My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

After shopping, Lin Shumei found a five-star hotel nearby. The crystal chandeliers in the lobby were dazzling, and a faint fragrance filled the air. She checked in, took the room key, and took Su Ming's arm as they went up the elevator. The room was on the twenty-second floor. Pushing open the door, the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city lights, which spread out like a galaxy. The hotel's large penthouse also featured a private heated swimming pool with azure water that shimmered under the lights.

Lin Shumei took two swimsuits out of her suitcase, tossed the men's set to Su Ming, and went into the changing room. Su Ming changed into his swim trunks and went into the water first. The water was warm and comfortable, making him want to sigh. He leaned against the edge of the pool, enjoying the moment with his eyes closed, when he heard the changing room door open. He opened his eyes and froze.

Lin Shumei walked out wearing a burgundy one-piece swimsuit. The swimsuit's cut perfectly accentuated her figure, highlighting her slender waist, long legs, and full bust that made the neckline of the swimsuit feel a little tight. She walked barefoot to the edge of the pool, the lights shining on her, making her skin glow. The shimmering light and shadow on her body made her look like she had stepped out of a painting.

Su Ming's eyes lit up, his mouth agape, almost unable to close. He had seen Lin Shumei in business attire, in dresses, and even in pajamas before, but never in a swimsuit. The impact was on a completely different level. He leaned closer to Lin Shumei and whispered in her ear, "Sister Lin, it's such a waste that you're not a bust model with a figure like that."

Lin Shumei glanced at him with a smile, then gently pushed him in the chest, playfully scolding, "My figure is only passable, not top-tier beauty, a tiny bit short of being a breast model." She then gestured towards Su Ming with her chin, pointing to the other side of the pool, "Look at that foreign girl over there, she's a real breast model, her breasts are practically nuclear bombs!"

Su Ming turned his head and, sure enough, saw a Caucasian woman sitting by the pool about ten meters away. Her long, wet blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, her azure eyes were like two pools of water, and her features were sculpted like a sculpture. She was wearing a white bikini, and her figure was so hot that it was impossible to look away. She had a large bust, a slim waist, and a shapely bottom; her curves were perfectly proportioned, with ample curves in all the right places. Su Ming glanced at her, couldn't help but swallow a few times, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Seeing this, Lin Shumei, instead of being angry, laughed out loud, nudged Su Ming with her elbow, and teased, "Go over there and chat her up. I'll ask her to take you swimming, and you can practice your spoken English while you're at it."

Su Ming quickly shook his head, turning his gaze away from the foreign girl, and said righteously, "Sister Lin, there's no need. I can swim. I swim quite well; I don't need anyone to teach me."

Lin Shumei rolled her eyes at him with a laugh, then gently pinched his cheek, teasingly saying, "I'm taking you to pick up foreign girls, and you're not even interested. So many people would kill for this opportunity, and you're backing away."

With that, she puffed out her chest, tossed her long, wet hair back, and walked straight towards the foreign girl. Before Su Ming could react, he saw Lin Shumei walk to the poolside, sit down next to the foreign girl, and greet her confidently. Then, Lin Shumei began to converse with her in fluent English, her pronunciation perfect and her speech smooth. The foreign girl nodded frequently, occasionally glancing at Su Ming with a smile in her bright blue eyes.

Su Ming stood in the pool, dumbfounded at the scene. He knew Lin Shumei was capable; she could handle Factory Director Gu, keep Vice President Liang in check, and manipulate events in the workplace. But he hadn't expected this woman to speak such fluent English, chatting with foreign girls as if they were old friends. Leaning against the poolside, looking at Lin Shumei's profile, his admiration for her grew even stronger.

Just as Su Ming was curiously watching the foreign girl, she turned around from the poolside, her bright blue eyes looking in his direction. A friendly smile curved her lips, and she raised her hand to wave at him, calling out in English, "Hey, come over! Don't be shy!"

Although Su Ming only graduated from high school and his English was practically nonexistent, he could still understand basic greetings. He paused for a moment, pointed to himself, and the foreign girl nodded, her smile widening.

Su Ming had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over. Stepping onto the non-slip mat by the pool, his ears burning, he timidly greeted them in broken Chinglish, using every word he could think of, his tone stiff as if he were reciting a text.

The foreign girl paused for a moment, then giggled, her clear laughter echoing in the empty space of the pool. She reached up and brushed her wet, long blonde hair aside, revealing her fair neck and a pair of exquisite silver earrings, and called out to Su Ming with a smile, "Let's communicate in Mandarin; my Chinese is better than your English."

Her Chinese was surprisingly fluent, with clear pronunciation, a natural intonation, and even a slight northern accent with the "er" sound. Su Ming's eyes widened in surprise, and his nervousness instantly dissipated. The foreign woman extended her hand and introduced herself confidently: "My name is Ruth, I'm from America, and I've been in China for four years. What about you?"

Su Ming grasped her hand; her palm was slightly cool, and her fingers were long and slender. He readily gave his name: "My name is Su Ming, Su as in Suzhou, and Ming as in tomorrow."

Ruth withdrew her hand, her gaze sweeping between Su Ming and Lin Shumei, before she asked with a smile, "Are you two a couple?"

Lin Shumei smiled, neither denying nor admitting it, but simply put her arm around Su Ming's and gestured for him to answer with her eyes. Su Ming scratched his head and mumbled "friend." Lin Shumei didn't mind, and casually put her hand on his shoulder, smiling at Ruth, "We came swimming together, and we just happened to run into you."

Ruth warmly invited the two of them to go swimming together. Su Ming didn't stand on ceremony, walked to the edge of the pool, took a deep breath, and jumped in with a splash, water spraying everywhere, splashing Ruth's face. Ruth wiped the water off her face, couldn't help but laugh, exchanged a glance with Lin Shumei, and the two of them shook their heads.

Su Ming started swimming in the pool, his movements wide and sweeping, his arms swinging like windmills, his legs kicking the water with a deafening roar, splashing water everywhere, making a great show of it, but his speed was as slow as if he were just drifting. He didn't know anything about standard swimming strokes, he just did whatever was convenient for him, doing a couple of freestyle strokes and then switching to a doggy paddle, and when he got tired of the doggy paddle, he would flip over and float on his back for a while. His swimming skills were about the same as the old man at the village entrance who was bathing in the river.

Ruth and Lin Shumei followed gracefully behind, swimming the breaststroke with perfect form. Their movements were fluid and steady, barely creating any splashes, a stark contrast to Su Ming's antics. Watching Su Ming's chaotic struggles, Ruth finally couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter echoed through the pool, even eliciting smiles from several other guests nearby.

When Su Ming swam to the other side and stopped, panting with his hands gripping the edge of the pool, Ruth leisurely swam to his side, popped her head out of the water, her long golden hair clinging to her shoulders, and water droplets sliding down her collarbone. She smiled and greeted Su Ming, "Su Ming, your swimming style is off."

Su Ming turned his head in confusion, wiped the water off his face, and said confidently, "I've been swimming for over ten years. I've been able to swim since I was six. I swim in the river behind our village every summer and have never choked on water. I may not be considered an expert, but if you say there's something wrong with my swimming, I'll disagree."