Du Lanyue's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly boarded the boat, lifting her skirt.
Gu Qingcheng could hear the teasing in Lan Xing's words. She hadn't expected Lan Yue to be so shy, blushing so easily when her sister made a joke.
Gu Qingcheng turned to follow and guide her, but Du Lanxing called out to her, handing her a rattan suitcase.
"Excuse me, Young Master Gu, this is my sister's suitcase. It's packed with some clothes. Look at her, she's so forgetful, she almost left it behind. Oh well, as long as she's not lost, that's what matters."
As she spoke, Du Lan Yue handed the suitcase to Gu Qingcheng.
Gu Qingcheng took the suitcase and said, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your sister."
With that, Gu Qingcheng waved goodbye to her and hurried onto the boat.
Du Lanxing watched Gu Qingcheng effortlessly pick up the suitcase, her eyes widening in astonishment. She herself had used both hands and considerable effort, while Gu Qingcheng had lifted it with one hand as if carrying a piece of clothing, without the slightest strain.
Du Lan Yue had rushed onto the boat in a hurry. When she came to her senses, she realized her hands were empty and she hadn't brought anything. Just as she was about to disembark to get her luggage, she saw Gu Qingcheng carrying it up.
"Please, let me take that. I'll carry the suitcase."
Du Lan Yue said quickly.
Gu Qingcheng replied, "Don't move. It's quite heavy. I'll take it directly to your cabin."
Gu Qingcheng had already seen how difficult it was for Du Lanxing to carry it, so she naturally wouldn't let Du Lan Yue carry it, lest she accidentally strain her waist.
Gu Qingcheng led Du Lan Yue to a cabin and opened the door.
"This is your cabin. Do you find it satisfactory?"
This cabin was the largest, cleanest, and most comfortable on the entire boat. In fact, it was originally Gu Qingcheng's private cabin, but since Du Lan Yue was a guest and a delicate young lady, Gu Qingcheng naturally yielded it to her.
Du Lan Yue was no stranger to cabins on boats. She never imagined that there could be such a clean cabin on a boat. Inside the natural wood-colored space was a simple and refreshing wooden bed.
The six-piece bedding set on the bed was all white – white sheets, white pillowcases, and a white thin duvet. The color choice was bold. If this were at home, her mother would never allow them to use such plain white colors, deeming it inauspicious. However, this color scheme made the room appear very clean and elegant, making Du Lan Yue realize anew that white could be used in such a way.
Besides the bed, the cabin had a wardrobe and a desk. All the furniture was fixed to the deck, preventing any shifting due to the boat's rocking on the water.
In the corner of the cabin, a potted plant with plump green leaves sat on a fixed stand.
Gu Qingcheng explained that these plants were called succulents and that she had dug them up from a shaded area on the mountain. They didn't like direct sunlight, so they could be kept indoors, looking pleasing to the eye.
It was a pity, though, that she couldn't reveal her luxurious yacht, otherwise, she could have let Du Lan Yue enjoy it thoroughly.
Although Gu Qingcheng considered Du Lan Yue her friend, she dared not reveal her greatest secret.
However, she had tested Du Lan Yue's loyalty and found that her loyalty score was remarkably high, above 90 points.
It truly astonished her.
With such a loyalty score, she felt quite at ease having Du Lan Yue as a friend.
After they boarded, the boat set sail, heading for Peach Blossom Island.
The two stood on the deck, enjoying the cool breeze and chatting casually.
"Sister Lan Yue, have you ever been to Peach Blossom Island? I heard there are many peach blossoms there."
Gu Qingcheng was also visiting for the first time and was full of curiosity about this island named after flowers.
"Actually, I haven't been there myself. My father has. He said it used to be a peach grove on the mountain. Later, after the flood, the villages below were submerged, and only the mountain ridges planted with peach trees were exposed. So, people started calling it Peach Blossom Island."
Du Lan Yue recounted leisurely.
"I see. It's March now, the perfect season for peach blossoms. We're arriving at just the right time!"
Gu Qingcheng displayed an expression of longing.
At this moment, she thought to herself that she had also planted a large area of peach and pear trees in Phoenix Village. However, the trees were still young. In a few more years, when they bloomed, it would surely be beautiful.
No, she should plant seasonal flowers of different varieties throughout the year, so that Phoenix Village would have flowers to see all year round, transforming it into a flower village.
Gu Qingcheng was momentarily distracted, allowing Du Lan Yue to boldly steal a glance at Gu Qingcheng's clear and bright eyes. A flutter stirred in her heart, and as she gathered her courage to say something, Wang Dapeng suddenly appeared on the deck.
"Young Master Gu, there seems to be a problem with the boat's engine. Would you like to come and take a look?"
Upon hearing that the boat had a problem, Gu Qingcheng dared not delay and said to Du Lan Yue,
"Sister Lan Yue, please enjoy the scenery here on the deck by yourself. Be careful not to lean too far over, as it could be dangerous if the boat suddenly lurches."
Du Lan Yue had been on boats before. This boat was similar in size to her father's merchant ship, and she felt quite comfortable on it. She was surprised by Gu Qingcheng's thoughtfulness.
Her heart warmed, and she nodded with a smile. "You go ahead and attend to it. I'll be careful."
After Gu Qingcheng left, Lan Yue found herself alone on the deck. Only then did she realize that while this boat looked similar to her father's merchant ship, there were subtle differences overall.
For instance, the boat had a stern rudder, which seemed to make its navigation smoother. Even though the wind wasn't strong now, the boat's speed was noticeably faster than ordinary merchant ships. From her experience, she could tell that the boat's power had been modified. She could also faintly hear a "rumbling" noise coming from the cabins below.
Seeing that Gu Qingcheng hadn't returned for quite some time, Du Lan Yue became quite anxious, fearing that the boat might have encountered a serious problem.
Fortunately, just then, Gu Qingcheng emerged from the lower deck onto the main deck. As she popped her head out, she saw Du Lan Yue looking at her with a worried expression, and she knew what she was thinking. Gu Qingcheng quickly said,
"Sister Lan Yue, it's alright. Just a minor issue. It was the fuel in the engine room that was acting up. I've already eliminated the potential hazard."
"Ah? This boat needs fuel?"
Du Lan Yue was surprised to hear this.
"Yes, we rely on burning coal to propel the ship forward."
Gu Qingcheng explained the principle of a steamship. Du Lan Yue listened in stunned silence, never imagining that the Gu family's boat was so advanced. It didn't need human or wind power to travel 150 li a day, more than double the speed of her own merchant ship.
Gu Qingcheng noticed that Du Lan Yue wasn't bored by these matters. On the contrary, she was engrossed, clearly a person with a strong desire for knowledge, unlike the pampered young lady she had initially imagined.
When Du Lan Yue boarded, she wore a silver-gray brocade jacket with a woven gold pattern, which made her delicate face look as lovely as jade. However, after boarding, she changed into a light pink dress with embroidered details, making her look exceptionally charming. From her changing into two outfits, Gu Qingcheng began to sense some of the particularities of a young lady; otherwise, she wasn't as delicate as she had imagined.
Time passed quickly. They had lunch on the boat, which was a simple meal.
For convenience, they had preserved meat and dried bamboo shoot rice, along with a soup of green vegetables.