Haicheng, located at the southernmost tip of the country, boasts lush greenery throughout the year with consistently humid and hot temperatures. Even in autumn and winter, the place remains crowded.
On the vast sea, people floated in a sea of colors, and the waves rolled in one after another, with the crowd rising and falling with the waves.
The vacation villa Lin Yongcheng arranged was only a few hundred meters from the beach. The seven of them quickly dropped their luggage, didn't even change their clothes, and rushed straight to the beach.
It was just past six o'clock, and from a distance, it seemed like the sunset was lingering on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the entire beach.
It was the first time for Hu Hanghang and the others to come to the beach. As soon as they took off their shoes and stepped onto the soft sand, they couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, this is so soft!"
They were as happy as children.
Lin Tiao had been to other coastal cities before and had no special feelings for the sea and beach. She took off her shoes, stood by, and watched them bouncing around like monkeys.
After playing in the sand, the group held hands and ran towards the sea, happily stepping on the waves.
It was almost unbearable to watch.
Lin Tiao glanced over at Jiang Yan, who was standing nearby, and asked, "Aren't you going to join them?"
Jiang Yan, with a faint smile, replied, "Do you think I'm as silly as they are?"
"..." Lin Tiao thought to herself, he's just as silly as they are, if not more so.
But she could only think that in her mind; she had to save face for the big shot. "Well, you're not as silly as they are."
"..."
Just then, the group of five, who had been playing in the waves, finally noticed the two standing on the side. They rushed over and dragged Lin Tiao and Jiang Yan into the wave-stomping team.
The tide was rising, and the waves were getting bigger and bigger. Despite Lin Tiao holding onto Meng Xin's arm tightly, she was caught off guard by a wave, and her entire body was tipped forward by the force.
Just as she steadied herself, she heard cheers around her. Looking up, she saw a higher wave coming straight at them. Lin Tiao instinctively stepped back, but before she could take two steps, her back was suddenly pressed against a warm chest.
She turned her head and saw Jiang Yan's firm jawline fleetingly before him suddenly raising a hand to rest on her shoulder. His body shifted slightly, positioning himself between her and the oncoming wave, his warm chest pressing firmly against her back. His arm wrapped around her wrist, and his chin lightly rested on her head.
The waves crashed over them, hitting the boy's back. Lin Tiao was securely protected in his arms, the cool sea water dripping from his hair onto her neck.
Jiang Yan quickly released his hold, and the familiar warmth of his presence retreated.
As the sea calmed down, Lin Tiao turned around to see the boy standing in the twilight, his body soaked, with water still dripping from his hair.
He suddenly lifted a hand to push his hair back, revealing his ruggedly handsome features. His light-colored eyes had water droplets hanging from his lashes, which slowly fell with each blink.
His face was wet on both sides, with the droplets sliding down to his chin and eventually falling into the sea.
Jiang Yan was wearing a white t-shirt that had become completely soaked, clinging to the contours of his body. The lines of his waist and abdomen were exposed, and every subtle movement of his chest was clearly visible.
The evening sea was bathed in golden light, and the boy stood there with his hard features softened by his gentle expression. The sunset created a natural halo around the vast sea.
Although there were many people around, Lin Tiao could only see the boy standing in the light, so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.
The wave-stomping activity continued until after seven o'clock. As the evening glow faded and nightfall approached, the sky turned a deep blue, with a bright moon rising on the horizon.
The crowd at the beach gradually dispersed, and colorful lights began to sparkle, creating a ribbon of light around the entire beach.
The wave-stomping team finally stopped.
The soaked boys lay down on the soft sand, staring up at the starry sky. The air was tinged with a hint of the sea.
Some people were picking up shells nearby.
With nothing else to do, Lin Tiao and Meng Xin joined in, crouching on the sand and sifting through it.
The moonlight blended with the beach's colorful lights, creating an incredibly captivating scene.
Hearing the laughter, Jiang Yan opened his eyes and looked over. The girls were bent over, their hair hanging softly around their faces.
His gaze dropped slightly and paused.
Lin Tiao was wearing a sleeveless top with wide straps today. The neckline wasn't low, but it was just below the collarbone.
When she bent over, it revealed a small curve.
Just a little bit.
Jiang Yan's gaze paused for a second before he awkwardly turned his head away, closing his eyes and not daring to look further.
The voice of Xu Yichuan drifted over, "Where are Meng Xin and Lin Tiao?"
Following that was the sound of him trying to sit up.
Jiang Yan swiftly pressed his hand on Xu Yichuan's chest, keeping him from sitting up. His voice was a bit hoarse, "They're nearby. Just lie down."
Xu Yichuan coughed lightly, touching his slightly sore chest, "Bro, you don't need to hit me. I almost got a bruise from that."
"If hitting you is necessary, then it's necessary. No need for any more reason."
"…"
Lin Tiao and Meng Xin returned with a bunch of colorful and variously shaped seashells, chatting and laughing as they sat beside Jiang Yan in the empty sandy area.
Jiang Yan lay there with his eyes half-closed, not speaking and not daring to open his eyes.
By eight o'clock, the seaside had become quieter, the sound of the waves was clear, and everyone's stomachs were growling audibly.
"Damn, I'm hungry." Xu Yichuan touched his stomach and realized, "Did we only eat that one meal on the plane today?"
"Right, even I, Hu Pangpang, can manage to eat just one meal a day now."
Guo Che was the first to sit up. After playing in the waves all afternoon, he also felt a bit hungry. "Let's go. We should head back, take a shower, and then go out for dinner."
The group quickly stood up, dusting off the sand, and prepared to go back to clean up before heading out for a meal.
Lin Tiao and Meng Xin also stood up, carrying their shoes and walking barefoot on the beach.
As they walked a few steps, Lin Tiao suddenly let out a sharp gasp, "Ah!"
She didn't know what she had stepped on, but her toe suddenly hurt. Looking down, she saw blood coming from her right toe and couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn, damn, damn!"
The boys heard the commotion, and Jiang Yan was the first to react. He quickly strode over to Lin Tiao, looked down at her bleeding toe, and his expression darkened, "Are you a pig or something?"
Lin Tiao was wincing from the pain. Hearing his words, she weakly retorted, "Is there such a cute pig in this world?"
"…"
Jiang Yan's face remained stern and silent. Meanwhile, Song Yuan chuckled from the side, "Um, is this really the time to discuss whether she's a pig?"
Jiang Yan was silent for three seconds. "Can you walk?"
"Probably," Lin Tiao said, looking at her foot. Unsure of what she had scratched, she tentatively tried stepping down, and the sharp pain shot through her. "Damn it."
"You…"
Jiang Yan had a curse word stuck in his throat but didn't say it. He reined in his gaze, said nothing, and pulled her out of Meng Xin's embrace.
Before Lin Tiao could react, he bent down, slid his arms under her knees and around her waist, and lifted her horizontally.
"So you really do think of yourself as a pig." The boy's sharp features were close, his jawline taut as he spoke, with his Adam's apple moving slightly.
Lin Tiao's arms hung around his neck, her body pressed against his chest, and her nose was surrounded by his clear scent. She awkwardly looked down, "A pig as thin as me isn't very common."
Jiang Yan gave a cold snort and said nothing more.
The palm trees along the roadside were lush, and the sound of the waves gradually faded. The villa's outline was faintly visible in the night.
The villa's housekeeping aunt was home, and the door was unlocked. Jiang Yan carried Lin Tiao across the yard, into the living room, and up to his room, placing her on a small sofa.
Lin Tiao was covered in sand and immediately wanted to wash it off. Jiang Yan raised his hand to keep her on the sofa and glanced down at her, "Stop moving."
"I'm covered in sand."
"I know. Just sit still." Jiang Yan let go and stepped back, then walked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water could be heard.
After a while, the water stopped, and footsteps approached.
Lin Tiao didn't look up. With one leg draped over the sofa, she bent over to inspect her foot. Suddenly, a pair of white sneakers appeared in her line of sight.
She looked up to see the person standing before her, but before she could speak, the boy bent down and came closer.
Lin Tiao froze. Before she could react, she was lifted up again, and the familiar voice of the boy was close to her ear.
"I'll take you to wash the wound."
The villa's bathroom was spacious, well-lit, and the marble countertop was bright and wide. Lin Tiao sat on it, feeling a bit cold.
Jiang Yan turned on the faucet, glanced at her injured foot. It had stopped bleeding, but the remaining bloodstains were still quite striking.
He sighed internally and, despite trying to hold back, his tone was a bit stern, "Are you stupid?"
"…" Lin Tiao hugged her knees, licked the corner of her mouth, and looked at him expressionlessly, "Jiang Yan, I just accidentally cut my toe. You've scolded me three times."
She repeated, "Three whole times."
"I could scold you thirty times and still not be enough," Jiang Yan said, lowering his gaze and gripping her slender ankle, pulling it gently towards the sink.
When the water began to flow, Lin Tiao realized how close they were, so close that she could almost count the number of eyelashes he had.
She turned her gaze away and subtly moved a bit further back.
Jiang Yan, looking down, seemed to have not noticed.
Lin Tiao rested her arms on her knees, chin propped on them, and couldn't help but look back.
The young man's skin was very pale, and under the cold white light, it seemed almost to glow. His expression was somewhat detached, and the corners of his eyes, usually slightly upturned, were now slightly downward.
Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a few tiny grains of sand still clinging to the corners of his eyes.
Lin Tiao, feeling an inexplicable urge, reached out to wipe them away. Her fingertips touched the corner of his eye but felt nothing.
Jiang Yan didn't move, but he glanced down and met her gaze with slightly lifted eyelids, his voice low and slow, "What are you doing?"
Lin Tiao, feeling embarrassed, withdrew her hand. Her fingertips were clean, and when she looked up again, the tiny marks were still in the same place.
It turned out that they weren't grains of sand but a few very small moles at the corners of his eyes, which were barely noticeable unless looked at closely.
Lin Tiao's face, initially pale, began to flush a bit, and as time passed, her ears turned red as well.
She looked away, resting her forehead against her knees, her voice muffled and difficult to speak, "I thought… thought it was something dirty. I wanted to help wipe it off."
Jiang Yan looked at her head for a few seconds before suddenly smiling and then said softly, "It's not something dirty."
Lin Tiao didn't lift her head, only mumbling, "I know now."
After a while, Jiang Yan saw that the dirt on the top of her foot was mostly washed away. He turned off the water, took a clean towel from the side, and wrapped it around her foot.
Feeling the movement, Lin Tiao looked up.
Under the bright light, the young man's gaze was lowered, his lips pressed into a thin line, his expression unusually serious, and his movements with the towel careful and delicate.
Noticing her gaze, Jiang Yan looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lin Tiao shook her head, watching him wipe her foot. She suddenly felt that the act seemed too intimate.
"I'll do it myself," she said, extending her hand to take over the towel, her slightly flushed ears exposed to the air.
Her movements were small, slightly bending forward, her long neck forming a smooth curve, aligning with the contours of her fitted clothes, and her neckline slightly lowered.
The unexpected glance on the beach came back to Jiang Yan's mind. He took a deep breath, grabbed a large bath towel from the side, and called her name in a calm voice, "Lin Tiao."
Lin Tiao looked up in response, but before she could say anything, a white object suddenly covered her head. It had a faint scent of detergent, and her vision was obscured.
Lin Tiao lifted the towel slightly, revealing her dark, bright eyes. The towel began to slip down.
Jiang Yan quickly placed his hand on the falling towel, pressing it down on her shoulder, and wrapped her completely in it.
The sudden closeness made Lin Tiao feel somewhat disoriented. Her clear, bright eyes showed a hint of confusion, while Jiang Yan, looking down, saw his reflection in her eyes from a very close distance.
The silence came unexpectedly.
Outside the room, there were chaotic footsteps and voices.
The next moment, Lin Tiao saw Jiang Yan's lips move, and his low, deep voice clearly reached her ear.
"Lin Tiao."
"I don't like boys."
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