So, she swam ahead, and I followed... submerged. Because this hot spring center rarely had guests, and the water was fresh today, the visibility underwater was extremely high. After swimming for a while, to get a clearer view, I switched to a combination of underwater swimming and backstroke. With a burst of speed underwater, I shot directly beneath Chu Qi (she really wasn't swimming fast). Just as I was enjoying the view, Chu Qi looked down, spotted me, and kicked out at my body, sending me straight to the bottom of the pool!
I couldn't hold my breath and gulped down a mouthful of Chu Qi's bathwater, almost choking. Seeing me bubble up, Chu Qi thought I was drowning and quickly dove down again. She hugged me from behind and brought me to the surface. My back was completely pressed against Chu Qi, and with the perfectly warm water, I was instantly reminded of the wonderful nights with the Whale God in Tianchi. I felt the world was so unfair, to give me such an exquisitely wonderful experience, not once, but twice!
"Are you alright?" Chu Qi asked, worried.
"I'm fine, cough cough cough," I pretended to cough a few times and turned around, "Why did you kick me!"
"Why were you staring at me!" Chu Qi said, a mixture of shame and anger.
"If you have a good figure, you can't expect people not to look!" I pouted.
"But you can't look from underwater!"
"Then I'll look from the front, okay?" I said with a smile.
"Big pervert!" Chu Qi punched me, then turned and swam towards the deep end again. I used the same trick and followed, bracing myself for another kick. I submerged again and backstroked. This time, Chu Qi glanced at me and didn't resort to any sneaky kicks. We swam together, one above and one below, reaching the edge of the pool.
Emerging from the water, Chu Qi wiped the water from her face and raised an eyebrow. "Had enough looking? If you have, let's start practicing!"
"Alright, Master!" I said with a grin.
"Huh? Who called me Master?" Yaoyao's voice came from outside.
"No, Senior Master, I was just talking to my junior master!" I called back.
"Oh, you two carry on." Yaoyao couldn't be bothered with our flirtatious water games. As a reincarnation of Bai Ze, she naturally had more important matters to contemplate and strategize than romance.
I didn't continue being frivolous and truly began practicing water techniques with Chu Qi.
The first lesson was simple. Chu Qi would strike the water with her palm, sending waves towards me, and I had to block them with my own palm. We were two meters apart, which should have made it easy. However, Chu Qi stipulated that my shoulders must not break the surface of the water, and during every defense, my hands had to start from underwater, so the water resistance would slow down my movements.
Initially, Chu Qi's palm strikes weren't fast, and I could still block them. But as she continuously increased her strength, I started to falter. For every ten waves, about seven or eight would hit my face.
"You can dodge," Chu Qi reminded me.
Dodging in water required exerting force with my entire body, which made me even slower and still resulted in me being hit.
After about fifteen minutes of practice, my arms were so tired I could barely lift them. I had to call it quits.
"No!" Chu Qi said sternly. "This is the most crucial moment. You can only break through the limits of muscle strength and speed if you push past your muscle endurance. Continue! If you get hit in the face again, after a few more times, you'll have to do push-ups on the shore after we're done!"
"Ah? How many will that be? How about—"
"No bargaining. What I say is law and must be enforced!" Chu Qi stood in the water, hands on her hips, pouting. She looked both stern and adorable. It was a classic carrot-and-stick approach, forcing me to accept the condition.
"One... two... seven... eighteen, hey, can you do it! Lift your hands! Are your hands broken? Are you even a man... thirty-seven..."
Another twenty minutes of practice passed. My eyes were watering from the water splashes, and my arms were completely unable to lift. Only then did Chu Qi declare the training over. She hugged me and swam to the shore. I was too exhausted to climb out myself. She went up first and then dragged me ashore like a dead dog, before stepping on my hand. "Fifty-six push-ups. I'll give you a discount, let's call it fifty-five. Hurry up!"
"...I really can't do it anymore," I said weakly.
"If you beg me again, I'll have to increase the weight!" Chu Qi squatted in front of me, her brow furrowed.
"...What weight?" I asked.
Chu Qi straddled my head and sat on my back. "Weighted push-ups, my good disciple. Let's go!"