I'm Not Going to Be Your Little Sister Anymore!

Just as the brother and sister were snuggling together, the dense, grating sound of their joints pierced their eardrums like thousands of tiny needles.

You Su shoved Bai Ze aside and looked back nervously. Sure enough, she saw a swarm of sea lice sweeping in like a wave!

They realized their lair had been stolen!

"Run!"

Without saying a word, You Su grabbed Bai Ze's wrist and pulled the girl away quickly.

The two sped through the darkness of the seabed like arrows, only to be driven into a frenzy by the sea lice whose eggs, which were meant to carry offspring, had been mostly destroyed. They relentlessly pursued the two.

"You Su, they... they've caught up!"

Bai Ze's voice trembled slightly; in her girl form, it was still somewhat difficult for her to You Su's speed.

You Su could even feel the sweat on the girl's palms, cold and sticky, a mixture of tension and fear.

"Come on up!"

You Su gave a soft shout and then pulled hard. Bai Ze instantly understood and nimbly leaped onto You Su's broad back, his small hands naturally wrapping around You Su's neck, as if he had been prepared all along.

"Hold on tight! Don't fall when I draw my sword!"

With one hand holding the sword, You Su could only use one hand to support the girl's slender yet strong legs. Upon hearing this, the girl tightened her grip with both hands and squeezed her legs together even more tightly, as if trying to merge her delicate body with You Su, becoming a tortoise shell that You Su could never shake off.

With his emotions running high, You Su had no time to appreciate the beauty behind him. This underwater world was fraught with danger, and he never knew where a dangerous evil spirit might suddenly appear. Therefore, he dared not go at full speed because of the unknown road ahead, for fear of accidentally falling into a trap and falling into an even greater crisis.

He thought his leg strength would be enough to shake off his pursuers, but the speed unleashed by the frenzied swarm of sea lice exceeded his expectations.

He whirled around, his Ink Pine Sword Qi with a chilling light, instantly cleaving the nearest sea lice in two. The foul-smelling slime splattered onto some kind of glowing seaweed nearby, making a sizzling, corrosive sound.

But this won't solve the problem. If we can't shake them off completely, it's only a matter of time before they catch up.

Fortunately, Bai Ze wasn't a useless little sister who would only hide on her brother's back and cry out in fear. Taking advantage of the moment when You Su turned around to swing her sword, she also quietly opened her palm.

A faint blue light emanated from the girl's snow-white fingertips, and the surrounding air suddenly cooled down, with a bone-chilling cold.

You Su stared in astonishment at the girl's delicate hand reaching out from beside his right cheek. In the next instant, a massive ice wall rose from the ground, standing between them and the swarm of sea lice. The ice wall was crystal clear, its surface shimmering with a faint blue light, like a giant mirror reflecting the ferocious faces of the swarming sea lice.

"Sharp."

You Su couldn't help but praise him, completely unaware of the icicles on his right cheek caused by the cold, which the girl noticed clearly. Bai Ze first smiled sweetly at You Su's praise, then opened his rosy lips and breathed warm air onto You Su's right cheek.

A sudden warmth spread across his cheek, a sweet scent filled his nostrils, and a gentle touch pressed against his back confirmed the girl's presence.

You Su raised an eyebrow, knowing that Bai Ze was trying to warm his face, and felt a warmth in his heart as well. However, he still bounced the girl's legs, interrupting her boundless kindness, and said seriously:

"Behave yourself, run!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he touched the ground with his toes, not wasting a single moment of the time Bai Ze had bought for the two of them. And the ice wall was crushed by the surging tide of sea lice not long after You Su set off.

The escape route in the unknown was far too unpredictable. You Su not only had to guard against the pursuers behind him, but also had to find time to kill the evil spirits that appeared from all directions. If it weren't for Bai Ze's help, his situation would probably be even more difficult than it is now.

You Su thought that with Bai Ze's help, she could gradually shake off the swarm of sea lice that were clinging to her like maggots. However, after hearing Bai Ze's uncontrollable cough, You Su couldn't bear to see the girl continue to overdraw her body, which was still in the recovery period, and ordered her not to take any more action.

Suddenly, a magnificent, colorful coral reef came into You Su. The coral branches intertwined and stretched out like a giant net.

Having traveled the seabed for so long, You Su's principle has been to avoid complex or overly dazzling places, thus avoiding unnecessary risks. However, at this moment, as long as he and Bai Ze remain within the sight of the sea lice, they cannot escape their pursuit. Only by concealing their forms and using the ability of the Miscalculation Array to mask their presence can they have a chance to completely shake them off.

With this in mind, You Su gritted his teeth and, having made up his mind, even tightened his grip on the girl's knees.

"Let's bet!"

He carried Bai Ze, weaving and dodging among the rugged coral reefs. Behind him, the swarm of insects surged like an inky torrent, crushing the phosphorescent jellyfish along the way. The eerie blue fluorescence exploded in the darkness, like stars falling into an abyss.

You Su charged into the vibrant coral reef first, followed closely by the sea lice swarm. Their segments scraped against the coral with a screeching sound, and the sharp spines they used to pierce the flesh of their prey now became obstacles. Even though they were sharp enough, the coral inevitably slowed their speed, preventing them from advancing rapidly across a large area as they had in open terrain. You Su, however, could move like a sea butterfly, using her Movement Method to leap high above the coral reef, avoiding the obstruction of the crisscrossing branches at the base of the coral.

But he underestimated the perseverance and intelligence of these sea lice. They actually realized that it was difficult to walk down there, so they climbed up the coral!

You Su gritted his teeth, thinking how troublesome he was, when suddenly his pupils contracted. He did the opposite, carrying Bai Ze on his back, and leaped into the intricate coral net, his figure disappearing briefly.

You Su was not walking into a trap; rather, he had observed an excellent hiding place—an overturned giant conch shell. Its surface was covered with bluish-gray calcium crystals, and a dark red halo faintly shone through the spiral patterns, like solidified blood vessels.

Without hesitation, You Su swung his sword to cleave open the barnacle curtain hanging from the shell, peeked inside briefly, and after confirming there was no obvious danger, rolled inside with Bai Ze in his arms.

The space inside the conch shell was far more bizarre and cramped than imagined. A dark red halo seeped from the spiral patterns, staining the narrow chamber with a thin veil of blood. Upon closer inspection, the patterns seemed to writhe slowly like living things, like the veins of some ancient creature. The shell walls were covered with clusters of fluorescent moss, and points of light, interwoven with dark blue and dark purple, flowed like a river of stars, each spot flickering and shimmering as if breathing. Although eerie, it possessed a unique beauty.

In order to fit both of them into the space inside the conch shell in a short time, Bai Ze had to curl up in front of You Su in an extremely awkward position, with his knees pressed against You Su's waist and abdomen, and his slender back almost touching the inner wall of the conch shell.

Faced with the unfamiliar environment, the timid girl instinctively clung tightly to You Su's neck, her warm breath brushing against his Adam's apple. "Brother, I feel so uncomfortable..."

You Su's Adam's apple itched from the girl's breath, and unable to bear it, he grabbed the girl's waist and pressed her down. The girl gasped as she was straightened and fell onto his lap, her layered skirt surging like snow waves, almost sweeping over her drooping barnacles.

You Su wrapped one arm around the girl's waist, holding her firmly, while using the Ink Pine Sword to smooth the barnacle curtain, completely concealing the conch shell's opening.

Compared to sitting opposite each other, sitting on his lap made the already cramped space feel much more spacious, and Bai Ze clearly preferred this position. He had wanted to sit in You Su's lap like this when he first became human, but You Su had sternly refused. Now, however, he was being pulled into You Su's lap on his own initiative.

Feeling the breadth and solidity of You Su's chest, Bai Ze's eyes sparkled. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the evil insects raging outside, and he shifted his body greedily, wanting to get even closer.

Shh, don't move.

You Su's voice was hoarse. Just before the pretty girl was about to sit on his belly, he pressed his fingertips an inch below the girl's shoulder blades, as if warning her to behave herself.

The rustling sound of swarms of insects passing by outside was like a torrential downpour. The sharp legs of the sea lice scraped against the surface of the coral, making a teeth-grinding friction sound. Bai Ze immediately froze and dared not move.

Their breaths mingled, forming a fine web. You Su could clearly feel the girl's taut waistline, and through the light gauze, he could feel a soft, warm touch, like holding a ball of first snow, which would melt in his palm with the slightest pressure.

Bai Ze suddenly trembled slightly, because she saw the tentacles of a sea louse probing into the gaps in the barnacles, trembling and swaying back and forth beside her feet, as if gathering some information.

The girl was startled and tried to lift her leg to avoid it, You Su immediately placed his palm on her knee and pressed her leg down tightly to prevent her from making any loud noise.

You Su's actions stemmed from his trust in the effectiveness of the miscalculated array. He was currently in close contact with Bai Ze, and the array's ability to conceal their auras would cover both of them. So he was gambling that the sea louse wouldn't continue its investigation if it hadn't obtained information about the Mystic Qi, and it certainly wouldn't touch Bai Ze's feet. If it made a commotion and attracted the sea louse's attention, then all his efforts would be in vain.

But the girl wasn't as calm as You Su. All she knew was that the cockroach's antennae were about to touch the soles of her feet. Even though her feet were covered by embroidered shoes, she still didn't want the antennae to touch them.

She wanted to move her legs but couldn't, so she had no choice but to desperately move her body backward, ignoring You Su's previous warning. Even after she had sat down completely, with her entire back pressed tightly against You Su's chest and abdomen, the girl still kept squeezing backward inch by inch, as if she was extremely afraid of those two thin, brush-like tentacles.

Fortunately, You Su's gamble paid off; the tentacle didn't find what it was looking for and quickly withdrew.

The commotion outside reached its peak at this moment, with thousands of sea lice simultaneously letting out shrill screechs, causing the fluorescent moss to fall in a flurry, as if a shower of stardust had fallen.

You Su held Bai Ze close, both of them holding their breath, afraid to make a sound. The rustling sounds gradually faded into the distance, and when the last noise disappeared from their ears, You Su finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Sit forward a bit..." You Su's Adam's apple bobbed. To avoid any inappropriate contact, he had to desperately arch his back. The pressure from both the external and internal environments, the physical and mental stress—it's no wonder he was so exhausted.

Bai Ze didn't move, but instead muttered seriously, "Shh... they haven't gone far..."

Upon hearing this, You Su realized that Bai Ze, being of beast origin, had superior hearing, so he could only continue to keep his body still and dare not make a sound, and the surroundings once again fell into an eerie silence.

"My brother's heartbeat is so loud..." Bai Ze suddenly muttered.

You Su awkwardly dug his toes into the ground, and said seriously, "Get up, they've really gone far away."

"No, what if there are still bugs outside that haven't left?" Bai Ze asked in a low voice, his toes unconsciously brushing against his calf.

It is indeed difficult to stand up in the cramped conch shell space unless you go outside, but no one knows if there are still sea lice outside, so going out so soon is obviously not a wise move.

You Su naturally understood this as well, and could only helplessly say, "Then please move forward a bit, I'm also feeling uncomfortable being squeezed."

"I didn't squeeze you. You've been sitting hunched over, of course it's uncomfortable. Just relax. That bug almost touched me, and I wasn't as scared as you, meow."

Bai Ze's tone was smug, unaware that You Su felt a bitter taste in her mouth, wondering if what she was afraid of was actually insects.

Compared to Bai Ze's squeezing, You Su did indeed dodge more. You Su hadn't expected Bai Ze to notice that he was sitting with his body concave from his taut thighs, and for a moment he didn't know how to refute it, so he could only use his elder brother's authority:

"I'm telling you to move forward a bit, or else you'll face the family rules."

Unexpectedly, Bai Ze wasn't scared into obediently moving his bottom; instead, he sat down even harder and said aggrievedly:

"No, I'm so tired. I just want to lean on you like this. We've been running around outside for so long, and you haven't hugged me once. Being a human is awful. I don't want to be your little sister anymore."

You Su's apple bobbed slightly, but he remained silent.

He had preconceived notions and considered Bai Ze his younger sister, but his sister only wanted to be a clingy kitten. He was happy to have a younger sister, but Bai Ze didn't seem to be happy to have a brother.

You Su felt deeply guilty and didn't know how to explain it to Bai Ze, or perhaps it was simply impossible to explain it to him.

Suddenly, Bai Ze's delicate fingertips quietly crept up his outer thigh, where there were several wounds from his battle with the sea lice. After such a long journey, they hadn't even had time to heal. Cool Mystic Qi flowed from his fingertips into his wounded meridians, stopping the bleeding.

You Su groaned, the thin frost that had formed on his wound stung his back, but his injury had indeed been relieved.

The girl, taking advantage of the situation, tilted her head back so that the back of her head almost touched his chin. The faint scent of cedarwood in her hair wove a dense, impenetrable net in front of You Su's nostrils.

"I used to lick myself like this when I was injured. Does it make you feel any better?"

You Su secretly rejoiced that the girl wasn't stupid enough to actually lick it with her tongue, and nodded slightly in response.

Bai Ze received an affirmative answer, and a sweet smile curved his lips, but he lowered his head and said apologetically, "I was just talking nonsense, please don't be angry..."

You Su was even more moved that the girl took his silence as anger and shut up.

"I'm not angry. It's just that I shouldn't have suppressed your nature. It's just that I'm different from you. I'm a human being, and my principles of conduct are different from yours. Although you are a human being, you don't understand these rules and regulations, so I should take the initiative to avoid certain things. I hope you can understand."

You Su reluctantly withdrew his palm from her waist, the delicate jade-like bone still visible through the gauze, but the girl seemed completely unaware of her own allure.

Bai Ze remained silent for a moment upon hearing this, then suddenly whispered, "I know you don't want me to sit... Now that I've obtained the stone tablet, you should give me a reward, right? The reward I want is to sit here and rest."

You Su felt helpless, but she couldn't bear to continue using human doctrines to reject Bai Ze, so she had no choice but to agree:

Just this once.

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl suddenly turned around, her movements as nimble as a cat's in such a narrow space.

The soft, warm lips brushed against the side of her neck, You Su's back instantly straightened, the Ink Pine Sword almost slipping from her hand and hitting the shell.

In an instant, the girl wrapped her legs around his waist, her knees pressed against his sides, and clung to him even tighter like a vine, like a kitten clinging to its owner's arms.

You Su lowered his gaze and met her clear pupils, the tension of just moments before, hanging by a thread, mingling with the warm, enchanting light in her eyes.

"I want to sit like this, holding you."

The girl mumbled softly, as if pleading, yet also as if resentful.