Wearing underwear while showering; Xu Lin had indeed heard of such a thing before.
Apparently, it let you wash both yourself and your underwear at the same time.
All Xu Lin could say to that was, “Really knows how to save water.”
He had also seen people shower in swim trunks on television; divers often rinsed off without removing their swimsuits after a dive.
They did it to preserve muscle condition, but for Li Zhi Ran to make him do the same; what exactly was her reason?
Xu Lin genuinely couldn’t understand.
However, the utterly determined look on Li Zhi Ran’s face made him truly afraid she might actually yank his pants off and force the swim trunks on him.
Of course, that was an exaggeration; Li Zhi Ran would never do something like that, but whether she’d use some other method, he had no idea.
In the end, he accepted the swim trunks and walked toward the changing area.
He drew the curtain closed, and the sound of Li Zhi Ran’s footsteps gradually faded away outside.
Xu Lin’s heart relaxed a little.
Yet now he was even more confused; how had taking a shower become a critical part of tonight’s plan?
Puzzled, he removed his clothes and placed them in the basket beside him.
There were two baskets; apparently one for outerwear and one for underwear?
Fortunately, both baskets were empty right now; there was nothing thin and embarrassing inside.
After changing into the swim trunks, Xu Lin stepped into the bathroom.
There wasn’t much to say about the bathroom layout: a showerhead and a bathtub, something relatively rare in ordinary homes.
Yet even among homes that did have bathtubs, this style was extremely uncommon.
The bathtub was rectangular and pitch-black.
Its outer black surface was covered in all sorts of magic circles and runes.
At the moment, a board covered the bathtub, hiding whatever was inside.
At first glance, the bathtub looked like a stone sarcophagus sealing away some evil entity. With the board on top, the resemblance was even stronger.
As expected, another object overflowing with magical style had appeared.
Even without Li Zhi Ran’s instructions, Xu Lin wouldn’t dare open it on his own after stepping inside.
The showerhead on the other side, however, was much more normal.
It looked no different from the ones used in ordinary households; anyone could tell how to operate it at a glance.
Xu Lin stopped dawdling, turned on the water, and prepared to finish quickly and leave.
Taking a shower at a girl’s house was already nerve-wracking enough; now there was an “evil coffin” right beside him, doubling the pressure.
He squeezed out shampoo and vigorously worked it into a rich lather on his head, then stepped under the showerhead.
The water poured over his ears with a whooshing sound.
Shaa—
For some reason, he seemed to hear a similar sound coming from outside as well.
Soon, the foam on his head was rinsed clean.
Then he applied body wash over himself, but when he reached a certain critical area, he hesitated.
Wearing swim trunks really made things awkward.
Still, he finally made up his mind.
He pulled open the waistband, about to reach inside.
Click.
A sound rang by his ear; his entire body suddenly stiffened.
His hand froze just before going in.
The door had been opened!
He whipped his head around.
A figure walked in and closed the door behind them.
Their eyes met.
A cascade of loose silver hair instantly seized his attention.
Even more attention-seizing was the vast expanse of snow-white skin currently exposed amid the steam.
From head to toe; not a single part was spared.
W-wait, wait—
Xu Lin’s mind instantly descended into chaos; his body temperature shot upward.
“Young Hero, what are you doing?”
Her gaze drifted downward, a puzzled look on her face.
Xu Lin hurriedly withdrew his hand. Smack! The waistband snapped back against his skin.
“I-I should be asking you what you’re doing?!”
The person who had entered was none other than Li Zhi Ran.
“Taking a shower.”
Her tone was perfectly calm.
“But I’m still showering!”
“I know.”
She looked completely justified.
Seeing her like this, the words Xu Lin had been about to say got stuck in his throat.
Could it be that not only had she contracted full-blown chuunibyou, even her most basic common sense had vanished?
“Since it’s something we were going to do anyway, there’s no need to waste time.”
Saying something he couldn’t understand, Li Zhi Ran walked toward him.
Seeing this, he instinctively took several steps back.
?!
Perhaps because all his attention was focused on Li Zhi Ran, his foot suddenly slipped, and he pitched violently backward.
A marble-white arm reached out, grabbed his arm firmly, and pulled him upright; straight into her embrace.
“Young Hero, be careful not to slip.”
Her gentle reminder reached his ears.
Xu Lin steadied himself again and found himself staring directly at Li Zhi Ran.
Warm water sprayed from the showerhead, falling onto her body.
Droplets danced across her flawless skin, slid downward, eventually forming streams that flowed over every inch of her.
Hazy steam swirled around her, adding a trace of dreamlike softness to her normally cool and aloof face.
Like seeing a mountain range shrouded in thin morning mist.
“Young Hero, please finish washing quickly. There are still important things to do afterward.”
Once she saw he was steady, Li Zhi Ran began showering herself without another word.
Eh? Important things afterward?
In an instant, countless scenes flashed through Xu Lin’s mind.
But he quickly shook them all away.
No way, right?
So soon?
We’ve only known each other for two days…
And we’re already jumping to the “done-everything” stage?
No wonder she insisted I wear swim trunks; it’s because she planned to come in herself.
But how could she just…
When Li Zhi Ran entered, Xu Lin had caught a glimpse of vast expanses of her skin in that single moment; after that he didn’t dare look down again, only staring fixedly at her face.
But that one instant of exposed skin already spoke volumes…
Right now he could only look past her body toward the bathroom door not far away.
It was clearly just a few steps, yet at this moment it felt impossibly distant.
Li Zhi Ran completely blocked his path forward.
“Lady Witch, is this really okay?”
Since he couldn’t force his way past, his only option was to persuade her to let him leave.
“This is a crucial step in tonight’s plan to confront the Gravity Witch.”
Again with that same excuse.
“But we’ve only known each other for two days.”
“We share a bond from the distant past; it’s far more than just these two days. That is why we are destined to be partners fighting the Witch together.”
A bond from the distant past? More than two days?
Could it be… we actually knew each other long ago?
No, that can’t be right.
Aside from having heard legends about her in the past, I have absolutely no memory of ever meeting her.
But that’s not the point!
“Young Hero, I’m ready. Let us begin.”
Once again, Li Zhi Ran’s voice choked the words in his throat.
So fast?
Don’t girls usually take a very long time to shower?
How did she finish in the blink of an eye?
Is she really in that much of a hurry?
“T-this is a bit too fast, isn’t it?”
“There’s no need to worry, Young Hero. I already washed once before this.”
Ah, she already washed once?
But why?
“Young Hero, over here, please.”
Li Zhi Ran pointed toward the sarcophagus-like bathtub that seemed to be suppressing some demonic creature.
Wait; for our first time, we’re really doing something this intense?
Xu Lin felt someone grab his arm and lead him to the edge of the tub.
Li Zhi Ran released him, stepped forward, and bent down.
Xu Lin reacted a moment too late; his gaze hadn’t moved away yet.
Her bending figure was displayed completely before his eyes.
?!
Her silver hair spilled forward with her movement, parting to either side and revealing the graceful curve of her back.
Following the relatively gentle line downward, he soon encountered a dramatic rise.
Round and firm, half-hidden, like a crescent moon faintly visible beneath dark clouds.
…
…
She… she’s wearing something!
Black.
And from the material; it’s a swimsuit!
Clack-clack-clack.
He heard the sound of something being pulled.
Li Zhi Ran straightened up again and turned toward Xu Lin.
This time her front was fully revealed to him.
A bikini.
So she really was wearing one…
Xu Lin let out a breath of relief.
For some reason, a faint trace of disappointment also flickered in his heart.
No, why would I be disappointed?
Besides, is this really something to feel relieved about?
“Young Hero, please get in.”
Things still weren’t over!