The steamship did not move fast. It could not compare to the ships of later times. They left the Zhuma Ferry in Sicheng Town and reached the Yao River in over an hour. Then, they followed the Yao River into the Yong River, which took two hours. By the time they arrived at the Yonggang port to switch to a passenger liner, it was nearly dawn.
Zhu Yanyi and the others got off the steamship with Yan Aohan. Fortunately, it was only past four in the morning, so the passenger liner had not yet departed. Zhu Yanyi and her group smoothly entered the third deck, the highest level. This liner had three decks. The bottom deck was for cargo, the second for ordinary passengers, and the third was usually reserved for wealthy people. Yan Aohan had somehow booked the entire third deck. It was exclusively for their group; no one else was allowed up.
There were ten private rooms on the third deck, each with two beds. There were sixteen people in their group. Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi each took a room, using up nine rooms in total. The remaining rooms were left empty. After settling in, Yan Aohan asked Luo Gang to buy some breakfast from the port, while Zhu Yanyi and the others went straight to sleep.
Because there were many rooms, Zhu Yanyi had her own. Zhu Yanli and Chen Lu shared one. Zhu Zhibin shared one with her bodyguard, Niu Jiu. The three siblings were completely separated. Zhu Yanyi did not tell anyone and simply found a room to sleep in.
Zhu Yanyi had a room to herself, and naturally, Yan Aohan had one too. No one dared to share a room with Yan Aohan, especially since there were plenty of rooms.
Their passenger liner was the first to depart in the morning, scheduled for 5:40 AM. Since they arrived just after four, they simply slept in their respective rooms. When Luo Gang returned with breakfast, she saw that Zhu Yanyi and the others were fast asleep. She said nothing, only asking someone to keep the food warm with hot water. She did not wake them.
Zhu Yanyi was woken by the noise from the second floor. When she woke up, she checked her watch. It was exactly 5:25 AM, the time when passengers from the second-floor cabins came up.
Zhu Yanyi opened the door to her room and looked out. The sound of seawater hitting the rocks nearby still echoed. As the waves hit the ship, the docked vessel swayed slightly, but it did not feel unstable.
A hint of light appeared on the sea surface. It seemed reddish, or perhaps golden, making one feel particularly refreshed. It looked like the sunrise was about to happen. Zhu Yanyi decided to walk out onto the third-deck deck to look into the distance, wanting to see the sunrise process. Yan Aohan sensed it when Zhu Yanyi opened her room door. She immediately opened her door and came out. Seeing Zhu Yanyi heading toward the deck, she followed her.
"You should rinse your mouth, brush your teeth, wash your face, and eat breakfast. Luo Gang bought soy milk and steamed buns early this morning. They are still warm. You should eat a little. Although the liner is stable, the sea breeze can cause seasickness in many people, especially those on an empty stomach." Yan Aohan smiled as she approached and stood beside Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi pointed toward the sunlight. "I saw the sunrise coming, so I came out to watch. It is my first time seeing a sunrise at sea, so I am naturally curious. I will go in to eat breakfast in a moment." Then she looked at Yan Aohan. "Besides, I am a doctor myself. You do not need to worry about me getting seasick. For me, that is almost impossible."
Hearing this, the corners of Yan Aohan’s mouth turned up slightly. A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes, and his mood seemed good. "Yes, you are a little divine doctor, after all."