Dutiful Daughter

“Dad, when are you going to the hot spring?”

“Anytime. Why?”

“No reason. Just asking.”

After entering the room, Luo Zining quietly sat by the window, sipping her drink through a metal straw and blowing bubbles into it. She didn’t say a word.

Luo You, meanwhile, lay on the bed playing with her phone. Her little legs, wrapped in white stockings, swung in the air, making soft rustling sounds when they brushed together.

Suddenly, Luo You lifted her head.

“You’ve been staring at me.”

“N-no I haven’t!” Zining turned her head away in panic.

“Heeh~ Curious about my current form?”

Luo You rolled dramatically to her feet and posed in front of the mirror.

“Well~ it’s natural to be intrigued. I am this cute.”

“Ugh! Narcissist… It’s like you’re used to being like this.”

“I’ve simply accepted reality.”

“Don’t you miss your muscles? I mean, aren’t you sad to lose them?”

“Of course I am. But hey, I traded them for this face—fair deal, if you ask me.”

Zining rolled her eyes hard enough to see her past life.

Fair trade, my butt.

Losing a body full of decorative muscles and gaining a face that could launch a thousand nosebleeds? That’s a win, no question.

She would’ve preferred if Luo You stayed a muscle truck. Transforming from that into a cutie would be the ultimate gap moe!

“Hehe~”

Luo You noticed her daughter’s eager expression and grinned.

“You really want to touch, don’t you?”

“I-I-I-I do not!”

Zining bit down on her metal straw hard enough to echo crunch crunch, cheeks blazing red, eyes fixed firmly away like she couldn’t care less.

“As a father, it’s my duty to satisfy my daughter’s thirst for knowledge.”

Luo You spoke nobly.

“Curious about something? Go ahead. Don’t hold back.”

“Ugh, you’re really desperate for me to check you out, huh? Gross. Narcissist!”

“Yes, yes~ I just can’t wait for you to understand me more intimately.”

“Hmph… well, since you insist so hard…”

Zining stood up, cheeks still red, giving in to her curiosity.

Luo You figured, Our relationship is warming up lately. Gotta keep this momentum going.

After all, living with a sweet daughter was leagues better than raising a rebellious gremlin.

She wasn’t worried about being touched in weird ways.

At most, Zining would pinch her cheeks or something.

…Or so she thought.

“Hm?”

To her surprise, Zining squatted in front of her and extended a finger to the sacred absolute territory—the exposed skin between thigh and stocking.

She gently pinched the edge of the sock, pulled, and—snap!

Smack!

“Whoa whoa whoa!! That’s amazing!”

It jiggled! It wobbled!

Zining was awestruck. The way the tight stockings cut into soft skin… so alluring.

If these thighs clamped my face—nope! Nope! What am I thinking?!

She forcefully shoved the thought down and resisted the unholy urge to rub her face into them.

“…Your research method is… quite unique. You done?”

“Mind your business.”

Satisfied, Zining went back to her seat, and silence returned.

“Oh right, your aunt lives here, doesn’t she?” Luo You asked.

“Yeah. You haven’t met her, right? My older sister lives with her too.”

Before Luo You adopted Zining, she still had several relatives—two sisters, one younger sibling, and even a previous adoptive mother who’d gone missing.

Back then, Luo You was strapped for cash and could only adopt one. Over the years, she never met the rest—just occasional phone calls.

“I plan to visit Auntie and Sis tomorrow. You… probably shouldn’t come.”

“Eh? Nah, I’m already here. Might as well say hello.”

Luo You didn’t mind.

Before, she avoided the hassle, but now that she was back in a female body… she found herself becoming more social.

“But how am I supposed to explain your identity…”

“Just stick with ‘Luo Youyou.’ You called me that in front of Zhou Xi too. No turning back now.”

“Ugh…”

Zining was nervous.

Why was she the one feeling anxious about bringing her dad to meet the family?!

“By the way, didn’t seeing Zhou Xi make you feel anything? She’s a real magical girl! Don’t you want her autograph?”

“I’m not some fangirl. I don’t care about celebrity news. Autograph? Ha—I should be the one signing on her… Ahem, forget it.”

She glanced at the wall.

To her, magical girls were just another category of modern weaponry.

Stars? Idols? Distant goddesses?

She’d bedded over a hundred. Who has time to chase stars?

“Whoa—Dad, look! It’s snowfall!”

Zining leaned out the window, legs kicking excitedly.

Luo You looked outside just in time to witness one of the Nine Sea’s signature spectacles.

A massive “spring eye” appeared in the sky, blasting frigid vapor into the air. Clouds billowed and churned like a majestic ocean, followed by an intense burst of snow and bone-chilling air.

The air here was much fresher than any industrial city—invigorating and clean.

Luo You changed her mind.

“Let’s go to the hot spring!”

“Wait, shouldn’t we invite Zhou Xi too? She came with us—it’d be rude to ditch her.”

“Mm… true.” Luo You nodded.

Might as well go all-in.

Let’s toss in some more fanservice too.

Zining walked up to Zhou Xi’s door, about to knock—

When it opened on its own.

Zhou Xi appeared in a fluffy hotel robe, just about to step out.

“What is it?”

“Would you like to join us at the hot spring?”

Zhou Xi glanced behind Zining at Luo You.

Then nodded with pursed lips.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

On the way there, Zining stuck to Luo You like glue, making it hard for her to make a move.

“Oh no—I forgot my swimsuit!” Luo You suddenly exclaimed.

Alarm bells. Zhou Xi jolted. Danger!

“Seriously? You’re so careless.”

“Zining, could you go buy me one? Any style is fine. My measurements are **, **, **—just pick whatever.”

“Any style?! You’ll wear whatever I pick?!”

Zining’s eyes sparkled.

“Yup. I mean, what am I gonna do—bathe naked?”

“I’ll be right back!”

“Wait—”

Too late. Zining dashed off.

Judging by her enthusiasm, Luo You knew this wasn’t going to end well.

Please don’t come back with the Emperor’s New Swimsuit…

“Can I just call you Zhou Xi?”

“…Sure. As you like.”

“Actually… I wanted to apologize for earlier. At your door.”

“Apologize? For what?”

“Well… my words may have been misleading. I probably caused some misunderstanding. I’m really sorry. I’ve always been kinda airheaded. Zining nags me about it all the time…”

She looked down, fidgeting shyly.

Hands clasped in front of her chest, voice trembling.

Zhou Xi’s heart instantly softened.

So that’s it… I knew it was a misunderstanding!

She’s just too cute to be malicious!

“No worries at all! Honestly, I didn’t think anything of it!”

“No no—I insist! Let me make it up to you!”

“Well, in that case—”

“I’m back!!”

Zining returned from twenty meters away, clutching two swimsuits.

Tch! Luo You clicked her tongue. So close!

“I got two! Which do you want to wear?”

Both were… atrocious.

One was a tight white school swimsuit that hugged every curve.

The other was a skimpy bikini with almost no fabric.

You could wear it straight into an adult video.

“Zining, these are… a bit much, don’t you think?” Zhou Xi gasped.

“Didn’t you say you’d wear whatever I picked?” Zining beamed proudly.

“…Yeah.” Luo You replied, deadpan.

“Then choose—this one or this one?”

She lifted her chin like a proud phoenix.

As the old saying goes:

If you propose to open a window, everyone says no.

But if you propose to remove the roof, suddenly they’ll agree to the window.

Same tactic here.

Against the porn-tier bikini, the school swimsuit would look tame.

And if her dad wore that… it would be gold.

Camera already charged. Storage: 256GB.

“Then…”

Luo You reached out—

Paused over the swimsuit.

Then moved sideways.

“I’ll take this one.”

THE BIKINI.

“Smart choice—wait, WHAAAT?!”

Zining short-circuited.

Even Zhou Xi looked like she’d seen mind control magic in real life.

“Why are you all staring at me?”

“Dad—I mean, Yuyu—are you sure about this?”

“Totally. No issue.” Luo You answered calmly.

A bikini? Please.

Only people who lack confidence in their looks would hesitate.

She had full confidence.

This was nothing.

“They sell bikinis here, so someone’s gotta wear them, right?”

“That’s… not wrong.” Zhou Xi admitted.

Internally, Luo You was brimming with pride.

Outwardly, she played it cool.

But Zining, who lived with her every day, saw right through it.

Narcissist… Are all people like her just… shameless by default?