I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 112
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- Chapter 112 - Water Breathing: First Form - Cat Leaping Forward
Chapter 112: Water Breathing: First Form – Cat Leaping Forward
In regards to the skill of “swimming,” I have always had a rather laid-back attitude, akin to being a “lazy fish.” It’s the type of mindset where if conditions permit, I’ll learn. If not, I’ll just lie down. If classmates invite me to go swimming, I’ll try to avoid it if possible, and if I can’t, then I reluctantly join in.
However, it seems that the orphanage is very serious about teaching children how to swim. When we go back on weekends or during holidays, the director often gives us a lecture, emphasizing that everyone must learn to swim. Swimming is considered an essential life-saving skill. They witnessed firsthand how floods claimed the lives of many people when they were young. They also mentioned incidents where friends and family were swept away because they were not familiar with water currents, among other reasons.
Shenzhen is a coastal city with three main rivers and numerous small streams, along with countless lakes and ponds. Compared to other cities, it is indeed a city where “drowning incidents are more frequent.”
In today’s society, with the advancement of civilization, people in the city are exhausted from work and rarely have the opportunity to come into contact with rivers and seas. However, the director and teachers at the orphanage, from the era they grew up in, experienced a different time. During their childhood, it was truly a time of “free play,” where everyone loved playing in the water, but that also made them prone to accidents.
A long time ago, Shenzhen City was still a small county town, surrounded by villages. The prevailing idea in people’s lives was mainly focused on “prosperity in population.” Regardless of conditions, it was encouraged to have as many children as possible—after all, having an extra pair of chopsticks wouldn’t hurt, and if one couldn’t eat their fill, they could always rely on older siblings to forage for wild fruits, raid bird nests, or dig for sweet potatoes near the village. After all, no one wanted anyone to starve, right?
During that era, there were “very few famines,” but it was still a time when “food was generally scarce.” Having more children was seen as a good thing because both boys and girls could help with farm work as they grew up.
With a growing number of children, parents and grandparents couldn’t manage them all. Back then, the concept of homework was not common, and farm work wasn’t an everyday task. After school, children, aside from playing with mud, could only go swimming by the small river, catch crabs, and shrimp, increasing the risk of drowning.
Therefore, people from that era were more or less aware of the dangers of water. They all hoped their children could swim. The welfare home I was in at that time was no exception. Whenever there was free time, teachers would do their best to teach us various skills, including “swimming.” The director and teachers would often organize groups to take us to the city’s swimming pool, saying, “Even if you just stay in the water with a float, that’s fine, just don’t come out.”
And I was part of that small group at the time, “swimming” with a float.
It was truly just casual floating around. Anyway, we wore swim rings and life jackets, so no matter how much we fooled around, drowning was practically impossible. Those of us who didn’t want to learn how to swim spent a boring half day just soaking in the water. The teacher on the shore would shout, and only then would we make a move. We’d swim a bit, and if the teacher wasn’t paying attention to our side, we’d continue floating around.
After years of this casual floating, my swimming skills barely improved. I could swim, and if I fell into the water without a lifebuoy, I wouldn’t immediately sink, but ask me to swim twenty or fifty meters in deep water… I’d be gasping for air.
I once tried not sinking in the deep end of the swimming pool for ten minutes. Because I studied physics and biology in middle school, I knew that the density of the human body is very close to that of water. To stay afloat, all you have to do is take a deep breath into your lungs, then forcefully kick or move your hands downward, imagining yourself as a rocket releasing thrust with both hands and feet.
When you’ve held that breath for a while, quickly exhale, then take another deep breath. At the same time, increase the “power” of your hands and feet. Repeat this process, and you can use the simplest method to stay afloat.
This is the entirety of my half-hearted understanding of swimming as a “land duck.” Anything more advanced is beyond me. My swimming style is essentially doggy paddle, five or six meters is my limit, seven or eight meters is risky, and beyond ten meters, I’ll sink to the bottom and bid farewell to the world in half a minute.
In theory, swimming is supposed to be muscle memory through and through, much like writing. Regardless of how much I might have learned in a past life, it’s all null and void once I’ve switched bodies. In other words, whether I can swim now entirely depends on whether the Grim Reaper added relevant muscle memory when creating this body. If not, then I’ll need to start from scratch.
“Please wear your swimsuit to enter Silver Beach!”
Walking with Yin Xiamo, we arrived at the tourist attraction “Blue Sea Silver Beach” in the Nanqi District, southern part of Shenzhen City. At the entrance, a security guard in uniform held a microphone and repeatedly reminded the surrounding visitors without getting tired of it.
“You can bring your own swimsuit, buy one at a nearby store, or directly purchase it on the beach. Today, there’s an official event at Blue Sea Silver Beach with coupons, offering a 40% discount on all items!”
Behind these security guards, about ten meters away, lay a vast expanse of flat sandy beach. Just like in the advertisements, this beach had been specially treated, devoid of any rocks or debris compared to other places. Moreover, it was quite extensive, with approximately two hundred meters from the sandy shore to the shallow sea area. The sand closest to the shore had already been dried by the sun, appearing bright and white.
You could see that all the visitors here were dressed in swimsuits. Most men wore square-cut trunks, while women were mostly in bikinis, creating a dazzling sea of white as far as the eye could see.
“Even though today is not a holiday, there are still so many people…”
As I was pondering this, the security guard in front seemed to notice the situation here and raised the megaphone again, “Children, please enter the beach with the company of your parents!”
After saying this, the security guard threw a provocative look at me, as if mocking, ‘Little girl, you’re so small and dare to come out to play with the big sisters?’
You…
“This is my sister.”
Yin Xiamo seemed to be quite familiar with this beach, walking over proactively and presenting her ID card, “Nuo’er is very well-behaved at home. I’ll take good care of her.”
What sister, what well-behaved, why does it sound like I’m some mischievous seven or eight-year-old kid!
I’m an adult, okay! I’m an adult!
“Oh…”
This security guard seemed to have a certain impression of Yin Xiamo as well, showing a “Ah, it’s you” expression, “No wonder, I was wondering how there could be such a cute little girl. It makes sense if she’s your sister. Good genes. Go ahead.”
As he spoke, the guard pointed to the nearby women’s changing room: “Be careful. Kids nowadays can be mischievous. Don’t let your sister get more than ten meters away from you.”
“What are you saying! I’m not happy. Even if we go more than ten meters away, can’t I walk on my own without getting lost?”
I glared at this person.
“Oh, quite fierce.”
The security guard looked at Yin Xiamo, “Keep an eye on her. Our lifeguards may not always be watching one person.”
“Okay.”
Yin Xiamo seemed quite pleased to see me upset. She covered her mouth with one hand, laughed, and pulled me along, saying, “Nuo’er, let’s go change clothes.”
Don’t pull me, or I’ll bite him…
Am I not just a bit shorter? How does that make me a little kid?
“We’ll change our clothes here and then rent some things.”
Leading me to the “changing room” about fifty meters from the entrance, Yin Xiamo casually pushed open two doors, “I didn’t rent the sunbeds and umbrellas you mentioned when I came here before. Do you need them?”
“I’ll rent one.”
I walked into the room next to Yin Xiamo’s, closed the door, and asked, “Do they have swim rings?”
Behind the wooden door, Yin Xiamo, with a teasing tone, said, “Does Nuo’er want a swim ring?”
I remained silent for a moment, then replied, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question?”
“Oh, right.”
Yin Xiamo next to me sounded quite delighted, “Then let’s buy a swim ring.”
I knew it! There was no reason for her to grant me the “swimming” skill for free! After spending so many days with this Miss Grim Reaper, I knew her personality too well. Except for cooking, in every aspect of life, as long as she could “tease” me, Yin Xiamo would never miss an opportunity.
What benefits did she get from letting me bring my own swimming skills? None.
What benefits did she gain from letting me happily kick my legs in the sea? None.
But what if I couldn’t swim? Then she could lead me to the deep water, give me a swim ring, and when I least expected it, swiftly remove the swim ring. Out of a survival instinct, at that moment, I would instinctively reach out and tightly embrace the only “floating object” in front of me. It would be as if a hungry stray kitten, after wandering for days, shivering and trembling, finally saw its owner and burst into tears. Then this Grim Reaper Miss could comfort me like an elder sister comforting a child, “Alright, alright, Nuo’er is a good girl, sister is here, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”
This feels like a certain board game where a general shouts “Invaders of the Great Wu Territory” while depleting your hand of cards, then drinks and equips weapons, and the next moment…
?Unmatched! Seize the leader of ten thousand armies!?
I’ve seen through it! It’s definitely this kind of script! I need to come up with a plan.
Or… what if I just sunbathe on the beach or swim in the shallow water the entire time after we get to the beach?
Taking off my clothes, I noticed that the changing room surprisingly provided free shower gel and shampoo, and it wasn’t some random brand either.
I was about to check if this free shampoo and shower gel were counterfeit products when suddenly, a voice of a young lady came from above.
“Little Sister, can I borrow some shampoo?”
Huh?
I was startled by this voice, and reflexively lifted my head—
A young lady in her twenties, completely undressed, was gesturing toward the two bottles on the shelf.
Breasts… Her breasts are so big…
“Huh?”
I, situated beneath the young lady, was stunned for a while before coming to my senses. I resisted the urge to look at her and took the bottle of shampoo. “Do… do you want this?”
“Yes, I ran out over here.”
The young lady bounced back up with a “bang.” “Hand it up from below.”
“Sure… okay.”
I quickly bent down and handed her the shampoo.
“Thank you.”
Soon, the sound of water splashing came from the next stall.
So bold…
Although I knew this was the women’s changing room, the audacity of this young lady’s actions still felt like a torpedo striking my worldview.
Quickly taking off my child-sized underwear, I changed into the cute swimsuit I had just bought.
The texture of women’s swimsuit is markedly different from regular underwear. Like this one-piece swimsuit, it has two layers, with the innermost part immediately tightening around the waist upon wearing it. The fabric below wraps around very snugly, giving the sensation of an exceptionally close-fitting and soft adult woman’s undergarment. When I look down, it’s a flat surface, as if constantly reminding me, “You’re already a complete girl, still longing for symbols of manhood? Slap, no more!”
Then, over the swimsuit, there’s an extremely short “skirt,” just long enough to barely cover the swimsuit. It seems to serve mainly as a decorative piece, with thin strings on both sides that can be tied to make the skirt tighter. I tied two bows on each side.
As for the swimsuit on top… This should be my first experience feeling my chest being wrapped up. While my chest is flat, without clothes, there’s still a certain curvature and form visible. The swimsuit Yin Xiamo chose is just the right size to completely envelop my chest. The structure is similar to swim trunks — an inner layer of fabric primarily for coverage, and an outer layer of soft skirt-like fabric for decoration. Two fixed straps hang around the neck, forming a bow.
“Nuo’er, aren’t you done yet?”
Just as I finished putting on the swimsuit, Yin Xiamo’s voice came from outside the door, “If you really don’t know how, open the door and let this big sister teach you?”
“How could I not know how to put on clothes!”
I replied while grabbing my bag, “It’s just that I’m not used to it the first time!”
Afterward, I opened the door to the changing room and walked out.
Coincidentally, in the changing room opposite mine, there was a girl urging her friend, knocking on the door several times, saying, “Wang Xiaoniao, did you fall into the sewer?”
Then, the door across opened, and a girl, completely disregarding the other females coming and going, laughed and scolded at the girl, “Did you get into a fight again? Come on, come in. Let’s discuss some philosophy.”
Witnessing this scene, I instinctively covered my eyes.
Oh… my goodness.
Is it that my views are too conservative, or are girls nowadays too open?
Exiting the changing room, I felt my heartbeat accelerating.
If I recall correctly, from childhood to adolescence, boys didn’t seem to mind much about being seen naked by roommates, especially during junior high.
In high school, and particularly after entering university, most guys tended to shower in private and come out fully dressed. At the very least, they would wear underwear or use a towel to cover their lower body.
I didn’t expect girls on the other side to be so open in the public changing room showers.
Shouldn’t girls be more shy than boys?
“What’s wrong?”
Yin Xiamo, who noticed my expression, found it amusing. “Shy? Aren’t you the one who always claims to fear nothing like an unflinching middle-aged man? Why are you acting like a little girl now?”
I…
“Hmm?”
Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, Yin Xiamo continued teasing, “Are you unhappy? There are so many young ladies here.”
Uh… While it’s generally considered inappropriate or perverted to get excited from seeing a girl’s body, Yin Xiamo’s words seem to make some sense.
Could it be… that I’m being influenced by the body of this little girl?
There’s a noticeable difference between the bodies of girls and boys, especially middle-aged men and young girls. Men in their twenties and thirties are in their prime, and their body’s hormone production is undoubtedly related to certain things. On the other hand, young girls are different.
Leaving aside the fact that my computer used to be filled with folders like “Educational Materials”[1] that took up half the disk, mostly containing movies that could be filmed in over an hour with just two or three actors, now that I’ve become a girl, I haven’t opened any of those educational materials even once.
Even my usual interactions with people and my attitude toward life have undergone a complete transformation. It’s hard to say there’s absolutely no influence from the body.
Oh no, it seems like things are really progressing in the direction planned by this Grim Reaper.
There’s a high possibility that I’ll eventually be completely assimilated by this girl’s body and become her “little wife, cute little thing, sweet cake.”
I must come up with a plan…
“What’s with that expression like you’re planning a rebellion?”
Exiting the changing room, Yin Xiamo looked at me, who remained silent, and said with a hint of amusement, “Does the little kitten have a bold escape plan?”
I snapped out of my thoughts. “Can you extend your hand over here?”
“Hmm?”
At the entrance of the changing room, Yin Xiamo extended her snowy-white and slender left hand in front of me, looking puzzled. “Like this?”
“Yes.”
Staring at that hand, smooth and tender like white jade, I grabbed it and sank my teeth into Yin Xiamo’s wrist!
“Ouch!”
The girl quickly withdrew her hand, looking at the teeth marks on it with a feigned expression of sadness. “My little kitten, raised for so many years, actually bites people! I’m heartbroken!”
“This is a warning. No matter how many times, I need to emphasize… I am an uncle, a macho, not your little pet, little kitten, little pillow…”
Carrying the rabbit backpack, I walked past her, saying, “Hurry up and rent something, use that coupon.”
“When I was studying the culture of this world before, I read a passage in your textbooks, it seems ancient… how does it go? ‘The wrath of a commoner, still bareheaded and barefoot, seizing the earth with one’s head.'”
The girl behind us followed with a playful smile, “I’d say, Nuo’er’s kitten’s wrath, also extends claws to act cute, using teeth for demonstrations.”
“……”
I surrender.
This Miss Grim Reaper, I think your most suitable profession is not a maid or a Grim Reaper, but a game planner.
“Welcome.”
After changing into our swimsuits, the girl beside me and I entered the beach through the main entrance of the Silver Beach. Walking along the soft sandy path for a while, we arrived at the “Silver Sands Commercial Street,” part of the “government project.” We entered a shop specializing in renting sun umbrellas, tables, chairs, and swimming rings.
It wasn’t until this moment that I fully understood the commercial structure and model around here. Simply put, the “Silver Sands” in the Nanqi District of Shenzhen City is quite similar to the “Shangjing Cat Cafe” I’m familiar with. The cafe attracts people with “free cat petting,” while Silver Sands attracts people with “free beach sunbathing and swimming.”
Near the entrance, where there were many coconut trees, numerous shops offered everything from swimsuits and trunks to sun umbrellas, swimming rings, and various desserts, drinks, and ice cream. However, that area had no changing rooms. After coming out of the changing rooms and walking down the stairs and path to the beach, all visitors were prohibited from wearing shoes.
In other words, you could bring your own swimsuit into the area or bring your own food and drinks. However, regardless of how much you brought, you had to change into your swimsuit before entering the beach. These two areas were divided into the “Regular Clothes Zone” and the “Swimsuit Zone.”
The shops outside were brought in through investment, while the shops inside the beach area were government-led. Even if you bought swimsuit outside or came in with it, if you realized you forgot something or wanted to buy food or drink, you had to go back to the changing room to change into regular clothes before leaving. When you returned, you had to change back into swimsuit, which was quite inconvenient.
This way, some people might choose to stay inside the beach area and directly consume at the shops there.
“Two beach chairs, a sun umbrella, two bottles of sunscreen, and this swim ring.”
After browsing in the store for a while, Yin Xiamo picked a child-shaped duck swim ring and two bottles of sunscreen. She then walked to the counter and pointed to two specific service items on the menu, saying, “We need the transport service.”
“Sure.”
The shop owner this time was a young man with slightly dark skin. He looked at me and Yin Xiamo with some curiosity, seeming surprised by our appearance. However, in the end, he didn’t comment on our looks and wrote a few words on the note, “Where to?”
“Can we use the coupon here?”
Yin Xiamo took out the coupon given by Pipi, “Discount from 60% to 80%?”
“Sure.”
The young man took the coupon and said, “Ordinary people get an 60% discount, couples get an 80% discount, and you two…”
“I and Nuo’er are a couple.”
Without hesitation, the girl beside me planted a kiss on my left cheek, saying, “Is this okay?”
“Haha, sure, sure.”
Seemingly indifferent to whether it’s a 60% or 80% discount, the young man turned around, saying, “I’ll help you move… Ah Mei!”
“What’s up?”
A chubby person in beachwear poked his head out from behind the store, asking, “Need help moving stuff?”
“I’ll help them move, you watch the store.”
The dark-skinned young man walked to the back of the store, and soon after, he came out with a chair in each hand, saying, “Rented until 8 p.m., 320 yuan, 60% off, 192 yuan. So, it’s 128 yuan”
“Okay.”
Yin Xiamo took out her phone, scanned the payment code with a “beep,” and then handed the phone screen to the young man, saying, “Here.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
The young man briskly carried the two chairs out of the store.
“Let’s go over there.”
Amid the crowd, Yin Xiamo pointed to a relatively less crowded area of the beach in the distance, saying, “We don’t like places with too many people.”
The young man followed, saying, “Sure.”
The young man helped us carry the beach chairs to the area with fewer people but clearly deviating from the “artificial beach,” where occasional rocks could be seen. After that, he went back, brought the sunshade, and helped us install it.
“Both of you, be careful. This area is not covered by surveillance. The tide might rise after 6:30 in the evening. Don’t stay out too late.”
Glancing at the time on his phone, he helped clean the chairs with cleaning solution and, under the sun, surveyed the beach. Opening the sunshade, he said, “Also, don’t litter, there’s a fine for that. If you need to store your belongings, come to the store and find me. I’ll head back now.”
Waving to him, Yin Xiamo said, “Thank you.”
Watching the young man leave, we began to arrange the things we had brought from home—bottled water, snacks, towels, and more—placing them on the table.
“All right, when others aren’t paying attention later, we’ll go to the secret base I mentioned and enjoy some private time together!”
After finishing the setup, Yin Xiamo lay on the chair with a “whoosh,” stretching lazily. “The seaside is always the most comfortable!”
I was curious, “If we sunbathe directly in the sunlight, will we get tan?”
My current body, according to Yin Xiamo, is “self-adaptive,” but I’m not clear on how this “self-adaptation” works.
“The Tree of Elves has a significant need for sunlight. Every morning, the first rays of sunlight almost always shine into the Elven Forest. The Elven race is also the most sunlight-immune species in the otherworld. Even after continuous exposure for thousands of years, their skin remains as young, tender, and smooth as it did in their prime, showing minimal changes.”
Yin Xiamo gestured to the sunscreen on the table, “If you’re worried, you can apply that.”
“What about you?” I continued, “How is the tolerance of the Demon race to sunlight?”
At least vampires should be a no-go—I quietly thought to myself. Currently, I’m unsure about the specific type of “demon” Yin Xiamo is, and I don’t know the exact setup of the demon race in the otherworld.
Are they like the Demon Beast type in Digimon, which has the attribute of being afraid of light, or the Dark type in Pokemon, which is affected by fairy-type moves? Or are they simply a race referred to as “demons”?
“Ah! Right, I’m a demon!”
Hearing my words, Yin Xiamo suddenly rolled her eyes, “Sunlight! It’s sunlight! Oh no, I’m going to die!”
I frowned, “Your acting skills are terrible.”
“Demons are not afraid of sunlight!”
As she spoke, the girl stood up from her chair, grabbed the little duck-shaped swim ring from beside her, and playfully looped it around my waist.
“Let’s go, Nuo’er, we’re going into the sea!”
“Into the sea…”
I felt powerless to comment, “Can’t you use more normal words?”
“Then let the little pet go for a walk with its owner. Come on!”
Seemingly uninterested in continuing the banter, Yin Xiamo directly took my hand and led me towards the seawater ahead.
Due to the girl’s strength, I had no choice but to follow her as we ran.
“Phew—”
The summer sea breeze gently blew across my cheeks. In my palm was the softness unique to the girl’s hand, while in front of me was the subtle fragrance from her body. The salty and humid scent of the sea wafted in from my nose.
?So what if you lost a battle? Instead of sitting by the shore doing nothing, come with me into the sea. I’ll teach you how to swim.?
As we ran, glimpses of scenes from my dreams faintly appeared before my eyes—
Hero, little demon, beach, sunlight, sea.
?Rustling sounds…?
In a trance, I saw Yin Xiamo in front of me turning her head, and I felt the refreshing sensation of slightly cool seawater and skin contact beneath my feet.
“Little pet, are you ready? Hold onto the swim ring—”
Running into the shallow water area, Yin Xiamo, with a mischievous smile like a little demon, directly lifted me up and then forcefully tossed me into the sea.
?Rustling sounds!?
With the swim ring, I was thrown several meters away, landing in the ocean.
?Gurgle, gurgle…?
Soon, as I resurfaced in the sea, I spat out the salty seawater from my mouth. My legs instinctively kicked in the water, and I angrily exclaimed to the girl in front of me, “I don’t know how to swim!”
“You have the swim ring, it’s fine!”
Yin Xiamo in the shallow water area gestured for me to come with a ‘little kitten, come here’ motion. “Swim back, and I’ll reward you with a kiss!”
“Then I’d rather not come back!”
Just as I was speaking, a big wave surged from behind—
?Rustling!?
I was interrupted and once again had a mouthful of seawater.
Glancing back a few times, estimating the second heavy wave that would hit in less than thirty seconds, and looking at someone on the shore, I ultimately gave up the struggle against the sea.
“Just wait, I’ll go back and bite you!”
“……”
……
Educational Materials ( ?° ?? ?°)