It was not the usual seniors who answered the door this time, but Commander Yang himself. A look of surprise flickered across his face as he recognized Lin Yu, evidently caught off guard by her unexpected arrival.
“Oh, I thought they had returned,” he remarked. “What brings you here?”
“Are Sister Yang and the others around?”
“They left for the logistics area just a short while ago to take care of some matters and won’t be back anytime soon.”
Though curiosity gnawed at her, wondering why they were rushing off to handle affairs at such an hour, and what tasks required their attention, Lin Yu maintained a composed demeanor, simply nodding to acknowledge the information. “May I wait for their return?” she inquired.
“Of course, come in and wait,” Commander Yang readily assented, extending a warm invitation. “However, I have some personal matters to attend to, so you may need to brew your own tea.”
Stepping back a half-pace from the doorway, he created an ample passage for Lin Yu, then slowly eased the door shut once she had crossed the threshold.
With an almost casual gesture, he even secured the lock.
“Thank you kindly, Commander,” Lin Yu said.
“There’s no one else here,” he replied, “so there’s no need for such formalities.”
Settling onto the living room sofa, Lin Yu observed the utterly bare coffee table before her. After a considerable wait, she finally resolved to rise and head to the stove to boil water for tea.
Her immediate vexation stemmed from how to broach her request. As a female medic, borrowing the bathroom would be a perfectly legitimate request; however, the crux of the matter was that, in Commander Yang’s perception, she remained a “boy.”
To voice such a request directly now… would surely brand her as overly delicate, to flee to a superior’s private quarters for a bath simply because the communal washroom lacked partitions…
Alternatively, should she wait until Commander Yang departed to sneak a bath? Or perhaps, upon the seniors’ return, she could enlist their help to provide cover?
Or, the most daring option of all—should she simply divulge her true circumstances to Commander Yang?
Lin Yu knew this was hardly the right moment for a confession. Her body had yet to fully develop, and she was, in all likelihood, still very much within his “strike zone.” By inadvertently dancing across his XP (TL Note: A slang term referring to one’s personal preferences or kinks), she inevitably risked attracting some truly strange looks.
How utterly vexing! If only the seniors were here now. Why hadn’t the higher-ups summoned him for a meeting? Why was it not he who had gone out to handle those errands?
Perhaps she should simply speak her mind, directly stating her need to borrow the bathroom. Whether it appeared overly delicate or presumptuous, she would just put the request to him forthrightly.
Refused or permitted, at least she would gain a definitive answer, freeing her from the incessant, anxious conjectures swirling in her mind.
Within the kettle, plain water reached a rolling boil, as steam and fine droplets coalesced into white plumes that billowed from the spout, signaling its readiness. Lin Yu, with a small spoon, carefully scooped tea leaves from their container, letting them fall into a cup where they met the porcelain bottom with a crisp, melodious chime.
‘I’ll go in and ask him in a moment…’
After admitting Lin Yu, Commander Yang had retreated into his room—the same one where he had once recorded music. Lin Yu remembered it as a space brimming with collections and musical instruments, the most captivating of which was undeniably the grand piano, offering a logical explanation for the melodies now drifting from within.
The exquisite piano melodies felt utterly incongruous with the war raging at that very moment.
Yet, having enjoyed a rather tranquil existence as a medic since her enlistment, never once facing an artillery shell, she was hardly in a position to accuse Commander Yang of “feasting and dancing under a beauty’s tent” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to indulging in pleasure and neglecting serious matters, often during wartime).
As scalding hot water streamed into the cup, granular tea leaves danced upon the surface, threatening to overflow. They swirled in small clusters, sinking and rising in rhythmic succession. The brown hue seeping from the leaves resembled ink drops dissolving into water, spreading downwards like a delicate veil, slowly blossoming.
The sight brought to Lin Yu’s mind the winding, emotional path of her own service as a medic.
‘No matter. I’ll simply ask him now.’
Setting down the steaming kettle, she strode purposefully towards the tightly closed room door, raising her hand to deliver three soft taps.
The piano’s melody within abruptly ceased. After a few tense seconds, shuffling footsteps echoed from inside, and only then, after a brief pause, did the doorknob turn, revealing Commander Yang’s face in the narrow crack of the door.
Lin Yu wasted no time, posing her question directly: “May I borrow your bathroom?”
She waited with bated breath for his response, anticipating either a swift agreement or a firm refusal. Consent would bring joyous relief; a refusal would prompt another plea. If outright denied, she would simply retreat back to her quarters.
Her small, assigned bunker, meticulously decorated through the combined efforts of herself and Lieutenant Xia, had, by now, almost earned the dignified title of a “residence.”
“Of course, you may. Go on, quickly; they’ll need the bathroom when they return, so it’s best to make haste,” he instructed. “I only have one small request: there isn’t much hot water, so please remember to use it sparingly.”
He adjusted the spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose, then quietly closed the door, leaving Lin Yu standing bewildered outside.
‘Ah, he agreed just like that? Was it truly so simple?’
All the elaborate preparations she had made, all the carefully crafted excuses she had rehearsed, were rendered utterly useless in that instant, leaving Lin Yu profoundly, even overwhelmingly, surprised.
Yet, this was no moment to stand frozen in surprise; she needed to swiftly complete her bath and then seize an opportunity to make a discreet exit.
Forgetting the tea she had just brewed, Lin Yu rushed back to find her change of clothes, snatched up a towel, and hurried towards the bathroom.
****
The pervasive convenience of magic technology permeated every facet of daily life. Even amidst surroundings that otherwise seemed plucked directly from the early twentieth century, Lin Yu still discovered ingenious small inventions that rivaled the comforts of her past life.
While comforts like stoves were a given, and bathroom amenities were fully stocked, what truly astonished her was the ingenious application of “running water.”
One shouldn’t overthink it, however; behind the front lines, the infrastructure for laying modern water pipes was entirely absent, and advanced processes like water diversion, disinfection, and centralized supply remained undiscovered.
The principle behind this otherworldly “running water” was strikingly simple, even crude, and readily understandable: fashion a magical artifact capable of casting water elemental spells, then, with a touch of dark humor, sculpt it into the precise form of a faucet.
Such a water source was entirely natural and utterly harmless, rendering it the unparalleled choice for survival in harsh conditions, particularly in the field.
Building upon this foundation, countless applications could be developed. For instance, by attaching a fire elemental magic item directly to the water pipe, one could enjoy instant hot water for a bath anytime, anywhere, much like the water heaters of her previous life.
Regrettably, within Commander Yang’s residence, she could not yet indulge in the instantaneous showering comforts of her past life, for it would be an extravagant waste of magic stones. Merely being granted permission to use the bathroom was satisfaction enough; she dared not be so brazen as to avail herself of those precious magical artifacts.
It was already evening, and Commander Yang had thoughtfully prepared hot water in advance. Lin Yu poured a small portion into the large bathtub, then tempered it with cold water, ultimately yielding a full wooden tub of bathwater.
As she immersed her towel, the temperature that met her right hand felt slightly cool. She had intentionally added a generous amount of cold water, rendering it far less warm and inviting than her previous clandestine baths.
Stealthily adding another scoop of hot water, Lin Yu shed her soiled uniform with a soft rustle, then commenced her bath, intent on completing the task swiftly as Commander Yang had requested.
Scooping out warm water, she splashed it liberally over her shoulders, ensuring her body was thoroughly drenched. Then, squeezing a dollop of shower gel, she began to lather, meticulously scrubbing away every speck of grime accumulated over the preceding days.
Having swiftly completed her cleansing ritual, she once again stood before the mirror.
Given the insufficient temperature of the bathwater this time, no steam materialized, leaving the mirror’s surface entirely clear of condensation… Though, it was equally plausible that the seniors, during their cleaning rounds, had already meticulously wiped it, eradicating any lingering remnants of the ancient battlefield.
Gazing intently at her reflection, at her own face and slender form, she also extended a hand to clear away the persistent water droplets that obscured her view on the mirror.
Compared to her last assessment, Lin Yu felt herself considerably more beautiful.
Fresh from having scrubbed away every trace of grime, she was no longer the parched, thin, and unassuming village girl; her skin now possessed a supple delicacy, akin to a young lady from the city.
The new growth at her roots was no longer tinged with yellow, but a lustrous black, smooth as silk, and paired with her strikingly uncommon brown eyes, it lent her the allure of an exotic beauty.
If only she ate more regularly, grew a little taller, and developed a bit more in the chest, Lin Yu’s physical appearance would perfectly embody her ideal type from her previous life.
With such captivating beauty, capable of eliciting affection even from the most self-effacing observer, how could she possibly slip unnoticed from Commander Yang’s grasp?
‘I absolutely cannot reveal my true gender. Under no circumstances.’
Facing the mirror, she secured her hair with a proper tie, then took up a towel to wipe away the lingering moisture from her skin, her resolve solidifying.
‘Oh, I almost forgot, I tied my hair incorrectly…’
She retreated two steps back to the mirror, undid the feminine hairstyle, and restyled it into the manner commonly worn by Diacla men.
Her freshly washed hair tips were still dripping, causing the tie to slip several times, but after numerous attempts, she finally secured the hairstyle Nangong had previously taught her.
“It’s such a hassle when it’s wet,” Lin Yu sighed, pushing open the bathroom door after dressing. “When I had short hair as a child, I never had this trouble. I just can’t seem to fully adapt.”
It was then that she discovered Commander Yang standing outside the bathroom door.