The Next Day
Sentosa, Singapore
“I don’t like sharks.” Lily crossed her arms across her chest as she stared at the hammerhead on the aquarium. She shivered involuntarily and edged closer to Zhou Jingren. “I feel like he is staring at me,” she whispered. “The moment I go into the water… that shark will eat me.”
Disbelief flashed in Zhou Jingren’s eyes before he stifled a burst of laughter. Who would have thought that his lovely wife would fear such a harmless animal? Of course, Zhou Jingren did not voice out his opinion. He shook his head inwardly. He already knew that Lily would lecture him if he calls this animal harmless. “Actually, they are afraid of humans. They consider us the greatest threat.” He said as he eyed the sea of people looking at the sea creatures behind the glass in Sentosa Aquarium.
“That’s just wrong,” Lily said. She held Zhou Jingren’s arms. “Look at those fins.”
“What does it have to do with eating you?”
“Well… it’s scary.” She shivered for the second time. “And those teeth. They could devour one whole arm in a second.”
Zhou Jingren helplessly nodded. “So you are not going to dive with the sharks? You know that we are protected in a cage-like acrylic, right?”
“Nope. I am never going in the water. No amount of money could tempt me to do so.” She then widened her eyes and look at him. “Are you going?”
“I won’t go down without you.” He shrugged and pulled her to see other sea creatures. “Sharks aren’t that scary. I think we have killed more sharks than they have devoured humans.”
Lily did not respond. She roamed her eyes in the aquarium. “I hated the ocean.” She uttered in a low voice. “I hated the uncertainties.”
“You don’t hate the ocean,” Zhou Jingren stated. “You are afraid of what’s beneath it.”
Lily nodded in response. As someone who wanted to see every scenario that could happen, the uncertainty of the ocean scares her. The ocean and what lurks beneath it is something that could defeat her need to control, her need to calculate everything. “What was it called?”
“Thalassophobia,” he answered. “I think the ocean… has so much freedom.” He said. He eyed the Mantis Shrimp that was burrowing a new passageway near a coral. “I think the fact that we don’t know a lot about the ocean means that we have the chance to explore and discover things. Its and endless discovery of new things.”
“I don’t understand,” Lily said. “Have you tried diving before?�� He nodded. “Did you like it?”
Again, Zhou Jingren nodded. The peace that he found on the seabed is just wonderful. The water muffled the sound of the chaotic world that it made him feel at peace. “We could go diving sometimes. Philipines have really good diving spots. Maybe we could spend a week in the country.” He shifted his gaze towards her. “And there are no big sharks there… just small ones. Maybe as big as your leg.”
“It won’t devour you, I promise.” He stroked her head. “Now that I thought about it… you haven’t really done anything fun. You haven’t tried skydiving or diving deep in the ocean, right?”
Lily immediately frowned. She let go of Zhou Jingren’s arms. “I don’t like skydiving, diving, free diving, and all types of diving.” She said sternly before her lips lifted into a smile. “But if you promise to hold my hand while I do it… then I might change my mind.”
Zhou Jingren chuckled. “That sounds so… cringey you know.” He pinched her cheeks.
“What? I am serious!”
“I know…” he nodded and pulled her towards him. “Come here… let’s go see the snakes.”
“What? NO!” Lily immediately disagreed. Snakes? She would never.
She shook her head as if her life depended on it. Seeing this, Zhou Jingren shook his head and laugh. “These creatures won’t harm you. I think humans are more harmful than them.”
“That’s it!” Lily answered. “If a human schemed against me… I have a chance to scheme and retaliate. However… if a Python decides that he wanted to have me in his stomach… there is no stopping him!”
“Come on… I will hold your hands.” He teased and gave her a boyish grin. “You know… before I found you, I was planning to adopt a snake. Like an albino snake. It’s white and— “
“What? You are planning to adopt a what?” A tinge of fear flashed in Lily’s orbs as her jaw dropped. She heard him the first time. But it seemed that she found it hard to believe that he would like to pet a snake!
“An albino snake.” He answered. “They are harmless and cute…”
“What cute?” her eyed widened, she could feel her eyes about to jump out of her sockets. “You think snakes are cute?” Zhou Jingren shrugged in response. “Please don’t tell me you are planning to get a snake once we already have a child.”
“If our child… wanted a snake. Why not?” A smile hung on his lips. He never expected to see his wife getting work up over some animals. Zhou Jingren never thought that one day, she would be able to see Lily like this. “Having an animal grow up with your child is healthy.”
“Dogs and cats are healthy. Fish are healthy. A pet snake is not! Absolutely not!”
Zhou Jingren’s laughter followed Lily’s words. “Alright… relax.” He laughed even more. “I would not do something that you don’t like. I promise.”
Lily stared at him sternly. She had never expected to see this side of Zhou Jingren. Who would have thought that her giant would like to adopt a cute and white snake? She shook her head inwardly. “If you want to adopt an animal, then… let’s have a turtle instead. They are lucky, and they symbolize longevity and hope. Of course, we need to get them in pairs. We could even name them!” Lily beamed as if she just got the best idea of the century. “Then we could— “
Her words were interrupted when she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at her phone and immediately answered it when she saw that it was Yang Mi.
“Is there a problem?” she asked. Yang Mi immediately responded. Hearing Yang Mi’s response, Lily immediately frowned. “I see. Then schedule a meeting with the Liang Patriarch. Yes… tell him I am in Singapore and I want to see him before I leave the country.”
“Alright.” She ended the call and shifted her gaze at Zhou Jingren. “As expected, they did not tell her about the matter in the hotel.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “She is snooping and trying to bother people about you and your schedule.”
“So you are meeting her father?” he lifted an eyebrow. Amusement apparent in his eyes. He always found his wife more attractive once she was about to destroy someone. Is that weird? Maybe? But he doesn’t care. Evil or not, Zhou Jingren loves this woman.
“Yes. I think it’s time we end this delusion.”
