Chapter 7: How does the little witch take a bath (Part 2)

Her face flushed red, Luo Xiaosu’s fingers twisted tightly in the hem of her clothes.

‘As expected… it’s come to this after all…’

Even though she had rehearsed it countless times in her mind, now that it was really happening, she still felt extremely uncomfortable.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Big sister, aren’t you ready yet?”

Aiweila’s sudden voice instantly shattered the psychological defenses Luo Xiaosu had barely managed to build.

She shuddered, frantically covering her chest, her voice trembling.

“N-not yet! Don’t turn around!”

“Alright… hurry up, big sister. I’m still waiting for you to scrub my back.”

Aiweila muttered, burying half her face in the water, blowing bubbles with a gurgle gurgle.

Hearing Aiweila’s words, Luo Xiaosu froze.

‘That’s right, I still have to wash her!’

She shook her head vigorously, wearing an expression of someone facing death.

“It’s just taking off clothes! It’s just helping someone bathe! I’m a man… no, I’m a woman now! What’s there to be afraid of!”

Brainwashing herself frantically, Luo Xiaosu finally mustered her courage.

However, when her fingertips truly touched the thin fabric, the feeling called ‘shame’ instantly pierced her entire body.

She unbuttoned her clothes little by little, her movements stiff from tension.

With a whoosh sound, the fabric slid off, and warm steam instantly enveloped her bare skin.

Luo Xiaosu subconsciously crossed her arms over her chest.

Not daring to look down, she relied on feel to remove the last of her clothing and quickly walked toward the bathtub.

Splash!

She practically closed her eyes and plunged headfirst into the steaming bathtub.

A huge splash erupted, instantly wetting Aiweila’s little face.

“Cough… big sister, are you playing in the water!”

She wiped the water from her face and turned around, grinning at Luo Xiaosu.

At that moment, in the not-so-large bathtub, Luo Xiaosu had curled herself against the edge, with hot water up to her chin, only her apple-red head visible.

She had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes fixed on the water surface, not daring to glance around, afraid of seeing something she shouldn’t.

“Big sister, why are you so far away from me?”

Aiweila paddled through the water and nimbly moved closer.

“Weren’t you going to scrub my back?”

She extended her wet little hand and grabbed Luo Xiaosu’s arm.

“Big sister, your skin is so smooth!”

The moment she was touched, Luo Xiaosu shuddered and flung Aiweila’s hand away like a startled cat.

“D-don’t touch me randomly!”

“Aiweila, let’s make three rules. First, no looking! Second, no touching! Third… third, no commenting on my body!”

Aiweila was startled by her reaction and pulled back her hand aggrievedly, muttering with her little mouth.

“Big sister is so mean… Mom used to hold me while washing…”

Seeing Aiweila’s pitiful look, Luo Xiaosu sighed and eventually relented.

“Forget it… let’s wash. Let’s get it over with quickly.”

However, even though Luo Xiaosu had made up her mind, when her fingertips touched the curves of her own chest, a blush involuntarily crept onto her face.

‘Th-this is simply…’

Just as she was agonizing over how to proceed, Aiweila suddenly pressed up against her from behind.

“Big sister, let me scrub your back. Then you can scrub mine, okay?”

Feeling the warm touch on her back, Luo Xiaosu’s mind went blank.

Words of rejection reached her lips but wouldn’t come out.

“O-only scrub my back.”

She said through gritted teeth, feeling like something was slipping away from her.

Just as she was about to move to the edge of the tub to let Aiweila scrub her back, she felt a heavy tugging on her head.

“Hiss…”

Her originally silky hair, now soaked with water, suddenly became incredibly heavy.

“So annoying…”

Frowning, Luo Xiaosu raised her arms above her head, reaching behind to twist her hair up first.

With her movement, the skin that had been covered by hot water was instantly exposed.

Ripples spread across the water surface, and her collarbone and shoulders, previously hidden underwater, were now completely revealed.

In the misty steam, the girl’s elegant back curves stretched as she raised her arms.

Water droplets slid down her collarbone to her front.

The curves of her chest also appeared faintly through the rippling water.

This scene, in the hazy bathroom, seemed especially… alluring.

Aiweila behind her stared at the enchanting figure, eyes wide, completely stunned.

Luo Xiaosu was unaware of this, fully focused on dealing with her troublesome hair.

At the same time, she muttered.

“Aiweila, hurry up and scrub! After you’re done, turn around immediately!”

“Big sister… you’re so white… like milk…”

“Huh? What did you say? What milk…”

Hearing Aiweila’s strange words behind her, Luo Xiaosu subconsciously looked down, and her gaze was immediately caught by the pair of snow-white mounds on her chest.

She only felt a heat in her nose, and then a nosebleed instantly flowed from her nostrils, dripping into the water and spreading.

“Ah! Big sister! You’re having a nosebleed!”

“…”

After wiping herself dry, Luo Xiaosu’s face was so flushed it looked like it might drip blood.

She clutched the towel haphazardly, still thinking about what she had seen during the bath.

‘So white… so soft…’

As soon as that thought popped up, Luo Xiaosu immediately reached out and slapped her own cheek.

‘Calm down! Luo Xiaosu! That’s your own body! What are you thinking!’

She shook her head vigorously, trying to drive those messy images out of her mind.

But the more she tried to forget, the clearer those images became…

Warm water droplets clinging to pale skin, slowly sliding down, a few strands of wet hair stuck to her chest, rising and falling with her breath, and that slightly curved silhouette…

“Aaaah!”

Luo Xiaosu screamed, feeling that her dignity as a male had shattered into pieces.

‘I… I’m supposed to be a guy… how can I be attracted to a female body… No?!’

Just as Luo Xiaosu was engaged in fierce internal debate, Aiweila poked her head out from the towel she was wrapped in.

“Big sister, what should I wear?”

Her train of thought was instantly interrupted.

Luo Xiaosu looked at her and suddenly froze.

‘So busy being shy herself, she had… actually forgotten about this child’s clothes.’

“D-don’t rush me. Let big sister get dressed first, then I’ll get your clothes!”

Frantically putting on her clothes, Luo Xiaosu, face red, quickly ran out of the bathroom.

Back in the room, she picked a cloth skirt, used magic to resize it smaller, tossed it to Aiweila, then threw herself onto the bed and rolled back and forth.

Her mind replaying what happened in the bathroom, thinking about how she would have to bathe like this for the next few years, her face turned red again.

“No! Stop thinking! I need to find something to do to distract myself!”

Luo Xiaosu abruptly sat up and looked around.

Then she suddenly remembered that when she made breakfast this morning, it seemed they didn’t have much food left.

“Right, I can go check out the town!”

Luo Xiaosu clapped her hands, quickly jumped off the bed, put on her shoes, draped her cloak, and was about to run out.

But the moment she stepped out, she halted and looked back toward the bathroom.

‘Should I leave that child home?’

Remembering how last night, she had only been gone for a short while and found Aiweila sitting at the door crying pitifully, Luo Xiaosu finally decided to take her along.

When Aiweila finished dressing and came out of the bathroom, Luo Xiaosu walked over and took her hand.

“Aiweila, do you want to go to town with big sister?”

“Town? Really?!”

Hearing she could go to town, Aiweila’s eyes lit up with a whoosh.

She immediately gripped Luo Xiaosu’s hand back and nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I want to go!”

As she spoke, she eagerly pulled Luo Xiaosu’s hand, ready to run outside.

She remembered her father had taken her to town a few times before.

There were not only delicious candies but also lots of fun things.

“Slow down! Slow down! Be careful not to fall!”

Seeing Aiweila’s excitement, Luo Xiaosu smiled helplessly.

She held Aiweila’s hand, grabbed the bamboo basket hanging by the door with the other hand, and walked out.