At that moment, a click sounded from the bathroom door.
“Eh? Qianling, are you in there?”
Hearing Yang Mo call out, Qianling immediately poked her head above the water.
“I’m here!”
“I thought you’d vanished into thin air.”
With that, Yang Mo walked into the bathroom, then turned to face the mirror, unbuttoning her shirt one button at a time.
Qianling’s nerves immediately sensed something was off.
“What are you doing?”
Yang Mo glanced at her, replying casually, “Of course I’m getting ready to shower. Besides, if you’re washing by yourself, you might miss a spot. I can help you out later.”
Qianling suddenly recalled what Yang Mo had said earlier when she went to wash the dishes.
So, didn’t she say I should “wash myself first”?
She’d been planning this from the start?!
She hurriedly objected, “Wait, I can manage on my own!”
But Yang Mo didn’t pause in her actions at all.
“When you were changing clothes in my room, I noticed—Qianling, are you a bit shy?”
“No… It’s not like that!”
“It’s fine. I’ll try not to look at you, and I’ll wrap myself in a towel before getting in.”
Yang Mo’s expression remained cheerful, clearly not taking Qianling’s protests to heart.
Seeing that Yang Mo was about to take off her shirt, Qianling could only lower her head as quickly as possible, submerging her nose under the water again.
What should I do, what should I do… How did it end up like this! Even if I’m not who I used to be, bathing with another girl is still a bit…
Qianling’s mind was already in complete chaos.
She could still hear the faint sound of fabric rustling outside the tub, followed by the splash of hot water gushing from the shower.
Maybe it was because Yang Mo didn’t actually need a bath that badly, but those sounds soon faded away.
Then Yang Mo called out to Qianling:
“I’ve wrapped up in a towel. Qianling, could you make a little space for me in the tub?”
Her voice was even closer than before.
For Qianling, this was actually a relief. Waiting with her head down, like before, was even more unbearable.
“Mm…”
She softly replied, then shifted her body, pressing her back against one side of the tub to make room.
Qianling thought: With a towel on, it should be fine, right?
Only then did she dare to look at Yang Mo.
But she quickly realized there were still plenty of problems.
Yang Mo stepped into the space Qianling had freed up, and the two sat facing each other at a very close distance.
Even with the towel wrapped around her, it only covered from her chest down to her upper thighs.
Looking down… definitely out of the question. If she looked a bit higher, she could see the gentle rise and fall of Yang Mo’s chest beneath the towel.
In the end, Qianling could only tilt her head up, fixing her gaze on Yang Mo’s face.
Yang Mo hadn’t tied up her pale golden hair; a few wet strands clung to her cheek, and her eyes met Qianling’s directly.
But that only made Qianling even more keenly aware that her body was reflected entirely in Yang Mo’s eyes. No matter where she looked, it felt wrong.
Seeing Qianling’s utterly lost and flustered appearance, Yang Mo curled her index finger, pressing it to her lips as she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Qianling, you’re overreacting! There aren’t any boys watching you here.”
You may not be a boy here, but I am! At least, I was just a day ago…
Qianling grumbled silently in her heart, but Yang Mo wasn’t done yet.
“Would a towel be better for you? Should I go get another one?”
“It’s fine…”
If she agreed now, Qianling felt like she would be admitting defeat, so she refused Yang Mo’s offer.
Just then, Yang Mo seemed to remember something. She stopped smiling and asked more seriously, “Could it be that Qianling used to be something like an Elf, so you’re not used to a body like a Human’s?”
“Let’s just say that’s the case.”
“I see… That must be tough.”
Yang Mo, as always, believed Qianling’s answer without a hint of doubt. Though it wasn’t the truth, Qianling thought her current situation was close enough that she didn’t feel guilty about the lie.
For some reason, Yang Mo’s gaze suddenly started scanning over Qianling’s body.
Qianling felt both embarrassed and puzzled.
“What is it?”
“I’m wondering if there’s any dirt you missed.”
That’s true, I’m a bit concerned myself.
Qianling recalled being hunted by Huangya—if she’d picked up some hard-to-clean stains during that, it wouldn’t be surprising.
She guessed, “If there is, it’s probably somewhere I can’t see, like on my back?”
“Then turn around, and I’ll take a look for you?”
Without hesitation, Qianling turned her back, which conveniently saved her from having to face Yang Mo directly.
As soon as she turned, Yang Mo spoke.
“Ah, there’s something on your shoulder blade.”
Then, she squeezed out a little body wash and gently rubbed Qianling’s back with her fingers.
After touching her skin, Yang Mo exclaimed, “Even the skin here is so soft! Ordinary girls would be jealous.”
“My Mannequin skin is actually better than a Human’s?”
Qianling found it both amusing and ridiculous, but thinking about how lifelike her body was, it wasn’t all that surprising.
“Mm.” Yang Mo affirmed, then stopped what she was doing.
Qianling was about to ask if she was done, but then she felt fingers touch her waist.
“What is it? Is there more dirt there?”
“No, I just wanted to see if it’s even softer in other places.”
Yang Mo’s tone was calm—not mischievous, but more like a child curious about everything in the world, so Qianling couldn’t be bothered to argue.
But in the next instant… a jolt like electricity shot through her from the side of her chest.
“Wah!”
Qianling let out a strange sound and tensed her back.
“Hey! Where are you touching?!”
She turned around quickly to stop Yang Mo.
“Um… Sorry.” Yang Mo looked embarrassed, holding her hands far from Qianling’s body.
“I was just curious about the seam connecting the chest and the abdomen, so I…”
“Next time, could you at least ask for my permission first? You scared me!”
At this point, Qianling almost forgot to be embarrassed and spun around to stare at Yang Mo, afraid she’d try something else.
“I get it…” Yang Mo said pitifully, but then her tone changed.
“So, can I touch you now?”
That made Qianling both exasperated and amused.
You’re seriously asking for permission now? But…
“Absolutely not!”
Her answer was firm, leaving no room for argument.