Lin Xi felt she had absolutely no face left to show anyone. She quickly spent 100 yuan on two sets of underwear and fled as if escaping a crime scene.
"Hurry up and let’s go back. I’m never coming shopping with you again." It was mortifying. If she ever got the chance, she was definitely going to bite him.
"..."
"Strange, I thought I saw Wu Xiaoya just now. But who was the girl with her? Could it be that Xue Yang has really moved on?" Not far away, Wu Xiaoya watched the two figures fleeing in a panic, her mind filled with wild speculation.
...
It was past 11:00 PM when they returned home.
Lin Xi clutched the two sets of clothing she’d bought from the street stall, her face still flushed. Her chest heaved, and she felt as if she had committed some unspeakable act; she didn't even dare to meet Xue Yang's eyes. Holding the bag of clothes tightly to her chest, she looked as if she were ready to be taken.
Xue Yang wasn't faring much better. This was his first time shopping for such intimate items with a girl, and he hadn't expected the shopkeeper to be so brazenly vocal about them. Though Xue Yang was older than Lin Xi, it wasn't by much. By his estimation, she was likely a senior in high school.
He glanced up at her slightly and found she was looking at him, too. Their eyes met, and both pulled away as if scorched by a flame.
After a while, Lin Xi noticed it had gone quiet. She quietly looked up, and their eyes collided again. She immediately shrank back, looking for all the world like a stray kitten that had just been taken in.
Xue Yang, no longer as awkward as before, crossed his arms and watched her with amusement. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Lin Xi couldn't resist sneaking another peek at his reaction. Unsurprisingly, their eyes met again.
Lin Xi hugged herself, glaring at him with full alert. "What are you looking at? Keep looking and I’ll dig your eyes out."
A cute, pretty girl in a strange boy's house had to protect herself.
Xue Yang stepped closer to her, a roguish smile on his face. "Isn't it a bit too late to be afraid now?"
Lin Xi was genuinely scared. "You... Xue Yang, I’m warning you, if you dare do anything to me, I won't let you off. I mean it."
Xue Yang didn't stop, closing the distance between them step by step. Just as Lin Xi prepared to defend herself, Xue Yang gave a light chuckle and walked straight past her into his room.
So, she had just been blocking his doorway. Honestly, he could have just said something instead of acting like that and making her overthink it. Still, he really was quite a decent person.
Lin Xi patted her burning cheeks. "Lin Xi, pull yourself together."
"Those clothes were from a street stall; you should wash them and let them dry before wearing them," his magnetic voice drifted from inside the room.
"Then why were you in such a rush to drag me out to buy them tonight?" She could have easily gone herself tomorrow. "So, you were just drooling over my clothes?"
"Xue Yang, go to hell!" She was so annoyed.
Xue Yang came back out of his room a moment later. "Same drill: I'll shower first, then go into my room, and then you shower. I won't be coming out for the rest of the night."
The man was all bark and no bite; he was a good guy after all.
"Xue Yang, thank you."
"Don't mention it. You’re the one who ran away from home without bringing anything. I just have to make sure my own clothes are kept safe."
"Since that's the case, can I sleep on the bed tonight and you take the sofa?" Lin Xi took the opportunity to push her luck.
"No."
"I'm a girl. Can't you just let me have this?"
"No."
Lin Xi made a face at Xue Yang's retreating back. She must be crazy to think he was a nice guy—he was more of a big jerk. She really wanted to bite him.
Ten minutes later, Xue Yang came out after his shower. He looked different than usual; water droplets trailed from his hair down his distinct facial features, sliding past his lean, firm abdomen and continuing downward...
Lin Xi's first thought was that he had a pretty good build. Her second thought was: *What am I thinking?* This was a strange man's body; why was she looking? *Absolutely not!*
Coming to her senses, Lin Xi covered her eyes and shouted, "Ah—why aren't you wearing any clothes?"
"I'm used to it. Forgot there was someone else in the house. My apologies."
Once she was sure the living room was empty, Lin Xi carefully opened her eyes, but the image remained seared into her mind. "Lin Xi, stop thinking about it."
*Damn it!*
She hugged her clothes and headed into the bathroom. Because Xue Yang had just showered, the air was filled with his scent—the same clean, pleasant smell as his room. She had initially wanted to shower first, but she hadn't wanted Xue Yang to see her after her own shower, which was why she’d agreed to let him go first. Unexpectedly, it didn't cause her as much discomfort as she’d feared; on the contrary, a strange sensation began to grow.
In the other room, after drying his hair, Xue Yang sat at the small table and continued working on his outline. "Something feels like it’s been moved."
Suddenly, a scream erupted from outside.
"Ah—"
Xue Yang rushed out and realized it was coming from the bathroom. "The walls in this apartment are paper-thin. You keep screaming like that, and you're going to arouse suspicion."
"Didn't you say you wouldn't be coming out tonight? Why are you out now?"
"What choice do I have? I'm not deaf. If someone is screaming in my house, I have to check. What if something actually happened? So, what is it this time?"
"Xue Yang..." Lin Xi’s voice trembled, tinged with a slight nasal whine.
"What's wrong?" Xue Yang’s tone softened.
"There's no hot water. What do I do?"
"..." Xue Yang hadn't expected the hot water to run out; it had been fine when he showered. "Put on some clothes and come out."
"I can't. I'm covered in soap; I can't put clothes on like this."
"This isn't the time to worry about that. Get out here—I need to fix the heater, or you’ll catch a cold."
Lin Xi had no choice but to wrap herself hastily in a towel and open the door. Xue Yang was standing right there, and they caught each other off guard. Her hair was still wet, and the towel clung to her body, highlighting her slender, graceful silhouette. It was a literal masterpiece of a beauty emerging from the bath.
Xue Yang turned around, grabbed a jacket from his room, and draped it directly over her before heading into the bathroom.
About two minutes later, he came back out. "The heater is just too old; the switch has a loose connection. You can go ahead and shower now."
Lin Xi suddenly tugged on his sleeve, looking pitiful. "Xue Yang."
"What now?"
"Can you wait by the door? In case the heater breaks again, I don't want to have to keep screaming."
After a moment's thought, Xue Yang nodded. But as he heard the sound of water running inside, he immediately regretted it.
"Why on earth did I agree to stand here and wait?"