the two.
By dusk, the sky had already grown dim and hazy, the sun dipping westward, a fiery orb hanging low on the horizon.
The endless beach was covered with fine, white sand, and a gentle sea breeze blew, carrying a slight chill.
The waves rolled and crashed against the shore, sending up sprays of water time and again.
In this peaceful and beautiful setting, Zhao Yicheng wrapped his arm around Xu Yinsheng’s waist, and she leaned affectionately against his shoulder, her face full of sweetness.
Their hands intertwined as they strolled along the beach.
The slightly salty sea breeze brushed across Zhao Yicheng’s face, carrying with it tiny grains of sand, but he didn’t react at all.
In fact, he still hadn’t fully come to his senses.
His fingertips touched his lips, feeling the softness and warmth lingering there, as if a faint, delicate fragrance still remained.
It was a sensation he had never experienced before—carrying a subtle sweetness and floral hint that was addictive, like a budding romance stirring quietly but too precious to fall deeply into, as if something invisible was pulling at him.
He had kissed Xu Yinsheng many times before, but never had he felt this way.
Zhao Yicheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, a feeling warm and tender, like creamy pudding.
One could say it was the combination of male and female hormones, the biological effects of peptides on the human body; or that it was etched in the human genetic code—a yearning for beautiful things, like a campfire, delicious food, or breathtaking beauty.
But Zhao Yicheng preferred a more emotional word to describe it—love.
A kiss filled with love.
Xu Yinsheng’s love for Zhao Yicheng.
She… had fallen in love with him?
“Old Zhao, Old Zhao, Old Zhao.”
Suddenly, a call echoed in his ear, snapping Zhao Yicheng out of his thoughts.
She turned her head, and a pair of eyes, shining bright like stars, sharply caught his gaze, as if occupying his entire vision.
“I’m hungry again.”
Xu Yinsheng blinked her long lashes, speaking with a hint of grievance as she poked her small belly.
“I want to eat a midnight snack.”
“All right.”
Zhao Yicheng nodded.
The two of them headed toward a late-night food stall near the Sailboat Hotel that was still open.
It wasn’t exactly a famous restaurant, but the dishes were decent enough.
They had barely settled down when the waiter handed over the menu.
Xu Yinsheng casually ordered a few dishes, then looked up to gaze out at the night scene.
By now, the sky was pitch dark.
Neon lights flickered, turning the entire beach into a dazzling spectacle.
Soon, dish after dish arrived—none of them proper meals but all barbecued treats: grilled pig head, grilled scallions, grilled seaweed skin, lamb skewers, roasted pork skin, grilled beef sprinkled with scallions.
The meat was clean and chewy; simple fare but carrying a unique Hunan flavor.
The customers in the late-night stall were few, just a handful of people.
Xu Yinsheng ate her barbecue attentively, sipping on ice-cold beer.
The only sounds were the faint crunching of her chewing and the occasional clink of bottles—a striking contrast in such a quiet atmosphere.
Opposite her sat Zhao Yicheng, calmly eating a lamb skewer, his gaze deep and fixed on her, lost in thought.
By the time they finished their midnight snack, it was about eight or nine in the evening.
Zhao Yicheng had planned to return to his room for a video call about company matters, but Xu Yinsheng pulled him along for another walk.
The sky had fully darkened now, the night thick and enveloping.
Thanks to Vieques’s unique latitude and longitude, as well as relatively low light pollution, the Milky Way sparkled brilliantly overhead.
The moon shimmered faintly on the sea’s surface.
Everything felt beautiful and serene, like a still painting.
Hand in hand, they strolled along the shoreline, both choosing to remain silent.
The sea breeze, salty and carrying a faint fishy tang, tousled Xu Yinsheng’s fiery red hair and stirred the unrest within their hearts.
“Are you troubled by something?”
Along the way, Xu Yinsheng naturally sensed Zhao Yicheng’s unusual mood.
She turned her head to look at him and squeezed his hand tightly, as if she could read his thoughts through their touch.
“What are you scheming again?”
Zhao Yicheng countered, gripping her hand in return, his tone calm but betraying a layer of caution and… restraint.
Just the right amount of gentleness; too much would make one suspect she was secretly up to something.
“Scheming? Let me think.”
Xu Yinsheng tilted her head, acting like a nearly six-foot tall red-haired queen but making a girl’s playful gesture instead—an unexpectedly endearing contrast.
She pondered a moment, then rested her head on Zhao Yicheng’s shoulder, rubbing against him affectionately.
“I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”
“I want to live well.”
“I want to be a person.”
“So… I’ve fallen for you.”
Zhao Yicheng was stunned, his steps faltering as he looked at the red-haired woman resting on his shoulder, his eyes filled with suspicion and wariness.
“Really?”
If Xu Yinsheng was just teasing, running around, or causing trouble every day, he wouldn’t be surprised.
But now she said she was “tired of fighting” and “gave in”—knowing his good friend so well, this was either a sign of something big brewing or a strategic delay, still holding something back.
“Fake.”
Xu Yinsheng playfully stuck out her tongue at him.
“How could I fall for you so quickly?”
“You’ve done so many bad things to me. I’m afraid that since you’ve been my playmate since childhood, I wouldn’t forgive you that fast.”
“But… I really don’t want to fight with you anymore.”
She released his hand and walked ahead alone, her figure lonely, desolate, yet incredibly beautiful.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing.”
She stopped, her gaze turning toward the dark sea.
“Life is short. I don’t want to waste any more time. These past few days, I’ve thought about it. You’re right. I really am a woman now, with all that being a woman entails. Even if I escape your grasp, I don’t know what my ever-changing abilities will turn me into in the future.”
“You’re my good brother, and you love me, though your love is twisted and… a bit messed up, but you still love me.”
“I can’t promise I can forget everything from the past, forget the bad things you did to me, forget how you destroyed everything I had, forget your twisted, obsessive love that makes my blood boil.”
“But you truly are my best choice.”
“I can slowly help you heal your sickness. Our feelings can be mended over time, like a young couple or husband and wife. We know each other inside and out; we’re like childhood sweethearts.”
“So…”
Xu Yinsheng took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision.
She turned around and shouted toward a certain man behind her, her red hair flowing in the wind as if proclaiming it to the whole world.
“Zhao Yicheng, let’s talk about love!”
This is confession of the year for me it could’ve been dignity of a fragrant flower anime actually but I didn’t watch the whole anime I watched like 6 or 7 eps so this get’s the best confession of the year for me.