Sense of Participation in the Bathroom

The Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the decanter was nearly empty. Zhou Jialu’s cheeks were flushed with two patches of crimson, her whole body leaning against the bar counter, her fox-like eyes veiled with a misty sheen.

Su Bai, on the other hand, remained completely unfazed. With his 170-point physique, he could down not just a bottle of red wine, but even two bottles of liquor, and it would only feel like wetting his throat.

“Junior… your tolerance is just ridiculous.” Zhou Jialu propped her chin up to look at him, her speech already carrying a lazy, drunken slur. “I’m about to black out, and you’re acting like nothing happened.”

“You’re just weak,” Su Bai said with a smile, standing up and walking around the bar to support her shoulders. “Alright, no more drinking. Let me help you rest.”

Zhou Jialu obediently leaned into his embrace, rubbing her head against his chest like a lazy cat. Her scent was a mix of rich red wine and a faint hint of body wash, her warm body heat seeping through the thin knitted dress.

Su Bai guided her out of the bar area and up the spiral staircase. The master bedroom suite on the second floor of the club was reserved exclusively for Su Bai. It was even larger than the presidential suite of a five-star hotel, with the bathroom alone spanning over forty square meters.

As he pushed open the door, motion-sensor lights automatically lit up with a gentle warm glow. Su Bai was about to lay Zhou Jialu on the bed when she suddenly grabbed his collar, lifting her tearful fox-like eyes toward him.

“Junior, I’m not sleeping.” Her voice carried that distinctive soft, syrupy quality of drunkenness, but also a streak of earnest sincerity. “I want to serve you when you bathe.”

Su Bai raised an eyebrow. “You can barely stand, and you still want to serve me?”

“That’s different.” Zhou Jialu shook her head, struggling to steady herself as she placed her hands on Su Bai’s shoulders. “I’m happy today. You spent five hundred million to build a lab, you know your wine, you can appreciate it—I was standing by, and in my heart… my heart felt so proud. I just want to take good care of you, just this once.”

As she said this, the drunkenness made her expression more candid than usual. There was none of that deliberate, teasing slyness—only a genuine sense of dependence.

Su Bai’s heart softened. He pinched her cheek. “Alright, let’s go then.”

The bathroom doors were double sliding frosted glass panels. When pushed open, the space inside revealed itself impressively. At the center was a sunken circular whirlpool bathtub, large enough to comfortably hold four or five people. The floor was tiled with non-slip matte gray tiles, the walls clad in marble-veined stone slabs, with warm-toned strip lights embedded in the ceiling and alcoves, casting an ambiance that was both luxurious and cozy.

Zhou Jialu stumbled over to the bathtub, bent down, and turned on the faucet. Hot water gushed out, steam quickly filling the space. She turned and tapped the smart panel on the wall a couple of times; mellow jazz began flowing from the hidden speakers, the lazy melody of a saxophone echoing through the bathroom.

“Junior, sit over there first.” She pointed to the stone step beside the bathtub.

Su Bai sat down as instructed, watching her sway over to the sink. She pulled out a clean white towel from a drawer and brought over a bottle of essential oil.

“This is lavender—helps you sleep.” She dripped a few drops into the hot water, and the faint lavender scent soon mingled with the steam and drifted through the air. “You’ve been busy lately; you must be exhausted.”

Su Bai watched her as she crouched by the bathtub, carefully testing the water temperature. A surge of warmth spread through his heart. Zhou Jialu was usually all laughs and playful teasing, constantly flirting with him. But when she switched into housekeeper mode, her meticulousness and genuine care were impossible to fake.

“The water temperature’s just right.” She stood up, walked over to Su Bai, and reached out to unbutton his shirt.

One button, two buttons, three.

Su Bai’s perfectly toned upper body was gradually revealed. Under the warm light, his smooth muscles gleamed with a healthy sheen. Zhou Jialu’s fingers lingered on his chest for a moment, clearly able to feel the terrifying strength lurking beneath his skin.

“Junior, your physique… every time I see it, it feels unreal,” she murmured as she helped him take off the shirt, hanging it on a nearby rack.

Su Bai chuckled and was about to bend down to take off his pants when Zhou Jialu beat him to it, squatting down quickly. Her slender fingers caught his belt buckle—click, it unfastened.

Her movements were practiced, having served Su Bai for so long that it was second nature. Off came his trousers, neatly folded and set aside. Then she stood up, gently pushed Su Bai’s back from behind, and guided him into the bathtub.

Hot water washed over his chest at just the right temperature. Su Bai let out a satisfied sigh and relaxed against the side of the tub.

But Zhou Jialu had no intention of leaving. She picked up the white towel, knelt on the non-slip mat beside the bathtub, rolled her sleeves up past her elbows, moistened the towel with hot water, and began wiping his back.

The towel, wrapping her soft fingers, started at the nape of his neck and moved downward inch by inch. Her motions were gentle and meticulous, as if polishing a precious work of art.

“Junior, those wines you talked about today—Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre…” she asked as she wiped. “Did you really identify them just by smelling them?”

“Born with it,” Su Bai replied, closing his eyes as he enjoyed her service.

“Hmph, you’re just showing off.” Zhou Jialu lightly slapped his back, then suddenly thought of something and leaned close to his ear, her breath warm like orchids. “But that analysis of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Seriously cool. I was thinking at that moment, how is my Junior so amazing—knowing everything, understanding everything.”

Su Bai opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. They were inches apart.

Zhou Jialu’s drunkenness hadn’t faded. Her cheeks were flushed, a few strands of her bangs matted to her smooth forehead by the steam. Because of her kneeling posture, the loose neckline of her home dress dipped low, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.

“Senior Sister,” Su Bai suddenly called out.

“Hmm?”

“You’re really becoming more and more the perfect housemaid. That bottle of wine today was indeed excellent. That circle of housekeeper friends you have—getting your hands on that level of wine means they really respect you.”

Zhou Jialu froze for a moment, then the corners of her eyes reddened slightly.

She put down the towel, suddenly leaned in, and pressed a fierce kiss to Su Bai’s neck.

The kiss was forceful. Her lips clung tightly to his skin, her teeth gently biting down, the tip of her tongue pressing into that tender spot as she sucked hard.

Su Bai winced slightly—a brief sting, then warmth and softness.

Zhou Jialu held the kiss for a full ten seconds before pulling away. She lifted her head, looking with satisfaction at the bright red mark on Su Bai’s neck. It was like a tiny plum blossom branded into his skin.

“Perfect.” She licked her lips, a mischievous light flashing in her fox-like eyes.

Su Bai reached up and touched his neck, both amused and baffled. “What was that for?”

Zhou Jialu said with righteous indignation, “I heard that you’re taking Sheng Sheng on a romantic camping trip in a few days. Just the two of you, out in the wild, in a tent, under the stars—how romantic. I’m staying home alone, so I can’t interrupt your little private getaway.”

She leaned closer to Su Bai, poking the red mark with her fingertip, and added with a playful reproach, “But even though I can’t go with you, I still want to leave my mark! This mark will last at least two or three days. When you take your clothes off, or when Sheng Sheng sees it—ha—she’ll know that Su Bai isn’t hers alone either.”

Su Bai watched her smug expression, like a sly little fox that had just stolen a chicken, and felt both amused and exasperated. "So this is where your strange sense of involvement comes from?"