Water droplets fell from Yan Yu’s wet hair, landing on Ruo Xiaozhen’s arm and neck, startling her with their chill.
But she didn’t even frown, just held the person in her arms more securely.
The person in her arms was light, so light it made her heart ache.
That slender frame, those thin shoulders, and the faint trembling she could feel even through the damp, cold pajamas…
All of this rapidly transformed the anxiety that had risen in Ruo Xiaozhen’s heart due to being kept in the dark into an even heavier sense of self-blame.
“Let’s go back to the room first. The floor is cold, and you’re soaked. You’ll catch a cold.”
Ruo Xiaozhen softened her voice, picked Yan Yu up, and turned to walk out.
Her steps were steady, her arms strong, as if what she held wasn’t a patient who needed careful handling, but a treasure she needed to protect well.
Yan Yu stiffly leaned against her, the clean, warm scent of Ruo Xiaozhen filling her nostrils.
Her cheek pressed against the other girl’s water-dampened clothes, able to feel the heartbeat and body heat coming from beneath.
This feeling of being completely taken care of… was so unfamiliar it left her at a loss.
Like a lone boat adrift on a cold sea, finally touching a solid, warm shore.
She closed her eyes, turned her face slightly, and buried it in the crook of Ruo Xiaozhen’s neck.
Her wet eyelashes fluttered lightly.
She didn’t speak.
Ruo Xiaozhen carried her, quickly walking into Yan Yu’s room, and carefully placed her on the bed, which was already made with clean sheets.
Then she immediately turned, pulled a large, dry, soft towel from the wardrobe, and without another word, wrapped it around Yan Yu’s still-dripping hair, carefully drying it.
“Where did you hit? Your elbow? Does it hurt badly? Your leg? Did you twist it?”
She asked in a rapid-fire manner as she dried, her gaze urgently scanning Yan Yu’s body, finally settling on the slightly red and swollen elbow.
Yan Yu let her do as she pleased.
After several seconds, she let out an almost inaudible “Mm,” as an answer.
Then, she raised her uninjured hand and gently pressed down on Ruo Xiaozhen’s still-busy wrist.
“… Zhenzhen.”
Her voice was very soft, carrying a slight hoarseness from the bath.
“… Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for…”
Ruo Xiaozhen muttered, but her voice choked up a little.
She picked up the towel again, pulling Yan Yu a bit closer so she could lean more comfortably.
“Xiao Yu, next time… you mustn’t do this again. If anything happens, you have to call me, understand?”
“Mm…”
Yan Yu leaned against her and responded softly.
Her long, wet hair, under Ruo Xiaozhen’s careful drying, gradually stopped dripping, lying soft against Yan Yu’s pale cheeks and neck.
“Alright, that’s enough for the hair for now. We need to dry your body quickly, or you’ll really catch a cold.”
Ruo Xiaozhen set the half-damp towel aside and took another clean, soft bath towel from the wardrobe, shaking it out.
She took a deep breath and turned to face Yan Yu, who was wrapped in wet pajamas and sitting on the edge of the bed, shivering slightly.
Under the light, the young girl lowered her eyelids.
The soaked fabric clung to her skin, outlining an overly slender waistline.
Her whole person exuded a fragile air, yet her tightly pursed lips showed a stubbornness unwilling to completely yield.
“Xiao Yu, I… I’ll help you change out of your wet clothes and dry you off with the towel, okay?”
Ruo Xiaozhen’s voice was very soft, carrying a tone of negotiation.
Yan Yu’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
She didn’t speak, only the fingers of the hand resting on her knee curled unconsciously.
Silence spread in the small room.
After a long while, Yan Yu finally suppressed the shyness in her heart and let out a soft “Mm.”
Having received permission, Ruo Xiaozhen’s heart inexplicably beat even faster.
She steadied herself, reached out, her fingertips trembling slightly as they touched the top button of Yan Yu’s pajamas.
The feeling of cold, wet, slippery fabric came through.
Ruo Xiaozhen pressed her lips together and began to work.
One, two… The buttons were undone one by one.
The cold, wet pajamas slipped from Yan Yu’s thin shoulders.
She picked up the bath towel, wrapped it around Yan Yu’s upper body as gently as possible, then used the soft inner side of the towel to carefully absorb the remaining water droplets from her skin.
From her neck, to her collarbone, to her thin shoulders…
The towel rubbed against her skin.
Yan Yu’s body was taut, her head hanging even lower.
Her wet hair covered most of her face, only the small, bright red earlobes betraying her current extreme embarrassment.
Ruo Xiaozhen’s movements were clumsy but earnest.
She could feel the body under her palms trembling slightly.
That skin was cool and smooth.
When the towel brushed past her chest, Yan Yu shuddered violently, letting out a very low gasp.
“S-sorry!”
Ruo Xiaozhen was startled, her face also flushing red.
“It’s… it’s fine.”
Yan Yu’s voice was muffled.
Ruo Xiaozhen steadied herself and continued.
But her mind was somewhat difficult to focus.
Her fingertips occasionally brushed inadvertently against the sensitive skin at Yan Yu’s waist.
Every inadvertent touch made the taut body in her arms tremble lightly, and a thin layer of pink would quickly spread across that fair skin.
Like the most delicate petals on a branch in early spring, brushed by a fingertip, instantly stained with crimson.
Ruo Xiaozhen watched that blush spread from behind her ears to her neck… a corner of her heart felt as if lightly tickled by a feather.
As if possessed, during another wiping motion, her fingertip lightly traced the particularly soft skin on the inside of Yan Yu’s forearm.
“Mmph…!”
Yan Yu reacted as if shocked, jerking her arm back sharply, her whole body leaning back.
She finally raised her face, which had been lowered the entire time.
Under the light, her pale little face was now completely flushed crimson.
Her wet eyes were misty, the corners also tinged with red.
That look of mingled shame, annoyance, and yet powerlessness to resist…
Seeing her like this, the corner of Ruo Xiaozhen’s mouth instead lifted uncontrollably.
“Xiao Yu,” she deliberately lowered her voice, leaning closer, “Your body… is actually really pretty, you know.”
“Your skin is so white, so smooth…”
Her fingertip lightly tapped the spot just below Yan Yu’s collarbone that she had just dried.
“Just a touch, and it turns this red…”
“Ruo! Xiao! Zhen!”
Yan Yu’s face instantly turned red enough to drip blood.
She glared at her, ashamed and angry, but her breathing was unsteady, her eyes rimmed red.
“You… don’t say things like that!”
“What kind of things?”
Ruo Xiaozhen tilted her head, playing dumb, but the amusement in her eyes deepened.
Her fingertip lightly touched Yan Yu’s burning cheek again.
“I’m just stating facts. And…”
She deliberately drew out her tone.
“Xiao Yu’s reactions are really so cute. Do you get shy just from me touching you casually?”
“You…!”
Yan Yu’s chest heaved with anger, but she couldn’t push her away.
She could only turn her head away, her voice trembling as she said petulantly, “If you keep joking like this… I, I won’t talk to you anymore!”
The tone sounded more like a coquettish complaint.
Ruo Xiaozhen’s heart melted completely, and she also knew she couldn’t tease any further.
“Okay, okay, I won’t say it, I won’t say it.”
She quickly withdrew her hand, but the smile on her face just wouldn’t go away.
“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Let me finish drying you off and get you into dry clothes quickly, okay?”
Yan Yu didn’t turn back, only letting out a very soft “Hmph” from her nose.
Suppressing her laughter, Ruo Xiaozhen picked up the bath towel again.
This time, she properly helped Yan Yu dry the remaining moisture on her body and helped her change into clean, soft cotton pajamas.
Throughout the whole process, Yan Yu let herself be handled like a doll, only her face remained red, refusing to look at her again.
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