The golden shore met calm, clear water. The sand was as fine as powder, and the azure sea stretched to the horizon, nearly melting into a sky of the same shade.

Behind them, a lush forest grew. Before them, white-capped waves crashed upon the shore.

The beach Chen Yuan had come to this time was larger than their last one, and much more crowded.

Sun umbrellas dotted the beach, where beautiful women in all kinds of swimsuits soaked up the golden sunlight. They showed off their lovely figures, providing a dazzling sight that left one breathless.

Among them, one woman in a striped swimsuit was particularly eye-catching. Her skin was so fair it seemed to glow, and her figure was voluptuous yet firm, with elegant, smooth curves.

Her long legs, like a work of art, swayed back and forth—a sight so beautiful it could give a man a nosebleed…

However, her swimsuit was still on the conservative side, allowing no one to glimpse the wonders hidden beneath the striped fabric.

Usually, when a girl with a great figure dresses this conservatively, it’s for one of two reasons.

Either she’s too shy and conservative to wear anything revealing, or she has a jealous boyfriend who’s laid down the law!

Even though Jiang Yao was already being plenty conservative, Chen Yuan was still jealous.

“It would’ve been better if you’d worn the swimsuit from last time. You looked so ethereal in it…” he muttered under his breath.

“That one isn’t good for sports. It’s fine for a swim, but that’s it. Come on, my little young master, I’ll just play for a bit, then I won’t wander around on the beach anymore. We can grab our cover-ups in a bit. Don’t be jealous.”

A playful smile lit up her face as she swayed Chen Yuan’s arm.

Jiang Yao was overjoyed to be on vacation. Ever since they first talked about taking a trip back in Lanjing, she had been picturing the beautiful scene of the two of them running hand-in-hand on the beach.

She imagined them laughing joyfully under the bright sun.

Her long hair would brush against his fingertips, the salty scent of the ocean drifting through the air.

Now that it was all coming true, Jiang Yao was utterly content. Her eyes were filled with nothing but love for Chen Yuan.

“Alright, then. The sun is perfect right now. Let’s go play some volleyball.”

“Okay! But you have to go easy on me. A girl like me has no strength, you know~”

“I will.”

Chen Yuan picked up the nearby volleyball, a brilliant smile on his face and a gentle warmth filling his eyes.

「A few minutes later.」

The two stood on either side of the net. The round ball flew back and forth without a moment’s rest, sometimes soaring toward the azure sky, other times being spiked down with tremendous force.

“Tyrant Dragon Spike!”

“Divine Dragon’s Tail Whip!”

“Thomas Spiral Leap!”

Chen Yuan showed no mercy, putting immense force into every strike.

He watched Jiang Yao scramble frantically across the sand to return his serves. Sometimes, she wouldn’t make it in time and would trip over her own feet, falling with a THUD and getting covered in sand.

He burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. The way Jiang Yao fell reminded him of an uncoordinated little duckling.

“You’re still laughing! Waaah…”

Jiang Yao pouted and glared at him. Without bothering to brush off the sand, she pointed an accusing finger at him.

“Are you okay? Get up, let’s keep playing.”

“You’re not even going to comfort me!” Jiang Yao stayed kneeling dejectedly on the ground for a moment. The fine sand was scorching hot, and soon her fair skin began to turn red.

Seeing that Chen Yuan had no intention of comforting her, she finally stood up on her own, wrinkled her little nose, and picked up the ball.

She gritted her teeth, her gaze filled with bitter resentment.

“You just wait!” she threatened.

“Alright, alright.”

‘Teasing Yaoyao is just too much fun,’ Chen Yuan thought. ‘She always acts tough, but her composure shatters so easily. She can’t cause me any real harm. In fact, she’s more likely to slip while trying to hit the ball with all her might.’

Letting out a little yelp, she fell flat on her back!

…

“Hmm-hmm-hmm~ Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob~~”

“SpongeBob SquarePants! If nautical nonsense be something you wish~”

Yaoyao hummed the cheerful melody, lovely notes spilling from her lips, but her hands never stopped moving.

She really had a certain talent for arts and crafts. She planned to build a few sandcastles: SpongeBob’s pineapple, Squidward’s Easter Island head, and of course, the easiest of all—Patrick’s big rock.

After just a little while, the most difficult of the three, the pineapple, was already taking shape. She picked up a nearby seashell and began carving the characteristic patterns into the oval-shaped pile of sand.

Jiang Yao and Chen Yuan were having a competition.

They were racing to see who could finish all three “castles” first.

To prevent any sabotage, they sat far apart from each other, back-to-back.

Halfway through her work, Jiang Yao glanced over her shoulder and saw Chen Yuan scratching his head in frustration. She giggled, feeling that victory was already in the bag.

Her hands moved even faster.

She wasn’t the only one building castles there.

Nearby, two toddlers who could barely walk were babbling as they moved sand around with their little shovels.

Unfortunately, their creative abilities were limited. They couldn’t build anything recognizable, only a messy, mountain-like pile of sand.

A little girl with two pigtails sticking straight up and wearing a strawberry-print outfit had been at it for a while. Shovel in hand, she stared in confusion at the poop-shaped pile she had made.

The boy next to her, who seemed to be her little brother, was digging furiously in the sand like a dog.

The little girl stared blankly for a moment, then, suddenly bored, she stood up and started looking around for her mother.

She turned and spotted her mother standing in the shallows, striking cute poses for photos.

She was far too busy to pay any attention to her daughter.

The little girl looked down, and then her gaze fixed on Jiang Yao nearby.

She stared intently at Jiang Yao’s impressive-looking sandcastle, her eyes never wavering. Her blank expression must have been hiding a deep sense of envy.

“La la la~”

Jiang Yao looked up and immediately noticed the little girl beside her.

Her eyes darted between the girl’s expression and her messy pile of sand, and then she let out a disdainful little hmph.

“Blehh!”

‘This artistic masterpiece isn’t something just anyone can build,’ she thought, filled with a sense of accomplishment after comparing her work to the girl’s. She beckoned the little girl over.

“Hey, look. Is my castle big?”

“Big…” the girl answered in a small, squeaky voice as she walked over.

“Is it pretty?”

“Uh-huh…”

“Do you want to touch it?”

“I do!” A fervent light appeared in the little girl’s eyes.

“In your dreams! I’m not letting you touch it. Ahahaha—hic!” Jiang Yao laughed wildly, making a face and teasing the little girl with a cheeky grin.

The poor girl was stunned.

She was shocked that a grown woman could be so mean.

She was so startled she took two steps back. Her lip trembled, her mouth turned down, and her eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Mo… Mommy! Waaaaah! Mommy~”

The little girl turned and ran clumsily toward the water’s edge, pointing back at Jiang Yao as she cried.

Yaoyao jumped up in alarm. ‘She can’t take a joke at all!’ she thought. Abandoning her sandcastle, she scrambled over to hide behind Chen Yuan.

…

Chen Yuan had been lost in thought for a while, his mind not on building sandcastles.

His phone had just vibrated in his pocket. He’d pulled it out to see a call from Jiang Zhengfeng.

But with Yaoyao right behind him, he hadn’t dared to answer.

He was just trying to think of an excuse, like “going to the bathroom,” to slip away and take the call.

Just as his mind was wandering, he felt a push from behind.

Slender, pale arms wrapped around his neck, giving his shoulders a playful shove. A soft body pressed against his back, and a sweet, gentle voice sounded in his ear.

“My! Lit! tle! Young! Mas! ter! Let me see your masterpiece… It’s so ugly! Hehehe~”

Her radiant smile, warmer than the sun itself, crinkled her eyes as she hugged him tightly.

She peppered Chen Yuan’s cheek with light kisses, as if it were the only way to express the love filling her heart.

“Oh, I don’t want to play anymore. I’m getting a little hungry. My little young master, will you take me to get something to eat?”

she wheedled.

Chen Yuan turned his head, a slight smile playing on his lips as he gazed at Jiang Yao’s joyful expression.

“Alright. What should we have for dinner?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep