Look at You

Shen Nian took a quick shower. In about ten minutes, he came out bare-chested.

Xia Yanchun felt a momentary twinge of guilt. She looked away, but then confidently shifted her gaze right back.

They were a proper couple, so what was wrong with looking at his abs? What on earth was she feeling guilty about...

An eight-pack wasn't even that big of a deal. It didn't look good at all!

It wasn't nearly as good as her own "eight-in-one" single ab.

Xia Yanchun hummed dismissively and grabbed her clothes to take a shower.

The hot water soaked her body, washing away her exhaustion. Xia Yanchun let out a slow breath, enjoying the soothing warmth. She felt completely rejuvenated.

After her shower, Xia Yanchun took out the clothes Shen Nian had tossed into the washing machine. She started the tub self-cleaning cycle, planning to put all their clothes in together once it was done.

"Chunbao, come here quick!" Shen Nian waved at her.

Seeing his excited expression, Xia Yanchun walked over in amusement. "What is it?"

"Look, guess what I found?"

Shen Nian cheekily pulled open the large bottom drawer of the hotel desk.

Xia Yanchun leaned in curiously, only to discover a plugged-in vending machine inside the drawer.

She had wondered what it could be.

She was just about to scold Shen Nian, but when she clearly saw what was being sold inside, she froze.

Xia Yanchun crouched down and took a closer look at the hotel vending machine.

It didn't just have contraceptives; there were also plenty of little toys for couples. Just looking at the packaging was enough to tell what they were.

There were Okamoto, magic oils, fleshlights... a whole bunch of messy little gadgets she had heard of but never actually seen.

Her dark, almond-shaped eyes widened, and a blush quietly crept over her small face. Xia Yanchun felt her ears rapidly heating up.

Encountering these things for the first time, Xia Yanchun couldn't remain completely indifferent. She felt both bashful and curious.

"Why would a hotel sell this kind of stuff..."

"It's for couples," Shen Nian said with a straight face, leaning over the bed to study it alongside Chunbao.

"Doesn't the hotel consider that siblings might stay in a twin room? How awkward would it be for a brother and sister to see these things..."

"Well, they hid it away. I just happened to find it."

"Why were you even looking for it? Honestly," Xia Yanchun grumbled. She pushed the vending machine back and shut the drawer with a loud clack.

"I haven't even gotten a good look yet."

"What's there to look at? You're not allowed to look."

"You looked at it all yourself and won't let me see what's in there. You little Haji-Chun."

Xia Yanchun refused to listen. No matter what he said, she wasn't going to let Shen Nian dig it out again. Even if he wasn't embarrassed, she was!

Just the existence of that vending machine made her feel incredibly awkward. Even if Shen Nian got on his knees, sang "Only Sister Chun is Good in This World," and begged her a hundred times, she would never agree to use those things with him!

Shen Nian didn't argue with her. He had already looked through it once while Xia Yanchun was taking her shower anyway.

It was just what it was—some adult contraceptive products. They weren't kids anymore; there was nothing they couldn't look at.

The washing machine buzzed. Xia Yanchun sat on the bed for a while, and once her bashfulness faded, her mind turned to taking pictures.

Traveling without taking pictures was like not traveling at all. The night beach had its own charm, so Xia Yanchun hurried to the side of the bed to snap a few shots.

Shen Nian put on a short-sleeved shirt and stood next to her, gently nudging her with his elbow. "Aren't you tired after being in the car all day?"

"The shower woke me up, I feel fine now." Xia Yanchun shuffled her feet, pressing close against Shen Nian's arm. "Let's go to bed early tonight so we can head out early to play tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, what time?"

"Let's go down at nine."

"Deal. I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow."

The neon colors from the night market outside scattered through the air, casting a gentle, pale glow on Shen Nian's face. Xia Yanchun looked up at him and tilted her head.

"Are you getting up early?"

"Yeah, I'll go for a run and look around the area while I'm at it."

"Suit yourself, just don't wake me up when you get out of bed. If you dare wake me up, I'll hit you."

"You can't beat me."

"Then I'll snip you." Xia Yanchun bared her teeth and made a scissor gesture, viciously snapping her two fingers together like a guillotine.

"Uh, you're doing too much, Haji-Chun."

"Bleh."

Xia Yanchun felt her eyelids growing heavy. After snapping a few final photos of the night market, she got into bed.

The hotel bed was soft and squishy, feeling a lot like her bed at home. When she lay down, she sank right into it.

Seeing Shen Nian about to get into bed too, Xia Yanchun quickly kicked her foot out at him. "Your bed is the other one."

"Seriously, bro?" Shen Nian gave her a look. "You never want to sleep in separate beds at home, but now that we're at a hotel, you're suddenly acting all modest."

"I've always been modest," Xia Yanchun said, hiding a smile. She even reached up and turned off the light.

There was a small, soft-glow desk lamp on the table that stayed on, so even with the main light off, the room wasn't completely dark.

Backlit by the lamp, Xia Yanchun's hair took on a golden hue, and a slyness she couldn't hide danced across her delicate face in the shadows.

"Right, right, Chunbao is the most modest. I've completely forgotten how you were kissing me and acting wild the day before yesterday. I don't remember a thing."

"You're definitely making that up," Xia Yanchun said, burying her blushing face.

Shen Nian pinched her nose and lay down on the bed, boldly pulling the girl's entire leg over and resting it across his body.

Xia Yanchun stared at Shen Nian for a long while. If he insisted on sleeping with her, what could a weak, helpless little girl like her do about it?

She simply turned off the small desk lamp as well, buried herself in Shen Nian's arms, and fell fast asleep hugging his warm body.

...

The next day.

Shen Nian woke up bright and early. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he leisurely went downstairs to work out.

The breakfast variety here was quite impressive: Cantonese dim sum, spicy soup, soup dumplings, black sesame paste, and there was even someone selling mung bean milk.

At this hour, the safety staff weren't even on duty yet. The massive Golden Beach had hardly anyone on it, save for a few men and women in swimwear setting up sunshades.

While passing by some small shops, Shen Nian bought a smaller sunshade. Haji-Chun wanted to sunbathe, but he couldn't let her stay exposed to the sun the whole time. In this kind of weather, without a parasol, you could get sunburned if you weren't careful.

After a light five-kilometer run, Shen Nian returned to the hotel with the breakfast and the sunshade. When he opened the door, Xia Yanchun was already groggily brushing her teeth.

"Oh, why are you up so early?"

"It's almost time," Xia Yanchun mumbled through the toothpaste. "You bought a sunshade."

"Yeah. I probably should have bought two mats as well. I'll get them when we go down."

"Mhm."

"Should we wear our swimsuits down?"

"Of course. There probably aren't any changing rooms down there, right?"

"Then I'll get changed."

Shen Nian's swimsuit wasn't revealing at all; it was just a pair of blue shorts, slightly shorter than what he normally wore.

It seemed like those underwear-style swimsuits weren't very popular anymore. The girls he had seen setting up sunshades earlier were dressed quite conservatively as well.

Xia Yanchun rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and walked around Shen Nian, looking him up and down. "You really do look like it. You look like one of those bosses selling seashell accessories on the side of the beach."

"Last time you said I looked like a fisherman."

"You look like both."

"Let's see yours."