It was late at night. Everything was silent, save for the soft rustling of falling snow.
Snow had begun to fall again over Mianyun Peak—not heavy, but dense, shimmering faintly in the night.
A red figure and a white figure pushed open the vermilion courtyard gate and stepped into the yard, their footsteps crunching softly against the snow.
Snowflakes landed on their shoulders, quickly melting into fine traces of moisture.
“This child must have worn herself out playing with Little Pomegranate earlier… look how sleepy she is.”
Hua Yan lowered her voice as she spoke to Yun Xuechang, holding the drowsy Hua Xiangrong in her arms—the child they had just brought back from Danxia Peak.
“Mm. How about I bathe Rongrong tonight?”
Yun Xuechang replied softly.
Hua Xiangrong was already over nine years old and usually bathed herself.
But tonight, with her eyes barely open, it was hard to imagine she wouldn’t fall asleep halfway through.
“Mm, okay…”
Hua Yan was about to nod when she suddenly realized something.
Wait! Bathing together… isn’t this a perfect opportunity?!
Even though I now know Xuechang doesn’t only care about my appearance, that doesn’t mean I can’t keep tempting her! If anything, I should step it up!
Otherwise, who knows when this blockhead will finally get a clue!
I’m joining too!
“I-I’ll help too!”
Hua Yan quickly added.
“Y-you see, two people bathing Rongrong together will definitely be more convenient, right?”
Yun Xuechang nodded, a little puzzled.
“Alright, then it’s settled!”
Whether she feared Yun Xuechang might change her mind or that she herself would back out from embarrassment, Hua Yan flushed red and hurried toward the bathhouse with Hua Xiangrong in her arms.
“I-I’ll take Rongrong over first! Go get her clean clothes and come quickly!”
“Mm…?”
Half-asleep, Hua Xiangrong was jolted awake by the sudden movement. Her pink eyes, still hazy with sleep, blinked as she let out a soft murmur.
“Host, you’re finally awake.”
The voice of 099 echoed lazily in her mind, carrying a hint of amusement.
“While you were dozing off, Hua Yan and Yun Xuechang already decided—tonight, they’re going to bathe you together.”
?????
“W-what’s going on?!”
Now fully awake, Hua Xiangrong lifted her head abruptly, her wide eyes filled with confusion.
……
In the steam-filled bathhouse, Hua Xiangrong, stripped clean, sat stiffly on a small stool, not daring to move.
“Girl, you’ve been awake for a while, haven’t you? Why aren’t you talking or looking at me?”
Behind her, Hua Yan gently washed her soft pink hair with soapberry.
The girl had been unusually quiet since entering, completely unlike her usual lively self.
I-I don’t dare say anything!
Listening to the soft splashing of water behind her, Hua Xiangrong stared fixedly at the floor tiles, her face burning red.
Even if I’m a girl now… I was a boy in my previous life! Bathing with my mother…
Her gaze didn’t dare wander toward the figure moving freely nearby.
There’s no way I can just accept this calmly! 099, why didn’t you warn me?!
Unfortunately, 099 had already gone offline. To protect the host’s privacy, the system automatically entered sleep mode during bathing. Hua Xiangrong could only scream silently in her heart.
This girl… why is she always so quiet and shy when bathing?
Hua Yan returned with a basin of water, her bare feet leaving faint wet prints on the damp floor.
Seeing the girl’s flushed ears, she suddenly recalled the first time she had thrown Hua Xiangrong into the bath months ago.
Back then, Rongrong was just as shy. She had thought it was because Xuechang didn’t bathe her often—but now it seemed it was because the “Xuechang” from another world hadn’t done so.
Speaking of which, where is Xuechang? Why is she taking so long just to get clothes?
Just as she sat down to continue washing, the bathhouse door opened.
A slender figure with long white hair entered—completely unclothed.
Hua Yan’s face instantly heated up, and she instinctively turned her head away.
Wait! No! I’m supposed to seduce her! How can I get shy first?!
I-I need to pull myself together…!
“X-Xuechang… why did you take so long?”
In the end, caught between embarrassment and her “seduction plan,” the girl did something contradictory—
She lifted her chest with one hand, forcing herself to face Yun Xuechang despite her embarrassment. Her legs pressed together slightly, her head tilted, cheeks flushed, while her other hand covered her eyes, not daring to look.
Beside her, Hua Xiangrong could barely watch.
Seriously… Mother, are you trying to seduce her or just being shy?
Will this even work…
As for Yun Xuechang—
The moment she entered, she froze at the sight before her.
The girl’s skin was pale and delicate, tinted with a faint blush from heat and embarrassment.
Her legs were long and well-proportioned, her thighs soft and full, now pressed lightly together.
Her waist—slender enough to grasp—was one Yun Xuechang had held countless nights.
But seeing it so openly, along with the smooth skin and small navel, was something entirely new.
And then there was the deliberate display she could not ignore…
Yun Xuechang swallowed, a faint blush appearing on her usually calm face. She quickly averted her gaze.
She didn’t even know why she was avoiding it.
But seeing Hua Yan like this made her recall their first meeting ten years ago at the Yin-Yang Platform of the Hehuan Sect… and that moment in the illusionary realm months ago.
Her heartbeat quickened.
So bathing together with Yan’er… feels like this…
At first, she hadn’t thought bathing together was improper. Now, she felt a faint sense of regret.
Is this… disrespecting her?
But what unsettled her more were the thoughts rising unbidden—
Wanting to get closer to Yan’er like this.
Wanting to kiss her… just like ten years ago…
Warm steam filled the bathhouse, cloaking everything in a hazy white mist.
No one spoke. Only the occasional drip of water echoed softly against the tiles.
The white-haired girl slowly closed her eyes, her usually calm face now completely flushed with a gentle red.