Chapter 18 - First Update

The sun was shining brightly, and the South China Sea was stunningly beautiful, with calm waters and a gentle breeze. Qin Yao and the others were allowed to go up on deck to stretch their legs.

Their sailing speed had slowed, and two small fishing boats had approached. The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy smell. The sky was a light blue, and the ground below was a vibrant blue that almost turned green. As the boats drew near, one could almost feel the invisible fishing nets between the vessels, entangling lively fish and shrimp.

Boredom turned into leisure.

The fishing boats were part of a sea production team. Their boats were small, carrying limited diesel and fresh water. They came over to trade fish for water.

Qin Yao saw buckets of sea cucumbers and other unnamed sea fish. Theoretically, sea cucumbers would become quite valuable in the future, but they weren’t worth much now. It was said that comrades stationed at the reefs in the South China Sea ate them until tears streamed down their faces.

The cook on the ship today was preparing a large pot of braised sea cucumbers.

Qin Yao stood by and watched the commotion for a while, unaware that she, too, had become a sight for many. A young girl in her twenties, with a shiny black braid and especially fair skin, seemed to glow in the wind.

The atmosphere at the time was conservative, and most male comrades didn’t dare to stare at her directly. They only glanced at her out of the corners of their eyes. When their gazes met with other male comrades, they would cough lightly and avoid speaking to each other.

After the exchange, they resumed sailing. The fishing boats seemed reluctant to part and enthusiastically threw fish toward them.

Qin Yao was standing there watching when a fish suddenly and accurately hit her on the head.

The fish was still alive and landed in her arms, jumping up and splashing her with its tail. The slippery feel of the sea fish and the fishy smell lingered in the air, and she even tasted a hint of the salty bitterness of seawater.

Qin Yao: “!”

Looking at the fish flopping on the deck, Qin Yao was at a loss for what to do. Could this be considered a work injury?

A muffled laugh came from behind her. Qin Yao turned around and caught sight of Gu Cheng in a dark blue work uniform.

The dark blue color seemed dull, and Gu Cheng had his back to the others, a suppressed smile on his face. He looked more youthful than his usual cold demeanor, no doubt about it—his face had a bit of a baby face, or perhaps a younger brother face.

Despite his handsome appearance, his smile made him look especially “young.”

Only when he deliberately straightened his face, with cold, indifferent eyes, did he have that elite leader vibe.

When their eyes met, Qin Yao’s heart screamed internally. She had shamefully developed a crush on him.

If Gu Cheng had used this appearance to go on a blind date with her, she would never have had the heart to refuse him.

This was her ideal “little brother” from the Fishing Company.

Relaxed, Gu Cheng had put on a mask and was slightly bent over in a loose, ordinary work uniform. Without looking closely at his face, it was hard to tell who he was.

Gu Cheng gestured to her, and they moved to a corner. He handed Qin Yao a package.

When she opened it, she found cans, milk candies, and chocolates inside, probably someone’s personal stash.

Without standing on ceremony, Qin Yao peeled a milk candy for herself and offered another to the “young brother” Gu in front of her.

Gu Cheng frowned slightly but ended up eating it.

As the milky flavor melted in his mouth, Gu Cheng thought to himself that he must be bewitched. He had cans and chocolates, but no sweet milk candies. These candies were obtained through a cold-faced trade.

Qin Yao’s peach-shaped eyes curved as she softly said, “Thank you.”

“Yaoyao,” Gu Cheng’s hoarse voice broke the silence, “date me.”

He didn’t look at Qin Yao when he said this, his face expressionless, but his ears, inadvertently exposed, turned as red as a cooked sea shrimp.

Qin Yao took small steps forward, circled around to his front, and tugged at his arm.

Gu Cheng looked down at her, his face slightly tilted, his expression cold and eyes clear.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but want to laugh. This guy’s entire face was a mask, but his ears told the truth.

So awkward.

Qin Yao resisted the urge to check his affection level.

“I’ll think about it,” she said, suppressing the impulse to agree on the spot. Gu Cheng using this pure and innocent “little brother” look to confess was too unfair.

Her heart pounded, and her thoughts were in chaos. Qin Yao feared that her emotions were clouding her judgment. She liked this version of Gu Cheng, but she had no feelings for the cold and aloof Team Leader Gu.

Besides, they really weren’t that familiar yet.

Gu Cheng, with a cold expression, forced out, “How long will you think about it? Give me a time limit.”

“How about a three-month observation period?”

Gu Cheng nodded and drawled, “During this time, you’re not allowed to agree to go on blind dates or date other men.”

With that, he gave Qin Yao a slightly resentful and warning glance.

The certain Team Leader Gu didn’t want to receive a third piece of “wedding candy.”

Qin Yao nodded and asked curiously, “The person Nurse Director Ge introduced to me wasn’t you, was it?”

“Did you come on your own?”

The entire blind date event had seemed strange. It was likely that even Nurse Director Ge hadn’t expected to get Team Leader Gu for the date.

Gu Cheng immediately denied, “No.”

Qin Yao turned her face to look at the cabin and said coldly, “I only date honest men.”

"......Yes."

A mosquito-like voice sounded in Qin Yao’s ear.

Qin Yao crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't your instructor teach you to speak louder?"

As her voice fell, silence enveloped the surroundings. The sea breeze howled through the cabin. Despite the bright sunshine at sea, it was somewhat cold, and goosebumps rose on Qin Yao’s arms.

In front of her, Gu Cheng was still dressed in his dark blue work clothes. His gaze seemed to solidify, cutting towards her like a knife.

Gu Cheng pressed against the ship's wall, slightly bending down, cornering Qin Yao in a narrow space, and grinding his teeth. "Do you know which ship this is?"

"Who's the instructor? Do I need to remind you?"

"Don't get carried away just because I like you."

Qin Yao glared at him coldly. "Not three months, I’m telling you the answer now. You, Comrade Gu Cheng, have failed the evaluation. I won’t date you. When we get to the hospital, I’ll ask Head Nurse Ge to introduce me to other prospects. I’ll date several at once."

"Other men are much braver. They wouldn’t be like you, a coward, who doesn’t dare to tell others they like me."

Sending love poems with a cold face, as if guilty, afraid others might know.

Qin Yao thought it was hopeless. She had decided long ago not to end up like her mother, marrying a patriarchal man. She should firmly reject Gu Cheng.

But when Gu Cheng came to her with that face, she couldn’t help but feel attracted.

"Here, return it to you." Qin Yao handed over the bag. "Captain Gu, let’s stay out of each other’s way. Don’t come to provoke me on purpose in the future."

Besides that, she returned the box of love poems to Gu Cheng and turned back to the medical room.

If you hesitate, you’ll only suffer.

After doing this, Qin Yao breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid of falling for him and getting entangled with Gu Cheng. She wasn’t the real eighteen-year-old Qin Yao. Before transmigrating, she was already twenty-four and lacked the impulsiveness of youth.

She had many views on marriage and the future. A man like Gu Cheng wasn’t her ideal marriage choice.

Rationally, she should firmly reject him. In front of Head Nurse Ge, she could reject him decisively.

But emotionally, the liking wasn’t fake. Her heart pounded, beating faster the closer he got, almost jumping out of her throat.

Can’t afford to mess with him, can’t stay away?

Cutting off the entanglement early, when they got off the ship, she would officially start working at the Military Hospital. With fewer chances to meet, these unfounded attractions would fade with time.

-

Gu Cheng sat in his cabin with a dark face, lying back with his arm under his head.

Anger, shame, frustration... countless emotions surged in his heart. He had never dated a woman before. In the past, many beautiful girls had come forward to fawn over him. He was used to others’ active pursuit.

Now that he had been so proactive, this chubby girl still didn’t appreciate it.

After stewing in his frustration for a long time, Gu Cheng sat up straight, put on his hat, and clenched his fingers. He looked in the mirror. The man in the mirror, with his sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exuded determination and resilience.

— Captain Gu, don’t be cheap.

There are plenty of women in the world. Can a man die without a woman? When floating on the sea, is there a woman? Whether she dates several men or ten, it has nothing to do with him.

After making up his mind, Gu Cheng left the cabin and soon ran into the beaming Zhao Mingjin.

The department head said he was shameless and quietly told him, "Tsk, went to the medical room again pretending to be sick."

"Captain Gu, just give her a chance. Let’s find a way to set him up with Nurse Xiao Qin. These unmarried male officers have a hard time finding a suitable partner."

"We’re comrades, helping each other."

With good conditions, finding a partner wasn’t easy. Either through family or organizational introductions, unlike young men and women in big cities who could go to the movies, parks, department stores, or Xinhua Bookstore and might encounter free love.

The department head teased Zhao Mingjin, who smiled. "I asked my friend’s sister to find out. She doesn’t have a partner yet. I also just learned something. Nurse Xiao Qin weighed over 150 pounds three months ago and only slimmed down after training."

"140."

A sudden voice interrupted.

The department head and Zhao Mingjin looked strangely at Gu Cheng, who was expressionless and indifferently said, "Head Nurse Ge mentioned it."

"Close enough." Men weren’t that sensitive to women’s weight. To men, 140-150 pounds was still a normal weight, not special.

Zhao Mingjin beamed. "It’s good to be a bit chubby. My parents say a chubby girl is lucky. I don’t like too skinny girls. My younger sister is too thin, and it’s uncomfortable to hold her, just bones."

"If we have a daughter in the future, she’ll be like her mother, a chubby little tiger girl, cute."

The department head agreed. "Indeed."

During the shift system on the sea voyage, when off-duty, it’s truly idle. With nothing serious to do, it’s easy to overthink.

Zhao Mingjin thought a lot. "This is the Year of the Rat, find a partner. Next year is the Year of the Ox, get married. The year after, have a little tiger girl."

The department head chuckled. "Dreaming big."

"Gotta plan for the long term."

"Well, persistence wears down even the strongest women. I wish you success."

"Thanks."

"Captain Gu, say a blessing too."

Gu Cheng remained silent, thinking to himself:

...Being a jerk is fine too.