Chunbao's hands are small, soft, and cool.

National Day, Day Four.

As usual, Shen Nian woke up early for his workout routine. Even without any system tasks pushing him, he planned to keep this habit daily. Exercise builds confidence and keeps the body healthy. Though Shen Nian was already overly confident, his lack of physical activity before had left him in a state of suboptimal health—looking fine on the surface but not truly at his best, far from someone like Huang Chen, a sun-tanned sports enthusiast. A little exercise wouldn’t hurt.

The temperature had started dropping the night before. Autumn weather was unpredictable. He had thought the heat would last the entire National Day holiday, but by the fourth day, it had already cooled to 23 degrees Celsius, accompanied by a refreshing breeze—perfect weather for going out.

Shen Nian was brimming with energy. After pushing himself hard these past few days, he decided to go fishing by the river for a change of pace. He planned to catch a couple of big fish to bribe Aunt Wen, then use the rare opportunity to visit Xia Yanchun’s room.

Heh heh heh, Yanchun, give up resisting. Your mom already agreed to let me come up.

Tired of sneaking in through the balcony, he believed the best relationships should be open and aboveboard.

His family had fishing rods—expensive ones at that. How could someone in the seafood farming business not know how to fish? Shen Shi rarely used them, so today, they were Shen Nian’s for the taking. Bait was even easier to get; the town was crisscrossed by rivers, and some people drove over ten kilometers just to fish here. Vendors had set up stalls along the riverbank selling everything a fisherman might need.

The seven o’clock sun was big and red, as full of vigor as Shen Nian himself. Today, his outing lasted even longer. By the time he returned home, his collar was soaked with sweat. Changing clothes twice a day had become routine.

"Hah..."

Shen Nian let out a long exhale, about to pull out his keys when the front door swung open. Chen Minyue stood there, looking at him in surprise.

"Anyone would think you went swimming. You’re drenched."

"Just working out."

"Good for you. But don’t shower too quickly after sweating—cold water can give you a fever. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I’m not a kid," Shen Nian said, tugging at his sticky collar. He wasn’t tired at all, but physical exertion inevitably generated heat, and sweating was unavoidable.

Next door, another door creaked open. Another mother, Wen Zhining, peeked out, having overheard their conversation.

"A high school student waking up this early to exercise is rare," she remarked, covering her mouth in exaggerated surprise.

As everyone knew, when praising someone else’s child, parents loved to compare them to their own. Wen Zhining was no exception.

"If only Xia Yanchun were as energetic as you. She sleeps in until the sun’s high in the sky every day."

"Tell Xia Yanchun to come running with me. If she won’t wake up, just pinch her ears or give her a couple of light slaps. Aunt Wen, you can’t spoil your daughter too much," Shen Nian said with mock seriousness. "If you can’t bring yourself to do it, I’ll gladly help."

"Shen Nian, you’re dead!"

"?"

The girl’s voice carried a hint of playful indignation, and Shen Nian’s ears nearly melted.

He took two steps back and looked up—well, well, well—Xia Yanchun had been crouching by the railing, eavesdropping the whole time.

Hah, Xia Yanchun, you think you’re still in the city with Shen Yue backing you up?

Shen Nian grabbed her instantly, "refining" her on the spot.

"Aunt Wen, your daughter just cursed at me. Go give her a couple of slaps."

Xia Yanchun pouted and retaliated, "Aunt Chen, hit him twice for me!"

"Oh ho, so it’s spell against spell now, huh?"

The two parents exchanged amused glances.

How nice.

......

Chen Minyue and Shen Shi left soon after. They had work to check on and wouldn’t be back until afternoon.

Shen Nian changed into a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, packed mosquito repellent and sunscreen into his bag, and donned the quintessential fisherman’s wide-brimmed hat—ready for action.

The family had an electric scooter, which Shen Nian effortlessly wheeled out. Just as he was about to start it, a familiar voice called from above.

"Shen Nian, where are you going?"

Xia Yanchun appeared on the balcony, leaning on the railing, a peanut-flavored popsicle in hand, looking down at him with an air of superiority.

"Fishing."

"Fishing again? Don’t you have anything better to do?"

"You do know fishing is a universally beloved hobby, right? What, you look down on it?"

"Ugh, I just think it’s boring. Sitting around all day only to end up with an empty bucket."

Shen Nian didn’t argue, just shook his head.

If Chen Guangming—Chen Qiuyu’s father—were here, he might’ve scolded Xia Yanchun on the spot, given his own track record of empty buckets.

But Shen Nian was different. He could fill a bucket with big fish in half an hour. Hah, immunity activated, my friend.

"An empty bucket is a fisherman’s romance. You wouldn’t understand."

"But isn’t it forced romance for most fishermen?"

"Keep talking, and you might just anger a passing fisherman into an early grave. There are a lot of us, you know."

"Tch."

"Tch my foot. Come down and join me."

"Buy me milk tea first."

"Just get down here already."

"......"

Five minutes later, a petite figure in long sleeves and pants emerged from the front door, her little ponytail swaying with each step. When she wasn’t talking, her sweet, doll-like aura was overwhelming.

Shen Nian clicked his tongue. "No hat? You planning to get sunburned?"

"Oh, I forgot. Wait—"

"Never mind, I brought an extra."

"Oh, okay."

Xia Yanchun gripped Shen Nian’s shoulders as she climbed onto the scooter, settling comfortably behind him. Since they were in town, helmets were optional. The ride wasn’t long—just ten minutes to the river.

He vaguely remembered a time when the riverbank was lively with people playing in the shallow water. Back then, Shen Shi had taught him to swim there.

But after years of sand dredging and the addition of railings, fewer people came. Now, it was mostly fishermen who frequented the spot.

Shen Nian parked near a vendor and pulled a workman’s wide-brimmed hat from the storage compartment, plopping it onto Xia Yanchun’s head. The hat had extra fabric sewn around the edges to shield the neck and shoulders. Even with her fair, delicate skin, she now looked like a little country girl.

"What are you staring at, creep?" Xia Yanchun adjusted the brim, feeling oddly self-conscious under his gaze—something that never used to bother her.

"Your face might as well be made of gold if you’re gonna be this stingy about people looking. I’ll stare if I want. Deal with it. Hah!"

"You’re so immature." Xia Yanchun crossed her arms, exasperated.

"A man is a boy at heart until the day he dies."

"......"

Shen Nian had brought a folding chair—for Xia Yanchun, of course.

He didn’t need to sit. Standing didn’t tire him, and even if it did, he’d recover faster than most.

This part of the river was usually quiet, with only the occasional elderly motorcyclist passing by. The real nuisances were the mosquitoes.

Shen Nian had brought a large bucket. No need for baiting the waters—he cast his line with practiced ease, and within three minutes, he reeled in a fish.

"How much would this one sell for?" Xia Yanchun rested her chin on her hand, the picture of idle grace.

"I don't know, no idea what breed. Probably forty or fifty."

"......"

This guy makes money way too easily... Xia Yanchun muttered to herself. When exactly did Shen Nian learn to fish? They’d always been together, yet in the blink of an eye, he’d become some kind of fishing prodigy.

Seemed like the only thing she could still outdo him in was academics.

"Stop playing on your phone. Wanna learn how to fish, buddy?"

Xia Yanchun pursed her lips, grumbling as she stood up. She’d never even held a fishing rod before—this was a rare opportunity.

"If I break it, I’m not paying for it."

Shen Nian handed her the rod. "Relax, if it breaks, I’ll take the blame."

"That’s more like it."

Jimei jimei—now she could vanish in peace.

Xia Yanchun smirked smugly, gingerly gripping the rod.

She was a little afraid a fish might suddenly bite and yank the rod into the water. Everyone online said fish had insane strength underwater, and she definitely didn’t have Shen Nian’s brute force.

Turns out, she was overthinking it.

Ten minutes of standing there, and not a single tug.

Sure, she knew fishing could take hours for even one bite, but...

?? How was Shen Nian pulling up a big catch every three minutes??

"The fish just aren’t into you," Shen Nian teased, resting his chin on the railing as he watched Xia Yanchun’s frustrated expression. Adorable.

"Shut up! You’re scaring them all away—this is your fault!"

"Haki Chun, I swear, if you end up unmarried, you’ll probably blame me for that too."

"I’ve got suitors lined up all the way to France."

"Daydreaming in broad daylight, huh?" Shen Nian shamelessly sidled up. "Here, let me teach you."

He moved closer, utterly unashamed as he positioned himself behind Xia Yanchun. She was petite enough that he could easily wrap around her from behind.

Her little ponytail was fluffy, tickling his nose, and he caught a whiff of her shampoo. Shen Nian took a deep, exaggerated breath.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Xia Yanchun’s almond eyes widened. Being this close to someone so familiar—no amount of defenses could hold up.

"Teaching you to fish. There’s a technique to it..."

"You’re holding my hand now—you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"

"You figured it out and still asked. Typical you."

"......"

Chun Bao’s hand was small, soft, and cool to the touch.

Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3 million+ daily updates straining server capacity, we now recommend switching to other sources from major players.