Er Bao, dressed in a little floral swimsuit-dress, stamped her feet in impatience.

"Wait for me!"

"Wait for me!"

The coach swam over and lifted Er Bao into the water. The moment she touched the water, she immediately started doggy-paddling toward Si Bao.

"Here I come! Hahaha, this is so much fun!"

San Bao's face was full of anticipation. After getting in, she started convincingly imitating the motions of swimming.

"Dad, this feels so good! Why don't you come in too?"

Lin Feng knew how to swim but had never been formally taught; he just figured it out whenever he got in the water. He shook his head. "Nah, you all go play!"

Da Bao was tempted. The coach held him and helped him into the water. He floated on the surface like a little turtle, splashing occasionally. But soon enough, he was back on the side of the pool, refusing to get back in no matter what.

Si Bao waved at him. "Brother, come down and play with us!"

San Bao swam to the edge of the pool, looked up with her small face, and said, "Brother, it's really fun! Let's play together!"

Da Bao shook his head. "I'm not playing..."

Though he said he wouldn't play, his eyes were glued to the pool, a clear sign that he desperately wanted to join. Lin Feng recalled that Da Bao's bath times had improved significantly. When they had gone to the water park before, Da Bao had had a great time and hadn't seemed afraid.

Standing beside Da Bao, he offered some encouragement.

"Don't be afraid. There are so many coaches here."

"And your dad's here too. We'll protect you."

"Be a brave boy! Just give it a try and see if you can do it!"

Over with Jiang Chenchen's group, the children finished their warm-ups and got into the water to practice. Their first exercise was an arm stroke, keeping their legs straight and together. Seeing this, Da Bao grew envious again. He loved playing games, but he hated water!

His heart aching for his son, Lin Feng gently approached and whispered, "Da Bao, how about Dad gets in the water with you, okay?"

Da Bao froze for a second.

Lin Feng continued, "You hold on to Dad, and we'll get in together. Dad's here, and I'll protect you. Don't be afraid!"

Da Bao was conflicted.

Lin Feng encouraged him further, "Dad will hold you tight and won't let go. I'll only let go when you tell me to, okay?"

These words moved Da Bao.

"Okay... then Dad, don't let go!"

Lin Feng was delighted. "Alright, Dad's coming with you!"

He went to buy a pair of swim trunks, a swim cap, and goggles. When he returned, the mothers nearby couldn't help but scream internally.

Holy shit, one, two, three... are those eight faintly-visible abs?!

Lin Feng worked out occasionally, and thanks to his Purification and Marrow Cleansing, his physique was perfectly sculpted. He wasn't overly muscular like a gym coach, nor was he too thin. His body was incredibly attractive; the Purification and Marrow Cleansing had corrected all his physical flaws. The sight was enough to give a woman a nosebleed; their minds couldn't help but run wild with fantasies.

Lin Feng held Da Bao. "Come on, hold Dad tight. We're going in together."

Da Bao clung to Lin Feng's chest, his little face pale with fear.

"Daddy!!!"

Lin Feng soothed him, continuously whispering reassurances into his ear. "Don't be afraid, Daddy's right here. Daddy will always be with you! Be good!"

There were steps leading into the pool, all treated with an anti-slip surface. Lin Feng sat down on a step with Da Bao in his arms.

"How about we dip our feet in first?"

Da Bao nodded. "Okay."

The water felt a bit cold at first. After playing with Da Bao for a little while, Lin Feng decided the time was right. "Come on, let's take a few more steps forward!"

Da Bao hesitated for a moment. "Okay!"

But as Lin Feng took a step down, the water level shot up to his waist, submerging most of Da Bao's body. The suddenness of it made Da Bao shriek in terror. "Daddy!!"

Startled by the scream, Lin Feng gently patted his son's little bottom.

"It's okay, Daddy's here! Daddy's here!" As he spoke, he planted a soft kiss on Da Bao's forehead.

The mothers by the poolside saw this and soured with jealousy.

"Look at a dad like that! Compared to the ones we have, ours are just pathetic!"

"I had something to do today, so I asked my kid's dad to watch him for a bit. Damn it, he flat out refused! That bastard."

"Haha, if it were my husband, he'd just toss the kid in the water and ask questions later. Ugh!"

Hadn't they heard the saying? When there's danger, a father is your shield. When there's no danger, a father is the biggest danger. This was someone else's man, someone else's husband, someone else's father. And damn, it was infuriating to witness! The key was that he was young and handsome, while the slobs they had at home were so painfully ordinary, yet brimming with confidence. Who on earth gave them that audacity! God, it was so frustrating to watch.

Finally, while coaxing Da Bao, Lin Feng submerged them both completely in the water. Just as Da Bao was about to panic, he realized... he was floating!

This felt so strange. He was sure he was about to sink, but he was floating instead!

Lin Feng chuckled at his son's astonished expression.

"Surprise! Didn't see that coming, did you?"

He supported his son with a light touch, as if to say:

See? Dad keeps his promises!

Da Bao clung to his father's arms, delighted to be floating but still afraid. "Dad, don't go! Stay with Da Bao! I'm scared!"

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay right here with you! Come on, let's go find Er Bao and the others."

Lin Feng swam, gently pushing Da Bao along. Da Bao giggled, finding it incredibly fun. "Dad, again! I want to do it again!"

Lin Feng pushed Da Bao through the water playfully, spinning him around and around. With his father there, Da Bao finally let loose and played without a care. The moment Lin Feng wasn't right there, however, the fear would become unbearable again. Lin Feng had no choice but to stay with him in the water. He believed that as long as he was there, Da Bao's condition would steadily improve until he completely conquered his fear of water.

The class lasted about an hour, with the rest of the time dedicated to the children practicing on their own.

Lin Feng said to his son, "Da Bao, Dad needs to use the restroom. I'll ask..."

Da Bao quickly grabbed him. "I want to go with Dad..."

The moment one child needed the restroom, they all did. Si Bao hesitated for a moment before getting out too. The restrooms and changing rooms were together, attended by staff. Lin Feng asked a staff member to help Er Bao and San Bao use the toilet, then took his two sons into the men's room.

Si Bao looked uneasy, wanting to say something but holding back.

Lin Feng asked, "What's wrong, Si Bao?"

In a small, bewildered voice, Si Bao said, "Dad, I peed just now... in the water..."

Lin Feng grunted. "You can't do that next time, okay? If you need to pee, you have to tell Dad. Understand?"

Si Bao nodded obediently.

***

At last, the babies' trial class was over. Lin Feng had changed their early education class to the ten-to-eleven o'clock slot to avoid conflicts with the afternoon swimming lessons. A couple of days ago, Da Bao had needed Lin Feng to accompany him into the water, but now he could get in all by himself.

When Zhang Yuxi found out, she could hardly believe it. She held Da Bao's little face in her hands and kissed his cheeks over and over.

"Da Bao, you're amazing!"

Da Bao, busy playing with a toy, tilted his head back and gave a goofy little laugh. But to Zhang Yuxi, he was absolutely incredible.

Si Bao, on the other hand, showed some natural athletic talent. Following the same curriculum, he was far ahead of the others and had already learned the breaststroke by the third day. However, the coach said his breathing technique was poor because he was too impatient. Without mastering his breathing, he wouldn't be able to swim very far.

That Saturday, Zhang Yuxi and Lin Feng arrived at the gym. One path to the pool went past the changing rooms, while the other went through the workout area. As Zhang Yuxi passed the gym equipment, she noticed some handsome, muscular guys staring at her with looks of stunned admiration. She was used to such attention from men. What caught her eye were the highly disciplined young women who already had fantastic figures, each of them dripping with sweat as they worked out on the machines.

I have to admit, I'm a little jealous, she thought. It's true that no woman can stay eighteen forever, but there are always new eighteen-year-olds coming along.

When they got to the pool area, it was already crowded with swimmers. Among the many babies in the water, Zhang Yuxi spotted her four little cubs instantly. Lin Feng stood by the edge of the pool, his height of over 1.8 meters making him stand out already, to say nothing of his unmistakable air of nobility and extraordinary good looks.

Zhang Yuxi's eyes narrowed slightly. She saw a couple of young women in bikinis purposefully approaching her husband, seemingly to ask for his contact information. She knew Lin Feng would turn them down, but it still made her uncomfortable.

"Honey!" Zhang Yuxi walked over and latched onto Lin Feng's arm. "I'm here!"

As if staking her claim, she tilted her chin up slightly, her cold gaze sweeping over the two women. Even if their makeup is waterproof, it's horribly applied. Their foundation is way too light; their faces and necks are two completely different colors.

Then she glanced at their figures.

Hmph. As if I could be impressed by that. What is it with people these days? You have a slightly decent body, and you feel the need to show it all off?

Today, Zhang Yuxi wore a flowing, floral maxi dress that was both elegant and refreshing. She casually flipped her long hair, adding a hint of her own unique allure.

The smiles on the two women's faces froze. They scurried away sheepishly.