Lin Xi felt she could never show her face in public again. She quickly spent one hundred yuan on two sets of underwear and fled as if her life depended on it.
"Let's hurry back! I'm never going shopping with you again."
How mortifying. If I get the chance, I'll bite him to death.
"..."
"Strange, I think I just saw Xue Yang."
"But who's that girl with him? Don't tell me he's actually fallen for someone else?"
Not far away, Wu Xiaoya watched the two figures fleeing helter-skelter, her imagination running wild.
「...」
By the time they got home, it was already past 11:00 p.m.
Lin Xi clutched the two sets of clothes from the street stall, her face still flushed. Her chest heaved as if she had done something naughty, and she didn't even dare to meet Xue Yang's eyes. Tightly holding the bag, she looked absolutely ripe for the taking.
Xue Yang wasn't doing much better. It was his first time buying such intimate items with a girl, and he had no idea the shopkeeper would be so blunt about it. He was older than Lin Xi, but not by much. According to his prediction, she should be a high school senior this year.
He glanced up slightly at Lin Xi, only to find her looking at him.
Their eyes met, and both of them jerked their gazes away as if they had been burned.
After a moment, Lin Xi noticed Xue Yang had gone quiet. She stealthily peeked up at him, and their eyes inevitably collided again. She immediately shrank back, looking just like a newly rescued kitten.
Xue Yang was no longer as awkward as before. He watched her with an amused expression, his arms crossed.
As expected, in less than a minute, Lin Xi couldn't resist any longer and peeked up again to gauge his reaction. And, to no one's surprise, their eyes met yet again.
Lin Xi hugged herself and eyed him warily. "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out."
A cute and pretty girl in a strange guy's house must know how to protect herself.
Xue Yang approached her step by step, a roguish smile playing on his lips. "Isn't it a little late to be scared now?"
Lin Xi was genuinely frightened. "You... Xue Yang, I'm warning you! If you dare to do anything to me, I won't let you get away with it. I mean what I say."
Xue Yang didn't stop, closing the distance with each step. Just as Lin Xi was about to react, he chuckled softly, walked right past her, and entered his room.
So I was just blocking his door. Seriously, if I was blocking the door, he could have just said so. Why did he have to be like that and make me overthink things? Still, he's actually a really nice guy.
Lin Xi patted her hot cheeks. "Lin Xi, snap out of it."
"Those clothes are from a street stall. You should wash and dry them before wearing them," Xue Yang's magnetic voice called from his room.
"Then why were you in such a hurry to drag me out to buy clothes tonight?"
I could have just gone by myself tomorrow.
"Oh, so you were just worried about me borrowing your clothes this whole time!"
"Xue Yang, go to hell!"
I'm so mad!
Xue Yang came out of his room a moment later with a change of clothes. "Okay, here's the routine. I'll shower first and go to my room. Then you can shower. I won't come out for the rest of the night."
He's all bark and no bite. He's actually a good person.
"Xue Yang, thank you."
"No need to thank me. You're the one who ran away from home without anything. I have to guard my own clothes, after all."
"In that case, can I sleep in the bed tonight while you take the couch?" Lin Xi seized the opportunity to push her luck.
"Absolutely not."
"I'm a girl, can't you indulge me a little?"
"No."
Lin Xi glared at Xue Yang's retreating back, baring her teeth. I must be crazy to think he was a nice guy. He's more like a big villain! I really want to bite him to death.
Ten minutes later, Xue Yang came out of the bathroom. Fresh from the shower, he looked different from usual. Strands of wet hair clung to the sharp lines of his face, and water trickled down past a lean abdomen, continuing further down…
My first thought is that his body is pretty nice. My second thought: What am I thinking? This is a strange man's body! Why am I looking? I can't!
Coming to her senses, Lin Xi covered her eyes and shrieked, "AHHH—why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"
"It's a habit. I forgot someone else was here. Sorry about that."
Only after making sure the living room was empty did Lin Xi dare to carefully open her eyes, but she couldn't shake the image from her mind.
"Lin Xi, stop thinking about it," she muttered.
Damn it!
She then picked up her clothes and entered the bathroom. Since Xue Yang had just showered, his clean, pleasant scent—the same one as in his room—still lingered in the air. Originally, she was supposed to shower first, but she hadn't wanted Xue Yang to see her fresh from the shower, so she'd agreed to let him go first. Unexpectedly, it didn't make her too uncomfortable. On the contrary, a strange new feeling was beginning to stir within her.
Meanwhile, after drying his hair, Xue Yang sat at his small desk to continue writing his outline.
Looks like someone touched this.
Suddenly, a scream erupted from the bathroom.
"AHHH—"
Xue Yang immediately ran out and traced the sound to the bathroom. "This apartment isn't soundproof. If you keep screaming like that, you're going to make the neighbors suspicious."
"Didn't you say you wouldn't come out tonight? Why are you out now?"
"I heard someone screaming—I'm not deaf. I had to check. If something happened to you in my apartment, I'd be responsible. So, what's wrong?"
"Xue Yang~" Lin Xi's voice trembled, laced with a faint nasal tone.
"What's the matter?" Xue Yang's voice softened.
"The hot water's out! What do I do?"
"..."
Xue Yang hadn't expected the hot water to run out. It had been working perfectly fine when he showered just now.
"First, put on your clothes and come out."
"I can't! I'm covered in soap suds. I can't put my clothes on."
"This isn't the time for that! Hurry up and come out so I can go in and fix the water heater. You'll catch a cold otherwise."
Lin Xi had no choice but to haphazardly wrap herself in her clothes and open the door.
Xue Yang was standing right outside, and their eyes met unexpectedly. Her hair was still wet, and since she hadn't dried off, her clothes clung to her skin, revealing a shapely figure. She was the very picture of a beauty emerging from her bath.
Xue Yang turned, went to his room, and returned with a jacket. He draped it over Lin Xi's shoulders before heading into the bathroom.
About two minutes later, he came out. "The water heater is just old. The switch has a bad connection. You can go finish your shower now."
Lin Xi suddenly tugged at his sleeve, looking pitiful. "Xue Yang."
"What is it?"
"Could you wait by the door for a bit? In case the water heater breaks again… I can't just scream again, can I?"
After a moment's thought, Xue Yang nodded.
But as he heard the sound of running water from inside, he began to regret his decision.
Why did I agree to stand here and wait for her?