At that moment, Yiyi suddenly snapped back to reality, her gaze firmly locked on the towel as it wiped the inside of her thigh.
Her cheeks flushed so red they seemed about to smoke, and her voice suddenly pitched higher, trembling with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance: “Xiamir, where are you wiping?”
Xiamir chuckled at her sudden reaction, his hand pausing for a moment.
Deliberately leaning closer to her ear, he bit it softly, his voice low, gentle, and teasing: “Wiping your body, of course. Yiyi, where else did you think I was wiping? Or… do you want Mother to wipe somewhere for you?”
The warm touch on his ear sent a shiver all over Yiyi’s body, like an electric current running through her.
Her previously tense body instantly softened halfway, the blush on her cheeks spreading down to her neck.
She abruptly turned her head to avoid him, but Xiamir gently held the back of her head, leaving her to mutter indistinctly.
Her small fists gripped Xiamir’s wet collar, but she couldn’t even manage a proper retort: “Y-You let go… pervert… Xiamir, you’re such a big pervert, a lecher!”
Lilith, watching the scene from the side, quickly covered Lilia’s eyes and coughed lightly, helpless: “Xiamir, stop teasing her. Hurry up and finish washing.”
Only then did Xiamir release her, smiling as he pinched the back of Yiyi’s ear:
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Be a good girl and finish washing. I’ll bring you a little snack afterward.”
Yiyi didn’t respond, just buried her little head in Xiamir’s arms, not daring to even show her ears.
Behind her, her tail quietly curled around Xiamir’s wrist, like a silent act of affection.
But the irritation in her heart hadn’t faded one bit.
She silently gritted her teeth: Xiamir went too far, actually acting like a pervert… I’m so mad.
When we get back, I’m going to poke him to death with the Dawn!
As if sensing her little thoughts, Xiamir leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head, his voice smiling: “Still mad? Then no snacks for you.”
Yiyi stiffened, lightly shaking her head buried in his arms, but her tail wrapped even tighter around him.
Anger or not, she couldn’t miss the snack.
It wasn’t too late to poke him after she got it.
After finishing the bath, Xiamir wrapped Yiyi in a soft towel and carried her into the adjacent room.
The floor was covered with a thick wool carpet, soft underfoot.
On the low couch by the window were several plush toys piled up, and the hearth crackled with charcoal embers, warming the air comfortably.
Xiamir gently placed Yiyi on the bed, which was laid with a velvet cushion, then turned to the wardrobe and took out a white nightgown.
The neckline was embroidered with light blue clouds, and the cuffs had fine drawstrings—an adorable style Yiyi had never seen before.
Holding the nightgown, Xiamir returned to the bedside and smiled as he spoke: “Yiyi, when will you stop being rebellious and start calling me ‘Mother, your Highness’?”
“I don’t want to! I’m not your daughter! Hmph 💢 You’re just a bad, mean, bastard! Pervert, that’s too much, I’m still your—”
Yiyi’s words suddenly caught in her throat.
Her face instantly flushed bright red, and she quickly turned away, clutching the corner of the towel, her fingertips trembling.
She had wanted to continue with her angry words, but when the words reached her lips, she realized something was wrong.
Her heart fluttered wildly like a little rabbit, even the tips of her ears burning hot.
Xiamir didn’t rush her, just sat down beside her with the nightgown in hand, gently touching the edge of her towel with his fingertips.
His voice softened: “My what? Yiyi, tell me, what am I to you? Aren’t you going to say you’re Mother’s good baby?”
There was laughter hidden in his eyes, deliberately not pushing her to respond, just waiting to see the little one’s embarrassed expression.
“Not! I’m not!”
Xiamir put down the nightgown and softly climbed onto the bed, pulling Yiyi close under him.
His arm propped beside her, careful not to press her, his eyes full of amusement as he teased: “Then what are you? Hmm~?”
She instinctively tried to pull back but was blocked by the edge of the bed, so she clenched the bedsheet tightly beneath her, her small fists turning white as she whispered like a mosquito: “Y-You get up! You’re pressing on me! The towel’s going to fall off!”
“Pressing on you?”
Xiamir chuckled low, not moving, but instead leaning down slightly until his nose almost touched Yiyi’s forehead.
His voice softened further: “But I haven’t heard you say what you are to me yet. If you don’t say it, I won’t get up—towel or no towel, I’ll just help you change.”
The warm breath on his ear made Yiyi’s whole body tingle, like an electric shock running through her.
Even her tail stiffened nervously and quietly hid behind her.
She turned her head to avoid Xiamir’s gaze, pressing her lips tightly together but unable to find a word of protest.
The words she hadn’t finished were tangled in a mess inside her, throwing her into a panic, unable even to shout “bad guy.”
“Not saying, huh?”
Seeing this, Xiamir deliberately reached out a finger and lightly scratched the edge of Yiyi’s towel at her waist, the most sensitive spot.
“Ah! Don’t, don’t tickle!”
Yiyi instantly broke down, unable to help laughing out loud.
Her body twisted trying to dodge, but Xiamir held her firmly.
Her laughter mixed with embarrassment as she glared with reddened eyes, looking both angry and wronged: “Xiamir, you bastard! Let me go! I’m so ticklish, don’t spare me!”
“Let you go, huh?”
Xiamir stopped moving, fingertips still resting on Yiyi’s waist, his tone coaxing: “Then tell me—what are you to me? Just say one sentence, and I’ll let you go.”
“I don’t want to, hmph 💢!”
Yiyi still put up a fight but quietly buried her face deeper in the towel.
Xiamir watched the tips of her ears turn red, his smile deepening as he deliberately stretched out the tone: “Are you sure? Yiyi, are you sure you won’t say it?”
His fingertips lightly brushed Yiyi’s waist again, carrying a warning of “say it or I’ll keep tickling.”
“If you don’t say it, I’m continuing!”
“Never! Not ever!”
Yiyi held her breath for a moment before forcing out a defiant sentence, though her voice trembled uncertainly.
Her grip on the towel tightened.
Xiamir raised an eyebrow, the smile in his eyes growing wider.
He sighed dramatically: “Well then, since that’s the case, Mother has no choice but to get tough!”
He reached out and gently pinched Yiyi’s chin, slowly turning her little face around.
His fingers softly massaged her flushed cheeks: “Since Yiyi won’t say it herself, I’ll say it for you. You’re my little baby, aren’t you?”
Yiyi was forced to meet Xiamir’s eyes, which were full of indulgent laughter.
Her heart raced faster, her cheeks red enough to bleed, yet stubbornly she tried to look away: “N-No, I’m not!”
“Not, huh?” Xiamir chuckled low and leaned even closer.
His warm breath brushed her lips, his lips lightly brushing the corner of hers with a barely-there touch: “Then why is your tail still wrapped around me? Yiyi is clearly a tsundere baby—mouthy and stubborn but really quite fond of me.”
Caught off guard, Yiyi’s whole body stiffened.
Her hands unclenched the towel, and even the tail hidden behind her froze.
She stared at Xiamir so close, her eyes full of panic, wanting to argue but finding no words.
“I-I… that was… it accidentally wrapped around!”
Her voice was soft and trembling like melting cotton candy, her eyes reddened.
“Really? It was an accident? I thought you did it on purpose.”
Xiamir said as his fingers gently hooked Yiyi’s small tail hidden behind her.
His fingertips slowly massaged the heart-shaped tail tip, soft as a cotton ball.