It seemed that noticing Li Younan’s gaze, Jing Chaoyi suddenly turned her head, and their eyes met as she flashed him a smile.
That smile was one of unreasoned joy. She herself couldn’t quite explain why she smiled happily, but both found it quite natural.
When the boat sails on the sea, the most direct feeling is that the speed is very slow, because unlike traveling by car on land where you have frequent reference points, there aren’t many at sea.
The reference points on the sea are either distant shorelines or cargo ships, or the vast expanse of the ocean.
The boat was sailing along the Huangpu River channel, with the Bund’s architectural complexes on the left and the skyscrapers of Lujiazui on the right. Cargo ships and sightseeing boats shuttled on the river, while the system continuously broadcasted the navigational communications of other vessels.
Although everyone on board had previous trial sailing experience, there was still a significant difference with this time.
"Wow, are we really going on a global voyage? Are you nervous, senior?"
"A little bit nervous, what about you?"
"For now, I’m not really nervous."
The conversation continued.
"Damn, Li Younan, I really have to thank you."
"Uh, you swore, that’s not like you."
"I’m just a bit excited. To be honest, during your stint in the United States, while I was earning a salary like a white-collar worker, I felt a bit guilty."
"But thinking that once you returned and we prepared, we’d really set out on the sea, felt somewhat like a dream."
"Really, thank you. Otherwise, I’d probably still be in that community hospital dealing with my superiors. Damn it, following you, now I too can dream of poetry and faraway lands."
"Goodness, another swear!"
"This is my true nature, hahaha, alright, I’m not going to watch the sea anymore. Before leaving, I’ll get lunch ready for you all."
The first to leave was Lu Zhiqing, followed by Ren Xiaohuan.
On the ship, she spoke the least and was the most nervous, always shy around people, feeling uneasy if she wasn’t doing something for even a moment.
Seeing Lu Zhiqing depart, she quickly said, "I, I’ll go help Dr. Lu."
Although Lu Zhiqing’s role was as a chef, Ren Xiaohuan still preferred to call him Dr. Lu.
After the two left, the others in the cabin gradually followed suit, leaving only Jing Chaoyi, Qin Yue, and Li Younan.
"Pretty good, Jing Chaoyi, once you become proficient in piloting the boat, you can often help Qin Yue by taking over in less challenging sailing areas. After all, this is a private yacht; we don’t have to be too strict about its specific use."
The first destination is the Zhoushan Archipelago waters. Compared to the last trial voyage, this time they will head south from Zhoushan Archipelago as a transit point.
They have been sailing for nearly an hour now but haven’t yet left the Huangpu River section. At the current speed, it will take about another two hours.
During this leg, Li Younan remained in the cockpit.
The river surface appeared yellow-brown, with seagulls occasionally circling the stern.
At this time, Qin Yue was at the helm, familiarizing herself with the chart to adjust the course and avoid the slow-moving container ships ahead.
It wasn’t until they exited Wusong Port that Li Younan reported the sailing plan to the Maritime Bureau via VHF channel, confirming the navigable status of the Yangtze River, and officially leaving the Yangtze River Estuary towards the East China Sea.
The water color gradually deepened from yellow-brown to aqua green, then to deep blue, and the view suddenly opened up.
The radar screen showed the direction and speed of some navigating cargo ships, and Jing Chaoyi breathed a slight sigh of relief, her expression one of newfound ease.
Li Younan chuckled, "So this is what made you nervous?"
Jing Chaoyi nodded somewhat sheepishly.
Just now, she secretly imagined herself as the captain of the ship, rehearsing in her mind how she would handle such scenarios, while discreetly comparing her actions to Qin Yue’s.
Admittedly, right now, she wasn’t capable of independently sailing this ship out.
However, once they reached open waters, that feeling of tense pressure diminished considerably.
By now, more than three hours had passed since they set sail from the port. Qin Yue smiled, "You guys go have lunch first; I can handle things here on my own."
Li Younan nodded and led Jing Chaoyi downstairs.
Even while sailing, the yacht didn’t sway at all, thanks to its initial design for ocean experiments, boasting a military-grade structure and formidable anti-roll capabilities.
Lu Zhiqing had prepared a full table of dishes, and during the yacht’s journey, Qin Yue and Chen Tiefeng remained at their posts while everyone else gathered in the dining area.
This was their first meal after setting sail, and it was indeed a grand feast.
At this time, Ren Xiaohuan was placing a platter of sliced roast duck on the table. In her usual spare time, she and Shen Mo would assist in the kitchen, making it quite easy for Lu Zhiqing to prepare such a lavish spread.
Being the first meal, everyone appeared a bit shy. Li Younan smiled and invited everyone to sit. Afterwards, he raised his glass of fruit juice and said, "We’re all on the same boat now. Although each of us holds different roles, I hope we can all enjoy this journey together. While we’re not very familiar with each other yet, that’s okay; we’ll eventually become friends. Here’s to our journey!"
Everyone raised their glasses, clinking them together. The two young sailors drained their drinks, and Ren Xiaohuan took a little sip from her glass. Lu Zhiqing laughed heartily, looking happier than even Li Younan.

Comments

Loading...