July 30th, sunny day.
Kiyono Youko got up early, dressed carefully without waking Jiutiao Zhenji.
She stepped out of the room and went upstairs, surprised at the clean kitchen counter.
"Did Mr. Dubian clean up here again after we went to sleep last night?"
As per the initial agreement, she was responsible for the meals, and last night's barbecue was unexpected.
Before the trip, it was agreed that she would handle the cooking while Jiutiao Zhenji would handle operating the yacht, but once they got there, everything was left to Dubian Che.
That couldn't really be blamed on them, considering that Dubian Che was skilled at everything.
Baseball, cooking, music, his grades were the best in the country, and he was exceptionally quick to learn anything.
Initially, Kiyono Youko didn't quite agree with her daughter's suggestion to have Dubian Che manage the Kiyono family's affairs, seeing it only as a concession to her daughter and giving it one last half-year chance.
Now, though she wasn't sure whether Dubian Che had the capability to run a business, he seemed promising.
While thinking about these things, she brewed herself a cup of morning coffee.
There was still time before the other four would wake up, so breakfast could be taken slowly.
With her aromatic coffee in hand, Kiyono Youko walked out of the living room and stood on the front deck enjoying the sea breeze.
In summer, the sun at six or seven in the morning could make one sweat, but it was still quite cool around five.
With a vast view, the sea breeze lifted her short hair, caressed her collarbone, and flowed into her clothes, very pleasing.
Amid the undulating sounds of the water, she heard someone swimming.
Kiyono Youko leaned over and saw Dubian Che swimming at the same speed as the yacht.
"Did you fall in?" she asked.
"Morning swim!" Dubian Che answered while swimming.
Kiyono Youko stirred her coffee, occasionally sipping it, watching Dubian Che swim without much care.
His body occasionally submerged and emerged, his long, powerful arms forcefully pushing through the water.
After watching for a full ten minutes, her coffee was finished, and the pace of his swimming hadn't slowed.
"Great stamina," she remarked as she moved away from the railing, placing the coffee cup on the table and lying down under the large sunshade.
Looking up at the sky outside the umbrella, there were white clouds like those in ink paintings.
She thought lazily about preparing breakfast after Dubian Che finished swimming.
It felt like a long time, yet also quite brief when the sounds of swimming next to her ceased.
Kiyono Youko sat up, returned to the cabin, and grabbed a towel, heading towards the stern.
She waited a while but didn't see Dubian Che coming aboard.
"Cramps? Drowning?" A moment of panic set in when suddenly, a head popped out of the water.
"You boy, you scared me!" Kiyono Youko's tone naturally carried a bit of scolding.
"Ha ha, sorry," Dubian Che laughed as he climbed onto the deck, "I wanted to try diving."
"I thought you'd drowned," said Kiyono Youko, handing him a towel, "How was diving?"
"Not hearing any sound, there was an incredible tranquility. Looking up from under the sea, the water surface shimmered and flickered."
Kiyono Youko wasn't really listening, her attention taken by Dubian Che toweling off.
Yesterday, during the swim, Dubian Che had worn shorts and beachwear which she didn't much notice, but today he wore only a swimsuit.
Clothed, he seemed tall and thin, but undressed he was well-built, with beautifully defined muscles, long legs, making one's mouth water.
"I'll go take a shower and then come help you with breakfast," Dubian Che said, dabbing at his ears, flipping his bangs back.
The gesture of flipping his hair was so natural, equally dizzyingly handsome.
"Okay, thank you, Mr. Dubian."
"I haven't contributed much on this trip; I've got to do something."
"So that's what you were thinking," Kiyono Youko chuckled, "I thought you were just showing off in front of us."
"Maybe subconsciously."
Dubian Che disappeared onto the deck, heading down to the bedroom.
Kiyono Youko looked at the water marks on the deck, suddenly keen on the idea of her daughter being with Dubian Che.
Women also like beautiful things; considering the fact that most star-chasers are women, perhaps they are more attracted to beauty than men.
It wasn't just his outstanding brain, capabilities, or character; Dubian Che was handsome and well-built, and it would only be sensible to encourage her daughter.
'I need to create opportunities for Lin,' Kiyono Youko thought to herself, walking into the cabin.
Mrs. Jiutiao was the third to wake up, sitting at the dining table for breakfast.
"Good morning," said Lin as the fourth to appear in the living room.
"You're sleeping in, quite rare," Mrs. Jiutiao remarked, "Come have breakfast, your mother and Mr. Dubian made it."
"Mm," Lin responded, sitting at the dining table. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on ⓝovelFire.net
The white tablecloth had a tall glass in the middle, filled with forget-me-nots cut yesterday from the garden.
The blue crowns of the flowers, small and pretty, brought to mind country fields blooming with wildflowers.
"What would you like to eat?" asked Kiyono Youko, "Toast? Rice?"
"Is there soup?" Lin questioned.
"Smart choice," Dubian Che commented.
"So it seems the rice was prepared by someone. Yet, being so proud of just boiling rice, what a pitiful life."
"Today's rice is extraordinary," Dubian Che mysteriously retorted, "I learned a trick from Youzi, soaked it for twenty minutes beforehand. Soaking lets the rice fully absorb water, and steaming it this way results in more fluffy, fragrant, and digestible grains; moreover, the rice contains a substance called..."
Lin looked at Dubian Che's endless chatter with a sympathetic eye.
"Okay, I get that you know," said Dubian Che, biting into a fully cooked fried egg.