One year later...
"Yuan, look, this is the seaside! It's my first time here."
Standing by the railing near the beach, Elysia leaned on the railing with both hands, gazing at the crowded beach.
"No, no, no. We snuck onto a ship a few times before, and we saw the sea then."
"Hmph, back then we had to hide in the room and couldn't see the sea at all, so that doesn't count."
Thinking about the dark, confined room during their stowaway days, Elysia instinctively stretched.
If it weren't for their lack of identification, they wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble.
"So, do you want to go play?"
"Why not? Let's build a sandcastle on the beach."
"...I, I'll go with you."
In the end, Chang Yuan didn't refuse. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed.
But later, they would have to choose a swimsuit that wasn't too revealing or cover up with a shawl.
However, Elysia's final choice surprised Chang Yuan.
She simply took off her shoes and socks and walked barefoot on the sand.
She didn't even consider buying a swimsuit.
"Hey, Yuan, why are you just standing there? Come on, keep up. Let's build a sandcastle together."
"Huh? Oh, right, I'm coming."
Chang Yuan didn't overthink it and quickly took off his shoes and socks to catch up.
Finding a spot with fewer people, Elysia excitedly started building her sandcastle.
"Hmm, why is it so loose?"
Seeing the small castle she had painstakingly built collapse, Elysia was puzzled.
"Maybe try adding some water?"
"Water? Oh, right, water should help."
With that, Elysia went to the shore to scoop up seawater bit by bit. Seeing this, Chang Yuan sighed and went to help.
They could have just bought a bucket. Going back and forth like this was such a hassle.
After wetting a large patch of sand, Elysia started rebuilding the sandcastle.
This time, as expected, the sandcastle held together much better.
"Mhm, it seems it was because we didn't add water earlier. Now that it's sturdy, we can make something more intricate."
Opening her backpack, Elysia took out a small knife.
She began carving into a half-meter-tall mound of sand, occasionally glancing at Chang Yuan as she worked.
Chang Yuan had no idea what she was doing, so he just watched from the side.
It wasn't until the end that Chang Yuan finally realized what Elysia was carving.
"Ta-da! Yuan, look, who does this resemble?"
Stepping aside, Elysia let Chang Yuan see what she had carved.
But Chang Yuan had already guessed from the rough outline.
"Elysia, you're amazing. You can even carve a sand sculpture that looks exactly like me."
"Of course! A lovely girl like me can do anything."
"Then I'll try carving one of you to place beside it."
No sooner said than done, Chang Yuan started working on a sand mound of similar height next to his own sculpture.
However, he overestimated his skills. Looking at his misshapen creation, Chang Yuan felt a bit embarrassed.
"Pfft, hahaha, Yuan, it seems you don't have a talent for carving. Look at this—it doesn't look anything like me."
Seeing Chang Yuan's work, Elysia couldn't help but laugh.
"Tsk, I'll leave it to you then. I don't have the talent for this."
Putting down the knife, Chang Yuan gave up.
The idea that transmigrators always get cheat abilities was a lie. All he had was a half-baked skill.
"Alright, then sit here beside me."
"Why?"
"Because I need to use your eyes to see myself. That way, I can perfectly recreate my image."
"..."
Looking at Elysia's bright, smiling eyes, Chang Yuan was momentarily stunned.
After snapping out of it, he shook his head slightly.
One of life's three great illusions: "She likes me."
Then Chang Yuan obediently sat down in the designated spot.
And Elysia truly used Chang Yuan's eyes to guide her carving.
But compared to the first sculpture of Chang Yuan, this time Elysia had to get closer to see.
So close that Chang Yuan could clearly smell the indescribable fragrance emanating from her—a scent that calmed the mind and lifted the spirit.
Gradually, Chang Yuan became entranced by the scent, gazing at Elysia in a daze.
Seeing this, Elysia chuckled softly but didn't say anything.
An hour later, Elysia finally put down her knife.
"Ta-da! A flawless Elysia sculpture is complete."
Hearing this, Chang Yuan immediately leaned over to look. To his surprise, it was indeed a perfect replica, complete with details like her collarbone.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Elysia, with your talent, you should buy some wood and carve sculptures of celebrities to sell. You could make a fortune."
"Hmph~?, I don't want to. This is just a hobby. I don't plan to make money from it. Once something is tied to money, it loses its charm. I don't want my hobby to be ruined."
Without a second thought, Elysia rejected Chang Yuan's suggestion.
Chang Yuan wasn't surprised by this.
Just then, a couple passed by Chang Yuan and Elysia.
Seeing the couple's distinctive blue hair, a thought flashed through Chang Yuan's mind.
These were Griseo's parents.
"Blanca, are you really going to Dr. Mobius's lab? You know, there are always rumors about her, but none of them are positive."
"Yes, because the benefits are good. For you, for Griseo, and for our family. Besides, I don't think Dr. Mobius is as scary as the rumors say."
"Sigh, I know I can't change your mind, but if you sense something wrong, you have to leave immediately. For your sake, for mine, and for Griseo. She's still young and can't lose either of us."
"Don't worry, I will. I'll also study hard there. After all, learning from someone like Dr. Mobius is a rare opportunity."
After the couple walked away, Elysia couldn't help but sigh. "Yuan, did you hear that? What a romantic promise."
"Yeah, for the sake of their family, that promise is truly touching."
"Hehe, how about we make a promise too?"
"Oh? What kind of promise do you want to make?"
Hearing this, Elysia placed her left index finger on her lips, thinking.
After a moment, she said, "Let's promise to fulfill each other's wishes."