Likes and Dislikes

After soaking in the hot spring, the two girls changed into fresh yukatas and got ready for bed—

Since it was a wooden bunk bed, Ye Shuang chose to sleep on the top bunk to make things more convenient for the girls. Looking out from the small window up there, he could even see the small hot spring they had just soaked in.

It was still a bit noisy outside, with sounds drifting over from time to time. After all, just past the partition of their hot spring were the private pools of other guests, and occasionally, some rather strange noises could be heard.

"These guys..." Ye Shuang suddenly felt that this wasn't exactly the best time to sleep.

On the bottom bunk, Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke seemed to be chatting about something and didn't pay any attention to the commotion outside. Ye Shuang simply shifted his body slightly, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

Late into the night, the two girls finally quieted down.

In his drowsy state, Ye Shuang felt something slip into his bed. It was a little cold.

He opened his eyes slightly, meeting a pair of beautiful eyes.

"Hmm?" Ye Shuang gathered his senses a bit, only to realize that the person nestled in his arms was Bai Yuyou. She was clinging to him like a koala, squeezing almost her entire body against his and even rubbing her cheek against his neck.

"Let's sleep together."

Ye Shuang glanced at the girl. Her yukata sash had loosened slightly at some point, and under the moonlight, the upper halves of her slimes were reflected in his eyes.

"..."

"Do you like this, Ye Shuang?" Bai Yuyou even shifted a little, to the point where the little noses of the slimes peeked out.

Ye Shuang's lips parted, but in the end, he simply pulled her yukata up a bit to cover her. After doing so, he pulled the girl tightly into his embrace and rested his chin on top of her head.

Bai Yuyou opened her beautiful eyes and shifted slightly, but she couldn't clearly see Ye Shuang's expression at the moment.

Ye Shuang finally spoke up, "All men like it, but I don't like it when you do this... though I have no idea where you learned it from."

"Go to sleep."

Pinching the girl's soft cheek gently with one hand, Ye Shuang closed his eyes once again.

Leaning against Ye Shuang's chest, Bai Yuyou took in the faint, sun-kissed scent of his embrace. She nuzzled her cheek against him, her eyelashes fluttering briefly before she finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The rest of the night passed in silence.

...

Morning came.

Ye Shuang let out a soft groan. He suddenly felt a heavy weight in his arms, but knowing that Bai Yuyou had sneaked into his bed last night, he didn't find it strange. It was just that the soft, squishy sensation seemed much more pronounced than before—opening his eyes, he was met with a stiff little face.

"Hmm?"

Tang Keke was also a bit dazed at the moment. "G-Good morning, Brother?"

After a solid three or four seconds of silence, Ye Shuang finally realized that Tang Keke was actually lying in his arms.

"Keke? Why are you..."

Ye Shuang's groggy mind instantly cleared up. Seeing that he was still holding Keke tightly and that her slimes were almost squashed flat like pancakes, he quickly let go. "Sorry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine! I just wanted to wake you up, Brother, but I didn't expect you to pull me into a hug..." Tang Keke scratched her head.

Although she didn't mind being hugged by a handsome guy, the feeling was still a bit weird.

So weird... it felt like her inner NTR spirit was about to awaken.

"Sorry, I thought you were Yuyou..." Ye Shuang looked apologetic. He then noticed that Tang Keke's yukata was also slightly loose, so he casually averted his gaze. "Your sash is a bit loose."

"Oh?"

"Where's Yuyou?" Ye Shuang asked.

"She's outside at the pool, soaking her feet," Tang Keke said with a cheeky grin as she climbed out of bed.

Seeing this, Ye Shuang also climbed down from the top bunk to wash up.

After a quick wash, he walked over to the edge of the pool. Just then, Bai Yuyou finished soaking her feet and stood up. "Ye Shuang, come soak your feet. It feels really nice."

Hearing this, perhaps because he had just gotten out of a warm bed, Ye Shuang didn't really feel like soaking his feet.

But since Bai Yuyou had suggested it, he followed her lead, grabbed a small stool, sat by the pool, and dipped his feet in.

An instant wave of warmth spread from his feet all the way through his body. Ye Shuang suddenly felt that soaking his feet like this wasn't bad at all. If he were to take a full bath, it would probably take up way too much time.

"Is it comfortable?"

"It's pretty good."

"Could we raise fish in the pool and catch them?" Bai Yuyou asked, struck by a sudden whim.

"Uh... probably not? Not at this temperature."

After soaking for a few minutes, Ye Shuang was about to grab a towel when he noticed Bai Yuyou crouching beside him, helping him dry his feet. Her waist-length hair cascaded onto the floor, though thankfully, it wasn't dirty.

Ye Shuang said, "I can do it myself."

"I can do it," the girl replied.

Ye Shuang blinked, then reached out and rubbed her head. "Thanks."

Standing off to the side, Tang Keke watched the scene in silence. The moment Bai Yuyou turned her head, Keke flashed her a thumbs-up.

Nice.

Around noon, after having one last meal at the resort, Ye Shuang and the girls prepared to head home.

After all, New Year's Day wasn't a long holiday, so being able to relax like this for a bit was already pretty good. Besides, Ye Shuang himself couldn't stay away from his company for too long; there were still things he needed to take care of.

On the way back, both girls seemed to be in high spirits. Tang Keke had even taken a ton of Japanese-style photos, which looked so good they could easily be framed and put on display.

And so, with the hot spring trip concluded, Ye Shuang's life in the new year continued on.

...

The next day—

"Right after New Year's, we have an exam today!" Tang Keke wailed, clutching her head. She was practically on the verge of falling to her knees and screaming at the sky.

"NO!!!!"

Standing nearby and adjusting his suit, Ye Shuang couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's dramatic display. "Your English is pretty good. Looks like you'll pass your English proficiency exams."

"Yuyou, let me copy your answers. There's absolutely no way I'm passing Advanced Math," Tang Keke pleaded, clinging to Bai Yuyou's arm.

"We aren't sitting together for the exam." With a single sentence, Bai Yuyou ruthlessly shut down the girl's little scheme.

"Alright, I'm heading to work. Good luck on your exams, you two." Ye Shuang didn't pay any mind to the girl practically rolling on the floor and simply walked out the door.

Arriving at the garage, Ye Shuang found that familiar little dog sitting next to his car, still looking as smug as ever.

"Hmm?" Seeing the familiar Corgi, Ye Shuang said, "Wangcai, this is the first time I've seen you since the new year started."

The Corgi didn't make a sound. Instead, it trotted over to Ye Shuang's feet and sniffed around.

"Here you go." Ye Shuang opened Bai Yuyou's little snack stash in the car and skillfully pulled out a meat sausage.

He even poured out a little water for it.

The little Corgi didn't hold back. After devouring everything, it resumed its guard-dog posture, helping to watch over Ye Shuang's car.

"Alright, I'm heading out."