A Dip in the Secret Spring

Fan Lake Village resembled an open fan, with its water source located at the fan’s pivot point, where water flowed from a cave nestled within a mountain gorge. From a distance, it appeared as a swathe of white fabric, only revealing itself as a miniature waterfall upon closer inspection. It was termed a miniature waterfall because, traversing the man-made steps into the cave, one would discover the water flowed remarkably slowly, its volume scant, yet it maintained such a consistent trickle that it resembled toilet paper unspooling languidly from a roll. Venturing deeper into the cave, following the water’s gentle current for over two hundred meters, they drew aside a crimson curtain to reveal an entirely different realm, brilliantly illuminated by several luminous pearls. A large, spoon-shaped pool emitted faint, warm steam, with occasional bubbles surfacing from its depths. The water itself was pristine and clear, so much so that, upon closer observation, several translucent fish could be seen gracefully swimming within.

‘These must be the Tofu Fish Qiao Qiao had spoken of earlier!’

“Big sisters, there’s no need to worry about men peeking in here,” Qiao Qiao declared. “Did you notice a diverging stream when we entered? That path leads to another spring, a place reserved for men.”

Qiao Qiao, ever the bold one, wasted no time, stripping herself bare in a flurry of movements. With hands on her hips and legs spread wide, she proudly displayed her ‘little airfield’ for the three of them to behold.

“Big sisters, hurry and undress too! Haa-choo~ Haa-choo~, Big sisters, you have to take off all your clothes before getting into the pool~ That’s how you attract more Tofu Fish! Haa-choo~ Haa-choo~”

Yue Ye Si had already covered Tou’s eyes, and before she could even retrieve a towel from her storage ring for Qiao Qiao, the younger girl eagerly approached, grabbing Yue Ye Si’s and Ji Jie’s hands. Her eyes gleaming, Qiao Qiao, with an expression akin to a perverted fanatic, insisted they strip naked as well.

Upon arriving, Tou was no longer being carried by Yue Ye Si. Having just had his eyes inexplicably covered by Four-Master, he felt a surge of discomfort. He was about to elbow Four-Master sharply in the stomach, intending to teach her a lesson, when—

The hand Yue Ye Si had placed over Tou’s eyes was abruptly pulled away by Qiao Qiao, revealing a child’s body that was utterly undeveloped.

“Heh~” Tou’s lips curled into a disdainful sneer. ‘What was the difference between this and seeing his own child-like body when he was younger?’ he mused. ‘He had absolutely no interest whatsoever.’

“Little Tou, don’t look!” His eyes were covered once more, and Four-Master, with a hint of petulance, even pinched Tou’s slender waist.

“What are you doing? I have no interest in little children like that!” Tou exclaimed, wincing from the painful pinch. He slapped her hand away, clearly displeased.

“Hmph… Qiao Qiao will grow up!” Qiao Qiao retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head back, her nose practically pointing skyward. “But you’re already so tall, and your chest is as flat as a horse’s back! I bet you’ll never have two towering peaks like a camel!”

“N-no! He really can only ever be that big…”

Ji Jie, aware of Tou’s true gender, stifled a laugh behind her hand. Sensing a sudden, icy stare, she quickly clamped her mouth shut and averted her gaze.

An emerald earring, the same vivid green as her eyes, flashed several times beneath her right ear. A moment later, various garments materialized in her hand, and she began searching through them, muttering softly in a voice too low for anyone else to hear:

‘I certainly can’t let Tou see my bare body again. What should I wear for bathing?’

“You’ll just be that size forever! Hahahaha!” Hearing Ji Jie’s agreement, Qiao Qiao grew even more delighted. She jumped up and patted Tou’s shoulder, then declared with an air of solemnity:

“If I grew that tall and my chest was still so unremarkable, I’d rather cut my long hair, put on pants, and just be a man!”

Tou, being male, was entirely unaffected by such mockery. Turning, he embraced his Four-Master and said:

“Four-Master, let’s bathe together. And Maid, you, come here. Don’t run off later, especially don’t play with Qiao Qiao or anyone like her. You’re my maid; just stay behind me, give me massages, scrub my back, and catch Tofu Fish for me to eat! Hmph~”

With that, he subtly lifted his chin towards Qiao Qiao, letting out a provocative hum.

“You… you mean you’re going to hog both big sisters?” Qiao Qiao shrieked, suddenly leaping up and clinging fiercely to Ji Jie, her face contorted in a ferocious scowl.

“I won’t let you get away with it! Maid Big Sister is mine tonight!”

“Qiao Qiao, you’re causing me a lot of trouble!” Ji Jie, as Tou’s maid, knew just how terrifying he could be when angered, so she attempted to gently push away the clingy Qiao Qiao.

“No!” Qiao Qiao stubbornly shook her head.

“Hehehe! A big thick stick or a big drill, which will you choose?” Tou grasped Four-Master’s wrist, clutching his stomach as he watched the two, letting out a sinister chuckle.

“Understood, Master!”

Ji Jie, possessing far greater strength than Qiao Qiao, pried open the child’s hands and, just as Qiao Qiao was on the verge of tears, ‘*Pew!*’ tossed her into the pool.

“Hmph hmph hmph~, the little brat hasn’t even grown her hair out, yet she dares to contend with me.” Seeing Ji Jie so decisively toss Qiao Qiao aside, Tou nodded in satisfaction. He then tossed a towel to Ji Jie before discreetly slipping behind a rock to don his own.

When Tou reappeared before everyone, a towel was wrapped around his waist, his hair neatly coiled at the back of his head, revealing his bare upper body and smooth, small feet. With a slight blush on his face, he carefully made his way into the pool.

“Why are you covering yourselves up so much for a bath?!” Although Qiao Qiao was forbidden from approaching Yue Ye Si and Ji Jie, she was still allowed to look. However, when the two women concealed their ‘rule-breaking’ figures with white towels, her fantasies were utterly shattered.

“Girls need to know how to protect their bodies,” Ji Jie explained, though she wasn’t quite sure why. She had merely emulated Yue Ye Si in wrapping herself up, and to Qiao Qiao’s complaints, she offered a patient yet utterly nonsensical explanation.

“So, so cute! Little Tou!”

The moment Tou entered the water, Yue Ye Si pounced, embracing him in a grand, rocking hug.

For once, Tou did not resist. He turned, settling onto Four-Master’s lap, nestled his head between her ‘camel’s peaks,’ spread his arms wide, and let out a comfortable, drawn-out groan of ‘Ah~’.

‘If only there were something delicious to eat right now!’

Lost in thought, he tilted his head, observing Ji Jie as she approached. Though Ji Jie’s ‘peaks’ were more prominent, Tou still favored Four-Master’s ‘flavor.’ Recalling the edible Tofu Fish in the lake, he addressed Ji Jie:

“Little puppy, quickly catch a few Tofu Fish for me.”

Tou’s voice, softened by the comforting warmth that enveloped him, had grown remarkably gentle. Hearing it, Ji Jie froze for a moment, then clutched her heart, looking as if Tou’s cuteness might just be the death of her. She then lay back on the water’s surface and drifted towards the lake’s center.

‘He truly resembles Xiao Yuan! I wish I could hold him in my arms, keep him in a cage!’

Only after drifting a considerable distance away from Tou did her nosebleed finally gush forth uncontrollably.