Watching the young man before him with folded hands, his delicate face filled with remorse, Fu Jinxiu coldly packed his things. He allowed the other to continuously apologize beside his ear, “Class Monitor, Classmate Fu, Fu Jinxiu, Ah Xiu! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. It wasn’t intentional. I had a reason, Ah Xiu, can you please forgive me?” Seemingly convinced that the term “Ah Xiu” was more intimate, and hoping it would make his plea more endearing, the young man kept babbling.
But no matter how many times he repeated those words, Fu Jinxiu grew tired of hearing them. He wanted to shake off the hand that was grabbing him, but seeing the other’s mouth pout slightly, eyes misty, he couldn’t help but soften.
However, he still didn’t want to easily let the person off. After taking a deep breath, he asked, “You said there’s a reason. What reason could make you sit on the toilet for three hours?” Several times, he almost thought the person wouldn’t come back.
The young man hesitated, his face briefly showing confusion. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he softly replied, “Maybe it’s because of my poor digestion.” So, it was normal for it to take a bit longer.
Fu Jinxiu squinted his eyes. “Maybe?”
The young man immediately shook his head vigorously, clutching his stomach. He continued, “Not ‘maybe,’ I really have digestive issues. That’s why I frequently have to use the restroom. You’re so considerate and kind, my only friend who helps me with my studies. I didn’t mean to stand you up, QAQ. It’s all because of my unreliable body.” He pitifully portrayed himself, trying to make himself sound as miserable as possible.
“Oh, really?” Fu Jinxiu’s face revealed a skeptical expression, seemingly unsure whether to believe him or not.
“Yes, yes,” the young man nodded, blinking innocently, adopting an incredibly docile posture.
Fu Jinxiu, feigning belief, took a step out of the shop, and as he looked at the newly opened barbecue restaurant just outside the school gate, this elegant and top-notch student suddenly halted. Seemingly casually, he said to the young man, “After pulling for so long, you must be hungry. How about I treat you to some barbecue?”
“Sure, sure!” Yin Minglu immediately nodded vigorously, thinking that Classmate Fu was truly kind and generous. He was even treating him to barbecue—did this mean that he forgave him?
“Would you like it spicy?” the top student added, his tone sounding incredibly gentle and considerate.
“Extra, extra, extra!” He loved spicy food; the spicier, the better! Yin Minglu blurted out without hesitation, only realizing what he had said after a moment. When he looked up, he indeed saw Fu Jinxiu’s cold smile that seemed to say, “Just as I expected.” Yin Minglu immediately felt a shock, realizing that he had let his guard down and accidentally revealed too much.
“You have poor digestion, and yet you want to eat barbecue, and you even want it spicy. I really believed your nonsense!” Fu Jinxiu, thinking that someone who could sit on the toilet for so long had digestive issues, was indeed a little naive. However, it turned out the person was just a smooth-talking little liar who spilled the beans with a few casual words. He felt completely deceived.
Fu Jinxiu was so infuriated that he turned and walked away, ignoring Yin Minglu’s desperate attempts to keep him behind.
Yin Minglu, who had angered Fu Jinxiu, felt upset and miserable. He didn’t want to lose this friend, so he racked his brains to cheer him up and seized every opportunity to apologize. Unfortunately, Fu Jinxiu was like the legendary unapproachable flower on a high peak, extremely difficult to please. The more Yin Minglu apologized, the colder Fu Jinxiu’s demeanor became.
Fu Jinxiu seemed like an impregnable fortress with no weak points. He had no thorns, yet he gave off an aura that made people feel distant.
Yin Minglu scratched his head, feeling at a loss and realizing he wasn’t good at winning people’s favor or making them laugh.
After trying for a while and seeing no progress, he buried his head in contemplating strategies.
Several days passed without the small figure he usually noticed lingering around him. Although Fu Jinxiu’s brow showed a subtle and almost imperceptible furrow, he didn’t display any change on his face. However, he knew that there was an emptiness in his heart.
Even though he stubbornly refused to accept the apologies, he had forgiven the other person long ago and believed there must have been compelling reasons. Yet, he didn’t want to forgive too easily; he wanted the young man to revolve around him a few more times. Every time he saw the other person looking like a pitiful little creature, he couldn’t help but want to laugh. Several times, he almost blurted out, “I forgive you.”
However, the other person wasn’t as stubborn as a little creature with a fixed nature. His cold demeanor seemed to have discouraged the young man, who hadn’t appeared for several days after the last encounter.
Now, it was Fu Jinxiu who felt lost and melancholic.
Just when Fu Jinxiu thought the other person had been discouraged by his attitude and wouldn’t appear again, the person unexpectedly showed up, seizing his “fatal weakness” and using a series of cooing and gurgling water-bubble sounds to ask, “Ah Xiu, have you forgiven me?”
It was a special language without actual sound, yet miraculously, Fu Jinxiu understood it.
Of course, he was left completely red with frustration.
Here’s how it happened.
In the class swimming lesson, practical sports such as swimming, running, and tai chi were included in the mandatory curriculum for high school students, according to the notices issued by the New Era Laws for Humankind. The class consisted of fifty-two students, split evenly between girls and boys.
Once the girls left, the boys had no reservations. They emitted wolf howls, tossed aside their shirts, and jumped into the water wearing only swim trunks. Those who could swim confidently demonstrated various strokes—butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle—while those less proficient, under the guidance of the teacher, made use of swimming rings and foam boards.
The boys who struggled in physical education became the teacher’s focal point of attention.
Observing the clean-cut young man in front of him, the physical education teacher said, “Student Yin Minglu, why did you miss the first few swimming lessons? Were you sick and unable to enter the water, or do you have aquaphobia? You know, if you miss too many classes and still don’t learn to swim, I can only give you a passing grade at most. That’s already a result after considering the circumstances. If you keep missing and don’t learn to swim, it will negatively impact your chances of getting into a top university. So, you need to work hard!”
In other words, if he continues to be absent and doesn’t learn to swim, he will likely fail the course. However, if he becomes proficient in swimming and impresses the teacher with his skills, attendance might not be a critical factor in his performance in the course.
It all comes down to actual skills.
As for the teacher’s inquiry about why Yin Minglu took leave, it was naturally because his primary job was to save the world, and being a student was just a part-time gig. Yin Minglu thought to himself, and besides, the timing of your swimming classes always coincides with the moments when he has to “take leave.” However, he certainly couldn’t use such an explanation, as the teacher might think he’s suffering from chuunibyou1adolescent delusions.
He truthfully responded, “Teacher, I don’t have aquaphobia. I will study hard and strive for a perfect score.”
He liked courses where actual performance in the pool determined the final grade, especially when it came to swimming, which happened to be his strong suit.
Unfortunately, his earnest assurances didn’t impress the teacher. The teacher thought he was just making grand promises and smirked, saying, “Well then, do your best. I’ll be happy if you can get a passing grade. Oh, I almost forgot to ask. Go get a swim ring.” The boys’ pool was two meters deep, not to be taken lightly.
“Oh, don’t worry, teacher. I don’t need a swim ring.” Yin Minglu patted his chest.
The teacher insisted, “You’d better put it on! I’ll feel more at ease if you wear it!”
“Okay, okay, QAQ.” It had been a while since he had to choose one of these. Since it was unavoidable, he had to pick a stylish one.
The conversation between the two drifted into Fu Jinxiu’s ears.
He watched as the young man, under the patient guidance of the teacher, put on earplugs and a nose clip. Then, he even donned a sky-blue swim ring. Those fair hands were busy selecting from the colorful foam boards, picking up a large one at one moment and a small one the next. The beginner in swimming was showcasing his skills to the fullest.
Fu Jinxiu cast a subtle glance, afraid that this lively and active fellow might accidentally choke on water. He thought, if this deer, full of energy and capable of running and jumping, fell into the water, he might not even manage a few strokes. Out of humanitarian considerations, Fu Jinxiu had to keep an eye on him.
After finishing his selection, the young man obediently entered the water, kicking his legs in place and splashing water around. Occasionally, he would playfully dip his head into the water, blowing a few bubbles, everything seeming to be in good order.
Coincidentally, people around were discussing the latest exploits of Young Hero N. They mentioned a recent magnetic field disturbance in the oceans, which had brought many ancient marine artifacts to the surface of the beaches. Experts and scholars from around the world took advantage of this opportunity to revive relics of ancient civilizations, aiming to restore the mysterious and splendid oceanic civilization. However, there was a challenge: someone needed to overcome the obstacle of breathing underwater to explore the seemingly bottomless sea.
This was something ordinary humans couldn’t achieve, only those with evolved abilities, aided by advanced technology, could barely manage it. And Young Hero N stepped forward, assisting experts and scholars from various countries to jointly bring to light the great ruins from two thousand years ago.
So, when the male classmates in the same class were swimming, they casually brought it up, intentionally attempting to hold their breath underwater. Almost choking on water, after a few coughs, one of them said to his companion, “I can’t bear it even for two minutes, at most three. How does Young Hero N manage it? And it’s in the deep sea where no one has set foot. Although he has high-tech assistance, it doesn’t stop people from deifying him, praising him wholeheartedly. They believe his physical fitness must still be exceptional among evolved individuals.”
“He’s definitely not human!” echoed the others.
The discussion among the crowd momentarily distracted Fu Jinxiu. When he refocused, he was suddenly stunned because the area where the sky-blue swim ring had been was now empty, and the water surface was extremely calm.
Fu Jinxiu panicked in an instant.
Where was he? He had been right under his nose just a moment ago, but now there was no trace. Especially as he continued counting the seconds, time passed by, and there was still no movement underwater, not even a bubble. In this chilly pool, time felt both brief and alarming.
Could something have happened?
Three minutes had already passed, and even the best swimmer should have surfaced for a breath by now. Even someone who wasn’t good at swimming should have been floating belly-up. Fu Jinxiu couldn’t find the person, and he was prepared for the moment when a submerged figure would emerge on the water’s surface.
In the midst of his tensed expression, just as he was about to seek help, a smooth and gentle hand touched him, brushing his waist and tapping his back.
“…” He stood still, looking down into the water with disbelief.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, this scene still shocked him. In the deep blue underwater world, there was a slender and fair-skinned figure of a young man. It was an exceptionally handsome person, blinking a pair of distinctly black and white eyes at him. The snowy white waist was exceptionally alluring, making him look like an innocent merman beneath the water.
It was this seemingly innocent merman whose actions were anything but innocent.
The soft little hand poked at his firm waist, then poked at his abdominal muscles, roaming around his black swim trunks, poking and prodding recklessly.
“Have you had enough fun?” Fu Jinxiu suppressed the urge to shout, his thin lips pursed, and his jawline became tense.
However, the person underwater blinked their eyes, shook their head, as if not having enough fun. Even when Fu Jinxiu was about to reach out and grab him, the other person quickly and decisively seized a “certain weakness” of his.
Time seemed to freeze.
Well, he could say that he actually wanted to grab something else, right? It was a misunderstanding, to be honest. The frequency of blinking in Yin Minglu’s eyes increased as he tried to convey his sincerity to the person above the water. However, he didn’t know that his squinting and winking appearance looked downright mischievous in Fu Jinxiu’s eyes.
Fu Jinxiu wondered, how could there be someone who appeared so innocent and straightforward on the surface but acted like this underwater? Fu Jinxiu was so angry that his face turned red, his breathing became slightly erratic, his chest heaved violently, and the veins on his forehead pulsed, struggling to maintain his composure and calmness.
“Let go!” Could he just grab whatever he wanted?
Seeming to realize it wasn’t appropriate, the young man released his grip, and Fu Jinxiu’s tense nerves eased slightly.
However, as if suddenly remembering something, the young man who had just let go grabbed him again. His delicate cheeks puffed up, and he blew a string of bubbles, as if saying, “So, Ah Xiu, have you forgiven me? Can we make up?”
Damn, he thought, this little rascal of his really knew how to take advantage of the situation.
This blatant threat almost made Fu Jinxiu’s legs go weak. He gritted his teeth, panting, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his breathing became unstable. “Forgive! I forgive you!”
As soon as the other person let go and got onto the shore, he was going to make him look good. Originally, he wasn’t angry with the other person, but now he was getting worked up.
Satisfied with the desired response, the young man happily blew another string of bubbles. Apparently, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with grabbing his good friend’s weak spot and threatening him to reconcile.
Saying that, he was about to let go, but unfortunately, it seemed a bit too late. Watching the entity slowly rise in front of him, the frequency of the young man’s blinking eyes increased again. It seemed like he couldn’t believe it, yet also somewhat embarrassed. He chuckled cheekily.
Fu Jinxiu was furious.
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