Chapter 18: Like

The weight on my stomach was surprisingly light.

It matched Sister Yuan’s slim frame but not her curves.

Her slender waist had no extra fat.

Her flat abdomen was pale and smooth.

Her thighs were crystalline, full yet soft.

She kissed me repeatedly, leaving faint pink marks.

She inhaled my scent, seemingly lost in it.

“Sister Yuan, you’re like an addict.”

“Am I some kind of hard drug?”

“Your scent, Xiao You, is the most intoxicating thing in the world to me.”

Your words are chilling.

I don’t remember my Sister Yuan being this weird!

I wasn’t going to stop her.

If this is all she’s doing, I can handle it.

As long as her hips don’t slide lower.

“Alright, enough.”

“Get up.”

“If you move lower, you’ll hit a bad spot.”

“Can’t I?”

“I was thinking of just…”

“Fine, if you’re not ready, we’ll wait for a better time.”

“What were you thinking?”

“I’m not old enough for that!”

She stood and sat in the bathtub.

She curled her legs, half-submerged in water.

“Then scrub my back.”

“That’s okay, right?”

That’s not too bad.

Scrubbing her back it is.

I stepped into the tub reluctantly.

I sat cross-legged behind her.

Her snowy back showed symmetrical shoulder blades.

They curved like butterfly wings, strikingly beautiful.

I fought my nerves and embarrassment.

I picked up the towel and gently wiped her back.

“Use body wash first.”

“Do you think a few wipes will clean me?”

“Uh… isn’t that a bit much?”

“What’s too much?”

“I’ve washed you so many times before.”

“You can’t even put body wash on me and scrub my back?”

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

I took two deep breaths.

I squeezed a few drops of body wash into my hands.

I pressed them to her back, spreading it gently.

Her skin felt like silk, impossibly smooth.

“Wait.”

She suddenly leaned forward.

Her hands reached back and untied her top.

“This makes it easier, right?”

Her hands covered her front, barely concealing her curves.

They were half-hidden in the bathroom’s steam.

I stared at her back, avoiding anything I shouldn’t see.

“Xiao You, you can press harder.”

“I’m not as fragile as you think.”

“I know, just turn back.”

As she spoke, she turned slightly.

More of her fair skin came into view.

It stirred my already restless heart.

“Are you super nervous and shy, Xiao You?”

“No kidding!”

“Look at yourself right now.”

“Who could stay calm in this situation?”

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

“Haven’t I said it a million times?”

“Sister Yuan, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Face, figure, everything.”

“You’ve raised my standards sky-high.”

I answered her while continuing to rub her back.

“Do you like me, Xiao You?”

“As a guy.”

Her sudden question threw me off.

It left me flustered.

Her feelings for me have always been obvious.

But she’s never asked for my response.

“Sister Yuan, what’s it like to like someone as the opposite s*x?”

“You’re the most important person in my life.”

“I have feelings for you, a kind of love.”

“But I don’t know if it’s the kind you want.”

“I’m sorry.”

She chuckled softly and stood.

She pushed me forward and took my spot.

Her arms wrapped around me from behind.

Her full curves pressed directly against my back, no fabric in between.

“My love for you, Xiao You, is wanting to hold you like this forever.”

“To keep you lost in my arms.”

“To feel every part of you, always close.”

“To help you do everything you want.”

“So you only need to look at me.”

“To make us inseparable parts of each other.”

“Everything about you captivates me.”

“I want all of you, completely mine.”

“I…”

“No rush to answer.”

“I just wanted to see your reaction.”

“I’ve never demanded a response.”

“I’ll wait for you, Xiao You.”

“Until the day you love me and confess to me.”

“I’m only a teenager!”

“Your actions are totally meant to tempt me!”

“You’re after my body!”

“You want me to make the first move?”

Truth is, I’m as bad as Zheng, maybe worse.

I’m terrible at reading the room.

I blurt out dumb quips at the wrong time.

I love saying stuff like this when she’s serious.

Part of it’s because I can’t handle serious Sister Yuan.

Part of it’s my silly hope it’ll embarrass her.

A small victory after being under her thumb so long.

“So you don’t want to do anything to me?”

“You clearly want to…”

She didn’t finish.

Her hands roamed over me.

Now they reached my stomach, heading lower.

“That’s a normal reaction!”

“You know how charming you are.”

“Anyone would react like this.”

“No one else gets this chance.”

“You’re special, Xiao You.”

“The only one who sees me like this.”

“The only one I treat this way.”

“It’s your exclusive right.”

“You should make the most of it.”

“So, can I go a bit lower?”

“No way!”

“If you keep touching, I’m done showering with you!”

A sharp pain in my waist snapped me back to reason.

I was shocked at how hard I pinched myself.

“Ouch, Xiao You, you’re harsh on yourself.”

“I feel bad just watching.”

“No need for that.”

“I’d be gentle, I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“If you want to go further, I’d make it happen.”

“Why hold back?”

“I don’t want to do anything.”

“Not now, and I shouldn’t.”

“I’m too young for this, Sister Yuan.”

“Think it through.”

“So what?”

“If it’s you, I’d accept any cost.”

I grabbed a towel nearby.

I quickly turned and draped it over her.

I averted my eyes, trying not to look.

“Time to finish up, right?”

“I’m exhausted.”

“I want to sleep.”

She grabbed the towel from my hands.

She tossed it aside.

She hugged me tightly, pressing my head into her close embrace.

“Let me hold you like this for a bit.”

“Such a great chance, and I only did this much.”

“What a shame.”

“You’ve done plenty!”

“What else do you want to do?”

“Hehe, you’ll find out someday.”

“What I want might be a bit much.”

How could my love for you be just this, Xiao You?

My true feelings for you are too twisted, too intense.

I don’t dare tell you everything.

But I won’t deny these feelings.

I’ll accept them, understand them, and act on them.

Xiao You, when you fully see my excessive love…

Please don’t blame me, okay?

*TL Note: The term “close embrace” (replacing 洗面奶, literally “face-washing milk”) refers to a playful anime/manga trope where a character’s face is pressed into another’s chest, often for comedic or romantic effect, reflecting Mo Yuan’s bold, teasing behavior.