Chapter 59: A Helping Hand

Li Xiao’s tone was casual, but the mischievous glint in his eyes was unmistakable.

Jiang Yu’s face flushed again.

“…No need. I can do it myself.”

“Really?”

Li Xiao walked over and gently tapped the cast on Jiang Yu’s right arm.

“That hand can’t move. Taking off and putting on clothes will be tricky. I’m a legitimate caregiver, offering professional assistance.”

He said it with a straight face, but Jiang Yu caught the teasing undertone.

“I can manage with one hand.”

Jiang Yu looked away, his ears reddening.

“You go out.”

“Fine.”

Li Xiao stopped teasing him. He placed the pajamas on the shelf by the sink.

“Put the dirty clothes in the hamper; the housekeeper will get them. Call me if you need anything. I’ll be right outside.”

He paused at the door and turned back.

“Don’t lock the door. What if you slip and I can’t get in?”

Jiang Yu shot him a glare.

“…Got it.”

Li Xiao smiled and closed the bathroom door.

Jiang Yu stood still, listening to the fading footsteps beyond the door, and let out a soft sigh.

The bathroom still carried the faint scent of Li Xiao’s cologne, mingling with the steam to create an intimate, warm sensation.

He walked to the tub and tested the water. It was just right.

Clumsily, he peeled off his clothes with his left hand—jacket, sweater, pants, and finally his undergarments.

The cast on his right arm was heavy and cumbersome; every movement required extra caution.

Undressing took twice as long as usual.

As he stepped into the tub, the warm water enveloped him instantly, and Jiang Yu couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.

His tense muscles slowly relaxed in the heat.

He carefully rested his plastered right arm on the edge of the tub and used his left hand to scoop water over himself.

The bathroom grew steamy, the mirror fogging up.

Jiang Yu closed his eyes, but his mind uncontrollably replayed the image of Li Xiao bending down to fill the tub earlier, and his playful words, “Good boy.”

His cheeks burned again.

He shook his head and sped up his washing.

****

Jiang Yu gripped the edge of the tub with one hand and stood up, sending a splash of water cascading down.

He grabbed a towel with his left hand, wrapped it around himself, and carefully stepped out onto the bathmat.

The cast on his right arm felt heavy and awkward; he had to be extra careful to keep his balance.

After drying off, Jiang Yu picked up the dark gray pajamas Li Xiao had prepared.

He managed to pull on the pants with his left hand, the motion going relatively smoothly.

But the top was the problem.

It was a button-down cardigan style.

Jiang Yu pinched the first button with his left thumb and forefinger and tried to guide it through the buttonhole.

Operating with one hand was far harder than he’d imagined.

The button kept slipping, and the hole was small. His fingers were still damp from the steam, and after several attempts, he still hadn’t succeeded.

He pressed his lips together, frowned slightly, and tried again.

This time, the button barely squeezed through the hole, but it was crooked. The whole front of the shirt was pulled askew, the button and hole misaligned, making him look thoroughly disheveled.

Just then, Li Xiao’s voice came from outside the bathroom.

“Not done yet? Need help?”

“…No.”

Jiang Yu answered instinctively, his voice muffled.

He continued wrestling with the stubborn button, trying to undo it and start over, but one-handed operation only made things worse—the button was stuck halfway, neither going in nor coming out.

“Jiang Yu?”

Li Xiao’s voice was closer now, just outside the door.

“I’ll be right there.”

Jiang Yu grew flustered and yanked at it.

“Ah—”

The pull jarred his right arm, sending a sharp pang through him.

Almost simultaneously, the bathroom door swung open.

Li Xiao stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu’s wet hair was still dripping, beads of water trailing down his neck into the loose collar of his pajama top. The shirt was twisted and bunched, the top button stubbornly stuck in the hole, the front hanging open to reveal a sliver of collarbone and chest. He was still gripping that recalcitrant button in his left hand, his cheeks flushed from the struggle and embarrassment, his lashes dewy, his expression a mix of helplessness and annoyance.

Li Xiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He strode over, his voice huskier than before.

“Let me help.”

Jiang Yu froze, watching him approach.

Li Xiao was still wearing the dark gray turtleneck from earlier, sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing strong forearms.

He stopped in front of Jiang Yu, his eyes landing on the misbehaving button, then lifting to meet Jiang Yu’s gaze.

“Why act tough with one hand?”

Jiang Yu pursed his lips, saying nothing, and lowered his lashes.

Li Xiao sighed and reached out to undo the button.

His fingers were long and dry, moving gently but steadily.

Inevitably, his fingertips brushed against the skin below Jiang Yu’s neck, still warm and damp from the bath.

Jiang Yu’s body tensed slightly.

Feeling his nervousness, Li Xiao slowed down.

First, he carefully worked the button free from the hole, then, one by one, from top to bottom, he unfastened every button on Jiang Yu’s pajama top.

The shirt fell open on either side, revealing Jiang Yu’s lean but defined chest and abdomen.

Under the warm yellow bathroom light, beads of water still glistened on his skin, rising and falling with each breath.

Li Xiao’s breath caught for a moment.

His fingers paused on the last button, his fingertips burning.

Then he raised his eyes to meet Jiang Yu’s again.

Jiang Yu’s face was already deep red, even his ears tinged pink. His wet lashes hung low, too shy to look at him.

Li Xiao’s Adam’s apple moved again.

He forced himself to look away and focus on the buttons.

This time, he started from the bottom.

He pinched each button, guided it through its hole, slow and deliberate.

With every button fastened, his fingertips glided lightly over Jiang Yu’s skin.

From his abdomen, to his chest, to below his collarbone.

The sensation grew clearer each time.

Jiang Yu’s breathing gradually became erratic.

He could feel the warmth of Li Xiao’s fingertips, see the shadow of Li Xiao’s lowered lashes against his skin, smell the faint cologne mingling with the humid bathroom air.

When Li Xiao reached the button at chest level, his hand paused.

His fingertip lingered just below Jiang Yu’s collarbone, where a small, light brown mole rested.

Li Xiao’s thumb brushed ever so lightly over the mole.

Jiang Yu shuddered, his left hand instinctively gripping the edge of the sink.

“Li Xiao…”

His voice was soft, trembling.

“Hmm?”

Li Xiao looked up, his gaze intense enough to burn.

They stared at each other.

The only sounds in the bathroom were the soft hum of the vent fan and their increasingly ragged breaths.

Li Xiao’s finger still rested on the button, the skin beneath it blazing hot.

He stared at Jiang Yu’s reddened lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing violently.

Then he slowly lowered his head.

Jiang Yu closed his eyes.

But the expected kiss never came.

Li Xiao’s forehead gently touched his own, his breath hot against Jiang Yu’s cheek.

“Jiang Yu…”

Li Xiao’s voice was hoarse, barely controlled.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to hold back.”

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