The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

Tonight's class wasn't much different from usual, except that after class I called Yezi to go home together, and of course I also planned to call Sanyue. But just as I was about to go to the door to wait for Sanyue, I noticed that she went into the office through the side door. I was taken aback, and this situation piqued my interest.

But I couldn't just go in like that... Yezi and I arrived at the classroom door in the corridor. Next to it was the closed office door, but I didn't need to go inside the office.

I went to the window, where I could see a little of what was happening inside without attracting the attention of the people inside. I saw March and Teacher Mu talking, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The conversation didn't last long. In this brief exchange, I saw March's usual calm expression, and Teacher Mu didn't do anything that caught my attention. March soon came out from the side door.

I asked Yezi to go into the classroom to call her, while I went to the first floor of the teaching building to wait for the two of them. Soon they arrived on the first floor as well.

“Let’s go, Xiaoyin should be waiting.” I said, and saw a smile appear on March’s face: “Don’t you want to ask me what I said to the teacher in the office just now? I saw you, you know.”

Was it seen...?

"We can talk as we walk." I shrugged, and Yezi and March walked up to me, one on each side, and walked alongside me.

"What I was just talking about was about you and Yezi." March had already started speaking, and I turned to look at her.

"Ms. Mu said she supports tutoring you and Yezi, but she hopes it won't affect my own studies... Because my parents know her, I often hear things like this. It's a little annoying."

March's face showed a slight hint of impatience. I wasn't sure if March was telling the truth, but that was the only thing I could believe for now. I nodded and smiled, "After all, you're the class monitor. Doesn't that show they have high expectations of you?"

"You know perfectly well that this is what I hate the most." March moved closer and put her hand on my waist, twisting it. This action, which I had only seen in novels, felt somewhat novel to me, but it didn't hurt me much.

"Let's go. Isn't Xiaoyin still waiting?" I urged, and then walked with the two girls towards the main building. We also found Lin Yin, and the four of us walked towards the pedestrian bridge.

I thought we'd part ways at the bridge near the school, but March and Lin Yin crossed the bridge together anyway. They said goodbye to Ye Zi, then looked at me. I realized I hadn't told them I'd be taking Ye Zi home today.

"I'm taking Ye Zi home today. You two need to be careful."

"Hey... going back with Yezi?" March looked at me with a very meaningful gaze, and I smiled too: "Just like you thought..."

Before speaking to them in March, I moved a little closer to them and whispered in their ears: "Wait for me at the bridgehead tomorrow morning. Xiaoyin, come along too... Remember to wear comfortable clothes."

March quickly understood, a charming expression appearing on her face as she licked her lips: "Isn't this dress I'm wearing very convenient?"

"Xiaoyin, you should wear this outfit tomorrow too." I took advantage of the dim light and touched Lin Yin's buttocks. Lin Yin's body tensed up instantly, but she didn't resist and just nodded silently.

"In that case, Xiaoyin and I will head back now. Remember to get up early tomorrow morning." March took Lin Yin's hand and turned to leave.

"Go back and rest early, and be careful." I reminded her, and watched as March waved to me without turning her head. It wasn't until they had walked quite a distance away that I turned to look at Yezi, who was standing there silently, without saying a word.

I looked around and saw no one. Even if there were, they probably wouldn't pay much attention to what was happening here. I became a little bolder and put my arm around Yezi's waist. She was a little surprised and looked up at me.

"It's time to go. I still have to go home tonight."

"……Um."

I walked with my arm around Yezi, and I could feel that she relied on me. Following my memory, we arrived at the building where Yezi lived. After she opened the iron gate, we went upstairs together.

Because the stairwell was quite narrow, I could clearly hear people coming down from upstairs. I couldn't help but let go of Yezi's waist and move in front of her, making way for the people who were about to come down from upstairs.

However, what I sensed before anyone else was a familiar yet unpleasant smell—the odor of alcohol that only a drunk person would emit. It was completely different from the aroma of alcohol and made my stomach uncomfortable. This strong smell of alcohol made me dislike the person coming downstairs from the very beginning.

I shielded Ye Zi, who was standing behind me, with one hand, and looked up to see who smelled so strongly of alcohol. But the moment I looked up, my eyes widened and I froze.

It was a man, slightly overweight, dressed in simple casual clothes that seemed unkempt and weathered by time. But that face, that man reeking of alcohol—I recognized him… I hadn't forgotten him at all; I recognized him the instant I saw him.

Who is this drunkard? The drunkard who collapsed under the bus stop sign in front of my neighborhood around midnight that night. I recognize him.

His current state... He wasn't carrying a bottle, but he had clearly drunk quite a bit; he was holding onto the handrail as he walked down the stairs, one step at a time. I watched him walk past me, down the stairs, until he disappeared from sight, when a leaf gently touched me and brought me back to my senses.

With a sense of understanding, I continued walking uphill until I reached Yezi's door. I opened it, and we went inside. I was about to ask Yezi about that person when, unexpectedly, she kissed me, pressing her entire body against me… I'll postpone asking the question for now.

Chapter 222 Bathing Time

I placed my hand against Yezi's back and gently pressed her onto the bed. Although she was breathing rapidly, she didn't seem to have lost all her strength. I smoothed her slightly disheveled hair from behind, although much of it was stuck together.

"Take a shower before you go to sleep," I said to her. She struggled to sit up, turned to look at me, and nodded slightly.

I released Yezi and stepped back slightly, no longer clinging to her. Yezi then knelt up and slowly turned to face me, her fair skin flushed.

I smiled at her and pinched her cheek: "Is there still hot water? Go take a shower."

"Mmm," Ye Zi responded, got off the bed, and I stood up as well.

The room was filled with a pungent smell. I went to the window, slightly pulled back the curtains, and opened the window a little wider. I could feel a breeze flowing through it. I turned to look at Ye Zi; she had already left the room. I leaned against the window and rested for a while.

I don't know if it's because the sachet from home in March no longer has any effect, but after about an hour and a half, I felt a little tired. However, my body still has the vitality unique to young people, so this kind of fatigue won't have too much of an impact on me. I thought of the drunkard and closed my eyes to think for a moment. Soon, I walked out of the bedroom. I didn't rush to change my clothes but went to the bathroom door. Yezi hadn't closed the door; she was standing under the shower, taking a hot shower.

Although she hadn't closed the door, she was still somewhat surprised to see me coming, and involuntarily covered herself with her hand. Did she harbor some resistance towards me deep down? I couldn't know the answer to that question, but what I needed to do now wasn't to think about things that wouldn't change the current situation.

I went into the bathroom, came to Yezi's side, grabbed her hand that was covering her body, and slowly removed it: "You don't need to be so shy with me, do you?"

I felt Yezi relax. Her hands, which had been trying to cover her body, stopped supporting her. I let go of her hands and instead put my hand on her shoulder, turning her around: "I'll wash your hair for you, since I'm the one who did it."

"No, no need..."

"It's just my opinion. If you don't like it, then forget it."

"I……"

I leaned over her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek: "Be confident. No matter what others think of you, with me, you can say whatever you want and do whatever you want, and no one will blame you."

I didn't mention March. Although our relationship wasn't exactly normal, I don't think it would be a pleasant experience to bring up another girl when I was being honest with Ye Zi alone.

I saw Ye Zi lower her head slightly from behind. Although she didn't say anything, it could be considered tacit consent.

"Close your eyes."

I took the showerhead down and let the hot water flow over Yezi's body, wetting her hair. I found some shampoo nearby, squeezed some into my hands, and started washing Yezi's hair with a less-than-clumsy technique.

I'm not a hair care professional, nor do I have the corresponding skills. I just gently and carefully washed Yezi's already very smooth hair. It didn't take much time. I used the showerhead to rinse the foam off Yezi's hair and then turned off the water valve.

"That's good... although the technique wasn't very good. You should wash yourself, otherwise your shower will be a waste."

Yezi turned to face me, opened her eyes, and hugged me again. At such close range, I didn't have time to react before Yezi embraced me. Feeling her delicate body, the desire that I hadn't completely suppressed quickly swelled up again. Yezi intentionally touched my body, and I gently patted her back: "There's plenty of time in the future. What you need now is a good night's sleep."

However, Yezi didn't seem to react to this, and I could only let her hold me like that. Just as I was thinking about how to change the situation so that I could move around, Yezi relaxed a little, but still wrapped her arms around me, and raised her head slightly to look into my eyes: "I... am loved, right?"

I paused for a moment, and in that short time, many things came to mind… unrelated to the truth I was currently seeking, or Ye Zi's alluring body; it was simply the memory of what happened when I first met Ye Zi. A smile returned to my face. I wasn't sure if it came from genuine emotion, but I was certainly in a very good mood.

"No matter what, my answer will never change... Even if you do nothing and refuse my requests, I will still like you. So, you should smile more often; you'll look even more beautiful when you smile."

"Ok!"

Yezi had a bright smile on her face. She hugged me tighter with one arm, while the other hand slid down my chest. I pressed down on that hand and shook my head: "That's enough. You need to rest."

Upon hearing my words, Yezi decisively let go of her hands and continued to hug me, leaving me somewhat amused and exasperated: "I haven't washed yet."

"I, I'll do it..."

"Then it's up to you." Without waiting for Yezi to finish speaking, I turned around, but because of my height, I had to squat down so that Yezi, who had just washed her hair, could do the same thing.

I felt Yezi's hand gently pressing on the top of my head.

Although it might be a little inappropriate to bring up this issue now, the atmosphere is quite pleasant, and I feel that my conversation with Yezi will go more smoothly. I don't want to waste this opportunity.

"By the way, Yezi, do you know that guy we met when we went upstairs earlier, the one who reeked of alcohol?"

"I don't know them." Ye Zi's tone wasn't forceful, but it wasn't hesitant or confused either: "Although I live in this building, I don't know any of my neighbors because I leave early and come back late, so I basically don't run into anyone."

"I see. That man reeked of alcohol and didn't seem like a good person. A pretty girl like you should be careful."

"Mmm!" Ye Zi's voice sounded quite happy.

Chapter 223 A Faint Fragrance

I took a shower with Yezi at her house to get rid of the odor, then changed into my own clothes and left. After Yezi closed the door, I glanced at the closed door opposite hers. When we encountered that drunkard, Yezi and I were still going upstairs, and Yezi lived on the top floor of the building. In other words, there was a one-in-five chance that the drunkard lived between the fourth and sixth floors.

I originally thought the drunkard would appear near March's house, since his first appearance was with the policeman. And since the policeman lived in March's building, I thought the drunkard was equally likely to be nearby. His appearance here surprised me, though not entirely unexpected.

But more importantly, it made my goals clearer.

The policeman lived near March's house. Although I wasn't sure if March knew him, I figured it was probably similar to Ye Zi's – she likely didn't know him. And since this policeman was one of the participants in March's incident, he was naturally connected to her. From my perspective, it seems March's influence had spread to him. So, it's likely the same with Ye Zi; her influence had spread to those around her.

For now, all I need to do is focus my attention on these girls. I can ignore the police and the drunkard for now, treating them as incidents that occurred alongside Ye Zi and the March incident. My current situation will become much clearer.

As I walked downstairs, I didn't feel the kind of watchful gaze I had felt before. I wasn't sure if it was related to that drunkard, but I did have a subtle sense of relief, a feeling that was more pronounced in my mind compared to the past.

I walked along the road from the hospital towards my home. When I got downstairs, I saw my house. My bedroom light was still on, and I realized that my younger sister must be playing in her room. But then I remembered that I had deliberately left my phone at home instead of bringing it with me, and I felt a little guilty.

I shook my head, took out my house key, and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, all I saw was my own bedroom with the light on and the door open, and the rest of the room was completely dark. I closed the door, changed my shoes, and just then, my sister came out of the bedroom and stood by the door, a slightly displeased expression on her face.

Why are you so late coming home?

"There was a slight delay... Where are Mom and Dad?"

"She's already asleep." My sister squinted at me. "I wanted to call you at eleven o'clock, but I didn't expect you to have your phone at home."

"It's out of power. Even if I took it to school, it'd probably be switched off by the time you call me." I walked past her into my bedroom and casually tossed my backpack onto a chair. My sister never sits in chairs; she only lies on her bed. I turned to look at my sister, who seemed upset: "What's wrong? Are you angry?"

"Hmph, I can't be bothered to get angry." She turned her face away and looked at the wall, but I could still tell that she was indeed angry.

I walked up behind her, put my hand on her shoulder, and gently pushed her towards the bed to sit down. It wasn't until she was seated that I realized I would never have acted so naturally with my sister before, even though we were indeed very close. Her lack of reaction was both expected and unexpected.

"Don't be angry, I was really only a little delayed and I'll be back soon." I gently massaged her shoulders, but my sister turned her head slightly and sniffed lightly: "This scent... you took a bath outside?"

My sister's words made me involuntarily pull my hand back. I hadn't expected my sister to find out about this at all. I unconsciously smelled my arm. Although it wasn't very strong, there was indeed a very faint jasmine scent... This must be the scent of the shower gel that Ye Zi uses.

I was focused on washing away the smell, but I overlooked the problem: I saw my sister looking at me with a displeased expression. I started thinking about what excuse I could use to cover up the truth, but my sister became much more assertive than I had imagined.

She turned slightly, grabbed my hand, and made me stand still. Then she slowly moved her nose up along the back of my hand, down to my neck, and finally stopped there: "You must have just come back from the shower... Is your girlfriend home alone?"

As I was trying to figure out how to explain, I also smelled something unusual. It wasn't the scent permeating the room, but rather emanating from my younger sister... She also had a faint fragrance. There were no watermarks or dampness on her body, and her hair was dry. Although I could tell she had showered, given my sister's habit of letting her hair air dry, she should have showered long ago.

There shouldn't be any lingering fragrance on her body.

And... and this scent, I recognize it. I experienced this fragrance very clearly not long ago. I can't quite describe what it is, but there's no doubt about it. I wouldn't forget its characteristics in such a short time... My sister has that same scent I smelled at home in March.

My heart turned cold.

My younger sister has indeed been in contact with someone and has been influenced in a similar way to Yezi and Sanyue, which I find hard to accept. However, like Yezi, Sanyue, and Lin Yin, my sister's actions have gradually become more intimate.

Although my sister looks a little angry now, she straddles my lap, faces me, and leans her head on my shoulder. I can hear her breathing.

"Your body and hair are covered in the scent of jasmine. We don't use this kind of scented shower gel and shampoo at home. Even if we did, you haven't taken a shower... Have you gotten to the point where you have to shower outside now?"

My hand involuntarily patted her back: "Is there any need to be so angry?"

“I’m just that angry.” My sister sat up straight, frowning as she looked at me. “I’m just that angry.”