But on second thought, wasn't he the lonelier one at this very moment?
Cao Baiming slowly lowered his head and discovered a trail of footprints left on the entire beach. They were small sand depressions, and as they got closer to the sea, water began to fill these depressions.
By the time he took the next step, the small sand pit formed by the previous footprint had already turned into a puddle of water within two seconds.
Just then, an object that was completely out of place with its surroundings caught Cao Baiming's eye, drawing his attention.
What was that? Why was it here?
With such questions, Cao Baiming, filled with curiosity, walked in its direction.
In fact, within his field of vision, it was merely a blue light on the distant beach. Under the faint afterglow, it appeared so conspicuous. It was a distance of more than ten meters away. If it were an ordinary person with their usual eyesight, they certainly wouldn't have noticed it, but to Cao Baiming, it was exceptionally clear.
Because on the soccer field, even from a distance of 100 meters, he could directly see the goalkeeper's hand movements, and even what direction his fingers were pointing, or what gestures he was making, could be seen clearly.
Walking along the side of the sea, this speck of blue light became increasingly distinct. It turned out to be a blue ribbon, reflecting light under the afterglow because it was adorned with several shimmering plastic scales.
So it was such an ordinary object. He thought it was something else.
Cao Baiming took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the sea.
However, on closer inspection, blue things in nature really seemed to be quite rare. This might be one of the reasons why this blue ribbon so easily attracted people's attention.
Blue houses, blue cups, blue fabric—these seem very common. But blue plants, blue animals, how many examples can one list?
Upon reflection, the food we eat daily generally contains all colors. Red carrots, yellow pumpkins, and countless green vegetables. But blue... there really isn't much that's blue. Why is that? If a blue vegetable were truly placed before him, he might not even have an appetite, let alone eat it.
Unconsciously, Cao Baiming's gaze returned to the blue ribbon at his feet. He slowly squatted down and gently stroked it with his hand.
Perhaps this blue ribbon was washed ashore by the recent waves. Where it came from, it might not have simply appeared on this beach.
The sea is so vast. Even if it drifted from Asia, this possibility is entirely there, it would just take a longer time. But thinking carefully, what is a short period of time to the sea? Perhaps time doesn't even exist.
Gently picking it up, he noticed some frayed threads on the back of the blue ribbon. It was evident that it came from a worn-out piece of clothing, perhaps a child's necktie, or a part of a stuffed toy.
As he thought, many scenes appeared in Cao Baiming's mind.
In these scenes, a little girl was sitting on a ship, holding a doll in her hands. It was a gift her father had specifically given her on her birthday.
This little girl's father was a navigator. What he did most often was to sail ships and travel to various places, encountering various things.
Although the work he did might not be considered particularly noble, it was merely conducting some commodity trading. However, to a little girl who was full of admiration for her father's image, how could it be so simple? She believed her father was a great navigator and an explorer, and that all the vast land in the world was thanks to her father.
Today, she was sitting on her father's ship, and it was the first time. Just like the stuffed toy she was holding, it was a birthday gift her father had promised her when she turned seven.
During this voyage, the little girl felt very amazed. She saw the sea, but also saw many other richer things. For example, the crew members on the ship, each with their own distinct personality, some optimistic, some taciturn.
The only commonality among these people was that they all seemed very friendly and liked to play with her.
A small accident occurred during the voyage. Due to inaccurate weather forecasts, the ship inadvertently sailed into a storm area.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the ship was heading towards the center of the storm. But it was already too late to turn back, as the sky behind them was also covered in clouds. At this moment, as the girl's father and the captain of the ship, he resolutely steered it in the final direction.
While such incidents were not common, they were certainly not unheard of. With over a decade of maritime experience, he wasn't overly panicked.
Under the command of the girl's father, the crew members experienced some setbacks and efforts, but after just a few tens of minutes, they had broken free from the predicament.
Everyone was safe, and they could see their destination not far ahead. If they could already see land, perhaps in a short while, they would be able to land directly.
Just then, her father turned around and suddenly discovered that his beloved daughter was sitting by an iron railing at the bow of the ship, crying.
Everyone was puzzled. Why was the little girl crying for no reason? She had been so brave during the most dangerous moments, even helping everyone with their tasks. She was an optimistic, positive, and very brave little girl, with a personality just like her father's.
At this moment, her father walked towards the little girl and suddenly realized that something was amiss: the doll her daughter had been holding was missing.
It was a gift he had personally given his daughter, how could he forget it? The stuffed teddy bear was almost as large as the girl's upper body. It was impossible for something so big to disappear without a trace. Could it have been thrown into the sea by his daughter?
At this moment, in the white spray behind the ship, a white stuffed toy was floating on the sea. As the ship moved away and the water churned, the teddy bear drifted further and further away from everyone, gradually losing its way in the vast ocean.
It had a blue ribbon around its neck. After the waves repeatedly crashed upon it, it finally detached from the teddy bear.