Chapter 127: Father And Son Probe Each Other
Liancheng adjusted the angle of her seat and turned to rest her body on the car window.
The bright, snowy white, boundless landscape reflected in her eyes. The vast wind still whistled and roared past the glass.
This was her second time seeing the sunrise from a car since arriving in Iceland.
The last time she was captured by mercenaries, she saw continuous icebergs ablaze with rosy clouds and coastlines paved with golden light, utterly brilliant. Her thoughts then were of soaring to new heights.
Now, the snowfield was vast, and every ray of scorching white sunlight that fell caused the snow particles to gleam like diamonds, serene for thousands of miles, merging with the white clouds at the horizon into a single line, as if a sky curtain had descended, forming a path of reception.
In the Bible, Matthew chapter, there is a narrow gate.
【 “For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”
“and the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”】
She now saw the path leading to the narrow gate, and all she lacked was a way to hack through the thorns and advance.
Liancheng’s eyes curved involuntarily.
Liang Chaosu glimpsed it from the corner of his eye, “What are you thinking about? You seem so happy?”
Liancheng didn’t turn her head, intentionally avoiding direct eye contact with Liang Chaosu.
His eyes were too piercing, like nails, with a sharp power that penetrated the human heart. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, in the silent exchange of gazes, he left one utterly defenseless.
“Thinking about whales,” she exhaled a patch of white mist onto the car window, her finger tracing a long oval, dotting an eye at one end and adding a tail at the other.
“Humpback whales, sperm whales, and I heard you can also see porpoises and Risso’s dolphins, can you see them all?”
Liang Chaosu saw her becoming more and more out of control, her body almost facing away from him, her front pressed tightly against the car door, her waist twisted nearly halfway, her seatbelt pulled taut to its extreme.
He stabilized the car’s speed and extended one hand, pulling her shoulder to make her sit back, “Behave yourself. If anything goes wrong, I won’t let you off.”
Liancheng smoothed her seatbelt, “If nothing goes wrong, will you let me off?”
Ever since the revelation of her pregnancy, the child was their most fatal minefield. A glance, an action, even a single sentence could detonate it at any moment, shattering the atmosphere into pieces.
Even with rare restraint and silence, the air still held invisible, thin blades, further tormenting and grinding away.
Liang Chaosu clenched the steering wheel. He favored wearing black and gray. The dark colors naturally made him look stern, and when anger welled up, combined with his deep eyes, he became even more dangerous, causing a chilling unease and a strong sense of pressure.
Liancheng’s limbs tensed silently. It was not advisable to enrage the driver while he was driving. She was rational and prepared to endure even if Liang Chaosu bit her next.
Liang Chaosu likely thought the same, restraining his temper, “The probability of seeing whales on a clear day in Húsavík is as high as ninety percent. But you’ve mentioned too many species, so the chance of seeing them all is not high.”
Liancheng found a way out at this moment. The despair that had been spreading through her veins faded, and the confusion and anxiety were gone. He didn’t lose his temper, and she didn’t go crazy. She softened her tone, “Just being able to see them makes the trip worthwhile.”
This was the first time they had calmed down, giving way to each other, since the revelation of her pregnancy.
Liang Chaosu couldn’t help but glance at her. Liancheng looked straight ahead, her long hair tucked behind her ear, her cheeks delicately porcelain white, possessing a unique tranquility. It was so serene that the air in the car flowed softly and gently, like a warm spring breeze in March.
Only her long, curled eyelashes remained, blinking, lively and charming.
Liang Chaosu suddenly showed a hint of a smile, “Aurora in Iceland, whale watching trip, this is our second date.”
Liancheng didn’t provoke him, nor did she wish to have a deeper relationship with him, even verbally. “Yes is yes, no is no, what do you mean by date?”
Coincidentally, they passed a series of S-shaped sharp turns. The suburban roads were not well-maintained, with a layer of ice on top of snow. Even with anti-skid chains on the tires, the car still skidded and was difficult to control.
Liang Chaosu slowly reduced the speed, his attention fully focused on the road conditions.
Liancheng, on the contrary, felt completely at ease and rested with her eyes closed.
……………………
At one o’clock in the afternoon, they arrived at Húsavík.
This city had clearly developed whale watching into an industry, mature and standardized.
Before entering the urban area, advertisements for local whale watching tours lined the roadside, dazzling the eyes. The images depicted colorful drawings of large and small boats, the back views of tourists wearing orange life vests, and the faintly visible tails of whales in the sea.
Liancheng had learned last night that tourists could choose the type of boat based on their preferences. Traditional boats were large, carrying many tourists, allowing them to walk freely on deck for a more comfortable and relaxed experience.
The other option was a speedboat, a small boat carrying six people, which was fast and could easily get close to whales, creating a thrilling and adventurous experience of riding the waves.
Given Liang Chaosu’s usual methods, he would most likely charter a large traditional boat and clear it out for themselves.
He disliked lively gatherings and crowds. In the social circle, at his age, those who achieved similar success would have undergone national interviews, attended large charity galas, and so on.
No matter how low-key and averse to the spotlight one is, or how much they eschew fame, they would still inevitably enjoy their success. This involves human nature’s pursuit of fame and fortune, and the sense of deservingness and harvest upon success.
Liang Chaosu’s level of achieving success without fanfare was something even his father might not possess.
He could almost be called reclusive and aloof; others were excluded by the world, but he excluded the entire world.
Upon arriving at the whale watching dock, the mercenary captain got out of the car first, secured the tickets, and handed them to Liang Chaosu.
On the blue-green ticket, followed by the words “large boat single ticket” after the fancy English, Liancheng couldn’t help but take an extra glance.
Liang Chaosu held her shoulder tightly and handed the ticket to her, “We set sail in half an hour. While there’s still time, I’ll take you to eat something first.”
Liancheng had no appetite. The food was appetizing and fragrant, a gourmet delight. But no matter how rare the delicacy, it was now tasteless to her, making it truly difficult to swallow.
“I’ll be too full if I eat too much,” she confirmed the ticket and gazed out at the distant sea, “Are we going out with the other tourists?”
“You don’t like it?”
Liang Chaosu taking her whale watching was already against common sense. Choosing a crowded, chaotic large boat for the trip was like openly declaring his ulterior motives.
Liancheng smiled, “Will it be dangerous?”
Tiny whirlpools appeared in Liang Chaosu’s eyes, deepening little by little, dark and mysterious, “No, we brought bodyguards.”
A gust of salty sea wind blew past, making Liancheng’s hair flutter and brush across her eyebrows and eyes. A few strands caught on her eyelashes. Liang Chaosu hooked them with his index finger, gently tucking them behind her ear.
Liancheng lowered her eyes, confirming a part of her suspicion.
At first, she thought Liang Chaosu intended to use her as bait to draw out the personnel sent by his father to Iceland and then deal with them.
After resolving the issue, he would prepare to return to his country.
But after thinking it over, she felt it wasn’t that simple.
Given his father’s temperament, he wouldn’t give up after one group of personnel was thwarted. Liang Chaosu wouldn’t be so foolish as to deal with just one group and then return home.
So, was this trip a mutual probe between father and son?
Or did he have another agenda?
……………………
Liang Chaosu decided to take her to eat first, and naturally, he would not comply with her wishes just because she refused.
There was only one restaurant in this pier and port area, and business was very brisk. The waiting guests were gathered at the front desk like a tide. Liang Chaosu had a reservation in advance.
The waiter led them to a window seat facing the sea and soon brought the dishes.
Liancheng numbly forced down half a bowl of chicken soup and turned to the pan-seared fish fillet.
The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a bright golden yellow, not too fishy, and the inner flesh was soft, chewy, and springy. It was unlike the fish she had eaten these past few days.
Liang Chaosu saw she liked it and gave her two more pieces, “This is Faroe salmon, caught today and served within two hours to maintain the freshest taste. If you like it, I’ll have someone arrange a special delivery later.”
