Ben10: A Romantic Adventure with a Gender-Swapped Class

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the streets in a warm golden hue. The four of them had just said goodbye at the restaurant entrance, rubbing their satisfied bellies as they prepared to go home to digest their late lunch and perhaps catch up on some sleep.

Mo Bai stretched, feeling that her energy, which she had just woken up from, was being somewhat dampened by lunch.

He figured he should either go back and look through the spellbook that his future self had "optimized," or talk to Xiaowen about his studies—although saving the world was his main job, he also had to pretend to be a good student occasionally.

However, before they could even take the first step towards breaking up, the cell phones in their pockets started playing music in unison.

He took it out and saw that it was a group chat invitation from Grandpa Tian Mark.

The old man's cheerful voice, tinged with laughter, came through the receiver. He said it had been a long time since he had taken the children camping, and he wanted to relive the happy times they spent crammed into an old, beat-up car when they were kids.

This unexpected invitation was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly piquing everyone's interest.

Yes, since extraterrestrial adventures have become commonplace, this kind of purely "family activity" has become a rarity.

No one refused, and the four of them simply stood on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, chatting and waiting for the iconic, weathered "old car" to pick them up.

While waiting, Xiaowen took out her small MP3 player and earphones from her pocket, skillfully put them in her ears, leaned back against a roadside bench, closed her eyes slightly, and unconsciously tapped her fingers on her knees—clearly she was listening to English listening practice. This is how a top student makes the most of every minute of her day.

Seeing Kevin looking bored and leaning against the lamppost shaking his leg, Mo Bai couldn't help but lean over and tease him with a mischievous smile.

"Hey, I don't remember ever having a little rascal in our group during those wonderful camping trips before?" He deliberately emphasized the word "wonderful".

Upon hearing this, Kevin grinned, revealing his signature roguish smile. He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Mo Bai's face, and retorted without any politeness.

"Heh, I don't remember anyone ever talking so loudly and noisily next to me before." The tone was sharp yet familiar.

As for Xiao Ban, she was holding the last extra-large shaved ice, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster, diligently slurping up the remaining shaved ice and jam at the bottom of the cup, completely immersed in the aftertaste of the dessert, ignoring the verbal sparring next to her, with only the sound of her gushing in the cup being particularly clear.

The familiar sound of a horn grew louder as it approached, and the old, dilapidated car with its mottled paint and unique design came to a steady stop by the roadside.

The driver's side window rolled down, revealing Grandpa Tian Mark's kind yet slightly mischievous face. He smiled at the four young men and women by the roadside and called out in a strong voice.

"Kids, it's time to hit the road!" At the same time, he pressed a button, and the heavy sliding door of the old car made a soft "hiss" sound as it slid open automatically, revealing the familiar and cozy space inside.

"Yay! Camping!" Xiao Ban cheered, then skillfully tossed his empty slush cup into the trash can a few steps away in a beautiful parabola. Like a happy little deer, he was the first to hop and skip into the car.

The others filed in as well. Almost instinctively, and with a touch of nostalgia, Mo Bai plopped down into the large, thick brown sofa in the carriage, even rubbing comfortably against the backrest—heaven knows how many times he had slept soundly on this sofa when he went on missions with Grandpa Tian; it had practically become his personal "camp bed."

Xiao Ban walked straight to the back of the carriage, curiously examining the familiar bunk bed. She reached out and touched the edge of the lower bunk, a nostalgic look on her face, and sighed.

"Wow, when I used to sleep on the top bunk, I performed my fair share of 'free falls,' and I think I've even dented the floor with my falls!" She exaggeratedly gestured as she fell.

Xiaowen followed, crossed her arms, leaned against the cabinet next to her, and smiled knowingly with a hint of mischief.

"Yeah, it's because I knew you 'sleeper' that I fought tooth and nail for the lower bunk when we were kids," she said, pointing to the upper bunk. "Otherwise, I'd probably be the one complaining about falling down now."

Listening to the sisters reminiscing about the past and appreciating the present, Kevin, who had already sat down on the sofa opposite, leaned back, crossed his hands behind his head, and struck an extremely relaxed pose.

His gaze swept over Mo Bai, who was nestled comfortably on the sofa, and he couldn't help but chuckle and tease her.

"Hey, I'm telling you, you didn't actually sleep on this sofa for an entire summer vacation, did you? Hahaha." He imagined the scene and found it a bit ridiculous.

Mo Bai knew he was joking, but didn't take it to heart. Instead, she carefully felt the softness of the sofa and nodded in response.

“Yeah, to be honest, I think this sofa is pretty comfortable to sleep on.” He leaned forward, buried his face in the cushions and sniffed. “Hmm… when I’m lying on my stomach, I can smell a… um… strange fragrance.” He looked up and added, “And it seems to be quite fireproof? Once, the kids were playing with fire and almost got burned, but the sofa was completely fine.” He pointed to a faint, almost invisible mark on the sofa armrest.

"Oh?" Kevin's curiosity was piqued.

He sat up straight, lowered his head, and carefully examined the fabric of the sofa he was sitting on, even stretching out his fingers as if trying to absorb some of the material to analyze it.

Just then, Grandpa Tian Mark's cheerful voice, tinged with a hint of popular science, came from the car in front.

"Haha, the sofa cover is tanned from the skin of an alien insect," he said casually, as if introducing a local specialty. "That insect skin is incredibly sturdy, durable, waterproof, fireproof, and moisture-proof. On the cosmic black market, a complete insect skin is quite valuable!"

Grandpa Tian paused, as if recalling something delicious, and his tone became even more cheerful, "That delicate fragrance... well, it's probably because this insect is herbivorous, and it might have nibbled on some fragrant alien flowers."

"Oh, right!" He changed the subject and suggested enthusiastically, "Their meat is especially delicious, sizzling and juicy when grilled! Maybe sometime Grandpa will show you how to cook it, so you can try it!"

"Well......."

"Well......."

At the back of the carriage, Mo Bai and Kevin's expressions froze instantly, their eyes blank as they stared at each other, uttering sounds of resistance in unison.

"I think we should forget about it..." Kevin quickly withdrew his fingers, as if the sofa had suddenly become too hot to handle.

Actually, it was made of ordinary material at first, but it seems that ever since Xiao Ban turned into a fire person in the passenger seat, Mark changed the material.

Mo Bai's eyes twitched uncontrollably a few times as she looked at the "insect-skin sofa" that she had just found incredibly comfortable, her tone filled with complex emotions.

"I suddenly realize... I don't really like sleeping on this sofa anymore..."

"Hey! Look what treasure I found!" Xiao Ban's excited voice broke the awkward silence.

Like a squirrel that had successfully found treasure, she pulled out a slightly worn game console box from under the pillow of her old bunk. Inside were three controllers that also bore the marks of time!

"I found our old Sumo Rumble game console on my bed! And the controller too!" She held it up like a treasure, her eyes sparkling.

Seeing the familiar game console and controller, Mo Bai recalled that funny past and a nostalgic smile appeared on her face.