Bai Lian's cheeks flushed. Yaoyao wanted to use his bathroom to take a bath, and his heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
After thinking for a moment, Bai Lian found a strip of cloth and tied it over his eyes.
Su Yaoyao looked at the man with his exquisite features, a white strip of cloth tied over his eyes. 'How can he look both innocent and alluring at the same time?'
Just as she was drooling over Bai Lian's handsome face, the man reached out and scooped Su Yaoyao up around her waist.
Su Yaoyao gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around Bai Lian's neck. "Wh-what are you doing?"
Bai Lian held her steadily as he started toward the bathroom, murmuring softly, "Your foot is injured. What if you fall again... I'm worried about you bathing by yourself."
His voice was deep and gentle, carrying a reassuring certainty. But instead of calming her, his words only made Su Yaoyao's heart race in a fluster.
'Wait, what does Bai Lian mean? Does he want to bathe with me?'
Su Yaoyao's face instantly flushed bright red.
"But... this is too awkward," Su Yaoyao mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. She unconsciously burrowed her head into Bai Lian's chest.
"Don't move. Be careful," Bai Lian said, noticing her squirming. He tightened his arms, holding her a little more securely, his voice filled with concern.
"And you're walking around with a blindfold on," Su Yaoyao retorted playfully.
Bai Lian chuckled lightly. "Don't worry. I'm very familiar with the layout of my room and the placement of every single object."
'Besides, blindfold training is very common at the base.'
Soon, they reached the bathroom door. Bai Lian freed one hand and gently pushed the door open, and a warm, yellow light instantly poured out.
"Initiate bath sequence. Water temperature: 38 degrees. Lavender soothing mode."
The smart panel on the bathroom wall flickered, and a soft, electronic voice responded, "Command confirmed. Preparing bath."
The bathtub began to slowly fill. The water wasn't from an ordinary source, but was nano-water that had undergone special purification and molecular restructuring. It was rich in various minerals and trace elements that could penetrate the skin to replenish the body's energy.
It was perfect for soaking in after a day of training to relieve fatigue and quickly recharge.
Su Yaoyao watched all of this with curiosity, and Bai Lian explained, "The living pods at the base are compact, but they're equipped with the most advanced smart-bathing systems."
Su Yaoyao nodded. "Will my room have one in the future?"
'I won't have to set the temperature myself, and it has multiple modes? This is amazing!'
Bai Lian smiled dotingly. "You will. Everything you use must be the best and most advanced."
A warm feeling spread through Su Yaoyao's heart. 'This man, Bai Lian, is really something else. He really knows how to spoil a girl!'
"The bath is ready. I'll carry you over," Bai Lian's voice sounded again, pulling Su Yaoyao from her thoughts.
Su Yaoyao bit her lower lip, her face flushed as she said in a low voice, "Leon, I... I can manage on my own."
But Bai Lian shook his head, his tone gentle yet firm. "No. I have to be by your side, otherwise I can't rest easy."
The bathtub was recessed. Bai Lian carried Su Yaoyao to its side and gently set her down on the tiled ledge.
Su Yaoyao lowered her head, too shy to look at Bai Lian, and said softly, "You... you should leave first."
'Even though Bai Lian was blindfolded and couldn't see, she still had a sense of shame, you know? And her heart just wouldn't stop pounding.'
Bai Lian was momentarily taken aback, then he nodded. His voice was a little hoarse as he said, "Alright. Call me if you need anything. I'll be right outside the door."
With that, he gently pulled the bathroom door shut, his movements exceedingly careful.
Only then did Su Yaoyao slip out of her clothes and slide into the tub. The warm nano-water enveloped her, automatically gathering around her tired muscles and gently massaging them.
Su Yaoyao closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. 'This is so incredibly comfortable.'
Outside the bathroom door, Bai Lian leaned against the wall, extremely worried.
Every second was torture, terrified that Yaoyao would accidentally fall.
He remembered how she looked when he first found her, injured, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
From that moment on, he had resolved to protect her, to never let her suffer even the slightest bit of harm again.
Knowing that Bai Lian was waiting for her, Su Yaoyao didn't have the heart to soak for too long.
Just as she was about to get up, she realized the bath towel was too far away for her to reach.
Left with no choice, she had to ask Bai Lian for help. Her sweet, melodic voice called out, "Leon, can you come in and get the towel for me?"
Hearing her call from outside, Bai Lian's heart stuttered. "Okay," he answered, his voice growing deeper and more gravelly.
His large hand gently pushed open the bathroom door.
Bai Lian walked in, grabbed the towel from the rack, and placed it on the ledge by the tub.
The entire time, a shy Su Yaoyao had shrunk down into the water, leaving only her head exposed.
Her heart pounded as she watched Bai Lian draw closer.
Ever the gentleman, after doing this, he turned his back to her.
"Once you're dry, I'll carry you out."
"Okay."
A SPLASH of water sounded from behind him. Su Yaoyao held onto the rim of the tub as she slowly stood up and wrapped the towel around herself.
Looking at Bai Lian's broad back, she playfully leaped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Carry me back on your back."
Bai Lian was startled but quickly raised his hands to support her hips. He smiled dotingly. "Alright."
He steadied his footing and walked carefully toward the bed.
But with her soft body pressed tightly against his back, Bai Lian's breathing grew heavier.
Leaning against him, Su Yaoyao saw Bai Lian's ears suddenly turn bright red, as if they were ripe fruit. She raised a hand to touch one.
Her cool pinky traced the shell of his ear down to the lobe. Bai Lian's breath instantly hitched, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"Leon, why are your ears so red?"
"...I'm a little hot," Bai Lian's voice came out hoarse and ragged.
Su Yaoyao didn't think much of it. She could indeed feel the heat radiating from his body, even through her towel.
Bai Lian gently placed Su Yaoyao on the bed, then took a fresh set of clothes from the closet. "There aren't any women's clothes at the base, so you'll have to make do with mine for now. But this set is brand new; I've never worn it."
Su Yaoyao smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't mind even if you had."
'It's not like I haven't worn his clothes before.'
Su Yaoyao took the shirt from Bai Lian's hands and put it on. It was large enough to be a dress on her. She had to roll the sleeves up several times to get them to the right length, but the fabric felt very comfortable.
After she finished dressing, Su Yaoyao looked at the strip of cloth still covering Bai Lian's eyes and let out a little laugh.
"Come here."
Bai Lian didn't quite understand what Su Yaoyao wanted to do, but he still found himself obeying her command and took a few steps forward.
He knew Su Yaoyao was sitting on the edge of the bed, so he stopped at what he judged to be a safe distance.
Su Yaoyao pouted, a little dissatisfied. "Come closer."
The hand Bai Lian held behind his back clenched. The girl's sweet, soft voice seemed to cast a spell on him, throwing his thoughts into chaos.