Pretty Girl

Chen Qin took a long time in the shower. Even without post-shower skincare like body lotion, she spent about half an hour washing up. After scrubbing off all the dust, she stepped out wrapped in a bathrobe—though the robe couldn’t quite contain the sheer power of her "slime," leaving nearly half a hemisphere exposed to the air, trembling unabashedly.

But Chen Qin did it on purpose.

However, when she walked out of the bathroom and glanced around, she noticed Ye Shuang had his back turned to her, engrossed in his phone. Her cheeks puffed up slightly in frustration.

What, no appreciation for a beauty fresh out of the bath?

"Ah Ye—"

"What?" Ye Shuang replied without turning around.

"If you just look back at me, I refuse to believe your eyes will remain empty~" Chen Qin’s teasing laughter came from behind him.

Are you treating me like Tang Sanzang now?

Ye Shuang finally turned his head and froze for a moment, only snapping out of it when Chen Qin gave him a smug, victorious look. "Alright, I’m going to shower now."

"I’ll scrub your back for you."

"No need."

"Let me take a look!"

"Please, no, Qin-ge."

After some playful bickering with Chen Qin, Ye Shuang finally made it into the bathroom.

The scent of shower gel filled the air as he undressed, only to notice Chen Qin’s clothes neatly placed by the sink—even her lingerie was folded on top of her skirt, the little pearls adorning the black lace trim shimmering under the light.

"She’s definitely doing this on purpose…" Ye Shuang sighed. This girl was always tempting him, yet when he’d brought up marriage before, she’d refused.

What exactly was going on in her head?

Don’t take responsibility just for the sake of responsibility—do it because you truly want to…

Mulling over these thoughts, Ye Shuang turned on the faucet. The scalding hot water cascading over his body finally eased some of the tension.

When he reached for the shower gel, though, he found the bottle empty.

"Did Chen Qin use up all of it?" It wouldn’t surprise him—she was obsessive about cleanliness, probably scrubbing herself raw eight or ten times.

Left with no choice, Ye Shuang grabbed the wall-mounted shower gel, unscrewed the cap, poured in some water, shook it up, and squeezed out the diluted mixture to wash himself.

Ah, the classic college move.

While Ye Shuang was busy in the shower, Chen Qin outside hummed a little tune as she blow-dried her hair.

"Love’s true ending… is but a new beginning…"

Singing along to "The Circle," she casually glanced toward the bathroom—

And froze, the hairdryer still in her hand.

The semi-transparent glass offered a near-clear view of Ye Shuang inside, just slightly blurred, as if filtered. Her brain raced, replaying whether she’d done anything embarrassing in there earlier, before she suddenly faceplanted onto the bed, burying herself in the pillow while rolling around wildly.

Screaming internally.jpg

"Since it’s come to this, might as well embrace it." A minute later, Chen Qin sat up, hugging the pillow and muttering, "Since we’re here, let’s just bury the matter."

But after sitting for a while, she couldn’t resist stealing another glance.

A few minutes later, she was outright staring.

"Now we’re even." Chen Qin wiped imaginary drool from the corner of her mouth. After all, Ah Ye had definitely gotten an eyeful earlier.

Eventually, Ye Shuang finished his shower and stepped out.

Towel-drying his hair, he noticed Chen Qin sitting with her back to him at the edge of the bed, head bowed as if absorbed in her phone. Ye Shuang didn’t call her out, simply tossing their dust-covered clothes into the washer and starting a cycle.

Since time was tight, he opted for a quick wash with spin-dry and drying functions.

"An hour should do it—just two sets of clothes." After setting the timer, he returned to the bed and sat down.

The moment he did, the atmosphere turned oddly charged.

Both freshly showered, wearing nothing but bathrobes, sitting side by side—it looked exactly like a couple about to get down to business.

Remembering earlier events, Ye Shuang felt a sudden warmth creeping up and tried to diffuse the tension. "Hungry? Want me to order some takeout?"

"I’d rather eat something else."

"Like what?"

Before he could finish, warmth pressed against his back, and a pair of pale arms wrapped around his neck.

"Ah Ye… can I eat you?"

Chen Qin’s whisper carried a warm breath, the scent of her shampoo drifting over. Ye Shuang’s face tingled, but just as he was about to speak, the weight against his back vanished.

"Hehe, just kidding."

Turning, he saw Chen Qin already burrowed under the covers—her gaze fixed on the bedside lamp, ears burning red.

"Hmph, you almost had me hooked… you little minx," she muttered.

"Until you love me back, I won’t take that step."

Ye Shuang: "…"

The mood gradually cooled. Both stayed rational, neither crossing that line—Chen Qin had her principles, and Ye Shuang had his reservations.

The quiet room was filled only with the sound of the washing machine. Once the drying cycle finished, Ye Shuang got up to retrieve their clothes.

"Get dressed."

"Close your eyes first. No peeking," Chen Qin said.

"Fine, I won’t look."

Once she’d slipped back into her dress, Chen Qin seemed satisfied. "Alright, your turn."

"Mm." Ye Shuang was about to change when he noticed Chen Qin staring at him, cheeks faintly pink.

"…Aren’t you going to turn around?"

Chen Qin grinned. "It’s fine. I’ve seen it all before—no complaints here."

"Are you a creep?! Wipe that drool!"

……

Downstairs at checkout, the elderly receptionist smiled knowingly. "Ah, youth."

"Not exactly young anymore—27 already."

"27 is still young! Handsome lad like you, joking like that." The woman chuckled. "If I were your age, I’d be grinning in my sleep."

Ye Shuang could only laugh helplessly.

After switching from subway to high-speed rail, they returned to Haizhu City by evening.

"So, dinner tonight? Or heading back to the office?" Ye Shuang asked Chen Qin.

"I want to eat your cooking."

Then, as if struck by inspiration, she clasped her hands by her cheek. "Or—how about I cook for you? I’ve learned some new dishes recently. Everyone at the office says they’re delicious."

"…Sure." Ye Shuang recalled the meals she’d made for him before. Though he hadn’t been able to taste them properly at the time due to his lost sense of taste, they’d probably been decent.

"Let’s go grocery shopping."

……

That night, Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke stared at the plates of charred, unidentifiable food on the table, then exchanged glances.

"Dig in! Try it," Chen Qin urged cheerfully.

Tang Keke’s thoughts screamed:

Is this… edible?