American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 358 The Great Secret of the Family (A long chapter of 10,000 words, about to set sail!)

When Lin Yu'an was half-dragged out of the "arsenal" by the enthusiastic Sean O'Connell, the villa's dining room was already brightly lit.

On the long mahogany dining table, exquisite bone china tableware and sparkling crystal glasses were already in their places.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of grilled steak, a blend of butter and rosemary that was incredibly tempting.

"Come on, Lin, sit next to me!"

Without a word, Sean pressed Lin Yu'an into the seat next to him, which was directly opposite Elizabeth's seat, a focal point where everyone could clearly see her.

Lin Yu'an smiled politely at everyone and took his seat with ease.

Raven sat on his other side, her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders, making her look less like a surfer and more like the elegance that belonged to this family.

But her gaze always drifted, intentionally or unintentionally, toward the surfboard standing quietly in the corner of the living room.

Dinner officially began, and the butler, leading the waiters, poured red wine for everyone with effortless grace.

The first course—pan-fried Hokkaido scallops with black truffle sauce—was then precisely served to each guest.

“So, Lin,” Sean said, completely disregarding table manners, dipping his bread in jam before eating, and enthusiastically began the conversation.

"What do you think of my stuff? Isn't it way more interesting than Mike's beat-up sailboat? A man should do something hardcore! Guns, and fishing rods!"

Mike shook his head helplessly: "Dad, Lin is going out to sea tomorrow, so don't keep talking to him about fishing."

“You don’t understand!” Sean retorted immediately. “An excellent sailor is bound to be an excellent fisherman!”

"They all know how to deal with the sea, how to interpret ocean currents and winds! Don't you agree, Lin?"

Lin Yu'an smiled and raised his glass to Sean from afar: "Mr. Sean is right. The wisdom of the sea is universal. Whether you are harnessing it or taking its gifts, you need the same patience and reverence."

These words both affirmed Sean and elevated the theme, making them perfectly succinct.

“Well said! Awesome!” He nodded emphatically. “Unlike some guys who always dream of conquering the sea, and what do they get in return? They get completely outmaneuvered by a three-hundred-pound swordfish!”

Sean O'Connell listened with a beaming smile, as if he had found a long-lost friend, and pulled Lin Yu'an aside to tell him his epic stories of fighting the "legendary giant fish".

In each story, the big fish breaks free in a way that is full of wisdom and power, leaving the "master" with endless regret and a vow that he will succeed next time.

In the midst of this lively atmosphere, Elizabeth lightly tapped the edge of the porcelain plate with her silver fork, producing a crisp sound. The sound was soft, but it instantly drew everyone's attention.

She elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin, her gaze calmly settling on Lin Yu'an.

"It sounds like Lin is not only an expert in navigation, but also has a deep understanding of fisheries." Her opening remarks were gentle and polite, but Lin Yu'an could sense that the real dinner was just beginning.

"I know a little, madam," he replied modestly.

"Is that so?" Elizabeth smiled slightly, a smile that held a deeper meaning. "What are your thoughts on tonight's main course, the top-quality steak from Rock River Farm?"

Elizabeth's intention was to have Lin Yu'an say that he didn't understand steak, so that she could then say, "It's okay, after all, Chinese and Western cultures are different."

This serves as a further admonition to Raven: when judging things and people, don't just look at the surface; learn to see the deeper layers.

The seven characters "Giant Stone River Heritage Farm" struck Lin Yu'an's nerves like a faint electric current.

A thought struck him, and he immediately remembered the list of VIP clients that the operations team had given him that required special attention.

Among the first few names listed was Elizabeth Montgomery.

The instruction at the time was: regardless of production volume, priority must be given to fulfilling the Montgomery family's orders.

He looked up and met Elizabeth's deep eyes, his mind quickly making plans.

Did she know? Was she deliberately using this question to give me a chance to show off my abilities beyond just being a "sailor"?

Or was it a more subtle warning? A reminder that in the industry I'm so proud of, I'm just a "farmer," and that I'm nothing special in her eyes?
Elizabeth continued, her voice calm, "I've heard that their success is largely due to a cold chain logistics system that spans the entire United States."

"Controlling temperature, humidity, and time in this process is probably no simpler than navigating a sailboat in complex waters, is it?"

Lin Yu'an made a decision instantly: no matter what the other party's intentions were, he had to take the initiative.

He calmly picked up his knife and fork, examining the steak with an almost professional eye.

“Madam, you are quite right, but the success of Jushihe is not based on logistics, but on the source.” He spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone’s ears.

"Its core advantages are threefold. First, the foundation breed. They use the top-quality Angus cattle as the mother breed, ensuring the quality of the meat."

"Second, genetic modification. They spend eight figures every year importing pure Wagyu cattle genes from Japan for artificial insemination to optimize the marbling and melting point of the fat."

"Third, and most importantly, is the method of raising them."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, and everyone was captivated by his extremely professional explanation.

“They are fed only a mixture of alfalfa, oats and farm-grown corn, and never any growth-enhancing grains.”

“We even play classical music and give the cattle massages regularly during their growth period to reduce cortisol secretion and ensure tender meat.”

"The unique milky aroma you smell now comes from this kind of investment, regardless of cost."

He described it so clearly, as if he had raised those cattle himself.

Kayla, leisurely enjoying her steak, couldn't help but ask curiously after hearing this:

"Wow, Lin, do you raise cattle part-time? How do you know so much about it? You seem to have a lot of experience?"

This question, like a perfect straight man in a comedy duo, completely shone the spotlight on Lin Yu-an.

Looking at Kayla's innocent and carefree face, Lin Yu'an smiled slightly and stopped pretending. He put down his knife and fork, leaned forward slightly, and looked sincerely at Elizabeth in the main seat.

"Yes, I raise cattle, so I'd say I'm a farmer, specifically the current owner of Giant Rock River Farm."

These words were like a depth charge, exploding loudly on the otherwise peaceful dining table!
Kayla's mouth gaped open in an "O" shape, Mike's eyes flashed with extreme shock, while Raven looked at the man beside her with a mixture of surprise and inquiry.

How many secrets is he still hiding?

The most excited person was Sean. He jumped up from his chair, so much so that he knocked over the empty water glass next to him.

But he didn't care at all, his eyes shining as he looked at Lin Yu'an: "You...you are the new owner of the farm? Then you...then you must know Old Hunter's second son and wife!"

As he said this, he subconsciously glanced at Elizabeth beside him, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he had something difficult to say.

Hunter's second son and wife? Lin Yu'an's mind raced as he searched for the documents and photos he had seen during the handover.

Hunter Rockefeller Sr. was a very stubborn and legendary old man, and the handover conditions for the farm were extremely demanding. There are indeed photos of his family in the documents…

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration cleaved through his memories like lightning!
He remembered! The black and white photograph of Hunter's second son's wife! That gentle, beautiful face with a radiant smile...

Lin Yu'an suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Kayla, who was struggling with her steak.

Those eyebrows, those nose, especially the curve of her lips when she smiles and the shallow dimples on her cheeks…

If you put on makeup and erased the signs of aging from the woman in the photo, she would look exactly like the girl in front of you! Like they were made from the same mold!
Kayla seemed to sense Lin Yu'an's burning gaze, and thinking it was because she had been too rough in cutting the steak, she stuck out her tongue somewhat embarrassedly.
"I was so hungry, sorry, sorry, hehe... But Lin, the steaks from your farm are so delicious!"

Her innocent words, however, sounded like a thunderclap to Lin Yu'an. A chill ran down his spine, mixed with immense curiosity and shock.

With an inquiring look in his eyes, he slowly moved toward Elizabeth and Sean.

A fleeting, unnatural look crossed the faces of both the couple, a look that Lin Yu'an caught perfectly.

Elizabeth immediately spoke up, forcefully steer the conversation back on track, "My goodness! I never imagined that Lin, you would be the new owner of this farm!"

"Then, I think the Montgomery family, as the farm's most loyal customers, will have to rely on you for future supplies."

“Of course, no problem, madam. The Montgomery family has always been on our priority supply list; it’s a tradition left by old Hunter.”

Elizabeth smiled and then said to the butler beside her, "Dessert can be served now."

This abrupt turn undoubtedly acknowledges that a huge secret is hidden behind it.

The atmosphere became strange in the latter part of dinner. Sean stopped talking and just drank in silence.

Kayla continued to enjoy her dessert without a care in the world, while Lin Yu'an felt as if she had stepped into a secret garden that had been carefully guarded for many years.

After finishing her dessert, Elizabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up.

He said calmly, "Lin, I have a collection of some fine Chinese teas. Would you be interested in coming with me to the study to sample them?"

Lin Yu'an immediately stood up: "Of course, it's my honor."

Elizabeth's mahogany study was filled with the mixed scent of old books and leather. A servant brewed them a pot of tea; its clear color and bean aroma resembled Longjing tea.

Elizabeth picked up her teacup, blew on it to cool it down, but didn't drink it.

She raised her eyes, looking calmly at Lin Yu'an, her voice tinged with weariness: "It seems you've discovered it."

Lin Yu'an remained silent, simply waiting for what was to come.

“Let me tell you a story,” Elizabeth’s voice became distant, as if recalling a time sealed in amber.

“I once had a very beautiful second daughter, like a quiet white rose.”

"She fell in love with a man, the second son of Hunter Rockefeller, the original owner of Rock River Farm."

"It was a very beautiful love story. They got married and soon had a daughter who was as lovely as an angel..."

"But seventeen years ago, when their daughter was less than a year old, they were hit head-on by a truck driver on their way back to the farm from Denver..."

A deep, bone-deep pain flashed in Elizabeth's eyes.

“By the time we arrived, it was too late. Hunter lost his proudest son, and I lost my most precious daughter.”

“Both our families wanted to raise the child who survived because he was at home. We had a huge fight with old Hunter, but we eventually won custody of the child.”

She put down her teacup, looked at Lin Yu'an, and revealed the earth-shattering secret:

“Kayla, she’s not actually my daughter, she’s my granddaughter.”

"Back then, in order to allow her to grow up in a complete family and not have to bear the grief of losing her parents from a young age, we made a decision."

“We announced to the public that this is my daughter, born late in life. We gave her a completely new identity and a carefree childhood.”

The study was deathly silent. Lin Yu'an was utterly shocked by this enormous lie built on love.

“Our family, except for Raven, has been keeping this secret for seventeen years.”

Elizabeth's voice held a hint of pleading, "Lin, I'm telling you this today in the hope that you will never mention in front of Kayla that she looks like her."

"I don't want any accident to disrupt her current peaceful and happy life."

Lin Yu'an remained silent for a long time, digesting this heavy secret.

He looked up and asked a crucial question: "So...when do you plan to let her know the truth?"

A complex, sorrowful smile, a mixture of love and selfishness, appeared on Elizabeth's face.

“Maybe… it will have to wait until Sean and I are both gone from this world,” she said softly. “That way, even if she blames us and hates us for deceiving her, we won’t be able to see it.”

"Although she might blame us for this, we are willing to bear this blame compared to giving her a carefree, loving childhood."

This answer gave Lin Yu'an an unprecedented shock.

This is a family that used a lie that lasted for seventeen years to build a beautiful yet fragile castle for their most cherished treasure.

He, an unintentional intruder, has now become one of the people who know the secrets of this castle.

The air in the study became thick with the weight of this somber story. Even the delicate fragrance of top-grade Longjing tea seemed unable to dispel the sorrow that had lingered for seventeen years.

Looking at the woman in front of her who controlled a vast family, Lin Yu'an saw, for the first time, the deep vulnerability that belonged to a mother in her hawk-like eyes.

He remained silent for a long time, not considering whether to agree, but rather digesting the overwhelming love and sacrifice behind this secret.

He finally understood why Kayla could maintain such crystal-clear innocence even in such a wealthy family.

Because her entire path of growth was paved smooth by her family, shielding her from all the pebbles that might have hurt her.

Lin Yu'an slowly placed the teacup back on the rosewood coffee table, making a soft sound. His gaze solemnly met Elizabeth's.

“Madam,” his voice was low and sincere, “you gave her more than just a carefree childhood. You gave her a world without shadows.”

"I assure you, this secret will never be leaked from me."

Instead of saying "I will keep it a secret," he said "there is no possibility of it being leaked," which is a more powerful and certain promise.

This means that he will not only keep his mouth shut, but also take action to avoid any risks that may cause problems.

Elizabeth's tense shoulders finally relaxed almost imperceptibly after hearing this promise.

He gave Lin Yu'an a deep look, the scrutiny and wariness in his eyes completely fading away, replaced by a rare trust.

She even felt a little ironic that her family's most core secret was ultimately entrusted to an outsider she had only known for less than a day.

But her intuition told her that the man in front of her was worthy of her trust.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “Old Hunter’s choice of you as the farm’s heir shows that his old fox eyes are still sharp.”

"Also, please forgive my impolite probing today. It was all just to get to know you better. As for Raven's thoughts, let the young people handle that."

"When you and Mike return from your sea voyage, if you can gain his approval, he should invite you to join the project he's been planning."

After saying those words that left Lin Yu'an somewhat puzzled, she stood up, signifying the end of their private conversation. "Let's go. Let's pretend nothing happened tonight."

When the study door opened again, Lin Yu'an followed Elizabeth back to the living room, and the atmosphere in the living room was, as he had expected, somewhat stagnant.

Sean sat alone at the bar, sipping his whiskey idly. His usually energetic figure looked somewhat forlorn at that moment.

Mike stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the dark sea outside, his brow furrowed.

Meanwhile, Raven and Kayla sat on the sofa, Kayla excitedly showing Raven something on her phone, her laughter ringing out.

"Look! Raven! This blogger is hilarious, he actually wants to challenge a great white shark with a children's surfboard!"

This pure, unadulterated laughter, however, carried a heartbreaking undertone in Lin Yu'an's ears.

He stared at Kayla's face, which was almost identical to the one in the photo, and his gaze lingered for a few more seconds. This subtle change was immediately noticed by the perceptive Raven.

She raised her head, her blue eyes filled with inquiry, and looked directly at Lin Yu'an, then at Elizabeth behind him, who remained expressionless, as if trying to find something on their faces.

“It’s getting late,” Lin Yu’an broke the silence. He walked to the sofa, smiled at Kayla and Raven, and said, “I should take my leave now. Thank you again for your hospitality tonight.”

"You're leaving already?" Kayla seemed a little reluctant to leave. "Lin, when are you going out to sea tomorrow? Oh, I almost forgot, Raven is going too. I can go to the dock with her to see you off!"

“Stop messing around, Kayla,” Mike said in a low voice, turning away from the window. “It’s our own voyage plan, don’t interfere.”

“Oh…” Kayla stuck out her tongue.

Lin Yu'an bid farewell to everyone in turn. When he shook hands with Sean, the enthusiastic old man gripped his hand tightly, gave him a complicated look, and said something unspoken but unspoken.

When she said goodbye to Elizabeth, she simply nodded gracefully: "Take care on your journey, Lin. I'll leave the steak supply to you."

That word "steak" seemed to be an unspoken code between them.

“I’ll see you out.” Raven stood up. Walking along the stone path leading to the garage, the night breeze was cooler than at the beach. They walked in silence, but the atmosphere was heavier than it had been on the beach.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach," she said softly, as if making a request, yet also as if giving an order.

Lin Yu'an saw the question in her eyes, nodded, and followed her.

The two stepped onto the silvery-white sand beach bathed in moonlight. Gone was the relaxed, slightly tipsy feeling they had before dinner; a silent tension filled the air.

The waves relentlessly wash over the shore, their rhythmic "whoosh" sound like the beating of a heavy heart, pounding against each other's nerves.

They walked side by side for a long time without either of them speaking first.

Raven waited, waiting for Lin Yu'an to take the initiative to explain. Lin Yu'an, on the other hand, was organizing his thoughts, thinking about how he could keep his promise while showing her at least the bare minimum of sincerity.

In the end, it was Raven who ran out of patience first. She stopped, turned around, and the sea breeze blew through her long hair, brushing against her beautifully shaped face.

"What did my grandma... say to you?" she asked bluntly, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the sea breeze, but her gaze unwavering.

“Something must have happened in the study. Don’t try to brush me off with something like ‘we chatted about tea.’”

He couldn't tell her the truth about Kayla, which was a promise he made to Elizabeth, but he also didn't want to lie to her.

“She told me a story about her family.” He chose a vague answer, “A… story about love and protection. It was heavy, but also great.”

This answer clearly failed to satisfy Raven's curiosity; the mystery seemed to be even deeper.

But she also understood from Lin Yu'an's solemn expression that he would not reveal any more details about this story.

She wasn't the type to be unreasonable or pry. Since it was a secret he had chosen to protect, she stopped asking.

“Okay,” she nodded, accepting the explanation.

Then, she changed the subject, took a small step forward, and got closer to him, close enough to see the moonlight reflected in his deep eyes.

Her tone carried a hint of probing that she herself was unaware of, like someone reaching out their toes at the edge of a cliff, tentatively probing the unfathomable fog.

“Since my grandmother’s story is about protection.” She first affirmed Lin Yu’an’s statement, then changed the subject, a sly smile curving her lips.

"And what's your story? I only found out today that my favorite steak is actually your business. So, does that mean I'm your super VIP customer?"

She blinked, her blue eyes shining like two translucent gems in the moonlight, carrying a hint of playfulness and self-righteousness.

"As your loyal customer, do I not have the right to inquire a little about the farmer's...family situation?"

"For example, why did you decide to go to Montana to raise cattle? Is it... very cold there?"

She asked clever questions, starting with the most concrete thing—steak—leading to farmers, and then naturally transitioning to family and Montana.

Each question is like carefully peeling an onion, hoping to see the core part, yet afraid of being choked by the spicy juice.

What she wanted to know was certainly not the weather in Montana.

The sea breeze seemed to stand still for a moment. Lin Yu'an looked at her eyes, which were trying to appear relaxed but couldn't hide the tension and anticipation deep within, and sighed softly in his heart.

He knew that all her groundwork ultimately led to that core issue. Any further ambiguous maneuvering would be an irresponsible and cruel act.

He didn't avoid the topic, nor did he follow up with her about the farm. Instead, he stood straight, meeting her scrutiny with an unprecedented composure.

“Montana winters are indeed very cold,” he replied, echoing her words, then his voice calmed down, “but it’s worth it, because my home is there.”

He paused for a moment, giving Raven and himself time to prepare.

“My story is both simple and complicated. You know, I don’t only have one wife.”

He told her everything about Arya, Emily, and McCormick.

There was no emotional buildup, no embellishment, only the purest statement of facts. What made him settle in Montana was a complete and complex family.

Raven listened quietly, the carefully feigned ease and playfulness on her face gradually fading away like sand paintings washed by ocean waves.

The sea breeze made her a little cold, and she instinctively hugged her arms. If Elizabeth's warning that afternoon was a pebble thrown into a lake, it stirred up ripples of unease.

Lin Yu'an's personal confirmation at that moment instantly extinguished the unrealistic fantasies that had just been ignited by that surfboard.

The sand beneath her feet seemed to soften, giving her the illusion that she was about to sink into it.

"So..." She felt her voice was a little dry, as if it had been roughened by sea sand, "You gave me a surfboard today, just... a simple birthday wish for a friend?"

"Yes, and not entirely." Lin Yu'an looked at her, her tone still firm.

“I see your longing, and I don’t want your dreams to end in regret.”

"At the same time, I also want to tell you in this way that I understand your world, just as you can understand mine. People like us are destined to sail on the course of freedom."

People like us...

She suddenly smiled, a smile that, under the cool moonlight, carried a hint of self-mockery, yet miraculously restored her former carefree and proud demeanor.

"I understand." She took a deep breath, and the salty sea breeze seemed to clear her mind.

She looked up, and her blue eyes lit up again, though that light contained emotions she herself couldn't decipher.

"Lin, thank you for everything tonight. The birthday present, the dinner, and... your honesty."

"May our voyage be smooth tomorrow."

The use of "we" is extremely clever. It is neither the intimacy between lovers nor the politeness between friends, but a deeper declaration of belonging to the same kind.

It's as if it's saying: Okay, the cards are laid out. For now, you and I are partners who will be sailing on this vast ocean.

Silence descended once more.

They walked side by side, slowly along the moonlit coastline. The waves kissed the sand tirelessly, making a soft, rustling sound.

Looking at Ruiwen's thin yet stubborn back, Lin Yu'an admired her ability to quickly compose herself and rebuild her proud and carefree demeanor.

This is a powerful self-healing ability.

It was at this moment that Lin Yu'an voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind since dinner.

This is no longer a curious pry, but a genuine concern.

“Raven,” his voice was particularly clear on the empty beach, “I’ve had a question for you ever since dinner.”

Raven paused for a moment. "Tonight is Confession Night, isn't it?"

After receiving Raven's confirmation, he continued, "Your family will all be there for dinner."

Lin Yu-an carefully chose her words, trying to make the question sound less offensive, "But I haven't seen your mother. Is she... not in Florida?"

This question, like a pebble thrown into the ocean, has not elicited any response for a long time.

Raven stood still, motionless. The moonlight cast a long shadow of hers on the damp sand, making her appear exceptionally lonely.

The sea breeze tousled her long hair, making her look like a beautiful statue about to be weathered away.

Lin Yu'an didn't urge her, but waited quietly. After a long while, Ruiwen slowly turned around.

The feigned nonchalance that had been on her face was gone, replaced by an indescribable weariness.

“My mother…” she began, her voice so soft it seemed as if it might be carried away by the sea breeze at any moment, “she is Norwegian.”

She raised her head and gazed at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, her eyes distant and empty.

"She never liked the Florida sun. She said the sunshine here was too bright, so bright it was silly and superficial."

"She missed the snow in Oslo and the sacred feeling of the stillness in the winter forests."

These words are full of poetry, yet they also reveal an irreconcilable divide rooted in the environment in which they grew up.

"So, when I was five, she divorced her father. She returned to Norway, the land she had always longed for, while her father continued his seafaring career."

Raven lowered her eyes, watching her toes draw meaningless circles in the sand. "Later... she married a new man."

She took a deep breath, as if the truth she was about to say was so heavy that it would take all her strength to speak.

"She married a Norwegian prince."

The word, spoken by her, carried no trace of glory or excitement, only a numb utterance of stating a fact.

"So, she is now a princess, living in the royal estate in Oslo, leading a fairytale life that is envied by countless people."

“We… rarely see each other. She has her new family, new children, and a new… life.”

This secret was even more powerful than Kayla's secret! Like a silent bomb, it exploded in his heart!
He understood everything instantly.

I came to understand the profound sense of alienation and loneliness that Raven possessed, which was completely different from that of ordinary wealthy heiresses.

I understand why she is so obsessed with the ocean and surfing. That feeling of being in control of everything on the crest of a giant wave is perhaps the only thing she can grasp that truly belongs to her.

It turns out that she did have a mother, but her mother lived in a glamorous fairy tale world that excluded her.

As Lin Yu'an processed this massive amount of information, an incredible thought, with a powerful impact, popped into his mind.

"WTF! Does that mean you're... a princess?"

Upon hearing this title, Raven's face revealed an expression of extreme disgust and self-mockery, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

She suddenly raised her head, and for the first time, a flame of near-anger ignited in her sapphire-like eyes, shooting straight at Lin Yu'an.

"I am not a princess," she said, each word distinct and clear, her voice soft yet carrying an unwavering resolve.

She stretched out her hands, spreading them out in front of Lin Yu'an. Her hands were rough from years of handling sails and surfboards, with calluses on her palms.

"Look, these hands belong to the sea, to the sailboat, to that surfboard. They can raise the sail, tie a knot, and judge the wind direction."

"It does not belong to a scepter, nor to any boring dinner party where you need to wave."

She withdrew her hand, her gaze returning to the boundless, dark sea, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.

“That title, that bloodline, is not an honor to me,” her voice turned cold, carrying a kind of cynicism and weariness born of worldly experience.

"That was a magnificent cage that I had desperately wanted to escape from ever since I was old enough to understand things."

"Did you know? Every year on my birthday I receive a postcard from Norway with pictures of snow-covered forests and frozen fjords."

“She always wrote in her letters, Raven, my dear daughter, you do not belong to that overly noisy sunshine; your soul flows with the ice and tranquility of Northern Europe.”

As Raven finished speaking, she suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, a laugh filled with rebellion and disdain.

"She's wrong! Terribly wrong!" Raven turned around abruptly, staring intently at Lin Yu'an, as if declaring to him, and also to her distant mother.

"I hate snow! I despise that cold, hypocritical pure white that covers everything!"

"I absolutely love Florida's silly, brilliant sunshine! I love this forever warm, forever vibrant, and roaring ocean!"

She was somewhat agitated, her chest heaving slightly, like a lioness whose scales had been touched.

He took a step forward, getting closer to Lin Yu'an, and a flame he had never seen before burned in his blue eyes!
“I can’t become a woman like her, nor can I become any kind of woman you imagine who needs to be placed in a ‘home’.”

"I can't learn to be a good wife and mother, I can't learn to smile elegantly at a banquet, and I can't learn to give up my sailboat and my waves for a man or a family."

Every word she uttered revealed her truest self and most untamed soul to Lin Yu'an.

"What I have been pursuing all my life is not on land. Not in any house, not on any farm, and not in any magnificent palace."

She pointed to the deep darkness that rippled under the moonlight, "It's there, forever on the sea!"

“So,” she took a deep breath, calmed herself, and called his name so solemnly for the first time, “Lin Yu’an, I am not a princess.”

“I am Raven Montgomery, a…woman destined for the sea.”

At that moment, Lin Yu'an clearly saw the appearance of her deepest soul.

That wasn't a wild horse that needed to be tamed, but an albatross that truly belonged to the sky.

Her wings were not born to rest under anyone's eaves, but to embrace the storms of the whole world.

He finally understood why the surfboard he had given her had stirred such a huge emotional response in her.

Because it was not just a gift, but the highest recognition of her life choices.

An unprecedented and profound understanding and resonance, transcending all worldly boundaries regarding marriage, family, and the future, quietly emerged between the two.

They both realized that the other was someone who had been "exiled" by their own world, and someone who had actively chosen to "exile themselves."

He looked at her, at her eyes that were slightly red from excitement, and at her unwavering gaze. A complex emotion welled up in his heart, a mixture of admiration and tenderness.

So, in that instant, Lin Yu'an did something he himself hadn't anticipated, something that was entirely driven by his inner feelings.

He took a step forward, and to Raven's surprise, gently yet firmly opened his arms and embraced her.

Raven's body stiffened abruptly the moment she was embraced.

Lin Yu'an didn't say anything to comfort her, because he knew that any sympathy would be an insult to her.

He responded to her declaration with utmost solemnity: "I saw it."

These four simple words mean: I understand all your cries, I comprehend all your rebellions, and I see your true soul.

That's enough for Raven.

She had just declared that she belonged to the sea, that she did not belong to any man or family. Yet, in this embrace, she absurdly felt a sense of "returning home."

That fortress built with pride and courage was gradually crumbling at this moment, thanks to an irresistible, warm force.

All her loneliness, all her pretense, all her strength crumbled before this embrace. She... was understood.

She slowly and hesitantly raised her arms and gently hugged him back.

Just a few seconds later, Lin Yu'an released her, took a step back, and put some distance between them again.

The two looked at each other, neither speaking. But their eyes conveyed a thousand words.

In the end, it was Raven who looked away first, and the carefree and fearless smile that belonged to Raven Montgomery reappeared on her face.

This time, however, her smile held a tenderness she herself was unaware of.

“Come on, Mr. Farmer,” she said softly. “Your boat will be waiting for you at the dock tomorrow.”

Without another word, the two turned around in unison and walked toward the lights of the villa.

Their shadows stretched long in the moonlight, sometimes intertwining, sometimes separating, just like their future, which was destined to be intertwined yet full of hardships and obstacles.

After tonight, things between them may never be a calm lake again; at least one side of the lake will be rippling with new waves.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(It turns out there really is such a thing as authors favoring certain characters. I'm growing to like Raven more and more. She has that strong female lead vibe; love isn't a necessity for her, the sea is.)
(End of this chapter)