Chapter 9: I’ll Wash You

“I… cough, cough…”

Xing Lian coughed up water while she spoke, her cheeks flushing a deep red. 

She was beyond embarrassed. 

She had just said she could handle it, only to sink to the bottom in the blink of an eye. 

It was absolutely humiliating.

After that incident, Fei didn’t dare let go of Xing Lian again. 

She held her and carefully washed her body. 

Xing Lian was very uncomfortable at first, but she soon found herself drifting away in Fei’s gentleness. 

Since the day she was born, she had been loathed by her family. 

Her parents had never treated her with such kindness. 

No one ever had—only this person.

But… why was this the same person who had bullied her?

Xing Lian lowered her eyes as countless thoughts swirled through her mind, though she soon lost the ability to focus on them. 

Fei washed her body meticulously. 

She used very little strength and was extremely gentle, as if terrified of hurting her. 

However, no matter how gentle she was, it could not mask the burning shame of being washed by someone else.

The sound of splashing water echoed as transparent droplets slid over her snowy, delicate skin. 

Xing Lian’s face was a terrifying shade of red. 

She told herself in her heart, ‘This is just a normal bath. I definitely shouldn’t let my imagination run wild. Even though she’s being a bit too thorough, this is nothing compared to what we did before.’

‘Yes, it’s nothing.’

Xing Lian murmured to herself, hanging her head until it was almost buried in her chest.

***

After drinking the mushroom soup and soaking in the Hot Spring, Xing Lian felt incredibly comfortable. 

With a full stomach and her fatigue mostly gone, her usual habit would be to sit in front of a radio and listen to stories in peace.

But this was a completely unknown world. 

There were no radios, and she had nothing to do, so she could only sit blankly inside the Mountain Cave.

Boredom—it was so boring!

Xing Lian sat on the bed with an expressionless face, but her heart was restless. 

‘Why did I transmigrate for no reason? Why did I become a girl? Since I’ve fallen into the hands of this strange person, how will I be treated in the future?’

As she lost herself in thought, time slowly ticked away. 

The surrounding temperature began to drop as night fell. 

Xing Lian felt a bit cold. 

Even though she was reluctant, she fumbled around to find the small bed and covered herself with the soft blanket.

The Mountain Cave was silent, making the sound of footsteps seem particularly abrupt. 

Xing Lian’s heart tightened when she heard them.

“Little cutie, I’m back.”

Before Fei even arrived, her voice rang out. 

She walked into the Mountain Cave and sat on the edge of the small bed, pulling Xing Lian into her arms. 

Xing Lian didn’t speak; she truly had nothing to say. 

Although this person had treated her well today by giving her food, clothes, and even a bath, she was still afraid of her. 

Especially now that it was night and the two of them were sharing a bed. 

Xing Lian was constantly worried about being bullied, her heart gripped by tension.

While holding Xing Lian, Fei quickly noticed her unease. 

It only took a moment of thought to realize what she was worried about.

“Little cutie, don’t worry. I won’t do anything to you until your injuries are healed,” Fei comforted her softly.

Xing Lian felt much more at ease upon hearing those words. 

But… she wouldn’t do anything before the injuries healed? 

Did that mean it was fair game after they were healed? 

Xing Lian bit her lip, and her breathing became slightly ragged.

Fei stroked her hair and said, “I’ve been calling you ‘little cutie,’ but I still don’t know your name. My name is Fei. What about yours?”

‘Fei?’

Murmuring the name to herself, Xing Lian felt a complex surge of emotions. 

The owner of this name was the one who had bullied her.

“Xing Lian,” she said weakly.

Xing Lian originally didn’t want to tell her, but she was living under someone else’s roof and had to yield. 

Thinking about those bowls of mushroom soup and the soak in the Hot Spring, she eventually whispered her name.

“Xing Lian? That’s a very beautiful name,” Fei praised with a smile.

Xing Lian remained silent, but her flickering eyes showed that she was not nearly as calm as she appeared on the surface. 

The first time someone praised her name, the first time someone said they liked her, the first time someone fed her, the first time someone held her to wash, and the first time she was…

Xing Lian bit her pink lip. 

‘She took so many of my firsts!’

Fei held Xing Lian and whispered soft, sweet words, constantly telling her how much she liked her. 

At first, Xing Lian didn’t care, but she couldn’t withstand the constant repetition. 

Combined with her extreme lack of love, she eventually found herself feeling less nervous, and her heart began to soften.