Chapter 61: Taking Advantage of the Plunge

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Taking Advantage of the Plunge

Before Gu Qingyin could figure it out, a SPLASH came from nearby, followed by a series of gasps. Someone shouted, "They’ve caught a big one!"

Gu Qingyin instinctively glanced over to see Lin Xiaoyun struggling to hold her fishing rod. It was clear she was using all her strength, her face contorting from the effort.

Her expression was almost ferocious.

Behind Lin Xiaoyun, Huo Zhao Hua reached out with both hands to help her steady the rod, reeling in the line bit by bit. The mother and son worked together to land the big fish.

It was truly huge, far larger than any fish they had caught before. At about four feet long, it was nearly the length of a grown man’s thigh. It was ugly, though, with two rows of sharp teeth that made it look quite formidable.

But no matter how formidable a fish was, it couldn’t flop around for long out of the water.

After watching the excitement, Gu Qingyin turned back to contemplate her own strategy, but Lin Tian, who had been mechanically reeling in her line, suddenly erupted.

"I have to catch a fish!" Lin Tian roared, thrusting her arms forward. It wasn’t clear what she was about to do, but it looked like she was getting ready to dive into the sea to catch fish herself.

Gu Qingyin was startled and quickly reached out to stop her. But Lin Tian suddenly jerked back. Gu Qingyin missed, and her own forward momentum sent her flying over the railing. To make matters worse, her foot slipped, and she plunged headfirst into the water.

The moment she hit the water, Gu Qingyin thought with a certain resignation, ’Great. Now I don’t have to agonize over whether to get in the water. Fate has already made the choice for me.’

The loud splash instantly alerted everyone.

Huo Xinghai and Lin Xian were the first to look over. They only saw Lin Tian standing there blankly, pulling her fishing line with rhythmic jerks, her calmness unnatural.

His heart clenched. Huo Xinghai rushed over, his tone harsh. "Where’s my mom?" As he spoke, he anxiously leaned over the railing and looked down, just in time to see Gu Qingyin floating to the surface.

Huo Xinghai’s expression changed drastically. He strode to the left, grabbed a life preserver hanging from the side of the boat, and sprinted toward the stern. "Lin Xian!" he shouted as he ran. "Notify the crew! Someone fell overboard! Tell them to stop the ship and start a rescue!"

Reaching the stern, life preserver in hand, Huo Xinghai jumped in without a moment’s hesitation.

The ship was moving, and some time had passed since Gu Qingyin had fallen in, so the vessel had already traveled some distance. Fortunately, because they were fishing, the ship wasn’t moving fast, and Huo Xinghai was able to swim back to her.

The moment she fell, Gu Qingyin had drawn a Water Avoidance Talisman on herself. The effect wasn’t perfect, but it would last for two or three minutes, preventing her from choking the moment she hit the water.

She remained calm, controlled her body to lie back, and spread her arms and legs, floating on the surface like a starfish. From a distance, she looked like a motionless corpse.

Huo Xinghai, swimming toward her, was panicking out of concern. When he saw her like that, his face went white with fright. For a moment, he forgot how to paddle, flailing in place for a few seconds before pushing forward again.

"Mom! Can you hear me? Mom!" Huo Xinghai’s voice was thick with panic.

"I can hear you," Gu Qingyin replied calmly. "I’m fine. I’m not hurt, and I didn’t swallow any water. I just can’t swim, so I can’t move. You don’t need to be so worked up."

Huo Xinghai’s eyes, which had just begun to well up, instantly dried. They felt hot and tight, which was a little uncomfortable, but deep down, he let out a huge sigh of relief.

Taking a deep breath, he swam to Gu Qingyin’s side, turned the life preserver vertically, and slipped it over her head.

With the support of the floating device, Gu Qingyin felt much bolder and righted herself in the water.

In the distance, the cruise ship had come to a stop. A rescue boat was being slowly lowered from the deck and was already halfway down.

"How did you fall in?" Huo Xinghai asked, completely bewildered.

At his question, Gu Qingyin’s expression, which had just improved, soured again. It wasn’t for any other reason; she just found the whole thing embarrassing.

Best not to bring it up.

"An accident," Gu Qingyin summarized in two words, then proactively asked, "How is Lin Tian?"

"Lin Tian?" Huo Xinghai’s brow furrowed. "She’s fishing. Very seriously." Her lack of reaction to someone falling overboard right next to her struck him as odd. He narrowed his eyes. "Did something she did just cause you to fall?"

Gu Qingyin replied expressionlessly, "...No. I lost my balance. It has nothing to do with her."

’The poor girl is already under a lot of pressure. There’s no need to put the blame on her for this, too.’

But since she was already in the water, she wanted to solve Lin Tian’s problem before going back up.

"Do me a favor," Gu Qingyin requested. "Help me find Lin Tian’s fishhook."

Huo Xinghai was baffled. Find what?

Over on the ship, a crew member had just lowered the rescue boat. He looked up and saw the calm, empty surface of the sea. He froze for a second, his face paling, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "They’re gone! The people who fell overboard are gone!"

The director, who was standing right there on the deck, heard him, and his vision went black. He nearly tumbled off the ship himself.

Fortunately, a quick-witted staff member beside him grabbed him, laid him flat on the deck, and immediately started shading him from the sun, fanning him, and pinching the philtrum below his nose.

Perhaps unwilling to face reality, the director showed no sign of opening his eyes. The thought of the Second Young Master of the Huo Family and the matriarch dying in an accident while filming his show filled him with an impulse to follow them in death.

Just then, a clever staff member leaned close to the director’s ear. "Director, Gu Qingyin and Huo Xinghai didn’t sink! They’ve been found! The mother and son swam to the side of the ship together."

Upon hearing this, the director’s eyes snapped open as if he had risen from the dead. His eyes swiveled to the speaker as he asked for confirmation, "Really?"

The staff member nodded vigorously. "I swear on my financial luck for the rest of my life!"

Such a vicious oath made the director feel completely at ease... and pass out.

The surrounding staff were startled once again. They clumsily carried him to a cabin and had the set doctor take a look—unconsciousness caused by extreme emotional fluctuations and a rapid spike in blood pressure.

It wasn’t anything serious. He just needed to rest and take some medication to recover after he woke up.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and finally remembered to check on the guests.

By now, Gu Qingyin was directly below Lin Tian’s position. Looking up, she could see Lin Xian anxiously talking to the girl, but Lin Tian looked as if she couldn’t hear him at all. There was nothing but fishing on her mind.

As for Huo Xinghai, he had gone to find the fishhook.

The fishing line was long, and the hook was heavy, so it had sunk quickly. To find it, he had to reel in the line little by little, all without Lin Tian noticing.

If Lin Tian discovered someone helping her cheat, it would likely backfire.

So, reeling in the line without being noticed was a delicate task.

Huo Xinghai proceeded with extreme care, winding the line for quite a while before his fingers finally brushed against the hook. The moment he found it, he quickly handed it to Gu Qingyin. "Quick!"

Gu Qingyin didn’t waste any words. She took the fishhook and began to pray for a blessing. It was a simple process that took only a few words, and then she tossed the hook back in.

"We can get out of the water now."