Chapter 44: That Holiday
Swimming is actually a skill, especially for someone like Mu Le, who has a little fear for water.
In the shallow area, it was fine. She could splash around and have fun. But when Xiao Yuze tried to take her into deeper water to practice…
“…No! It feels so deep!”
Feeling the girl cling to him like an octopus, her delicate face full of nervousness, Xiao Yuze felt conflicted.
He let out a helpless sigh. “Weren’t you the one who said yesterday that you wanted to learn how to swim?”
Mu Le pouted but didn’t reply.
The water was just too deep. She held onto the man in front of her with all her strength, refusing to let go, afraid that if she did, she would sink.
She remembered that when she was younger, she didn’t seem to be this scared. But as soon as she submerged her head, a sudden, indescribable fear surged through her.
Under that fear, her mind went completely blank.
After finally being pulled back up by Xiao Yuze, she still refused to let go, her body trembling slightly.
Xiao Yuze was a little surprised by how extreme her reaction was.
At the same time, he also felt helpless.
The girl clung tightly to his body. The smooth touch of her thighs, arms, and chest, constantly brushing against him, sent small shivers through his nerves, like tiny electric shocks.
If he didn’t have good self-control, and if Mu Le’s attention had been elsewhere, she probably would have noticed something that could have put them in a very awkward situation.
“Let’s go to shallower water first. I’ll teach you some basic techniques,” Xiao Yuze said stiffly, feeling a heat rise in his lower abdomen.
“Okay.”
Mu Le thought for a moment, then nodded. She had assumed she knew a bit about swimming. But clearly, she had overestimated herself.
Xiao Yuze stayed silent for a moment before speaking with a hint of frustration. “But Lele, you’re hanging onto me like this… how am I supposed to move?”
Because of her fear, her limbs were wrapped tightly around him.
Mu Le blinked and realized that, yes, it did make things difficult for him to move.
But she didn’t dare let go. With the water behind her, if she did, it would probably cover her eyes.
She really shouldn’t have come to the beach to learn swimming, Mu Le thought, feeling a bit of nausea.
Are there sea snakes or something in this water? For a moment, the image of some little death-obsessed schoolkid flashed through her mind, making the surroundings feel even scarier. Next time, she’d just stick to a swimming pool.
Seeing how worried she was, Xiao Yuze let out a small sigh.
He carefully pulled his hands free, then, with a little effort, lifted her up completely, sliding past her firm bottom.
“Wah! Where are you touching?!”
Mu Le blushed instantly at the contact with a sensitive spot. Her expression looked like she wanted to bite the man in front of her.
Xiao Yuze shrugged innocently. “Let go of your legs. That way, you won’t fall.”
“…Really?”
Hearing that, Mu Le finally changed the topic and obediently loosened her grip with her legs.
But now, all her weight rested squarely on Xiao Yuze’s hands, centered on her bottom and thighs.
Being so close, Mu Le immediately noticed the subtle change in the man’s expression.
“You’re thinking something naughty, aren’t you?” Mu Le asked very seriously as she looked at Xiao Yuze. Before he could answer, she added with a teasing smile, “Don’t worry, Aze, I understand you. After all, you’re a normal guy, I get it.”
“If you really understand, then don’t move around.”
Feeling Mu Le’s slightly restless body, Xiao Yuze gritted his teeth. She knew exactly what she was doing and was still teasing him, did she really think he wouldn’t dare to do anything?
And Mu Le was completely certain about that.
She let out a soft laugh, and the nervous, panicked feeling from being underwater earlier seemed to vanish completely.
Xiao Yuze sighed helplessly and finally, as a kind of playful revenge, gave her small bottom a firm pat. Unfortunately, in the water, the effect wasn’t very obvious.
Mu Le still squealed in protest, calling him a pervert.
Then, to prove that Mu Le wasn’t wrong, Xiao Yuze lightly brushed her a few more times, and the girl in his arms went completely silent.
Once they reached the shallower water, Mu Le eagerly let go of him.
Just as Xiao Yuze felt a little disappointed and was about to say something, Mu Le lost her balance and splashed into the water with a “plop.”
Seeing the water splash, Xiao Yuze froze for a few seconds before reacting to pull her up.
Then…
“I’m never swimming again!”
That afternoon, back at the hotel, Mu Le lay on the bed playing on her tablet. No matter how Xiao Yuze tried to tempt her, she didn’t budge.
And just like that, Mu Le’s brief enthusiasm for swimming burned out in less than a day.
Xiao Yuze could only sigh and shake his head, half laughing, half exasperated.
Over the next few days, the most Mu Le did was float around on a swimming ring near the shore. Learning to swim? That was long forgotten.
But aside from not being able to swim properly, everything else turned out surprisingly fun.
Mu Le tried almost everything at the beach, from snacks to little treats.
A few days later, Xiao Yuze, slightly tanned from the sun, looked at Mu Le’s still fair skin and said with a hint of helplessness, “Why haven’t you tanned at all?”
They should have been using similar sunscreen.
Mu Le looked down at her hands and legs, then gave a mock-pouting, slightly playful expression. “Why don’t we switch places? Let Aze experience what it’s like to be a woman who doesn’t tan.”
Xiao Yuze froze for a moment before, without hesitation, giving her a playful slap on the head.
“Do you even remember you’re a girl right now?”
If Mu Le had been having fun these past days, Xiao Yuze had been quietly frustrated.
Mu Le would tease him intentionally or unintentionally, giving small “rewards,” which made his blood boil but left him powerless.
He couldn’t exactly push her away, right?
Although the thought was tempting, Xiao Yuze clearly couldn’t act on it right now.
Until they were certain of each other’s feelings and all worries were settled, any big move would just make both of them awkward, or even create an irreparable rift.
That’s why, even though he occasionally accepted some “rewards,” he didn’t take things any further.
Mu Le seemed to know this and grew more and more shameless.
Xiao Yuze felt a little frustrated about it. But as a man, he knew that one day, if he wanted, he could have it all.
Every time he thought about it, a dangerous smile appeared on his face, making Mu Le shiver several times and look at him suspiciously.