Ice Empress Bikini?! Heavenly Water Full of Benefits! Lan is Sent Flying!

An auction?

Lan's heart stirred.

He thought of certain things.

Auction houses were full of treasures, and besides... the immortal herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, if he calculated the time correctly, should be appearing soon.

He could not let those things fall cheaply into the hands of that Tang San.

Lan raised his eyes, looked at Xue Qinghe, and nodded slightly.

"I will go on the day of the auction."

The smile in Xue Qinghe's eyes deepened.

"Good, you can come directly to the Crown Prince's Mansion to find me then."

Having said that, Xue Qinghe nodded to Shui Bing'er and the others before turning around and slowly leaving with his guards.

Xue Qinghe's figure disappeared at the end of the street, yet his gentle smile and profound gaze seemed to linger in the air, refusing to dissipate.

Shui Yue'er leaned in toward Lan, curiously poking the jade token in his hand.

"Captain, His Highness the Crown Prince is actually quite nice, isn't he? This token looks expensive just by the sight of it."

"It's just... why did he insist on introducing his sister to you and asking if you had any siblings? It's all so strange."

Lan put the jade token away without answering.

He had a rough idea of Xue Qinghe's motives, but there was no need to explain them to these simple-minded girls.

Seeing that Lan remained silent, Shui Bing'er's cool, clear voice rang out, coming to his rescue.

"Alright, everyone is tired, let's go rest first."

Several days later.

The summer sun was scorching.

The heat was enough to almost melt the stone paths.

Inside Skywater Academy, however, it was a different scene.

By the banks of Skywater Lake, green willows provided shade, and the sound of cicadas brought a rare touch of coolness.

In the center of the lake, Lan was resting with his eyes closed, letting the cool lake water soak his body to drive away the sweltering heat.

Just then, a burst of crisp laughter approached from afar.

Lan opened his eyes.

He saw a group of young girls walking under the willow trees on the shore.

It was Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu.

Unlike their usual attire, today they were wearing a type of extremely revealing fabric that covered only the essentials, exposing large swathes of snow-white skin and their youthful, beautiful figures to the scorching air.

"Little brother, little brother!"

Shui Bing'er stood on the shore, her pretty face flushed slightly by the sunlight, and waved at Lan in the middle of the lake.

Beside her, Shui Yue'er was fanning herself with a look of misery.

"Damn it, this weather is so hot, I'm about to be roasted alive!"

Xue Wu, standing to the side, looked at Shui Bing'er's curvaceous figure and teased her with a laugh.

"I don't know who invented this bikini, but it's quite pretty. It's just... Bing'er, yours is a bit too well-endowed, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Yue'er immediately puffed out her chest, looking proud.

"Of course! That's thanks to me; I help her massage it whenever I have nothing to do. How could it not be big?"

"You!"

Shui Bing'er's pretty face turned red, and she glared at her sister, ignoring their teasing as she was the first to dive into the lake.

Splash!

The cool lake water instantly enveloped her graceful body, washing away all the heat.

Seeing her sister swimming toward where Lan was, Shui Yue'er giggled and jumped in after her!

Splash!

Following that, Xue Wu and the other girls from Skywater Academy jumped into the lake one after another, like Chiaotzu being dropped into a pot.

In an instant, Skywater Lake seemed to become a paradise for the girls.

Splashes flew everywhere, and their silver-bell-like laughter echoed over the lake, weaving together with the sound of cicadas, filled with the vibrant breath of youth.

Lan felt somewhat helpless and was just about to dive to the bottom of the lake to find some peace and quiet.

Suddenly, he felt his thigh being lightly touched by something exceptionally smooth and warm.

Was it a fish?

He instinctively reached out to grab it, wanting to see what was bold enough to touch him.

The sensation upon contact was delicate, warm, and surprisingly supple.

He followed the momentum and pulled the "big fish" out of the water.

Splash—

What met his eyes was not a fish tail, but a slender, fair calf that looked as if it had been carved from the finest mutton-fat jade.

Lan's pupils constricted slightly, and he released his grip with lightning speed.

With a splash, Shui Bing'er poked her head out of the water, her jet-black hair plastered wetly against her face, her stunningly beautiful features flushed so red they looked ready to bleed.

She looked at Lan, her eyes darting away as she bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth.

Lan's expression was also slightly unnatural as he spoke calmly.

"I didn't mean to."

Shui Bing'er's face turned even redder, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"I... I don't mind..."

A faint, lingering sense of ambiguity instantly permeated the air.

Shui Bing'er looked at Lan's peerlessly handsome face, her heart skipping a beat. She gathered her courage, then suddenly furrowed her delicate brows.

"Um... Lan, I think I have a leg cramp. I can't swim anymore..."

"Could you... please carry me to the shore?"

Upon hearing this, Lan looked at her.

Without overthinking it, he nodded, reached out his arms, and gently wrapped them around the young girl's slender waist, lifting her up.

With the fragrant, soft body in his arms, the girl's exquisite figure pressed tightly against him; even through the thin fabric, he could feel her startling softness and scorching body temperature.

Shui Bing'er's cheeks were practically burning up.

Just then, a head popped up from the side—it was Shui Yue'er.

She blinked her mischievous, large eyes and said with a grin.

"Sister, didn't you say our hearts were connected?"

"How come I didn't feel your leg cramp?"

Hearing this, Lan looked down at Shui Bing'er in his arms, then glanced at the smirking Shui Yue'er.

"Oh."

He replied with a single word.

Then, he let go of his hands quite decisively.

Plop!

Caught completely off guard, Shui Bing'er fell back into the water and choked on several mouthfuls.

Shui Yue'er took the opportunity to swim over, leaning affectionately against Lan like a mermaid, and cast a provocative look at her sister.

Splash!

Shui Bing'er lunged out of the water, her soaked hair clinging to her cheeks and neck, water droplets sliding down her graceful curves, adding to her breathtaking beauty.

She gritted her teeth, squeezing the words out from between them.

"Shui—Yue—er—!"

The next second, like an enraged little leopard, she lunged forward, grabbed Shui Yue'er's arm, and dragged her into the water.

For a time, the lake surface churned with splashes as two equally youthful and beautiful bodies tangled and rolled in the water. Laughter and screams blended together, and with the sudden exposure of skin, the other girls on the shore began to cheer, making for quite a lively scene.

Watching Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er frolicking in the water, Lan shook his head helplessly.

He was just about to pull away from the commotion to find a truly quiet place.

Just then.

Splash—

The water beside him broke without warning.

A figure emerged silently, as if she had been one with the lake all along.

Water droplets slid down her long, ink-green hair, revealing a stunningly exquisite face that carried a hint of innocent, dazed charm.

Lan's movements froze.

His gaze fell upon the... extremely skimpy clothing worn by the newcomer.

It was an ice-blue bikini, adorned with a few tiny snowflake patterns, clinging tightly to her curvaceous frame.

The wet fabric outlined her curves to the fullest, yet because of her dazed temperament, she appeared strangely adorable.

For the first time, a look of distinct astonishment appeared on Lan's face.

"Aunt Bing?"

The Ice Empress shook her drenched long hair, sending water droplets flying everywhere; she wiped her face without a care, revealing a brilliant smile that stood in stark contrast to her usual cold and aloof temperament.

"How could I be missing from something like this?"

She looked around, observing the sunlight, the green willows, and the young girls frolicking in the lake, her eyes filled with wonder.

"In the Far North, it is winter every single day; there is no such thing as Natsuhi."

"Of course, I want to look beautiful for Natsuhi, too."

Lan was somewhat surprised; how could the Ice Empress be here?

He didn't even have time to ponder why Aunt Bing would be wearing such... revealing clothing.

He had just opened his mouth to ask.

Before he could even react.

A glimmer of mischief flashed through the Ice Empress's emerald-green eyes, and with a flicker of her figure, she was instantly pressed against Lan.

"Hey!"

With a soft chuckle, she extended her arms and wrapped them directly around the waist of the still-dazed Lan.

The touch was soft, yet it carried a terrifying, irresistible strength.

The next moment, the Ice Empress exerted a sudden burst of force with her arms.

"Don't you agree, Lan'er?"

She chuckled, and with a heave, she tossed Lan straight up into the air!