Once the fish was sold, Wei Jianguo remarked with a hint of regret, "It's a shame it wasn't a black carp. That would've fetched at least fifty thousand."

"Black carp can sell for that much?" Chu Mingcheng asked, puzzled.

"A large black carp might contain a very high-quality bezoar stone, which is quite valuable. Plus, some people will pay a high price to keep them as ornamental fish. Their commercial value is much higher than a catfish's."

"In that case... Agong, when I first arrived here, another angler was pulled into the water by a fish. I heard him say it was a black carp. How about we go back and try for it tomorrow?" Chu Mingcheng suggested, feeling a pang of regret that his catch had been a catfish, but immediately remembering what the other angler had mentioned.

Wei Jianguo was taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head. "You think landing a monster like that is so easy, kid?"

The lake was massive, not some dedicated fish farm. Who knew where that black carp had wandered off to by now?

"We'll see. If sea fishing doesn't work out, we can always give it a shot!"

"I only went there today because sea conditions were poor for fishing—the water was too murky for diving, and I still don't have my license. I was just hoping to battle a big fish for the fun of it. Never expected to land one."

"You should head back and shower, change out of those wet clothes before you catch cold!" Jiang Luoluo, seeing him still discussing fishing while soaked to the bone, gave his arm a light, exasperated tap.

"Hehe, right, right!" Chu Mingcheng could tell she was worried about him and dropped the fishing talk. "Agong, I'm going to go clean up. Let me treat you to dinner tonight—wait for my call!"

Wei Jianguo didn't stand on ceremony this time, nodding in agreement. Besides, he had no dinner plans and no new stories to share, so a free meal was certainly welcome.

Chu Mingcheng then invited Zhang Ruomei, but she politely declined, saying she had commitments that evening and would take him up on the offer another time before taking her leave.

Finally, Jiang Luoluo drove Chu Mingcheng home.

During the drive, with just the two of them in the car, she had plenty she wanted to say, but given their current relationship, it felt somewhat awkward. After much internal deliberation, she finally found her words.

"Ah Cheng, please promise me you'll always put your safety first, okay?"

Jiang Luoluo's tone was gentle, free of blame or lecturing—just a calm assessment of how serious the situation had been.

"I'm sure aunt and uncle support you making a living from fishing, but they would never want you risking your life just to land a big catch."

"When Mei-jie told me you were underwater for ten minutes, even I was terrified. If your family knew, how do you think they'd feel?"

"Ten minutes?" Chu Mingcheng had been listening quietly, knowing she was concerned for him. But hearing "ten minutes," he couldn't help but laugh.

"Where did you get that number? I was only under for two minutes."

He had already cut the actual four minutes down to two, mainly to avoid worrying her.

As long as he didn't confirm it, even if someone had filmed the whole incident, people would just assume it was an exaggerated fake video. No amount of testimony from witnesses would matter.

Without the person involved backing up the story, the hype would naturally die down. Who would still care how long he'd actually held his breath?

"I had calculated the time beforehand. After two minutes, I was going to release the rod and surface. But right then, the fish's initial burst of strength was exhausted, so I seized the opportunity to reel it in."

"Don't worry—I won't let the people I care about get hurt."

As Chu Mingcheng spoke those last words, he kept his gaze fixed on Jiang Luoluo. The girl felt heat rush, her face growing warmer and warmer.

The words themselves were innocent enough, but the way he looked at her while saying them carried clear implications.

Seeing her face flush bright red, a slight smile tugged at Chu Mingcheng's lips as he turned his attention back to the road ahead.

The car fell silent, but the atmosphere had grown decidedly charged.

Meanwhile, back at his house, Wei Jianguo lay in his rocking chair, lost in thought. His mind replayed the events of the past few days with Chu Mingcheng and the image of Jiang Luoluo's appearance.

It was familiar somehow. A memory buried for over forty years began to surface.

From his love of fishing, you could tell that in his youth, he'd done his fair share of raiding birds' nests from trees and diving into rivers to catch fish.

And similarly, there had been a beautiful figure by his side back then.

He had taken care of Chu Mingcheng partly because he found the young man had good character.

But also because the boy reminded him of his younger self—both equally handsome—so he'd taken extra interest in him.

Originally, he'd simply thought of him as an interesting junior, but seeing Jiang Luoluo today had stirred up old memories.

Thinking of how Chu Mingcheng had bought a boat but was forced to search everywhere for fishing spots, Wei Jianguo shook his head with a smile and pulled out his phone to make a call.

He knew which driving school it was, and a friend of his happened to be a shareholder there. Though not involved in day-to-day operations, arranging an early exam and training session wouldn't be a problem.

They'd been friends for decades. When the call connected, he got straight to the point.

"Ah Guo, what's up? What did you catch today? Don't tell me it's that hundred-pound catfish?"

"You heard about the catfish, too? Perfect. The one who caught it is my boy. The kid is getting his license at your place—already bought himself a boat, but it's just sitting there gathering dust."

"Make a call and arrange for someone to teach him boat handling as soon as he passes the written test. Don't give me any of that 'appointment scheduling' nonsense. There are barely any students—what's to schedule?"

The voice on the other end was stunned. "Damn, you old coot, since when do you have a son? Is that why you didn't go abroad with Ah Wang?"

"Get lost! He's a junior I met recently—a very interesting young man. You think everyone's like you?"

The person on the other end seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his voice returning to its cheerful tone. "I was wondering. You're an angler who only knows fishing all day long. Where would you find time to get a wife and raise kids!"

"By the way, are you still... capable?"

"Capable or not, why don't you call over your two goddaughters, Xiao Liu and Xiao Qi, and we'll find out?"

"Bah! You old angler really know how to pick them—always going for the young ones. Fine, fine, we'll do as you said."

Wei Jianguo looked at the disconnected call and shook his head.

Everyone had their own way of living. Without a wife, there was no betrayal. Everything else was just willing monetary transactions. What more was there to say?

Chu Mingcheng treated them to dinner that night. The next day, as he was preparing to go fishing, he received a notification from the driving school telling him to come for his exam that afternoon. Though puzzled, being able to take it early was naturally better.

Less than half an hour after the written test, he knew his score—he'd passed.

Then an instructor told him to return tomorrow for practical training. If he learned quickly, he could have his license within a week.

The sudden turn of events left Chu Mingcheng feeling somewhat puzzled even after leaving the driving school.

He was supposed to get his license in a month at the earliest, and now he could have it half a month early. How could there be such good luck?

Chu Mingcheng sensed something was behind this, but couldn't figure out what.

He suspected it might have been Old Man Wei's doing, but he also felt that for just a two-week difference, there was no reason for someone to go out of their way to help him.

He didn't dwell on things he couldn't figure out. It was good news, after all.

Back home, he told Jiang Luoluo he'd passed the exam, but noticed she looked exhausted. She'd been practicing dance every day without proper rest. An idea suddenly struck him.

"Luoluo, want to take a trip out to sea tonight and unwind?"

"Huh? What do you mean? You don't have your license yet, do you?"

"It's fine, I have a way!" Chu Mingcheng said, then called Wei Jianguo. "Agong, interested in some night fishing? Just a quick trip out to sea, back by ten. You in?"

Wei Jianguo, who hadn't been fishing for two days, was feeling restless. Hearing the invitation, his heart immediately began to itch.

The main appeal was returning by ten—no need to stay up late.

"Sure, count me in!"

"Great, see you at the marina later!" After hanging up, Chu Mingcheng raised his eyebrows smugly. "See? All sorted."

Jiang Luoluo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You're using Agong as your tool. Isn't that a bit much?"

"It's fine. Agong is easy to please—I'll just catch him a bigger fish later."

Jiang Luoluo laughed, then stood and stretched, her graceful figure on full display.

Noticing Chu Mingcheng staring at her, she wrinkled her nose and huffed, "What are you looking at!"

"What's wrong with appreciating beautiful things?" Chu Mingcheng spread his hands, his expression slightly regretful, as if lamenting that such a lovely scene had been so brief.

"Bah! Shameless!" Jiang Luoluo's lips curved upward slightly, though her words remained cutting. She then walked out of the dance studio with a proud stride to change clothes.

Chu Mingcheng shook his head with a laugh and also left the studio to change into his fishing gear, preparing the equipment he'd need to bring.

After changing, Jiang Luoluo came to his place and helped carry the equipment downstairs.

Chu Mingcheng drove, stopping first to buy some shrimp bricks. Considering the recent appearance of sandworms, he also went to the market for some squid to use as bait.

This bait was highly effective—could use whole pieces for big fish, or cut strips for smaller ones.

When they arrived at the marina, Wei Jianguo was already waiting.

"Agong!" both called out in unison.

Seeing Jiang Luoluo was also there, Wei Jianguo understood. The fishing invitation was just an excuse—the real purpose was to take the girl out for a sea trip.

But he didn't mind. He nodded in response, then took his equipment and boarded the boat first.

Today, Chu Mingcheng was at the helm. Under Wei Jianguo's guidance, he successfully backed the boat out of the marina, then rode the wind and waves across the open sea.

Having piloted the boat twice now, he was gradually getting the hang of it. The upcoming practical training would surely be a breeze.

After cruising for a while, Chu Mingcheng said to Jiang Luoluo beside him, "Luoluo, want to give it a try?"

"Can I?" The girl was nervous but eager to attempt it.

"Don't worry, it's simple—no different from driving a car." Chu Mingcheng first briefly explained the boat's controls.

After she'd absorbed most of it, he checked the navigation and their surroundings.

No other vessels or reefs in sight, so he stepped away from the helm and let her take over.

Jiang Luoluo was extremely nervous in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel tightly.

But soon, she discovered the thrill of riding the wind and waves. Whenever she spotted a wave, she'd head straight for it.

The sea breeze was gentle today, so the small swells posed no problem.

If conditions had been like during their red seabream fishing trip, with larger waves, she would need to angle the bow into the wind and waves at about twenty degrees.

Using the bow's side to meet the waves could reduce wear on the hull.

In any case, whether meeting waves with bow or stern, you never wanted to take them broadside.

That would cause violent rocking, and a slightly larger wave could capsize the boat.

After piloting for a while and having her fill of excitement, Jiang Luoluo found it growing tedious.

Chu Mingcheng had Agong take over navigation to find a fishing spot, while he took Jiang Luoluo to the aft deck to enjoy the rolling waves under the pale moonlight.

In reality, though, they simply stared at the swells in a daze, letting their minds go blank.

After a short while, Jiang Luoluo snapped back to awareness, stretched, and smiled. "You were right—a sea trip really does help you relax."

Chu Mingcheng laughed. "Of course. It's not healthy to be cooped up indoors all the time. By the way, is that how you always are? Just staying in the dance studio all day during practice?"

Jiang Luoluo tucked a strand of hair blown loose by the sea breeze behind her ear without answering.

Not just during practice—even during rest periods, she rarely ventured out.

Unless Zhang Ruomei or Zhou Jiayi from Taiwan came looking for her, or she had commercial performances requiring her presence, she'd emerge briefly. She was a proper homebody.

After about half an hour, the boat slowed and stopped beside an isolated reef.

Wei Jianguo emerged, announcing, "Let's fish here for a bit. It's quite wasteful keeping the engine running."

"Okay!" Jiang Luoluo readily agreed.

Though she wasn't particularly interested in fishing, since she was here, she wanted to try.

"Ah Cheng, can you teach me to fish? I'd like to give it a shot."

"No problem." Chu Mingcheng readily agreed, then took out the shrimp bricks and first scattered some to chum the area.

The current here wasn't strong, so the chum would basically sink slowly to the bottom. No need for a chum cage.

He then selected a lighter jigging rod, rigged it up, and cut the squid into strips while teaching her how to bait the hook.

These simple tasks weren't difficult for Jiang Luoluo to master. With everything prepared by Chu Mingcheng, she took the baited rod, moved to the boat's side, and gently placed the hook and bait on the water's surface.

Following his instruction, she opened the bail to let the hook and bait sink to the bottom, then reeled in a meter of line, locked it, and began waiting quietly for a fish to take the bait.

Chu Mingcheng also prepared his own gear and took a position beside her to fish.