Chapter 70: Songdo Marine Cable Car

By the time they arrived at Songdo after leaving Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, it was already past three in the afternoon.

The exterior of Songdo Bay Station resembled a large black box, with a long, narrow opening on one side, where cable cars could be seen gliding in and out from time to time.

After Lu Nian’an bought the tickets, the two joined the line for the Crystal Cruise.

There weren't many people waiting, so they didn't have to share their cabin with any other tourists.

They could see the cable car slowly approaching from a distance, and as soon as the cabin glided into the platform, the two quickly stepped inside in one smooth motion.

The doors closed immediately afterward, turning the cabin into an enclosed space that belonged entirely to the two of them.

Beneath the glass floor of the cabin stretched the deep blue waters of Songdo Bay, and they could see the surface of the sea directly below their feet. On one side was the beach, while on the other stretched the vast, seemingly endless ocean.

Xia Jiuwei immediately moved from the seat opposite Lu Nian’an to sit beside her.

“Hey.”

“What is it?”

Xia Jiuwei gazed at the distant coastline, then glanced at the sun, which was still hanging high in the sky and showed no intention of setting anytime soon. Her expression gradually fell.

“If we'd come a little later, we could have watched the sunset from the cable car. Wouldn't that have felt more special?”

“But it's beautiful right now too.” Lu Nian’an smiled as she looked out the window. “Look—the clear blue sky scattered with patches of white cloud, and those little fishing boats out at sea. If we'd waited until sunset, we probably wouldn't be able to see everything as clearly as we can now.”

As she spoke, she turned around and gently pinched Xia Jiuwei's cheek.

“You little fool. Don't look so glum.”

She reached out and gently pushed the corners of Xia Jiuwei's mouth upward.

“See? No more sulking.”

“Lu Nian’an!”

Xia Jiuwei grabbed the hand that was pinching her cheek with both of her own, though she deliberately turned her gaze away.

“I just think riding a cable car together at sunset would have been really romantic.”

The moment she finished speaking, the hand she was holding slipped free and wrapped around her from behind.

Lu Nian’an gently wrapped her arms around Xia Jiuwei, resting her chin near her shoulder, her cheek pressed gently against Xia Jiuwei’s ear.

A faint fragrance drifted toward her, and all Xia Jiuwei could hear beside her ear was Lu Nian’an's gentle voice.

“But I think right now is wonderful too, isn't it?”

With that, she leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Xia Jiuwei's soft lips.

“It's the little regrets that make beautiful moments worth remembering.”

“Come on, let's take a picture now.”

Lu Nian’an took out her phone and held it up for a selfie with Xia Jiuwei.

However, at the exact moment she pressed the shutter, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept in from the sea, causing the entire cabin to sway slightly.

“Whoa!”

Lu Nian’an lowered her gaze and looked at the photo she had just taken.

In it, Xia Jiuwei's expression had been captured somewhere between a smile and a startled cry, making her look both adorably confused and utterly caught off guard.

Lu Nian’an nodded in satisfaction and, with practiced ease, quietly backed the photo up to the cloud. By the time Xia Jiuwei recovered from the sudden fright, Lu Nian’an had already put her phone away as if nothing had happened.

The cabin continued to sway faintly from side to side.

Xia Jiuwei stared intently at Lu Nian’an, who remained completely composed.

“Give me your phone.”

“It's gone.”

“If it's gone, then I'll help you look for it.” Xia Jiuwei gave her a mischievous smile. “Don't worry. I'll just give you a quick search. I promise I won't touch anything I shouldn't.”

“No.”

Lu Nian’an answered lazily, though the corners of her lips curved slightly upward.

“I want it.”

With that, Xia Jiuwei directly pinned Lu Nian’an against the corner of the cabin and began searching her pockets..

“We're outside, not at home. Watch yourself.”

“Fine, fine.”

Before long, Xia Jiuwei successfully found Lu Nian’an's phone and triumphantly waved it in front of her.

“See? I found it. You should thank me properly.”

She opened the photo gallery and immediately spotted the latest picture that had just been taken. After looking at it, then raising her eyes to glance at Lu Nian’an, she finally let out a long sigh.

“Forget it. I won't hold it against you this time.”

She handed the phone back.

“Really? Then let's take a few more pictures.”

Lu Nian’an immediately leaned closer again.

Watching her maintain such a composed and dignified expression while saying something like that, Xia Jiuwei suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to—

“Lu Nian’an!!”

Click.

“Are you ever going to stop? You took another terrible picture of me! Give me the phone. I'm confiscating it!”

Xia Jiuwei immediately reached out to grab it.

Lu Nian’an stopped her with one hand, raising the phone high above her head and holding it well out of reach.

“Give me the phone! Give me the phone!”

When she realized she couldn't reach it, Xia Jiuwei simply clung to Lu Nian’an, tugging and fussing as she tried to wrest the phone back.

“Hey, look. What's that?”

Lu Nian’an suddenly looked toward the front of the cable car.

Xia Jiuwei instinctively followed her gaze and saw that the terminal platform was already visible in the distance.

She frowned, then finally leaned over and gave Lu Nian’an's shoulder a light bite before obediently returning to her own seat.

“Don't be mad, don't be mad. Here, you can have my phone now.”

Lu Nian’an rubbed her head and voluntarily handed the phone over.

“Hehe. Then I'm confiscating it for now.”

Xia Jiuwei immediately snatched it and casually slipped it into her pocket.

The cable car slowly glided into the platform.

The two took each other's hands and stepped out of the cabin together.

Songdo Sky Park Station was far more interesting than the cable car's departure station.

Compared with the departure station, which had resembled nothing more than a giant black box, Sky Park Station featured a number of art installations that made the entire structure feel far more lively.

After arriving, the two took the elevator directly to the rooftop.

At a glance, nearly half of the installations on the roof appeared to be related to The Little Prince, making Xia Jiuwei sigh in disbelief.

“How come Gamcheon Village was all about The Little Prince, and now this place is too?”

She then turned to Lu Nian’an.

“By the way, have you ever read The Little Prince?”

“I heard the story when I was little, but I've never read the original.”

“What a coincidence. Same here.”

Xia Jiuwei looked around again.

“But I still don't really understand why putting up a few art installations makes so many people want to come here just to take pictures.”

“To leave a memory behind. Want to take a few?”

Lu Nian’an instinctively reached into her pocket, only to remember that her phone was still with Xia Jiuwei.

She silently looked toward her.

“What?”

“Do you want to take a picture?”

“No. Let's go downstairs.”

“But I think you'd want to take a few.”

“I don't.”

“No. You do.”

In the end, Xia Jiuwei gave in.

Under Lu Nian’an's persistence, the two took several photos together.

Only after confirming that Lu Nian’an hadn't secretly taken any embarrassing pictures of her this time did Xia Jiuwei finally return the phone.

She looked at Lu Nian’an standing beside her and couldn't help smiling.

With you by my side, days like this are wonderful.

After leaving Sky Park Station, the two followed the downhill road beside it. After turning a corner, they arrived at a flat parking lot.

The parking lot sat on relatively high ground beside the coast, where they could see an entire row of fishermen standing quietly along the shoreline with their fishing rods.

After passing through the parking lot, they found themselves facing a long row of seafood restaurants.

Years of handling seafood had left traces of green algae and water stains in the corners outside the shops, giving the buildings a somewhat old and weathered appearance.

The two looked at the slightly aged storefronts and the shop owners standing outside with their simple, friendly smiles. After hesitating for a moment, they finally chose one and walked in.

Compared with the damp and slightly weathered appearance, the interior was much cleaner and more orderly.

After they placed their order, the owner didn't bring out the seafood immediately. Instead, he first served several complimentary side dishes.

There were sliced pickled cucumbers, sweet-and-sour radish, and edamame seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices.

“Open your mouth. Ah—”

Xia Jiuwei picked up a slice of pickled cucumber and held it toward Lu Nian’an's mouth, then continued feeding her several more of the side dishes.

“Stop feeding me all the time. You should eat some too.”

Seeing that Xia Jiuwei had barely touched anything herself, Lu Nian’an picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and fed it back to her.

Not long afterward, the owner brought them a large platter of seafood, along with a pot of Korean-style seafood ramen.

After lighting the burner beneath their grill and briefly demonstrating how to cook the scallops, he left them to it.

The seafood ramen was still uncooked, with the entire pot placed in the center of the grill to heat slowly.

Xia Jiuwei and Lu Nian’an then began placing one enormous scallop after another around the pot until the entire grill was packed full.

Each scallop was covered with cheese, onions, green peppers, and various other toppings.

As the cheese gradually melted and mixed with the savory-sweet juices pooling inside the shells, a rich, mouthwatering aroma slowly filled the air.

Xia Jiuwei couldn't help swallowing.

“It looks like it's going to be really good.”

She rubbed her hands together, already growing impatient.

“Wait a little longer. It should take about another three minutes.”

“But I'm really getting hungry.”

Just then, the owner returned with another plate.

When Xia Jiuwei looked closely, she realized that it was filled with freshly cut raw octopus tentacles.

Yet even though they had already been sliced into pieces, the tentacles continued to squirm on the plate.

Xia Jiuwei stared at the raw octopus, her expression immediately becoming somewhat complicated.

Lu Nian’an, on the other hand, remained completely calm and simply picked up a piece of tentacle and put it straight into her mouth.