Chapter 72

Shen Lihuan stretched out her arm to grab the fully charged phone, pressed the power button, and glanced at the time—it was only a little past seven. She set the phone back on the table and snuggled up with Changqing to go back to sleep.

It was still early. They could afford to be lazy today—no morning run.

By the time both of them woke up again, it was nearly nine. You Changqing curled up in Shen Lihuan’s arms, unwilling to move. She could stay like that, doing nothing at all, and still not feel bored. On the contrary, she felt completely content. After a while, she lazily spoke up, “Lihuan, we’re going to the beach today.”

“Mm. Ready to get up?”

Shen Lihuan asked gently. You Changqing rubbed her head against Shen Lihuan’s neck and cooed sweetly, “I can’t get up. You need to carry me.”

“At your service, my queen.” Shen Lihuan looked at her indulgently. “But Your Majesty, could you kindly move your royal leg first?”

Changqing’s leg was still draped over her waist—there was no way she could get up.

You Changqing playfully stuck out her pink tongue, looking guilty yet reluctant as she moved her thigh away. Sleeping in Lihuan’s arms was just too comfortable. She didn’t want to move her leg at all.

Shen Lihuan pinched her pert little nose, placed one hand on her waist and the other under her legs, and effortlessly scooped her up in a princess carry.

You Changqing let out a soft “Ah,” automatically wrapping her arms around Shen Lihuan’s neck. Shen Lihuan carried her down from the bed and gently set her by the edge, helped her into slippers, then stroked her smooth calf. “Alright, go wash up, my queen.”

You Changqing giggled from the ticklish touch. Her calf trembled from the stimulation as she leaned back on her elbows to keep herself upright. She lifted her leg and brushed her dainty toes against Shen Lihuan’s shin. “If you’re going to touch, then do it properly. Don’t stop halfway. I know you like my legs.”

Shen Lihuan caught her mischievous foot with her right hand. Even with her foot held, You Changqing kept teasing her by scratching her palm with her toes.

Shen Lihuan ground her teeth with a wry smile. “You’re the one inviting me. What kind of person turns down a freebie?”

With that, she sat beside You Changqing, wrapped an arm around her waist, and unabashedly admired those long, shapely legs. By the time she was done, the corners of You Changqing’s eyes had turned a delicate pink.

“Still got energy left? You just love riling me up.”

Shen Lihuan bit her earlobe with a mixture of affection and frustration, holding her slender waist.

You Changqing’s breaths grew shallow, her eyes half-lidded and seductive, voice fragrant like orchids. “I love watching you lose control because of me. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment.”

Just like making an immortal untouched by worldly desires fall into passion and longing—Lihuan, so cool and composed with everyone else, was always full of fire when it came to her. How could she not feel proud? Only she could bring out this side of Shen Lihuan. She was Lihuan’s one and only.

Shen Lihuan laughed, pulling her toward the bathroom. “You’ve got me wrapped around your finger.”

After washing up, the two began packing. Today, they were heading to Yuzhi City. Yuzhi was a coastal city—perfect for a seaside trip.

Before long, the bodyguards knocked on the door. “Miss, it’s past nine. Shall we head out to Yuzhi?”

“Brother Luo, have you packed your things?”

The two bodyguards traveling with Shen Lihuan were cousins, both surnamed Luo. Their names were very easy to remember—Luo Yi and Luo Er—clearly aliases.

“All packed.”

“Alright, give us five more minutes and we’ll be ready.”

Shen Lihuan held up five fingers. Luo Yi nodded. “Understood, Miss. We’ll meet you again in five minutes.”

“Mm.”

Shen Lihuan closed the door. The two girls quickly finished packing, changed into fresh clothes and shoes, tidied up the bed, and drew the curtains shut. Everything was ready.

The four met at the door and headed downstairs. Luo Yi went to return the room key, while Luo Er called for two taxis.

Yuzhi was only a 30-minute drive from Lvzhuang. To pass the time, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing pulled out a phone to watch a movie together. They shared a pair of earphones, each wearing one side, not caring if the other ear was left out—it only made the experience sweeter.

Shen Lihuan had already booked their hotel. After arriving in Yuzhi, they headed straight for the Four Seasons Hotel. The sea was just a short walk from the entrance; from their room window or balcony, they could directly view the ocean.

After getting the room key at the front desk, the four of them dropped off their luggage. You Changqing dug out her “conservative” swimsuit—a one-piece strappy suit that looked like a little dress. But Shen Lihuan still wasn’t happy, because even in that “conservative” swimsuit, You Changqing’s fair shoulders, delicate collarbones, and long legs were still exposed.

If it were up to her, they shouldn’t have come to the beach at all. Just the thought of all those scorching stares directed at Changqing made her unhappy.

Noticing Shen Lihuan’s gloomy expression, You Changqing hooked her arm and tried to coax her. “Come on, Lihuan. We’re already here. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to take a dip in the sea?”

“Hmph.”

Shen Lihuan snorted twice, clearly still sulking. You Changqing gave up trying to reason with her and just dominated her directly. Shen Lihuan, the infamous wife-spoiling demon, could only change into her swimsuit with a pout.

Still, she took out a sheer shawl and draped it over You Changqing’s shoulders and collarbones. Only then did she feel a little better.

“There, there. Smile for me, Lihuan. C’mon, smile.”

You Changqing reached out and lifted the corners of her lips. Shen Lihuan glanced at her helplessly and forced a small smile.

“Much better.”

Satisfied, You Changqing took her hand and led her out. Unlike the two girls, the bodyguards didn’t waste time—they had already changed into beach shorts and were waiting outside.

Both bodyguards were in great shape, complete with biceps, pecs, and abs. Combined with Shen Lihuan and You Changqing’s equally perfect figures, the four of them walking together made for a stunning sight. Everyone’s eyes—men and women alike—were drawn to them.

Shen Lihuan gently wrapped an arm around You Changqing’s waist in a clearly possessive gesture, silently announcing to the world that this woman was hers.

You Changqing smiled and glanced at her but didn’t say anything. Only now did she realize that Lihuan wasn’t just domineering—she also had a fierce possessive streak.

But she liked that too.

As soon as they stepped onto the beach, someone whistled at the four of them. Shen Lihuan casually looked over—it was a young man lounging in a beach chair, sunglasses perched on his forehead, with a flippant and cocky expression.

Noticing her glance, the man curled his lips into a roguish grin and even crooked a finger at her.

Bodyguard Luo Yi’s face darkened immediately, and he responded with a clenched-fist gesture. Shen Lihuan ignored the man and turned her head, walking away with You Changqing in the other direction.

The young man raised his brows in interest when she didn’t even acknowledge him. He’d been in Jiangyang for years and had never seen this girl before—she must be a tourist. Otherwise, how could she not recognize him?

You Changqing, focused on something else, didn’t notice the brief incident. She took off her shoes and stepped barefoot onto the sand. When the seawater washed over her feet and slipped between her toes, it tickled, and she burst into laughter.

Not long after, she saw some kids nearby building in the sand and got inspired. She tugged Shen Lihuan’s arm. “Lihuan, let’s build something too!”

“It’s not easy without tools,” Shen Lihuan replied, though she still crouched down beside her and started digging with her hands.

“Let’s start with a simple snowman,” You Changqing said with enthusiasm, “Then we’ll build a castle.”

Following her command, Shen Lihuan cooperated, and soon a remarkably lifelike sand snowman appeared.

Seeing they had no tools, Shen Lihuan walked off and returned with a few smooth stones and some seashells. You Changqing praised her cleverness, and together they used the stones and shells to form the snowman’s eyes, nose, and mouth.

The nearby kids, amazed by how quickly they had finished, curiously gathered around. After whispering to each other for a bit, they started building their own snowmen too. Though theirs were smaller, they beamed with pride regardless.

While Shen Lihuan and You Changqing were working on the castle, Lihuan’s sharp ears picked up a familiar, childish voice—soft and sweet. It sounded like the little Ryan they met yesterday.

She looked up and saw a cute little angel toddling over on short legs, calling out, “Pretty sister!”

She opened her arms to catch him, smiling. “Ryan, what are you doing here? Did Mommy and Daddy bring you and Byrne?”

The little angel was indeed Ryan, the adorable sticky rice ball. He beamed with curved eyes and pointed to not far off where Kate and Anderson stood. “Mommy and Daddy brought us.”

He was overjoyed to see the pretty sister again—his big eyes sparkled with excitement.

Byrne, upon spotting You Changqing, immediately started wiggling to get down from his mommy’s arms. As soon as Kate set him down, he darted over and hugged You Changqing tightly. “Pretty sister! Byrne missed you so much!”

You Changqing was pleasantly surprised to see little Byrne. She picked him up and kissed his chubby cheek. “I missed you too.”

Byrne grinned from ear to ear—he was clearly thrilled.

Kate and Anderson also walked over quickly in delight. “Oh my Lord, this truly must be divine guidance, letting us meet again like this!”

“It’s fate!”

They hadn’t gotten a chance to ask for their benefactor’s contact info yesterday, and now, miraculously, they had run into them again—it really did feel like fate.

“Are you visiting Green country as tourists? Or do you live here?” You Changqing asked. Green country was one of the most powerful countries in the world, and its language was a global lingua franca. It wasn’t unusual for foreigners like Kate and her family to speak it fluently. Many foreigners lived or worked here and even hoped to obtain citizenship—though Green countryic citizenship was notoriously hard to get.

“Oh, my mother is from Green country, so our family comes here every year to stay for a while. But I work in Blue Country. I’m currently on vacation, so we came to visit family and do some traveling,” Anderson replied.