Chapter 242: 242: So Brilliant

Against the backdrop of the azure sea, the Bahaman sky seemed particularly clear and blue, its beauty further accentuated by drifting white clouds. From the beach on Paradise Island, the vast expanse of the sea displayed shades of light blue, emerald green, and darker blue, all distinctly separate and altogether pleasing to the eye. Gentle waves lapped the shore, where palm leaves swayed in the breeze, and visitors strolled on the soft sand.

Some tourists lazily reclined on rows of beach chairs under sun umbrellas. As a couple that looked to be in love walked by, laughing and talking, the men all took a few lingering looks, unable to turn away—not at the tall, dark-haired Asian man, but at the brown-haired Latina beauty wearing a straw hat.

Clad in a blue bikini swimsuit, with a checked skirt tied around her waist, her long, alluring legs played hide-and-seek with observers with each step she took. Her slim waist with its sexy curve, her proud bust, her beautiful face with a heart-racing smile… she was sizzling hot! The men kept their gaze on her retreating figure until she was far away, and only then did they reluctantly return to their waiting, finding each subsequent woman passing by somehow lackluster in comparison.

That beauty lingered in their minds, and the more some thought about it, the more familiar she seemed. Who could she be?

“Jessica, it’s so beautiful here, it almost feels like heaven…” Holding hands, they walked along the beach, and as Wang Yang gazed out at the ocean, he was moved by the grandeur of the scenery. He suddenly realized he was getting carried away and promptly swallowed the words “It will become a special place!” that were on the tip of his tongue. Jessica adjusted her hat, blown by the wind, and agreed, “A gift from God.”

“Hop on.” Wang Yang suddenly felt a surge of excitement, squatted down, patted his back, and smiled at her, “Come on, I’ll give you a piggyback ride!” Jessica grinned, showing her teeth, deftly hopped onto his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and shouted with a laugh, “Let’s go!” Wang Yang lifted her thighs, bounced briefly to get comfortable, and then started running across the beach with all his might, yelling, “Chargeeee!”

Amidst their laughter, the two arrived at a relatively quiet stretch of the beach, scattered with just a few visitors. Just as Wang Yang began to pant slightly, they saw a young Caucasian couple ahead, and the man suddenly went down on one knee, presenting something to the woman as he spoke. The blonde woman covered her mouth with both hands in surprise, repeatedly exclaiming a barely audible “Oh my God!”

“Oh my God! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Wang Yang instantly stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed. Although the Bahamas was a hotspot for marriage proposals, he shouldn’t be “reminding” her! For some time now, she would go crazy at the sight of anything related to marriage—proposals, wedding dresses, rings… anything.

“Oh my God!” Jessica couldn’t help but shout loudly, jumping off his back in excitement. She stole a few glances at him and then looked toward the proposal, smiling joyously, “Oh, a proposal, he’s proposing! Say yes, say yes…” She saw the blonde woman nod and laugh in response to the man’s proposal, and he slipped the ring onto her finger, after which they embraced tightly. Jessica cheered and pumped her fist in the air. “YEAH! That’s so beautiful! Wow!”

Watching the newly-engaged couple hug and kiss, Jessica’s eyes glittered with enchantment as she murmured, “Yang, that’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Uh, of course.” Wang Yang’s heart pounded wildly as he struggled to stay calm. The proposal was planned for tomorrow, now was not the time to give anything away! Smiling, he nodded, “Very romantic. I wish them a lifetime of happiness together.”

“Yeah, that’s really nice.” Jessica glanced at him and then at the couple walking away hand in hand, feeling envious and a bit anxious. She felt an overwhelming urge to scream, “I want to get married, I want to get married!!” But she didn’t want to be too obvious, or come across as pressuring him into marriage. How could he not know she wanted to get married?

He just thought that 23 and 22 were too young. She knew that he thought marriage should be considered after 25. During the conversation about their future, he had said, “Shall we also make a plan? Get married in five years?” Five years from 2000 was 2005, two more years to wait. Two years!

Two years—by then, they could have had a baby! Jessica exhaled deeply, removed her straw hat to fiddle with it, and glanced at Wang Yang’s calm smile. She felt a wave of weakness wash over her, wanting so much to get married right away! She was truly on the verge of madness!

“Hey.” Wang Yang certainly noticed her sudden melancholy, but it was the moment to make the clutch play. He put his arm around her lithe waist and walked forward, saying with a chuckle, “Hey, I heard that if you see strangers getting engaged while on vacation, especially if it’s successful, you’ll have a few days of good luck.” Jessica, lacking enthusiasm, asked softly, “Really?” Wang Yang laughed and nodded, “Yes, like hitting the jackpot on slot machines or something. Maybe we should give it a try?”

…

“Is everything arranged? Good, send me the coordinates, we’ll execute the plan tomorrow!”

“`

Under the azure sky was a deep blue sea, and far away, only the faint outline of Paradise Island remained. On the second day of their vacation in the Bahamas, Wang Yang was adamant about sailing out to sea, and Jessica, a lover of the ocean, naturally agreed. The two rented a yacht, prepared all their gear and equipment, and set off towards the open ocean.

The Bahamas is often called a “diver’s paradise,” with clear and beautiful waters where visibility can even reach up to 60 meters underwater. Whether snorkeling or scuba diving, one can find a sacred spot here among the coral reef tops, blue holes, underwater walls, shipwrecks, and even a sunken train wreck. These underwater landscapes and nearly 1,000 diving spots provide divers with unparalleled joy and amazement.

Wang Yang was not a diving fanatic, but Jessica was—perhaps because of her time filming “Flipper the Dolphin” during her growing years. She loved dolphins and diving, breath-hold diving, snorkeling, and scuba diving… Consequently, he was also influenced to develop a fondness for exploring the underwater world and the wonderful feeling of swimming with fish. Following her, he got his PADI diving license, though she spent more time and attained a higher level.

They arrived at a dive site with lots of corals and fish but no sharks, where one might get lucky and encounter dolphins. It wasn’t famous in the slightest. Wang Yang, piloting the yacht, stopped the vessel there. As soon as he suggested going underwater, Jessica, without waiting for him to finish, was already excitedly getting changed.

Both dressed in black wetsuits and equipped with scuba gear, they checked each other’s equipment for safety, planted a dive flag on the surface, then, with oxygen tanks on their backs and dive masks on their faces, they jumped into the azure sea wearing their long fins. Dive partners rely heavily on trust and understanding—exaggerating a bit, it’s like entrusting one’s life to the other. Under the sea, the couple was also a “life-and-death partnership,” having dived together countless times.

The underwater world was crystal clear, with sunlight streaming in from above, eliminating the need for a light to see everything clearly. Jessica chased after the colorful corals and the schools of fish darting about, a school of mackerel swiftly fleeing from her. Beneath the blue mask was her pretty face, smiling as bubbles continuously streamed from her snorkel. With a stroke of her hands and a kick of her feet, she swam towards the fish again.

“Yang, where are the dolphins here?” Jessica said laughingly. Her voice traveled through the underwater intercom to him. She didn’t know why he had picked such a super ordinary dive spot, but indeed, it was “quiet,” unlike the crowded famous spots. She brushed against the pink coral in front of her, looking at the beautiful surroundings, and said with a bright smile, “So cute.”

“I haven’t seen any dolphins yet, but I have seen a large mermaid,” Wang Yang said as he swam up to her, bubbles rising around him. He gave her backside a playful pat, and through the intercom came her laughing scolding, “Get lost!”

After nearly twenty minutes underwater, it was about time. Wang Yang smiled and patted her once more, before leisurely swimming towards a large coral reef marked with distinctive features. He spoke casually, “Jessica, the corals here are so beautiful! Huh! I think I’ve found something. Jessica, come and see this!” Jessica swam over, perplexed, “What is it?”

“Look there!” Wang Yang pointed to the gap under the large coral reef. Jessica looked and saw many small red fry swimming around, seemingly covering something overgrown with moss. Wang Yang pushed the seaweed aside, and Jessica exclaimed in surprise, “It looks like a chest.” The chest was no taller than a hand’s height, its patterns and engravings hidden beneath moss, ancient as if it had been hidden there for centuries.

“It’s just a chest. Oh!” Wang Yang feigned surprise yelling. Looking into her eyes through the mask, he excitedly said, “It might be a chest left behind by some Pirates of the Caribbean! Oh my God, I told you we’d be lucky! We found a treasure chest!”

Divers love the ocean deeply for its mystery, its beauty, and the adventure of exploring and uncovering its secrets. So, nearly all divers would be thrilled at the idea of finding a sunken treasure chest. Jessica was no exception; the bubbles from her breathing sped up. She looked at him, her voice filled with excitement, “Yang, what do we do? Should we move it?”

“Of course!” Wang Yang gave her a thumbs-up and reached for the chest, “Let’s take it up to the yacht and see what it is!” Astonished and thrilled, Jessica had no objection, especially as he had already grabbed the chest and was heading toward the surface. She followed him, saying in disbelief, “How long has it been there? We actually found it, Jesus!”

“Yeah! It wasn’t particularly hard to find, just luck,” Wang Yang suppressed his laughter, pretending to be awestruck, “I can’t believe it!” Jessica replied, her tone full of enthusiasm, “Yeah, what good luck.”

With a splash, the calm deep blue sea surface suddenly erupted with two figures, and waves rippled outwards. They swam towards the small yacht, climbed onto the stern deck, and Wang Yang placed the chest on the sun table while Jessica removed her tank and other equipment, tossing her soaking wet hair so that water droplets danced in the sunlight.

“Let’s change first, then check the chest,” Wang Yang said as he took off his gear, urging her, “Change your clothes first! Don’t catch a cold!” Jessica looked at the moss-eaten chest curiously but reluctantly said, “The wetsuit is already warm enough!” Wang Yang removed his flippers and took her hand, heading towards the cabin, laughing, “Hurry up, listen to me! It’s not going anywhere.”

They changed into fresh and comfortable T-shirts and beach shorts and then came out to sit side by side at the sun table on the stern deck. With the sound of “scrape scrape scrape”, Wang Yang cleared a lot of the moss from the chest with newspaper, revealing its originally exquisite and beautiful patterns; Jessica joined in, still full of disbelief at finding an underwater chest—a major event in her diving career!

The chest seemed mysterious and valuable. Jessica asked, “Yang, should we call the police? It could be some cultural relic!”

“`

“Let’s see if we can open it first…” Wang Yang smiled and reached toward the lock in the center of the chest, but suddenly stopped and said, “Sweetheart, how about you give it a try?” Jessica frowned, seemingly recalling something, and exclaimed in alarm, “No no! Yang, don’t open it! It could be dangerous inside!” She grabbed his sleeve, her eyes wide with fear as she continued, “There could be arrows shooting out, poison gas; and devils that would escape as soon as we open it…”

As a devout Catholic believer, Wang Yang knew she genuinely feared the presence of devils and worried she might insist on putting the chest back where they found it. Decisively, he grabbed the chest’s copper ring and lifted it with one swift motion, and with a click, he said, “I’ve opened it.”

“Oh!” Jessica reflexively reached out to protect Wang Yang’s face, but when she saw that everything was safe and sound, she exhaled in relief and smiled at him, “It seems like everything’s fine!”

Wang Yang shrugged with a smile, his excitement barely containable as he urged, “Let’s see what’s inside.” Jessica also felt the thrill of a successful treasure hunt. Peering inside the chest, she saw a fresh white lily flower, its faint fragrance wafting through the air; there was also a Sapphire Silver Necklace, its large oval sapphire shimmering with a dazzling light…

She couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment, “Oh my, this flower is still so fresh! This chest is incredible…!”

Wang Yang pointed out, “There is a piece of paper there! It looks like there’s some writing on it.” Puzzled, Jessica picked up the antique, yellowed paper that was beneath the lily flower. It contained a few lines in Chinese and a few in English. She read from the English, “Only true lovers who wish to spend their lifetime together can open this chest, now these things belong to you!”

Jessica suddenly snapped back to reality, sensing something was off. The note was in both Chinese and English; her heart began to race wildly. Oh no! He always loved giving lilies. These handwriting, isn’t it his? What does this mean!…

“Yang!” She turned to look at Wang Yang who was just a breath away, his smile radiant and his eyes filled with tenderness as he said, “See what else is there?”

Jessica felt like she was almost forgetting to breathe; was he right now… As she looked back inside the chest and he lifted the Sapphire Necklace, she saw a diamond ring hidden inside. Jessica was completely stunned, “A ring.”

“Yes! A ring!” Wang Yang said with a laugh as he put the Sapphire Necklace on her, then picked up the diamond ring from the wooden chest, knelt on his right knee on the deck beside him, looked up at her as if she were petrified, and held up the ring. His heart fluttered with nervousness, a sensation he had never seriously experienced in his 23 years. He said, “Jessica, will you marry me? I will protect you, take care of you, and love you for a lifetime.”

He was proposing! Jessica’s mind and heart went blank, her heart trembling. He was proposing!

“Dear Yang, I’m moving to Los Angeles, when you read this letter…” “Don’t worry, he will definitely write back to me!!” “Maybe he just doesn’t want to disturb me… We had a promise, I’m going to an arts school!” “I hate you, sob, I hate you!” “Oh my god, I can’t believe we would see each other again, it’s incredible!” “Will you be my girlfriend?” “I love you.” “Jessica, will you marry me?”…

“Sob sob!” Jessica suddenly burst into tears, her eyes filling with a warm flow as tears cascaded down uncontrollably. She was going to get married! She was going to be Yang’s wife! Her childhood wish had come true, the thing she had longed for had happened, right here on this expanse of blue sea!

“Jessica, we’ve known each other since we were very young, became best friends of the opposite sex, and then you left, and I missed you.”

Wang Yang maintained his proposal pose, originally thinking she would immediately jump up excitedly and say “YES”, so he hadn’t prepared much for the proposal speech. Now, however, she was crying with joy, lips trembling, unable to speak, so he shared his true feelings as his declaration: “For a long time, I missed your shy smile, your beautiful eyes… But then I forgot about you, as if you had never been there at all.”

Jessica cupped her mouth with her left hand, feeling a sharp pain in her heart as she heard these words; but seeing his deep affection and listening to his declarations filled her with inexpressible happiness.

“The day I ran into you At The Movies, I fell in love with you at first sight. I told myself, ‘I must pursue this girl no matter what!'” Wang Yang smiled, seeing her smile gradually blooming, and continued, “Then the next day, I heard Joshua say he was your boyfriend, I felt so lost and heartbroken, suddenly feeling like I didn’t want to do anything.”

You didn’t show the slightest reaction back then… Jessica, reminiscing about these unforgettable past memories, wiped away her tears, her smile becoming more and more beautiful. Sometimes, he was just so good at acting; just yesterday, he had pretended like he wouldn’t even consider proposing until 2005…

“I started liking you because of your appearance and my childhood memories, but I fell in love with you, telling myself, ‘No matter what, I must marry this girl!’ because of your heart, your love, and your entire being.”

Wang Yang gazed into her eyes, transmitting his feelings to her soul, and smiled, “You’re cute, you’re beautiful… Sometimes you’re silly and confused, but that’s what I like. Jessie, a few months ago during that ‘breakup,’ I realized how important you are to me, you are my world! Without you, there’s nothing… I love you, I want to marry you! Will you marry me?”

“I will!!” Jessica nodded vigorously, feeling so blissful she could melt, “Of course, I will! I love you, oh God, of course, I will…”

“YES!” Although he knew it was a 100% certainty, Wang Yang still shouted excitedly, marriage proposal successful! He then took her warm left hand, which was trembling slightly with excitement, and with a smile, he gazed into her eyes full of tender love as he slowly slid the engagement ring onto her left ring finger. As they looked into each other’s eyes, both felt the sacredness of a vow established for life; from now on, they were engaged to be married.

“You’re mine now! My fiancée.” After fitting the diamond ring, Wang Yang kissed the back of her hand, then stood up with a laugh. Jessica rose from her chair, opened her arms, and embraced him, saying happily, “You’re mine as well! I love you!”

Wang Yang hugged her tightly and kissed her upturned face, forehead, eyes, nose, and then her lips. Jessica closed her eyes slightly, her tongue meeting his kiss, and soon there was a sizzling sound along with gentle gasps.

The couple passionately kissed for a long time until they nearly couldn’t help themselves but to indulge in pleasure right there on the deck; they then ended this once-in-a-lifetime kiss of commitment, and the whole yacht was filled with laughter and joy.

“I’ve succeeded in my proposal! I’ve got a wife now! Ha ha—” Wang Yang picked up Jessica and ran around the deck with thumping steps, laughing and shouting to his heart’s content. Jessica wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly, and laughed shouting, “Ah—I’m getting married!! I have a husband now!! I’m someone’s wife!!” He ran so hard the yacht began to rock, continuing to shout, “I’m going to be the best husband! I’m going to make my Jessica happy for a lifetime!” She followed, shouting earnestly, “Me too!! I’m going to be the best wife!! I’m going to make my Yang happy for a lifetime!!”…

“Squeak—! Squeak—!”

At that moment, a clear and loud sound suddenly came from the sea. Jessica was thrilled, “Dolphins!! It’s the sound of dolphins!!” Wang Yang quickly walked a few steps with her on his back to the railing, and they saw a grey dolphin leap high out of the sea—soon followed by another! Jessica’s face was filled with enchantment and moved by the sight, she whispered, “Oh my gosh, look! It’s dancing, a bunch of cuties!”

“Squeak! Squeak—!” Five or six dolphins sang joyfully, continually leaping and splashing into the water, creating waves of spray.

On the yacht’s deck, Jessica leaned on Wang Yang’s shoulder, both smiling, commenting on what they saw as the dolphins performed. She raised her left hand to point at the dolphins in the azure sea, and he nodded in agreement.

In the sunlight, the diamond atop the firmly worn silver ring sparkled brilliantly.

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PS: Starting the new week with a request for recommendation tickets, thank you everyone! (To be continued!)