Chapter 340 : I Won’t Do It Again, I Promise~
"Ugh~"
Zhou Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes to a beautiful blue sky and the dazzling sunlight above. She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, taking a moment to adjust.
Letting out a soft sigh, she realized she had fallen asleep while floating on her swim ring. Honestly, with the soothing sea breeze, warm sunlight, and gentle waves, it was no surprise she had drifted off. It was a miracle she hadn’t slipped off the ring and into the water.
Raising her head slightly, she glanced around and was shocked to find herself much farther from the shore than she had been. I must have floated out while I was sleeping, she thought, panic setting in. But that wasn’t the real issue now—the real issue was how she would get back. After all, she couldn’t swim!
Just as Zhou Xiaoxiao began to contemplate calling for help, something brushed against her backside. Startled, she nearly toppled off the ring as someone’s head suddenly emerged from the water beside her.
"Hey, don’t move so much!"
The familiar voice brought her back to her senses. It was Ling Ning.
Ling Ning’s expression carried a hint of amusement as she looked at Zhou Xiaoxiao. "You really outdid yourself this time. You know, I’ve been keeping an eye on you this whole time. The moment you fell asleep on that swim ring, I stayed nearby just in case. Otherwise, you’d have either drifted out of sight or fallen into the water."
"Wait, weren’t you with Ye Ye?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, confused. Before falling asleep, she distinctly remembered Ling Ning playing with her daughter.
"Ye Ye went back to shore to rest. You, on the other hand, fell asleep on the ring like it was your bed. I have to admit, I’m impressed."
"I... I couldn’t help it!" Zhou Xiaoxiao avoided Ling Ning’s teasing gaze. It wasn’t her fault she was sleep-deprived and found the setting irresistibly relaxing.
"You look like you wouldn’t mind sleeping some more. I think I’ll head back and reapply some sunscreen~"
"Wait! Take me back with you!" Zhou Xiaoxiao pleaded as Ling Ning began to turn away.
"Not until you promise you won’t wake me up again the next time I’m napping."
"I promise! I won’t do it again!"
Ling Ning chuckled at Zhou Xiaoxiao’s earnest expression. If she had a camera, she’d have loved to capture this amusing moment.
Satisfied with Zhou Xiaoxiao’s response, Ling Ning began pushing her swim ring back toward the shore. The distance wasn’t far, but for someone who couldn’t swim, it might as well have been miles.
When Zhou Xiaoxiao’s feet finally touched the sandy seabed, she breathed a sigh of relief. Floating alone in the open water had been terrifying. Never again, she vowed. Well, at least not in the ocean—swimming pools were a different story.
After glancing at her watch, Ling Ning said, "It’s about time to head back. Let’s rest for a bit and then pack up."
After an afternoon of activity, she was starting to feel hungry.
"Mom, isn’t there supposed to be a watermelon-smashing game at the beach?" Ling Ye suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Ling Ning blinked. "What’s this about watermelon smashing?"
"You know, like in anime! Whenever there’s a beach episode, they always have a watermelon-smashing scene~" Ling Ye replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ling Ning couldn’t help but laugh. Shaking her head, she said, "Ye Ye, that’s just anime. And besides, that’s more of a Japanese tradition."
"Really?" Ling Ye looked disappointed.
"Well, if you want to try it, Mom can set it up for you tomorrow."
"Mom, you’re the best!"
As Ling Ye hugged her mom happily, Zhou Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel envious of their close relationship. Why don’t I have an adorable sister to pamper me like this? she wondered.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
After cleaning up the kitchen, Ling Ning walked into the living room to find Zhou Xiaoxiao and Ling Ye lounging lazily on the sofa, engrossed in the TV.
"You two," Ling Ning chided, "you can’t just sit down after eating. At least get up and move around a little."
Zhou Xiaoxiao flopped around dramatically. "Ah, no can do! The sofa has sealed me in—I can’t escape~"
Ling Ye chimed in, "A mere sofa with such powerful sealing magic? It’s terrifying!"
Ling Ning rolled her eyes. "Fine. I’m going out for a walk. Are you coming?"
Ling Ye immediately shook her head. After playing so hard all afternoon, her whole body was sore. Besides, the TV was showing a special episode of Magical Girl Xiao Ai, and she couldn’t miss the climax!
Zhou Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment but eventually stood up. After overeating at dinner, a walk seemed like a good idea to help her digestion.
The two strolled along the beach, enjoying the evening breeze.
Stretching luxuriously, Ling Ning said, "Ah, a walk on the beach after dinner really hits the spot."
"Yeah, it’s nice—if not for the smell of barbecue," Zhou Xiaoxiao muttered, glancing at a nearby group grilling on the sand. While the aroma was mouthwatering, it held no appeal to someone who was already full.
"Barbecue, huh? Maybe we should do that tomorrow or the day after," Ling Ning mused.
"You can barbecue too?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, surprised.
"Learned it a while ago," Ling Ning said with a nostalgic smile.
Barbecuing had been something she learned during her past life, back when she and her girlfriend would plan romantic beach getaways. The memory was bittersweet.
Back then, everything had been so perfect. So why? Why did things have to end that way?
Seeing Ling Ning suddenly fall silent, Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," Ling Ning replied, smiling faintly. "Just remembering old times."
For some reason, Zhou Xiaoxiao found her smile tinged with melancholy.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
Today’s salted fish is on a roll—three chapters in one day! Just a heads-up: bonus updates will end in April because I’ll be busy that month~