Jack took Rose to the steerage cabin; at this moment, a banquet was being held there.
The poor sang and danced to the chanting of bards and the playing of several musicians; people were drinking, gambling, and it was extraordinarily lively.
Fang Qiu described this section in extreme detail. She did not describe the characters' psychology directly, but rather narrated through subtle descriptions how Rose was changed bit by bit by the lively atmosphere.
From reserved to open, a smile began to bloom on her face.
She danced along with Jack.
She even showed off her aristocratic dancing skills to everyone.
She had ostensibly become the core of the entire poor people's banquet.
In the novel, the banquet came to a close amidst the sound of cheers for Rose.
The next day, early morning.
Rose sat in the aristocratic cabin, having breakfast with Cal on Cal's exclusive noble deck.
The smile on Rose's face had disappeared, replaced by an expressionless look.
It was another intense contrast within a short period, making Bai Qing marvel involuntarily as she read.
Ordinary people simply could not master this style of writing.
After a stifling silence, Cal flipped the table in a rage and reprimanded Rose for privately going to the steerage cabin yesterday.
Although Cal tried his best to suppress his anger, in Rose's eyes, the man before her was still like a furious beast.
She was terrified.
She returned to her room, and her mother found her, helping her change into noble attire.
Her mother emphasized once again that their family had no money left and needed her to marry Cal to salvage the family's affairs.
During the argument with her mother, facing her mother's pleading, Rose fell silent.
She made up her mind to resign herself to fate and not meet Jack again.
She followed Cal and her mother to the ship's church, singing hymns created for the Anemo Archon.
They discussed the design of "The Eternal" with its designer.
Everything was so upper-class, everything was so elegant, everything was so... boring.
Perhaps there is no grief greater than a dead heart.
When she raised the point that there were not enough lifeboats, and after Cal said that sentence about nobles always being saved, she didn't seem that repulsed anymore.
However, Jack sought her out again; this time, Jack revealed his feelings to her.
Rose refused.
However, when she returned to the noble dining table with a pale face, listening to the boring topics of her mother and the other noble ladies, and seeing a little girl being educated by her own mother—having to go through tedious noble etiquette before she could gracefully eat what she wanted—she could no longer endure it.
And so.
She stood up and left the noble cabin, finding Jack at the bow of the ship.
Under the setting sun, Rose told Jack that she had changed her mind.
Bai Qing had thought Fang Qiu would write about them hugging tightly or kissing passionately.
After all, this is a habit of Mondstadters.
However, Fang Qiu did not.
Under her pen, Jack smiled and asked Rose to close her eyes.
Rose did so.
Then Jack took Rose to the bow; Jack held Rose's waist, stepped onto the ship's rail at the bow, and after helping her open her arms, Jack finally told Rose to open her eyes.
Rose saw such beautiful scenery for the first time.
The two kissed.
The ship's speed was fast; facing the wind, it was just like flying.
Rose wanted Jack to draw a portrait for her.
Rose took Jack to her room.
Then, Rose put on the Heart of Mondstadt, and Jack gave his all to draw a breathtaking portrait of Rose.
After finishing the painting, Rose asked Jack to put the Heart of Mondstadt, the portrait, and a letter into the safe together.
Before they had time for the next move, Cal's attendant arrived at their room and discovered them.
Rose took Jack and ran.
After throwing off Cal's servant, they shared a joyous intimacy, laying bare their hearts.
And at this moment, the scene shifted.
Cal opened the safe and saw the portrait Jack made for Rose inside, as well as the letter Rose left for him.
Looking at that letter, Cal was furious.
At this moment, the scene shifted again, writing about the lookout post of "The Eternal".
Two freezing crew members were huddled on the lookout post, shivering from the cold.
They saw Jack and Rose embracing tightly on the deck.
Just as they were feeling envious, a huge iceberg entered their line of sight.
"Iceberg! Hard to starboard!"
As the sailor's terrified voice rang out, the crew of the entire ship mobilized.
It was just that the ship's hull was too large and the speed too fast; there was no power to reverse the situation.
With a sharp, long, loud noise and vibrations coming from the hull, the side of "The Eternal" was sliced open by the iceberg, creating a huge gash. Icy seawater surged in madly.
Reading up to here, Bai Qing's hand holding the manuscript could not help but grip tighter.
Based on her understanding of novels, the plot was beginning to enter the climax.
Fang Qiu's control over the pacing was simply too strong.
There was almost not a single superfluous part, nor a single lengthy part.
The plot rose and fell.
And at this moment, Jack and Rose were also caught and brought back to Rose's room.
In the process, someone secretly slipped the Heart of Mondstadt into Jack's overcoat.
After returning to Rose's room, Cal was sitting on the sofa.
He was investigating the whereabouts of the Heart of Mondstadt.
And the Heart of Mondstadt was found in Jack's pocket.
And so, Jack was arrested for theft and locked up below the ship.
After dismissing the others, Cal completely tore off his disguise; he was like a furious lion.
He cursed Rose as a slut.
Just as he intended to vent his anger further, several crew members filed in.
Just as Cal shouted angrily for them to get out, he was informed that "The Eternal" was about to sink and that they should prepare immediately.
Hearing this news, Cal instantly lost the mood to punish Rose.
He forcibly took Rose to the deck.
The lifeboats on "The Eternal" were only enough to seat half the total number of people.
But they were nobles; they would definitely be able to survive.
Quite a few nobles had already boarded the lifeboats.
Seeing Cal and the others approach, someone immediately prepared a lifeboat for them.
And at this moment, Cal told Rose that Jack was dead for sure.
Taking advantage of Cal boarding the boat, Rose turned and ran.
Jack was still tied up in the cabin; she was going to save Jack.
After Rose ran far away, Cal, who had boarded the boat, noticed that Rose had run off. He knew Rose went to save Jack, so he returned to the ship in a rage.
He would absolutely not allow that lowly pauper to survive!
He wanted to kill this pair of adulterers with his own hands!
Fang Qiu wrote the subsequent plot in a very gripping manner, all in one breath.
As Bai Qing read, her hand involuntarily crumpled the manuscript paper, making it somewhat wrinkled.
However, she did not notice this point. At this moment, her wholehearted attention was immersed in Fang Qiu's novel, her heart clenched tight for the fate of Jack and Rose.
Love that has experienced life and death is the most sincere.
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