Chapter 3 The Love Lost in the Aoyama Maru

At night, Qiao sat in front of the shop beating the drum, the rhythm swift and urgent. Wu Tai's injuries had improved, and he danced with fireballs on the beach, as fast as a shooting star. Su Anyi, feeling inspired, took some unlit fire cotton and began to imitate him beside him. With just a crossing of her hands, she tightly bound her own wrists.

Really? Su Anyi was skeptical and reached out her hand

A series of muffled thunder rumbled across the horizon, resembling the heavy breath of a train. Su Anyi hugged her knees, the deep gaze of Azan, the handsome youth, and the solemn sorrow reflected in Qiao's eyes today converged in her heart. She recalled the journey, at the cape where one could overlook the green leaf pill, Qiao had placed a hibiscus flower beneath the green trees, casting a lonely dark silhouette in the twilight

Qiao sat with arms crossed, maintaining a poised posture, floating steadily beside, observing quietly.

In a state of distraction, she could not help but lean back, and indeed, there was a warm and steady embrace, yet it was not the familiar scent. He had drunk beer, and there was the aroma of locally fresh tobacco in his breath

Su Anyi was frustrated by the intense words exchanged during the day. "I must see Qiao again," she said, "regardless of whether he is willing to take me to the Qingye Maru."

"Please do not say that you are my student." Qiao stood behind her at some point, holding her hand, opening and closing his arms, guiding her to move the rope ball smoothly.

The second day is the comprehensive assessment. Not far from the coast, there is a vast expanse of coral, layered and colorful. Su Anyi had previously gone snorkeling nearby and had seen an underwater map, so Qiao asked her to lead the way with a compass. The long-nosed butterfly fish kisses the coral reef, the blue and yellow angel fish is bright and dazzling, and the lionfish, adorned like a dress of rainbow feathers, is highly venomous; occasionally, a large school of small silver fish sweeps by, their sides reflecting glimmers of light like stars; the moray eel hides in the crevices of the rocks, opening its mouth wide, waiting for prey to bite; the blue-spotted stingray buries most of its body in the sand, with its long tail exposed, always appearing lazily half-closed as if it were sleepy. A turtle the size of a tabletop swims by, moving gracefully, its large eyes gentle and clear. Su Anyi cannot help but linger beside it, extending her arms as if to dance with it

Qiao Moran said, "When did I ever agree to you?"

Of course it is you

Oh, is that all?" Utai whistled, "Little sister is too stingy, it deserves more.

Qiao interrupted her: "Then you still won't be able to do it, so don't force yourself."

Qingye Wan

I want to go too" Su Anyi raised her hand

Su Anyi recalled the rehearsal before entering the water, calming her mind. She closed her right hand into a fist and waved it under her neck, indicating that she was running low on air. Then she pointed at Qiao, requesting to share breaths. He nodded, raised his arms, and Su Anyi took the spare regulator that was clipped in front of him and placed it in her mouth. The two interlocked their arms, and Qiao signaled to ascend. She made an OK gesture, kicked her fins, and matched her speed with Qiao.

Su Anyi threw a magazine to hit him

Su Anyi was infuriated by his ruthlessness and said, "Wutai, it is useless to talk to him. I refuse to believe that we cannot find another guide"

Do you still remember those initial questions of yours? Utai asked, "What if the air valve is bumped underwater, causing a leak or shutting off? If visibility is very poor, will others be unable to come to the rescue in time? Now you have your own experience; there is nothing to be anxious about.

She seemed to be under a binding spell, staring fixedly at her: "Where are you going?"

Although I have never ridden a horse, I am very good at riding a bicycle

Back in the shop, Utai was about to get a haircut, with foam all over his head, smiling and waving at An Yi: "Hey, do you want to get a haircut too?" She replied with a serious face: "Be careful with your wound, it might get infected."

The Qingye Pill is a life-taking vessel; no one would joke with their life

Amidst a swaying sea anemone, a few clownfish darted back and forth. Qiao patted An Yi and wrote on the whiteboard, "Do you want to see a magic trick?" She nodded. Qiao reached out, and the anemone's dancing tentacles quickly retracted into the crevices of the reef. The clownfish remained stunned for a moment, and it took them three to five seconds to regain their senses before they swiftly swam back. She found it amusing and laughed, producing countless bubbles.

Utai smiled wryly, sighing in dismay

She nodded, "You said that Qiao currently has no rivals, but A Zhan may not necessarily lose to him." Gazing at the photo, the short-haired A Zhan was charming and lovely. Among the group photo, it was easy to spot Wu Tai, whose appearance had not changed much. The young man behind A Zhan was handsome, shy like a girl. A few days ago, Su Anyi still wanted to ask where this beautiful man had gone, and now upon closer inspection, the features clearly belonged to the now cold and frosty Qiao. She couldn't help but seek confirmation from Wu Tai: "Is that Qiao? Look at him back then, he looked like a child." A few days ago, Su Anyi still wanted to ask where this beautiful man had gone, and now upon closer inspection, the features clearly belonged to the now cold and frosty Qiao. She couldn't help but seek confirmation from Wu Tai: "Is that Qiao? Look at him back then, he looked like a child."

Su Anyi glared at him: "If it comes to worst, we can just go later."

Perhaps it will

If you are willing, you can come at 6 o'clock. " Qiao pointed to the store and said, " Arrange the tables and chairs, sweep and mop the floor.

Qiao extended his arm and raised his palm, signaling her to stop laughing. He took out the whiteboard he always carried, which was filled with several rows of letters, allowing An Yi to pick out her name among them. She focused slightly and quickly pointed it out. Qiao nodded and wrote on the whiteboard: "Exercise - out of air." He swam to An Yi's side and reached out to turn off her air valve. Breathing immediately became difficult; she lowered her head and took two breaths, while the pressure gauge's needle had already entered the red zone. It felt as if someone had forcefully covered her mouth and nose, her chest expanding desperately but receiving not a single breath of air. Breathing immediately became difficult; she lowered her head and took two breaths, while the pressure gauge's needle had already entered the red zone. It felt as if someone had forcefully covered her mouth and nose, her chest expanding desperately but receiving not a single breath of air. At this moment, there was still gas in her lungs from earlier inhalation, and there was no sense of suffocation, but Su An Yi knew that once this breath was slowly exhaled, her lungs would be empty in an instant. And at thirty meters underwater, the pressure was four times that of sea level, enough to compress her lungs to the size of a palm.

Qiao sneered: "I have no sympathy and certainly will not take responsibility for a stranger I have known for just over ten days"

Su Anyi thought of the hibiscus that the two had thrown down at the cape, and her heart couldn't help but tremble: "Why didn't the two of them end up together?"

Su Anyi stuck out her tongue and walked back to her residence under the moonlight. She felt inexplicably melancholic, yet vaguely sensed that it was not solely due to her thoughts of Tian Wang.

If you do not go, this foolish girl will definitely search the entire island for other guides, and I am not confident in persuading her to give up

Just a moment ago, they were laughing and joking, but now their faces are stern, truly more changeable than the weather during typhoon season. Su Anyi was momentarily at a loss for words and looked towards Wu Tai for help

Not necessarily. "Utai put his arm around Anyi's shoulder, "Those guides from the past two years may not fear the Qingye Pill, let alone the fact that the silly girl is willing to pay a high price. Are you at ease letting her follow others and recklessly take risks?"

Be calm, An Yi

"Outstanding? Have you ever watched Chinese horror films?" Qiao shook her head, extending her arms to mimic a zombie, "She does this when she sees a sea turtle."

Qiao took out a tomato, which appeared nearly deep blue-purple underwater. Su Anyi nodded, and he split the tomato in half, handing one half to her while he removed his breathing apparatus and took a bite. Su Anyi laughed underwater at a depth of 30 meters, producing a large stream of bubbles that nearly dislodged her face mask

"Qiao has exceptionally high standards for you," Utai said, "It has long surpassed the entry-level requirements, usually just symbolically closing the air valve, yet he has consistently brought you to the surface like this.

Qiao nodded

At this point, the practice was completely over. Qiao handed the equipment to the boatman, Pakun, then turned and leaped onto the boat's edge. Su Anyi was still in the water, splashed with a face full of seawater. She took off her glasses and scooped up seawater to splash back. Qiao wiped his face, his expression indifferent, and turned to organize the oxygen tanks. However, when Anyi leaned against the boat's edge to turn back, he suddenly grabbed her arm, raised an eyebrow with a smile, as if he intended to push her down. Su Anyi let out a loud scream and hurriedly flipped back onto the boat, landing on her back with her legs in the air. Qiao and Pakun high-fived, laughing uncontrollably. Su Anyi puffed out her cheeks, her shoulder bumped against Qiao's back, nearly pushing him into the water. Qiao steadied himself at the edge of the boat, turned around, and playfully shoved her, even pretending to lean down as if to lift her and throw her back into the water.

"Regardless, we need to celebrate," Utai said, "I will go buy chicken wings and beer for a barbecue tonight"

Utai raised his head: "You do not know, Qiao has never stopped praising you, saying what a good student you are, intelligent and eager to learn, diligent and serious."

Su Anyi was in a cheerful mood, pulling Wu Tai along as she recounted her experiences beneath the sea

Su Anyi took the razor and tended to his bald head while recounting the process of his practice

Utai smiled: "How wonderful! When you first arrived, you asked if carrying a tank would allow you to breathe. Now, you have become an excellent diver"

Su Anyi laughed heartily, leaned forward, and opened her arms. Qiao Qian smiled gently and embraced her softly

Qiao organized his equipment, his expression serious: "I didn't force you, it was you who wanted to laugh." He said something in the local dialect, and Utai burst into laughter: "Little sister, Qiao said that you were kicking desperately on the water's surface, jumping up and down, which is the most ridiculous."

Su Anyi shrugged: "He has wanted my life for quite some time. The last time I went fishing, I nearly drowned. Today was no different; while underwater eating tomatoes, I couldn't stop laughing and almost lost my mask."

He chuckled softly and said, "Who would take you there?"

Returning to the store, the two were washing their equipment, not forgetting to take a small bucket and hose to splash water on each other. Unfortunately, Uthai was drenched for no reason, "Wow, fresh water is indeed very precious"

Is it still 10 o'clock

"Can you ride a motorcycle?" Uthai asked, "I actually have two stored in the village, we can go to the market together."

The night wind blew fiercely, and at the edge of the sky, lightning tore through the vast expanse, while dark, thick clouds rolled forward. Su Anyi asked around, but no guide was willing to take her to Qingye Wan. Some even said: "Today, seeing you follow Qiao to go diving, if he is unwilling, then no one would dare to go."

He now has a temperament just like a child. Since meeting A-Zan, the two have been competing with each other, and in the end, neither could claim superiority. U-Tai gently caressed the photo, reminiscing leisurely, "Whenever they met, it was always noisy, filled with mutual sarcasm, but everyone knew that they liked each other."

Su Anyi shook her head: "You can't drink too much, otherwise how will you go to Qingye Wan tomorrow"

It was merely a moment of hesitation, and then he swiftly dodged aside. The long rope in his hand swung back, striking the top of Qiao's head. He released Su Anyi's hand: "Oh, I've had too much to drink; this is not a good time to teach you how to juggle fireballs."

Surely someone has been there before. Originally, the person I wanted to find the most was not him. " Su Anyi grasped Wu Tai's wrist, "Who was the guide that took Shen Tian'en to Qingye Wan? I heard that he is missing. Can we find him?"

"Not at all," he said, holding the large album, pulling An Yi to sit beside him. "Do you remember this photo? Zhan Wansi Li, which means blooming hibiscus."

Unable to help but complain to Utai: "I know there have been a few accidents, but I didn't expect that even Qiao would be so timid"

"So you knew all along," Qiao Linran said, "Then you should understand that I will not take her there"

The music in the store suddenly stopped. In those few quiet minutes of the night, Su Anyi felt her heart rise to her chest, swelling up, full to the brim, rendering her speechless. A few days ago, she often watched tutorials at night, needing Qiao to answer her questions. He was mostly tipsy from drinking a lot of beer, feeling dazed, and would lean nearby with his eyes closed. It seemed that if she just reached down, she could touch his hand and hair. But at this moment, her side was empty, devoid of any trace.

"Alright, alright, I'll just call Pakun to go with us," Utai waved his hand, "but we do need some help; bring back more beer, we won't return until we're drunk"

Uthai smiled: "It is still the Chinese girl who cares about me the most, so please help me out."

Qiao suddenly broke into a smile. The corners of his mouth curled slightly, carrying a tone of mockery, yet his expression remained serious, with an unfathomable deep sorrow hidden in his eyes. He pulled on his outer garment and strode towards the village behind the beach.

"To say that I am not nervous is a lie." Su Anyi glanced at Qiao, "When I reached the water surface, I couldn't open my air valve, and I was unable to inflate the buoyancy device. Half of my face was underwater, and I swallowed a lot of seawater."

"No need to," Qiao shook his head, "You are still quite calm. Remember to use your mouth to inflate the buoyancy device; there is no need to go again."

Ah Zan was the guide who took Shen Tian'en to Qingye Wan. After Tian'en went missing, perhaps out of excessive guilt, she remained in a daze and went to Qingye Wan alone several times. You know, many places in the sunken ship are extremely dangerous, and once trapped, one cannot escape. We tried to dissuade her, but to no avail. Wu Tai fell silent for a moment, "At that time, Qiao was at odds with her and went elsewhere to be a guide. Later... he didn't even get to see her one last time. Qiao is not timid; he often went to dive at Qingye Wan alone. However, that was the place where he lost Ah Zan, and he did not want to be disturbed by others.

Qiao gave her fingertips a gentle squeeze, as a form of response

I am going back as well," she picked up the tutorial, "Is tomorrow the last practice session?

Su Anyi felt quite pleased, and before she knew it, laughter escaped her lips. Qiao also laughed, the sound resonating in her chest, echoing just behind her, as if in harmony. In a moment of reverie, it was as if she were back in her youth, riding a bicycle with Shen Tianwang to the seaside promenade, holding hands, waving a fairy wand, writing "Forever" in the night sky with sparkling stars. Behind her was a solid chest to lean against, seemingly never letting her down.

The night before, a heavy rain fell, and the seawater was suspended with impurities washed down from the island, creating a vast expanse with extremely low visibility. At a depth of 30 meters, sunlight had already been filtered through layers, with the seawater absorbing most of the red light, surrounding everything in a deep blue, reminiscent of the dim light before sunrise. Rays, 5 to 6 meters wide, gracefully glided overhead, their movements elegant, as if flapping wings and soaring through the air

Do you still remember Shen Tian'en? She is a friend of An Yi. Wu Tai stepped forward to mediate, saying, "Just take her to a nearby area where the sea currents are gentle; that would fulfill her wish to commemorate her friend"

"What does 'perhaps' mean?" Qiao Miao glanced at her and said, "It is either yes or no."