Chapter 439

The indoor hot spring steamed with misty vapor, and beneath the white fog drifted an atmosphere of ambiguity.

Ying Chanxi was fully submerged in the hot spring water, her head alone exposed, cheeks flushed as she stared fixedly at the stone table before her, too shy to turn back and face Li Luo, who had just arrived behind her.

Xu Youyu extended both arms, crossing them atop the stone table, most of her upper body still beneath the water, her head resting on her arms as she smiled playfully at Ying Chanxi and teased,

"Chanxi, you need to sit up a bit, otherwise Li Luo can't see the clasp on your back—how's he going to unfasten it?"

"Mmm…" Ying Chanxi blinked shyly and whispered, "Isn't it easy to unfasten the clasp?"

"That's easy for girls," Xu Youyu said. "Most boys probably haven't even seen one. Li Luo, have you ever seen one?"

Li Luo: "... Do you think I've ever seen one?"

"Look," Xu Youyu turned to Ying Chanxi, grinning, "or maybe you could teach him—how do you normally unfasten the back strap of a swimsuit?"

"I-I just… pinch both sides, pull them inward a little, and then it comes loose." Ying Chanxi's face was blazing red as she whispered in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Li Luo barely caught her words; his hands had already slid down her shoulders, tracing along her back, searching.

Since nothing was visible beneath the water, Li Luo could only feel his way, slowly locating the clasp on her back.

Ying Chanxi trembled slightly under his large palms; had her two good friends not been beside her, she might have let out a soft whimper.

But when Li Luo's hand touched the clasp, realizing he was truly helping her take off her swimsuit,

although the physical sensation wasn't as intense as the earlier caress along her back,

the mental stimulation made Ying Chanxi breathe rapidly, her face crimson beyond any possible shade, her tiny fists clenched tight beneath the water.

"Uh… so how exactly do you open this?" Li Luo stood behind Ying Chanxi, half-crouching, tugging back and forth on the clasp, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "What does this clasp even look like?"

"Pinch it and press inward hard," Xu Youyu reminded him with a smile. "If you still can't, just have Chanxi sit up a bit—after all, you can't see the front anyway."

Ying Chanxi realized Li Luo truly couldn't undo it; after hearing Xu Youyu's suggestion, she hesitated, then, blushing furiously, sat up slightly, lifting the clasp above the water's surface.

Finally seeing what the thing looked like, Li Luo leaned down curiously to examine it closely, finally understanding its mechanism.

He applied slight pressure—and the clasp came undone.

"Chanxi, don't move!" Xu Youyu had already left her seat, crouching beside Ying Chanxi, grabbing her wrists with a mischievous grin, then calling to Li Luo behind her, "Unfastening the clasp is only the first step—you still have to remove the shoulder straps and take off the swimsuit."

"Senior!" Ying Chanxi cried out, her cheeks flaming, her entire body suddenly overheating far beyond the normal warmth of the hot spring.

If there were a heart rate monitor here, Ying Chanxi's pulse would surely be racing toward 200.

"If Chanxi doesn't want to, that's fine," Xu Youyu released her hands and returned to her seat.

Li Luo still held the loosened clasp in his hand, but his peripheral vision stole glances toward Xu Youyu.

Unfortunately, Xu Youyu's positioning was flawless—she revealed little of her body above water, only a faint, massive silhouette barely emerging from beneath the surface as she sat back on the stone bench, then quickly sinking again.

After Xu Youyu returned to her seat, Ying Chanxi hesitated, thinking: since Li Luo had already unfastened the clasp, helping him remove the shoulder straps couldn't possibly matter much, could it?

After all, Li Luo probably couldn't see anything anyway.

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi gave the tiniest nod and whispered, "Then… please help me."

Li Luo froze at her words, stunned she had actually agreed.

Gazing at the slender orange-yellow shoulder strap, he swallowed hard, released the clasp, and placed his hands on her shoulders, clearly feeling the girl's trembling frame.

Though he had imagined this scene countless times, actually reaching this point still made his breath quicken.

As he gripped the strap and slowly pulled it outward, Ying Chanxi lifted her arms obediently, letting him slide the straps free.

Soon, Ying Chanxi felt a sudden lightness across her chest and immediately sank deeper into the water.

But Yan Zhusheng beside her had already reached out, lightly touching Ying Chanxi's chest a few times: "I think Chanxi's gotten a bit bigger?"

"Ah!" Ying Chanxi jumped, startled; only then did she realize who had touched her, her face burning as she cried, "Zhusheng, don't touch me like that… you scared me to death!"

Behind her, Li Luo stared at the orange-yellow swimsuit he now held in his hand, glancing at Yan Zhusheng with a touch of envy.

To say he didn't want to touch… was impossible.

But with all three of them present, Li Luo dared not make any overly bold moves.

Quietly returning to his seat, he picked up a cold drink, took two sips, and cooled himself down—finally regaining some composure: "Shall we stop here?"

"How can we stop?" Xu Youyu protested. "We're all still wearing one piece each—we have to finish the game first, at least."

"You want to play again?"

"You're scared?" Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow, began gathering the chess pieces, resetting the board.

As she arranged the pieces with her right hand, her body inevitably rose slightly from the water, forcing her to use her left hand to cover her chest.

Though awkward, she at least managed to shield her key areas.

Even so, Li Luo could still glimpse the view spilling through the gaps between her arms, leaving him utterly stunned.

"Where are you looking?" Xu Youyu clearly noticed his gaze, but only after finishing the setup did she smile and tease him, "Still want to touch?"

"Cough… don't say nonsense," Li Luo coughed to cover his embarrassment, turned his gaze away, and met Ying Chanxi's eyes—where he saw a faint trace of resentment.

"Chanxi's is nice too," Xu Youyu said. "If I could, I'd swap with her—cute shape, not too heavy."

"Senior… stop talking," Ying Chanxi blushed, especially embarrassed now that Li Luo was listening.

Beneath the water, she hugged her chest tightly; when she saw Li Luo glance her way again, she puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. "I'm watching the game—I'm not looking at you. Don't glare at me." Li Luo reached out and adjusted his general, straightening it.

"If you're watching the game, how do you know Chanxi glared at you?" Yan Zhusheng blinked and asked.

Li Luo: "... Zhusheng, you talk too much. Eat some fruit."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng obediently picked up a grape and popped it in her mouth, then picked up another and held it to Li Luo's lips.

Li Luo opened his mouth and took it, then looked at Xu Youyu: "Let's go."

Another tense and thrilling game of Xiangqi.

This time, though Xu Youyu's expression was serious, clearly determined to win, Li Luo ultimately outplayed her, delivering checkmate and claiming victory.

"Ahh~ I lost again." Xu Youyu sighed, looking disappointed.

Judging by her expression, she truly hoped Li Luo would lose and have to take off his swim trunks.

But now…

"I'm taking it off."

Xu Youyu was straightforward and efficient, not the slightest bit hesitant.

In just a few seconds, a black, sexy bikini floated on the water before Li Luo.

Looking at the bikini before him, then at the swimsuit top he'd placed on the table corner—belonging to Senior—Li Luo suddenly felt a sharp itch deep within his body.

His whole body buzzed with an indescribable thrill.

He turned to look at Xu Youyu, feeling his blood boil, barely able to contain himself.

Merely imagining Xu Youyu's form in the hot spring water was enough to make him lose his reason.

Turning to look at Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng, Li Luo took a deep breath and said, "Xixi, your turn now?"

"D-Do I have to go too?" Ying Chanxi, clutching her chest in the water, asked softly, her face flushed.

"Then I'll go," Yan Zhusheng said.

"No no no, I'll do it," Ying Chanxi immediately accepted Li Luo's challenge, mimicking Xu Youyu's posture—one hand shielding her chest, the other placing the chess piece.

Under Li Luo's gaze, two cute little mounds were flattened by Ying Chanxi's arms, soft and adorable, making one want to bite into them and taste their flavor.

"Alright, go ahead," Ying Chanxi hastily arranged the pieces, then quickly sank back under the water, her face bright red as she looked at Li Luo. Seeing his lingering gaze, she puffed out her cheeks. "You're peeking again."

"It really is beautiful," Li Luo nodded. "Xu Youyu's evaluation was spot-on."

"Hmph." Being praised so directly made Ying Chanxi's face flush even deeper.

Fortunately, she hadn't been swept away by the compliment.

But beneath the water, Li Luo was once again attacked by two feet.

In the end, overwhelmed and dazed, Li Luo lost the game as Ying Chanxi pressed forward relentlessly, his defenses crumbling.

"Sigh… I'm fighting three at once—how could I possibly win?" Li Luo stared at his captured general, sighing helplessly.

Opposite him, Ying Chanxi protested, "Every game was one-on-one! You just took turns playing each of us."

Li Luo: "..."

He wanted to say: You don't understand—you have no idea what I just went through!

But his lips moved, and he said nothing, only reached irritably beneath the water, trying to grab the two culprits.

But Yan Zhusheng and Xu Youyu's feet were slicker than fish—they immediately pulled back, giving him no chance.

"It's your turn for punishment now," Xu Youyu smiled sweetly at Li Luo, licking her lips, clearly eager.

On the other side, Yan Zhusheng raised her hand voluntarily. "I can help you take it off."

"This round was my win," Ying Chanxi, seeing Yan Zhusheng's eagerness, panicked and interrupted quickly.

"Then Xixi can help Li Luo take it off," Xu Youyu picked up the thread.

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi froze, stunned. "I—I didn't mean..."

"Oh come on, don't be shy, come on," Xu Youyu pulled Ying Chanxi toward him, while urging Li Luo to turn around. "Go on, go on—no need for Li Luo to stand up. Just take it off like this."

Ying Chanxi was pulled up by Xu Youyu, forced to rise fully from the water, and immediately clutched her chest in panic.

Fortunately, Li Luo had already turned away—he couldn't see this scene at all—letting Ying Chanxi breathe a sigh of relief.

Blushing, she walked behind Li Luo, thinking he couldn't see, and boldly let go of her hands.

But just then, Li Luo began to turn his head, opening his mouth as if to speak—startled, Ying Chanxi instantly reached out and pressed her hands firmly over his face.

But with both her hands now on his head, Li Luo instantly knew exactly what was behind him.

Merely imagining it made his heart pound wildly.

This was completely different from being underwater!