Douluo Continent: The Twin Sons of the Styx River, Shaking the World and Destroying the Heavens

Chapter 176 A Girl in Summer
"Na'er, you've wronged me!" Xia Die spread her arms wide, her face full of innocence, but the corners of her eyes curved slyly. "It's clearly Xiao Meng who's too timid. With this little bit of strength, how could she not catch it?" Before she finished speaking, her fingertips were already twirling in her palm, unable to hide the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Ah Die! Say that again?!" Meng Hongchen instantly bristled, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and she charged forward with her hands on her hips. Her wet hair whipped around in a playful arc, and her cheeks were as red as ripe peaches. "I'll teach you a lesson!" she said, feigning fierceness as she waved her fists, but her bouncing manner resembled that of a kitten chasing butterflies, making everyone around her burst into laughter.

Xia Die leaned back in her beach chair, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes: "Sister Meng is so impressive, how about we have a one-on-one match? The loser has to treat everyone to coconut juice~"

Meng Hongchen's fist suddenly stopped in mid-air, her arrogance instantly diminished, and she muttered as she withdrew her hand: "Who, who wants to fight you one-on-one... I'm letting you win!" She spoke toughly, but her cheeks secretly turned red. She turned around, grabbed the volleyball next to her, and slammed it on the ground. She kicked the sand in a hushed manner, pretending to be angry. She looked just like a little hedgehog whose heart had been exposed, so cute that it made people want to laugh.

Xia Die's eyebrows curved into crescents, and a light smile played on her lips as she called out, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. I'll play a proper game with you, and I promise I'll go easy on you this time." With that, she stood up nimbly, stretched her wrists, her hair fluttering in the sea breeze, and her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation.

"Who's afraid of you?" Meng Hongchen raised her head, her fair face full of defiance, and was about to roll up her sleeves to prepare for a fight.

Suddenly, a round sandball hit her shoulder with a "thud," startling her so much that she cried out, "Ouch!" Her fluffy hair was thrown into disarray, and she jumped up and down, her almond-shaped eyes wide as she searched the beach for the culprit. "Which scoundrel attacked me!"

"Miss Meng, do you like the sand?" Di Qiu'er tossed her flowing blonde hair, a sly smile curving her lips. A few grains of sand remained on her fingertips, reflecting playfully in the sunlight.

"Di Qiu'er!" Meng Hongchen gritted her teeth and spat out these three words, her cheeks flushed red, and she clenched her fists like a provoked little beast. "I'll teach you a lesson!" Before she finished speaking, she had already bent down, rolled up a larger sand ball, and threw it forcefully at the smiling Di Qiu'er not far away.

Di Qiu'er gracefully dodged to the side, the sand ball grazing her tousled hair before falling to the ground. She deliberately dragged out the last syllable of her teasing tone, "Oh dear, I can't hit it~" As she spoke, she waved her finger at Meng Hongchen.

Meng Hongchen angrily grabbed another handful of sand and squeezed it into a ball: "Miss Meng, haven't you eaten yet?" Di Qiu'er repeated in her tone, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

The girls watching burst into laughter. Bai Xiuxiu laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight, Feng Jin clutched her stomach and squatted on the ground, and even the usually aloof Gu Yuena couldn't help but smile. The silvery laughter echoed across the beach.

Meng Hongchen's almond-shaped eyes widened, her cheeks puffed out like little buns, and she waved her sand-covered fist at Di Qiu'er in the distance, stomping her foot and saying coquettishly, "Di Qiu'er! You just wait, if I catch you, I'll make you pay!" With that, she lifted her skirt and chased after the blonde girl like a blue wind, the water droplets dancing on her hair drawing crystal arcs in the sunlight.

Di Qiu'er stepped back lightly on the soft sand, her golden hair drawing a lively arc in the sea breeze. She turned around and made a face at Meng Hongchen, her voice full of teasing: "Wait until you catch me!" Before she finished speaking, she turned and ran towards the other end of the beach, the wave-like arc of her skirt revealing a triumphant smile.

Meng Hongchen had only taken two steps when a gust of cool seawater suddenly splashed over her head, wetting the stray hairs on her forehead. She wiped the water droplets from her face and turned around angrily, shouting, "Who is this again?!"

Not far away, Bai Xiuxiu was covering her mouth and chuckling, water splashing around her feet, her cunning glint in her eyes impossible to hide.

"Excuse me, Sister Meng," Bai Xiuxiu blinked her big, watery eyes, her tone a little mischievous, "Seeing you all having so much fun, I want to play with you too." As she spoke, she gently scooped up a handful of seawater and waved it in Meng Hongchen's direction, the water droplets on her fingertips sparkling in the sunlight.

This place is almost entirely filled with girls: Meng Hongchen, Xia Die, Bolucia, Ye Yukesi, Ju Zi, Di Qiu'er, Gu Yuena, Jiu Li, Ling Luochen, Feng Jin, Baili Chen...

Xiao Hongchen and his friends were on the beach, which was the boys' side.

To enjoy themselves undisturbed, they had booked the entire beach in advance. The sounds of waves and laughter rose and fell, and the passion of summer and the vitality of youth were in full bloom.

"Ah Die, come play with me for a while!" Orange smiled and waved her hand, splashing a handful of cool seawater at Xia Die.

"Come on then!" Xia Die quickly dodged to the side, and casually scooped up a handful of sand and threw it towards Ju Zi.

"Count me in?" A clear voice interrupted. Keke, wearing the same swimsuit as Ju Zi, quickly walked to Ju Zi's side, raised an eyebrow at Xia Die, and gave her a mischievous smile. "Little Die, one against two, aren't you scared?"

Sunlight shone on their matching swimsuits, giving them a vibrant glow. The two sisters stood side by side, their eyes filled with a sense of challenge.

“Sure.” Xia Die raised an eyebrow and smiled, a sly glint in her eyes.

Before she finished speaking, she raised her hand and waved it lightly, and the originally calm sea surface instantly surged into a wave, which splashed towards Ju Zi and Ke Ke with tremendous force.

"Ah Die, you're trying to murder me!" the two sisters exclaimed, hugging each other tightly. They were soaked through by the oncoming wave, their hair plastered to their faces, looking both disheveled and comical. The surrounding girls, seeing this, joined in the laughter, making the beach even more lively. Meanwhile, a sharp "smack" pierced the air.

Ling Luochen reacted quickly, catching the flying coconut with one hand. Looking up, she saw Baili Chen sitting on a coconut tree branch with her legs crossed, playing with half a coconut in her hand. Judging from the cross-section, it was clear that she had forcibly broken it open.

Her long, light blue hair swayed gently in the sea breeze. She wore a tight-fitting swimsuit similar to a wetsuit, the simple design of which outlined her smooth and beautiful body curves, and the just-right amount of skin exposure exuded a subtle allure.

"Luo Chen, want to try some?" Baili Chen sat on a branch, waving a coconut in his hand, his tone casual.

Ling Luochen nodded slightly, took out a small knife, and deftly twisted a small hole in the coconut. She inserted a straw, took a sip, and the sweet juice instantly spread across her tongue. She looked up at the person in the tree, a faint smile on her lips: "Hmm, tastes good. Achen, throw another one down."

Baili Chen glanced at his hands, which were busy breaking open coconuts, snorted, and simply raised his long legs, kicking the coconuts next to him with precise accuracy. The two round coconuts fell with a whoosh, and Ling Luochen caught them steadily in his arms with quick reflexes.

Ten minutes later, Meng Hongchen's arrogance completely deflated.

"Ugh, how awful!" She plopped down on the beach in a huff, then decided to act like a rascal, rolling around in the soft sand with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her blue and white swimsuit was covered in sand, and she looked both angry and aggrieved.

She was just fighting Di Qiu'er one-on-one a moment ago, how did Bai Xiuxiu and Jiu Li suddenly join in, and the three of them were "bullying" her? When you think about it, she's really at a disadvantage!
"Miss Meng looks so cute!" Xia Die couldn't help but laugh and tease her as she watched her roll around on the beach covered in sand, looking like a spoiled little dumpling.

The laughter around them suddenly grew even louder.

"Plop-plop-"

Two crisp splashes came from the sea. Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao returned, each carrying a large net full of seafood. The edges of the nets were still covered with glistening water droplets, hanging heavily.

The two men placed their fishing net on the beach, picked up a scale next to them, and weighed it. The pointer steadily pointed to the "200 jin" mark.

"Wow, this is so much!" Orange came over and peeked out, exclaiming in surprise, "With so many of us, we probably wouldn't be able to finish it even if we ate until dark."

"The rest of the words are for that good-for-nothing brother to eat."

Night gradually enveloped the beach, stars twinkled quietly in the dark blue sky, and the waves continued to pound the sand tirelessly, bringing a cool evening breeze.

In the center of the beach, a bonfire was already blazing, the leaping flames illuminating everyone's faces. The meat roasting over the fire sizzled, oil droplets dripping onto sparks, and the rising steam carrying a rich aroma of meat filled the air, making everyone's mouths water and causing them to swallow frequently.

Xia Die and the others sat around the campfire, where she personally cooked dinner. The sizzling roasted meat was turned over in her hands, the seasonings were sprinkled evenly, and the aroma became even more enticing.

"Sister A-Die's cooking skills are really good." Jiu Li looked at the golden and glistening meat skewers and couldn't help but praise them, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Orange didn't say much, but the drool that unconsciously dripped from the corner of her mouth had already betrayed her craving. Her eyes were fixed on the roasted meat, as if she wanted to suck the aroma into her stomach.

Xia Die smiled and shook her head, then turned and brought over several glasses of iced drinks, placing them in front of everyone. She knew everyone's tastes perfectly: Xiao Xiao received green apple soda, with bubbles bouncing and dancing on the glass; Jiu Li had a chilled Sprite in front of her, the clear liquid with tiny ice crystals floating in it, looking refreshing and thirst-quenching.

In less than a minute, the ten pounds of freshly cooked seafood were snatched up and even the skewers were licked clean.

"Ugh...it's a bit spicy." Xiao Xiao frowned from the spiciness and quickly grabbed the green apple iced drink next to her and took a big gulp. The cool bubbles and fruity aroma slid down her throat, and the burning sensation finally subsided a little.

Despite having a demigod among them, and most of the others being Soul Saints or Soul Douluos, their appetites were truly astonishing—in just one hour, fifty pounds of seafood were gone, and even the broth was used to mix with bread, leaving not a single drop.

(End of this chapter)