The sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent over the reefs. As Bai Chenxiang turned and ran away, she caught sight of several pairs of eyes peeking out from behind the rocks—Lin Zhixia was covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were huddled together with their shoulders shaking uncontrollably, while Xiao Wu's crescent eyes were full of mischief. Bai Chenxiang's already burning cheeks instantly flushed as though hot oil had been poured over them, even the tips of her ears turning a ripe peach-pink. She stumbled twice, then simply ducked behind Lin Zhixia, clutching her sleeve tightly with both hands and burying her face in the hollow of Lin Zhixia's shoulder. Even her breathing became cautious.
"No one's allowed to laugh!" Feeling the blazing warmth of the person behind her, Lin Zhixia hurriedly straightened her back and put on a stern face as she "seriously" warned everyone behind the reef. But as soon as she finished speaking, she glimpsed Ma Hongjun still standing there stupidly, gripping the corners of his clothes with both hands like a child who had done something wrong, and the corners of her own mouth began to lift. She quickly covered her mouth, but her fingers could not hide the laughter spilling out, and even her voice trembled slightly. "Seriously, no laughing. Xiangxiang is embarrassed already."
"Pfft—" Oscar was the first to break. He had been leaning against the reef, and his shoulders had already been aching from holding it in during Ma Hongjun's confession. Now, seeing Lin Zhixia trying to smooth things over with a straight face while exposing herself first, he finally burst out laughing. "Zhixia, take care of your own mouth first. Your smile is practically reaching your ears!"
Tang San stood by the nearby shallows, Blue Silver