The season was drawing closer to summer.
Warm sunlight poured down onto the surface of the water.
Lu Xiaoxiao showed no anger at Lin Cheng’s water spraying antics, so he quickly grew bored and leaned against the edge of the pool. Bratty kids were all the same; when you ignored their provocations, they lost interest fast.
“Why do you know Xu Wanyue?” Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly asked him.
“She came to gamble at the casino in our Fruit Shop, and then Litchi recruited her into the group. As a fellow member of the Fruit Shop, I figured I should teach her a thing or two about using Energy Nodes. We gradually got to know each other that way. She’s so cute.”
Lin Cheng’s tone grew inexplicably gentle as he mentioned Xu Wanyue.
Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath.
For some reason, that simple “she’s so cute” made her feel deeply irritated.
“And how did you two meet?” Lin Cheng asked curiously.
…Actually, he had known from the start that Xu Wanyue and Lu Xiaoxiao were acquainted. After Xu Wanyue joined the Fruit Shop, Litchi had thoroughly investigated her social connections. Xu Wanyue’s circle was practically a blank slate—aside from her sister, Lu Xiaoxiao was her only real friend.
It felt like some inexplicable twist of fate.
“Friendships between women are simple.”
It really was. They’d met while handling some business together. Xu Wanyue had helped Lu Xiaoxiao order milk tea, picking exactly the flavor Lu Xiaoxiao loved. They’d exchanged contacts and started chatting—sharing thoughts on cute dresses, favorite TV dramas, lipstick shades—and before long, they were best friends who went shopping and grabbed meals together.
“Are you hitting on her?” Lu Xiaoxiao’s gaze sharpened in an instant.
She knew how Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao had crossed paths because Xu Wanyue’s mission report from that day had summoned the Alliance. It was during their photo trip to Peach Blossom Cove in the suburbs when they’d stumbled right into that Catastrophe event.
Lu Xiaoxiao had no idea why Xu Wanyue was tied to the Fruit Shop—after all, her mission was SS-rank classified.
“Why do I get this sour feeling?” Lin Cheng glanced at Lu Xiaoxiao.
“No, she’s my good friend. I just don’t want her getting duped by some scumbag.” Lu Xiaoxiao replied coolly. Lin Cheng let out an “oh” before answering her question. “I did think about hitting on her.”
“And then?”
“Didn’t work.” Lin Cheng covered his face.
Lu Xiaoxiao let out a cold laugh. “Really?”
“She’s not normal! Not like a regular girl at all! Adorably clueless!” Lin Cheng said with a wistful sigh. “And she always treats me like a little kid.”
Somehow, that only made Lu Xiaoxiao feel even more annoyed.
How strange… Maybe it was because she was the fool who’d fallen for his charms so easily.
Lin Cheng seemed to remember something all of a sudden. “Hey, should we call her over to join? It’s boring with just two of us.”
“Boring hanging out with me?”
“Nah, just figured more people would make it livelier.” Lin Cheng’s expression was the picture of innocence. Lu Xiaoxiao said “oh.” “You call her, or should I?”
“I’ll do it.”
Lin Cheng grabbed his phone from nearby and sent Xu Wanyue a message.
Even now, he still wasn’t sure if she’d known about that Catastrophe descent in advance, or if her panic had been a perfectly crafted act. But none of that mattered—he trusted his gut. As long as she could keep fooling him, he’d go on believing it was genuine.
“Swimming—Lu Xiaoxiao and I are here.”
Lin Cheng snapped a quick photo of Lu Xiaoxiao and sent it along. Xu Wanyue replied almost immediately. After a moment’s thought, he added, “Contract kicks in again tomorrow. Four days to go, remember.”
Xu Wanyue sent back a Black Cat nodding emoji.
Xu Wanyue arrived half an hour later, lemon tea in hand for both Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao. It wasn’t super cold anymore, but that was nothing a snap of Lu Xiaoxiao’s fingers couldn’t fix. Lin Cheng launched himself out of the pool. “I’ll show you to the changing room.”
“Oh…” Xu Wanyue echoed softly, falling into step beside him with a spring in her gait.
Outside the changing room, she murmured, “When did you get out?”
“This morning—right as Lu Xiaoxiao showed up to pick me up.”
“You’ve known her a while… but you never told me.”
“Didn’t want you getting jealous.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Is that because you don’t like me, or because you like me too much to admit it?”
“What do you think?” Xu Wanyue tilted her head, her smile warm and gentle.
“I’m depressed. Wanna die.” Lin Cheng had guessed her answer.
“Okay, okay—congrats on clearing your name. Want a hug?”
“A hug from Mr. Perfunctory? Pass.”
Even so, Xu Wanyue wrapped her arms around him lightly. She always carried this wonderful scent, like a sun-dappled forest. After a few seconds, she slipped into the changing room. When she emerged, she was in a modestly conservative black one-piece swimsuit that showed almost no skin except for her legs, which were sheathed in sheer white silk thigh-high stockings. Her wavy long hair was pulled into a ponytail, hands clasped behind her back. “What do you think of this?”
She knew exactly how to play him.
“Why does everything you wear look so damn sexy?”
“Because your mind’s always in the gutter.” Xu Wanyue poked his chest lightly. “Come on, let’s go.”
They made their way back to the pool, and she dove in headfirst, sending up huge splashes. She swam straight to Lu Xiaoxiao’s side. “I had no idea you knew him too, Xiaoxiao.”
“Same here.” Lu Xiaoxiao whispered back. Xu Wanyue looped her arm gently through Lu Xiaoxiao’s. “Your swimsuit looks amazing, Xiaoxiao.”
“Yours does too.”
“Nah, the others are way too revealing.” Xu Wanyue’s eyes sparkled with pure innocence. Lu Xiaoxiao fell silent for several seconds before murmuring, “What’s going on between you two?”
“Um… good friends?” Xu Wanyue pondered for a beat, then smiled.
Lu Xiaoxiao opened her mouth to say more, but Lin Cheng’s voice cut in. “Take this!”
He whipped out the water gun again and sprayed right at Xu Wanyue. A stream hit her cheek without warning. She planted her hands on her hips and fixed him with a brooding stare. “I want in too.”
Lin Cheng tossed her a fresh water gun. She filled it up, then suddenly glanced toward the door. “Is that Litchi?”
Lin Cheng whipped his head around on instinct—but the doorway stood empty. The next instant, water splashed across his face. Xu Wanyue burst out laughing. “Haha, you idiot!”
And just like that, the two of them launched into a full-on water gun war in the pool.
Lu Xiaoxiao, lounging by the pool’s edge, suddenly felt like the odd one out.
Who was really the childish one here?
That is, until Xu Wanyue sneaked a spray at Lu Xiaoxiao’s neck. Lu Xiaoxiao drew in a deep breath. Xu Wanyue grinned at her. “Xiaoxiao, back me up—he’s being mean!”
Lu Xiaoxiao found herself catching the water gun Lin Cheng chucked her way and dove into the fray. The three of them turned it into total chaos. The empty villa buzzed with sudden energy. The battlefield spilled beyond the pool onto the villa’s lawn. Lu Xiaoxiao kept thinking how stupid and childish it all was, but in one fleeting moment, she broke into a smile.
Maybe she was the childish one after all.
With a snap of her fingers, the water in her gun and Xu Wanyue’s turned to ice-cold. Together, they ganged up on Lin Cheng. He yelped and hollered, “No fair! Cheating!”
He grabbed another water gun, dual-wielding as he yelled “pew pew pew!”
They chased each other around the villa for nearly half an hour until Xu Wanyue ran out of steam and collapsed onto the lawn, gasping for breath. Only then did the mayhem finally wind down. Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao sat nearby—their stamina far outpacing hers.
By now, the white stockings on Xu Wanyue’s legs were thoroughly soaked, clinging transparently to her pale skin in a way that was inexplicably alluring. Lin Cheng’s gaze lingered on the water droplets tracing her thigh. Noticing, she lifted her leg toward him. He caught on immediately, his hand gently gripping the top edge of her stocking and easing it down.
Her toes curled slightly, her soft foot tinged a delicate pink. Her cheeks remained flushed—she was still catching her breath.
Their movements were so seamlessly coordinated it bordered on excessive, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Lu Xiaoxiao averted her eyes, a strange feeling settling in her gut.
“Hungry?” Lin Cheng asked Xu Wanyue.
“A little.” She rubbed her stomach.
“There’s stuff in the fridge. I’ll set up the grill—you handle the cooking?”
“Deal.”
Lin Cheng set up the barbecue grill on the lawn. The Fruit Shop’s team-building events usually happened right here in this villa—grilling meat, swimming, karaoke, badminton, billiards, you name it. Now Xu Wanyue stood attentively at the grill, toasting sausages with care. Lin Cheng and Lu Xiaoxiao lay side by side on the soft grass, staring up at the vast blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds.
“It’s better to stay a little childish.” Lin Cheng said suddenly.
Lu Xiaoxiao turned her face toward him.
A faint smile played at the corners of Lin Cheng’s mouth. “The more you understand, the more you overthink—and the more you overthink, the more it hurts. So what’s wrong with a bit of childishness? Look at Xu Wanyue—she’s happy every day.”
Xu Wanyue did seem perpetually cheerful, her face lit with smiles and her eyes soft with warmth.
“But… it’s just lying to herself.” Lu Xiaoxiao murmured.
“The point of living is belief and hope—which boils down to lying, and lying to yourself.” Lin Cheng said softly. “Her first eighteen years were packed with Misfortune, barely any real joy. So why does she come off so optimistic? She’s mastered self-deception. She buries all her real thoughts deep down, living life in that adorably clueless way. When the pressure hits its limit, it’s her subconscious shielding her.”
“People who seem overly upbeat? They might be one step from breaking.”
“And what about you?” Lu Xiaoxiao pressed.
“That’s why I say being childish isn’t so bad.” Lin Cheng scooted a little closer to Lu Xiaoxiao. “Everyone has the right to become whoever they want to be. It just depends on whether you choose to.”
“What if… I can’t?” Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes grew complicated.
“Then I’ll help you.” Lin Cheng reached out and pinched her cheek.
