Du Ruoxin and Grace changed into sportswear and sneakers and headed to the deck.
Since they had just boarded, perhaps everyone was still adjusting or busy touring the cabins, and there wasn't a single person on the deck.
It felt like they had booked the entire place, and for free.
Nice!
Du Ruoxin secured her safety harness, turned to Grace, and asked, "Race you?"
"Sure."
Du Ruoxin counted down from three, and they both started climbing simultaneously.
Grace was agile, like a nimble gecko, climbing the steep rock wall without any difficulty.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
She seemed to be able to fly, calculating her gravity and distance to leap to places her hands couldn't reach.
In that moment, being suspended in the air tens of meters high gave her the thrill of a rebirth.
Grace moved along the wall like a cat person in a movie, as free as if she were on land.
Du Ruoxin couldn't keep up.
She was strong in everything except sports.
It wasn't that she was incapable, but compared to Grace, she lacked the desperate resolve of having no other option.
Actually, Du Ruoxin didn't like extreme sports; she even disliked them.
Wouldn't it be better to ride Ferris wheels, carousels, go-karts, bumper cars, or ride horses on land?
Why insist on skydiving? Outdoor rock climbing at thousands of meters above sea level? High-altitude gliding? Bungee jumping…
Those projects with extremely high danger indices, where one could be smashed to pieces and leave no trace?
But Grace liked them.
Every time Du Ruoxin watched Grace play extreme sports recklessly, her heart felt like it stopped, fearing she would truly die the next second.
It was too thrilling!
To accompany Grace, and to prevent her from being so wild, Du Ruoxin could now grudgingly accept some speed and passion.
But not bungee jumping, not projects where a slip of the foot or a soft hand could lead to a fatal fall. She was generally okay with the rest.
"Sister Xin, hurry up," Grace shouted down from the highest point.
Du Ruoxin panted, "Coming."
Hoo—
So breathless.
Sports were a matter of "use it or lose it"; one had to exercise daily.
Finally, Du Ruoxin struggled her way to the top.
Since there were no other tourists, the two stood at the very top after reaching the summit, facing the sea breeze and embracing the sunlight.
Life was so beautiful.
"I'll call Dou Dou." She hadn't seen her daughter in days and missed her dearly.
Du Ruoxin took out her phone and video called her mother-in-law.
"Mommy," she called out obediently.
The moment Feng Linwan saw Du Ruoxin, her eyes curved into a smile. "How is it? Have you made up with Jing Yang?"
"Mm," Du Ruoxin nodded. Her mother-in-law had been deeply concerned about her marriage with Rong Jingyang. "Where are you and Dou Dou?"
Feng Linwan handed the phone to her precious granddaughter.
Rong Dou Dou's rosy little face was both cute and adorable. "Mommy, I'll be able to find the medicinal herbs to save Big Mao soon, don't worry!"
On the video call, the little girl, wearing a sun protection suit and boots, holding a custom-made small hiking stick, was making her way through the forest.
Du Ruoxin: ╯╰
It was truly difficult for her daughter!
Suddenly, she felt a pang of sympathy and guilt.
"Dou Dou, you're so good," she pouted and kissed her daughter through the screen.
Rong Dou Dou kissed her back. "Mommy, where are you?"
Why could she only see the clear blue sky? Was Mommy flying?
Du Ruoxin moved the camera. "I'm rock climbing, look."
"Wow—" How beautiful, Mommy is at sea!
The little girl let out a long exclamation.
"I want to come too!" Wait, something seemed wrong? Rong Dou Dou frowned and asked, "Mommy, is Big Mao better yet?"
Du Ruoxin put on a sad expression. "No, your Daddy is taking care of him."
"Daoist Master Tian Xuan said that praying for Big Mao in the highest place would allow Bodhisattva to hear and bestow blessings, so Big Mao can recover quickly."
Rong Dou Dou's little face, having been tricked, perked up. "Then I want to climb to the mountaintop quickly too."
Du Ruoxin: "Go, my darling!"
Rong Dou Dou: "Mm!"
After hanging up, Du Ruoxin smiled brightly, like the most dazzling pearl in the world.
Grace watched her, a little stunned. "Sister Xin, you've changed."
In her eyes, Du Ruoxin was like a kite, the sky her belonging; or like a fish, the sea her domain.
But not like this…
She couldn't quite describe the feeling, only that Du Ruoxin had become so much softer.
"After getting married and having children, most women change," Du Ruoxin said, putting an arm around Grace's shoulder and smiling. "How about it, want to try dating?"
"Not too flashy, not too philandering, just a domestic man who honestly raises children and cooks for you?"
Grace was successfully amused. "Pfft—"
"Are there men like that?"