Hot springs are not for soaking too long; professional drivers must avoid prolonged sitting to prevent testicular cooling; high-temperature work requires cooling protection—these are all findings of modern science. How would Meng Shengnan know such principles?

Wang Zhuo asked out of curiosity, "High temperatures are bad for men? Who told you that?"

"Everyone in the village knows." Meng Shengnan wiped away two tears and said, "Whenever a boy soaks in the hot spring for too long, an elder will scold them away."

Wang Zhuo pondered for a moment and understood. If the people of Taoyuan didn't know this, they would likely have died out long ago. It seemed that folk science, however absurd it appeared, often contained hidden truths.

While letting his mind wander aimlessly, he looked around. There wasn't a single piece of cover nearby. Did he really have to stand before Meng Shengnan completely naked?

"City folks have too many rules," Meng Shengnan muttered softly. "I'll close my eyes; hurry up and get out."

Saying this, she closed her eyes and resumed the posture of sitting with her hands resting in her lap. Her eyes, still red from crying, looked somewhat like they were shaded with crimson eyeshadow, adding a touch of charm.

Seeing that she had closed her eyes, Wang Zhuo dared not linger in the water any longer and quickly stood up. The water temperature here had to be at least forty-two degrees Celsius. A short soak might sterilize sperm, but a long soak might genuinely turn him into a eunuch.

A slight breeze brushed past, and he waded to the bank. After getting out, he first enjoyed the cool air before finally relaxing.

Meng Shengnan listened with her ear cocked as he got ashore, then whispered, "Mother asked me if I liked you. I said I did."

"What do you like about me?" Wang Zhuo scratched his head and asked. He recalled a classic internet joke where the person asking this question would immediately add: I can change it, okay?

"I don't know," Meng Shengnan answered honestly.

Wang Zhuo spread his hands in resignation; he truly didn't know what to do with her. He absolutely could not bring himself to refuse, as that would hurt Meng Shengnan's feelings, but accepting her was far from easy—there was simply no emotional foundation for it.

Wang Zhuo cursed Meng Mingliang inwardly again. After cautiously considering his phrasing, he said, "How about this: I'll take you two with us, but the 'warming feet' part isn't necessary, and you absolutely cannot tell anyone else about this."

Meng Shengnan immediately looked on the verge of tears again. Wang Zhuo quickly added, "It's not that I don't want you. It’s just that I prefer slightly more mature women. Do you understand?"

Meng Shengnan seemed to grasp it. "Can I do that when I grow up?"

"Exactly! It’s wonderful that you understand." Wang Zhuo feigned happiness. He was pulling out the same strategy he used on Siyuan, but having learned from Siyuan's previous example, he had little confidence in his own self-control this time. He was truly planning to arrange for them to attend a school once they were out of Taoyuan. Once their horizons broadened, they probably wouldn't cling to the idea of being 'foot-warmers' anymore.

Meng Shengnan was also calculating her own small strategies in her heart; she genuinely believed what Wang Zhuo had said...

"Then it's settled." Wang Zhuo suppressed a momentary protest against the decision with his lower body and smiled. "Then you should go home first. I'll soak a while longer."

Meng Shengnan hummed and cautiously cracked open one eye, peeking at Wang Zhuo's back. "Then I'll leave after I see you go back in."

What young girl doesn't dream? When Wang Zhuo was squatting in the water earlier, she had already snuck glances several times, but unfortunately, she couldn't see clearly. Now that things were settled—though not entirely to her satisfaction, it was acceptable—her thoughts drifted back to him.

At the beginning of the year, she had soaked in the hot spring with Wang Zhuo and the others, but back then, she only regarded Wang Zhuo as a village guest and hadn't paid close attention. But now, the situation had changed drastically. Thinking about warming Wang Zhuo's feet, her mind began to wander.

"Alright, I’ll head back first." Wang Zhuo had already spotted her movements reflected in the dewdrop on a certain leaf. Seeing her squinting and peeking, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of amusement and frustration. He deliberately turned his body away from her direction, then leaped up, spinning halfway in the air before plunging diagonally back into the water.

His movement was quick, and Meng Shengnan was squinting and couldn't see clearly. In that fleeting glimpse, a splash erupted on the surface, and he was already submerged.

Meng Shengnan blinked, feeling both annoyed and amused. If she had known Wang Zhuo would jump back in without looking back, she should have opened her eyes wide and just watched directly. It wouldn't have been discovered anyway, and she could have seen much more clearly.

Wang Zhuo swam underwater, having passed the halfway mark near the cashew-shaped section, when he spotted two pale, soft legs in the water ahead. The water depth barely covered their lower thighs, and as the surface rippled, a certain delicate area flickered in and out of view beneath the water.

He recognized Qi Fei's legs instantly, partly because Qi Fei was slightly shorter than Guan Yingying, and partly... well, that part didn't need explaining.

Qi Fei and Guan Yingying, seeing that he was taking so long to return, considered that Meng Shengnan was quite grown up, and it wasn't appropriate for the lone man and woman to stay there too long. If other villagers saw them, gossip might spread. The two discussed it, and Qi Fei volunteered to check the situation.

Qi Fei hadn't gone halfway when she heard a plop from the other side of the spring. She stopped, then watched the pool before her churn as a long shadow rapidly approached her underwater.

Without needing to guess, she knew the silhouette belonged to Wang Zhuo. Seeing him crash towards her without dodging, Qi Fei chuckled, raising her right foot to stomp toward his head.

Her sole just brushed against Wang Zhuo’s hair before it slipped away. Wang Zhuo moved like a nimble fish, shifting from a prone posture to a side position, slipping right under her raised leg. One hand braced against the curve of her knee, while the other wickedly hooked around her inner thigh.

Qi Fei instantly lost her balance and tumbled into the water with a splash. A forbidden thrill shot through her body, and her face flushed hot. She secretly prayed that Guan Yingying and Meng Shengdi hadn't seen it.

In reality, Guan Yingying and Meng Shengdi had witnessed the entire scene. Guan Yingying was already planning to tease Qi Fei about it before bedtime that night, while Meng Shengdi observed Qi Fei’s reaction with curiosity, because whenever she saw the village men and women fooling around, women seemed obligated to fight back at moments like these?

Wang Zhuo reached the end of the pool before surfacing, wiping the water from his face, and asked with a casual smile, "Shengdi, your sister told you to go home for dinner."

Meng Shengdi immediately made a face. "Liar! We already ate before coming here."

"Then go home to work, maybe I remembered incorrectly," Wang Zhuo fabricated casually.

Meng Shengdi tossed stones rhythmically, stiffening his neck. "Hmph, I'm not going back. I finished all my chores."

Now Wang Zhuo was stumped. Guan Yingying had a solution. Her eyes darted, and she said with a smile, "Shengdi, the floor mats in my car need washing. Do you want a new hair clip?"

Meng Shengdi’s eyes lit up instantly. He sprang up in the water. "I'll help you scrub the mats! You'll give me a new hair clip?"

Guan Yingying shot a triumphant look at Wang Zhuo and nodded at Meng Shengdi. "Of course. If I'm satisfied after checking, I might even give you two."

"It's a deal!" Meng Shengdi leaned back into the water, kicked off with both feet, and waved cheerfully at Guan Yingying while floating, before turning and swimming away.

The girl's movements were natural, practiced, and graceful, but from Wang Zhuo's perspective, far too many things that should be 'unseen' were visible. He quickly closed his eyes, but the image had already been imprinted the moment he did, remaining vivid in his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Guan Yingying scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on him, asking with a smile, "What did Shengnan say to you?"

Qi Fei had also swum back, glaring sharply at Wang Zhuo, still dwelling on the earlier incident.

"Meng Mingliang wants Shengnan and Shengdi to come to the big city to study with us." Wang Zhuo smiled slightly. "Maybe he felt it would be awkward for him to ask directly, so having Shengnan talk to me would be better."

"Why didn't she just say it here, why did she have to call you over?" Guan Yingying stared intently into Wang Zhuo's eyes and asked suspiciously.

"How should I know?" Wang Zhuo shrugged in mock helplessness. "I can't figure out what little girls are thinking."

"We heard Shengdi explain the general situation too," Qi Fei interjected. "I suspect Shengnan felt she had a better chance of success talking to you alone, making it less likely to be rejected."

Guan Yingying giggled. "Right! Even she knows you can't keep your legs still when you see..."

"Who said that?" Wang Zhuo snorted. "Aren't you two girls too? Should I plant my feet still for you to see?"

"Enough, enough," Qi Fei quickly slapped Wang Zhuo's arm. "Talk about the main issue first. How do you plan to settle them?"

"Isn't that simple?" Wang Zhuo stated matter-of-factly. "Find a good private school, place them according to their test scores, and they can board there."

"I think it's better if they live with us for a while first," Qi Fei shook her head. "I’m worried they won’t adapt to the outside environment, and they might face discrimination at school."

"Whatever you think," Wang Zhuo readily agreed. He secretly intended this himself, but because of the 'foot-warming' issue, he couldn't suggest it. Qi Fei saying it allowed him to follow the natural course of events.

Guan Yingying, however, noticed a hint of slyness in Wang Zhuo's expression and warned, "Sister, Shengnan is a grown girl now. You have to watch Wang Zhuo closely and stop him from taking advantage of her."

"I don't have that kind of time," Wang Zhuo quickly waved his hands to distance himself.

Qi Fei stared at him and said with a tone of genuine concern, "They call you Uncle. You mustn't do anything less than human."

Hmph, there’s no blood relation... Wang Zhuo grumbled inwardly, somehow recalling the line often used by middle-aged men when luring away young girls—Hey little girl, Uncle will take you to see the goldfish, okay?