Skydiving

After returning to the hotel, Ye Shuang finally had the chance to take a proper shower. Though he hadn’t gone swimming in the sea, the salty sea breeze from the night out had left his skin sticky and uncomfortably damp.

"That Chen Qin, seriously," Ye Shuang muttered to himself as he soaked in the bathtub. He could only sigh—she must have been watching too many prank shows lately to come up with such an idea.

He even suspected hidden cameras might be lurking around, though thankfully, he hadn’t acted impulsively.

Otherwise, it would’ve been straight out of an adult film.

"Once I’ve saved up enough time, I’ll go back to visit my parents," Ye Shuang murmured to himself, the warmth of the water and the soothing massage jets lulling him into drowsiness.

"……"

Some time later, the faint sound of splashing water reached his ears, as if someone had stepped into the tub. Then, he felt the smooth, bare weight of someone settling onto his thighs.

"Mmm…"

"Hm?"

Ye Shuang opened his eyes to find a long-haired girl sitting in front of him, her own eyes half-lidded in sleepy contentment.

"Yuyou?" Seeing Bai Yuyou comfortably perched on his lap, sharing the bath as if it were the most natural thing, Ye Shuang slowly dragged his gaze away from her snow-white skin and glanced toward the bathroom door—

Damn. He’d forgotten to lock it.

"If you’re going to join me, at least wear a swimsuit, okay?" he said, resting his chin atop her head.

"Keke said it’s more comfortable like this," Bai Yuyou replied, lifting Ye Shuang’s hand and placing it on her stomach. "Hand… here."

"……"

Then, she nestled in, closing her eyes as if fully surrendering to the warmth of the bath.

Ye Shuang studied her flawless back and the subtle curve of her shoulders before wrapping an arm around her waist, closing his own eyes again.

After about twenty minutes, the hum of a hairdryer filled the room as Ye Shuang sat on the bed, carefully drying Bai Yuyou’s long hair.

"Keke said my hair is very long," the girl remarked, noticing his focused attention.

"Thinking of cutting it?"

"No need. It’s beautiful—it’d be a shame to trim it." Ye Shuang twirled a silky strand between his fingers. As someone else had once said, there was no reason to change something already perfect.

Still, he briefly imagined her with short hair—

Actually…

It might not be so bad?

A good hairstyle could elevate anyone’s looks, but Bai Yuyou was the exception. When someone was already this striking, any style would suit them.

"Keke said long hair is hard to take care of."

"Don’t worry, I’ll help you with it," Ye Shuang reassured her, continuing to dry her hair with gentle strokes.

"Will you always help?"

"Of course. Always."

"Okay."

Once her hair was dry, Ye Shuang decided to nap for a while. But the moment he closed his eyes, an odd sensation crept over him—as if he were being watched.

A light tickle brushed his cheek. He opened his eyes to find Bai Yuyou kneeling beside the bed, her long strands cascading down, some even clinging to his face.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, meeting her unwavering gaze.

"Last night… we didn’t sleep together."

"Well, you got taken away," Ye Shuang said, though he already understood. He lifted the corner of the blanket—before he could even speak, Bai Yuyou slid in, pressing her face against his chest.

Like a fledgling returning to its nest, she instantly relaxed, motionless.

"Remember, no hugging when we sleep together. We agreed on that."

"Can’t quit."

"No."

"Three times a week."

"Once."

Bai Yuyou fell silent. A few seconds later, she wordlessly slid a piece of paper onto the blanket—

"(。-ω-)ZZZ Bai Yuyou is already asleep. Goodnight."

Ye Shuang: "……"

Well… baby steps.

With a soft sigh, he wrapped an arm around her and drifted off.

Time slipped by, and when he woke, it was already afternoon.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sea and sky stretched endlessly, but the girl in his arms was gone.

"Guess she’s already up," Ye Shuang yawned, changing clothes before stepping out of the room. In the lounge area outside, a group of girls sat on plush leather sofas, deep in conversation.

"Good morning, Brother."

"It’s afternoon already," he chuckled, glancing at An Shiyu and Bai Yuyou. "What are you all discussing?"

"An Shiyu wants to go skydiving," Tang Keke said.

"Skydiving?"

Ye Shuang considered it—honestly, it wasn’t a bad idea for a trip like this.

"We’re here to have fun. Why not give it a try?"

"See? What are you so scared of? Did all your courage get stuffed into your backpack?" An Shiyu teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"N-normal people would be scared of this!"

Tang Keke couldn’t fathom how An Shiyu could be so obsessed with extreme activities.

"Look, even this old man isn’t scared," An Shiyu said, jerking a thumb at Ye Shuang.

Ye Shuang: "……"

"Ouch. That one stung," he muttered, burying his face dramatically into Bai Yuyou’s chest. The girl remained expressionless but gently patted his back.

"There, there…"

"Skydiving?" A new voice joined in as Chen Qin emerged from the hallway, still in her sleepwear, a face mask clinging to her skin.

"Let’s go. We’ve got the equipment."

"Wait, seriously?" Tang Keke looked petrified. "I think I’ll just wait outside. This isn’t for me."

"Relax, a professional will handle everything. You won’t have to do a thing," An Shiyu reassured her.

"Really?" Tang Keke had seen tandem jumps before and felt a flicker of relief. If an expert was in charge, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

"Yep."

Half an hour later—

At 4,000 meters, the wind roared around them.

Tang Keke, strapped securely into a harness, stared in horror at the girl behind her.

"Wait… when you said ‘professional,’ you meant YOU?!!!!!"

"Obviously," An Shiyu drawled.

"……"

"That look is so rude. I have a professional skydiving license—99% success rate."

"T-there’s a failure rate?!"

"People die from flower pots falling on their heads every day. Why worry?" With that, An Shiyu leaned forward, dragging Tang Keke with her into the open sky.

"YAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Tang Keke’s scream could’ve shattered the heavens.

"Such energy," Ye Shuang remarked, peering down from the plane.

Then he turned to Bai Yuyou, who was securely fastened in front of him.

"Scared?"