Fog over the Hot Pot, Cat Gets Beaten Up

"I... uh... haven't washed yet."

What else could she say but the truth?

Just by looking at her, it was obvious—she hadn’t even changed into her pajamas yet.

How could she possibly have already washed up?

But hearing it phrased that way from Lin Yu’s mouth inevitably stirred up some suggestive thoughts.

Especially given the current atmosphere...

And then.

What came next made Chen Qimeng’s heart tremble even more.

"Auntie Qimeng, if there’s anything left to tidy up, I’ll handle it."

"Isn’t it just making the bed? I can do that too."

"It’s freezing outside today. If you don’t take a hot shower soon, you might catch a cold."

"Hurry up and wash properly. What would we do if you got sick?"

"You’re the backbone of this household!"

As he spoke.

Lin Yu stepped closer to Chen Qimeng.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently guided her toward the bathroom.

For some reason, Chen Qimeng found Lin Yu’s reasoning oddly persuasive.

She couldn’t think of a single reason to refuse, so she could only mutter:

"Lin Yu, I... I need to grab my clothes first."

If she didn’t take fresh clothes, wouldn’t she have to come out wearing the same outfit?

Lin Yu reacted lightning-fast.

He grabbed the freshly laundered towel hanging on the standing rack.

And swiftly placed it in Chen Qimeng’s hands.

Chen Qimeng: "???"

If she were alone in the room, wrapping herself in a towel afterward wouldn’t be an issue.

But the problem was...

Lin Yu was here!

Sure, their relationship had changed slightly compared to before.

But but but... they weren’t at that stage yet, right?

And besides.

Wasn’t Rongrong still playing games in Lin Yu’s room?

What if.

She suddenly came back and stumbled upon this scene?

How would their guest feel about that?!

Lin Yu, however, had already prepared a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"Auntie Qimeng, how are you supposed to get cupping therapy wearing those pajamas?"

"Don’t you think wrapping yourself in a towel is better than coming out and undressing in front of me?"

"Sure, things between us are a little different now..."

"But let’s take it slow, okay? No need to rush... right?"

Chen Qimeng: "Huh? I... no, that’s not..."

Lin Yu’s words left Chen Qimeng utterly stunned.

She hadn’t intended to imply anything by it, but... could it really be interpreted that way?

Framing the conversation around the convenience of "cupping therapy" made even the simple act of walking out of the bathroom in normal clothes seem like a flirtatious suggestion.

Chen Qimeng’s mind was no match for Lin Yu’s quick wit.

She glanced down at the towel in her hands and shuffled slowly toward the bathroom.

Only when she reached the bathroom door did it hit her.

They’d been so focused on the clothes that they hadn’t even discussed the shower itself!

Chen Qimeng’s bedroom wasn’t exactly spacious.

The sound of running water inside would be perfectly audible outside.

The frosted glass film on the door wasn’t as opaque as those in hotels—designed to tease rather than conceal.

But from the outside, one could still clearly make out the silhouette of whoever was inside.

Chen Qimeng had never paid much attention to how much was visible from the outside.

Now, the realization made her want to curl up in embarrassment.

"Auntie Qimeng, try to be quick, okay?"

"We don’t know how long Feirong will keep gaming. She might come back any minute."

"Once we start the cupping, we’ll need to wait quietly for a while. It’d be awkward if Feirong walked in midway, don’t you think?"

Chen Qimeng listened to Lin Yu’s words: "!!!"

Of course she thought so!

Wouldn’t the best way to avoid such an awkward situation be to skip the cupping altogether?

Why couldn’t Lin Yu see that?

But having already agreed, Chen Qimeng couldn’t back out now.

Otherwise.

Wouldn’t it seem like she was going back on her word?

"Alright, I’ll hurry."

After turning it over in her mind.

At this point, there was no room for second thoughts.

She’d rather endure a little embarrassment than let Lin Yu think poorly of her.

Outside the bathroom.

The room was already immaculate, thanks to Chen Qimeng’s earlier efforts.

The usual clutter was nowhere to be seen.

What was left to tidy up?

Lin Yu leaned back against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the softly lit bathroom.

Where light could pass through, the essence of things could be perceived.

Frosted glass film worked by scattering light through irregular refraction, blurring the image inside.

But with his heightened visual acuity, Lin Yu’s perception of light far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

He couldn’t see through the film as if it weren’t there.

But by focusing intently, he could significantly reduce the scattering effect.

To put it simply.

It was like the scene from that old poem:

There must be hotpot, and there must be mist.

Inside, the broth boils fiercely, rich and tantalizing.

Outside, a delicate veil of steam shrouds it, mysterious and alluring.

Compared to watching Wu Chuntian’s videos.

This was far more elegant and enticing.

So much so that.

Lin Yu almost forgot the exhaustion of his day.

Through the misty glass, a graceful figure raised her arms, shedding her garments.

The warm stream of water soothed her body, warming it inside and out.

Chen Qimeng really owed Ying'er and Elder Chi a debt of gratitude.

If not for the fact that Lin Yu had been well-fed these past couple of days.

Given the delicate nature of their current relationship.

Who knows?

He might’ve shamelessly barged in, offering to scrub her back.

Meanwhile.

In Xia Yiwei and Maomao’s room.

Maomao, seated at her computer, had just temporarily fended off a cyberattack.

Yet she made no move to get up.

She simply sat there, staring at the screen displaying the results of her defense efforts.

Maomao (48%) — ZerO (52%)

Over the past few hours, Maomao had been meticulous, her focus unbroken.

She hadn’t even drunk water all evening, just to avoid bathroom breaks.

And yet.

She still trailed Lin Yu (ZerO) by four percentage points in defensive efficiency.

Especially when she opened their private LAN chat:

«ZerO: Out of water. Gonna grab a Coke. You keep at it.»

«ZerO: Still haven’t caught up? I’m off to take a leak. How come you haven’t gone all night? Not a fan?»

«ZerO: Ugh, night shifts suck. Kinda hungry. Maybe I’ll make some instant noodles. What’d you have for dinner?»

«ZerO: Why so quiet? Keyboard broken? I can handle English too, y’know.»

«…»

«(Just now) ZerO: This is ridiculous. No way you’re giving it your all and still this far behind! You’re going easy on me, aren’t you? Don’t do that next time!»

Before meeting "ZerO" in person.

Maomao had imagined Lin Yu as someone like herself—a tech-savvy recluse lost in the digital world.

The gap between them, she assumed, was purely technical.

But these past few days, after seeing the real Lin Yu.

The more she learned about him, the more an unshakable sense of despair took root in her heart.

It was a feeling she’d never experienced before.

(First update of the day. A new month begins—time to keep pushing forward. There’ll be bonus updates tonight, so stay tuned! Your support means everything!)