Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

Guo Fu's figure appeared somewhat hazy in the moonlight and the steam rising from the hot spring.

She stood by the pool, her pale yellow skirt swaying slightly in the night breeze, her bright eyes curiously scanning the misty water.

Until he saw Huang Rong.

"Mother?" she called out again, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

"You're really here! I thought you were asleep."

Huang Rong forced herself to calm down and took a deep breath.

Try to make your voice sound normal.

"Fu'er? How did you end up here so late?"

She spoke, her voice a little hoarse than expected, and she immediately coughed lightly to cover it up, "Mother... just wants to be alone and soak in the hot spring to relax."

She hid herself even deeper in the shadows of the rocks and the moisture, revealing only half of her face and the wet strands of hair clinging to her neck.

The moonlight was blocked by the rock wall, and the place where she was was dark.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mother, I've disturbed you."

Guo Fu stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed, but her eyes were bright and she showed no intention of leaving.

"I...I couldn't sleep. Today on the mountaintop...my mind was all jumbled up. Seeing that your room was empty, I thought maybe you were also having trouble sleeping and came out for a walk to clear your head. I guess I was right!"

As she spoke, her gaze swept across the surface of the hot spring pool.

Huang Rong's heart was in her throat, fearing that her daughter would discover anything unusual.

For example, the figure lurking underwater.

"Since Mother is soaking in the hot spring, then..." Guo Fu's face showed an eager smile.

"Fu'er hasn't taken a bath with Mother in so long! It seems like the last time was when I was very, very little! Mother, shall we take a bath together? I'll scrub your back!"

"No...no need!" Huang Rong blurted out.

She immediately softened her tone and tried to persuade her daughter with reasons.

"Fu'er, the water is a little cold, and Mother wants to be alone. Be good, go back to sleep first."

However, Guo Fu seemed unusually persistent tonight, perhaps because the excitement at the mountaintop and the vague unease made her especially long for her mother's company.

"It's not cold at all; I see it's steaming hot!"

Guo Fu persisted, already starting to untie her clothes. "Mother, please let me stay with you! I promise I'll be quiet and won't bother you! Please, Mother~"

Acting coquettishly was Guo Fu's forte, especially in front of Huang Rong.

As she spoke, she deftly untied the belt of her outer garment.

Huang Rong's mind was in complete chaos.

To stop it? On what grounds?

An overly forceful refusal would seem suspicious.

Agree? Let your daughter go into the water?

Yang Guo underwater... were these benefits given to him for nothing?

She simply couldn't believe it!

In the brief moment of her hesitation and struggle, Guo Fu had already taken off her pale yellow outer garment and casually draped it over a rock by the pool, followed by her inner garment...

Although the moonlight wasn't bright, it was enough to outline the beautiful curves of a young girl's budding youth.

Her slender neck, rounded shoulders, and full, perky breasts revealed a breathtaking curve beneath the thin undergarment; her waist was so slender it could be encircled by one hand, and her legs were straight and long.

"Fu'er! Wait..." Huang Rong's voice carried a hint of panic.

But Guo Fu moved quickly, seemingly a little shy, yet also a bit mischievous.

With a "plop," she leaped into the hot spring. The warm water instantly submerged her graceful body, splashing water, with a few drops even landing on Huang Rong's face.

"Ah—so comfortable!" Guo Fu sighed contentedly, wiping the water droplets from her face with her hand, and swam toward the shadows where Huang Rong was.

"Mom, why are you hiding so far away? Is the water really deep here?"

Huang Rong's heart pounded like a drum.

She could sense that the moment Guo Fu jumped into the water, there was an extremely subtle ripple in the water behind the huge underwater reef.

Yang Guo... he must have seen it!

Even with obstructed underwater visibility, given his cultivation level and the close proximity...

"There are a lot of rocks here, and the water is quite deep. Be careful."

Almost instinctively, as Guo Fu swam closer, Huang Rong stretched out her arm and subtly adjusted her position, using her body to block the straight-line view between Guo Fu and the reef where Yang Guo was hiding.

She turned to the side, with most of her body facing her daughter, her back slightly tense, as if she could feel the burning gaze from underwater, locked onto them, through a pool of warm water.

Guo Fu was completely unaware. She swam to Huang Rong's side, leaned against the edge of the pool, and the warm water made her skin turn a light pink.

She squinted comfortably, like a lazy cat.

"Mother, your hair is all wet. Let me fix it for you," Guo Fu said, reaching out to brush away the strands of hair sticking to Huang Rong's cheek.

Huang Rong stiffened slightly, but did not dodge.

She could feel her daughter's warm fingers brushing against her cheek, carrying the softness and vitality unique to young girls.

At the same time, she seemed to "feel" that the gaze underwater had become even sharper.

"Fu'er..." Huang Rong began, her voice hoarse, "You... were on the mountaintop today..."

She wanted to say something to distract her, and at the same time, she wanted to take the opportunity to give her daughter a few more words of advice.

He wanted to use his voice to cover up his rapid heartbeat and any other subtle noises.

"mother!"

Guo Fu interrupted her, her cheeks flushed, whether from the heat of the hot spring or from shyness, she lowered her eyelashes and played with the water.

"Please stop talking... I know I was wrong. I'll be more careful in the future. Brother Yang... he promised he would be careful too."

When "Brother Yang" was mentioned, Guo Fu's voice was low and soft, with a sweet shyness.

Huang Rong listened, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Her daughter's innocent, first stirrings of love were so vividly displayed before her eyes, and behind her, underwater, lay the very man who had awakened that first love in her daughter, and just moments before, he had been with her...

This absurd and dangerous situation left her barely able to breathe.

"It's good that you know."

Huang Rong reluctantly agreed, then reached out and splashed a handful of water on her face, trying to cool down her burning cheeks and hide her complicated expression.

"The world is a dangerous place, and people's hearts are unpredictable. Even if it's you, Brother Yang, you can't be completely unguarded. You must be careful in everything you do."

These words were spoken not only to Guo Fu, but also seemed to be spoken to himself.

"Mother, Brother Yang isn't that kind of person."

Guo Fu argued softly, but when she met her mother's eyes, which seemed particularly deep in the dim light, she obediently changed her tune, "However... Fu'er will listen to Mother."

As she spoke, she moved closer to Huang Rong, almost squeezing into her mother's arms.

The girl's smooth, delicate skin clung tightly to Huang Rong's arm and side, while warm water rippled between them.

Huang Rong's body became even stiffer.

She could clearly feel the soft curves of her daughter's body, which made her even more aware that they were both... and there was a man underwater...

She had to focus more on covering herself, her arms seemingly casually draped over the edge of the pool, but in fact, she cleverly expanded the area she was blocking.

Guo Fu, however, felt that her mother was unusually "clingy" tonight, which warmed her heart and made her enjoy this rare moment of intimacy.

She rested her head on Huang Rong's shoulder and asked softly, "Mother, will our trip to Xiangyang take a long time? Has Father encountered a lot of trouble?"

"Yes, I might stay for a while."

Huang Rong answered absentmindedly, her entire focus on sensing the underwater movements and maintaining the calm on the surface.

"Your father is a great hero, a true hero. He wants to protect Xiangyang and the people of the Song Dynasty. When we go, we must do our best to help him, and not cause any trouble, understand?"

"I know!" Guo Fu nodded vigorously, then looked worried. "Mother, do you think... Brother Yang's martial arts are so high, won't it be very dangerous for him to go to Xiangyang? Are there many skilled warriors among the Mongols?"

When Yang Guo's safety was mentioned, Guo Fu's tone was full of concern.

Huang Rong felt another pang in her heart. She paused for a moment before saying, "There's no such thing as absolute safety when traveling the martial world. Your Brother Yang... he knows what he's doing and has the skills. You just need to take care of yourself; that's the greatest help you can give him and our parents."

"Oh..." Guo Fu seemed to understand, but felt that her mother's words always made sense.

The two were speechless for a moment.

The hot spring gurgled, and insects chirped softly at night.

The moonlight shone quietly, and white mist swirled around the surface of the pool, making everything appear peaceful and beautiful.

If we ignore underwater areas.

"Mother," Guo Fu suddenly spoke again, her voice tinged with sleepiness and dependence, "Can I sleep with you tonight? Like when we were little?"

Huang Rong: "..."