Ye Chen got up, said a quick word to Hamid, and left the restaurant with Xiao Churan.
Hani approached, smiling, “Mr. Ye, Mrs. Ye, the northern bay’s beach has lots of manta rays right now. Would you like to go interact with them?”
“Manta rays?” Xiao Churan asked, surprised, “Are they kept here?”
“No,” Hani shook his head, smiling, “Manta rays are native to these waters. There are lots around. They come to the shallows to feed and play at this time, heading back to the deep sea at night. Now’s the perfect time to interact with them.”
Xiao Churan asked, “Can you take us there?”
“Of course, no problem!” Hani smiled, “Let’s take our golf cart. I’ll drive you both.”
Xiao Churan’s usually flat expression finally showed a hint of joy, and she said happily, “Thank you so much!”
Ye Chen and Xiao Churan hopped into Hani’s guest-service golf cart. The electric cart glided smoothly along the island’s gravel paths, heading straight for the northernmost beach.
White Horse Island is vast with few guest rooms, a low-density resort island, so the total number of tourists isn’t high. The long coastline had only a scattering of visitors.
The northern beach, however, was lively with manta rays, drawing a small crowd of curious tourists, mostly brought by their butlers, who waited patiently by the shore.
As Ye Chen and Xiao Churan reached the beach, they saw the shallows teeming with basin-sized manta rays swimming about. Some tourists were already in the water, interacting with the rays, snapping photos, and recording videos.
Since they’d changed into flip-flops for the restaurant, Xiao Churan took the lead, stepping onto the creamy white sand and wading into the waves, soon reaching the area where the manta rays gathered.
Ye Chen wasn’t too keen on animals, so he quietly followed, taking out his phone to snap pictures of her.
While the guests were having a blast with the manta rays, a Caucasian butler suddenly shouted in standard English, “My God! My God! Check the work group chat! The manager says superstar Tawana Sweet is coming here for a holiday tomorrow! We’re prepping tonight for a welcome setup!”
“Really?!” Several butlers went wild, bursting with excitement, scrambling for their phones.
They jumped and cheered on the spot, “It’s true! It’s true! Tawana Sweet is coming! My God, tell me this isn’t a dream!”
White Horse Island always prioritises guest privacy. When a high-profile guest is due, management keeps it tightly under wraps until the evening before their arrival, only then notifying staff.
For important guests, they prepare a special welcome ceremony the night before.
The island has hosted many international stars, but Tawana Sweet has never been. For fans of Western pop music, Tawana Sweet is in a league of her own, outshining even megastars like Beyoncé, whose influence can’t compare.
Most of these butlers were young, the perfect age to be Tawana Sweet fans. With modest earnings, they could rarely afford to see her concerts worldwide. Now, hearing she’d arrive at White Horse Island tomorrow, they were beyond thrilled.
Their cheers caught the attention of some guests, who overheard and eagerly asked, “Tawana Sweet is coming to White Horse Island?! For real?!”
