Sophia had an excellent memory, and she memorized almost everything Alexander said. In turn, she repeated them word by word to Perrin.
Perrin had experience fishing, so he had an idea of things after summing everything up.
In the end, while he didn’t manage to catch a leopard coral grouper, he got an even bigger seabass than Alexander did.
As for Alexander, he didn’t catch anything else other than the seabass and tigerfish he procured during the first half an hour, though it wasn’t certain whether it was intentional on his part. Sophia saw his fishing rod jerk several times, but he didn’t reel it in anymore.
Perrin unilaterally declared that he had defeated Alexander since he had just learned deep-sea fishing yet managed to catch a bigger fish than the latter did.
It went without saying that Sophia had no objections, as his happiness took precedence over everything else.
John caught a tigerfish as well. On the whole, the catch was quite plentiful that day.
At a little over six o’clock, the yacht arrived in the west. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the sparkling sea extended far beyond the eye could see. Standing on the vessel, Perrin gazed out at the sun dipping below the horizon on the coastline in the distance. Amazement and regret swamped him. “If only your granny is here.”
At his remark, the smile on Sophia’s face faded slightly. “It makes no difference when you admire it in her stead.”
“Take a picture for me, girl.”
Perrin took out his phone and handed it to her.
“Okay. Get ready, Granddad.”
Sophia’s photography skills were average, but she knew the concept of the golden ratio. That was the benefit of having a great memory—she could immediately recall theoretical knowledge at the critical moment.
When Perrin took a look at the picture, he was exceedingly satisfied. “When I’m dead and buried, remember to also burn this picture for me. I’ve got to bring it with me to show your granny.”
In all her years, it had been most difficult for Sophia to accept the death of her family. Hearing that, she felt her throat close up, and sorrow welled within her. Afraid he would notice it, she could only forcibly suppress it and promise with a faint smile, “Will do, Granddad.”
Perrin’s legs were weak, so he had to take a break after standing on the deck for some time. He had John help him back to the cabin.
Perhaps because his mind was filled with Sophia’s grandmother, he forgot all about Alexander.
The sea breeze was a touch chilly in the evening. Pressing a hand against her hair that billowed in the wind, Sophia watched the orange and red sunset in the distance. When she remembered her grandfather’s comment, melancholy flooded her.
Alexander walked over, upon which she looked back over her shoulder at him. “You’ll be dead if my granddad sees this, Alexander.”
“He’s in the cabin, so he won’t be able to see us.”
While saying that, he lowered his head and rested it against her shoulder, lifting his eyes to stare at the red and orange glow that cut across the sea and the sky. He gradually tightened his arm around her.
Sophia snorted, but the scenery before her eyes was indeed stunning, and she also craved his embrace. “Beautiful, yes?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“This is my first time seeing such a beautiful sunset.”
Alexander’s brows twitched slightly. “I was referring to you.”
At his words, Sophia’s face heated, and she couldn’t help giggling. “How glib!”
“It’s the veritable truth.”
Alexander looked down at her, his ebony eyes penetrating deep into her eyes.
His eyes were like infinite whirlpools, sucking Sophia in with just a single look.
“Ahem.”
The moment the sound of someone clearing his throat sounded, Sophia instinctively pushed Alexander away.
John stood a near distance away in mild embarrassment. “Mr. Dawson asks you to go in, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia stole a peek at Alexander. Mortification washed over her, but her expression remained unchanged. “Okay, got it.”
Nodding, John hastily spun on his heels and scurried back into the cabin.
Oh goodness, how awkward!
At the sight of him fleeing, Sophia’s face flamed. She retracted her gaze and turned it on Alexander. “All right, enjoy this beautiful sunset yourself, Mr. Xenos.”
As she said that, she lifted her hand and waved at him before whirling around and returning to the cabin.
In the living room, Perrin was drinking coffee. “Where shall we have dinner tonight? And would you like that seabass steamed or grilled?”
Smiling, Sophia answered his questions one by one.
They would be having dinner at the same hotel where they had lunch. And since they caught two seabass, they could leave one to rear and steam the other.
At night, Sophia was worried that Perrin wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping on the yacht and arranged a room at the hotel for him.
Having spent the entire day having fun, Perrin retired to his room to rest soon after they had eaten dinner.
When it was past eight o’clock, it was really lively on the beach. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hotel, one could see sparks of fire in the distance.
Sophia heard that there was some beer festival on the beach these few days. That aside, there were a lot of barbecue buffets along the coast.
It had been a long time since she had gone out to have fun. Although she didn’t like loud atmospheres much, her mood would improve by leaps and bounds when she put herself among them.
She changed into a maxi beach dress, planning to go and knock on Alexander’s room door to ask him whether he wanted to go and have a stroll on the beach together. To her surprise, she was greeted by the sight of him standing in front of her door the instant she swung open her room door.
He had changed into casual clothes, wearing a white T-shirt on his upper body and black baggy shorts on his lower body. Over the white T-shirt was a long-sleeved shirt with blue and white stripes.
It was the first time Sophia ever saw him in such attire. Having removed his suit and pants, he seemingly turned into a university student in the blink of an eye.
Their looks, figures, and airs had others paling in comparison, so they snagged the attention of many tourists no sooner had they stepped onto the beach.
It didn’t feel as though there were that many people on the island during the day. But when it was night then, and there was even a beer festival by the beach, the entire stretch of the coast was packed.
Laughter and music filled the air all around. When Alexander went to buy some drinks, a boy walked over and asked Sophia for her contact.
“Do you mind giving me your WhatsApp, pretty?”
Alexander, who had returned from buying drinks, glowered at the boy trying to hook up with Sophia, his expression frightfully frosty. “Sorry, but her boyfriend minds.”
The moment the boy spotted Alexander, his expression stiffened. Muttering an apology, he beat a hasty retreat back to his friends.
Unscrewing the bottle of water, Alexander handed it to Sophia. “How many has it been?”
Sophia took the water from him. Lowering her head, she took a sip before fixating her eyes on him with a chuckle. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
At her feigned ignorance, Alexander harrumphed. Taking her hand, he headed in the direction where there were fewer people.
They walked for a while until they reached a stretch of beach with only a handful of campers.
The sea in the near distance sparkled under the extraordinarily bright moonlight that night.
Out of the blue, a saying flashed across Sophia’s mind. She twisted her head and looked at Alexander beside her. Reaching out, she hugged him. “Have you heard of such a saying, Mr. Xenos?”
Alexander looked down at the woman in his arms, his usually indifferent expression turning gentle beyond words. “What is it?”
“The moon on the sea is the moon in the sky.”
“Hmm?”
A frown marred Alexander’s face, and he was seemingly bewildered for real.
Sophia stared at him for some time before murmuring, “The person before me is the person I love.”
After saying that, Sophia sensed her face heating up and wanted to drop her hands from around him. Unexpectedly, Alexander raised his hands and hugged her even tighter. “What a coincidence. You’re also the one I love.”
While speaking, he gently lifted her chin and dipped his head, capturing her lips.
