Chapter 202: A Small Effort

The two of them spent a whole morning at the beach.

At noon they returned to the guesthouse for a meal, and in the afternoon took a long nap.

When they woke up, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.

Su Ruan felt more spirited than ever before, and the lingering fatigue was swept away.

"We have to go back tomorrow," she said, leaning in Jiang Ran's arms, a little reluctant.

"When things in Shanghai settle down, we'll come again," Jiang Ran promised, "Or go elsewhere—Yunnan, XZ, XJ… Our China is so vast, we haven't visited many places."

"That'll have to wait until the kids are older," Su Ruan said, "We'll take them along."

"Alright, I'm all ears."

After dinner, the two walked along the beach again. The setting sun turned the sea into a golden‑red hue, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Jiang Ran," Su Ruan suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for bringing me here."

Jiang Ran stopped, turned to face her, "I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for agreeing to marry me, for giving me Jinjin and An'an, and for staying by my side until today."

His gaze, softened by the sunset, said, "Su Ruan, the luckiest thing in this life is meeting you."

Su Ruan's tears welled up. She threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.

The waves crashed rhythmically, and the sunset was picture‑perfect.

In that moment there was no work, no pressure, only each other and this gentle sea.

Back at the guesthouse, night had already fallen. After showering, they lay on the bed but felt no sleepiness.

"We'll go back tomorrow and have to get busy again," Su Ruan whispered.

"Hmm," Jiang Ran held her, "But this time it's different. We've recharged and feel stronger."

He paused, his hand wandering restlessly around her waist, "And… tonight is still a holiday."

Su Ruan seized his hand, "You again…"

"Come for what?" Jiang Ran pretended to be clueless, pressing his lips to hers.

On Sunday afternoon, it was time to return.

After lunch at the guesthouse, they packed their luggage and prepared to check out. Sister Wang saw them to the door and slipped them a bag of local specialty: "Home‑dried fish, take it back for the kids to try."

"Thank you, Sister Wang," Su Ruan took the bag, "You've been a help these past two days."

"No need to be formal," Sister Wang laughed, waving her hand, "Come again next time; I'll reserve the best room for you."

The car pulled away from the shore, and Su Ruan watched the little white building recede in the rearview mirror, feeling a tinge of reluctance.

"Reluctant?" Jiang Ran rested one hand on the steering wheel, the other clasping hers.

"Hmm," Su Ruan admitted honestly, "It feels like we just relaxed, and now we have to go back."

"When the Shanghai flagship opens and Fashion Week ends, we'll come again," Jiang Ran promised, "We'll stay for a few more days then."

The car traveled along the coastal highway. The afternoon sun was fine, the sea glittered. Neither spoke, simply savoring the final leisurely moments.

After about half an hour, when they passed a relatively remote beach, Jiang Ran suddenly hit the brakes.

"What's wrong?" Su Ruan asked.

"Look over there," Jiang Ran pointed toward the beach, "Is there someone?"

She followed his gaze and indeed saw several silhouettes on the sand, apparently arguing. From that distance she couldn't make out details.

"Shall we go take a look?" Jiang Ran said, already flashing the turn signal and pulling the car to the roadside.

They got out and walked toward the beach. As they approached, they saw three youths surrounding a person, shoving each other.

In the middle was a girl, about twenty, wearing a simple T‑shirt and jeans, clutching a camera, her face pale.

"Hand over the camera!" a young man with dyed yellow hair reached out to snatch it.

"On what grounds! This is my shot!" the girl clutched the camera tightly.

"You filmed us, so you have to delete it!" another, wearing a floral shirt, said.

"I didn't film you! I was shooting seagulls!" the girl protested.

"Enough talk! If you don't hand it over, don't even think about leaving!"

Seeing Huang Mao about to seize it, Jiang Ran hurried over, "What are you doing?"

All four turned simultaneously. Huang Mao saw Jiang Ran, sized him up, and said harshly, "Mind your own business!"

Jiang Ran, tall and sturdy from years of labor, exuded authority just by standing there. He ignored Huang Mao and asked the girl, "What's going on?"

The girl, as if seeing a savior, quickly said, "I was just taking photos here; they claim I filmed them and want to snatch my camera!"

"Who grabbed it! We're just checking!" the floral‑shirt youth defended.

Jiang Ran frowned, "Check? What right do you have to inspect someone else's camera?"

"She filmed us!" Huang Mao said.

"I told you I didn't!" the girl cried, "I was shooting seagulls; you barged into the frame, can you blame me?"

Su Ruan also came over, standing beside the girl, and asked softly, "Are you okay?"

The girl shook her head, but her hands still trembled.

Jiang Ran looked at the three youths, "Did you hear? She didn't film you. Even if she did, you have no right to seize anything. Keep this up and I'll call the police."

When they heard "call the police," the three exchanged glances, their bravado waning.

"Forget it, forget it, what's there to argue with a little girl?" the silent third youth interjected, "Let's go."

Huang Mao glared at the girl, "Watch yourself next time!" With that, the three muttered curses and left.

When they were far enough, the girl finally let out a long sigh, her legs went weak and she almost sat down. Su Ruan quickly steadied her, "It's okay, it's okay."

"Thank you…" the girl whispered, "If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what to do."

"It's a simple task," Jiang Ran said, "Why are you taking photos alone here? This beach is quite remote."

"I'm a student at the academy, here to capture the atmosphere," the girl explained, "I heard this beach is sparsely populated and has many gulls, so I came. I didn't expect..."

As she spoke, she glanced at the camera, confirmed it hadn't been taken, and finally relaxed.

"Where do you stay? We'll take you back," Su Ruan said, uneasy about leaving her alone.

"I stay at the town guesthouse," the girl said, "It's not far from here; I can walk back."

"We should see you off," Jiang Ran said, "Those people might not have really left; they could be ahead blocking you."

The girl thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Then... I'll be a bother to you."

The three of them walked toward the parking area.

On the way, the girl introduced herself as Lin Xiaoyu, a third-year student in the Photography Department of the Provincial City Academy of Fine Arts.

"Are you here for tourism?" Lin Xiaoyu asked.

"Hmm, we're here to relax for two days," Su Ruan said, "We need to head back now."

At the car, Lin Xiaoyu saw the license plate and was a bit surprised: "Are you from the Provincial Capital?"

"Yes," Jiang Ran opened the rear door, "Get in."

The car set off again. Lin Xiaoyu sat in the back seat, her emotions gradually calming.

"Thank you really just now," she repeated, "My classmates all said the seaside is safe; I didn't expect..."

"In the future, don't go to remote places alone," Su Ruan said, turning to look at her, "Especially for girls, it's unsafe."

"Got it," Lin Xiaoyu nodded, then asked curiously, "What do you do? You seem... not like ordinary tourists."

Jiang Ran and Su Ruan exchanged glances; Jiang Ran smiled, "How could you tell?"

"Your aura," Lin Xiaoyu said, "Especially you, sister, your aura is especially good, like... like someone involved in art."

Su Ruan also smiled, "I work in fashion design."

"Really?" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, "Which brand? Maybe I've heard of it."

"Chongsu," Su Ruan said.

Lin Xiaoyu stared blankly for two seconds, then suddenly became excited: "Chongsu?! Is that the Chongsu from the Ren Series? I saw a special report on the Provincial TV! That designer... is you?"