In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

But his luck was clearly bad tonight.

Wearing black clothes, halfway through the flight, it suddenly started to rain.

The rain came down suddenly and fiercely, carrying the chill of late spring. By the time he crossed the courtyard wall of Pear Garden and landed at her door, he was completely soaked.

The night clothes clung tightly to his body, revealing the smooth contours of his muscles beneath the wet fabric, and his long legs were exceptionally eye-catching.

Cui Yutang stood under the eaves, knowing he couldn't go in tonight, afraid of passing the cold air on to her.

Feeling helpless and frustrated, he could only stand outside the window, hoping to sneak a peek for a while to satisfy his craving before leaving.

Suddenly, the window opened from the inside.

Xie Yige stood inside the window and saw him standing there blankly, soaking wet. Rainwater slid down his jawline and disappeared into the depths of his collar, making him look disheveled yet somehow alluring.

Her beautiful peach blossom eyes shimmered like gilded gold in the candlelight, reflecting the flickering flames.

"Cui Yutang, why are you standing in the rain? Come in quickly."

"No, I'll transfer the air conditioning to you." Cui Yutang shook his head, took a step back, and said, "I'll leave right away." He then turned to leave.

"Cui Yutang, stop right there."

His steps immediately came to a halt.

"Come in."

He hesitated for a moment, then turned around and went inside.

But he still kept his distance from her, standing by the door, as if afraid that the cold air on his body would touch her.

She was so prone to illness; the incident in Donglin City terrified him.

Xie Yige found his cautious demeanor both amusing and exasperating.

She took a dry towel from the shelf and tossed it to him: "Dry your hair first." Then she turned and went out the door to call someone to bring hot water.

As Cui Yutang watched her departing figure, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

He lowered his head and sniffed the dry towel; it still carried the faint floral and fruity scent of her.

A short while later, Bichun came in with a maid to bring water, and Cui Yutang quickly concealed himself.

Bichun held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Miss, didn't you just finish bathing?"

"I...I want to take a shower again." Xie Yige replied with a forced smile, her ears turning slightly red. "You guys go and rest first, we can clean up tomorrow."

"Okay, miss, please don't take too long to shower, the weather is changing tonight."

After Bichun finished speaking, she led her people away. As the door closed, she silently wondered to herself: Why did Miss take two baths tonight? Could it be…

Bichun shook her head in fright, "Absolutely not!"

"Go inside and wash up quickly, you don't want to catch a cold." Xie Yige looked at Cui Yutang behind the screen, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"Okay." His voice was a little hoarse.

Cui Yutang stepped behind the screen.

A hazy white mist rose up, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and fruits, the same scent she always wore.

This was clearly the large tub she usually used for bathing, and he was going to share it with her.

His heart began to pound uncontrollably, and the tips of his ears turned a faint blush.

He took off his soaked clothes, and his strong figure was reflected on the screen, which was half-transparent with moisture.

As he rinsed his face, the texture of his skin rippled like waves, each line brimming with power. Broad shoulders, a taut waist and abdomen, long and strong arms—in the candlelight, what a beautiful picture of a handsome man emerging from a bath.

Xie Yige couldn't help but steal dozens of glances with her big eyes.

I felt my cheeks burning hot, as red as if I had drunk ten pounds of peach blossom wine.

Suddenly, a gentle female voice came from outside: "Yige, your sister-in-law has come to see you."

The two people inside were both taken aback.

Xie Yige rushed behind the screen, and what came into view was his upper body emerging from the water, shimmering in the candlelight. But she had no time to admire it.

"Shh, don't talk." She put her index finger to his lips, her eyes tense.

Cui Yutang's eyes were blurry, and he was quite shocked by Xie Yige's sudden close-up and magnified beauty, his mind going blank for a moment.

A strand of her hair fell onto his shoulder, carrying a sweet floral scent that made him almost forget to breathe.

"Sister-in-law, wait a moment, I'm taking a shower." Xie Yige tried her best to make her voice sound calm.

"It's alright, you go ahead and wash. I'll bring you a silkworm quilt." Xie Wanrou's voice grew closer and closer, and then the door was pushed open.

Xie Yige was shocked and, without thinking, quickly stepped into the wooden tub, splashing water and wetting the ground.

Her thin nightgown was instantly soaked with sweat, the fabric clinging tightly to her body, outlining her extraordinary curves, as if she were naked.

She quickly turned her back to the outside, pressed Cui Yutang's shoulders down a little, and shielded his head in her arms.

The man's hands then wrapped around her slender waist in the water, and he buried his face in her chest.

The two people in the water were pounding their hearts, as if they were about to burst out of their chests. The mist on the screen seemed to boil, and a damp and ambiguous atmosphere filled the air.

Xie Wanrou's voice continued, "It's raining and getting chilly tonight. I'm afraid you'll catch a cold, so I'll put the blanket on your bed and then leave."

Because she was pregnant, she walked and moved slowly, and her footsteps moved slowly in the room. Since Xie Yige was still taking a bath, she did not let the maid come in to help.

Time stretched on endlessly, and suddenly the man's hand began to move erratically over her body.

His fingertips traced lightly across her waist, with a hint of mischief in them.

"Oh, Mr. Cui." Xie Wanrou's voice clearly carried a hint of surprise.

Xie Yige's mind went blank instantly—it's over, they've been discovered, the two of them are in the bathtub together like this...

My brother is definitely going to beat her to death tomorrow.

"Why is there a portrait of Cui Langjun hanging on your bed?" Xie Wanrou continued.

It turns out they were referring to a portrait.

That scared me to death.

"Sister-in-law, I drew it last night," Xie Yige quickly explained, her voice trembling with the shock of surviving a disaster, her breathing unsteady.

She lowered her head and glanced at the person in front of her. She saw him looking up at her, his eyes sparkling as if filled with starlight, and a smile of ambiguity playing on his lips.

Her face turned even redder instantly.

What kind of death scene is this?

Xie Wanrou chuckled softly, a hint of teasing in her voice: "It's very well drawn. Well then, sister-in-law, I'll be going now."

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the door was gently closed.

The room returned to silence, with only the gentle ripples of water and the flickering candlelight casting swaying shadows on the walls.

The sound of their rapid, alternating breaths was especially clear in the quiet night.