Five minutes later.

Chen Yuan opened his eyes.

He saw that the girl who had let him lie on her lap was Xia Xinyu.

How novel.

And she, twirling a strand of long hair around her ear with her finger, smiled and said, "Don't you feel anything at all?"

"I feel something, I feel a lot..."

"Not that feeling."

Realizing that he had misinterpreted her, Xia Xinyu quickly steered the conversation back on course: "You fell asleep leaning against the tree. Didn't you feel anything?"

"I didn't sleep well at noon, and the three-hour exam in the afternoon was also burning my life essence, which made me feel a little out of it," Chen Yuan explained. "But I'm much better now. I have a lot of energy."

During these five minutes, Chen Yuan was afraid of falling asleep again.

But thankfully, he was consciously aware of everything.

A girl's lap pillow… no, Xia Xinyu's lap pillow, was actually so beautiful.

It was truly healing.

Honestly, he wanted it every day.

"I'll get up then."

"Okay." Xia Xinyu held down her skirt, and as Chen Yuan slowly got up, her knees gradually bent, returning to a demure sitting posture.

"Let's go swimming," Chen Yuan suggested.

"Okay!"

So, the two of them got up together and walked towards the beach.

At this time, the other four were already playing water volleyball, having a great time.

Seeing them, Zhou Fu jokingly said, "What were you two doing? It took so long."

"I got hit and passed out, so I rested for a bit," Xia Xinyu quickly explained, afraid of being misunderstood as having done anything too intimate.

Like, a lap pillow.

But she *had* given him a lap pillow...

"Want to play volleyball?" He Sijiao invited. "Beach volleyball is so much fun. You can't jump at all, you're just setting the ball. It's not hard."

"Yeah."

Zhou Yu thought it was more interesting than catching crabs too.

Catching crabs was really boring.

If a spider-like crab ran under Jiao-jie's skirt again… wasn't that the definition of waiting for a rabbit to appear? (idiom for waiting for windfall gains).

But those kinds of good things were rare.

"You guys play, I'll take Xia Xinyu for a swim. We'll come over later," Chen Yuan said with a smile.

"Okay, be careful," Zhou Fu instructed seriously, like a guardian.

"We'll take pictures later!" He Sijiao waved to the two of them.

"Got it, got it."

Chen Yuan made an okay sign and then walked forward with Xia Xinyu.

After the water gradually reached their knees, he carefully took Xia Xinyu's left hand and led her forward little by little.

"The sea is different from a river. It's not easy to drown. One reason is that seawater contains salt, which increases buoyancy. And then, near the shore, the seabed is sand, like flat ground. The water is as deep as it looks. Unlike a river, which might look one meter deep, but have another meter of silt." Chen Yuan explained.

"Yeah," Xia Xinyu also felt the 'ground under her feet', a very strange experience.

Unlike the rivers inland, which looked half a meter deep, but your lower body would sink into the mud after stepping into them.

As they walked forward, the water depth gradually increased, and after about fifty meters, it was finally about one meter two.

And that was about the shallow end of a swimming pool.

"You've never learned at all?" Chen Yuan asked.

"Yeah, I have no experience at all," Xia Xinyu nodded.

"Then are you afraid?"

"No," Xia Xinyu said with a smile. "With you here, it's impossible for me to drown in front of you, right?"

The unspoken meaning was: You wouldn't be unable to protect your Xinyu, would you?

"Of course not, with me here, you're absolutely safe."

After Chen Yuan said that with considerable confidence, he took Xia Xinyu's other hand and said, "Slowly lift your feet. I'll let you feel it first."

"Okay."

In this way, under Chen Yuan's guidance, Xia Xinyu got rid of the sand under her feet and gradually floated up.

The fair feet under the sea occasionally emerged, like a mermaid's tail, gently patting the water, rippling and slowly swimming forward…

Indeed, it was obvious that she had no swimming experience because she swam too gracefully.

"Do you think Zhou Yu and He Sijiao are progressing quickly?" Xia Xinyu asked as she swam.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Chen Yuan didn't understand.

"I chatted with He Sijiao, but she told me not to tell anyone else…"

"Am I 'anyone else'?"

"So, you can't tell anyone else."

"Of course, I won't."

Chen Yuan could basically promise that.

He was just afraid that Zhou Fu would ask him: Am I 'anyone else'?

Then, Xia Xinyu said, "Jiao-jiao said that boys are very slow, especially Zhou Yu. Before he helped her fight, he didn't seem to have any feelings for her at all."

"So, you mean that He Sijiao had a crush on Zhou Yu before?" Chen Yuan was shocked.

"Yeah, she said it herself. She started to care about him a week before the fight." Xia Xinyu smiled and said, "Actually, it's easy to understand, right? If it's someone you don't like at all, even if they stand up for you, your feelings are just gratitude."

"Indeed, Yu-zi has a good image."

"…If possible, please use Zhou Yu. When you call him Yu-zi, it always makes me think of our dog," Xia Xinyu complained.

"My bad, my bad, you continue."

"Then He Sijiao told me that she really likes Zhou Yu a bit too much, but she's worried that because their grades are both bad, if the school finds out about their puppy love, they'll be asked to break up, or even be expelled…" Xia Xinyu paused slightly, then said, "So she also asked me how I restrain my feelings."

"I can't see that she wants to restrain her feelings at all."

What Chen Yuan saw was basically Jiao-zi teasing Yu-zi, hooking him like a black bass, and then deliberately skirting the edge, inducing Yu-zi to confess his love to her quickly.

She still wants to restrain herself?

Now she's thinking of Old Mo.

Why didn't I see you studying hard usually?

No, I can't speak with a paternal tone just because I'm their dad in this relationship.

"I said, I'm not very restrained either," Xia Xinyu said.

"Really?" Chen Yuan asked.

"Yes," Xia Xinyu said quite seriously. "I think we're already very natural. We haven't deliberately avoided anything. Although, you have recently adopted a slightly lustful persona…"

Xia Xinyu could see that Chen Yuan had recently been relying on this persona, deliberately teasing her even when other people were around.

Whether it was physical contact or verbal teasing… in short, there was a lot that she could see through in the boy's mind.

"Did that make you unhappy?"

"How could I be unhappy?" Xia Xinyu immediately retorted. "Don't think like that. When have I ever given you a bad look?"

And when had she ever refused him?

She did refuse him a little when they were eating hot pot.

But that was outside, and there were other people around. It would have been too unreserved…

She couldn't violate public order and good customs just because she wanted to please her boy.

"Yeah," Chen Yuan nodded, admitting, "You're right."

"So, I think everything has to be natural," Xia Xinyu speculated. "Sijiao and Zhou Yu, they should also be natural. If they really get caught for puppy love, or even get a small punishment, that's also an inevitable part of their relationship."

"It sounds a bit cruel, but it's true."

Chen Yuan could also see that Yu-zi and Jiao-zi would soon be kissing.

Puppy love was only a matter of time.

As for whether Old Mo would find out.

That didn't depend on Old Mo.

But on themselves.

If the two of them fell into the abyss together in the next monthly exam…

That was the inevitable part.

"We also have an inevitable part," Xia Xinyu suddenly asked, "Do you know what it is?"

Having children.

"What is it?" Chen Yuan asked.

"Hmm…" Xia Xinyu looked at Chen Yuan, intending to keep him in suspense, and said, "You teach me how to swim first."

"Then I'll slowly let go."

After taking her for a swim for a while, Chen Yuan gradually released the hand that was holding Xia Xinyu's soft little hand.

Then, because she lost her support, she instinctively began to pat the water, and her feet also touched the sand.

Unable to float, she quickly used her feet to support herself after almost falling into the water.

Then, she stood up.

"It's okay, it's always like this," Chen Yuan thought for a while and said, "Let's start by learning how to hold your breath."

"Okay," Xia Xinyu nodded.

"First, take two deep breaths, then take a long breath and store it in your chest. Then, slowly squat down, squat down."

Following Chen Yuan's instructions, Xia Xinyu began to do so.

And in the first round, she completely wet her hair.

In the first wave, she held her breath for half a minute.

It was a normal level.

In the second wave, because she was already used to it, the second time was longer, a full forty seconds.

But as a girl, she was already reaching her limit, so Chen Yuan pulled her out in advance: "This is just to train you not to drown too quickly when diving. Thirty seconds each time, do five sets."

"Okay, I'll try my best."

With a plop, Xia Xinyu dived in again.

In the distance, the beach volleyball 'athletes' watched this scene with great interest.

Among them, Zhou Fu said a little embarrassed, "Don't you think Chen Yuan has a good figure?"

Asked about this, He Sijiao was about to say yes, but thinking that Zhou Yu had already confessed to her, she said quite aloofly, "It's okay, no excess fat."

"It's very good," Tang Siwen gestured on her stomach and said, "The shape of his abs is also good."

"Right?" Zhou Fu nodded, very approving, and said, "How can Xia Xinyu not be tempted at all?"

"You go swimming next to us."

At this time, He Sijiao sent Zhou Yu away.

"Okay, okay," Zhou Yu left.

After he left, He Sijiao surrounded them, seriously gossiping on the principle of talking about whoever wasn't there: "I think she's putting on an act."

"Yes!" Zhou Fu agreed fiercely. "I don't believe she's really that traditional."

After all, Zhou Fu was quite confident in the charm of her son.

Chen Yuan, with his handsome face and perfect figure, even if Xia Xinyu was doing it to avoid affecting her studies, she couldn't suppress herself forever, right?

And that was why Zhou Fu felt that if it was her and Chen Yuan, they would definitely not be able to be as disciplined as them.

If Chen Yuan wanted it, how could she not give it to him?

The key point was that Chen Yuan was obviously the more proactive one.

It was probably only a matter of time before the dam broke and he completely let go of his restraints.

"Then shall we secretly swim over there and see what happens?" He Sijiao asked.

"Good idea," Zhou Fu agreed with a grin.

So, the two of them started swimming over there.

Tang Siwen tossed the ball up, slammed it hard on the beach, put the ball down, and followed them like a tadpole…

"You've done almost enough breath-holding, now it's time to float," Chen Yuan said to Xia Xinyu.

"How can I float?" Xia Xinyu asked in confusion.

"Just relax. Beginners are too nervous."

"You mean my mood?"

"Your mood and body, relax together, completely relax, imagine yourself as a cloud, unrestrained and freely drifting."

Listening to Chen Yuan's guidance, Xia Xinyu's body gradually sank into the water, her feet lifted up bent, her hands hugged her knees, and her head was at least ten centimeters away from the surface of the sea.

Gradually, her body began to lean forward.

As she was about to fall, her body tensed up again, and then she hurriedly clapped the water with her hands and supported herself with her feet.

Finally, she failed.

"Phew—"

Heavily exhaling a breath, and then smoothing the wet bangs on her forehead upward, Xia Xinyu breathed a sigh of relief and said with some fear, "It feels like I'm going to spin like a top… It's so difficult."

"It's not difficult, you almost did it," Chen Yuan encouraged.

"I still think it's a little too early… Do you really want to learn to float now?" She began to retreat.

Then, Chen Yuan immediately guaranteed, "I'm always by your side. If you have any problems, I'll come to rescue you."

"…Okay!"

Xia Xinyu also felt that she was too timid. She should completely trust Chen Yuan, completely relax, and not be nervous or restrained at all.

So, she sank down again.

This time was the same as before.

But she was not in a hurry to emerge.

I am a cloud, free, soft, I am floating, and I can dive for forty seconds, even if I really fall, I can slowly adjust the angle and stand up…

Visibly, Xia Xinyu floated up.

And for a full half a minute.

"I found the feeling!"

Xia Xinyu raised her head and said with a smile.

"Very good, you've learned eighty percent," Chen Yuan gave a thumbs up.

Xia Xinyu was about to say something, and then she saw He Sijiao and the others, seemingly swimming randomly, with no method, but actually getting closer and closer, only a dozen meters away.

"Didn't you just ask what the inevitable part is?" Xia Xinyu tilted her head slightly, revealing a secretly smiling smile.

"What is it?" Chen Yuan asked.

"I'll tell you."

After Xia Xinyu finished speaking, she dived into the water.

On the surface of the water, she was completely gone.

No, she's speaking in riddles again?

Finish what you're saying…

Just as he was thinking this, a hand suddenly came from underwater and placed it on his abdomen.

Slowly groping, she grabbed his hand.

Then, she gently tugged it.

What did this mean?

It didn't seem like a cry for help, because it was too calm.

Then, she tugged it gently twice more.

In confusion, Chen Yuan also dived underwater.

Slowly lowering his body below the surface of the sea, a pair of beautiful eyes met his.

He saw Xinyu.

Her dark hair was like the undercurrent of the sea, dispersing slowly backward with the waves, infinitely beautiful.

She was also looking at him.

And after a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, she closed her eyes, moved her body forward, and placed her soft lips full of smiles on his forehead…

This kiss brought out a string of small bubbles.

*mua~*

(End of chapter)