Degradação no Meio do Verão

When Yixun’s WeChat call request came through, Gu Yao was dining in the cruise ship’s second-floor restaurant. The steak on her plate had grown a little cold and tasted bland, so she set aside her knife and fork, picked up her coffee, and took a sip.

At the table behind her, two women’s conversation was especially loud, their shrill laughter piercing the ears.

“Where have you been all these days?” Yixun’s voice came through the gaps in their laughter, patchy and intermittent—WiFi signal was poor.

“Your hospital keeps calling me! I’m lying in bed, half dead with exhaustion, and still have to deal with those nagging old men for you.” Yixun’s tone was full of complaint.

“I’m on a cruise, five days and four nights. I booked a trip to Japan.” Gu Yao finished the last sip of coffee and spoke at a leisurely pace.

She removed her earphones and held them slightly away.

Sure enough, Yixun’s angry shout burst out: “Gu Yao! You actually ditched me and went off to play by yourself! I’m furious!”

“I’ll bring back cosmetics and figurines for you—free of charge.” When Yixun’s voice quieted down, Gu Yao put her earphones back on.

“Alright, for the sake of the figurines, I forgive you.” As expected, the person on the other end brightened immediately.

After carefully listing the brands and types of cosmetics, Yixun was finally satisfied. She switched topics, asking, “By the way, what’s going on over there? It’s been so noisy since earlier.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll just change seats.” Gu Yao shook her head, too lazy to confront the wom