Chapter 14: Soaking in the Bath

“Left is hot water, right is cold.”

“You can adjust the temperature by turning left or right. Push up and water comes out. See.”

In the bathroom, Lin Xiangyi carefully explained how to use the shower.

He pulled open the water valve, and water sprayed from the shower head, splashing against the floor with a loud patter.

“Get it now?”

“Mm-hm.”

Beside him, Shen Ye propped her chin on one hand, her tail curled between her legs, listening intently to Lin Xiangyi’s explanation.

She nodded seriously as she listened to the man’s words.

Truthfully, she already understood the basics, but since her junior brother thought she was just a spirit being who had never set foot in the human world, she saw no need to correct him.

“I’ve drawn your bath water. You’ve had a long journey, so soak in a hot bath and get some rest.”

“When you’re done, just pull the plug at the bottom of the tub.”

He finished speaking and turned to leave.

Just before closing the door, as if still worried, he poked his head back in to remind her:

“If anything comes up, call me anytime. I’ll be in the living room.”

The door closed.

“Okay~”

Watching the closed door, Shen Ye muttered under her breath.

Shen Ye slipped off her clothes and placed them in the bamboo basket nearby.

She held the bath towel against her chest, covering most of her fair skin.

She walked to the mirror, her fingers reaching toward its surface, brushing against the reflection of herself staring blankly back at her.

The “Shen Ye” in the mirror was completely the image of a small, adorable cat-eared girl. Her long black hair lay softly on her shoulders, trailing down her back all the way to her waist.

Her face was youthful and cute, without any trace of the masculine sharpness she once had. Only a jawline with a beautiful curve remained.

Her brow and eyes were gentle, paired with a cold, aloof aura, making her look both distant and endearing.

“Really, pretty as a spirit being.”

She murmured to herself.

After staring for a few seconds, she let out a faint, bitter smile.

“Heh.”

What am I saying? Aren’t I a spirit being now?

She stopped looking and turned to the shower, twisting open the water valve, letting herself be bathed under the cascade.

Hot water poured down from above her head, flowing through her hair and tracing the curves of her body as it fell.

Rising steam blurred her vision, and with it, the clutter of thoughts in her mind.

She opened her eyes, which had been shielded by the curtain of water.

Her gaze drifted downward, but was scorched by the astonishing sight. A blush crept up her delicate face, spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and silently began preparing herself mentally.

It’s fine. It’s fine.

This is my body now. There’s nothing wrong with looking at myself.

She told herself this, as if trying to hypnotize herself into dispelling the lingering shyness in her heart.

Then she opened her eyes and looked at her body.

Smooth as milk, undulating like snowy peaks.

A young girl’s body was like a meticulously carved work of art. Under the touch of water droplets, her skin glowed with a warm luster, every curve perfectly proportioned.

Mmph—!

She was startled into looking away again, her face full of embarrassment.

To be honest, even now, she still couldn’t believe she had become a girl.

Though if this image had been placed before her in the past, it would have been enough to make her blood rush.

But now, aside from a stubborn sense of shame in her heart, it stirred no more ripples than that.

Sigh…

Shen Ye sighed softly. Her wet cat ears flopped limply atop her head, making her look like she radiated an aura of utter listlessness.

She squinted and gave her wet ears a little shake.

By the way, can I retract my ears now?

She thought, then reached up and flicked those unfamiliar cat ears before slipping her fingers inside…

The moment her fingertips touched the downy fur inside the ear canal, a current burst forth from the point of contact, shooting through her entire body in an instant.

Shen Ye felt her feet go weak, her knees trembling. She nearly lost her balance entirely.

“Mmph—!”

She fumbled for the water valve to steady herself. The switch was pressed down, and the shower came to an abrupt stop, leaving only the sound of dripping water hitting the floor. Drop by drop, like the beat of a heartbeat.

The girl’s face was flushed crimson. Her heart pounded loudly, each beat unmistakably clear in the bathroom where she stood alone.

She rose on trembling legs, her tail whipping wildly behind her, as if trying to shake off the shyness in her heart.

Ah…

If I can’t retract these, this is going to be a real problem.

Blushing, she walked over to the bath water her junior brother had prepared for her.

Her jade-like toes lightly touched the water’s surface. They shrank back slightly at the moment of contact, then tentatively ventured deeper.

The water surface stirred, sending ripples spreading outward.

After testing the waters, the owner of those toes gained courage. She slowly immersed her shapely leg, the water rising past her ankle and calf, until her entire body was enveloped within.

“Ahh, this feels amazing.”

Shen Ye soaked in the warm water with an expression of pure bliss, letting out a long, contented sigh.

The perfectly heated water wrapped around her gently, like an invisible pair of hands soothing her weary body and mind.

She stared at the ceiling, the rising steam blurring her vision.

What a fantastical day it’s been.

From my transformation to finding my junior brother, and then settling in here.

This trip, I’ve really been through so much.

Already, I don’t want to think about anything anymore.

She submerged her head beneath the water, making gurgling sounds.

Shen Ye soaked for a long while, until she began to feel lightheaded, before sitting up in the tub.

She used her toes to search for the plug. When she found it, she hesitated for a moment.

Junior brother told me to drain the water after I’m done.

But… isn’t he going to soak too?

Back in the mountains, the two of them used to bathe together often.

The bath pool on the mountain was very large. When they sat together, her junior brother would always pull her into conversation, talking about all sorts of whimsical ideas.

He would also often talk about the world below the mountain, about topics concerning the human world.

And she would just listen, nodding in response from time to time, occasionally replying with an “mm” or a “okay.”

Can we ever go back to those days?

She stared blankly for two seconds, looking at her reflection in the water’s surface.

The water cascaded over soft ridges, tracing graceful arcs that outlined a girl’s tender curves. The dim yellow light refracted within, weaving a beautiful scene amidst the hazy mist.

I suppose that’s right.

Things are different now.

A slightly bitter curve formed at the corner of her mouth.

Maybe my junior brother even despises me, a spirit being.

Her toes searched in the water, clamped onto the plug, and pulled it free with a slight effort, letting the water gurgle as it drained away.

She stood up, grabbed the towel nearby, and dried herself off.

When she finished drying her hair and was about to use Spirit Control Art to finish the job, she caught a glimpse of her hazy reflection in the mirror and noticed the hair dryer hanging on the wall.

What’s this?

She picked up the hair dryer to examine it. The pink dryer had a few stickers of cartoon characters pasted on it, exuding an adorable, girlish charm.

She smiled faintly.

This style, it’s obviously Xiao Meng’s.

She remembered that a long time ago, her father used this very thing to dry her mother’s hair.

Distant memories surged to the surface. Her father’s fingers ran through her mother’s long hair, the movements gentle and soft, as if caressing some precious treasure.

Her mother sat calmly, still and unmoving.

This image had remained etched in Shen Ye’s mind for a very long time, and even now, it still lingered.

I can’t even recall their expressions back then.

They… must have been smiling, right?

The scene of her parents faded like a discolored photograph, weathering into fragmented memories in her mind.

Only a trace of warmth within that scene remained, like embers that never burn out, flaring back to life in this moment.

Shen Ye tightened her grip on the hair dryer, and made a decision in her heart.