3

By day eleven, Xia Zhi came to a serious conclusion:

“If I don’t learn some of this language, I’m going to get sold and not even understand the receipt.”

So she took matters into her own hands.

She marched up to Ivan—her bald, bearded, unbothered guardian angel—and asked, “Teach me… talk. Speak. Your words. Yes?”

Ivan stared at her.

She mimed talking. Then scribbled something on her palm. Then flailed her arms dramatically like she was auditioning for a mute opera.

Ivan finally grunted and pointed at himself. “Ivan.”

“Yes!” Xia Zhi pointed back. “Ivan! I know that one! Good. Very name. I mean—very… you!”

Ivan looked mildly concerned.

But he indulged her.

He pointed at the sky. “Nebo.”

“Okay! Sky. Nebo. Got it.” She pointed. “Nebo.”

He nodded.

Then he pointed at the sea. “More.”

“Morgue?”

“…More.”

“More? Like more-more?”

He grunted louder. “MOR-E.”

“Oh! Sea. Okay. More \= sea. Nebo \= sky. Ivan \= terrifying but kindhearted gentle brute. We’re making progress!”

Over the next few days, Xia Zhi learned approximately twelve words.

She wrote them in a little notebook labeled Operation: Don’t Get Sold.

Sometimes, the bunny-toothed guy tried to “help.” She didn’t trust him one bit.

Once, he taught her a word that she later found out meant “cockroach.” She’d used it to compliment Ivan’s beard.

Ivan didn’t speak to her for two hours after that.

Another time, she meant to say “I am your friend,” but ended up saying “I am your wife.”

Ivan spat out his tea. Fu Ran almost fell overboard laughing.

After that, Xia Zhi considered throwing herself into the sea and letting the waves carry her to an easier life, like crab farming.

She huddled next to Fu Ran that night, defeated. “I tried so hard, Senior Fu. I just want to be able to say ‘Don’t kill me’ convincingly.”

Fu Ran flipped a page in her book. “You accidentally proposed to a war criminal today.”

“…Honestly, not the worst thing I’ve done this trip.”

______

Absolutely! Here’s the scene where they finally arrive at Blackstone—Xia Zhi expecting doom and gloom, but being utterly betrayed by how absurdly beautiful it is:

Day Fifteen.

Xia Zhi had aged ten years. Her soul had left her body twice. She could now understand about 13 Russian words, none of which were helpful in a hostage situation. She had eaten too many potatoes. She had proposed marriage. Twice.

But finally—

Land.

She gripped the boat’s railing, eyes squinting against the sunlight.

And what she saw made her blink.

Then squint harder.

Then rub her eyes.

“…Senior Fu?” she said slowly. “Did we… take a wrong turn?”

Fu Ran stood beside her, arms crossed, not reacting.

Xia Zhi pointed dramatically. “That is not a prison. That is—a tourism poster come to life.”

Because ahead of them stretched an island of turquoise water, golden beaches, swaying palm trees, and sparkling cliffs. Birds flew gracefully through the air like they were hired for aesthetic. A waterfall trickled down a mountainside in slow motion, like it had nothing better to do.

The place looked like someone had copy-pasted the Maldives into a Bond villain’s dream.

“WHERE are the guard towers?” Xia Zhi cried. “The barbed wire? The creepy dogs?! WHERE’S THE DEPRESSING GRAY CONCRETE?!”

Fu Ran simply said, “Don’t be fooled.”

Xia Zhi clutched her chest. “I am VERY fooled. This place looks like it gives out free coconuts and emotional healing.”

She could see villas—actual villas—with glass windows and ocean views. A yacht was anchored by the shore. Someone was paddleboarding. Paddleboarding!

“I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PRISON!” she shrieked.

Fu Ran adjusted her sunglasses. “It is.”

Xia Zhi nearly short-circuited. “What kind of prison has a spa-looking resort entrance?!”

“The kind no one escapes from.”

“…Oh. Cool. Cool cool cool. Totally normal. Totally stable.” Xia Zhi nodded shakily. “I see. Paradise prison. Love that for us.”

She looked back at the boat crew. Even Ivan looked uncomfortable now.

The smiling guy gave her a thumbs-up. She did not return it.

As they docked, Xia Zhi whispered to her suitcase: “Captain Snuggle, if we die here, make sure my ghost haunts the coconut trees.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***