Gantang wilted, her small head drooping down.
She looked at Lu Qiancha swinging her feet and couldn’t help but ask again, “Senior Brother, after experiencing a girl’s happiness, do you really have no thoughts at all?”
“No.”
Lu Qiancha curled her lips. It was indeed comfortable… but she wasn’t a Hehuan Sect disciple, so how could she indulge in such meaningless things?
“Eh?”
Gantang’s eyes widened, scanning Lu Qiancha’s face, refusing to give up as she coaxed with a hint of temptation in her voice: “Senior Brother… really, no thoughts at all?”
What was this silly junior sister rambling about?
Lu Qiancha pursed her lips, staring into Gantang’s eyes filled with reckless determination and a mischievous gleam…
Her paw pressed down on Gantang’s head, speechless: “No thoughts.”
“Senior Brother, just try it, maybe you’ll end up liking it.”
Gantang’s small eyes glanced unwillingly at Lu Qiancha’s fluffy Dabaiwei lazily draped over the edge of the bath bucket. That restless heart stirred once more.
Tentatively, she reached out and quietly moved closer, gently stroking the still wet but incredibly soft fur under the cover of the Shou Mao Jin: “Maybe before, you didn’t experience it deeply enough? Didn’t feel it thoroughly?”
Her eyes sparkled, “How about… we strike while the iron’s hot? We can… further study it?!”
Lu Qiancha felt that familiar, maddening sensation from the tail, took a deep breath, and her voice suddenly turned very calm:
“Gantang.”
“…In my current state, whatever you want to do, I can’t stop you.”
“But…” Lu Qiancha’s gaze sharpened as she looked straight into Gantang’s eyes:
“After this, there’s an eighty percent chance I’ll distance myself from you, even hate you.”
“Ah? What about the other twenty percent?”
Gantang blinked, blurting it out instinctively.
“Is that the point?”
Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but use her soft yet angry foot to give Gantang’s calf a playful smack. The force was gentle, like she was pouting.
Gantang assessed the situation.
But hearing Lu Qiancha’s warning finally cooled her heated mind, and she gradually gave up on the dangerous thought in her head.
“…Alright, I won’t mention it again…”
Gantang pouted in grievance, resignedly lowering her head to continue obediently and seriously washing Lu Qiancha’s body.
Once the washing was done,
Gantang helped rinse off the bubbles on Lu Qiancha’s body, and then took the opportunity to wash herself.
Afterward, she carefully supported her still-weak-legged Senior Brother, heading toward the bath bucket.
Lu Qiancha lay exhausted against the wide wooden edge of the bath bucket, her soaked dark blue hair clinging messily to her cheek.
Behind her, the long, thick, water-soaked fluffy Dabaiwei felt heavy like a drenched wool blanket, hanging limply in the bath, swaying slightly with the ripples.
Even the Wolf Ears on her head, completely soaked, drooped pitifully, lying atop her slightly curled wet hair, as if all the spirit that once stood tall had vanished.
Lu Qiancha stared at the steaming, clear bath water, just about to soak herself…
“Splash!”
Without a word, Gantang squeezed in, dripping wet, and sat right beside Lu Qiancha.
The already cramped bath bucket suddenly felt stuffed with two people, causing the water to overflow considerably.
“Hey!” Lu Qiancha rolled her eyes, trying to push Gantang’s arm away, “Can’t you wait for me to finish soaking before getting in?! It’s so cramped!”
She was somewhat speechless, as were Gantang and Shangguan Yunzhu. How was it that all these people liked to squeeze in the bath together?
“Oh~ Senior Brother~” Gantang chuckled, not only refusing to back off but spreading her arms wider to pull Lu Qiancha and her heavy Dabaiwei tightly into her embrace.
Her chin rested affectionately on top of Lu Qiancha’s wet head: “You always teach me to pursue maximum efficiency in what I do.”
She spoke with full confidence, “Two people soaking together is definitely the most efficient, saving the most water and Huo Jing Shi!”
“My exact words back then were that efficiency should be pursued during missions. Don’t take things out of context, okay?”
Lu Qiancha struggled a bit but to no avail. She resigned with a helpless look and leaned softly against Gantang.
Yet her gaze involuntarily slid over the soft, slightly immature curve above Gantang’s arms wrapped around her chest.
Resting on someone other than Mother, it was too small, she thought.
“Hmm?”
Gantang keenly caught the direction of Lu Qiancha’s gaze.
She squinted suspiciously and leaned close to Lu Qiancha’s side face, warm breath brushing over the tips of the Wolf Ears:
“Sen—ior Brother—” Her tone dragged out dangerously, “…Where exactly did your eyes just wander?”
Her hand quietly pinched the tip of the tail.
“I didn’t.” Lu Qiancha kept a straight face, quickly pulling back her gaze, eyes on nose, nose on heart.
At the same time, her paw reached for the clean Shou Mao Jin nearby and began methodically wiping off the remaining water droplets on her body.
Feeling some strength returning, Lu Qiancha painfully pushed away Gantang’s arms clinging to her, and struggled to pull herself up by the smooth edge of the bath bucket.
The moment her feet touched the floor, the faint dizziness finally subsided significantly.
Step by step, she steadied herself on the wall and slowly made her way to the Shu Wu Yigui placed against it.
She opened the cabinet door and fixed her gaze on the very top shelf, where a neatly folded, adorable white little down jacket lay.
Lu Qiancha looked up at the towering cabinet ceiling. Then looked down at her worrying height and the completely smooth, unclimbable cabinet beside her.
She asked helplessly, “Why put my clothes so high up?”
“Oh, I just put them there casually. Senior Brother, I’ll help you get them after I dry off.”
Gantang couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of Senior Brother gnashing her teeth at the high cabinet.
She stepped out of the bath bucket with nimble grace, her spiritual energy lightly trembling as a fine white mist rose around her, instantly evaporating the attached water droplets.
“Tap tap tap!”
A few light footsteps took her to the cabinet. Gantang lightly rose on tiptoes, stretched out her arms, and easily took down the small jacket and clothes neatly stacked up high.
“I’ll dress myself.”
Lu Qiancha took the clothes and quickly put on the soft, close-fitting Xieyi and Xieku; then wrapped herself in the thick, warm Lu Qiancha’s White Rabbit Down Jacket; and pulled on the equally plush, perfectly fitting thick stockings. Though slow, her movements were orderly.
Fifteen minutes later.
Clang!
A blue-furred, fluffy, perfectly dressed little wolf cub—looking freshly packaged with a vanilla blueberry flavor—was ready to go!
Gantang had already dressed and was waiting beside her. Seeing Senior Brother finish, she naturally took Lu Qiancha’s slightly warm little paw in hers.
The two stepped out of the misty, steam-filled Yu Fang.