Yan Yu could clearly feel the fabric at her back slowly parting to both sides as the zipper separated, the cool air seeping in through the gap.
Her heart pounded wildly, pounding against her eardrums like war drums.
Her cheeks burned.
She wasn’t used to this.
She had long grown accustomed to facing illness and indignity alone.
Even during those three years with Su Qinghan, the so-called “care” had mostly carried a distant, businesslike detachment.
But the words of refusal had already reached the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn’t force them out no matter what.
She could only sit stiffly, letting Bai Yan’er do as she pleased.
The zipper opened completely.
Bai Yan’er’s hands rested on her shoulders.
“Sister, lift your arm a little.”
Her voice was very gentle.
Yan Yu raised one arm slightly, like a puppet on strings.
Bai Yan’er carefully slipped the dress strap off her shoulder, then the other side.
Next came the waist.
Bai Yan’er bent down, gripping both sides of the dress’s waistband, and slowly slid the dress downward from Yan Yu’s shoulders.
This process inevitably brought more physical contact.
Bai Yan’er’s fingers occasionally brushed against the skin at Yan Yu’s waist.
“…”
Yan Yu clenched her teeth to keep herself from making any sound.
When the dress reached her hips, it encountered some resistance.
Without any hesitation, Bai Yan’er leaned forward slightly, one arm wrapping around Yan Yu’s shoulders and back, the other supporting her bent legs.
With a small exertion of strength—
“Ah… wait a moment!”
Yan Yu let out a soft cry as she felt her body lift, carried half in Bai Yan’er’s arms, leaving the wheelchair cushion.
Shame surged up within her.
Yan Yu’s body was even lighter than it looked.
She instinctively reached out and grabbed the fabric at Bai Yan’er’s shoulder, her fingers clenching together, wrinkling the shirt there.
Bai Yan’er held her steadily, and in that position, smoothly pulled the completely loosened dress off from her legs and ankles, casually tossing it onto a nearby plastic chair.
Only then did she carefully set Yan Yu back down in the wheelchair.
The entire process took less than ten seconds, yet it felt as long as a century.
When Yan Yu once again felt the cold touch of the wheelchair cushion, she was left wearing only her underwear.
Yan Yu lowered her head, her long hair spilling down to cover most of her face.
She hugged her arms tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably.
And Bai Yan’er stood right in front of her, just one step away.
Her gaze slowly moved downward from Yan Yu’s bowed head, finally landing on the faint dark red marks still visible at the edge of her pure white underwear and the base of her thighs.
Yan Yu’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, carrying shame and embarrassment:
“Th-the rest… I can handle it myself.
Just… turn around…”
Bai Yan’er didn’t move.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly, watching Yan Yu’s flushed profile.
“Sister, are you sure you don’t need my help?”
Her voice remained gentle.
Yan Yu’s throat felt dry.
She swallowed with difficulty, using almost all her strength to force a few words through her teeth:
“N-no… and… and the clothes are dirty.
I’ll wash them myself.”
“Dirty?”
Bai Yan’er repeated the word, her tone slightly rising with a peculiar inflection.
She suddenly smiled, and under the cool lighting, the smile appeared exceptionally pure, even a little innocent.
“How could they be dirty?
I’ve never thought there was anything ‘dirty’ about sister.”
As she spoke, not only did she not turn away, but she stepped even closer, close enough that Yan Yu could clearly see her own reflection in Bai Yan’er’s eyes, and the burning emotion deep within them.
“This is part of sister’s body.
It’s a very natural thing.
Why should you think it’s dirty?”
Her voice dropped even lower, her gaze once again falling to that mark, her look ambiguous.
“Let me help clean you up, okay?
Sister doesn’t need to be embarrassed.
Just sit there and wait for me.”
Yan Yu’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand; even breathing became difficult.
Bai Yan’er’s words and gaze seemed ready to dissolve all of Yan Yu’s shame and resistance.
But it was precisely this gentleness that made her even more at a loss, as if wrapped in honey that was too hot—sweet yet suffocating.
Then Bai Yan’er reached out and began to undo the clasp of Yan Yu’s bra.
The cold touch of her fingertips made Yan Yu’s whole body tremble.
She instinctively wanted to curl up, but the other girl’s presence pinned her firmly in place.
The clasp came undone with a soft click.
The constriction vanished instantly, and with it, that fragile sense of security peeled away.
The bra slipped down silently.
Yan Yu felt her skin exposed to the cool air, and along with it, the last swaying line of defense was exposed as well.
‘No, this absolutely can’t…’
‘I can’t let my sister touch me there…’
Just as those cold fingers were about to touch the edge of her underwear, Yan Yu suddenly snapped back to her senses.
With all her strength, she grabbed Bai Yan’er’s wrist, her voice carrying hurried gasps and pleas:
“That’s enough, that’s enough already!
There’s a washing machine over there.
You-you can put the clothes in to wash!”
Bai Yan’er’s movements stopped.
She looked at Yan Yu’s hands tightly guarding herself, and those eyes filled with panic and pleading.
She was silent for a few seconds, then smiled softly.
‘Finally fighting back, sister.’
‘But there’s no need to rush.’
‘The net has to be cast slowly, tightened bit by bit.’
‘I’ll stop here for today, and let sister slowly get used to being close.’
“Alright, I’ll listen to sister.”
She didn’t insist further.
She bent down, picked up the clothes from the floor, and turned toward the washing machine.
The drum began to spin, its regular noise filling the bathroom, yet it couldn’t drown out Yan Yu’s heart pounding like thunder.
She wrapped herself tightly in a towel, looking at Bai Yan’er, her expression still carrying traces of lingering bashfulness.
“Sister, the fresh change of clothes I ordered should be delivered soon by the courier.”
Bai Yan’er leaned against the doorframe, her tone returning to its usual gentleness.
“I’ll help you take a bath later, and then you can put them on.”
“I can bathe myself.”
Yan Yu insisted, though her voice sounded weak.
She needed some space, some time alone to sort out this complete mess in her heart.
“Why not let me help you?”
Bai Yan’er tilted her head, her eyes clear yet stubborn.
“No…”
Yan Yu took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts, her voice carrying uncertain hesitation.
“Yan’er, don’t you think our relationship has gotten… a little too close?
Calm down a bit.
We’re still… sisters right now.”
“But that’s only in name, isn’t it?”
The smile at the corner of Bai Yan’er’s mouth deepened as she slowly stepped closer.
“We have neither legal ties nor blood relations.
Besides…”
Her gaze locked onto Yan Yu’s, the skin of her fingers touching Yan Yu’s wrist carrying a scorching temperature:
“Since I’ve said this much and sister still doesn’t hate me, then why not let this ‘relationship’… go deeper…?”