After finishing work, Lu Qin had already received the news that Pei Rong hadn’t caught any fish. Afraid of embarrassing Pei Rong, he didn’t inquire about the situation but invited everyone to have a seafood feast.
“Are you going fishing this afternoon?” Lu Qin asked casually.
“Yes,” Pei Rong replied decisively.
Lu Qin sighed inwardly; this competitive spirit, if he didn’t catch anything in the afternoon, wouldn’t he be in a bad mood at night? Would he end up affecting everyone else?
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Huh?” Pei Rong was surprised. “Won’t you be bored? Don’t you have work?”
“I’m done.”
Pei Rong, being an early riser, was hungry by eleven, while others were gradually preparing breakfast. When the third person came down, Pei Rong put down his bowl and chopsticks, saying, “I’m full; I’ll continue fishing.”
“Okay, you fish empty-handed. I’ll take care of your things,” Lu Qin offered.
Pei Rong was puzzled about what else to take. His small bucket, fishing rod, and life jacket were all piled up on the pier.
He returned to the optimal fishing spot, put on his straw hat, and focused on fishing.
After a few minutes, he heard familiar footsteps behind him, and several boxes were unloaded on the pier.
Opening the boxes, tearing open packaging bags, stirring... The commotion grew louder, and Pei Rong couldn’t help but turn around. “What are you doing?”
Lu Qin held a plastic basin, added various powders and granules, poured water, stirred it into a wet paste, stood up, and forcefully threw it into the sea: “Making a bait, attracting fish, so you can catch more.”
The bait dissolved in the shallow blue seawater, and Lu Qin threw four more.
“Oh, forgot to ask you, what kind of fish do you like to catch?” Lu Qin asked.
Pei Rong: “I don’t get to decide what fish bites.”
Lu Qin: “You can adjust the bait ratio and position.”
Pei Rong quickly waved his hand. “Anything is fine.”
Lu Qin observed the bubbles forming in the water and said, “Not bad, there are big fish.”
Pei Rong:?
“It’s been quiet for so long; the fish bait might have been eaten.” Lu Qin took out a fresh shrimp from the box, signaling Pei Rong to hook it.
Pei Rong silently reeled in his fishing rod, turned it toward the pier, and Lu Qin ran over to hook the shrimp without complaint.
After Lu Qin’s efforts and some investment, the float finally descended for the first time, indicating a hooked fish.
A two-kilogram bass, Pei Rong had to exert some effort to pull it up.
Even the red small bucket he had prepared in advance couldn’t contain it.
Frowning at the leaping tail of the bass, he didn’t want to unhook it personally, as he would be splashed with salty seawater, which was not part of his fishing plan.
Lu Qin quickly opened a semi-cubic-sized water tank, took the bass off, and skillfully hooked a fish bait for him.
Then, Pei Rong watched as Lu Qin took out an oxygen pump from another box.
Not only that, he also set up a crab and shrimp trap, claiming it could catch crabs, shrimps, and squids.
Pei Rong saw him putting a lot of bait in the trap, to the extent that it seemed like a feast for those who came.
As he cast the fishing hook back into the sea, thinking that Lu Qin could take a break, Lu Qin started helping him set up the bait again.
He reeled in his fishing rod, finding the fishing process not as boring as he thought, at least not when it involved Lu Qin.
Fishing two fish filled the nest once; he guessed the fish didn’t want to be hooked, but President Lu had used too much bait.
Pei Rong was taken aback. Damn, wasn’t Lu Qin treating him the same way?
As the box of supplies gradually ran out, bass and black sea bream swam in the water tank.
When the sun was about to set, Lu Qin gave him a coat, and he prepared to pull up the cage himself.
After the cage covered with green curtains section by section entered the water, the weight was extremely satisfying. Pei Rong tried to pull a section, as if good luck had come. At the moment it surfaced, a beautiful orchid crab was brought up, with a broken small fish clamped in its crab claw.
Seeing him satisfied, Lu Qin took over, quickly removing all of them in three moves, squatting on the dock to unload the crabs.
Wow, anyone who saw this would have to praise that this was ‘a fulfilling fishing afternoon!’.
Pei Rong was a bit absent-minded. He imagined fishing to be voluntary, with him enjoying peace and quiet.
Not like Lu Qin, madly setting traps and diverting, completely contrary to his original intention of quietly fishing.
Contrary, yet not entirely contrary.
After all, Lu Qin would love to dive into the water and help him catch fish. He’s even more leisurely than in the morning.
It seemed... not bad?
Undeniably, every time the bass leaped out of the water with the hook, Pei Rong’s heart would be swept by the fish's tail, tingling, causing ripples.
The evening sun shone on the beautiful face with a shallow smile in the eyes, soft like the evening breeze.
Lu Qin squatted and looked up, feeling that this was the happiest he saw of Pei Rong in the past few days.
He sighed in relief. Fortunately, these fish knew better than to force him to wear a diving suit just to make Pei Rong smile.
Hmm... Lu Qin paused. How could he have such thoughts?
But it’s normal, right? Pei Rong was so beautiful. Who wouldn’t want to satisfy him?
“Are we fishing tomorrow?” Lu Qin packed up the remaining bait. “I’ve placed them all here; they’ll come here for food tomorrow.”
Pei Rong: “No need.”
He had satisfied his three years of cravings.
On the fourth morning, clear skies and a gentle breeze were suitable for the return journey.
The cruise ship docked directly in City S, just an hour’s drive from the Lu Building.
Lu Qin stayed in the northwest countryside for half a month, went to sea for ten days, and hadn’t appeared in the office for a full twenty days. Once ashore, he was ordered to go back to the company by his father, the president.
Pei Rong had sufficient vacation balance and boarded a plane bound for Country M.
“Confirming, landing at half-past twelve?” Jiang Yan spoke to him. “Tomorrow happens to be Aunt Zhao’s reexamination day. I’ll pick you up at the airport and then go to pick up Aunt Zhao. Rest well on the plane; I won’t wait for you to adjust to the time difference.”
Pei Rong agreed, “Sure, I can sleep a full ten hours on the plane.”
Jiang Yan said, “How about getting a full-body checkup with Aunt Zhao when you have the time? I suspect you, being lazy, haven’t had a regular checkup in the country.”
Pei Rong replied, “Forget it. Fasting is required for blood tests, and I want to eat something on the plane.”
Jiang Yan suggested, “Then do everything except the blood test. Can I bring the blood test needle to your door early in the morning? I’ll try to finish it before you even open your eyes and realize you’re hungry.”
Pei Rong laughed, “Your service... fine, don’t bother, let’s do it together.”
