Sylvia Ran felt relieved and smiled when she saw that Shawn Ke was completely on her side now.
Cecilia Gu relaxed as soon as she saw Rona Muir arrive safely.
For Cecilia, as long as Rona was safe, that was enough.
As for Rona's situation, if she wanted to talk, Cecilia would listen; if she didn't, Cecilia wouldn't ask.
That's how friends should be.
They understood the importance of respecting each other's personal space.
The viewing room was spacious, and everyone strolled along, admiring the different underwater scenery.
Beneath the stunning deep blue, countless dazzling fish darted between pure white or colorful corals and rocks.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
"The water is really so clear!" Cecilia couldn't help but exclaim. "It's so deep, yet we can see everything so clearly!"
"Yes, the deep sea is unpolluted," Sophie Mo said with a gentle laugh. "And to make things more enjoyable for the passengers, the ship uses sound waves to drive away large, aggressive sea creatures and attract harmless schools of fish. Plus, there's lighting all the way down to several hundred meters, so we can see everything so well."
Cecilia nodded and said, "I have to admit, a lot of thought went into this ship!"
"Absolutely," Sophie and Rona agreed, nodding. "They really put effort into it..."
"Hey? My mom's here too!" Cecilia looked up and saw Jane smiling beside Leon Mai, both leaning close together as they admired a school of tropical fish swimming by.
"Let's go say hi," Cecilia said with a smile. "Even though we boarded together, we haven't eaten a meal together yet!"
Rona and Sophie nodded and followed Cecilia over.
"Mom, Uncle Leon," Cecilia teased, "Are you two always this sweet? It's been a whole day and night, and you still can't bear to be apart!"
Jane immediately stepped away from Leon when she heard Cecilia's voice, giving her a playful glare. "You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking!"
Cecilia laughed, taking Jane's hand. "I saw everything, so don't pretend! Besides, I never objected to you two being together!"
Leon smiled sheepishly, a little embarrassed.
He's only about a dozen years older than Cecilia, so calling him 'Uncle' isn't really a stretch.
Rona joined in, "That's right, we're all happy to see it! Auntie, when you and Uncle get married, make sure to invite us!"
Sophie Mo nodded, "Absolutely, I'll be there for the drinks!"
Jane's face turned even redder.
For the first time, Leon spoke up in front of the kids, "Definitely, definitely."
Hearing Leon's answer, Jane's blush deepened.
Cecilia took Jane's hand and said, "Mom, you picked out this outfit for me. Do I look good in it?"
Jane's eyes were full of tender pride. "Beautiful. My daughter looks good in anything! I couldn't afford new clothes for you before, and it always hurt my heart..."
"Mom... That's all in the past, why bring it up?" Cecilia quickly comforted Jane. "Look at me now, aren't I doing great?"
Cecilia originally wanted to tell Jane about Grandma Gu, but seeing Jane so happy now, she changed her mind.
Let her cherish this rare moment of happiness.
Those messy issues—Cecilia would handle them herself.
By now, the Captain should have kept his promise and released Grandma Gu.
As long as she's taken away by the police, the case will be closed soon.
With that, Cecilia's ties to the Gu family would finally be severed.
The Gu family was gone.
Everyone was getting a bit tired, so they headed to a small café around the corner, full of all kinds of seafood dishes.
They split into small groups to buy food, eating and strolling as they admired the view. It was truly wonderful.
Sylvia Ran mingled with the crowd, not even sure why she kept following Cecilia.
Even though she knew following Cecilia might not help her find Charles Yin.
But she just couldn't help but follow along, walking for a long, long time.
Whenever Sylvia saw Cecilia's genuine smile, it felt unbearably harsh to her eyes.
Why?
Why is she the only one who gets happiness?
Why does Cecilia get so much love from everyone?
Especially watching Jane carefully redo Cecilia's braids, the heartfelt tenderness in Jane's eyes was almost blinding to Sylvia.
Why should a foster mother be so good to her, too?
Cecilia, what makes you so special!
The more Sylvia watched Cecilia, the more indignant she felt.
Just then, Cecilia reached out to take a fish ball from Sophie Mo, but her fingers slipped and she dropped it on the floor.
Cecilia laughed and squatted down to pick up the fallen fish ball, then turned to look for a trash can.
Sylvia saw Cecilia finally alone and a malicious smile flickered in her eyes.
There were so many people coming and going here. If someone 'accidentally' pushed her...
The child in her belly might not survive, right?
Sylvia approached with ill intent, following right behind Cecilia.
Cecilia had no idea Sylvia was behind her, wiping her fingers as she walked, searching for a trash can to throw away her napkin and leftover food.
Sylvia was now only half a meter away from Cecilia.
Sylvia slowly reached out her hand.
All it would take was a gentle push...
Cecilia would definitely fall down the steps...
If she fell, there was no way the child would survive...
Cecilia, you're dead!
The malice in Sylvia's eyes had already ruined her once delicate beauty.
Sylvia didn't even think about what would happen after pushing Cecilia down.
All she wanted was Cecilia dead!
She wanted Cecilia's child dead!
Sylvia didn't hesitate as she pushed her fingers toward Cecilia's back!
In that split second, a figure suddenly appeared.
A slender arm blocked Sylvia's hand, and in the next moment, that person pushed Sylvia back.
Sylvia didn't have time to see who ruined her plan before someone covered her mouth and eyes, dragging her away.
It all happened too fast.
Cecilia only felt a breeze behind her, and when she turned around, there was no one there.
"How strange, it really felt like someone was behind me just now." Cecilia finally tossed her trash into the bin and turned to leave.
But as soon as Cecilia turned around, she bumped right into someone's arms.
"Oh my, are you that eager to throw yourself at me?" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded above Cecilia's head.
All Cecilia could see was the person's chest.
The Captain's elegant uniform came into view.
Him again!
Annoyance flashed in Cecilia's eyes. She was about to step back, but he moved faster, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Is this how you treat your savior?" he said lazily. That low, familiar voice was unmistakable.
Cecilia suddenly looked up and saw that the man still had blond hair and a mask covering half his face.
"Hiding all the time—what kind of hero are you?" Cecilia didn't hesitate to push him away, putting some distance between them. "Are you afraid to show your true face, or are you unable to?"
The Captain let out a bitter smile.
He really couldn't face her right now, nor did he dare.
She was still angry.
If he appeared before her as himself, she'd probably turn and walk away.
Once, he was so arrogant and wild. Now, just to see his wife, he had to hide his face and disguise his identity.
Cecilia, oh Cecilia.
No matter if you're angry or scolding me, I don't care.
What I fear most is you leaving without a word.
I know the environment you grew up in kept you on edge, like a startled bird.
Even the smallest setback makes you withdraw and doubt love.
I really want to care for you, to protect you.
But you need to have the same confidence as me, so I can lead you forward together!
Cecilia, when will you let go of your insecurities? When will you stop being wary of me? When will you cut off all escape routes and face every challenge with me?
I know what you care about, and I know what you can't accept.
So, you left, and I left too.
Even if I can't openly defy Mrs. Yin, I'm still willing to keep my distance from other women for you.
I'm willing to give you my body and my heart.
Everything—it's all because you're the one I want.
The Captain had screamed countless times in his heart, but on the surface, he still had to put on a calm, even flirtatious and carefree facade in front of Cecilia Gu.
Only by doing this would she not suspect his true identity.
“But I think you’ll only fall in love with me if I wear a mask,” the Captain deliberately teased, his expression playful.
As expected, Cecilia shot him an annoyed glare.
“Ridiculous!” Cecilia shoved the Captain aside and turned to leave.
“Be careful of Sylvia Ran. She won’t stop,” the Captain suddenly called out to Cecilia’s retreating figure.
Cecilia froze in place.
She didn’t turn around, but her fingers clenched tightly into fists.
If he could capture Grandma Gu, it was only natural he’d know about the situation between Sylvia Ran and herself.
That wasn’t surprising.
But the strange thing was—why did he warn her?
Anyone with a heart knew how irreconcilable things were between her and Sylvia Ran.
Yet he went out of his way to remind her. What did he mean by that?
Was he hinting that Sylvia Ran was about to make a move?
Or did he already know something?
Why did this man feel so familiar?
The more she interacted with him, the stronger the sense of familiarity grew.
This was crazy—she hadn’t met many men in her life, so why did this one feel so uncannily familiar?