"Senior sister, senior sister, please wait for me!" Jian Yu Mei exclaimed as he chased after a girl at the entrance of a village.
"Haha, junior brother, come and chase me if you can catch up!" Lin Li teased as she ran.
However, she employed a form of lightness skill known as "Bai Bu Ling Yun," originating from a branch of martial arts called the Wudang Southern School.
Jian Yu Mei also practiced this technique, but his proficiency couldn't match that of his senior sister.
Lin Li gleefully toyed with her junior brother, leaping onto the village's haystacks one moment and onto the tall trees the next, leaving Jian Yu Mei to chase after her with great effort.
Each time it seemed he was about to catch up, Lin Li would effortlessly leap away, leaving Jian Yu Mei far behind.
Eventually, they reached the edge of the village by a small river. Across the stream lay a cliff, covered in ancient vines and rocks. Lin Li glanced at the cliff and dashed towards it.
"Senior sister, be careful, it's quite high there!" Jian Yu Mei shouted.
"Haha, junior brother, if you're scared, you don't have to come up!" Lin Li retorted.
Lin Li effortlessly ascended the cliff, leaping and bounding across its surface, quickly reaching halfway. She then lay against the cliff, looking back at Jian Yu Mei with a mischievous smile.
Meanwhile, Jian Yu Mei struggled to climb, panting heavily as he gazed upward, his senior sister grinning down at him from the mountainside.
"Senior sister, please be careful!" Jian Yu Mei warned.
"Junior brother, you're such a scaredy-cat!" Lin Li teased.
However, at that moment, a mishap occurred. The vine Lin Li was clinging to suddenly loosened, perhaps weakened by the passage of some creature in recent days. Lin Li, too absorbed in her ascent, failed to notice. As she attempted to leverage the vine for another leap, it snapped.
With a cry of alarm, Lin Li began to plummet straight down.
Seeing the danger, Jian Yu Mei focused intently. As Lin Li fell past him, he leaped forward, catching her in his arms. Then, in mid-air, he spun around several times, gradually reducing the force of her descent, before they both landed in the river below.
As he held Lin Li in the air, Jian Yu Mei noticed her face had turned pale with fright.
However, with no time to spare, Jian Yu Mei acted swiftly. After completing the motion of catching Lin Li and spinning in mid-air, they plunged into the river with the momentum of the fall.
Though they fell from a lesser height into the water, they still submerged before resurfacing. Jian Yu Mei kept Lin Li afloat.
When they emerged, Lin Li burst into tears. "Don't cry, senior sister. It was just an accident. Fortunately, I caught you; otherwise, it could have been disastrous!" Jian Yu Mei comforted her.
"It's all because you were chasing after me from behind. Otherwise, this wouldn't have happened!" Lin Li sobbed.
"But you were the one who asked me to chase you. I've been very cautious all along, fearing for your safety!" Jian Yu Mei explained.
"I don't care; it's all your fault!" Lin Li insisted.
"What should we do now?" Jian Yu Mei asked.
"Let's go ashore!" Lin Li replied.
"Alright, let's head to shore," Jian Yu Mei said as he carried Lin Li towards the bank.
Once ashore, Jian Yu Mei noticed that Lin Li's clothes were completely soaked. He felt a bit nervous. "Senior sister, with you in this state, returning like this might not be appropriate."
Lin Li caught him staring at her drenched clothes and lightly slapped his hand away. "You lecherous boy, at your young age, you're already ogling at such things!"
"That's not true, senior sister. You exposed yourself, and I was merely curious!" Jian Yu Mei defended himself.
"You stare at them every day. What's so curious about it? Is it any different from usual?" Lin Li snapped.
"Of course, it's different. They're much larger now!" Jian Yu Mei remarked.
"You, you still dare!" Lin Li blushed slightly, but she couldn't let her junior brother undermine her authority.
"Alright, enough. Let's focus. What should we do now?" Jian Yu Mei asked.
"Let's find a place to dry our clothes before we return," Lin Li suggested.
"Agreed, let's find a place to dry off," Jian Yu Mei replied.
"Senior sister, there's a small cave on the mountainside across the river. It's secluded and usually uninhabited," Jian Yu Mei suggested.
"How did you discover that cave? I had no idea!" Lin Li inquired.
"Hehe, I stumbled upon it while wandering around. It seemed suspicious, so I investigated and found the cave hidden beneath some camouflage," Jian Yu Mei explained.
"Oh, I see. Let's go take a look then!" Lin Li said.
They leaped to the mouth of the cave, concealed amidst the bushes by the riverside. At first glance, the cave was indiscernible, concealed by thick foliage.
Clearing away the brush, they entered the cave, which descended into darkness.
"Have you been inside before, junior brother?" Lin Li asked.
"No, I waited at the entrance. I didn't venture inside," Jian Yu Mei replied.
"Alright, let's focus on drying our clothes first," Lin Li said.
"Very well, senior sister," Jian Yu Mei agreed, heading out to gather firewood.
Jian Yu Mei collected a pile of dry branches and a few logs, arranging them in an open space near the cave entrance. Retrieving a flint from his pocket, he tested it. "Fortunately, it still sparks. It can still be ignited," Jian Yu Mei remarked.
Striking the flint, Jian Yu Mei lit the kindling, and soon a fire crackled to life.
Removing his outer garment, Jian Yu Mei approached the fire to dry it.
"Come, senior sister, let me help you dry your clothes," Jian Yu Mei offered.
However, he didn't hear Lin Li's response. When he turned to look, he saw Lin Li blushing profusely.
"What's wrong, senior sister?" Jian Yu Mei inquired.
"You, you're not wearing clothes! It's embarrassing. Do you want me to be like this?" Lin Li exclaimed.
"But how can I dry them without removing them, senior sister?" Jian Yu Mei reasoned.
Lin Li pondered for a moment, then tilted her head thoughtfully. "How about this: you don't look back, I'll stand behind you, and you can dry your clothes first. Then, I'll dry mine."
"Alright, my clothes will be dry soon!" Jian Yu Mei agreed.
Shortly after, Jian Yu Mei's clothes were dry. He handed them to Lin Li. "Senior sister, they're ready. You can put them on now. Be careful not to catch a cold!"
Just as he spoke, Lin Li sneezed.
"Hurry, senior sister!" Jian Yu Mei urged.
"Don't turn around! No peeking!" Lin Li commanded.
"Alright!" Jian Yu Mei turned away.
As Jian Yu Mei turned around, he suddenly heard a scream from Lin Li.
Quickly, Jian Yu Mei turned back, and the first thing he noticed was the two white buns on Lin Li's chest.
His face flushed red instantly. However, at that moment, Lin Li threw herself into his arms. "Junior brother, there, over there!" Lin Li exclaimed in terror.
Following Lin Li's gaze, Jian Yu Mei saw a snake appearing suddenly.
To be precise, it was a poisonous snake.