"Those plants on the Nanyang Islands, pick any of them at random and they're all good stuff, just need to process them properly before they can be traded. Hehe, business opportunities are everywhere, the future is so bright, it's wonderful!" On the observation deck high up the mast, one woman squinted one eye, while the other looked out at the distant sea and sky through a telescope, chatting cheerfully with the white-haired woman beside her.

  The white-haired woman called herself "A Nu".

  Just now, she was more or less dragged up to the observation deck against her will, yet her clear fair face still remained calm. She did not seem annoyed, only responded slowly,

  "Some plants are extremely toxic, Building Master, please be careful."

  Hua Duomei put down the telescope temporarily, turned her head to look at her, with a bit of casual whimsy between her brows. "That's exactly why we have to 'teach according to each's characteristics'—processing methods are different for each. For example... some poisons can be used to make antidotes, and others can be processed in a certain way to have some fun with."

  A Nu smiled slightly, nodded, and gently swayed the amber-colored plant she held in her hand.

  "I heard a little about the fun Building Master had with your own man yesterday. I heard you picked a lot of this 'Pearl Lily of the Valley' I'm holding here from the island, then boiled it together with seawater." She paused briefly. "The nectar of Pearl Lily of the Valley is thick and poisonous, but salt water neutralizes its poison. You boiled it over and over, simmered it again and again, until it got that realistic texture... I greatly approve of and admire this 'fun little idea' of yours, Building Master. But getting your man to go along with it, I'm afraid it will take more than one try to work out."

  Hua Duomei felt no shame at all. Instead, it was as if she had found a close girlfriend to pour her heart out to, her beautiful eyes sparkling brightly, burning with a small flame.

  "I was thinking about the 'big picture' after all, but he just didn't appreciate it. He tyrannically smashed every single bucket of that jelly I spent so much effort boiling! Hmph, if he really wants to share weal and woe with his brothers, he can just stay off my bed, let's see if he can hold it, hold it until the big ship docks!"

  A Nu blushed, her normally cool eyes softened with warmth, and she smiled faintly.

  Even dressed as a shiphand in a plain dark summer shirt, Hua Duomei's graceful charm could not be concealed. She raised an eyebrow, reached out a fingertip, a little teasingly lifted the other woman's soft jaw, and pondered.

  "Why is Building Master Sister looking at me?" A Nu asked softly.

  "Because you're beautiful!"

  "Even if I were beautiful, I could never match half of Sister's looks."

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  The clear light of sea and sky gilded Hua Duomei's gorgeous face until it glowed. She chuckled, her fingertips boldly went further to stroke the other woman's delicate cheek, then knead the other's snow-satin-like hair, and suddenly said "A Nu little sister, when I was in Jiangnan I heard a rivers and lakes legend from the sea, about a pink-faced white-haired girl and a pirate king. Do you know anything about it?"

  "Mmm, I'd love to hear more."

  Hua Duomei nodded. "It's said this pink-faced white-haired woman has impressive origins, she's the beloved adopted daughter of 'Flying Tyrant' who rules the Nanyang seas. Flying Tyrant holds the chain of islands outside the Misty Waters as his domain, and all the pirates great and small on the twelve chain islands bow to this woman, respectfully calling her 'Eldest Miss'..." She pulled her hand back, tapped her own jaw lightly with her fingertip, the contemplative look in her eyes dimmed slightly.

  "This girl took her adoptive father's surname 'Huo', and her name also has the character 'nu' in it. A little over a year ago she was supposedly captured by the vicious sea outlaw 'Wolf Ghost'. After that the elite forces of Chain Islands came out in full force to wipe out Wolf Ghost's lair on the big eastern island Xiamei. That day, many people saw with their own eyes Wolf Ghost punched hard off the thousand-foot cliff, and the eldest miss fell into the sea with him. People of the jianghu all said that evil Wolf Ghost deserved to die, but it was truly a pity that Chain Islands ended up losing an eldest miss... A Nu little sister, do you think it's a pity?"

  The snow-white face was quiet with a faint smile, and instead of answering she asked back: "Building Master, you gave up everything in the Central Plains and followed without hesitation, have you ever felt regret?"

  "If it's what I chose willingly, there's no regret."

  "Then the eldest miss of Chain Islands must think the same way as you, willing to follow, she would be happy even suffering hardship."

  "Ah, they say all us Hua sisters have the same temperament. When we meet a man we like, when our eyes meet and he enters our heart, we can't forget him, can't let him go. It turns out this eldest miss of Chain Islands is just the same. Ah, women... when we fall in love we're just so pathetic."

  "Mmm... ah... yes, Building Master Sister is absolutely right." She followed with a sigh and a smile.

  "And that's why...", she clenched the telescope in her hand vigorously, her willow eyebrows flying, "no matter what, we have to make the man we've set our eyes on fall for us too. When he gives his heart to us, that's when we're truly satisfied." In short, even the most vicious tricks are on the table, all to make the person you fancy only have eyes for you.

  "A Nu."

  A slightly suppressed deep call came from below. Hua Duomei looked down along the voice, and saw that Rezang had come up to the deck at some point with the male passenger who hitched a ride, the two of them standing side by side, looking up at the two women.

  "Come down." The stern-faced male passenger spoke again, his gaze from start to finish only locked on that pink-faced white-haired woman.

  Whoa! Isn't this cold-faced guy way too overbearing. What does he take his own woman for? Just a casual "come down" and she has to go right down?

  Everyone knows that 'Feixia Building' has always been female-dominated, every woman is a treasure. Hua Duomei's temper flared up, she was just about to stand up for A Nu, but unexpectedly the girl beside her moved before her, she turned out of the observation deck, slid down the taut ship rope, and right before landing, she deliberately let go of the rope early. The cold-faced guest immediately lunged forward to catch her in his arms, so she wouldn't get hurt.

  Watching this, Hua Duomei couldn't help thinking to herself: if she also did the same thing, pretending to fall, would her man also be worried and rush to catch her... right? It would be right, wouldn't it?

  Too bad she never got the chance to try it, her Mr. Rezang had already climbed up.

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