Chapter 24: The Island

On the island, the sun was bright and the sea breeze was gentle.

Shi Chuchu narrowed her eyes slightly, taking in the vast, azure expanse of the sea, her mood exceptionally good. The Chali sea area covered an immense expanse, dotted with several islands; the one beneath her feet was a private island owned by Long Yuan.

This was not her first time here. When she first began dating Long Yuan, it was summer. One day, she had casually remarked, "Summer is meant for an island vacation." Though she spoke without intention, he took it to heart. The very next day, Long Yuan purchased this island, brought in over a dozen construction crews to work day and night, and finished renovating the place within a week.

That summer, Shi Chuchu had been inseparable from the island. She stayed for two full weeks, clinging to Long Yuan and savoring their world for two. During the day, Long Yuan would accompany her to sunbathe, play in the water, and explore the island. At night, after he had fed her well and she drifted into dreamland, he would sit at the desk by the bed, watching her sleep while remotely handling government affairs for the military. Every morning at dawn, he would finish his paperwork, crawl into bed to hold her, and they would sleep until the sun was high in the sky.

Life back then had been truly decadent and wonderful!

Shi Chuchu clicked her tongue, looking up at the tall back ahead of her carrying the cub, a sense of sorrow rising in her heart. Times had changed; she was no longer the little princess held in the palm of Long Yuan’s hand, but had turned into the humble beast of burden tasked with taking care of his little prince.

"What are you standing there for? Keep up," Long Yuan glanced back at her, his voice cold.

Shi Chuchu shook her head and resignedly followed.

The three of them soon arrived at a small log cabin. Shi Chuchu used to call it the "cabin in the woods" because it was surrounded by trees. Long Xiaobao, nestled in Long Yuan’s arms, looked at the small house with wide, curious, dark eyes.

"Daddy, house, whose?" he asked, biting his finger, his speech slightly slurred.

Long Yuan patiently pulled the chubby, fair finger from the boy's mouth, paused for a moment, and replied softly, "This is Mommy's little house." His voice was extremely light and somewhat dry, carrying a trace of nostalgia.

Shi Chuchu, following behind him, was stunned. She hadn't expected that Long Yuan had never brought Long Xiaobao here before, nor had she expected to see this side of him.

While she was lost in thought, she saw Long Yuan place Long Xiaobao on the sofa and turn to her.

"Stay here and rest with Xiaobao for a while, and get his swimwear and toys ready for later."

When speaking to her, Long Yuan’s voice returned to its usual cold and overbearing tone, devoid of any gentleness.

Shi Chuchu: ...

Forget it, she was already used to this jerk’s face.

However, she still asked out of curiosity, "Where are you going, Marshal?"

"I am going to deploy security for the island’s perimeter."

Long Yuan did not stop, disappearing through the doorway. Shi Chuchu then remembered that she had indeed seen many military boats around the island earlier. If it were just Long Yuan and Shuang Ming, they probably wouldn't have deployed so much force. It seemed the other distinguished guest Long Yuan mentioned was indeed of significant status.

Shi Chuchu stretched, walked over to Long Xiaobao, and began helping him pick out his swimwear, not giving it much thought. As long as it wasn't one of the male leads, whoever it was had nothing to do with her.

*

Shuang Ming arrived at the edge of the island around nine in the morning with Shuang Ci. They happened to run into the Crown Prince, Xi Yao, who had just arrived as well.

Xi Yao’s status was special; he was traveling incognito today, so he was dressed very casually. His shoulder-length blonde hair was half-tied up, and he wore a white trendy hoodie with khaki cargo pants and limited-edition high-top sneakers—a look that was both relaxed and stylish.

Seeing Shuang Ming and his son, he looked surprised. He took off his large sunglasses and waved enthusiastically. His bright smile made his young face look even more energetic; he looked less like a noble Crown Prince and more like a sunny, cheerful college student.

In a blink of an eye, the enthusiastic Xi Yao was already squatting in front of Shuang Ci, staring wide-eyed at the little one in amazement.

"Shuang Ming, this little guy is practically cut from the same cloth as you!"

Shuang Ming curled his lips slightly and gave the cub a gentle nudge on the back. "Greet the Highness."

Before Shuang Ci could bow, Xi Yao caught him. "Today, I am just a friend to you and Long Yuan, not some Highness."

"Come, little Shuang Ci, call me Uncle." He pinched Shuang Ci’s small cheek and smiled.

Shuang Ci calmly called him Uncle.

Xi Yao’s eye twitched. "This child is not only like you in looks, but his personality is just like yours too..."

As they were chatting, Long Yuan walked over and greeted them.

"The timing is perfect. I’ve just arranged the security for the perimeter. We can head onto the island now."

Xi Yao followed Long Yuan without hesitation, not even bringing his personal attendant.

On the way, he asked curiously, "Long Yuan, where is your cub?"

Long Yuan replied while leading the way, "I left the cub with a childcare specialist; they are resting in the small villa."

Xi Yao was a bit surprised. "You’ve already hired a childcare specialist so early? Isn't it just about the right age for little Shuang Ci to have one?"

Long Yuan explained, "The Dragon-Lion clan is exceptionally fragile during their infancy, and their mental seas are the same. Hiring a specialist early is just a precaution."

Xi Yao nodded, expressing his understanding.

As they spoke, a log-style villa soon appeared in their sight. Long Yuan pointed to the villa. "That’s it. Let’s go inside to change and settle in."

Following the direction of Long Yuan's finger, Xi Yao looked through the large floor-to-ceiling windows and vaguely saw two figures—one big and one small—on the sofa. He assumed these were Long Yuan’s cub and the childcare specialist.

The group picked up their pace.

Inside the villa, Shi Chuchu and Long Xiaobao had already changed into their swimwear. She wore a relatively conservative white one-piece swimsuit, while Long Xiaobao had chosen a little yellow duck-themed swimsuit.

Shi Chuchu looked at the bright fluorescent yellow and her mouth twitched. The little guy’s aesthetic was truly... unconventional. But then again, it was safer for a child to wear something conspicuous at the beach, so she didn't interfere.

After playing with Long Xiaobao for a while, she heard footsteps and faint voices outside.

"It seems your daddy is back~ Let’s go, let him see your swimsuit, and you can say hello to your little friend."

Shi Chuchu muttered to herself while picking up the little yellow duck-clad Long Xiaobao and walking toward the door.

A few seconds later, a familiar figure abruptly entered her line of sight.

Shi Chuchu’s fingertips turned cold, and she nearly lost her grip on Long Xiaobao.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bright, harmless smile.

Even if he turned to ash, she would never forget him—one of the ex-husbands she had once dumped: the Mermaid Crown Prince, Xi Yao.