“I’m going to the factory.”
“Will you come find me afterward?”
The beach was in the next city, but it wasn’t a top tourist destination. The sand wasn’t fine, the water wasn’t crystal clear, and there were too many reefs. However, the waves were enormous, making it a favorite spot for surfing enthusiasts.
“Alright.”
Sophia glanced at him curiously.
It was the first time she had seen Livinus dressed so casually, carrying an oversized surfboard. His usual refined business look was completely gone.
“Drive safely,” he said with a smirk. “If you don’t feel like driving, I can have a chauffeur take you.”
“No need, I’ll drive myself!” Sophia had been practicing for a while and was now fairly confident in her driving skills.
“Be careful on the road.”
Livinus stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her, and brushed his chin against the top of her head. His deep voice carried a rare tenderness.
“Take care of yourself and the baby.”
“Got it!”
—
At the factory, Chloe was already waiting for her.
“The herbal red sugar and tonic paste will be launching soon—just in time for the mid-year sales event. Paired with live streaming promotions, we can expect sales to explode.”
“I’m thinking about developing a shampoo line, but I worry that adding too many products will make our brand seem unfocused.”
“Not really. We focus on herbal skincare and wellness. As long as everything is based on traditional medicine, it won’t seem messy.”
“True.” Sophia smiled. “But we should still separate the beauty cream into its own brand as soon as possible. We need to move beyond others and establish an independent presence.”
Chloe agreed.
They both believed in the potential of beauty cream, not just in America but on a global scale.
For now, selling it through their online store was a necessity. But eventually, the product had to become its own standalone brand.
“I’ve already registered the trademark. We’re also developing additional products, so it’s just a matter of time.”
Sophia had provided several whitening formulas that could be turned into whitening creams, toners, and serums.
She had also shared imperial cosmetic recipes from ancient times, including rouge and blush. They planned to create flower-petal-shaped rouge, inspired by the makeup used by imperial concubines. Chloe had already tested it, and the results were impressive. Development was in full swing.
—
After leaving the factory, Sophia drove to meet Livinus.
An hour and a half later, she arrived at the beach.
From a distance, she spotted a tall man riding the waves on a surfboard.
His movements were swift and skilled. His legs bent slightly as he balanced himself, and his athletic attire made him look like pure testosterone in motion.
There was something different about men who loved sports—especially surfers.
Watching him, Sophia felt as if this entire ocean belonged to him.
The waves were massive. When he finished his run, he walked up to her, wiping seawater from his face. He smirked.
“You’re here?”
“That was impressive,” she said.
“Of course. I’m competing soon.”
“Competing?”
“There’s a surfing competition in City—the only one in America held on an inland river.”
“A river?”
Sophia had no idea you could surf in a river.
“Yes. It’s the same river where you bought that house. But I haven’t practiced much lately, so my skills have dropped from professional to amateur level.”
Even though it was an amateur event, some of America’s most famous surfing enthusiasts would be competing.
Many of them were the kind of people whose pictures were used as phone wallpapers—even if no one knew their names.
The competition was scheduled for Saturday.
Sophia decided to close the clinic for the day and dressed in sportswear to cheer him on.
—
When they arrived at the venue, it was packed with people.
Sophia stood by the riverbank and was shocked by what she saw.
The waves in this part of the river were massive, surging high as several meters with every crash.
She vaguely recalled hearing about people getting swept into the water because of the strong currents—no wonder they had chosen this location for the event.
The competitors were all well-equipped, dressed like professionals. Most of them had tanned skin from long hours in the sun.
Among them, Livinus was the palest one there.
But even after a long wait, the event hadn’t started.
Sophia frowned. “What’s the delay?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Livinus replied as he opened an app on his phone, his brows furrowing. “They’re waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“The waves.”
The organizers wanted to start the event when the waves were at their peak, ensuring the best conditions for the competition.
Sophia wasn’t familiar with surfing competition rules, so she took the opportunity to look them up online.
She found terms like waiting zones and priority rules, which were a bit confusing at first.
Just as she was starting to understand, a whistle blew—the competition was about to begin!
Livinus picked up his surfboard.
