Chapter 18

At 4:30 in the morning, the sky was still cloaked in darkness.

Scattered stars lingered in the night, while the pier blazed with light, as bright as midday.

Fishing boats arrived at the port one after another. The open-air fish market buzzed with activity, as fishermen and vendors claimed their territories on the vast plaza.

Fresh catches, sorted on the boats, were ferried ashore by smaller vessels. The shirtless or tank-top-clad workers, regardless of their size, were drenched in sweat.

The ground was lined with baskets of seafood, leaving narrow passageways between vendors. The customers, equally sweaty, brushed past each other, shouting and bargaining incessantly.

Fish of various hues lay in red, blue, and white baskets, covered in crushed ice that sent a chill up one's ankles as they walked by.

Emily endured the pervasive smell of secondhand smoke, looking around curiously like a child.

Michael, tall and sturdy, walked beside her, shielding her from the heedless crowd. He frequently reminded her to watch her step to avoid the protruding baskets.

The noise was overwhelming, making conversation nearly impossible without shouting, which often escalated into arguments.

Several men, swearing in dialects, seemed on the verge of a brawl. Emily, having never witnessed such chaos, couldn't help but watch in awe. She leaned closer to Michael and whispered, "All this fuss over a few baskets of fish?"

"It's normal. Happens every day."

Michael bent down slightly to speak into her ear, "The fish vendors here have bad tempers. If you ask about prices a few times without buying, they'll ignore you."

He gestured towards a scene, his voice conspiratorial, "Look over there, someone filming is about to get cursed out."

Emily adjusted her glasses and looked.

A young man with a GoPro, dressed meticulously and clearly out of place in the bustling market, had annoyed a fish vendor by repeatedly asking prices for his vlog. The vendor, infuriated, yelled obscenities and told him to leave. The young man, undeterred, kept filming.

The argument escalated, drawing a crowd, some of whom began recording the scene on their phones. Emily, feeling uneasy, moved closer to Michael for cover.

Michael scanned the surroundings, grabbed Emily's arm, and said, "Let's go somewhere less crowded."

Emily tried to free her arm, but Michael's grip tightened as he led her forward.

The bustling crowd, the salty sea air, the stench of boat exhaust, and the mingled smells of smoke and sweat created a strange, unfamiliar atmosphere that enveloped Emily.

Michael's warm hand moved down to her wrist, holding her firmly. Emily tried to pull away again, but Michael's grip only tightened.

She shook her hand, "Hey... I can walk on my own."

Michael, convinced of his reasoning, said, "There are too many people, and you're not that tall. What if you get knocked over or lost?"

Emily wrinkled her nose, "I'm not that stupid."

No sooner had she spoken than two passersby bumped into her like blind flies.

Michael quickly raised his hand to block them, shouting, "Hey, watch where you're going!"

The passersby left without a word of apology. Michael gave Emily a smug look, as if to say, "See, I told you so."

Emily, exasperated, glared at him weakly and followed his lead.

They walked from one end of the fish market to the other, then headed back to the car.

By 5:30, the eastern sky began to lighten. Some fishing boats set out to sea again. Vendors who had sold their wares packed up, while those with unsold goods continued to shout for customers.

Though the crowd remained dense, Michael's hand released her wrist, leaving a warm, damp circle.

Emily sighed in relief, but she felt a different emotion seeping from deep within her heart. Before she could understand it, Michael's hand grasped hers again, holding her hand tightly this time.

Startled, Emily looked up just as Michael turned to her.

"The sun is about to rise. Want to watch it?"

His eyes were calm and sincere, his voice gentle and earnest, like the setting sun.

The sea breeze blew between them, lifting strands of hair and stirring something in her heart.

Emily steadied her breath and nodded, "Let's watch it."

They left the noisy market. Michael drove quickly along the coastline, reaching a seaside resort five kilometers away in less than ten minutes.

Emily wore sneakers, while Michael, after getting out of the car, retrieved a pair of his sandals from the trunk. "Do you want to wear my flip-flops or these sandals?"

"Sandals. Your flip-flops are too big."

The sandals were too big, like little boats, causing Emily to wobble as she walked.

"Careful not to fall." Michael chuckled and held her hand again. This time, Emily couldn't pull away.

The beach wasn't particularly clean, littered with garbage, cigarette butts, drink bottles, and hidden barbecue skewers and glass shards. Emily cautiously walked to the shore, finally daring to take off her shoes and feel the sand beneath her feet.

On the entire beach, a few other couples were also watching the sunrise, their intertwined footprints smoothed by the waves, only to be replaced by new ones.

The sea faced south, so the rising sun wasn't directly ahead but at the far end of the beach.

The sea breeze was moist, and as the dawn gradually appeared, the clouds were thin, soon allowing the radiant light to bathe the beach and ocean in gold.

Emily walked ahead, with Michael following three or four meters behind, stepping into her footprints before the waves could wash them away.

Michael gazed intently at her silhouette.

Her figure wasn't slender and bony but was perfectly proportioned. The wind lifted the hem of her loose T-shirt, revealing the curves hugged by her jeans. Her hair, having come loose from its ponytail, fluttered in the breeze. Rolled-up pants exposed her glowing ankles.

When the waves surged, she occasionally played, stepping into the water and kicking up sparkling droplets, like a child who hadn't yet grown up.

Michael's lips curled into a smile as he silently took out his phone.

Suddenly, Emily turned around. "Have you ever watched the sunrise by the sea like this?"

Michael quickly put his phone away and thought for a moment. "Not specifically at the beach, but when I was younger, I used to go fishing at night on Wang Longdong's boat. We'd see the sunrise on our way back."

The sun, blazing at the horizon, was truly spectacular.

Emily was astonished. "Wasn't Wang Sheng in the hotel business?"

"His family has been fishermen for generations. He went out to sea with their boat since childhood. It was only after some events that he turned to business."

Michael approached her, hands in his pockets. "What about you? Have you watched the sunrise like this before?"

"Well, sort of."

Emily walked backward slowly, arms outstretched like a seabird feeling the wind. "On my honeymoon with Anderson in Bali, I made a long list of things I wanted to do, one of which was waiting for the sunrise on the beach and kissing Anderson in the morning light..."

She made a gagging gesture, making Michael laugh. "And then?"

"Nothing happened. Anderson slept in every morning, so I ended up watching the sunrise alone."

Emily smiled softly. "This is the first time I've watched the sunrise with a man."

The sound of the waves was soothing.

Michael felt his heart, like the sand beneath his feet, smoothed out by the gentle push of the waves.

The sun climbed higher, and the heat began to intensify.

They headed back to the hotel for breakfast and a short rest before setting off for Shuicheng City, aiming to arrive by lunchtime.

Back at the car, their feet were covered in sand.

Emily sat sideways in the passenger seat, feet out the door, bending to clean the sand off her soles.

Michael fetched a bottle of mineral water from the car. "Don't use your hands. I've got water."

Emily responded with an "Oh" and reached for the bottle.

But Michael knelt down without a word, holding her heel and pouring water over her feet.

The cool water made Emily shiver and gasp softly. "I can do it myself..."

"Doesn't matter who does it."

Michael's large hands easily cupped her feet, gently rubbing away the sand from her soles and between her toes.

Soon, her feet were clean and wet.

Emily was about to look for tissues when Michael leaned into the car, suddenly cupping the back of her head and kissing her in the morning sunlight.

Caught off guard, Emily surrendered, the kiss turning into a warm, swirling storm.

When the kiss ended, they pressed their foreheads together, breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Emily giggled, and Michael followed suit.

Michael nibbled on her lips and asked softly, "How does it feel to kiss a man at sunrise for the first time?"

Emily, her heart softened by the kiss, wrapped her arms around his neck. "Not bad at all..."