You were born for this

Su Bai's floating board offensive capabilities were ultimately limited, far inferior to the water gun in Jiang Qiuran's hands.

So what's the simplest way to deal with a shooter?

Close combat!

Suddenly, Su Bai abandoned the floating board, diving underwater and swimming straight toward Jiang Qiuran, eliciting a startled shriek from her.

"Ahhh, don’t come any closer… Haha, s-stop it…"

Su Bai wrapped his arms around Jiang Qiuran and immediately tickled her weak spots.

Having grown up together, they knew each other’s vulnerabilities by heart.

Caught off guard, Jiang Qiuran burst into uncontrollable giggles.

Within moments, she could barely keep her balance in the pool, quickly surrendering to Su Bai’s mercy.

"I was wrong, I was wrong! Wuwu… Bai, please let me go…"

Whether she was genuinely afraid of more tickling or seizing the chance to confess her feelings was unclear.

Her tearful, laughter-streaked face was nothing short of breathtaking.

Even Su Bai, long accustomed to Jiang Qiuran’s beauty, was momentarily stunned.

Only then did he release his grip on her slender waist.

"Ugh, you’ve ruined my makeup…" Jiang Qiuran pouted.

"Didn’t you apply waterproof setting spray? With your usual meticulousness, I’d expect no less. Then you’d splash water to ruin other girls’ makeup and revel in some twisted satisfaction…"

"Hey! I’m not that evil?!"

Exposed, Jiang Qiuran flusteredly swatted at him.

This was one of Su Bai’s most infuriating habits—calling out her "green tea" antics.

But that’s what close friends do—they tease and expose each other.

After their playful scuffle, Jiang Qiuran felt a long-lost happiness.

Well, not that long—just about two months, to be exact.

Ever since their fallout.

Being the universally adored beauty had been glamorous at first, but over time, Jiang Qiuran grew weary of it.

Life felt increasingly dull.

The flattery and attention all came with ulterior motives.

Let’s be real—the guys fawning over her just wanted to sleep with her.

The realization made life seem bleak.

But Jiang Qiuran knew the problem wasn’t life itself. Most ordinary lives were far more monotonous than she’d imagined.

Looking back, she realized Su Bai was the exception—the one extraordinary spark in her world.

A childhood friend like him was irreplaceable.

Yet she’d messed up spectacularly. Regret gnawed at her.

Her nose tingled with emotion as she wrapped her arms around Su Bai’s neck, whispering in his ear:

"You’re the best… I regret everything. Let’s never drift apart again, okay?"

Her voice trembled with unshed tears.

Meanwhile…

Su Bai…

Hiss…

Encouraged by his reaction, Jiang Qiuran blinked, her warm breath sweet against his skin.

"I’d do anything for you—whether we’re out, at school, or back in our hometown during breaks… Mhm, when we’re home, no other girls will be around. You’d get lonely, wouldn’t you, Bai?"

[Ding! Jiang Qiuran’s affection +2. Current affection level: 89]

Her mix of shyness and boldness left Su Bai flustered.

He quickly activated his [Sigma Aura].

"Enough already!"

He flicked her forehead. "When were we ever ‘together’? Cut the theatrics—we’ve filmed enough vlog material, thanks. If you’ve got energy to burn, let’s race in the pool."

If this little temptress kept this up, they might as well skip the pool party and jump straight to…

Better stick to wholesome activities for now.

"Race?" Jiang Qiuran paused, then smirked. "You serious?"

Her skepticism was justified.

They’d learned swimming together as kids.

Their coach—a stern, retired provincial team athlete—was ruthlessly strict.

Jiang Qiuran handled it fine, but Su Bai’s rebellious streak clashed with the coach’s discipline.

He quit lessons and taught himself by splashing around in reservoirs.

Pure wildcard style—no way he could outswim her.

"Heh, digging your own grave, are you?"

"Don’t be so sure. You know what they say—‘After three days apart, view a man with new eyes.’ The soft, weak me is dead. Now? I’m terrifyingly strong!"

Bantering, they climbed onto the diving platform.

The Wan sisters cleared the central lane, cheering for Su Bai while timing the race on their phones.

"Three, two, one… GO!"

Jiang Qiuran’s peripheral vision caught Su Bai’s dive.

Instantly, alarm bells rang.

Wait—wasn’t he only good at doggy-paddle? Used to belly-flop like a depth charge! Since when’s he so graceful?!

No time to ponder. She swam hard.

By the lap’s end, Su Bai was far ahead.

Jiang Qiuran gaped.

"That speed could qualify for the school team! Has Bai been training these past two months?"

Su Bai maintained his lead effortlessly, even showboating with a backstroke stretch.

Fuming, Jiang Qiuran splashed over to claw at him like an irate kitten.

Another playful tussle ensued—until disaster struck.

Jiang Qiuran’s face twisted in pain.

"Ah—cramp! It hurts! Bai, help…"

Wan Xinyan’s eyes widened.

Oscar-worthy instant acting! Even Zhang Ziyi would applaud this performance.

But Su Bai recognized this wasn’t acting.

The cramp was real—likely from overexertion.

To prevent her drowning, he scooped her up, his muscular arms carrying her to the poolside.

After climbing out, he laid her on a soft mat and massaged her calf.

He’d handled cramps before.

During their growth spurts, both had woken up to leg cramps countless times, tending to each other.

The scene dredged up childhood memories.

Absently, Su Bai studied Jiang Qiuran’s leg.

By modern standards, it was a "manga leg"—slim, straight, and flawlessly smooth.

The pale, silky skin felt exquisite under his fingers.