“Really! And the pull is so strong, I can barely hold on!”

Jiangg Yao held up the rod, the sudden turn of events leaving her flustered and unsure of what to do.

She could only grip the fishing rod tightly, afraid the fish would yank it right out of her hands.

But every violent twitch of the rod tip made Yaoyao’s heart leap, so she quickly called for Chen Yuan.

This was completely unexpected for Chen Yuan. She’d cast the line less than five seconds ago; this was an insane speed.

‘Could this be the legendary beginner’s luck for anglers?’

He had experienced this kind of beginner’s luck himself. He was fishing with his cousin in a river pond back home, and his cousin had been bragging about how amazing he was. But who would have thought that the moment Chen Yuan cast his hook, baited with bread crumbs, a crucian carp would bite? That day, Chen Yuan caught half a bucketful, while his cousin only caught two or three.

‘It can’t be that miraculous, can it?’ Chen Yuan thought. He figured his girlfriend must have snagged the line on something, giving her the false impression she’d hooked a fish.

So, he walked over.

“Keep reeling in the line. See if you can pull it in.”

“Oh… okay, okay!” Jiangg Yao nodded and cranked the reel, but each turn was a struggle.

Occasionally, there was even a “ZZZT” sound.

That was the reel’s drag system engaging! It proved there really was something pulling on the bait.

“I can’t pull it in! Little Master, don’t just stand there and watch, hurry and help me,” Jiangg Yao pleaded, turning to him with a woeful expression.

“You really have a fish?”

Chen Yuan, still half-doubting, took hold of the rod to help her. The moment he gripped it, he clearly felt the thrashing! His eyes instantly lit up with surprise.

“So? Did I get one?” Jiangg Yao asked hopefully beside him.

“There’s no mistaking it. This sharp tug is definitely a fish. Yaoyao, you’re incredible…”

“Hee hee, it’s only because you’re a good teacher…” Jiangg Yao said, shyly tugging on his sleeve as she let go of the rod.

Chen Yuan’s expression turned serious. Nearby, Chi Yu had just finished tying her hook. Hearing the commotion, she looked up.

“Got a fish on the line already?” she called out.

“Yep. What should I do now? Do I need to tire it out for a bit?”

“Reel in while letting it run. Keep the rod taut and use the reel’s drag to fight it,” Chi Yu said, carefully observing the state of the rod. “That one’s probably not small. Don’t raise the rod too high, or the tip could easily snap.”

“Got it.”

Chen Yuan acknowledged her advice and began to reel in forcefully, constantly fighting the poor fish as it struggled frantically beneath the reef. Waves crashed against the rocks, churning up white foam. The scene underwater was a complete mystery; he couldn’t see which way the fish was trying to escape.

But he could always feel the pull at the end of the line.

He guessed it was a solid hook-set, so he went all out, putting his full strength into fighting the fish.

The strength of a young man in his prime was not to be underestimated.

Chen Yuan’s arms tensed and his brow furrowed slightly. Before long, he could feel the fish’s struggles growing weaker.

The wind rustled his disheveled hair. The surrounding noise seemed to fade, leaving only the endless sound of water striking the rocks. At times, salty spray would even splash onto them.

Jiangg Yao was so nervous she kept alternating between craning her neck to look at the sea and staring intently at Chen Yuan.

“How’s it going? Have you pulled it up yet?” she asked.

“Almost. I think it’s out of energy.”

“Hurry up! I want to see how big the first fish I’ve ever caught is.”

Chen Yuan continued to reel for another moment, then beckoned for Jiangg Yao to come over.

A dazed Yaoyao had no idea what he was doing before the rod was suddenly thrust into her hands.

“You… why are you giving it to me? Is it up yet?”

“Not yet,” Chen Yuan said, shaking his head. He moved to stand behind her, supporting her arms. “You said this is your first time fishing, right? You should be the one to experience the joy of landing the fish. It’s fun, and it’s meaningful. I can’t take that away from you.”

“Oh, so that’s why.”

Jiangg Yao nodded thoughtfully. ‘My Little Master is so considerate,’ she suddenly thought, ‘to even think of something like this.’

‘If it were me, I would’ve just yanked it up without a second thought.’

‘And I would have missed out on the joy of landing my little fish.’

A warmth spread through Jiangg Yao’s heart, accompanied by a bloom of irrepressible sweetness. She made a mental note of what Chen Yuan had just said, planning to boast about him to her sister later!

Then, she followed his lead, tightening the line under “Professor Chen’s” guidance.

A moment later, Yaoyao suddenly felt the rod go light. A flash of panic shot through her; thinking the fish had escaped the hook, she anxiously craned her head over the edge to look.

What met her eyes, however, was a silver fish the size of a large kettle. It was swinging its tail wildly, flinging droplets of water, its head pointed upward as it struggled with all its might.

Bathed in the soft light filtering through the overcast sky, the fish looked magnificent. Its life force was vibrant and palpable, impossible to ignore.

“I caught it! I caught it!” Jiangg Yao shouted, unable to contain her excitement.

She completely forgot to keep reeling, letting the big fish swing back and forth in mid-air.

“Quick, reel it in and swing it up here. Don’t just stand there,” Chen Yuan prompted gently.

“Oh… oh, right!”

Jiangg Yao’s hands, gripping the rod, were trembling. She only heard the second part of his instruction and missed the first. Using what felt like all her strength, she gave the fishing rod a mighty swing.

The silver fish traced a perfect arc high in the air, forcing them to look up as its body reflected a dazzling light.

The next moment.

THUD—

A heavy, muffled sound echoed as the fish slammed onto the wooden planks. A few steps from Jiangg Yao, its tail began slapping against the pier with a series of PFFT-PFFTs.

Jiangg Yao didn’t see where it landed at first. It wasn’t until Chen Yuan took her by the arm and pointed toward the sound that she saw it.

She hurried over.

“A fish! I caught it! This is the first fish I’ve ever caught! Little Master, come quick and look, it’s so beautiful!”

Jiangg Yao was as happy as a little kid, clapping her hands and crouching down to examine her catch. She was so excited that she blurted out the private nickname for Chen Yuan without a second thought, completely forgetting that Chi Yu was standing right there.

Chen Yuan was happy too, and he walked over.

The three of them examined the large fish together.

“Whoa, you’re pretty amazing, Miss. Catching a Gelatinous Fish this big on your first try! Even veteran anglers rarely have this kind of luck.”

Chi Yu was astonished. The fish really wasn’t small, and it was a textbook-perfect hook-set.

“So it’s called a Gelatinous Fish. It’s so pretty! I have to take a picture!”

Just then, Jiangg Yao suddenly remembered she hadn’t recorded such an exciting moment. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and started snapping a flurry of pictures of the fish, hook still in its mouth.

She didn’t forget to share them with Jiangg Ning, either.

And she shared them in her group chat with her best friends!

Chen Yuan poked the Gelatinous Fish. He looked at its rounded belly, pointed head, and silvery-gray body tinged with yellow. ‘This would be delicious steamed!’ he thought instantly.

He took a picture too, planning to share it with his parents later.

After they were done taking pictures, he watched Jiangg Yao practically dancing with joy, her smile impossible to hide, and the corners of his own lips curled up. Sometimes, just seeing the person you like happy is enough to make you happy, too.

“Well now, what a big fish. Chi-chi, did you catch this one?”

Just as the three of them were about to remove the hook, a clear, pleasant female voice suddenly spoke up beside them.

…

「Meanwhile」

Jiangg Ning was in her hotel room, completely swamped with work.

She hadn’t rested for a single moment since waking up from her nap. She’d been researching information, writing drafts, and organizing her thoughts. Aside from getting up to drink water or use the restroom, she hadn’t left her seat.

She had just typed out a line of obscure terminology and was reaching for the coffee beside her laptop when…

DING—

Her phone chimed with a notification.

Jiangg Ning picked up her phone, opened the chat, and saw a video from Yaoyao.

Contact Name: Stinky Big-Butt Yaoyao

Chat:

[Video]

[Sis! Look at the fish I caught!]

[It’s huge!]

[It bit the hook in just five seconds. Aren’t I awesome? (smug emoji) (smug emoji)]

[Bwahahahahaha *hic*]

…

Jiangg Ning stubbornly pursed her lips, but her eyes were filled with boundless affection and tenderness.

[So amazing. (perfunctory)]

[Happy now?]

she replied.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep