1
When Xia Li pushed open the door next door, wrapped in a bath towel, she'd totally forgotten Zhou Xu had returned early today.
The sound of water abruptly stopped in the steamy bathroom. The man's back was turned to her, his waistline sharp and defined like a spread from a newly released comic. Her mind buzzed, but her feet proved more honest than her reason—she froze in place.
Two seconds later, Zhou Xu tilted his head, his wet eyes locking onto hers through the mirror. His voice, heavy with moisture, murmured, "Finished looking?"
Xia Li panicked, nearly dropping her towel. She turned to flee, but heard a low chuckle behind her: "Stop."
He slowly pulled the towel around his waist, closing the distance in a few strides. His palm pressed against the doorframe beside her ear as he leaned in, his voice husky as he finished his sentence: "Next time you want to inspect, give me a heads up. I'll leave the light on for you."
Xia Li's cheeks flushed crimson to her ears, but he reached first, pinching a stray strand from her forehead. His fingertip deliberately brushed her burning cheek. "Don't be shy. I never said you couldn't look."
2
I swear, I was stunned for zero point three seconds.
No, maybe even less.
But Zhou Xu had already caught it. The lazy haze in his eyes, steamed out by the heat, vanished instantly, leaving only the focused intensity of a predator.
"Speak," he growled, his voice like ice just thawed, crackling with tiny shards that made my eardrums tingle. "Finished looking?"
My mouth opened, but my throat was as dry as the Sahara. All that came out was a whisper fainter than a mosquito's buzz: "...Enough."
"Enough?" His eyebrow arched, as if the word amused him. His shoulder shifted slightly, and a droplet of water rolled down his collarbone, sliding over his chest muscles and abs before disappearing into the edge of the towel. My eyes followed the trail of that droplet involuntarily, only snapping back when I heard him softly click his tongue.
The next second, he raised his hand and snapped the bathroom light off.
The world plunged two shades darker, leaving only the corridor light filtering through the doorway, pinning my shadow against his chest. I instinctively stepped back, my back thudding against the door panel, with nowhere left to retreat.
But Zhou Xu stepped forward.
The damp scent of mint mingled with the cool fragrance of shower gel, like an invisible net enveloping my entire body.
"Xia Li," he called my name, his voice trailing off habitually, sounding like a whimper yet carrying a warning, "Do you know the price you'll pay for peeping?"
My hands clenched the bath towel in my arms as my mind froze, utterly unsure whether to nod or shake my head.
But suddenly, he leaned down, his lips brushing my earlobe as he whispered his verdict: "I'm going to collect interest."
3
Interest?
Before I could retort, he reached out and snatched the bath towel from my arms—my towel!—casually draping it over his shoulder. His other hand seized my wrist, dragging me straight into the bathroom.
"Zhou Xu!" I screamed, my voice cracking with fear. "What are you doing?"
"Taking a shower," he replied matter-of-factly. "You like watching, don't you? Here's your VIP seat."
VIP my ass!
I spun around to grab the door handle, but heard a click—he'd already locked it from the outside.
Me: ...
"Relax," he said, leaning against the door with a smirk. "For now, I'm sticking to the visual route with you."
"..." I suspected my brain had been steamed to mush—otherwise, why were my ears bubbling?
Zhou Xu seemed to think it wasn't hot enough yet. He reached up and turned the shower back on. Water cascaded down, and he stood in the curtain of water, tilting his chin toward me. "Don't cry if your clothes get wet."
I looked down. Wearing only a thin house dress, the steam had made it cling uncomfortably close. I quickly crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. "Turn around!"
His smile grew more mischievous. "You watched me earlier, now I'm watching you. Fair's fair."
Fair my ass!
I swung my leg to kick his calf, but he sidestepped effortlessly. His arm swept around, pinning me against the dry vanity. The marble counter was icy cold. My lower back tensed, but his palm cushioned the impact just in time. His other hand reached behind me and pulled out the hair dryer.
"What are you thinking?" he murmured, his nose brushing mine. "I just want to dry your hair."
...Oh.
So it wasn't... cough.
The heat on my face had barely cooled by half a degree when he delivered the finishing blow in his usual leisurely tone: "Once it's dry, I'll deal with you."
4
Clean up?
How to clean up?
A thousand mosaic-like images flashed through my mind, completely beyond my control.
Zhou Xu actually plugged it in, using his fingers as a comb to gently smooth my hair strand by strand. Warm air swept past my ears, and his fingertips occasionally brushed my nape—seemingly accidental, yet deliberately so. Each touch sent a small electric current tingling down my spine.
"Xia Li," he murmured suddenly, his voice low and husky, "Your heartbeat is so loud."
I froze.
Instead, he tossed the dryer aside, braced his hands beside me, and lowered his head until our foreheads touched. "Mine too."
"...What?"
"My heartbeat," he said, taking my hand and pressing it against his left chest. "Feel it. It feels like—"
Beneath my palm, his heartbeat was fast and heavy, like drumbeats, thudding against the lost fawn pounding inside my own chest.
"Xiali," his Adam's apple bobbed as his voice dropped to a near whisper, "I've held back for so long."
My breath caught.
The next second, he lowered his head and kissed me.
It wasn't a tentative taste, nor a playful peck.
He captured my lower lip, his tongue tracing it gently yet insistently, as if signing and sealing a long-absent lover. My head buzzed, and my fingers unconsciously tangled in his damp hair.
The sound of water still echoed, steam still rose, yet all I could feel was him—
His scent, his warmth, his grip tightening around my waist.
After what felt like an eternity, he pulled back slightly, granting me a moment to breathe, yet his forehead remained pressed against mine, his nose brushing mine lightly. "Breathe, silly."
My mouth hung open like a fish out of water, gasping for air. He chuckled softly, his thumb brushing my lip. "Don't rush. There's still the second half."
5
"..."
What's the second half?
Before I could ask, I heard my mom calling from outside the door: "Xiao Xu? Xiao Li? Where are you two? I bought some late-night snacks!"
I froze instantly.
Zhou Xu reacted lightning-fast, snapping the shower off with a click. He grabbed a dry bath towel, wrapped it around me, scooped me up horizontally, and practically sprinted across the room, shoving me into the wardrobe in my bedroom next door.
"Wait a bit before coming out," he mouthed to me, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous grin.
Me: ???
The next second, he opened the bathroom door, his voice as calm as if he'd just washed his hands: "Mom, I'm here. There was a little problem with the pipes. Xiaoli said she'd go back to her room to change first."
Mom: "Oh, that girl, always in such a rush. Come out and eat some skewers!"
"Okay."
Footsteps faded into the distance. I huddled in the closet, clutching the towel, my heart still pounding like a drum.
In the darkness, I touched my lip—it was swollen, and a faint minty taste lingered.
Bastard.
Kisses me and then shoves me in the closet?
Just wait until my mom falls asleep. I'll show him what's what!