People in their teens still retain a certain maidenly innocence, often acting without regard for consequences. Even if they are considered adults in this world—at an age where they can marry and mate—they are still impulsive.
As for throwing Yin Lin into the open-air hot spring, they simply found it amusing; they didn’t think of it as being too intimate or too much of a prank.
Yin Lin, on the other hand, was still a bit inhibited. Or rather, her age created a generation gap between her and the others. There were certain things Song Wuli felt uncomfortable doing, or was simply too embarrassed to do. Add the factor of gender into the mix, and it became even more awkward.
Seeing them bathing without any clothes on, she couldn’t help but blush uncontrollably.
Xia Shiyao, as if discovering a new toy, leaned in and hugged her, her “large coconuts” rubbing back and forth against Yin Lin’s back. Occasionally, she even toyed with Yin Lin’s burning ears.
Do girls always act this intimately when bathing together? Do they really snuggle up and cling to each other like this?
Yin Lin naturally didn’t know. After all, having been a man for 34 years, the only time she had ever seen two women snuggling was in adult films; she’d never had the chance to see such a scene in the real world. She understood nothing of the intimacy between the same sex.
It was just as women don’t know about a man’s “ball-shifting period,” or whether men help “hold the little brother” for each other when they go to the bathroom for a smoke. Across the divide of gender, many things are hard to comprehend.
Yin Lin currently couldn’t understand why Xia Shiyao was sticking to her like glue.
Meanwhile, Chen Jiayuan was playing with the water by herself. Having never soaked in a large public bath since childhood, she found it very novel. The water temperature was perfect—not too chilly for summer, but not so hot that one would sweat buckets like they were being cooked in a hot pot. Before the clear spring water could be “contaminated by girl juices,” she submerged her entire body and took a dip. She was having a great time on her own.
Over there, Xia Shiyao was also having a blast. She had already stripped off Yin Lin’s outer clothes, and just as she wanted to continue, Yin Lin stopped her.
She said righteously, “I am not an exhibitionist,” while covering her chest, which was still clad in underwear.
But covering the front was useless because the bra’s clasp was in the back. Xia Shiyao unhooked it from behind. “You can’t wear underwear while bathing, you know.”
Is there such a rule? I’ve never heard of it.
Yin Lin continued to clutch her chest. Noticing Xia Shiyao leaning her face in, she quickly pushed the woman’s head away. Seeing that her strength was no match, she hurriedly stood up, intending to flee the open-air spring.
Xia Shiyao was quick, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her back with a sharp tug. She pulled her into the water, and they plunged in together. They began frolicking in the clear water, splashing and tickling each other as Xia Shiyao’s playful side took over.
Originally, they hadn’t been sweating, but after all this commotion, they were covered in it. Finally, Xia Shiyao used her ultimate move, reaching out and grabbing Yin Lin’s “coconuts” with such force that she left finger marks.
Yin Lin fled the hot spring pool in a panic, running through the house stark naked back to her room.
She sighed repeatedly along the way. If only I were bathing with my “brothers,” like Huang Yijun or Qian Dehao. Three grown men can really cut loose. Facing Xia Shiyao and Chen Jiayuan, Yin Lin ultimately felt a barrier; she was too embarrassed to play around with them.
Back in her room, she dried her body and hair, then changed into a new outfit—an energetic ensemble of a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. She put on a hat and mask and tucked her hair up. Before the others could return, she set out to explore the manor alone.
She had already seen the front yard; that’s where they had entered. In the backyard, there was a bamboo grove. She didn’t know how long these stalks had been growing, but they felt like towering trees. Walking through them made one feel calm and serene; it was very peaceful. Some of the bamboo bore numerous marks of damage.
Past the bamboo forest, there was a high tower in the backyard, seemingly an observation point. The tower was quite tall; if the 34-year-old Song Wuli had tried to climb it, his back and legs would probably have been screaming in pain. For Yin Lin, however, the climb was relatively easy.
It had nine floors. When she reached the top, the entire manor came into view. She couldn’t see the open-air hot spring, as it was blocked by a specially built wall. A large area surrounding the manor belonged to the Yinmiao Villa territory, but it hadn’t been developed; it was intentionally filled with flowers and trees to create a “wilderness” feel. In reality, this was just a remote area, not truly the wild. The land must be expensive—she wondered how much money it would take to buy it.
Turning her gaze in the other direction, she saw Yinmiao Temple nearby. As long as one stayed at the manor, they could go there to offer incense and pray at any time. Yin Lin was quite interested in that place; most people living in Yiri City considered it a minor holy site, and visiting it was quite meaningful.
She was also interested in that miraculous treasure that supposedly emitted light and heat on its own. She planned to study it and see if it was truly a “Creation Artifact.” She continuously sensed the surroundings but found no trace of magic. Her suspicions weren’t cleared, so she intended to conduct a physical investigation.
After feeling the wind on the high tower for a while, she returned to the guest rooms. From a distance, she heard sounds coming from the training ground.
She walked in to take a look; it was Xia Shiyao and Chen Jiayuan. Having finished their bath, they had actually started training. They were using their original bodies now, wearing protective gear and practicing with wooden swords and poles. Both were melee-type Magical Girls, so sparring practice was appropriate.
Surprisingly, while sparring in their original forms, the usually weakest one, “Huan Hong” (Chen Jiayuan), actually held the advantage. Her strength was noticeably greater; whenever the wooden pole and sword clashed, Xia Shiyao’s wooden sword would be knocked aside. After a dozen rounds, the webbing of Xia Shiyao’s thumb was aching from the impact, and she was almost unable to hold her weapon steady.
Chen Jiayuan, meanwhile, was in excellent condition, growing bolder as she fought. After parrying the opponent’s sword, she even managed to land a few taps on Xia Shiyao with her pole.
The match was decided.
Seeing Xia Shiyao’s miserable defeat, Yin Lin couldn’t help but burst into laughter—a very uninhibited laugh.
Xia Shiyao felt humiliated. “Don’t laugh! You come and train too.”
She tossed a wooden sword over, but Yin Lin refused to catch it. Xia Shiyao walked over and smacked Yin Lin’s butt with the flat of the wooden blade; it made a very crisp sound.
Only then did Yin Lin pick up the weapon. She asked, “What happens if I win?”
Xia Shiyao replied, “Then I’m at your disposal. If you lose, you sleep with me tonight.”
Yin Lin said, “No way. I don’t know anything about melee combat.”
Xia Shiyao countered, “Fine. If you can land even one hit on me—anywhere on my body except my arms—you win.”
Yin Lin said, “You said it, don’t go back on your word.”
Thus, the two began sparring while Chen Jiayuan wiped her sweat and watched the show. Yin Lin first took a drawing stance, preparing for a flashy Iai strike, hoping to win in one blow like a master from an anime.
Xia Shiyao sighed and immediately closed the distance, smacking Yin Lin’s butt with her sword—another crisp sound. It stung a little. Yin Lin hurriedly attempted her Iai strike, but Xia Shiyao parried it with ease and gave Yin Lin’s butt another whack. Red marks were already starting to appear.
In her shame and anger, Yin Lin began using “Bastard Swordplay”—the key was unpredictability, ten swings in two seconds. Xia Shiyao landed a heavy blow, knocking the wooden sword right out of Yin Lin’s hand. Then, she proceeded to swing her sword repeatedly at Yin Lin’s “bouncy” butt, sending Yin Lin scrambling and fleeing across the training ground in a panic.