Chapter 1, The End of Extremes (Part 2)

When Ye Fei finds herself in the clear sea water, she always recalls Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." "In the distance of the sea, the water is so blue, like the most beautiful cornflower petals, and at the same time, it is so clear, like the brightest glass. However, it is very deep, so deep that no anchor chain can reach the bottom. To rise from the seabed to the surface, many, many church spires must be connected one after another..." The first morning after his wedding will bring her demise, as she transforms into foam upon the sea.

Mr. Zheng is a local of Chinese descent, with the Chinese name Zheng Yunchang. He is in his forties and appears very kind. In addition to the monkey bar, he also runs a restaurant and a small travel agency on the island. He mentioned that the motorcycle is insured and can cover part of the costs. After accounting for depreciation, the compensation to be reported to Ye Fei is two hundred dollars

Song Xi accompanied Ye Fei back to the hotel to collect her luggage and then took her to the staff dormitory. He was smiling all the way, saying, "You didn't tell me, but now I know where you live."

Ye Fei waved her hand and said, "Don't mention it... I have to see your boss, and I also need to go to the police station"

I swim very well," Ye Fei replied, shouldering her gear, adjusting her sunglasses, and heading south along the winding road

The next day, she indeed saw a stranger at the bar. He swaggered over and began fiddling with the computer in the shop. Ye Fei hurriedly approached him, offering a perfunctory smile, and asked him to step outside. The man in front of her was a head taller, and when he looked down at her, he exuded a certain pressure, speaking with disdain: "The songs you play are too boring." The face in front of her seemed somewhat familiar, with a slight smirk on one side of his mouth, carrying a hint of mockery. He was the same man who had been sweeping outside the diving shop that day.

Song Xi nodded, his expression quite innocent, as if to say, you didn't ask again

Zheng Yunchang trusts Ye Fei very much. Knowing that she is pursuing her graduate studies, he assigns her the responsibility of managing the bar's cash collection and accounting, while Song Xi focuses on mixing drinks. Ye Fei is grateful and keeps a close watch on the drawer where cash is stored. Song Xi laughs at her for being overly anxious, saying that there are familiar faces all around, and the worst that could happen is that a drunkard might come over to steal a drink; incidents of lost money have never occurred. Ye Fei is unconvinced and repeatedly emphasizes that one must always be wary of others, citing herself as a cautionary tale.

Ye Fei held the frog fins, feeling awkward; returning them was not an option, so she simply chose to remain silent. Song Xi, unfazed, provided detailed guidance on suitable snorkeling locations. Looking at the map, there were still nearly 10 kilometers to go. Ye Fei left her passport at the front desk and rented a motorcycle.

At that time, he was infatuated with her, and she was equally obsessed with him. They admired each other's appearance, body, and soul. When they parted, they embraced tightly at the airport, and Xu Pengcheng said that in two years, if Ye Fei did not obtain the scholarship to the United States, they would get married. Although the life of accompanying her studies would be somewhat difficult, it was still better than a prolonged separation

This is a secluded beach in the southern part of the island, with hardly any tourists. Ye Fei sat dejectedly on a wooden stump, lowering her head to find that she was left with only one flip-flop. At that moment, she found herself unable to cry, instead letting out a self-deprecating smile, thinking: "Look at you being so artistic, coming to the seaside to wallow in self-pity, engaging in some farewell ceremony for old feelings. Now, the real problem is how to survive on this island." When one finds themselves in a difficult situation, the emotions of sorrow and nostalgia tend to dissipate, after all, solving the issue of basic needs is the top priority. She thought: "Look at you being so artistic, coming to the seaside to wallow in self-pity, engaging in some farewell ceremony for old feelings. Now, the real problem is how to survive on this island." When one finds themselves in a difficult situation, the emotions of sorrow and nostalgia tend to dissipate, after all, solving the issue of basic needs is the top priority.

She asked several businesses along the way about organizing snorkeling island-hopping tours, but all the boats for that day had already set sail, taking most of the equipment with them. Ye Fei, feeling helpless, returned to Monkeybar. Upon hearing about her predicament, Songxi was quite enthusiastic and said, "Let me rescue you!" He turned around and fetched fins and a mask from the back room. Ye Fei tried them on, and they fit perfectly. She was somewhat surprised and asked, "Your shoe size is actually the same as mine?"

Ye Fei lost her motorcycle, and her wallet was also lost along with it. Fortunately, there were still two large dollar bills left in the room. She walked for over an hour on the unprotected road, and the thin straps of her flip-flops had worn the skin on the top of her feet before she managed to flag down a tricycle.

She took a deep breath, turned her body, and saw a sea turtle leisurely swimming a few meters ahead among the deep coral. Ye Fei held her breath, dove into the water, and swiftly pursued it. The sea turtle glided through the water at a leisurely pace, heading deeper. The pressure in her ears grew increasingly intense; she endured it and bent her body to dive deeper, only to feel a sharp pain in her eardrum, causing one side of her face to feel tight and swollen. She dared not chase any further, swayed her body, and quickly swam back to the surface, paddling her way back to the beach. The pressure in her ears continued to intensify; she endured it again and bent her body to dive deeper, only to feel that sharp pain in her eardrum once more, pulling at her face. She dared not pursue any longer, swayed her body, and swiftly swam back to the surface, paddling her way back to the beach. Her ears still throbbed with a sharp pain. Ye Fei picked up the towel draped over a branch and wiped her face haphazardly. She instinctively glanced at the backpack hanging on the tree and was taken aback in shock.

Ye Fei thought that her decision to randomly choose an island from a forum and stubbornly come here could be considered as being obstinately unyielding. This theft might be a divine arrangement, a way to labor her muscles and starve her body, which could serve as a redemption for her soul. Otherwise, she might slide into an irretrievable abyss, becoming mere foam on the sea

I only have two hundred US dollars left," Ye Fei stated honestly, "and I lost my□□. The flight ticket is for two weeks later and cannot be changed...

Before departure, Song Xi repeatedly reminded: "Snorkeling is more dangerous than scuba diving, especially for you Chinese, as many do not know how to swim. Since it is your first time, be sure not to go to deep waters; it is better to practice in areas where the water is chest-deep first"

You ... ... girlfriend?" Ye Fei recalled last night, pursing her lips, unsure if there was a look of disgust on her face.

Zheng Yunchang smiled and said, "If you don't mind the modest accommodation, you can come to my shop to help. Meals and lodging will be provided, along with a salary"

With this thought, Ye Fei felt a sense of reassurance in her heart. She put on her clothes, and without bothering to wear shoes, she picked up the only remaining flip-flop and her fins in her hand, and slowly walked back along the sandy path beside the road, under the blazing tropical sun. Even though she tried to avoid the scorching asphalt, the soles of her feet still felt hot, as if she were being roasted on an iron plate. After walking three or four hundred meters, her eyes brightened as she saw her other flip-flop lying alone in the grass by the roadside. Without caring about the burning sensation on the soles of her feet, Ye Fei hopped across the asphalt road and picked up the flip-flop as if it were a treasure.

It is surprising that it is only for a lost and found slipper

Putting on her shoes, she returned to the main road, chest out and head held high, striding forward, as if even the sunlight was no longer so harsh. For the first time in many days, Ye Fei felt relaxed and invigorated

While busy attending to the guests, Song Xi had long noticed the standoff between the two. As soon as he found a moment, he hurried over to mediate. "Fei, this is Mr. Zheng's partner, K.C. Tan. In fact, he is the real owner of the bar"

When she reappeared at the monkeybar, disheveled and staggering, she looked quite disheveled. Songxi approached her, asking, "Are you alright? You look exhausted."

Boss Zheng assigned Ye Fei a job that was not burdensome. Every morning and noon, when the ferry arrived at the dock, she would distribute a stack of flyers to the tourists who had just disembarked. At night, she would clean the bar, and if a travel agency brought in Chinese tourists, she would help attract some business.

Ye Fei glared at him fiercely: "Do not tease me, I am not in the mood for that" (What she was thinking in her mind was her English dialogue, stop flirting, how to say it in Chinese, the tone is not right, don't flirt with me? Don't hit on me?)

The other party was taken aback for a moment, curled the corner of their mouth, and stared at her with a half-smile, saying slowly and deliberately: "I am the boss."

Not far from the bar stands a row of two-story makeshift wooden houses, where two employees share a room. The dormitory lacks beds, with a soft mat laid on each side of the floor; there is no air conditioning, only an old-fashioned fan on the wall that creaks as it turns. The room is damp and stuffy, filled with the musty smell of moldy wood, and Ye Fei often feels that a mushroom might sprout in the corner. Her roommate, Yinda, works in the restaurant; she is petite and has a pair of round, shiny black eyes. Ye Fei briefly recounted her experiences from the day, and Yinda nodded continuously, displaying a sympathetic expression.

Ye Fei did not boast. She learned swimming for two years at an amateur sports school during her elementary school years. Although she did not pursue a competitive path later on, the disciplined training in her childhood laid a solid foundation. Xu Pengcheng was captivated by her for this reason. He mentioned several times that on that day at the school's outdoor swimming pool, he saw a tall girl standing on the diving board, gracefully leaping into the azure water, creating only a few splashes, and then the surface of the pool returned to calm. After a few seconds, she emerged from a distance far from the point of entry, gliding her arms effortlessly. The sunlight filtered through the lush trees by the poolside, casting dappled shadows on the water's surface. She floated among them, like an elegant and mysterious water sprite. In that moment, the world fell silent, with only the gentle sound of her splashes echoing.

In the afternoon, several ferries departed from the island to the mainland, and the motorcycle had long since vanished. The police casually inquired a few questions, learned that she had not lost her passport, and simply wrote a report for Ye Fei to sign. Just before leaving, she asked about the matter that concerned her the most: how much was the lost small motorcycle worth. The police shrugged and replied, "If it were a new bike, it could be worth anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand dollars"

"How is that possible? Look!" Songxi lifted his leg and shook his foot, "Those are my girlfriend's. But she hasn't been on the island recently, so you can use them for now"

To this day, his indulgent gaze, gentle words, and the embrace that exhausted all his strength, along with the most intimate and passionate expressions, still seem to surround her vividly; yet, she does not know when it all had already been entrusted to someone else. Ye Fei was unaccustomed to the breathing apparatus, so she held her breath and submerged into the water, embraced by the vast ocean. She closed her eyes, allowing everything to sway and ripple with the warm waves. It was not until she felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath that she broke through the surface, floating on her back towards the sky. Ye Fei was unaccustomed to the breathing apparatus, so she held her breath and submerged into the water, embraced by the vast ocean. She closed her eyes, allowing everything to sway and ripple with the warm waves. It was not until she felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath that she broke through the surface, floating on her back towards the sky.

During the day, there remains a substantial amount of time for oneself. Under the guidance of Songxi, Ye Fei discovered a beach that is a twenty to thirty-minute walk away. Every day at low tide, a narrow white sandy beach is revealed beneath the towering limestone cliffs, requiring a descent of seven to eight meters from the roadside. The tropical plants beside the cliffs flourish abundantly, with enormous leaves glistening in vibrant green. The sea before her is a blend of deep and shallow blues, with sunlight streaming down, resembling clear and transparent glass. The tropical plants beside the cliffs flourish abundantly, with enormous leaves glistening in vibrant green. The sea before her is a blend of deep and shallow blues, with sunlight streaming down, resembling clear and transparent glass.

All the zippers of the backpack were opened, and the sunglasses and room key fell onto the sand. Ye Fei, not bothering to dry her body, rushed forward to examine carefully, feeling a chill on her back—two items were missing: her wallet and the motorcycle key

"Also the owner of the motorcycle," the man in front smiled mockingly, extended his hand, and said in clear and precise Chinese, "Chen Jiajun. Nice to meet you"

Ye Fei pinched the only two green bills left in her pocket, thinking to herself that it was clear she could not afford the loss. Perhaps she would have to use her beauty to persuade Song Xi to help her steal her passport, and then take advantage of the cover of night to leave the island... Back at the bar, she was still lost in thought when Song Xi waved to her: "Come over here, Mr. Zheng is coming."

"I apologize, it was not my choice." Ye Fei stood in front of him, "the boss (If you have any suggestions, speak to the boss). and here (this place)," she pointed to the bar, "ly (employees only)." She thought, you do not like short sentences, as you wish

Ye Fei hesitated, "They still need to worry."

"You should keep this money for now," Zheng Yunchang pushed the US dollars back to her, "You can have your family or friends send you money from your home country; it will arrive in two or three days, although the handling fee is a bit high..."