Although the water at the edge of this rocky beach wasn’t deep, a fall and a knock against something could be very serious.
Ji Nuo’s heart raced, and he accelerated as much as possible. He accidentally stepped on a loose rock, his whole body staggering and about to pitch forward. Han Cheng, who had been watching out for both sides, immediately grabbed Ji Nuo, who fell into Han Cheng’s arms by sheer momentum.
Where Han Cheng was standing wasn’t very level either, and he was nearly pulled down by Ji Nuo. Fortunately, their feet took quick, short steps to buffer the momentum in time, and they barely managed to steady themselves on the rocky beach.
Although Ji Nuo and Han Cheng had slept in the same room the previous night, Lu Ao’ao had demanded to sleep between them, and he’d kept a very large distance from Han Cheng the whole time. It had been a long while since he’d smelled that faint, cool fragrance that clung to Han Cheng.
And this time, not only was he again immersed in the familiar scent, but he’d also suddenly pressed against Han Cheng’s warm chest. He clearly felt the other’s heartbeat and hot, damp exhalation. The incident was too sudden, and his brain inevitably crashed for a second. By the time Han Cheng released him, his face was heating up again.
Ji Nuo immediately forced himself to recite pi in his head. Just as he was struggling to calm his mind, Han Cheng grabbed his wrist again. “It’s too slippery. Let’s walk together.”
Before Han Cheng’s words even faded, Lu Ao’ao’s firecracker voice suddenly rang out. “O-y-sters! Get over here, quick!!!”
The rock walls at the edge of the rocky beach were covered in Oysters. Although the oysters were also very small, their numbers were plentiful. Before they could ascertain what kind of food supply they could get from the island, it was naturally time to gather everything in sight.
Lu Aotian had initially dismissed Ji Nuo’s worry. Although he was loath to admit it, his lower center of gravity made him walk much more steadily than adults. Plus, ever since he’d transmigrated, he always found time to train his body’s agility. The combination of the two naturally made it much easier for him to walk than the two dumb adults.
However, seeing Ji Nuo anxiously rushing to chase him and almost falling only to be steadied by Han Cheng, Lu Aotian still slowed his steps a little. He squatted by the shore, his little face sulking, waiting for the two dumb adults to come and smash oysters.
Ever since the incident of the forty-nine pairs of limited-edition shoes, new grudges piled on old hatreds had made Lu Aotian’s displeasure with Han Cheng grow daily. He felt that his little brother Ji Nuo naturally had the duty and obligation to draw a clear line with Han Cheng. So he had automated himself into a “boundary line,” appearing between the two at any time and place. The moment he sensed a strange atmosphere between them, he would bare his teeth and claws, changing tactics to interrupt them immediately.
Just as Lu Aotian was irritably tapping a wooden stick on a rock, urging the two dumb adults to hurry over, he suddenly caught a glimpse of orange on the rippling sea surface.
Lu Aotian immediately crouched down, his head almost dipping into the water.
Hearing the two sets of footsteps, Lu Aotian abruptly jerked his head up. The blood supply to his brain couldn’t keep up with his speed, and he almost stumbled. He just managed to turn his squat into a kneel to neutralize the momentum, then quickly stood up, pretending nothing was wrong. He looked up, eager to share his discovery with the two.
His gaze went from bottom to top. Before he could even see Ji Nuo’s worried expression, he first saw the two sets of hands tightly clasped together.
Lu Aotian: (▼皿▼#)
Under Lu Aotian’s glaring daggers, Ji Nuo was the first to let go of Han Cheng’s hand. In truth, they had only done it under duress to fit their couple persona.
Han Cheng was afraid Ji Nuo would fall again, so he had grabbed his wrist. But it would be too strange for their relationship to show such a detached posture, so the two had intertwined their fingers…
Now, releasing under Ao’ao’s glare, Ji Nuo immediately crouched down and grabbed Ao’ao’s little hand, pulling the child into his arms. “No more running around.”
Lu Aotian gave a cold snort. Running around? What a joke!
Lu Aotian proudly puffed out his little chest and pointed to a crevice on the rock wall. “I found a super big orange sea snail.” He heavily stressed the words “super big.”
Ji Nuo’s eyes lit up. He’d already eaten Thelephora ganbajun and large Matsutake mushrooms brought by Little Pufferfish the Koi, so he immediately believed seventy to eighty percent of Lu Aotian’s words. He moved to wade into the water and retrieve it.
Lu Aotian held him back and shook his head. “It’s very deep, under the rock wall.”
The seaside reefs were sharp and dangerous, and the shells of the Barnacles, sea snails, and oysters stuck to the rock wall were just as prone to cutting people. According to his observation, the gap in the rock wall was too narrow. They might need to get in the water and dive from the other side to retrieve it. Of course, Han Cheng should be the one to do it. After all, he was a very magnanimous and generous boss.
Lu Aotian looked up at Han Cheng, his finger pointing toward the sun in the sky. Before he could speak, Han Cheng helplessly pressed his hand down. “You don’t need to say it. I’ll do it.”
Lu Aotian curled his lip in satisfaction. That was exactly what he meant.
Han Cheng began his warm-up exercises for entering the water. The Follow Cameraman behind them had finally caught up. Listening to them discuss the sea snail’s color and position, the cameraman immediately grabbed a GoPro and attached it to Han Cheng.
Viewers in the live broadcast room were still curious about Han Cheng and Ao’ao’s interaction:
[Is this the second or third time? Why does Ao’ao point at the sun and Teacher Han press his hand down? And Teacher Han’s expression is really subtle… Is this some kind of secret code they agreed on?]
[I noticed that too. Ao’ao is always pointing at the sun and talking about Ball Lightning. Damn it, what secret can’t be shared with the online mamas and papas!]
[Am I the only one curious about what good thing Little Koi Fish Ao’ao has found again?]
[Hehehe, the props department again. Let’s see when you slip up!]
[Haters, hold off on your gloating for a moment. Finding a big sea snail by the shore is perfectly normal~ Our Ao’ao has always been bursting with good luck~]
Both Han Cheng and Ji Nuo were wearing long-sleeved Jellyfish Suits with a loose short-sleeved T-shirt over them. After quickly finishing his warm-up, Han Cheng took off his short-sleeved shirt and draped it directly over little Ao’ao’s head. Then, without waiting for the little pufferfish to blow up, he slid into the water along the rock wall.
The Follow Cameraman seized the chance to take close-up shots of little friend Lu Ao’ao. With their already very similar features, now dressed in the same T-shirt, Ao’ao instantly looked like a shrunken Han Cheng whose original clothes were still on him. The Orange Fans went wild in the Danmaku, screaming madly with excitement.
The Mom Fans were equally thrilled:
[Aaah, I’m begging online for a matching parent-child outfit! With how similar they look, it’s not right not to wear parent-child outfits for a family portrait, is it?!]
[Include Nuonuo, all three in matching family outfits, and fluffy plush animal costumes, arrange it all!]
[This subject motions in support!!!!!]
Ji Nuo watched the little pufferfish forced into being Han Cheng’s coat rack and laughed with extreme delight. It was as if Lu Aotian were the only one in the world who held a deep-seated hatred for Han Cheng’s “evil” behavior. The little dumpling suddenly didn’t even want to tell him the sea snail’s location.
However, considering that he still had to eat the snail meat, Lu Aotian still furrowed his little face and told Han Cheng.
Han Cheng first felt downward into the rock crevice, discovering the depth was much greater than it appeared from above. He swam out another two meters, adjusted his position, and dove down. There was no movement for a long while.
Lu Aotian, covered by Han Cheng’s clothes and not afraid of getting dirty, went all out and stretched his neck, trying to peer into what was happening through the refraction on the water’s surface. Worried he might fall in, Ji Nuo pressed a hand on the child’s lower back and asked anxiously, “Do you see your Uncle Han Cheng?”
He saw the little dumpling’s shoulder tremble as he gave a cold snort. “I have no such uncle.”
Then, with a yin-yang tone, he added, “But I can tell you, that big jerk Han Cheng has already touched the sea snail.”
After another two-plus minutes of waiting, Han Cheng brought the sea snail to the shore. He first lifted up and tossed the large orange sea snail onto the bank. Then, with a strong push-up from his long arms, he smoothly came ashore himself. The seawater caught in his Jellyfish Suit crashed down in a cascade, the soaked fabric making the lines of Han Cheng’s muscles even clearer.
But once the sea snail was ashore, let alone Lu Ao’ao, even Ji Nuo couldn’t spare any attention for Han Cheng. The Follow Cameraman pointed the camera at the large orange sea snail for some intense close-ups.
This sea snail was completely different from the common horn-shaped conches. Its orange shell was almost an elliptical sphere, resembling a ripe papaya from a top-down view.
The shell’s surface was very smooth, with a few fingernail-sized dark brown spots. There were none of the usual ridges or protrusions found on common sea snails. The shell opening was large and lacked an operculum, and the outer lip surface of the meat had dark brown and white stripes. It looked like thin shell, large meat.
Most importantly, this orange sea snail weighed at least six or seven jin in the hand, enough on its own to overstuff their little plastic bucket.
Lu Aotian’s eyes sparkled at Ji Nuo. “Looks this pretty, it must be tasty, right?” This bright orange sea snail really matched his aesthetic.
This was Ji Nuo’s first time at the seaside, so he wasn’t too familiar with these marine creatures. He turned and asked Han Cheng, “This isn’t a protected animal, is it?”
