"Ahem, ahem, ahem!" Tang Xuhai choked on water, coughing frantically, looking disheveled.
"Are you okay?" Fu Shiwu swam over.
"Cough, cough... I'm fine," Tang Xuhai kicked in the water, raising a hand to gesture he was alright.
Fu Shiwu didn't pay much attention. Despite being skilled at swimming, a slight mishap could cause him to choke on water too. He simply assumed it was an accident on Tang Xuhai's part.
Tang Xuhai glanced up, eyeing Fu Shiwu, who seemed to have returned to his 'normal' state.
How could he put it? Fu Shiwu had looked particularly surreal and elusive just now, a kind of indescribable feeling.
Even though he wasn't deeply into arts, his sense of aesthetics as an ordinary person was intact. That atmosphere just now was definitely dreamlike, making Fu Shiwu look... beautiful.
He refrained from using such a girlish term, worried it might irk this not-so-serious guy. What if he got angry?
Watching Fu Shiwu's hair fall on his forehead, brushed aside casually, droplets sliding off his glasses, leaving trails on the lenses, all while maintaining his signature aloof expression.
Beautiful? Definitely an illusion, right?!
"Let's get someone to bring a boat to hoist the fish." Fu Shiwu was particularly focused on their labor's outcome; after all, Tang Xuhai mentioned using the fish for three meals.
"Okay." Tang Xuhai nodded, turning to swim back first.
Fu Shiwu followed closely, but Tang Xuhai's swimming frequency was notably rapid, swiftly darting far ahead.
Fu Shiwu's pace wasn't fast; his movements were leisurely despite swimming steadily.
The two reached the shallower waters.
"Fu Bro! Hai Bro! Did you guys kill that fish?" Miao Jia stood eagerly on the shore, surrounded by a group of people, all waiting for their news.
No one believed that despite its size, that fish was just a mutated giant, unaware of how it might have affected the two ability-users.
"Yeah, get someone to bring a boat, find a few good swimmers, get some ropes or fishing nets, and tow it behind the boat." Tang Xuhai emerged from the shallow area onto the shore, water streaming down him. "That fish is quite heavy; it's a hassle to get it onto the boat."
Tang Xuhai grabbed his vest's hem, starting to wring out the water.
At this moment, Fu Shiwu also reached the shore, holding a towel and walking toward him.
"Fu, dry yourself quickly. It's not that warm; be careful not to catch a cold." Olande handed the towel to Fu Shiwu.
Fu Shiwu hesitated for a moment, took the towel, and, unable to think of much, simply said, "Thanks."
Olande smiled, his gray eyes gleaming, akin to sparkling gems, adding to his handsome demeanor, immediately catching the attention of the females present.
Most were attracted due to his appeal, but a few had other intentions.
Zhen Zi's eyes lit up.
Just as Tang Xuhai paused in his actions of wringing out water, blinking as he saw Fu Shiwu starting to dry his hair with the towel while still dripping.
Does he really have no charm?
Never mind. He's probably stronger than Shiwu anyway. Olande must have thought the same, hence neglecting him and giving the towel to Fu Shiwu.
At that moment, Olande grabbed Fu Shiwu's hand.
"What's up?" Fu Shiwu, unaccustomed, tried to pull away.
Olande, gentle but firm, said, "You got water in your wound. Let me take a look."
He unwrapped the bandage, revealing Fu Shiwu's hand cut by glass, now healing but showing signs of whitening at the edges, probably due to today's activities, yet no bleeding.
"Let me disinfect and reapply some ointment." Olande suggested.
"I got it." Fu Shiwu retrieved his hand.
His vision blurred slightly; water marks on the lenses made his glasses fuzzy. He raised his hand to remove them for a wipe.
At that moment, Tang Xuhai suddenly walked over, grabbed Fu Shiwu's arm, pulled him away, and told Olande, "I'll take care of him; you don't need to bother."
Before Fu Shiwu could grasp what was happening, Tang Xuhai whisked him away.
It happened so quickly that Olande didn't catch much; he watched Fu Shiwu's hurried steps following Tang Xuhai's forceful tug.
"...Oh." Olande was dumbfounded, speechless.
Zhen Zi's eyes sparkled even more, murmuring to herself, "Oh! The cold and aloof guy being taken care of by the gentle and considerate one. That's an interesting pair, but so is the strong and domineering one. How troublesome, which to choose?"
In this world without phone networks, without the post-apocalyptic green river's mix, Zhen Zi, feeling a deep void in her spiritual world, began self-rescuing by developing the special skill of live observation and imagination, tailored for self-entertainment.
"With so much data, why not build separate 'pairing' towers?" Zhen Zi mused to herself.
She could only amuse herself; it was distressing not having someone to share it with.
"Zhen Zhen sister, what are you mumbling about?" Miao Jia stood beside her, catching snippets of words but unable to comprehend.
"Nothing~~" Zhen Zi smirked, then calmly said, "I just feel that the bond between Fu Bro and Hai Bro is quite nice."
Being second to last in age, she naturally followed Miao Jia's lead, calling everyone 'brother' or 'sister.'
Unexpectedly, Miao Jia replied, "Really? Let me tell you, once on a mountaintop, Hai Bro even held Fu Bro in his arms for a long time."
Upon hearing this new information, Zhen Zi couldn't contain her curiosity and asked eagerly, "Really? Tell me what happened then!"
"Well... it was probably because Fu Bro used his ability excessively, so Hai Bro supported him by resting his body against his chest, even though there was a vehicle nearby. They stayed like that for quite a while." Miao Jia said ambiguously. "So, their relationship is really good..."
Huh? What's the implication here? Zhen Zi pondered. Is Miao Jia also into the green river mix?
After trying to extract information for a while, Zhen Zi realized that while Miao Jia also speculated about the unusual relationship between the two, her approach was more realistic rather than just creating pairings in her mind. They weren't comrades in the same mix.
Failing to identify a kindred spirit, Zhen Zi felt disappointed momentarily, then got struck by Miao Jia's implications.
Despite indulging in 2D and 3D fantasies, Zhen Zi had never encountered a real-life couple. This realization excited her immensely.
Being an experienced person
, Zhen Zi understood the benefits of fantasizing but also knew the importance of limits. Her own imagination was fine, but interfering with the lives of the couple wasn't.
If someone less thoughtful heard Miao Jia's words, they'd probably agree, saying, "Yes, their relationship is great." But for someone wired like Zhen Zi, it was like flipping a switch.
Zhen Zi didn't overly display her excitement. Miao Jia wasn't of the same type; she omitted some explicit words, only discussing the ambiguous trend between them. Both found common ground and passionately discussed it.
"...Zhen Zhen sister, do you think Fu Bro and Hai Bro are really a couple?" Miao Jia, being young and less experienced, asked Zhen Zi, who seemed to have control over the conversation.
"Well..." Zhen Zi thought carefully and seriously, "I don't see that sign. Although their actions may seem ambiguous, observing their eye contact, expressions, and language, it doesn't resemble a couple's behavior."
"Oh..." Disappointed, Miao Jia wondered if her lack of experience led her to misunderstand.
"But, it might change in the future," Zhen Zi shifted gears, "Hai Bro seems overly concerned about Fu Bro. Such concern isn't typical between friends. If there isn't a specific reason... perhaps his actions were due to jealousy? Maybe he's not aware yet, acting subconsciously. What if one day he realizes Fu Bro's importance to him is different... by then..."
Accidentally following novel-like thoughts, Zhen Zi went on a smooth imaginative journey.
Miao Jia suddenly realized, "Maybe that's it!"
Only then did Zhen Zi realize she had gone a bit overboard. Nothing had materialized yet, let alone a beginning, let alone any certainty.
Miao Jia suggested, "Let's watch and see. Let their relationship develop naturally. If there is such a day, then we can offer our blessings."
Zhen Zi was surprised. She hadn't expected Miao Jia to be so accepting. Maybe they could become good friends in the future.
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