TopAppnovel Chapter 368 Raven's Inner Thoughts!
Chapter 368 Raven's Inner Thoughts!
Chapter 366 Raven's Inner Thoughts! (November giveaway starts now! Vote for your monthly tickets!)
5:30 PM Bahamas time
"Looks like you had a good afternoon." Mike stood up, stubbed out his cigar on the railing, and said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
Crown Princess Mette's face radiated genuine joy, a joy so real that it made her look several years younger.
"Of course! I had no idea that my daughter is not only an excellent captain, but also a top-notch shopping guide."
"She took me to a handicraft shop run by an old lady on the south side of Bay Street, where the straw bags were simply works of art. We also had conch salad at the foot of the Queen's Stairs."
She released Raven's arm and handed Mike a beautifully wrapped gift bag bearing the logo of a top local Nassau liquor store.
"Here you go, an 18-year-old Glenfiddich. I know you still like this flavor—spicy, stubborn, like an old rock that's been soaked in seawater for decades."
Her metaphor not only accurately described the characteristics of the wine, but also subtly teased Mike's personality, carrying a familiarity that only old acquaintances possess.
Mike took the drink without saying thank you, and simply muttered, "You always like to use flashy but impractical things to solve problems."
Even so, he carefully set the expensive bottle of whiskey aside.
Then, Mette turned to Lin Yu'an, extending her hand with an impeccably elegant smile on her face.
"Captain Lin, we meet again. Let me introduce myself, Mette Live, Raven's mother."
Her self-introduction did not include any royal titles, so Lin Yu-an did not emphasize them either.
"Hello, Mette," Lin Yu'an politely returned the handshake.
She released her grip and handed over another bag with the LaMer logo. "This is for you, to thank you for taking care of Raven."
"I heard from Raven that not only did they protect her in the storm, but they also showed her what a genius is."
"You're too kind. We're a team, and helping each other is only natural."
"Lin, I have to thank you," Mette said with a smile. "This afternoon, I finally had the chance to see my daughter who laughs, argues, and blushes, instead of a silent captain."
"Mom, don't talk nonsense."
Ignoring Raven's shyness, Mette smiled and continued, "Raven said you're from China?"
Her topic shifted naturally, full of curiosity.
"I've been to Shanghai and Beijing and attended several official events. They're very modern and vibrant, like a high-speed, sophisticated machine. But I always felt that wasn't all of China."
"I've heard Haakon (the Crown Prince's name) say that he describes China as a giant that has been asleep for a century but is now awakening at an incredible speed."
This is a grand and somewhat probing question, far from ordinary casual conversation.
Lin Yu'an calmly met Mette's gaze and replied, "That's a vivid analogy. However, in my own understanding, I would prefer to compare it to a life undergoing 'morphological reshaping'."
"Shape reshaping?" This answer clearly piqued Mette's great interest.
"Yes," Lin Yu'an continued, explaining in a simple yet vivid way.
"What you see in Shanghai and Beijing is its toughest and shiniest exoskeleton—skyscrapers, high-speed rail, and a mobile payment network that covers everything."
"We have accomplished in thirty years what took Western countries more than a century to achieve industrialization and urbanization. This is truly a speed and power of a 'giant'."
"But," he changed the subject, beginning to reveal another side beneath the hard shell, "something softer is regrowing in a completely new way beneath this hard shell."
He gave a specific example: "For instance, a friend of mine lives in a small town called Jingdezhen, which is hundreds of kilometers away from Shanghai."
"It was once a porcelain capital with a thousand-year history, producing the finest porcelain for royalty around the world. It declined during the industrial age."
"But now, tens of thousands of young artists and designers from all over the world are flocking there. They don't live in high-rise buildings, but in old workshops that retain their ancient style."
"During the day, they fire ceramics in the oldest dragon kilns, and at night they sell their works to buyers in New York, London, and Tokyo through live streaming."
He looked at Mette and concluded, "Ancient craftsmanship is being combined with the most modern business models. That's what I call 'restructuring'."
"It's not a simple 'awakening,' but a marvelous fusion of ancient genes and future technology."
"Stories like this happen every day in thousands of small towns like Jingdezhen across China."
These words, through a concrete, vivid, and detailed story, fully demonstrate the complexity and charm of modern China.
Crown Princess Mette listened intently; the China she had visited was a China filled with official agendas and grand narratives.
What Lin Yu-an depicted for her was a grassroots China she had never encountered before, full of vibrant individuals and creativity.
Curiosity and longing shone in her eyes. "Jingdezhen... I'll remember that name."
"It seems that to truly understand China, we cannot just look at its 'exoskeleton,' but must also touch its warm branches that are growing again."
Her topic shifted again, returning to the present moment, this time with a more intimate and expectant tone.
"However, before exploring that faraway land, I'm more curious about what's for dinner tonight?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Lin Yu'an said with a mysterious smile.
Although the L-shaped kitchen on the North Star is compact, it is extremely well-designed, and a perfectly coordinated "two-person cooking show" is currently taking place.
Lin Yu'an was in charge of handling the most crucial part: the fish meat. He took out the perfectly chilled mackerel scraps he had scraped off that morning and poured them into a huge stainless steel basin.
"Raven, get me some salt, white pepper, an egg, and cornstarch," he ordered without looking up.
"Received." Raven, like a skilled kitchen assistant, quickly retrieved everything from the storage compartment.
Lin Yu'an first added egg whites and seasonings to the fish. He abandoned all modern kitchen utensils, and then spread his five fingers and vigorously stirred the fish in the bowl in the same direction.
"Why do you keep stirring in one direction?" Raven asked curiously as she watched the fish meat gradually turn into a sticky and elastic fish paste under his stirring.
"In order for the protein fibers of fish, namely myosin, to fully extend and then re-crosslink to form a network structure."
As Lin Yu'an stirred the mixture, he explained in simple terms, "Only in this way will the fish balls have enough elasticity."
His arm muscles were clearly defined, and every movement he made was full of power.
Raven gazed at his focused profile and the hands that could sail a boat, fight fish, and now patiently prepare food, her eyes involuntarily becoming somewhat melancholic.
Crown Princess Mette, meanwhile, leaned gracefully against the entrance of the salon, holding a glass of white wine, quietly watching this scene.
She wanted to help, but found herself completely ignorant of this vibrant world.
She didn't know where the salt was, nor how to use the universal joint stove that could stay level even when the ship was rocking.
All I could do was watch the scene of their seamless teamwork in the kitchen—Lin Yu'an was in charge, Ruiwen was assisting, and the two would occasionally talk in hushed tones, their shoulders sometimes brushing against each other unintentionally.
That natural sense of closeness was something she, as a mother, had never seen with her daughter before.
Watching her daughter's retreating figure, she softly remarked to Mike beside her, "In the blink of an eye, my sweetheart has grown up so much, she's old enough to be a mother..."
Mike paused abruptly, holding the whiskey, and glanced at the beautiful couple in the kitchen.
He glanced at the complex expression on Mette's face, his Adam's apple bobbed, and in the end, he said nothing, simply downing the wine in his glass in one gulp.
Dinner begins at 6:45 p.m.
Dinner officially began when the small induction cooker gurgled and steamed in the center of the teak dining table.
The first dish was not hot pot, but rather sous-vide mackerel sashimi, prepared by Mike himself.
Take out the fish fillet that has been sitting in ice-salt water for several hours. The fish meat has a warm pinkish luster that is almost translucent, and the texture looks firmer than when it was first cut.
Using an extremely sharp willow blade knife, at a precise angle, quickly slice off several thin, evenly sliced pieces of sashimi and neatly arrange them on a chilled white porcelain plate.
It was served with only a small dish of soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi.
"Here, Mette, try this." Mike handed her the first plate. "Taste the real ocean."
Crown Princess Mette gracefully picked up a slice of sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing with her chopsticks. Lin Yu'an was somewhat surprised that she could use chopsticks.
She didn't dip it in any sauce, but put it directly into her mouth, closed her eyes, and savored it like a professional wine connoisseur.
A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes. In her blue eyes, there was no exaggerated shock, but a complex light mixed with surprise, approval and a trace of nostalgia.
"Interesting..." she said softly, then elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin, her gaze sweeping over Mike and Lin Yu'an. "A very interesting taste."
She looked at everyone and began to give her evaluation from the perspective of a top food connoisseur.
"I also tried halibut prepared in a similar way at Maaemo restaurant in Oslo (the only Michelin three-star restaurant in Norway)."
"But there's something different. Maaemo's deliciousness is a kind of deliciousness that's been precisely calculated."
"The chef will tell you which fjord in northern Norway this fish was caught in, how many hours it was aged, and which valley's moss extract it was paired with."
"It's a perfect work of art, but you know, it was designed."
Next up was the hot pot. As Lin Yu'an used a spoon to drop the snow-white, bouncy handmade fish balls into the bubbling tomato and fish bone soup, the atmosphere became even warmer.
The fish balls tumbled and rolled in the rich broth, quickly floating to the surface and releasing a pure and enticing aroma of fresh fish.
Raven was the first to eagerly pick up a piece, blow on it to cool it down, and then put the whole thing in her mouth.
"Mmm!" She squinted her eyes happily, exclaiming indistinctly, "It's so delicious! So bouncy and fresh!"
Crown Princess Mette's eyes softened as she watched her daughter eat with unrestrained gusto.
She watched quietly, as if through the steaming scene before her, she could see the distant past.
She seemed to remember something, and her voice became exceptionally gentle: "Raven, do you remember? When you were little in Oslo, your favorite thing to eat was your grandmother's Norwegian fish ball soup."
Upon hearing the word "grandmother," Raven's chopsticks, which were holding fish balls, froze in mid-air.
The smile on her face slowly faded, and after a moment of silence, she answered softly, "...Yes, I remember."
Those two simple words seem to represent a vast distance.
Crown Princess Mette did not stop. She seemed to be caught in a vortex of memories, talking to herself as if she were speaking to Raven, or perhaps to herself.
"Back then, winters in Oslo always brought heavy snow, and the whole world was white. My grandmother's kitchen was the warmest place in the entire estate."
"She would always wear her white apron, stand in front of the stove, and simmer a soup base made of cod bones and milk in a large copper pot over a low flame."
Her voice was melodious and full of imagery: "She would cut off the freshest cod fillets and grind them into a paste little by little using a wooden grinder."
"You were only four or five years old then, and you were so small. You would always sit on a small stool at the kitchen doorway, watching longingly."
"Grandma would pinch off a small lump of fish paste for you and have you imitate her, rolling it into a round ball with your hands. Your hands were always sticky, but you smiled very happily."
Mike silently drank his drink, not saying a word. He had only heard these stories sporadically from past letters.
"Grandma's fish ball soup is completely different from this." Mette looked at the pot of vibrant red in front of her.
"Her soup was pure white, like snow. It had cardamom powder and fresh dill in it, and the flavor was clean and mild."
"After the fish balls are cooked, she'll serve them with boiled potatoes and carrots, and then drizzle them with a spoonful of melted butter. You can always eat a whole plateful."
"Then, with your round little belly sticking out, you'd run adorably to the fireplace and ask Grandma to tell you stories from Norse mythology. Stories of Thor's hammer, Loki's pranks..."
Crown Princess Mette's voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Looking at her daughter, her blue eyes were filled with deep sorrow and longing.
You were six years old when your grandmother passed away. We didn't tell you; we only said she went on a trip to a very far place.
"Later, you asked me more than once when Grandma would come back to make you fish ball soup..."
"Stop talking."
Raven suddenly spoke, interrupting her. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like a block of ice, instantly freezing all the warmth in the kitchen.
She kept her head down, her shoulder-length short hair obscuring her face, making it impossible to see her expression. All that could be seen was her hand gripping the chopsticks tightly, her knuckles slightly white from the force.
"It's all in the past." She repeated it again, as if trying to convince herself.
She raised her head, her face now bearing that hard, indifferent expression again, even managing a smile, though it looked worse than a grimace.
She picked up a fish ball, put it in her mouth, and chewed it vigorously, as if trying to swallow all the sadness that welled up in her heart in this way.
Lin Yu'an sensed the suffocating atmosphere. He finally understood that Raven's resistance to Norway might not be solely due to her mother's departure.
It was also because that place buried the warmest and most carefree memories of her childhood.
Grandma's passing may be the real reason why that "ice castle" began to grow cold.
He used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of corn soaked in broth and put it into Mette's bowl, smiling as he changed the subject: "Raven, try this, Bahamian corn is especially sweet."
The atmosphere of dinner unfolded slowly amidst constant probing, reopened wounds, and clumsy attempts to mend things.
Food became the only bridge between them, carrying the past that could never be returned to, and reflecting the insurmountable distance at this moment.
After dinner, Ruiwen and Lin Yu'an discussed the remaining voyage plans in the captain's cabin.
The space on the deck was deliberately reserved for the ex-couple who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
The night was as dark as ink, and the stars shone brightly.
Mike and Mette each held a glass of whiskey, the waves gently lapping against the hull, and the distant noise of the dock was carried far away by the sea breeze.
"Is he very good?" Crown Princess Mette broke the silence first, her gaze falling on the brightly lit window in the captain's cabin.
Mike took a sip of his drink. "Extremely outstanding. Calm, strong, intelligent, and very caring and considerate."
"I checked on him this afternoon," Crown Princess Mette said calmly, as if stating a fact.
"The champion of 'Living Alone in the Wild,' the owner of Rock River Farm, is quite wealthy."
"More importantly, he has something that Raven has been looking for, that sense of freedom that comes from breaking free from all constraints."
She paused, turned to look at Mike, and asked the most crucial question: "So, what are you planning to do?"
"What? What should we do?" Mike frowned.
"Don't play dumb, Mike." Mette's gaze sharpened.
"I know my own daughter. The way she looks at that kid is exactly the same way you looked when you first saw this ship. That kind of gleam can't be hidden."
She took a sip of her drink and said slowly, "I know he's married, and the situation is complicated, but so what?"
"You can get married and then divorced. If you're not compatible, separating is a relief for both of you, just like for us."
Her tone carried a European aristocratic indifference and pragmatism toward traditional marriage contracts.
"I don't want Raven to miss out on someone who could truly make her happy just because she's married. Life is short, why can't she be a little braver?"
Upon hearing these words, Mike turned around abruptly, staring intently at her, his eyes blazing with anger for the first time.
"Hey! Mette! This isn't the same thing!" His voice was incredibly low, suppressed with anger.
"We broke up amicably because we belong to two incompatible worlds! We didn't hurt anyone!"
"But if it's a sweetheart... that's intrusion! That's becoming a destroyer!" His hands gripped the railing tightly with agitation. "I don't care what kind of damned Mormon family that kid comes from, or how many wives he has!"
"The essence of marriage is tolerance and harmony; it's about two people building a haven together!"
He looked at Mette and said, word by word, "I will never allow my daughter to become the tidal wave that destroys someone else's harbor! Even if she did it unintentionally!"
"Raven deserves a pure, flawless relationship, not one that's clandestine or tainted by public stigma! This is my bottom line as a father!"
Mike's words, full of the stubbornness and adherence of an old-fashioned man, clashed sharply with Mette's pursuit of her own feelings.
"Stubborn fool!" Mette was also enraged. "You only think about confining her with your moral standards! Have you even considered what she wants?"
"Would you rather let her drift alone on this damned sea for the rest of her life than let her try even once?"
"That's right! I'd rather she be free and alone than have her stuck in this quagmire!"
The atmosphere between the two instantly plummeted to freezing point. Former lovers, now at odds again because of their differing interpretations of their daughter's future happiness.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of whiskey and the silent smoke of gunpowder, with only the waves tirelessly lapping against the hull.
As Crown Princess Mette looked at the stubborn man before her, as unyielding as a rock, the anger in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness and exhaustion.
She turned around, her back to Mike, and gazed at the mirage-like lights on Paradise Island in the distance, gently shaking her head.
"What's the point of arguing about this, Mike?" Her voice was soft, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps to Mike.
"We already made a choice for her once, didn't we? When she was five."
These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the softest and most painful gate in Mike's heart.
His fingers, which were tightly gripping the railing, slowly loosened, and the anger in his eyes subsided, leaving only endless complexity.
"Yes...we chose it," he replied hoarsely.
"So this time," Mette slowly turned around, her blue eyes, just like Raven's, looking unusually determined under the light.
"Whatever she chooses, whether she continues to chase the storms on this vast ocean or chooses a controversial relationship."
"Or perhaps one day, she suddenly grew tired of it all and wanted to return to the world she had once fled from..."
I will always respect her. Forever.
She looked at Mike and said, word by word, "We made a mistake once, and I don't want to make it again."
"I just want her to know that no matter how far she sails, there will always be a harbor she can return to. Whether that harbor is here with me or here with you."
These words were no longer an argument, but a mother's most profound realization and commitment.
It instantly shattered all of Mike's defenses. Looking at the woman in front of him who also deeply loved her daughter, Mike could only sigh helplessly.
He downed the rest of the whiskey in one gulp, and it seemed he had a different answer in his heart.
Just then, the door to the captain's cabin was gently pushed open. Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen walked out side by side.
They had clearly finished their discussion, and Raven was still holding the huge Bahamas map in her hand.
Both of them sensed the lingering somber atmosphere on the deck, but they did not shy away from it.
Lin Yu'an broke the silence first, "We've just updated the weather data and reassessed our flight plan. We have a new idea."
Raven stepped forward and spread the nautical chart out on the teak dining table.
She pointed to the vast, deep blue sea southwest of the Bahamas, her eyes rekindling with the untamed spirit of an explorer.
"Lin and I both agreed that simply sailing along the Bahamas chain wasn't challenging enough." Her voice regained its usual confidence and exuberance. "Besides, we were both filled with curiosity about a certain place."
Her fingers finally landed on that island, a place steeped in cigars, rum, and revolutionary legend.
"We've decided to add one more stop—Havana, Cuba."
Mike looked at them in surprise, while a barely perceptible glint of admiration flashed in Mette's eyes.
She knew that her daughter might have found companions to sail with her into wider, more unknown seas.
Looking at the unwavering determination on Raven's face, and then at the man beside her who supported all her ideas, she finally revealed a genuine smile of relief.
A mother's smile, gratified that her daughter has found someone like her.
She stepped forward and, just like when she was a child, reached out and gently tidied the stray hairs on Raven's forehead that had been ruffled by the sea breeze.
His fingertips gently traced his daughter's cheek, the movement filled with tenderness.
"Go," she whispered in Raven's ear, her voice trembling slightly.
"Go do whatever you want. Whether it's going to Cuba or to the ends of the earth. But, sweetheart, promise me you'll be safe. Keep your VHF radio always on."
Raven's body trembled slightly. She did not pull away from her mother's touch, but simply replied in a low voice, "...I understand."
Then, Crown Princess Mette slowly turned to Lin Yu'an. She looked at him solemnly for a few seconds. In her eyes, there was scrutiny, entrustment, and even a hint of a mother's pleading.
"Lin," she finally spoke, her voice calm but full of weight, "I don't know how much Raven told you about me, but I know I owe her a lot."
"I gave her life, but I couldn't give her a complete childhood."
"It was the sea that shaped her into who she is today—strong, independent, like a wild lioness that can never be tamed."
She paused, her tone becoming incredibly sincere: "I tried to protect her in the way I thought was right, to pull her back into that seemingly safer and more glamorous world."
"But I know that for her, it wasn't protection, it was imprisonment. It wasn't the life she wanted."
She extended her hand to Lin Yu'an, not as a royal princess would politely shake hands with a commoner, but as a mother would entrust another trustworthy adult with an equal responsibility.
"So, Captain Lin, I'm entrusting my daughter to you. I know you and she are the same kind of people."
"Please...stand by her side as she bravely charges into the storm."
"And please, when she occasionally feels tired and confused, remind her that there are still many people in this world who love her."
Lin Yu'an didn't speak, but solemnly grasped her hand and squeezed it firmly in return. A single glance, a single gesture, spoke volumes more than a thousand words of promise.
The moment of farewell will eventually come.
Crown Princess Mette released her grip, her face regaining the perfect elegance and composure befitting a member of the royal family, and she called for the car waiting at the dock.
Just before boarding the vehicle, she seemed to remember something and turned back to look at Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen standing under the deck lights. The scene was like an oil painting depicting young explorers.
A genuine, even slightly playful, smile appeared on her face.
"By the way, I heard from Raven that Lin, you have a knack for handling all sorts of loot. And you seem to have quite a bit of experience with survival techniques in low-temperature environments as well?"
Lin Yu'an didn't understand why she suddenly brought this up, so he could only nod.
"That's good." A sly glint flashed in Crown Princess Mette's eyes.
"If... I mean if, one day you get tired of the Caribbean's warm, almost cloying waters and become interested in the real icy seas, remember to come find me in Norway."
Her words were full of allure: "I can arrange a real Arctic voyage, where you can sail an expedition ship to Svalbard to see polar bears and chase the aurora borealis."
"You can personally pull crab traps from hundreds of meters deep in the icy waters of the Barents Sea and catch the world's most delicious and largest king crabs."
"I assure you, the storms there, and the skill in dealing with those big guys, are far more interesting than those in the Caribbean."
This invitation is not just a trip invitation, but a higher level of reconciliation and acceptance.
Instead of trying to pull Raven back into her own world, she chose to provide a broader and more fulfilling stage for them in the world her daughters loved.
"I definitely will if I have the chance," Lin Yu'an replied with a smile.
After saying that, Mette gracefully turned and got into the car. The black sedan silently glided into the night, as if taking away all the heaviness and unhappiness with it.
Only Lin Yu'an, Ruiwen, and Mike remained on the deck. The dock lights cast long shadows of the three of them.
Raven stared in the direction her mother had left, remaining silent for a long time.
"Cuba?" Mike broke the silence first, walking to the nautical chart and tracing the new route with his finger.
His brow was furrowed, but his eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement. "I love this plan!"
Mike's excitement, like a warm current, instantly dispelled the last trace of sadness remaining on the deck.
Raven finally pulled herself out of her complicated emotions. She took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, and a bright smile returned to her face.
She walked to the nautical chart and drew a circle on a stretch of sea near Nassau with her finger.
"Alright, my two great explorers." Her voice regained its usual clarity and confidence.
"Before we sail the North Star to Cuba, we have an even more important task to complete: to turn our captain into a proper 'fish'."
She looked at Lin Yu'an, her blue eyes sparkling under the lights, completely in coach mode.
"The area around Nassau is a paradise for divers, a gift from God. Our crash course in diving officially begins tomorrow." She began to systematically arrange the plans.
"This morning, calm water skills training." She pointed to a shallow area near a small island called "Rose Island" surrounded by coral reefs on the map.
"The water here is only 5 meters deep, the current is gentle, the bottom is sandy, and the visibility is extremely high. It's the perfect place to practice skills like mask clearing, regulator retrieval, and neutral buoyancy control."
"We'll sail there, anchor, and turn that bay into our private pool."
"Afternoon, first open water dive." Her finger moved to another spot a little further away, where a shipwreck symbol was marked.
"If you perform well enough to satisfy me after we rent the gas cylinders this morning, I'll take you to see the real historical 'Mahoney' shipwreck this afternoon."
She looked at Lin Yu'an, her tone full of allure: "That's a transport ship from World War II, now lying quietly at the bottom of the sea, 15 meters deep."
"The hull is covered with coral, becoming home to countless tropical fish. Sunlight shines through the water onto the ancient ship, creating a scene that... will be unforgettable for you."
"How's it going, Captain?" she raised an eyebrow, "ready for your first underwater test?"
"Sounds good." Lin Yu'an smiled as he looked at her confident demeanor.
"However, Coach Raven, before that, don't you need to test my theoretical knowledge again?"
"No need. Based on the previous results, your theoretical knowledge has reached a level where you are ready to graduate."
The North Star's first night in Nassau slowly came to a close amidst such emotional clashes, value conflicts, and the birth of a brand-new voyage plan.
Ahead, the deep blue sea route to Havana, filled with unknowns and legends, awaited their exploration in the darkness of night.
The invisible barrier between Lin Yu-an and Rui-wen, created by their complicated identities, seems to have quietly crumbled in the storm they faced together tonight.
They were no longer just captain and first mate, but more like... soul allies about to sail into the same unknown sea.
---
(It's November!!!!! Vote for monthly tickets now! Win a sheep!)
(End of this chapter)