Chapter 270: Summer, Beach, Fireworks, and Confession! (Epilogue 3)

"Then let’s go have one last blast at the beach!" Zhao Yueyue was the first to raise her hand. "I didn’t get to play enough yesterday! And the sun is so nice today!"

"Seconded!" Huang Mao immediately chimed in.

Su Yuqing and Qu Danwan also said they wanted to go to the beach.

Zhao Yuanyuan looked at Lin Yu’an, who nodded in agreement.

And so, the group spent their final hours on Bikong Island at this pure, bright azure summer shore.

The seawater was pleasantly cool, and the temperature of the sand was just right.

Zhao Yueyue, like a frolicking little dolphin, pulled Zhao Yuanyuan and charged into the waves, her laughter crisp and clear.

Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan, meanwhile, started a childish but tireless splashing war, sending water flying everywhere.

Chen Mo accompanied Su Yuqing on a slow walk in the shallows. The cool, comfortable water lapped at their ankles. With their fingers intertwined, they would occasionally look at each other and smile, a silent sweetness flowing between them in the sunlight.

Huang Mao sat under a beach umbrella, watching the boisterous Zhao Yueyue with a gentle smile on his face.

Lin Yu’an was a little farther away, quietly stepping on the surf. After being "abandoned" by her sister, Zhao Yuanyuan slowly walked over to his side. They chatted idly, the atmosphere peaceful and easy.

When they were tired of playing, everyone flopped onto the sand to sunbathe, letting the fine grains stick to their skin and feeling the interplay of the sun’s scorching heat and the cool sea breeze.

"It’s about time. We should pack up and get ready to head back." Chen Mo glanced at his watch; it was almost noon. He sat up and patted the sand off his body. "Before we go, how about a group photo? To commemorate this island trip."

The suggestion was met with immediate, unanimous approval.

They chose the small courtyard in front of the guesthouse for the photo. Behind them was a white wall covered in green vines and blooming bougainvillea. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows and filling the air with the vitality of summer.

"Here, here, give me the phone. I’ll take it for you!" the guesthouse owner said enthusiastically, taking Chen Mo’s phone.

Chen Mo gently wrapped his arms around Su Yuqing’s waist from behind, resting his chin affectionately on her shoulder. Su Yuqing tilted her head slightly, her cheek almost touching his. Both wore brilliant smiles, their eyes filled with an affection they couldn’t hide.

Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan stood side by side. Zhou Hao’s hand rested on Qu Danwan’s shoulder, and she leaned slightly toward him with a gentle smile, a picture of their natural, effortless rapport.

Lin Yu’an and Zhao Yuanyuan were positioned next to each other. Both were a bit shy. Lin Yu’an stood ramrod straight, while Zhao Yuanyuan lowered her head slightly, her hands clasped in front of her. But both had faint smiles on their lips, and a budding, innocent affection flowed silently between them in the sunlight.

In the front, the goofball group was in action! Zhao Yueyue stood right in the middle, one hand on her hip and the other making a big "V" sign, smiling so wide her eyes nearly disappeared.

Next to her, Huang Mao deliberately put on a fierce-looking expression but secretly held up two fingers behind Zhao Yueyue’s head to make bunny ears.

"Ready! Three, two, one... say cheese!" the guesthouse owner shouted.

"Cheeeeese!!!" everyone shouted in unison, their smiles frozen in that perfect moment.

After the photo, the group washed up and had one last, lavish seafood feast at the guesthouse. Then, they packed their bags and reluctantly bid farewell to the guesthouse and the azure bay, which now held so many unforgettable memories, and prepared to go home.

On the ferry back, the atmosphere was completely different from the trip over.

Chen Mo and Su Yuqing stood side by side on the stern deck, watching the long white wake trailing the ferry.

The sea breeze blew Su Yuqing’s long hair, and Chen Mo naturally reached out to tuck it behind her ear. As he pulled his hand back, his fingertips gently brushed against the pink pearl on her chest. ’In the afternoon sun,’ he thought, ’this pearl looks even more beautiful than it did at night. It suits Su Yuqing perfectly.’

Su Yuqing turned her head and gave him a captivating smile. The sunlight landed in her clear eyes, which were filled with unconcealed happiness.

Beneath the railing, their hands were already tightly intertwined. Ever since making their relationship official, the two of them practically wanted to be glued to each other’s side.

This time, it was no longer a vague crush, but a clearly defined state of "in a relationship."

Feeling the other’s palm in their own, their hearts overflowed with pure, sweet happiness.

Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan were sitting by a window in the cabin.

Zhou Hao was enthusiastically scrolling through the photos on his camera. Most were landscapes and group shots, but when he got to a blurry silhouette of a couple snuggling under the fireworks, he paused and discreetly angled the camera screen toward Qu Danwan.

It was clearly the moment Chen Mo and Su Yuqing had kissed last night. Zhou Hao had been trying to take a picture of the fireworks and hadn’t expected to capture this scene.

Qu Danwan glanced at it but didn’t say anything. Her eyes flickered to Zhou Hao’s lips, and the curve of her own mouth deepened slightly.

But when she saw Zhou Hao’s gaze fall on her lips, she immediately turned her head shyly to look at the sea rushing past the window.

This unspoken sense of security and intimacy was the greatest reward of their trip.

Lin Yu’an and Zhao Yuanyuan sat in a row further back.

Zhao Yuanyuan was listening to music on her headphones, while Lin Yu’an was reading a book he’d brought along.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing them in a quiet, harmonious glow.

Occasionally, Lin Yu’an would quietly ask Zhao Yuanyuan if she wanted some water, and she would shake her head. Or she might point to something in his book and ask a soft question, falling silent again after getting an answer.

The subtle affection that had quietly sprouted between them under the fireworks was now like the rising sun over the sea—warm but not blinding, with plenty of time and space to grow naturally.

Zhao Yueyue and Huang Mao sat by a window on the other side of the cabin.

Zhao Yueyue was wearing headphones and staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought as if she were processing something.

Huang Mao was playing a game on his phone, his fingers moving rapidly, but his eyes would occasionally dart toward the girl beside him.

When Zhao Yueyue seemed to notice his gaze and turned her head in confusion, he immediately pretended to be completely engrossed in his screen, though the tips of his ears flushed slightly red.

Zhao Yueyue pursed her lips and turned to look out the window again, but the corners of her mouth curved up into a tiny smile she herself didn’t even notice.

The huge question of "like" had been temporarily filed away in her "to-do" folder. But the "good friend" status was not only secure, it had even been quietly flagged for "special attention."

Their summer story had only just turned to a new page.

The ferry cut through the azure water, sailing toward home.

The sea breeze carried the salty, damp air, and with it, the unique scent of this summer—a mixture of sea salt, fireworks, tears, laughter, and the stirrings of young love.

The four separate journeys, each having just undergone its own emotional trial, had come to a temporary close. But the Chapter of their youth, like the ferry, was sailing toward a vast future full of infinite possibilities.

The memory of their summer on Bikong Island, like the pink pearl at Su Yuqing’s throat, settled gently into the softest corner of everyone’s heart.

This summer, blessed by fireworks, had only just begun. Their story was still very, very long.