A Private Bath and Lingering Thoughts

“Gulp—”

“N-no, not the front. I’ll do it myself.”

“Ah~”

Yu Lian’s face flushed crimson.

A pair of hands was gently wiping her chest with a white towel, meticulously covering every inch from top to bottom, left to right.

The towel seemed to prick her skin, turning the areas it touched crimson. This flush spread to Yu Lian’s smooth face, her snow-white neck, and even her earlobes. She parted her alluring lips, exhaling sweet, moist breaths, her eyes growing hazy.

“Miss Yu Lian, your skin is truly fair and delicate.”

Bai Lingyi praised her with genuine admiration.

Only tender skin would turn from white to red with such a light touch from a towel, just like that of a newborn infant.

What Bai Lingyi didn’t realize was that Yu Lian truly had only been ‘born’ recently.

“Yours is quite nice too, Lingyi.”

Yu Lian returned the compliment, her gaze fixed on the hands on her chest. She could clearly see their delicate smoothness, utterly flawless, like a precious piece of jade.

“You flatter me,” Bai Lingyi said, shaking her head.

“Lingyi, are you an immortal?” With no one else around, the timing felt perfect. Yu Lian could finally ask the question that had been weighing on her mind.

“An immortal?” Bai Lingyi’s hands paused in their movements before she chuckled. “How could I be an immortal? What makes you think that?”

“You’re not? But I saw you easily crush those incredibly strong chains! And when we first met, you walked as if you were shrinking the earth. If that’s not an immortal, what is?”

“Pfft.” Bai Lingyi laughed softly. Her finger instinctively gave a gentle twist, eliciting a startled cry and a blush from Yu Lian. “You probably haven’t met cultivators before, which is why you think that. I am still a very, very long way from being an immortal. I might not even glimpse one in this lifetime.”

Yu Lian grabbed the teasing hand on her chest. “Lingyi, you can say what you want, but please stop toying with me. I’m starting to feel strange.”

This sensation was ineffable.

It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it was certainly odd.

It wasn’t quite pleasant either; her body had simply gone soft.

“Ah, my apologies. It was a subconscious action.”

Bai Lingyi patted her forehead. How could she be so wanton with the Second Miss’s concubine? This was not the duty of a housekeeper; she was overstepping her bounds.

“A subconscious action, huh? It seems Lingyi often teases other girls. What a playgirl,” Yu Lian mumbled softly, sniffing.

“I wouldn’t say that…” Bai Lingyi let out a dry laugh.

“Hmph hmph~”

Only after humming did Yu Lian suddenly realize how much she was beginning to sound like a delicate young woman. Listen to those two hums—weren’t they filled with a certain coyness?

‘I haven’t even lasted ten days, and my heart has completely transformed into a woman’s, has it?’ Yu Lian couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Was her masculine resolve really that weak? She wished it would last a little longer.

“Ah~”

Yu Lian cried out in surprise.

Bai Lingyi had suddenly leaned closer, her ample chest pressing against Yu Lian’s smooth, bare back, startling her. After the initial shock, Yu Lian felt a fiery heat spread through her body, as if a flame was burning in her chest. It was scorching, making her mind hazy, and she longed for an outlet.

“Miss Yu Lian, have you never encountered cultivators or learned about immortal arts and techniques?” Bai Lingyi sought to uncover more, wanting to ascertain Yu Lian’s true background for the Second Miss.

‘If she’s a spy, deliberately approaching the Second Miss… I will personally eliminate this threat for her.’

Yu Lian’s vermilion lips parted slightly as she panted, exhaling fragrant breaths. Her head felt somewhat foggy, perhaps due to the steam, which might have muddled her mind. Nevertheless, she clearly heard Lingyi’s question.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve only read some pamphlets from street stalls. I know immortals possess extraordinary abilities; moving mountains, overturning seas, and shrouding the sky are all well within their capabilities.”

This didn’t sound like a lie.

Bai Lingyi pressed close to Yu Lian’s cheek, observing her dazed expression, her eyes shimmering. She now had a clearer understanding.

‘But is she really this sensitive?’

Seeing Yu Lian’s fragile, hazy state, Bai Lingyi felt amused. She had only leaned close, doing nothing else, yet the other woman was already on the verge of collapsing.

‘I mustn’t go too far. The Second Miss hasn’t even gotten close enough to appreciate her beauty. If I continue, I’ll be cuckolding her.’

Bai Lingyi pulled back slightly.

She supported Yu Lian’s delicate body, which had lost its strength and was about to fall, waiting for her to recover.

Yu Lian felt her body floating, as if she were about to ascend to the heavens. Yet, just as she was about to reach the peak, the momentum was abruptly cut short.

A sense of regret blossomed in her heart.

She didn’t know why she had such a thought, only that she felt profoundly sad, tinged with a faint melancholy.

Bai Lingyi watched her, a complex light flickering in her eyes.

‘Is this even her first time experiencing this?’

Bai Lingyi inwardly smiled wryly, realizing she had unknowingly gone too far. She felt a little bad towards the Second Miss. She hadn’t known such a pure and innocent girl could exist in the world.

After a long while, the regret faded, and Yu Lian exhaled a turbid breath.

“Lingyi, I just…”

Bai Lingyi covered Yu Lian’s small mouth and shushed her. “Nothing just happened. You were hallucinating, understand?”

Yu Lian stared blankly.

‘Hallucinating?’

‘What is Lingyi doing?’

Bai Lingyi continued, “Remember not to tell the Second Miss about our bath. Let’s just keep it our little secret.”

‘Why would I tell that crazy woman, the Second Miss? Am I that idle?’ Yu Lian certainly wouldn’t discuss personal matters with her. However, if the Second Miss was willing to let her leave, she might have some interest.

Yu Lian nodded.

Bai Lingyi beamed. “Alright, let’s continue washing. Spread your legs.”

‘Spread… spread my legs?’

!!

‘No, you want to help with that place too?’

Yu Lian didn’t want anyone touching her there. She shook her head repeatedly, refusing.

Bai Lingyi had only been joking. She had no right to touch that area; it belonged to the Second Miss. Priorities had to be maintained; she couldn’t randomly overstep.

She handed the towel to Yu Lian.

“Then do it yourself. I need to wash mine.”

“Oh, oh, okay.”

Yu Lian took the towel. She turned her head and watched Bai Lingyi wipe her chest, then, as if no one else was there, Bai Lingyi spread her legs and began to wipe from her feet to her thighs, and even…

Yu Lian inexplicably felt her face turn red.

She thought Lingyi was so unreserved, never seeming shy. Even though Yu Lian was watching her, Lingyi didn’t blush at all. Instead, she playfully winked her right eye at Yu Lian.

‘I saw Lingyi completely naked.’

‘Lingyi saw me completely naked too.’

‘Does this mean…’

‘I have to marry her?’

‘I remember, if a woman is seen naked, she has to marry the other person.’

Yu Lian’s mind began to wander, and the more she thought, the more muddled her brain became, practically steaming.

‘If I could marry Lingyi, it wouldn’t be bad. After all, she’s a gentle older sister. Being with her would surely be comfortable. She would even take care of me. If we fell in love, our days together would definitely be a happy pink.’

“I’m all done. Haven’t you even started?”

Bai Lingyi’s voice pulled Yu Lian back from her chaotic thoughts. She let out a startled ‘Ah!’ and quickly began scrubbing herself.

“I never expected your body, Yu Lian, to be so fair and clean. Besides your hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes, your hands, feet, and other places have no…”

Upon hearing this, Yu Lian’s entire body flushed crimson.