【LMAO, pay attention to Shi Yu’s eyes—definitely a misunderstanding!】
【Gotta say, the Female Supporting Character’s figure is absolutely killer! drooling noises】
【Holy moly, the Impoverished School Grass is getting indecent—this doesn’t look impoverished at all, more like well-endowed!】
【Can’t blame him! If A-Zu or A-Yan also tattooed my name on their magnificent pecs, I wouldn’t be able to hold back either!】
【Shipping an evil Couple Pairing now, is this right?】
【Wait? A man with such great hardware isn’t paired with Little Sister Treasure? Author, what’s on your mind?】
【The Male Supporting Character has one fatal flaw: he’s poor.】
【Just that alone makes him a total turn-off—absolutely no match for our A Si!】
…
Ruan Li instinctively covered her chest.
Seriously, why was he staring at her chest? What a pervert!
“When did you get it tattooed?” Shi Yu asked.
Ruan Li was annoyed.
This guy seemed to have no concept of “don’t look where you shouldn’t.” He showed no embarrassment about barging into the changing room, just leaned lazily against the doorway, speaking to her with a careless tone.
“None of your business. Get out first.”
“Fine, I’ll leave. You can swim alone then.”
“Don’t.” Ruan Li grabbed him. She hadn’t taken the photos yet—he couldn’t leave.
She mumbled, “Freshman year.”
Shi Yu stared at her flustered, timid expression and laughed. “So, you’ve had a crush on me since then?”
Ruan Li: Huh?
The embarrassment that had been welling up inside her instantly turned into shock.
She couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing.
It was like a switch had been flipped. She laughed until her stomach hurt, her legs weakened from squatting, and she nearly lost her balance.
Shi Yu reached out first, pulling her up.
Without the barrier of clothing, she could clearly feel the warmth and firmness of his abs.
Ruan Li stopped laughing.
“Why’d you stop?” Shi Yu raised an eyebrow.
Ruan Li blushed and changed the subject. “Aren’t you going to teach me how to swim?”
“First, a little tutoring fee.”
“…” That didn’t sound right. “Then I won’t learn.”
“Too late.” Shi Yu scooped her up in his arms, strode into the pool, and pretended to kiss her.
Ruan Li protested, “Let me go.”
Shi Yu let go.
The pool wasn’t deep. Ruan Li walked toward the edge, stepping on the bottom, when she heard Shi Yu’s voice from behind her. “The first step in learning to swim is overcoming your fear of water. Are you still scared now?”
Ruan Li stopped.
Her attention had been entirely on Shi Yu earlier, and she’d forgotten her fear.
In reality, because of her childhood abduction trauma, even standing by the poolside filled her with panic.
But now, she was standing in the water.
Shi Yu’s lips curved into a smile. “Still want to learn?”
Ruan Li nodded. “Yes.”
“Come on, I’ll teach you how to float.”
He swam toward Ruan Li, placing his palm just above her waist, supporting her as she floated on the water’s surface.
“Relax, breathe slowly.”
“Place both hands on the edge. Imagine you’re a piece of driftwood, light and buoyant, floating on the sea.”
But Ruan Li was still terrified.
It wasn’t the fear of drowning—it was the fear that when she lifted her head from the water, she’d be alone again.
The deep blue water overlapped with the ocean in her memories.
She felt her body tense up, inch by inch, stiffening.
Just as she was about to sink into the recurring nightmare of midnight terrors, a pair of warm hands grasped hers, fingers intertwining.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
His voice, rippling through the water, seemed to take on a tangible form, gently brushing against her ear like a whisper.
Ruan Li inexplicably thought of the hand that had grasped hers in the hospital four years ago, and her heart stirred.
That evening, at the Ruan family dinner table.
When Ruan Li showed the edited video to Mother Ruan, the sensation of fingertips brushing against her waist underwater still lingered faintly, leaving her somewhat dazed.
Most of the clips she selected were either shots from behind or segments of underwater instruction, so the Ruan family noticed nothing amiss.
Mother Ruan smiled with satisfaction:
“I always said this outfit suits Xiao Li perfectly. Siyan clearly likes it a lot.”
“However, our Ruan family comes from a scholarly background—we’re a respectable, upright household. When you’re with Siyan, remember to keep things appropriate and encourage him to marry you as soon as possible. We can’t afford the disgrace of you walking down the aisle in a wedding dress while visibly pregnant.”
These words were truly grating.
Ruan Li nodded obediently, “Don’t worry, Mother. A Si has promised to register our marriage with me.”
“Really?”
“I’m also worried he might just be acting on impulse. After all, what men say in… certain moments isn’t always reliable.” Ruan Li sighed bitterly, “Father is a man—he should understand.”
Father Ruan: “”
Seeing the conversation shift toward him, Father Ruan grew anxious, fearing some secret might be exposed.
He quickly interjected, “How about this: tomorrow, after I retrieve the household register from the bank, I’ll give it to Xiao Li. That way, you can register with Siyan whenever it’s convenient.”
Ruan Li’s heart stirred.
She hadn’t expected to get the household register so quickly.
Suppressing her inner excitement, she feigned a sigh: “Well, I suppose that’s the only way.”
Mother Ruan’s expression softened with affection:
“Xiao Li, you should come with me to Mrs. Fu’s birthday banquet on Wednesday. It’ll be a chance to broaden your horizons—you mustn’t act as timidly as before. As for the gift, pick one out yourself to give to Mrs. Fu. Don’t let me down, understood?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Mom, you’re playing favorites.” Noticing Ruan Li becoming the center of attention, Ruan Baozhu spoke up, “Sister is your biological daughter. Why not let the white porcelain vase you asked someone to find for me be given to Mrs. Fu in Sister’s name instead?”
“How could we do that?” Mother Ruan immediately shook her head.
“Baozhu is our little lucky star. When the Fu Family Crown Prince sees you at the banquet, he’ll recognize you as his white moonlight. Of course, our gift should resonate deeply with Mrs. Fu.”
Ruan Baozhu blushed, “It’s been four years. The Crown Prince must be surrounded by beautiful women by now—he’s probably forgotten all about me.”
“Not at all!” Ruan Bo laughed, “I’ve looked into it. That Crown Prince lives a simple, ascetic life—there isn’t a single woman by his side. He’s just waiting for our Baozhu.”
“Really?”
Ruan Baozhu’s cheeks flushed bright red, overcome with shyness.
Ruan Bo raised his glass, “Come, let’s toast to our sister and the Fu Family Crown Prince reuniting soon.”
The Ruan family clinked glasses.
It was as if the Fu Family Crown Prince had already become their son-in-law.
Ruan Baozhu seemed slightly embarrassed, “Sister is so beautiful. Maybe if the Crown Prince sees her, he’d like her even more.”
“Her?” Her brother scoffed coldly, “It’s been four years, and she hasn’t even fully secured Jiang Siyan. Why would the Fu Family Crown Prince be interested in her?”
Ruan Li ate quietly, like an outsider.
Until her phone rang, displaying an incoming video call.
It was from her virtual boyfriend, Tsuki.
Ruan Li wasn’t surprised.
The AI she had trained before also had this feature.
“I need to take this call.” Ruan Li stood up, grateful for an excuse to leave the dinner table.
Unexpectedly, her thumb accidentally tapped the answer button.
The video call connected, and a set of glistening eight-pack abs not only directly entered her line of sight but also caught the attention of everyone from the Ruan family present.
The previously lively atmosphere instantly fell so silent you could hear a pin drop—