Buy a Yacht for Fun

Saturday morning, Jiangcheng University’s administrative building was much quieter than usual.

Most of the teachers had no classes, and only a few people occasionally passed through the corridors.

Su Bai came up the stairs and went straight to the counselor’s office. He raised his hand and knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Xia Lin’s voice came from inside.

Su Bai pushed open the door and entered.

The air conditioner was running in the office. The curtains were half drawn, and sunlight streamed through the gap, casting a bright strip across the floor.

Xia Lin sat behind her desk, wearing a fitted light-gray knit sweater and a long black skirt. Her long hair fell loosely behind her shoulders. A cup of coffee sat beside her, and a list of students was open on her computer screen. She had clearly just finished dealing with some paperwork.

The moment she saw Su Bai, her previously serious and composed expression softened.

“What brings you here?”

“I missed you, so I came to see you.”

“Oh, please.”

Xia Lin sounded dismissive, but she couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes.

She glanced toward the doorway. After making sure no one was outside, she raised a hand and crooked her finger at him.

“Come here.”

Su Bai walked over to the desk. Instead of going around to sit opposite her, he placed his hands on the edge and leaned forward.

“Teacher Xia, would dating in the office have a bad influence?”

“You know it would now?”

Xia Lin looked up at him, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

“Who was it that held on to me and refused to leave the last time we were in the office?”

“Wasn’t that because Teacher Xia was just too comfortable to hold?”

“That mouth of yours is getting more and more shameless.”

Su Bai smiled and reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Xia Lin didn’t pull away.

She raised her hand and held his wrist, lightly running her fingertips over it before standing up. Then she walked around the desk to make sure the door was locked.

“It’s the weekend, so there aren’t many people in the building.”

She turned back and spoke softly.

“But don’t push your luck.”

“I’ve always been very sensible.”

“Do you even believe that yourself?”

The moment Xia Lin walked back, Su Bai reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Her figure had the tautness that came from years of exercise. Her waist was slender, yet she felt especially soft when she leaned against him. Xia Lin gave him a token shove at first, but when she realized she couldn’t push him away, she stopped resisting and leaned against his chest.

“Su Bai.”

“Hmm?”

“Did you come here because you need something?”

“I do, actually.”

“I knew it.” Xia Lin raised her head. “You never show up with gifts unless you want something.”

“How can you say that? Why can’t I have come simply because I missed you?”

“Because if you had really come just because you missed me, the first thing you did after entering wouldn’t have been to stare at the office door lock.”

Su Bai laughed.

Xia Lin knew him far too well.

The two of them lingered by the desk for a while, until a faint blush spread across Xia Lin’s cheeks. She reached up to straighten her slightly rumpled collar, then lifted her toes and gave Su Bai’s calf a light kick.

“That’s enough.”

“That soon?”

“This is an office.” Xia Lin glared at him. “If we don’t get to the serious business now, I’ll have to reorganize all these files this afternoon.”

Su Bai finally reined himself in a little and pulled over a chair beside her.

“Yesterday, I heard Xue Tao mention in the dorm that he was going to some kind of yacht party today.”

“A yacht party?”

Xia Lin raised an eyebrow.

“Is it Huang Ran’s crowd?”

“You know about it?”

“Jiangcheng is a small place, and there aren’t that many people who actually own or use yachts.” Xia Lin took a sip of coffee. “The one that group rented is probably one of those business yachts on the river. They’ll take it out for a spin, drink some wine, take a few photos, and enjoy the excitement.”

Su Bai nodded.

“I wasn’t particularly interested before, but after hearing them talk about it, I suddenly thought it might be fun to buy one.”

Xia Lin looked at him and smiled.

“You’ve already played around with luxury cars, RVs, and private clubs. Now you’re setting your sights on the water?”

“Mainly because I like fishing.”

“I know.” Xia Lin couldn’t help laughing. “Liu Chenhu still hasn’t stopped praising you for that time you went fishing at the reservoir.”

“Once I get a yacht, I can take all of you fishing out at sea, watch the sunset, throw parties, and occasionally spend a night on the water. It’ll definitely be more interesting than staying at the club all the time.”

A trace of anticipation appeared in Xia Lin’s eyes as she listened.

Her family was well-off, and she had seen plenty of things since she was young.

But whenever Su Bai talked about ideas like this, he never sounded as though he were deliberately showing off. He genuinely thought it would be fun, and he genuinely took the people around him into consideration.

“That does sound like a good idea.”

Xia Lin extended a finger and lightly tapped it against the desktop.

“But buying a yacht isn’t the same as buying a car.”

“How so?”

“The yacht community in China isn’t very large, and there aren’t many places truly suited for using one. In an inland city like Jiangcheng, you’d mainly be cruising along the river and holding the occasional gathering. If you really want to enjoy the open sea, you’ll still have to go to a coastal city.”

Su Bai nodded.

“I can live with that.”

“There are also all the permits and arrangements.”

Xia Lin continued.

“Berthing, docking, routes, a boating license, maintenance, repairs—it’s all a hassle. Especially with a larger yacht. Buying it is only the first step. You’ll have to spend quite a lot every year to keep it running.”

“Money isn’t the issue.”

“I know you’re not short of money.”

Xia Lin rolled her eyes at him.

“But I need to explain the trouble involved first. Otherwise, you might buy one on a whim and decide a few months later that it isn’t interesting anymore.”

“That won’t happen.”

Su Bai smiled.

“If it really gets boring, I’ll just leave it there and use it as a floating private club.”

“You really are easygoing.”

Xia Lin couldn’t help herself and tapped him lightly on the forehead.

“But since you’re genuinely interested, I do know a yacht dealer. He was introduced to me by a friend of my father’s. He has connections for yacht sales, rentals, and management, and he can also arrange berthing here in Jiangcheng.”

“Is he reliable?”

“Very.” Xia Lin’s tone was firm. “He doesn’t like playing games or making empty promises. He’s clear about the prices and the follow-up services. If you want to buy one, he can help you choose according to your needs.”

Su Bai’s eyes lit up.

“Perfect. Send me his contact.”

“What class are you thinking of buying?”

“I’ll take a look first.”

“That doesn’t sound like ‘just taking a look.’”

“Well, it depends on whether there’s anything suitable.”

Xia Lin scrolled through her contacts and found the person she was looking for. She glanced up at Su Bai.

“I’ll let him know first. Otherwise, if you add him directly, he might think you’re some kind of spam account.”

With that, she lowered her head and began typing.

Sitting beside her, Su Bai watched her slender fingers fly across the screen.

A moment later, her phone vibrated.

The other person had replied almost immediately.

Xia Lin handed the phone to Su Bai.

“He says you can add him. You can start by discussing your budget and what you plan to use it for.”

Su Bai scanned the QR code and immediately sent a friend request from his own phone.

The other party accepted it almost at once.

Xia Lin leaned over and glanced at the chat window.

“He’s pretty efficient.”

Su Bai casually sent a message.

“Introduced by Xia Lin. I’d like to learn more about yachts.”

The reply came quickly.

“Miss Xia already told me about you. President Su, when would be convenient for you? I can show you some information, and we can also discuss your requirements in person.”

Su Bai was just about to reply when Xia Lin leaned against his shoulder and glanced at the screen.

“Don’t meet at the office, and don’t go to some seedy club, either.”

“Then where do you suggest?”

“I know a private restaurant. It’s quiet, and the food is pretty good.” Xia Lin paused. “We can have lunch there and talk over the meal.”

Su Bai turned his head to look at her.

“You’re coming with me?”

“Of course.” Xia Lin lifted her chin. “I’m the one who introduced you, so I should at least make sure he’s trustworthy.”

Su Bai smiled and reached up to pinch her cheek.

“All right. We’ll do as Teacher Xia says.”

He lowered his head and replied to the message.

“Let’s meet at the private restaurant by the river at noon.”