The Bathhouse Rebellion

Xi Yao awakened, opening her eyes to find the evening had already settled, and the girl with light, short hair was already perched at the table.

Having rubbed her eyes, she greeted, “Jiang Li, you’ve returned.”

“Mhm, did you take a nap?’ Jiang Li cast a silent, knowing glance her way.

To have slept until evening, her nap had been perhaps too sweet; even if she had only drifted off in the afternoon, it had certainly stretched on for a while.

‘Indeed, considering I just ran an errand outside,’ Xi Yao’s delicate face flushed, ‘I’m a little weary.’

Her roommate possessed such an innocent sensibility. If she were to blurt out, ‘Haha, everyone’s here! I just fainted from the prize and only just woke up,’ would Jiang Li even comprehend?

Most likely, the meaning would be entirely lost on her.

Yet, upon hearing this, Jiang Li’s expression turned somewhat pensive. ‘Xi Yao,’ she inquired, ‘are you not particularly skilled in physical activities?’

‘Perhaps, just a touch,’ Xi Yao responded, tilting her head. ‘Is that a significant issue?’

Jiang Li nodded, her tone grave. ‘You’ll need to train,’ she stated. ‘During the monthly exam, physical education accounts for a full hundred points.’

Ah, was that truly the case?

Xi Yao shifted slightly. ‘It’s alright,’ she reassured. ‘I’ll begin working out in a few days.’

As for the weekend, she’d certainly forgo it; after all, a rare lie-in was a luxury not to be missed.

Jiang Li hesitated for a moment before speaking. ‘If you’re looking to start physical training,’ she offered, ‘I could find a trustworthy consultant for you, but… let’s discuss it in a few days.’

Though her sister had declared herself ready at a moment’s notice, appearing eager to assist, it would still be prudent to wait for Aileen’s arrival before bringing it up.

Xi Yao threw back the covers and swung her legs out of bed. ‘Matters for a few days from now can wait until then,’ she declared. ‘For now, I’m off to take a shower.’

The floral fragrance, while undeniably pleasant, carried with it… a distinct lack of purity.

Only after a thorough wash could she reclaim her untainted, innocent self.

‘Xi Yao, why don’t you go ahead and wash yourself today?’ Jiang Li whispered. ‘I’ll go a little later…’

Primarily, Jiang Li had endured an abundance of whispers and pointed fingers over the past few days. To venture to the bathhouse alongside Xi Yao at such a critical moment would undoubtedly invite further scrutiny and peculiar glances.

It would be wiser to avoid the situation for a while, perhaps returning to her role as the ‘bath-scrubbing little sister’ once the commotion had subsided.

‘Alright.’

Xi Yao, not dwelling on it further, gathered her belongings, retrieved her magnetic card, and ascended the stairs.

The bathhouse, on a weekend, was noticeably less crowded than on weekdays. Without the constraint of classes, patrons could leisurely arrange their own schedules, thus avoiding the usual rush of everyone bathing at the same time.

Still, the evening saw a fair number of people, though slightly fewer than the previous day.

After rinsing off in the shower stall, feeling fresh and fragrant, Xi Yao wrapped a bath towel around herself and made her way to the soaking pools. To simply shower without indulging in a good soak always left her feeling a peculiar sense of incompleteness.

Conveniently, with fewer people today, she easily found an unoccupied pool. The young girl plunged in with a splash, much like an aircraft carrier launching, settling comfortably into the warm water.

To have it all to herself was truly delightful.

Yet, her solitude proved fleeting, as it wasn’t long before others began to arrive, filling the space around her.

‘Hey there, sis,’ a somewhat familiar voice chimed, as a girl approached, her gaze carefully sweeping over the ‘snow mountains’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for a woman’s prominent breasts, commonly used in Chinese web novels) floating on the water’s surface. ‘It really is you, big sis.’

Xi Yao opened her eyes, the other girl’s face obscured by the hazy mist. After a moment of careful thought, she exclaimed in delighted surprise, ‘It’s you all! Come, sit, sit!’

It dawned on her that these were the very women she had befriended and chatted with during her bath the night before last.

‘Ah,’ the first girl to settle down sighed, a long breath escaping her lips. ‘We’ve finally found a place where we can speak freely.’

‘Indeed.’

‘It’s been utterly stifling.’

The other girls, in turn, readily echoed their sentiments.

Xi Yao blinked, a hint of confusion clouding her gaze. ‘How do you mean that?’ she inquired.

‘You wouldn’t believe it, that Yun Caiyi from third year high school has an army of lackeys,’ the girl beside her explained, her voice lowered. ‘These past few nights, anyone caught discussing her actions would find themselves tracked down and threatened by her cronies the very next day.’

‘That’s absolutely terrifying,’ Xi Yao gasped, taken aback. ‘Is she truly so brazen?’

‘You bet she is.’

‘Utterly insufferable.’

‘She behaves this way even before becoming student council president. I shudder to imagine what she’d be like if she actually secured the position.’

The girls exchanged words, each contributing to a chorus of discontent directed at Yun Caiyi.

Only Xi Yao, however, pinpointed a crucial inconsistency. ‘Given how perilous the situation is,’ she questioned, ‘why do you then claim this is a safe place to speak freely?’

‘It’s quite simple, actually,’ one of the girls replied, their eyes all falling upon Xi Yao’s ‘snow mountains’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for a woman’s prominent breasts, commonly used in Chinese web novels) as they bobbed on the water’s surface. ‘Because Yun Caiyi’s cronies would never, ever, step into a pool like this.’

‘…Pardon?’

‘It’s like this,’ another girl nearby clarified. ‘Yun Caiyi and her clique have a distinct aversion to girls who are well-endowed. It’s likely because both she and her university cousin harbor a deep resentment towards Goddess Xi Ruo, and by extension, they extend that animosity to anyone else with similar… attributes.’

Ah, so this was the unexpected reason?

‘Therefore, as long as you are in a pool, their people will absolutely not dare to enter,’ the first girl declared, her admiration genuinely heartfelt. ‘You are truly exceptional, even more outstanding than Goddess Xi Ruo herself!’

Xi Yao’s lips twitched upward into a modest smile. ‘Oh, it’s nothing much,’ she demurred. ‘Just a tiny, minuscule bit more excellent, perhaps.’

‘Furthermore, the steam in the bath pool is quite dense,’ another girl chimed in. ‘Everyone has already washed their faces and tied their hair up. Even if Yun Caiyi’s people were to infiltrate, it would be difficult to discern or remember who was who.’

‘This, Xi Yao mused, actually held a certain logic.’

‘So, is that Yun Caiyi truly guaranteed victory? Do the others stand absolutely no chance?’

Someone initiated the conversation, and soon, others eagerly joined the discussion.

‘What has Jiang Li said? Hasn’t she attempted to orchestrate a counter-campaign in the court of public opinion?’

‘There’s simply no way. Yun Caiyi commands an army of internet trolls, and Jiang Li isn’t one to form factions or cliques, so she’s bound to be outmatched in any verbal confrontation.’

‘What, then, are we to do? Simply stand by and watch Yun Caiyi claim victory in the election?’

A silence descended upon their surroundings for a brief moment. Just as Xi Yao found herself deliberating whether she should offer a comment, the voice of the first girl cut through the quiet, her words gritted through clenched teeth:

‘We cannot simply sit here and do nothing, waiting for our demise!’ she declared fiercely. ‘Even if it’s merely to vent our collective frustration, we absolutely cannot stand by and watch her comfortably ascend to the president’s seat!’

Xi Yao turned her head, a sudden jolt of surprise running through her. Without her even realizing it, the number of people around them had swelled considerably.

The six designated spots within the bath pool had long since been occupied, and now, nearly ten additional girls sat along the edge, actively engaging in the conversation.

The steam, thick and hazy, obscured the precise count, but a single glance suggested a veritable sea of people.

‘What, precisely, can we accomplish?’ a voice from within the burgeoning crowd inquired.

‘I don’t know yet, not precisely,’ another voice chimed in. ‘But only if we unite, pooling the wisdom and strength of every single one of us, can we truly achieve something meaningful.’

For a fleeting moment, a subtle stir rippled through the gathered crowd.

The bath pool’s temperature was already quite high, and upon hearing these impassioned words, a fervent heat seemed to ignite the blood within everyone present.

‘Precisely!’ the first girl affirmed. ‘From this day forward, we shall gather here, by the bath pool’s edge, to strategize and discuss. However, this ordinary pool is still a tad too small; from now on, we shall convene in the large central pool.’

Indeed, the bathhouse boasted a considerably larger pool, capable of accommodating at least a dozen people within its waters, to say nothing of the ample space along its banks.

‘Excellent!’ exclaimed a girl beside her, pointing excitedly at Xi Yao. ‘Every evening, the moment I return, I’ll rush to claim a spot, not even bothering to change my clothes, ensuring I’m ahead of everyone else! We’ll wait for her to arrive; no one dares enter the water before she does!’

A pool graced by the presence of a ‘big-chested girl’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for a woman’s prominent breasts, commonly used in Chinese web novels) would thus become a potent symbol, unequivocally declaring their direct opposition and defiant stance against Yun Caiyi’s faction.

Xi Yao, with an innocent blink of her eyes, questioned, ‘But with such a dense fog, how will you manage to recognize me?’

‘It’s quite simple,’ a girl declared, pointing to Xi Yao’s ‘snow mountains’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for a woman’s prominent breasts, commonly used in Chinese web novels) on the water’s surface. ‘To see the ‘group’ is to see the person!’