Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The Peach Blossom Sea

Bernard Simmons, having been so bluntly humiliated by Paige Walsh, frowned in displeasure.

His face darkened as he watched Paige’s retreating figure, so angry he wanted to curse.

But with his son, Zane Simmons, sitting right next to him, he swallowed the curses on the tip of his tongue and simply let out a cold "Hmph."

Watching the decades of unchanging coldness and hostility between his parents, Zane Simmons felt like he couldn’t breathe.

He wrung his hands, feeling lost, trying to suppress the panic and stuffiness rising within him.

Bernard Simmons pulled his gaze away from Paige’s back and sat down on the sofa.

Then, his face hardened. He said to Zane Simmons, "Actually, your mother isn’t wrong. You’ve really been getting more and more out of line lately! I heard from your uncle that at the banquet at the Nimbus Hotel, that girl, Zara Walsh, tried to talk to you, but you just turned around and walked away. You didn’t give her any face at all!"

Zane Simmons’s uncle was the father of Zara and Yuri Walsh.

The Walsh Family was a prominent family with a century-long history and many branches. Zara’s grandfather’s line was that of the eldest son, the main branch, but it had gradually declined over the years. Among the younger generation of the Walsh Family, Paige Walsh was still the most successful.

Hearing this, Zane Simmons gulped guiltily and didn’t dare to make a sound.

Bernard Simmons thought for a moment, then added, "I also heard you brought two female companions? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock!"

In Bernard Simmons’s view, it was fine to fool around with several women in private, but at an important event, you couldn’t parade them all out in the open!

Otherwise, you’d just make a fool of yourself in front of others!

Zane Simmons knew he was in the wrong, so he lowered his head and said nothing.

The truth was, there was nothing going on between him and Lucy White. He had deliberately brought her along that day simply to solidify his reputation as a philandering playboy and make Zara Walsh give up on the idea of an arranged marriage.

But he never expected Zara to be so persistent. She didn’t care if Zane brought one woman or ten; she was adamant about marrying him.

Zane was about at his wits’ end with Zara!

Facing Bernard Simmons, Zane could only force a laugh and reply, "Dad, Zara and I aren’t a good match. Besides, I have no intention of getting married right now..."

Bernard Simmons frowned unhappily at his words and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? What man doesn’t get married!"

As if a thought occurred to him, Bernard’s tone softened. Like a benevolent father, he patted Zane’s shoulder comfortingly and said, "Don’t worry. Even after you get married, you can still play around however you want. No one will control you! It’s all open marriages these days, just like with your mother and me!"

Zane’s breath hitched at his words.

The thought of having to repeat his parents’ tragic arranged marriage brought back memories of his childhood, of the cold war between them caused by his father’s affairs.

That painful memory enveloped his younger self like a tidal wave, and even today, he had not fully escaped the feeling of suffocation.

Bernard Simmons called it an "open marriage," but he was the only one who ever fooled around outside of it. Paige Walsh, shackled by public opinion, could only struggle in this widow-like marriage.

Not only that, she had to swallow her anger and play the part of a loving couple with her cheating husband for the media.

Seeing Zane purse his lips in silence, Bernard frowned and waved a hand. "Alright, let’s drop this for now. If you really don’t like Zara, you can always choose someone else suitable..."

Bernard wasn’t actually in a hurry to push his son into marriage. Wealthy men had virtually no age-related anxiety in the marriage market. If Zane didn’t want to get married now, they could wait a few more years.

Bernard continued, "However, you went too far last time. The Walsh Family is your mother’s family, after all. How could you not give your uncle any face?"

Knowing he was at fault, Zane took the initiative. "Dad, I know I was wrong. I’ll ask Yuri Walsh out for a meal some other day and pick out a few gifts for him to take to our uncle."

But Bernard shook his head. "I already spoke with your uncle. I’m arranging a management position for Zara Walsh in the department responsible for the northern district’s supply chain."

Zane’s expression changed. He frowned and said gravely, "Our uncle’s family is overreaching... Isn’t making a fortune from their private hospitals enough? Now they want a hand in the city’s supply chain too?"

Bernard didn’t answer Zane’s question directly, only saying, "Your uncle asked me personally to find this position for his daughter. I couldn’t very well refuse. In any case, since she’s a distant cousin of yours, you should look out for her a little."

Hearing this, Zane could only nod helplessly.

******

Meanwhile, Melody Summers sped forward in her yacht.

She steered the boat through lakes and rivers, finally arriving once more at the edge of a thick fog.

Looking at the two distinct shades of blue—one deep, one light—at the edge of the fog, Melody Summers said excitedly to Albus, "White, hurry and help me unlock the new area!"

[Roger.]

[System has detected that Peach Blossom Value has reached 100. A new area has been unlocked for you: "The Arcadian Sea".]

As the system’s voice faded, the thin mist shrouding the end of the river slowly dissipated, revealing a vast, azure ocean before Melody Summers.

The surface of the sea glittered, shimmering under the golden sunlight as if countless tiny diamonds had been scattered across the water, sparkling brilliantly.

A gentle breeze swept over the surface, raising layers of waves.

This stretch of sea was boundless and endless. In the distance, the horizon where the sea met the sky formed a hazy line.

A flock of seagulls flew overhead, soaring freely in the sky, their crisp, pleasant calls echoing through the air.

Melody Summers gazed at the beautiful seascape where the ocean and sky merged into one, so stunned she couldn’t snap out of it for a long time.

If the shock of unlocking the lake before was a 10, then the impact of this ocean was simply immeasurable. A score of 9,999 wouldn’t even be an exaggeration!

’This is too stunning!’

’Before nature, humanity is as insignificant as an ant!’

Just as Melody Summers was staring, dumbfounded, at the magnificent ocean, the system notification sounded again—

[Please pilot the vessel to the pier ahead and to your right to continue exploring more areas!]

The system’s voice pulled Melody’s thoughts back from the vast ocean. She quickly returned to the driver’s seat and, following the system’s guidance, steered the yacht to the pier in this sea area.

After docking the yacht securely at the pier, Melody jogged out of the cabin. Without hesitation, she leaped and landed steadily on the pier.

Standing on the wooden planks of the pier, Melody narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling the sea breeze gently brush against her face, bringing a hint of coolness. She couldn’t help but take a deep breath, taking in the salty air and endless freshness of the ocean.

Then, she ran along the wide, smooth planks of the pier all the way to a golden beach.

The beach was covered in fine, soft sand. Stepping onto it, her feet sank into its plush surface.

Sunlight poured down, making each grain of sand sparkle with a crystalline light. Melody couldn’t resist. She bent down and scooped up a handful, closing her eyes happily as she felt its fine, warm texture in her palm.

Waves rolled in from time to time, washing onto the shore and lapping at the sand, leaving behind a trail of foam and seashells.

Melody bent down again and picked up a seashell, realizing it was a scallop. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Looking at the scallop, Melody was overjoyed—

’I can go beachcombing in the space from now on!’

’I can finally have unlimited seafood!’

Just then, the system’s notifications began to sound one after another—

[Congratulations, Host, on reaching the new area "The Arcadian Beach"!]

[From now on, "The Arcadian Beach" will be a new fast-travel point.]

[When entering the space, the Host can choose to arrive directly at "The Arcadian Beach".]

Melody was overjoyed. She happily picked up Albus and gave him a kiss. "This is great! White!"

’Being able to fast-travel directly to The Arcadian Beach after entering the space means I won’t have to waste hours sailing here anymore!’

’And I’ll save energy!’

Albus good-naturedly licked the fur Melody had ruffled, and then the system notification sounded again—

[Unlocked "Offshore Oil Field".]

[Unlocked "Odyssey Station".]

As the system’s voice faded, two new structures suddenly appeared on the sea next to the pier.