"Teach me to swim?"
Shen Changyin had barely finished speaking.
Xie Yu refused instantly. "No."
A strict blow against the possibility of romance developing between betrothed wives.
Shen Changyin blinked. "But if you don't teach me, I'll have to find someone else."
Xie Yu: "Come back."
Shen Changyin had never intended to walk away—her feet hadn't moved at all. Hearing Xie Yu say this, the corner of her mouth curved for just a split second.
Xie Yu said, "Who would you even find? At best, your soldiers. But they're all from the northwest—none of them can possibly swim well."
She added sincerely, "I'm worried you'll drown, okay?"
Shen Changyin placed a hand dramatically over her heart. "Your Highness the Third Princess cares for my safety. I am deeply moved."
Xie Yu laughed helplessly and shook her head. "Did you at least find a place to practice?"
This time, Shen Changyin hesitated. "Um… there's a river outside the city?"
Xie Yu immediately sensed the seriousness of her impending teaching duty. "Last time you jumped in a river, you didn't freeze to death. Are you feeling regretful about that now?"
"Who would learn to swim in this season?"
Since she had agreed to teach, she quickly started planning. "There must be a hot spring pool near the capital. Let's ask the steward."
Since they had already decided on their plans, the two didn't bother with separate carriages and took their familiar shared one back to the residence. They summoned the steward and asked.
The steward, originally an inner-palace attendant and familiar with all the imperial residences, thought carefully and replied:
"There is an imperial lodge outside the capital with a large bathing pool fed by natural hot spring water from the mountains. It should be perfect for this season."
She then hesitated. "But since the lodge technically belongs to Her Majesty, Your Highness—do you need the empress's permission?"
"No." Xie Yu shrugged shamelessly. "Both of us are princesses of the realm. Using one imperial lodge? If Her Majesty has a problem, she can come and chop us herself."
It felt amazing.
So this was the joy of being a rebellious noble?
The steward—seeing that neither princess cared—stopped trying to dissuade them. Instead, she prepared swimming clothes and selected two attentive maids to accompany them and handle the miscellaneous tasks.
Watching the entourage grow larger, Xie Yu simply brought little Wan and little Flower along too.
"When we're swimming, you two can explore the lodge. Think of it as a little outing."
They arrived at the imperial lodge and had the hall containing the hot spring pool opened. Then they went to different rooms to change into their swimwear.
Of course, it wasn't a bikini. A one-piece swimsuit was also a fantasy. Ancient swimwear was a thin set of long-sleeved, long-panted garments made of a fabric that felt like a mix of cotton and gauze—light and minimally absorbent.
They entered the large hall from opposite doors, and the first thing they saw was the thin mist floating over the hot spring.
Xie Yu suddenly remembered that natural hot springs really did look like this.
Then she saw Shen Changyin standing by the opposite entrance.
Shen Changyin wore a set of plain white garments, with her long black hair loose down her back, free of any accessories. With the translucent mist swirling around her, she looked like some mountain spirit—perfect without effort.
Xie Yu had tied her own hair neatly into a bun with a black silk ribbon.
Shen Changyin's hair was simply too beautiful, smooth as satin. So the first thing Xie Yu did when she approached was pull out a matching black ribbon and say mercilessly, "Tie your hair up."
How was she supposed to teach swimming with that hair down? How would she observe her head position?
No matter how pretty the hair was—it had to go up.
Shen Changyin didn't reach out for the ribbon. Instead, she said, "Your Highness, could you help?"
Xie Yu said coldly, "Cut it out. You were perfectly quick when you tied my hair."
Shen Changyin laughed lightly, took the ribbon, and lifted her hair.
Just then, someone knocked. Xie Yu answered halfway, received something from a maid outside, and shut the door again.
Shen Changyin, ribbon between her teeth and hair gathered behind her, looked at the items in Xie Yu's hands with curiosity.
"I asked them for a charcoal pencil and paper. I'm making a lesson plan."
Xie Yu took anything within her responsibility very seriously.
She scribbled several pages.
Shen Changyin finished tying her hair and waited, but seeing how much she was writing, she leaned forward curiously.
Xie Yu blocked the paper immediately. "No peeking."
"Alright. Class begins." She clapped her hands.
"And swimming lessons in a private one-on-one setting can be extremely expensive. Please settle your tuition afterward."
"Now, stand by the pool." She pointed.
Shen Changyin followed the gesture and stepped forward.
That part was easy. She was soon standing in place.
"The first step in learning to swim is overcoming fear of the water. Once you're afraid, you panic. When you panic, you choke. Then you drown."
Xie Yu stood beside her. "You have an advantage—you're rational."
"Now, jump."
Shen Changyin looked down at the water. Xie Yu's command sounded in her ears, yet her body froze completely.
The pool had deep and shallow sections—they were currently in the deep one, two meters deep.
Which meant she would be fully submerged. Even standing straight, she wouldn't break the surface.
"Jump. It's fine. You won't sink. Once you're in, you'll float back up."
Xie Yu noticed her hesitation and even tried comforting her.
It didn't help.
Shen Changyin stared at the water. Water, like air, was something she couldn't grasp—uncertain, untouchable.
For someone who couldn't swim, that uncertainty was like a fish facing dry land.
Yet she genuinely wanted to learn, so her mind kept issuing the command to jump.
Xie Yu watched as her student not only failed to jump—her toes actually stepped backward.
"Alright." Xie Yu was a reasonable teacher. "We'll move to the shallow end."
But even there, Shen Changyin didn't jump.
The shallow end was only one and a half meters deep—not even shoulder height.
But jumping into water wasn't a straight drop. She'd enter in a reclining or curled posture, so at that angle, one and a half meters and two meters weren't much different.
Xie Yu watched Shen Changyin stare at the water for a long time. She still looked poised, a picture of calm, no fear showing on her face—yet she simply would not jump.
"Okay." Xie Yu sighed and moved beside her.
"It's alright. Being scared is normal. Let's jump together, okay? I'll count down—three, two, one—and we'll jump at the same time?"
Shen Changyin looked at her. After thinking for a moment, she slowly nodded.
"Alright. Three, two, one—jump!"
Xie Yu plunged into the water with a splash. When she turned back, Shen Changyin was still on the shore, her dark eyes fixed on her.
"Why didn't you jump?"
Shen Changyin said nothing.
"It's fine, it's fine. Maybe you weren't ready. Let's try again."
They tried again. Shen Changyin still didn't jump.
By now Xie Yu's clothes and hair were dripping wet. She stood in the water, staring at Shen Changyin in disbelief.
"So you really just wanted to watch me jump, didn't you?"
Shen Changyin pressed her lips together. "Sorry."
She wanted to jump each time, but when the moment came, her body turned rigid.
Xie Yu climbed onto the shore and stood beside her again. She almost lost her temper, but when she saw the tiny droplets forming on Shen Changyin's lashes from the mist, she let out a long, deep sigh.
"Do you want to hold my hand and jump together? That's what we did last time. I know it makes you feel a little better."
Through the thin drifting mist, a hand quietly moved toward hers.
Xie Yu took that hand. She counted again. Three, two, one.
This time they both jumped, water splashing everywhere. Xie Yu immediately felt the tight grip around her hand.
Now the advantage of the one-and-a-half-meter depth showed—both women stood up easily. They slowly walked back to the shore and did it again.
After being pulled along three times, Xie Yu could feel Shen Changyin gradually relax. The last jump even held a little madness, a flare of joy.
Standing in the pool, she saw how bright Shen Changyin's eyes were once she stood up, and said, "Well? It's fun, right?"
Shen Changyin nodded.
Back on shore, Shen Changyin reached for Xie Yu's hand again, but this time Xie Yu hid her hand behind her back.
"Now you can jump on your own."
Shen Changyin's faint smile froze.
She subconsciously stepped two small paces away from the pool's edge.
Xie Yu saw this, raised a hand to her eyes, wiped her face, and finally sighed:
"Alright. I'll tell you a story. The story of how I learned to swim."
Her voice grew deep. "When I was little, I fell into the water because I was being naughty. If someone hadn't pulled me out, I would've drowned."
"My mom—no. I mean, a kindhearted imperial physician taught me to swim."
Xie Yu's mother had been a doctor without borders. People imagined her as gentle and healing.
But in reality, she was the type who sprinted eight hundred meters through gunfire to save civilians. To protect medical camps, she mastered the maintenance and use of weapons. To young Xie Yu, she was the ultimate iron-blooded warrior.
Xie Yu had almost said "my mom" out of habit, then quickly made up a different identity.
When her mother heard she had almost drowned, she didn't scold her, didn't give her time to react. She simply took her to the pool the next day and taught her herself.
"Anyway, I was just a kid. I had just nearly drowned. Of course I was terrified of water. I threw a tantrum. I refused to learn."
She paused.
"And then?" Shen Changyin asked.
"And then she kicked me in."
"I choked on water for ages, got pulled up, then kicked back in. Up again, then down again. That's how I learned."
Xie Yu looked straight at Shen Changyin.
"So don't make me kick you in too."
In that moment, her expression carried a kind of unexplainable intensity. Shen Changyin instantly believed her. She was serious. She would kick.
But she also genuinely feared water.
After swallowing once, she slowly said, "I can try."
"What you need right now is to get used to the act of jumping." Xie Yu slipped back into the water and stood directly below her. "To ease your panic, I'll catch you. Don't worry about sinking. All you have to do is jump."
Shen Changyin blinked.
"I'll catch you. I promise."
She closed her eyes, breathed twice, opened them, and jumped.
At first, she wasn't caught. She still sank by momentum, panic rising in a sharp flash—until a hand suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped everything.
Xie Yu pulled her up, brushed her damp bangs back to reveal her clean, bright features.
"Very good. One more time?"
Shen Changyin nodded.
They repeated it three more times.
On the last one, Shen Changyin looked at Xie Yu's open arms before jumping—arms steady like an ancient rock in the sea—and quietly asked, "Will you catch me every time?"
The drifting mist blurred both their faces, softening every outline.
The atmosphere between them was indescribable.
But Xie Yu's stance was clear.
"If I catch you every time, how will you ever learn to swim?"
Then she added, "But I promise you this: if I say I'll catch you, then I absolutely will."
"Jump."
Shen Changyin jumped.
Xie Yu immediately stepped backward.
Shen Changyin plunged in, then rose in a fluster, staring at her.
Xie Yu held her hands out. "I didn't promise this time."
"But you learned how to jump. You learned how to stand up afterward. You've already overcome your fear of the water. Isn't that great?"
There was nothing to refute. But Shen Changyin still stared at her for a long, heavy moment.
Xie Yu felt perfectly justified.
"Next, we learn how to float. You should already be familiar with that feeling—we floated in the water for a long time that day."
"That time," Shen Changyin said quietly, "I was holding your hand."
"But I wasn't supporting you. You were just holding my hand. It was the water's buoyancy keeping you up."
"The essence of swimming is trusting the water. Water will hold you. Water will move you."
"Come on. Float."
They stood in the water. Xie Yu said, "I'll hold your waist. You fall backwards."
What?
Shen Changyin's lashes fluttered, still processing, when a hand had already secured her waist.
Xie Yu's left arm wrapped around her waist, her forearm resting across the small of her back.
Her right hand rose in front of her, gently pressing at her forehead to guide her backward.
Warm skin, warm breath, and warm water surrounded her completely.
What—what—what—
The sequence happened too suddenly. Shen Changyin reacted instinctively, shifting away just a little.
Xie Yu froze, confused.
Seeing the unsettled look on Shen Changyin's face, she thought it was still fear.
So she tried to encourage her.
"We're close. Once you learn to float, then kick, then pull with your arms, then breathe—you'll know how to swim."
"Swimming feels amazing. And if you get good, it looks cool, too."
But when she saw Shen Changyin still wearing that strange expression, she climbed onto the shore.
"Watch," she said, then leapt in.
Her thin white clothes were soaked, clinging to her. Standing alone on the shore, she didn't look flattering—almost bedraggled, like someone caught in rain.
But the moment she leapt, that awkwardness vanished. Her posture midair was open and fluid. Then she cut into the water cleanly, like a real fish.
Xie Yu swam freestyle—effortless-looking but fast. As she passed Shen Changyin, she stirred a warm current from the hot spring that brushed across Shen Changyin's skin.
That current didn't just slide across her body—it swept straight across her heart. She didn't know how to describe the feeling. Was it like fresh spring water running over stone? Or like the first drop of rain sliding across a dry glazed roof, leaving a mark that would never fade?
She pressed a hand over her heart.
After two laps, Xie Yu stopped beside her. When her face rose above the surface, she looked exhilarated.
"Well? Swimming looks fun, right?"
Shen Changyin didn't know.
She only watched Xie Yu's clear features, the drops falling from her lashes, and those bright watery eyes. She heard her voice but couldn't register the words.
"I know you want to learn because you think it'll be useful," Xie Yu said. "But that doesn't stop swimming from being fun."
In Shen Changyin's eyes, Xie Yu always had the same attitude toward life—unyieldingly spirited, fiercely alive.
"If you force yourself to learn something only because it's useful, it becomes really difficult."
Xie Yu felt she was an excellent swimming instructor—not only teaching well, but coaxing psychology, patient, adaptable.
Sure enough, after a pause, Shen Changyin nodded.
"Let's continue."
Xie Yu moved closer to her—only to discover even that small gesture was enough to make Shen Changyin tense up. Every muscle around her waist tightened.
"We haven't even started. Relax."
Shen Changyin tilted her head, giving her a look that seemed almost resentful.
But Xie Yu didn't catch the meaning. She just continued.
With Xie Yu's support, Shen Changyin smoothly lay back on the water.
"Good. Very good," Xie Yu said softly. "Now I'm going to remove my arm. Don't be nervous. You'll find out it isn't my arm holding you anymore—it's the water."
She quietly slid her arm from beneath Shen Changyin's waist—
Only to feel fingers suddenly grab her own waist underwater.
Shen Changyin.
She watched her lose balance from the sudden movement and sink into the water, her delicate features becoming more distant beneath the ripples.
She immediately pulled her up, but couldn't stop her from choking.
Once Shen Changyin was lifted out of the water, she coughed desperately twice.
Xie Yu patted her back. "I told you not to panic. Grabbing me isn't going to help."
After trying two more times, Shen Changyin finally managed to float on her own.
A heavy weight dropped from Xie Yu's chest.
If she could float, then she could learn to swim.
Heaven knew how many times she had almost given up on this student.
She waved a hand. "Keep floating for a bit. Get used to the feeling, then we'll learn how to breathe."
Shen Changyin didn't dare nod; she just blinked to show agreement.
The hot spring pool slowly quieted, broken only by an occasional splash.
After a moment of silence, Shen Changyin suddenly asked, "Is the doctor who taught you to swim still alive?"
Why had all her previous investigations on Xie Yu never mentioned this doctor?
Xie Yu glanced at her. "She's dead."
The air froze for a moment. Shen Changyin murmured, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? She died when I was twelve. She wanted to work as a doctor in the war zone, so she died there."
When she was hit by a stray bullet, she had still been splinting someone's arm. Both she and her patient didn't survive.
"Saving lives was what she wanted. That's why she went to the war zone, even if it meant learning to fight the enemy."
"I thought it wasn't worth it. But she loved it, so for her, it was worth it."
"Sometimes it's like that. Before you love something, it's nothing. After you love it… it gains the power to hurt you."
Xie Yu's eyes drifted for a moment before she snapped back and shrugged. "Anyway, she died doing what she loved. A joyful funeral, I guess."
Her tone wasn't heavy at all. Enough time had passed.
She let Shen Changyin float a bit longer, then called her over and began teaching breath control.
"Before you can really swim, if you can hold your breath underwater, pull yourself forward with your hands, and come up for air now and then, you're basically ready."
Teaching breath control was much easier. At least Shen Changyin wasn't terrified of the water anymore.
Xie Yu had her hold onto the edge of the pool, face-down, floating as she practiced holding her breath and breathing.
But Shen Changyin's body still wasn't strong, and her lung capacity wasn't great. She couldn't hold her breath for long.
And yet she was stubborn.
She took a long deep breath and stayed underwater for a long time.
Xie Yu began to worry and called for her to lift her head.
Only then did she realize Shen Changyin's eyes were red from the strain.
"How can you stand that?" Xie Yu was shocked.
Breathing was instinct. Holding your breath that long was torture, even close to suffocating.
But Shen Changyin kept practicing again and again.
After a while, Xie Yu finally forced her out of the water.
"You won't master this in one day. Rest. Too much is as bad as too little."
They sat by the pool, their feet in the warm water, resting.
"I'll go look for something to eat. You need your strength back."
Before leaving, she reminded her, "Don't go back in the water. Rest."
She didn't expect that the moment she left, Shen Changyin immediately slipped back into the pool to practice.
When Xie Yu returned with food and didn't see her where she had left her, the silence of the room made her panic for a moment.
Then the water splashed, and someone stood up in the center of the hot spring.
Soft mist hovered over the slightly milky water. Her thin white clothing clung to her body as if it were part of her skin.
She had likely held her breath for too long; when she surfaced, she inhaled deeply. The same face that had stunned Xie Yu the first time they met was still breathtaking now. The cold, otherworldly aura she once had was softened by the aliveness of the moment.
Her black hair hung behind her, the soaked silk ribbon slipping free and sinking into the water… sinking… sinking…
Xie Yu slowly blinked. "Did I ever tell you? You're very beautiful."
The woman in the mist curved her eyes and smiled lightly.
After they ate a bit, Xie Yu thought the training was done for the day and they could go home.
But Shen Changyin insisted she could continue.
There was no helping it.
Xie Yu stayed, but warned her seriously, "You said you wanted to keep going. Don't blame me when I turn into a demon instructor."
She began teaching leg movements.
Before getting into flutter kicks or breaststroke, she just wanted Shen Changyin to feel how pushing water backward created force that moved her forward.
She had her float on the surface and kicked her legs.
Shen Changyin kicked once and immediately began to sink.
Even though she wasn't scared of water anymore, sinking still made her feel out of control.
She instantly stood up.
"Hey hey hey, what are you doing?" Xie Yu stood on the edge. "Did I say you could stand?"
Shen Changyin looked confused.
Xie Yu held up one finger. "In this world, there are two types of people. Those with athletic talent and those without. Unfortunately, you're the second type."
"You don't know how to use your strength or what the correct feeling should be. Someone like me, with talent, can explain it to you, but you still won't understand."
"So we'll do it the dumb way."
She said mercilessly, "Hold your breath and keep kicking until you feel yourself moving forward. As long as you move forward, you won't sink."
"I'll keep time. You're not allowed to stop without my permission."
Holding your breath was one thing, but performing motions you knew were wrong while being unable to pause and having to figure everything out blindly was another.
Shen Changyin hated doing something wrong without stopping to think, but this teacher was ruthless today, shouting from the edge that she wasn't allowed to stand.
After several rounds, even Shen Changyin became irritated. The irritation mixed with her frustration at failing over and over, building little by little.
When she finally kicked correctly, Xie Yu added arm strokes and breathing. With that, all the basics were done. Now she only needed practice to make the movements smooth and coordinated.
Kicking, stroking, breathing—each had many details, especially for a beginner.
Just like before, Shen Changyin wanted to stop every time she made a mistake, but she wasn't allowed.
"Swimming isn't like the government affairs you handle. Or really, sports aren't like the things you're used to. Thinking won't get you results. Your body has to adjust on its own."
As the top physical performer at the police academy, Xie Yu was very proud and full of veteran arrogance.
Standing in the water, Shen Changyin looked at her deeply before continuing.
Of course Xie Yu saw the look, but she felt no guilt—only satisfaction.
There weren't many chances to put Shen Changyin at a disadvantage. She intended to enjoy every second.
After continuous practice and continuous accumulation of frustration toward Xie Yu, Shen Changyin really did improve. She still wasn't fast, but she no longer made fatal mistakes or constantly sank.
Then, in one moment, sudden inspiration struck. She spun underwater, glided forward several times, and shifted directions smoothly.
She had learned how to swim.
Her chest swelled with delight, the muscles of her cheeks fighting not to rise.
She tried to suppress herself, but her eyes still curved.
Maybe it didn't matter. She was underwater; no one could see her smile clearly.
So she pressed her lips together and smiled silently in pure relief.
She loved the way she looked when she succeeded. She loved this feeling of success.
Everything else in her life was too heavy, too distant. No matter what she did, the road ahead always felt long.
It had been a long time since she felt this simple joy.
She surfaced and looked toward Xie Yu by the poolside.
She had asked a maid to bring her a storybook and was now reading while snacking.
Earlier, she had read while somehow noticing every mistake Shen Changyin made, correcting her endlessly without giving her a moment to think—only forcing her to keep swimming.
It was infuriating, wasn't it?
Joy in her heart spread through her body. Shen Changyin looked at Xie Yu, at the soaked thin fabric clinging to her lean waist and abdomen, the faint outline of her muscles.
Everything was hazy, indistinct, pulling at her curiosity, making her want to lift the fabric and see for herself.
Her heart swelled again.
She deserved a reward for her success, didn't she? Especially a reward for someone who had behaved particularly badly today.
She swam silently toward Xie Yu, poked her head out of the water, and called softly, "Hey, Yu."
"Mm?" Xie Yu was at the best part of the story and raised her head in confusion.
A second later, she was yanked by the wrist and pulled into the water, pressed close by another body.
She only heard a soft voice: "You're beautiful too."
Shen Changyin reached out, lightly pressing down on her hair, leaning in, and pressing her lips against hers, leaving no room for resistance.
Xie Yu's eyes widened.
—
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