Private Island

At the airport on a nearby small island—

A pair of sunglasses-wearing man and woman walked out of the terminal. The woman seemed displeased, striding ahead with her arms crossed, completely ignoring the man behind her.

"Mengyao, wait for me!" The man, Tang Hao, called out while pulling their luggage. "Why are you walking so fast?!"

"..." Zhao Mengyao stopped in her tracks, her expression icy. "Didn’t I tell you a million times to book first-class tickets? Do you have any idea how uncomfortable I was just now?!"

"That was just a connecting flight, and it wasn’t even that long," Tang Hao argued. "When I booked the tickets, I didn’t think much about it since it was just a layover."

"You didn’t think much about it—because you don’t care about me!" Zhao Mengyao snapped. "You’ve stopped paying attention to the little things! You’ve changed!"

Tang Hao took a deep breath. "I can’t be perfect all the time, can I? Everyone slips up now and then… Besides, work’s been crazy lately..."

"Then how come Ye Shuang never forgot?!" Zhao Mengyao shot back. "No matter how busy he was, he never missed those details. Even if he pulled an all-nighter, he’d still wake up early to make me breakfast."

"Ye Shuang again—god, are you serious?! Wasn’t it you who told him to stay away from me? And now you can’t let go?!"

Nothing infuriated a man more than being compared to his girlfriend’s ex. Tang Hao’s temper flared. "If you still love Ye Shuang so much, why don’t you just go back to him? What’s the point of being with me if you’re still hung up on him?!"

"Fine! You’re really something, Tang Hao! Calling me pathetic after everything I did for you—do you even remember how much pressure I faced when I left him at the altar?!" Enraged, Zhao Mengyao slapped him hard across the face.

"Good! I’ll go find Ye Shuang right now! And don’t even think about handling the company anymore!"

With that, she stormed off.

Tang Hao clutched his stinging cheek, his eyes burning with resentment. But the pain also brought clarity—this trip wasn’t just for fun. He had other plans, and provoking her now would ruin everything.

Besides, this getaway was supposed to patch things up between them.

"Deep breaths… Stay calm."

Meanwhile, Zhao Mengyao marched ahead, abandoning her luggage, her eyes red with unshed tears.

The power of a first love was unmatched—even the real person couldn’t compete with the memory. She finally understood that now. The man she loved was the Tang Hao from her memories, not this short-tempered, easily angered version standing before her.

"If Ye Shuang had Tang Hao’s face, I never would’ve left him." In truth, Ye Shuang satisfied her in every way—except his looks.

Not that Ye Shuang wasn’t handsome. But the face imprinted in her heart was Tang Hao’s, not his.

Still, Ye Shuang had been the perfect boyfriend—patient, attentive, romantic, and brilliant at his job. His only vice was smoking, and even her parents adored him.

In their social circle, most wealthy young men were obsessed with fast cars and beautiful women, throwing wild parties left and right. But Ye Shuang? He spent his rare days off at home, wearing an apron, cooking meals, and reading books.

"..."

For a moment, Zhao Mengyao wished she could turn back time. Back when they were the golden couple of their university, the envy of everyone around them.

And she especially missed seeing the look of defeat on Chen Qin’s face.

Zhao Mengyao had always resented Chen Qin. Though they rarely interacted, Chen Qin outshone her in looks, family background, and talent—constantly held up as the standard in their social circle.

The jealousy ate at her.

But nothing gave Zhao Mengyao more satisfaction than knowing Chen Qin secretly pined for Ye Shuang—yet could never have him. She’d known about Chen Qin’s crush for years. Part of the reason she’d accepted Ye Shuang’s proposal was to twist the knife.

To her surprise, though, Chen Qin had played it cool, even distancing herself from Ye Shuang afterward.

Zhao Mengyao had planned to force Ye Shuang to cut ties with Chen Qin, maybe even make him choose between them. But Chen Qin had taken the initiative, sparing her the trouble.

"Ugh." The more she dwelled on the past, the more frustrated she felt. Regret wasn’t an option—it’d mean admitting she’d made a mistake.

But there was no denying her life had taken a turn for the worse, both personally and professionally.

Since Tang Hao took over the company, its declining performance had drawn constant complaints from their relatives.

"Mengyao!" A voice called from behind.

Zhao Mengyao turned, her expression frosty. "What? Didn’t you just call me pathetic? Why bother chasing after me?"

"I was wrong, Mengyao. Don’t be mad." Tang Hao pulled out a bouquet from behind his back.

"You know how I get when I’m angry—I say things I don’t mean. And… constantly comparing me to Ye Shuang would piss anyone off."

Zhao Mengyao studied him, then the flowers. Some of her anger seemed to dissipate.

"Fine. Let’s go."

This place was unfamiliar, and with her poor language skills, making a scene wouldn’t do her any favors.

"Great! How about we grab dinner somewhere nice?"

"Whatever."

They settled on a restaurant. The archipelago boasted over 700 islands, each offering unique attractions—like the popular Piggy Island, home to countless adorable swine and a hotspot for social media influencers.

(Though most visitors didn’t quite get the appeal of pigs beyond photo ops.)

Then there was Shark Island, where tourists could swim with docile, human-bred baby sharks—completely harmless and a major draw for adventure seekers.

As Tang Hao enthusiastically listed options, Zhao Mengyao looked bored. "I’m not interested in those overcrowded tourist traps."

"Tourist traps…?"

"What’s the fun in squeezing through crowds? Don’t you know any upscale places?" she demanded.

"Miss, if it’s exclusivity you’re after, our waters have plenty of private islands catering to high-net-worth individuals," a waiter chimed in—a fellow countryman, judging by his accent.

"The experience there is unparalleled, though access is typically reserved for elites."

"Now that sounds interesting. Take me there, Tang Hao," Zhao Mengyao ordered.

Tang Hao fell silent. "..."

The Zhao family wasn’t exactly aristocracy—far from it. While the waiter made it sound impossibly exclusive, many private islands did accept regular guests with advance bookings.

After a pause, Tang Hao turned to the waiter. "Any private island recommendations for us?"