The pool at night was paved with tiny mosaic tiles, deep blue and light white squares interwoven, like Monet’s starry sky sinking beneath the water. The milky lights cast an azure glow, drifting and spreading with the rippling waves, as if transparent resin had wrapped around the entire hall, lending it a serene, timeless beauty.

Xia Fu stood idly by the poolside, searching for any sign of her lover.

“Jingcheng? Fang Jingcheng…”

After booking the entire place, he’d made sure it was thoroughly cleaned. The venue was silent, with only the hum of the air conditioning and the faint, sharp scent of disinfectant lingering in the cold breeze.

Her voice echoed through the empty pool, as if someone hidden underwater was mischievously mimicking her, the eerie acoustics startling Xia Fu.

Sure, she might have spent a while adjusting in front of the mirror, but it shouldn’t have been so long that Fang Jingcheng just vanished into thin air. His slippers were right there near the railing, after all.

Was he free-diving?

Xia Fu bent over, peeking into the pool below, her figure backlit, casting her shadow down in a blurred mass like swaying seaweed that seemed ready to surge up and snatch her.

This made her a bit dizzy, as if she’d fall in headfirst any second.

Overwhelmed by her fear of water, she crouched down to avoid slipping. Clinging to the pool rail with both hands, she softly called Fang Jingcheng’s name out of a faint sense of couple duty, planning to call twice more before leaving and avoiding any late-night horror show.

Just before she was about to leave, a shadow rippled across the water. Guys in gym class usually went for fast-paced freestyle strokes, splashing around noisily. This style, parting the water silently, was new to her—his undulating waist like that of a deep-sea creature, making her wonder if those were even legs or maybe a milky-white fishtail?

His swimming was graceful yet swift. One moment he was meters away, and the next, the “merman” was at the edge, reaching out with his pale arm toward her ankle.

Water dripping from his silver hair obscured his eyes, showing only his high nose bridge and tightly pressed lips. When he came near her leg, the cold moisture wrapped around her, and if it weren’t for the distinctive snake-bone tattoo on his arm, Xia Fu might have screamed.

Fang Jingcheng pushed his hair back, revealing his handsome face. Exhaling, he leaned against the pool’s edge, flashing a playful grin.

“What’s wrong? Did I scare you?”

Listening to his heavy breathing, she suspected he’d purposely slipped into the water the moment he heard her footsteps, sneaking over to give her a good scare.

She’d donned her favorite swimsuit with certain unspoken intentions, only for him to see her gripping the rail in fear.

This was too much.

Xia Fu, spooked enough already, looked away in feigned anger, staring at the hand clutching her ankle instead. Water dripped down, creating a tiny stream along her instep.

“You didn’t answer, so I thought the water ghost had eaten you.”

A short laugh escaped his throat, seemingly more amused.

“What if you were right? What if I’ve already become someone else?”

He certainly looked the part of some creature, luring passersby in only to drown them. Just looking at his face could dispel half her anger during arguments.

Unable to argue, Xia Fu swung her leg in mock indignation, pretending she was ready to leave.

“If you keep scaring me, I’m really leaving!”

In the midst of her aimless struggle, her foot seemed to accidentally kick his chest. She heard a muffled grunt from him, followed by a cool, soft sensation wrapping around her.

There was no way Xia Fu could keep ignoring him now.

She turned back, surprised to find this beautiful guy cradling her leg against his chest. Her tense instep was pressed against his chest, nearly buried in its depth, while he rested his cheek against her knee, pleading softly:

“Don’t go. I just wanted to catch your attention.”

“You’re wearing such a cute swimsuit. Aren’t you even a little tempted to swim? It’s nice and cool.”

Xia Fu could feel the pool water slowly soaking into her leg. Refusing him now seemed meaningless.

Her grip on the rail slackened.

“Cute? Do you think I look pretty?”

Rather than being needlessly insecure, why not just ask him outright?

She wore a simple white swimsuit with ruffles along the neckline and waist, like rain-kissed petals—delicate, yet innocent. But her expression wasn’t entirely one of vulnerability; those cat-like eyes fixed on him, as if he could almost feel tiny, sharp teeth grazing his throat.

“Yes, very charming. My eyes are full of you.”

His helpless smile said it all.

Xia Fu’s hand left the rail, reaching up to gently touch his face. “Then let me go. It’s not very convenient like this.” Freed, she reluctantly dipped her toe into the water.

But the moment she tested it, she quickly drew her foot back, complaining:

“It’s too cold.”

Water droplets splashed onto Fang Jingcheng’s face. She braced her foot against his shoulder, tracing along his pulse, adding a layer of unspoken meaning.

Fang Jingcheng lowered his head, pressing a kiss to her skin, one hand holding her ankle, the other scooping up pool water to dampen her skin.

“Let’s just do it slowly and get used to it.”

Her only response was a gaze, offering no rejection.

She’d held him in desire for far too long, torn between hesitation and abandonment, until tonight when she finally joined him in the water.

First her legs, then her waist, arms, and even her neck—all dampened bit by bit, slipping into the pool’s embrace.

The water was far colder than the room’s temperature; a bone-chilling sensation surrounded her, her boyfriend’s body the only source of warmth.

“You lied. It’s still freezing in here.”

“But you’re warm.”

Using it as an excuse, she finally shed the last of her reluctance. She kissed him like a wanderer in the desert savoring a drink, holding him as tightly as if he were a lifeline in the water.

The “merman” wrapped around her, gently guiding the drowning soul away from solid ground.

Gradually, Xia Fu stopped feeling the cold of the water.

In her rapture, she heard his enchanting voice whisper by her ear, “Let’s go somewhere else,” before wrapping his arms around her neck.

The loosened waistband was easy enough to handle, but the undone bow was trickier to re-tie.

Fortunately, along with booking the pool, Fang Jingcheng had also reserved the closest guest rooms. Holding a towel-wrapped Xia Fu, he swiped open one of the doors.

Unlike the trembling blue pool, the bright lights were mercilessly revealing, casting a stark reality on her shyness—unflattering details, a scarcity here, and fluff there, each imperfection on display.

She’d told her parents she’d be studying and working, but in her first three days back, she’d lured her boyfriend into a pool and stripped in a hotel room.

Staring at the white ceiling, she could almost hear her parents’ scathing voices, “Girls who mess around before marriage are dirty, and their insides rot from disease.”

Dirty? What’s dirty? Hadn’t he swallowed it all?

The tip of his nose, which had nuzzled her skin affectionately, was now pressed between her legs, his tongue—so adept at unlocking others’ hearts—now opening her body.

The sinful, unfamiliar pleasure piled up in waves, pooling in her lower abdomen, like the sticky fluid that wouldn’t stop during her period. She trembled uncontrollably, fingers tangling through his silver hair.

If the beginning felt this thrilling, what would her parents’ worst taboo feel like?

Pondering this, Xia Fu raised her lover’s face, marked with water, and shared a kiss full of mingled passion, nipping at his toned chest.

Fang Jingcheng was indeed handsome, his body pale and rosy, like the innermost petals revealed only after peeling away layers. Apart from that initial discomfort, the fullness she felt inside brought a deep satisfaction—finally, he was hers.

Like a toy crafted by heaven just for her, each touch sent blissful tremors throughout her body, and even when the “merman’s” tail touched ground, it still brought waves. Intertwined fingers, she held onto every part of him she could.

The more restrained a person, the easier they fall. Xia Fu, having bottled up her youthful desires, now surged in full force, while Fang Jingcheng, newly discovering the joys of love, was overflowing with unchecked energy. They spent a surreal time together.

Sunlight couldn’t penetrate the heavy velvet curtains, erasing the difference between night and day, and Xia Fu only sensed the passage of time through the occasional knock for room service.

They were staying in a five-star hotel under the “Blue Star Group,” where Second Young Master Fang Jingcheng received top-notch service. Without leaving their room, they enjoyed the chef’s specialty dishes, and the clothes left in the locker room were cleaned and returned.

But Xia Fu preferred the oversized robe, given how close they’d become. One moment she’d be savoring the signature strawberry cream ice cream, and the next, Fang Jingcheng would be beside her, murmuring “You’re so cute” before kissing her ear and stroking her body.

Even though he’d say, “You don’t have to pay me any mind,” she could never resist his charms. Soon enough, he’d take the place of dessert in her mouth, while the white robe was carelessly discarded.

After their intimacy, Fang Jingcheng rubbed his sweaty cheek against her hair, gazing at her with a sigh.

“Why don’t you just stay here? It’s just one summer break, after all.”

Just a minute ago, Xia Fu’s phone chimed with a boarding reminder—she had a train back home in 24 hours.

“Whenever you talk about home, you seem upset. Is there something wrong?”

Faced with his concern, Xia Fu hesitated.

He’d accepted her body, but would he accept her heart?

She bit her lip, struggling to answer, “I really don’t want to go back. Every time, they compare me to my brother, tearing me down…”

Fang Jingcheng knew her background; for a girl from a resource-poor town to get this far, she was a “golden phoenix from the chicken coop.” It baffled him that her family would criticize such an accomplished daughter. Cautiously, he asked, “They favor boys over girls?”

Favoring boys over girls.

That pain actually had a name, yet such a light word couldn’t begin to explain her situation, especially since he was the one who was valued in this equation.

Lost for where to start, Xia Fu closed her eyes, curling into his embrace, whispering, “Yes, so hold me again… No one at home has ever hugged me. I want you to hold me more…” She was clearly resolved to stay.

“Alright…”

Fang Jingcheng silently comforted her, embracing his beloved girl on the eve of their farewell. Overwhelmed by his love, he made a decision—

If Xia Fu didn’t want to go home, he could take her away. Just like here in this hotel, he’d bring her to a home for the two of them.

He’d never been the obedient type, and waiting for her to ask had stretched his patience thin.

So, when he told her, “Fine, just remember to call me when you’re home,” he’d already bought a ticket on the next train after hers.

What did it mean to take responsibility for another person’s life?

Was it money? Xia Fu’s living expenses were less than pocket change to him. Financially, he could easily support it, but what about everything else?

Fang Jingcheng didn’t fully understand yet. All he wanted was to make his love’s life a bit happier.