At 2 PM, Zhao Jing gazed out of the descending plane’s window and caught sight of Budelus Island, surrounded by seawater.
Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the island was shaped like a crooked heart. Narrow stretches of brown land and scattered white beaches extended outward from its edges like ribbons, winding around the heart-shaped island to embrace a few turquoise lagoons that glistened like glass.
Though undeniably beautiful, the island was far from a popular wedding destination due to its inconvenient access.
Zhao Jing had heard from his mother that his cousin Li Mingmian’s girlfriend had stumbled upon an article about the island in a fashion magazine. Enchanted by its beauty and uniqueness, she insisted on holding their wedding there. The elders tried to dissuade them, but their efforts were in vain, and they eventually gave in to the couple’s wishes.
The wedding venue was a sprawling white modern hotel situated along the extensive sandy beach on the southern side of the island.
From above, Zhao Jing could already see the hotel’s vividly decorated wedding areas, which stood out sharply. It was still afternoon, but a crowd of men and women had already gathered by the blue swimming pool, moving about like ants—likely a swarm of Li Mingmian’s unruly friends.
Once inside the hotel, the noise level was sure to be overwhelming.
Everything about this wedding irritated Zhao Jing. If it had been up to him, he would never have come.
First, he had no fondness whatsoever for his idle and irresponsible cousin. Second, Zhao Jing’s tech company had been dealing with rare challenges lately.
Just last weekend, one of the company’s executives had driven under the influence and crashed into a traffic light pole. To make matters worse, he had verbally abused the police and bystanders, and a video of the incident had circulated widely on social media. Although PR efforts had temporarily kept his position under wraps, the head of the PR firm sternly warned Zhao Jing that it was only a matter of time before the truth surfaced. When it did, a public backlash and fluctuations in stock prices would be inevitable. They had submitted several contingency plans, urging Zhao Jing to prepare in advance.
At such a critical moment in his career, traveling over five hours to a remote island for a wedding that offered no professional benefits felt like a colossal waste of time.
Initially, Zhao Jing had no intention of attending.
When the wedding date was confirmed a few months earlier, Li Mingmian had called him several times to extend an invitation. Zhao Jing ignored the calls and instructed his secretary to block them. Yet, two days later, the invitation was sent directly to his mother.
As soon as she received it, his mother called, commanding Zhao Jing to attend the wedding on behalf of the entire family.
She explained that both she and Zhao Jing’s father had other important commitments during those dates. “Li Mingmian is the first boy in the Li family to get married. It wouldn’t look good if none of us showed up. You go.”
“What commitments? I’m busy too. Let’s see whose matter is more important,” Zhao Jing refused without hesitation.
It was clear to him that his parents weren’t genuinely busy—they simply didn’t want to go. After all, even among the many spoiled brats in the younger generation of the Li family, Li Mingmian stood out as particularly notorious.
He was incredibly flamboyant, with a colorful mix of friends from every corner of society. His birthday parties routinely descended into chaos so wild they often ended up in the news.
Zhao Jing understood why his parents would avoid attending, but he felt even less inclined to go. “I’m pretty sure I have an important meeting scheduled during that time.”
“What meeting? I already checked with your secretary. There’s nothing major happening at your company on those days,” his mother angrily exposed him. “Besides, Mingmian’s wedding will be full of young people who love to have fun. Older relatives like us would only make them uncomfortable.”
“Do Li Mingmian’s friends even know the meaning of ‘uncomfortable’?” Zhao Jing couldn’t help but mock. “And what about Aunt and Uncle? Aren’t they older relatives too? Shouldn’t you be there to keep them company?”
“Aren’t there enough people already?” His mother, frustrated by the back-and-forth, snapped, “Zhao Jing, do you remember when Mingmian got engaged? You came up with some last-minute excuse not to attend, and we had to go in your place. What did we say back then? It’s your turn this time. Stop shirking your responsibility.”
With that, she hung up abruptly.
Zhao Jing knew he was in the wrong and had no choice but to comply with his mother’s demand. He carved out two precious days from his schedule to attend Li Mingmian’s wedding.
The plane landed on the water and docked along a long pier.
As soon as the cabin door opened and Zhao Jing removed his noise-canceling headphones, the thundering party music from the poolside celebration blasted into his ears. He could already imagine how deafening it would be at the scene.
Descending the ramp, Zhao Jing was greeted by the beaming hotel staff, who offered him an elaborate welcome drink. Not far away, his other cousin, Li Mingcheng, waited for him.
Li Mingcheng was three years younger than Zhao Jing and had graduated from the same university. Like Zhao Jing, he didn’t return to work for the family business after graduation. However, instead of starting his own company, he joined an investment bank. The two kept in touch occasionally and got along reasonably well.
Zhao Jing waved away the offered drink and strolled down the floating dock with Li Mingcheng toward the shore. He made a rare polite comment: “What brings you out here to pick me up?”
“My ears were about to burst.” Li Mingcheng had a subtle expression, gesturing toward the source of the music. “I came out for some air.”
Once inside the off-road vehicle provided by the hotel to shuttle guests, Li Mingcheng launched into a stream of complaints: “I got here yesterday. My mom forced me to come with her, or I wouldn’t have bothered. Last night, there was a bachelor party by the pool, with a DJ playing until five in the morning. My mom said she couldn’t sleep at all. And Mingmian’s friends? I swear, I can’t find a single normal person among them. You won’t believe this, ge1“ge/gege” means older brother. Last night, one of his buddies got drunk, lit a cigarette, and ended up setting fire to one of the canopies by the sunken seating area. The flames shot up high, and those friends of his didn’t even run—they just stood around watching the spectacle. The security guards couldn’t even get through. In the end, Wei Jiayi and I had to grab fire extinguishers and put it out ourselves.”
Zhao Jing initially treated it as a joke, but the moment Wei Jiayi’s name came up, the smile vanished from his lips.
For a split second, he wanted to ask, “Why is that Wei guy here again?” But neither the name nor the surname was worthy of being uttered by him. He quickly shifted his thoughts and changed the subject, asking Li Mingcheng about the other guests in attendance.
Li Mingcheng rattled off a long list of names. Almost all of the Li family’s relatives and friends had shown up.
The wedding ceremony was scheduled for 6 PM, set on the grassy lawn by the beach.
After arriving at the hotel, Zhao Jing and Li Mingcheng headed to a lounge farthest from the pool to sit for a while.
They ran into a few other relatives, all looking visibly drained from the all-night party, with dark circles under their eyes. When the minor fire from the previous night came up in conversation, everyone seemed hesitant to say much, sighing in exasperation.
Zhao Jing leaned back on the sofa, half-listening as they whispered complaints about the chaos of the wedding while simultaneously replying to messages from his subordinates about the progress of the PR crisis. He had just sent off a reply when he suddenly heard Li Mingcheng call out, “Jiayi!”
Looking up, Zhao Jing saw him.
Pale-skinned, slender, with black hair that was neither long nor short and tied at the back, Wei Jiayi walked over with a camera slung over his shoulder, dressed in a haphazard style and swaying like a paper figure.
He meandered to the booth where Zhao Jing sat, glanced around, and raised a hand, smiling as he greeted, “I was wondering where everyone had gone. So you’re all hiding here?”
His voice was just as infuriating as Zhao Jing remembered.
Zhao Jing lowered his gaze and continued reading his messages while Li Mingcheng and a few other cousins struck up a conversation with the unwelcome guest.
Zhao Jing had no interest in their chat, but Wei Jiayi’s overly smooth, irritating voice managed to reach his ears despite himself.
“Jiayi-gege, are you leaving tomorrow?” asked Li Mingcheng’s younger sister, who had just turned eighteen.
Wei Jiayi replied, “Mm, I’ve got a pile of work waiting for me.”
“In the entertainment industry?” She lowered her voice and asked curiously, “Any juicy insider gossip you can share with me?”
“I’m just a photographer. I don’t know much.” He whispered, “But about that group you mentioned liking yesterday—I managed to get you two invitations for their concert next month.”
The youngest cousin clasped her hands over her mouth dramatically, squealing in excitement.
While the two of them continued their whispered conversation, another cousin, typically aloof, surprisingly joined in. She addressed him directly by his full name, “Wei Jiayi, I saw the photos you took of Han Zixi. I’ve seen her a few times at shows and never thought she looked that good. Take some photos of me too. You can name your price.”
“Of course, when I have the time.” His tone was laced with a smile. “But Miss Li is so beautiful, I wouldn’t dare charge you.”
At that, Zhao Jing couldn’t help but feel repulsed by his blatant flattery. He frowned and glanced up, only to find that the usually composed cousin actually fell for it. She smiled with delight and even pulled out her phone to exchange contact information with him.
Before Zhao Jing could look away, Wei Jiayi seemed to sense his gaze and glanced over.
The second their eyes met, Wei Jiayi’s eyes curved into a smile, as if he had been waiting for this opportunity. His smile was overly obsequious, leaving Zhao Jing with a sense of being taken advantage of. He turned his gaze away with a blank expression.
Li Mingcheng noticed the glance they exchanged but clearly didn’t catch the disgust in Zhao Jing’s eyes. He said enthusiastically, “Cousin, you must know Jiayi pretty well, right? Didn’t he attend the banquet Aunt hosted last year? Or wait—you didn’t go, did you?”
Before Zhao Jing could reply, Wei Jiayi deftly cut in, “No, no, I only worked for Mrs. Li. Someone like me, just a regular worker, wouldn’t have the chance to meet a busy and outstanding elite like President Zhao.”
“Well, now you’ve met!” Li Mingcheng eagerly tried to make introductions.
Zhao Jing’s expression darkened.
He wasn’t the type to adjust his behavior to suit social situations. With his family background and personal achievements, Zhao Jing had never felt the need to concern himself with maintaining harmony. Not even Li Mingcheng, who had welcomed him at the pier, was worth the effort.
Just as Zhao Jing was about to speak, the arrival of the wedding staff spared Wei Jiayi.
The staff entered the lounge to invite the guests to take their seats at the ceremony area, interrupting Zhao Jing before he could say something unpleasant, thus avoiding a repeat of the incident from many years ago when the two first met.
Zhao Jing stood and followed the staff’s guidance to the beach.
The South Pacific sun was about to sink into the ocean, casting the sea in a hazy blend of pink and blue. The rowdy party music had finally transitioned to a solemn and joyous melody, and the guests quieted down for the ceremony.
Representing his family, Zhao Jing sat in the front row. The gentle sea breeze stirred the white gauzy drapes on the stage and carried the fragrance of fresh flowers to him.
The priest and groom took their places first, and then the bride appeared, escorted by her father. The couple faced each other and exchanged their vows.
When the newlyweds kissed, the groom’s friends let out a few whoops from the audience. Overhead, white seagulls glided past. Being so close, Zhao Jing caught a glimpse of tears shimmering in the bride’s eyes. Unexpectedly, a sense of calm settled over him. The restlessness stemming from his company’s troubles faded as he found himself momentarily immersed in the beauty of the sunset.
After all, whether he had wanted to be there or not, he was here now.
Following the ceremony, Zhao Jing dined with his relatives at the banquet.
Wei Jiayi sat far away at a table with Li Mingmian’s unruly friends, but during the meal, Zhao Jing’s cousins couldn’t seem to stop bringing him up.
While Zhao Jing was in the middle of discussing work matters with two uncles, snippets of their conversation reached him.
The youngest cousin was the first to ask Li Mingcheng, “Are those photo sets on display here taken by Jiayi?”
“Yeah.” Li Mingcheng glanced at Li Mingmian, who was still making rounds toasting in the distance, and curled his lips. “Didn’t cost him a thing.”
The youngest cousin widened her eyes and called Li Mingmian shameless. Li Mingcheng continued, “Apparently, they originally wanted to hire Jiayi’s team for the wedding photography, but Jiayi said he had never done a job like this before, so he did not have the experience or the staff for it, and he declined. But as soon as Wei Jiayi arrived yesterday, Li Mingmian shoved a camera into his hands and insisted he take a few casual shots for them.”
“And I heard Li Mingmian put him in a suite in a different building,” the youngest cousin added. “He’s staying with the wedding company staff, while the lunatic who burned the lounge set last night is staying right next door to us in the villa.”
“They probably look down on Jiayi for not having connections. That’s just how this family is.” Li Mingcheng shrugged, ready to say more, but the conversation ended as Li Mingmian approached with the bride and their parents to offer a toast.
Zhao Jing had no idea what kind of place Wei Jiayi was staying in, but his own accommodation was a beachfront villa.
Li Mingmian’s father was slurring his words from drinking too much, but he insisted on personally escorting Zhao Jing back to his room, saying, “Zhao Jing, the room has been cleaned and disinfected multiple times as per your request. This is one of the two best villas in the hotel, exactly the same as the one Mingmian is staying in. I was adamant about reserving this one for you. Your mother not coming really broke my heart.”
He began lamenting about missing his sister and complaining that the extravagant wedding had eaten up a lot of money, leaving him strapped for cash.
After a few moments of listening, Zhao Jing had heard enough. He interrupted, saying he needed to rest as he’d be leaving the next day. Without much ceremony, he sent his uncle on his way.
The room was indeed spacious. From the entrance, Zhao Jing walked along a small path, passed the living room and dining area, and finally arrived at the bedroom.
The bedroom faced the beach. Opening the glass sliding doors led directly outside. The moon hung high in the night sky. For some reason, the shoreline looked much farther away than it had that afternoon. The black sands stretched endlessly, merging with the horizon before meeting the sea.
After washing up, Zhao Jing fell asleep quickly. He had always been a deep sleeper, rarely dreaming throughout his life. But tonight, he dreamed.
He dreamt he was attending a foundation gala hosted by his mother and encountered that person. Zhao Jing tried to ignore him, but the man sidled up to flatter him again. Irritated beyond words, Zhao Jing called security to have him removed.
As the guards surrounded him, a commotion broke out.
The noisy shouts and pounding knocks tangled together, and just as Zhao Jing’s head throbbed from the chaos, something struck his leg with brutal force. A sharp pain shot through him—far too vivid to belong to a dream. Immediately after, water surged into his mouth, making him choke as his arms and legs lost all strength.
His eyes snapped open to the dim glow of dawn and the moon sinking into the sea. He realized that the bedroom’s glass doors, the floor lamp, and even the pool had mysteriously vanished. All that remained was the rise of pitch-black water.
Zhao Jing propped himself up in horror, coughing violently. The overwhelming fishy scent filled his nose. He tried to stand but couldn’t.
Just before he was completely submerged, he caught sight of an abstract painting on the wall falling off.
The painting disappeared in an instant, as if it had never existed, swallowed by the mud that was dragging Zhao Jing down along with countless heavy objects of all sizes.
Author’s note:
The island in the story is fictional. No such place exists!
Warning: The gong can be overly self-complacent in the early chapters and often acts in ways that seem illogical.
Translator’s note:
Welcome to this novel! I hope you enjoy the story. It’s written by one of my favorite authors!
Updates will be sporadic for now (whenever I finish a chapter), but after the holidays, I’ll try to set a more regular schedule 🥰
