Can I never escape Qin Luo's grasp...

Amid the bubbling sounds of the hot spring, Su Muwan was curled up in the milky-white mist, only her damp, glistening eyes visible as she glared at Qin Luo.

The ice barrier refracted a prism of colors, tinting her trembling voice with sweetness: "T-turn around! I need to change!"

Qin Luo leaned against the cherry tree, stifling a laugh, his peripheral vision catching glimpses of her slender ankles shifting behind the gaps in the icy wall.

Gulp...

He swallowed hard, took a deep breath...

And still didn’t look away.

No way was he turning away now!

That would be going against his very principles!

This wasn’t about whether he could see or not—it was about the necessity of looking!

Xiao Yu, Xiao Zu, a brighter tomorrow awaits you.

The next moment—

[Uwah! This swimsuit’s back is slit all the way to the waistline—how shameless!]

Huh?

Qin Luo froze, then quickly realized—

Ah!

This was... the system’s built-in mind-reading function?!

He swallowed again, quietly eavesdropping on Su Muwan’s thoughts.

The rustling of fabric suddenly stopped.

Su Muwan’s hands, clutching the swimsuit straps, froze mid-air as her thoughts exploded like fireworks in Qin Luo’s mind:

[It’s all that fox-eyed saleswoman’s fault! Saying stuff like, "Your boyfriend won’t be able to look away..." How am I supposed to tie this now?!]

[What "man-slayer battle attire"? I should’ve never believed her!]

Qin Luo’s Adam’s apple bobbed as shadows pooled in his palm, forming a watery mirror.

The reflection showed the girl wrestling with the bow at her waist.

Her porcelain back flickered in and out of view through the icy mist, the lace trim of her two-piece swimsuit adorned with tiny stardust diamonds, shimmering like a galaxy over the dimples of her lower back.

[Maybe I should fake a stomachache? But the strawberry milk bath is already prepared...]

Su Muwan suddenly covered her flushed face and crouched down.

[Su Muwan, get a grip! Why did you even say something so bold in the first place...?]

[Romance novels are all lies! Who brings a swimsuit to a hot spring date anyway...?]

[Qin Luo must think I’m trying to seduce him...]

Just as the thought crossed her mind—

Splash!

A sudden wave erupted from the hot spring, startling her into stumbling back.

When she steadied herself, she saw a small black shark plush floating toward her.

"Young Mistress," the shark spoke. "Having trouble? Need help?"

"Help my foot! Just die already!"

Su Muwan angrily swatted the shadowy shark away.

Qin Luo, still leaning against the tree, covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Time passed.

Plop!

Su Muwan, wrapped in mist, leaped into the hot spring. As the milky liquid rose past her collarbones, she let out a contented sigh.

[Ah... never mind... sharing a bath is too embarrassing... I’ll just get out after soaking for a bit...]

Her hair, dotted with foam, clung to her neck as droplets slid down her swan-like throat and into the lace trim.

[But the water feels so nice...]

She idly played with the floating strawberries, her toes unconsciously stirring the water.

[Trivial Qin Luo... he sure knows how to charm a girl with places like this...]

[Hmph, claiming he’s never been in a relationship before... if that’s true, why is he so smooth?!]

Just as she thought this—

[Young Mistress, that really hurts my feelings. My first love is, and always has been, you!]

Huh?

Her thoughts screeched to a halt.

Su Muwan’s eyes widened, her lips parting slightly as she stiffened in place.

[What... the hell?]

[Young Mistress, did you forget we can hear each other’s thoughts under special conditions...?]

[Ah...]

[No more "ah." I’m coming over.]

[Wait, what?]

The next second—

Splash!

Qin Luo, who had somehow slipped into the water unnoticed, stood before her with his robe half-open, revealing his toned chest.

Su Muwan immediately shrank into the water, bubbles betraying her panic: "Y-you-you—!!"

"Young Mistress."

"Is the reaction really necessary?"

Qin Luo leaned against the edge of the spring, watching her flustered bubble-blowing with amusement. "Anyway..."

He cleared his throat. "I’ve already seen everything."

"And the things I shouldn’t have seen... well, I’ve seen those too."

"But honestly..."

His gaze swept over her embarrassed form as he grinned. "A shy Young Mistress is pretty cute too~"

!!!

The words barely left his mouth.

"You—!"

Su Muwan’s competitive spirit flared.

Damn it! She’d read countless novels!

Was she really going to let him fluster her like some blushing maiden?

No way! Absolutely not!

As a martial arts prodigy, Su Muwan believed in dominating every situation—especially when it came to Qin Luo!

Crush him!

Overwhelm him!

With that thought—

Whoosh!

The mist parted as an ice blade sliced through it. Su Muwan rose from the water, standing barefoot on the surface, milky droplets cascading down her slender ankles.

Her ice-blue swimsuit, adorned with crystalline lace, shimmered like a sea of stars under the moonlight.

Qin Luo’s breath hitched.

Damn...

This version of the Young Mistress was even cuter...

Limited edition Su Muwan—acquired!

Click, click, click!

He mentally snapped pictures, searing the image into his brain.

The next moment—

Su Muwan twirled a damp lock of hair around her finger, a playful glint in her eyes. "Staring so intently... Qin Luo, have you never seen a woman before? Hmm?"

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his earlier confidence faltering.

The mist coiled around her waist, making his fingertips burn. "I’ve seen plenty..."

His voice dropped lower. "But this is one of a kind."

"Oh?"

Splash~

She suddenly leaned in, water droplets from her hair landing on his collarbone. "My Shadow Sovereign didn’t even blink when facing the Chosen One back then..."

Her toes skimmed the water’s surface, sending ripples across his chest. "Yet now you’re acting like..."

Before she could finish, his hand clamped around her wrist.

The heat of his palm sent her heart racing as he looked up at her. "Young Mistress, are you sure you want to play with fire?"

"Hmph!"

Splash!

A wave erupted as Su Muwan twisted free, spinning away.

Ice blossoms bloomed under her feet as she retreated to the cherry tree at the pool’s edge, plucking a falling petal and sniffing it. "Play with fire...?"

Her voice dripped with feigned resentment. "You’re the one who’d rather play with that Su Bailian lookalike junior sister of yours..."

"??"

Qin Luo choked back a laugh.

Whoosh!

The mist swirled as he closed the distance in a flash, pinning her against the cherry tree.

Su Muwan’s lower back pressed into the bark, leaving her no room to escape.

She’d only been teasing to mask her own embarrassment, but now, with Qin Luo this close—especially with his ridiculously good physique—her heart pounded wildly.

Huff... huff...

No... Su Muwan, don’t be a creep...

Stop staring...

The sight before her made her pulse race. "W-why are you so close...?"

She mumbled, "Someone as rough as me could never compare to a delicate, soft woman like Su Bailian anyway..."

Before she could finish—

"In my heart, the young miss is the most adorable and beautiful."

"And being this close..."

"...is because I want you to know how sincere I am."

Qin Luo brushed his fingertips across the corner of her lips, wiping away a trace of milky moisture: "So you’ll stop bringing up Su Bailian all the time."

As he spoke,

Qin Luo took Su Muwan’s wrist and gently pressed her palm against his chest.

His gaze was tender, his breath lighter than falling petals: "See for yourself, young miss."

"Here, here, and right over my heart... can you feel it?"

Guiding her hand across every inch, he murmured: "This... is all filled with you."

!!

Hey, hey, hey...

The moment those words left his lips,

a chill surged from the top of Su Muwan’s head.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her face flushed crimson as she stared at Qin Luo.

"Ah... ah..."

She was too flustered to speak.

This was just unfair...

Yet Qin Luo took another step forward, his warm breath brushing her ear: "Young miss."

"Do you know what it means... for us to stand beneath this cherry blossom tree?"

Su Muwan was so embarrassed she wished she could dive into the hot springs. She tried to push him away weakly: "N-no... don’t ask me..."

But her resistance was futile—Qin Luo caught her wrist and pinned it against the tree trunk.

Rustle—

Pink petals cascaded onto their intertwined sleeves.

Qin Luo held Su Muwan’s gaze, leaning in until their lips almost touched:

"It means... when petals land in your hair like this..."

"...even spring itself is bearing witness for us."

"Wha—... mmm!"

Her protest was swallowed by a kiss sweet with the scent of strawberries.

Swish—

A night wind suddenly whipped up a storm of cherry blossoms. Amid the flurry of pink and white, he dipped his head, capturing her lingering shyness.

Above them, the icy blossoms burst like fireworks, countless specks of light raining into the springs, blooming into twin lotuses.

Su Muwan shut her eyes,

her mind drowning in a haze of emotion.

D-damn it...

Like this...

she’d never escape Qin Luo’s grasp...

[Bond value +50]

[Bond value +100]

[Bond value +200]