Relaxation

"Gurgle—" The kettle was making noises at this moment. A black-haired girl sat on the sofa, holding an oil cake she had just fried. It smelled delicious, with a toasted sesame aroma wafting from it.

"Crunch, crunch." Bai Qianshuang carefully placed a handkerchief on her slender legs before taking small, delicate bites.

After a few bites, her cheeks puffed up slightly as her gaze, tinged with confusion, shifted sideways—

Not far away, Ye Chuan sat there with a friendly smile.

Bai Qianshuang: "..."

Crunch, crunch. The only sound in the room was Bai Qianshuang quietly eating her cake. But when she accidentally looked up, she noticed Ye Chuan was still staring at her. As a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, her spiritual senses were naturally sharp—how could she not notice such a gaze?

"..." After a long silence, she finally couldn’t hold back and spoke,

"Ye Chuan, why are you staring at me?"

As she spoke, she subconsciously touched around her lips, confirming there were no crumbs. This only deepened the confusion in her obsidian-black eyes beneath her bangs.

There was nothing unusual on her face—what was there to look at?

"Nothing, it’s just that you’ve been having nightmares lately. I’m just concerned about you," Ye Chuan said, moving to sit beside Bai Qianshuang. "Do you want me to keep watch for you tonight? I can even act as your guardian if needed."

"Or maybe we could sleep together?"

Bai Qianshuang’s face stiffened slightly. "If you’re thinking of that, there’s no need to beat around the bush. I’m willing to cultivate with you," she said flatly.

"I’m genuinely worried about you," Ye Chuan replied.

After all, Bai Qianshuang still had the memories of the Empress. If she awakened, he had no idea what might happen—what if she suddenly regained her memories mid-"cultivation"? Would she just slash him with a sword?

Ye Chuan couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine at the thought.

"It’s just a dream. Nothing serious," Bai Qianshuang said. Truthfully, since she began cultivating, she rarely slept properly. The only dreams she had were about the destruction of her sect—memories she couldn’t shake off.

"How about I take you out to relax?" Ye Chuan suddenly raised a finger. "Since it’s summer, why don’t we go to the beach?"

"The beach?" Bai Qianshuang lifted her gaze, not outright refusing.

But she couldn’t help feeling puzzled by Ye Chuan’s unusual suggestion. Still, she didn’t press further. "What preparations are needed for the beach?"

"Well, if we’re going to the beach, we’d need swimsuits, right?" Ye Chuan said.

"Swimsuits..."

"Yeah, like the bikinis I showed you last time—those kinds of outfits." Ye Chuan pulled out his phone and searched for some images to show her.

Bai Qianshuang: "?!"

"What’s the difference between this and wearing nothing?!" Pointing at the pictures on Ye Chuan’s phone, Bai Qianshuang finally recalled the swimwear photos she’d seen before. Her heart rebelled at the idea.

Especially since the fashion on the Tianxuan Continent was far more conservative.

"It’s not that bad. Isn’t this what people wear at the beach? Normal clothes would get soaked and uncomfortable, right?" Ye Chuan asked.

"I can use my spiritual energy to shield myself. Not a drop of seawater will touch me," Bai Qianshuang said coolly.

"Really not going to wear one?"

"No." Bai Qianshuang stood firm.

Just then, a head popped out from beside the wall. "Yoooooo~ What’re you guys talking about?"

Seeing Lan Xiaoke peeking from the corner, Ye Chuan explained, "Qianshuang’s been a bit stressed lately, so I thought taking her to the beach might help her unwind."

What if she turns into the Empress and cuts me down?

Given their past… ahem interactions, Ye Chuan couldn’t shake the feeling that Bai Qianshuang’s latent Empress memories were like a ticking time bomb. That was an Empress who had been betrayed—her fury was undoubtedly maxed out.

"Qianshuang doesn’t seem too fond of swimsuits," Ye Chuan added, though he had no intention of forcing her.

"Qianshuang, why won’t you wear one? You have to wear a swimsuit at the beach!" Lan Xiaoke chimed in.

"I don’t like them."

"Everyone has a first time! And you’ve got such a great figure—it’d be a waste not to show it off!" Lan Xiaoke grinned. "Besides, everyone wears them. If you don’t, you’ll just stand out more!"

"..." Bai Qianshuang seemed to waver. She hesitated before finally speaking again.

"Are these clothes… truly normal?"

"Totally normal! I’ll wear one with you—no big deal!" Lan Xiaoke hummed cheerfully. "Beach trip, beach trip! Swimsuits at the beach, yo~!"

Bai Qianshuang fell silent, her inner conflict evident.

"You’ll really wear one with me?" She needed confirmation.

"Of course! Why would I lie?" Lan Xiaoke said. "Silver Mountain Academy even has swimming classes in P.E. We all wear swimsuits there."

She then turned to Ye Chuan for backup. "Right?"

"True. If bikinis are too much, you could go for something more conservative, like a one-piece," Ye Chuan suggested, pulling up images of modest swimwear on his phone.

The girl took his phone, scrolling through the options. As she looked, her ears gradually turned red.

"Why is it acceptable at the beach? How is this any different from underwear?"

"It’s like eating when you’re hungry—you wouldn’t do it in the bathroom, right?"

Bai Qianshuang finally lowered her head, her resistance crumbling. "Mm..."

Seeing her blushing like this, Ye Chuan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt—like he was pressuring her into something indecent.

"Alright, let’s go buy swimsuits first."

Still, he didn’t forget to inform Luo Xi about the plan. It’d be best if everyone went together.

As for Ke Ning, he wasn’t sure if she’d agree.

...

"I’ll go." Moments later, when Ye Chuan asked Ke Ning, her answer surprised him.

"I thought you’d refuse," he admitted, looking at the bespectacled girl.

He had been certain she’d say no.

"The ocean covers seventy percent of this planet’s surface. It’s the most critical ecosystem, and I’ve only seen it in databases," Ke Ning adjusted her glasses. "I’ll go."

"Hum, hum." The floating cube beside her spun in agreement.

"Got it."

As for Lilith, there was no need to ask—she was always part of the group. Whether the little lady would actually come out, though, wasn’t up to Ye Chuan.

By the afternoon, Ye Chuan had picked out a relatively modest swimsuit for Bai Qianshuang.

Even though the design was conservative, judging by her conflicted expression, accepting it would still take some time.