Chapter 69: Did You Hear That? He Belongs to Me

Bai Lu, accompanied by her two loyal sidekicks and armed with a small wooden basin, managed in an instant to soak Huo Yan Fang until he was dripping wet.

Zu Xinen and Di Jiar, once they realized what was happening, hurriedly jumped into the girls’ hot springs pool; one took charge of Lin Ye, the other of Qiao Xianyi.

“Xiao Ye, stop fooling around.”

“Could you be any more childish, Qiao Xianyi?”

But only Bai Lu continued, scooping and splashing water enthusiastically with her little basin.

Huo Yan Fang caught her wrist, lowering his gaze to meet hers. “Still not done?”

Bai Lu gave him a dazzling smile. “Don’t be mad, Ah Sui. I tease you because I like you.”

With that, she fawningly took a towel and wiped the water from his face.

The girl who had just emerged from the hot spring had skin as white as porcelain, with a hint of pink blushing beneath the surface.

She was radiant and rosy.

She had no idea just how beautiful she was.

Suddenly, her black-and-white eyes sparkled with mischief.

At a glance, Huo Yan Fang could tell this little black rabbit was up to no good.

Bai Lu rose onto her tiptoes, and Huo Yan Fang obligingly bent down.

She leaned to his ear and whispered softly, “Ah Sui, you have to protect me.”

Huo Yan Fang gave a low hum of assent through his nose.

Nearby, Lin Ye and Qiao Xianyi drooped their heads, receiving a stern lecture from their group leader, Zu Xinen.

Quiet as a mouse, Bai Lu crept behind Zu Xinen with her wooden basin.

Lin Ye: “!!!”

Qiao Xianyi: “!!!”

With a decisive splash, Bai Lu dumped a full basin of water over Zu Xinen’s head.

“Xiao Ye! Qiao Qiao! Go!”

Her two henchmen, Lin Ye and Qiao Xianyi, howled and grabbed their own basins, launching a coordinated attack on Zu Xinen and Di Jiar.

Besieged by Bai Lu and her two minions, Zu Xinen and Di Jiar were driven into a corner.

Captain Zu’s authority was not to be underestimated. “Xiao Ye, whose side are you on?”

Thus, Lin Ye, ever the lackey, immediately switched sides, turning his ‘guns’ to support Di Jiar and Zu Xinen’s counterattack.

Bai Lu and Qiao Xianyi, two girls, were no match for the three boys.

In the blink of an eye, the tide turned against them.

Qiao Xianyi, ever the opportunist, quickly switched allegiance, standing with the three boys.

The balance shifted instantly.

It was now Bai Lu versus four.

“You traitors!” Bai Lu exclaimed.

She clutched her basin and made a run for it.

“Ah Sui, save me!”

Huo Yan Fang stepped in front of her, and the four on the other side immediately held back, not daring to splash her.

Bai Lu, wearing a smug and mischievous expression, looked positively infuriating.

Of them all, the eldest, Zu Xinen, was just over twenty. They were all at an age when fun and wildness come naturally.

Zu Xinen couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Bai Little Lu, you think you can cause trouble and just run off? Not so fast. Don’t hide behind Sui, come out here.”

Di Jiar brandished his basin. “You’re the worst of all, Bai Little Lu!”

Bai Lu hid behind Huo Yan Fang, clutching his waist, only daring to poke out her fluffy head and stick out her tongue. “I’ll hide if I want to! If you’ve got guts, splash Ah Sui!”

As longtime teammates, Zu Xinen exchanged a look with Lin Ye, who quietly circled behind Bai Lu and Huo Yan Fang.

While Zu Xinen distracted Bai Lu with conversation, Di Jiar chimed in, “You started this, don’t hide.”

“Right, step out and let’s have a fair match.”

Bai Lu stuck out her tongue. “Four against one, and you call that fair?”

With that, she ducked back, hiding completely behind Huo Yan Fang.

Just then, Lin Ye, who’d sneaked around behind, let out a war cry. “Take this!”

A full basin of water drenched Bai Lu’s head.

Her two little pigtails drooped, dripping wet.

The others burst out laughing, none louder than Qiao Xianyi.

“No honor! You ambush me, a newly minted adult! Just wait, you’ll get yours!” Bai Lu retaliated with a basin of her own, splashing them all.

“Bai Little Lu! You brought this on yourself!”

“Even Sui’s protection won’t save you now!”

“Let’s splash Sui too!”

Thus began an all-out water fight.

Though they joked about splashing Huo Yan Fang, no one really dared; they always avoided him.

Bai Lu seized on this, tossing a basinful of water and darting nimbly behind him again and again—her small body quick and agile.

Even one against four, she held her own.

They played and splashed in the hot springs pool for quite a while.

The comments scrolled by: “So childish, can’t bear to watch!”

In the end, the water war concluded when Bai Lu, exhausted, surrendered by tossing her white towel.

All six, Huo Yan Fang included, were drenched like drowned rats.

They slumped together in the hot spring, panting for breath.

Bai Lu leaned against Huo Yan Fang’s shoulder, too tired to speak.

He reached out with a long arm, handed her a bottle of milk. “Drink slowly.”

Bai Lu downed it in one go, milk smearing her lips.

Huo Yan Fang pressed one hand to the back of her head, and with the other, wiped her mouth with a towel.

Qiao Xianyi and Lin Ye leaned on each other, gasping for air.

Lin Ye and Di Jiar looked after the two of them.

Qiao Xianyi complained, “Sui only takes care of Bai Lu! No fair, I want Sui to wipe my mouth too!”

Lin Ye chimed in, “Me too!”

Bai Lu immediately seized Huo Yan Fang’s arm, baring her teeth. “He’s mine! Don’t even think about it, you traitors!”

She looked just like a cat guarding its food.

Zu Xinen offered, “Come on, I’ll wipe your mouths.”

“No, En!” Qiao Xianyi, in true heiress fashion, insisted, “I want Sui!”

Lin—the Echo—Ye: “I want Sui, too!”

Huo Yan Fang’s lips curled in a faint smile as he drawled, “I belong to Bai Lu.”

Bai Lu lifted her chin in triumph. “Hear that? He’s mine. I don’t play with traitors.”

Di Jiar: “……”

Zu Xinen: “……”

Unbelievable. With how sharp and clever Little Lu was, how had she never noticed Sui’s feelings for her?

It seemed Little Lu’s intelligence did not extend to matters of the heart.

Sui’s path would be a long one.

Once things quieted down, the group left the hot springs to wash up and get ready for bed.

There was only one bathroom in the courtyard; the wait would be long.

Zu Xinen said, “Little Lu and Little Qiao can wash at home, the rest of us will use the public bath.”

Bai Lu hugged her basin. “Qiao Xianyi dawdles forever, I’ll go to the public bath too.”

Qiao Xianyi: “……”

Afterward, it was just the guests washing up and going to sleep—nothing worth filming, so the crew called it a day.

On the way, Huo Yan Fang suddenly reached out and poked Bai Lu’s little pigtails.

Bai Lu blinked in surprise. “Ah Sui?”

Huo Yan Fang calmly withdrew his hand. “Qiao Xianyi wasn’t lying.”

They really were fun to poke.

Lin Ye reached out, wanting a turn, but Di Jiar and Zu Xinen grabbed him by the arms and hauled him away.

Bai Lu clutched her pigtails. “What’s so fun about poking these?”

Her cheeks glowed rosy red.

She was utterly adorable.

Huo Yan Fang said, “I think they’re nice.”

“Mhm, if Ah Sui says so, then they are!” Bai Lu tiptoed to rest her head against his chest.

He looked down at the fluffy head pressed to his chest. “Hm?”

Bai Lu nudged his chest with her head. “Didn’t you say you liked poking them? Go ahead. I’ll only let you do it.”