Chapter 31: A Foot to the Face

“?”

Shen Zhiyi had been about to fall asleep. Half-dozing, she was woken by a voice from the bathroom.

‘Why would anyone forget to bring clothes to the bath? What is going on in that little brat’s head?’

She rubbed her eyes, forced herself up, and turned on the light. The bedroom brightened instantly.

“Got it.”

Her voice came out hoarse from being woken up. She got out of bed, went to the wardrobe, and dug out Mo Liang’s pajamas and underwear. Then she carried the clothes to the bathroom door.

A layer of steam fogged the glass door, showing only a blurry figure inside.

Shen Zhiyi stood at the door. She had just raised her hand to knock when her mind replayed the way Mo Liang had called her, soft and sweet. It sounded so nice.

Her ears warmed. She took a deep breath, shook her head to clear the messy thoughts, and knocked twice. She tried to keep her voice steady.

“Open the door a little. I’ll pass the clothes in.”

“Okay… wait a moment.”

The person inside sounded rushed. A rustling followed.

Through the glass door, Shen Zhiyi could vaguely make out her movements. She was hurriedly wrapping a towel around herself.

Shen Zhiyi stood outside, her gaze unconsciously following the swaying figure. She could almost picture Mo Liang right now.

Little Yellow Hair was standing in the bathroom, soaked from head to toe, holding a towel that could not cover her whole body. The more anxious she got, the worse she wrapped it.

Shen Zhiyi’s face suddenly heated up. She quickly looked away and pinched her own thigh. The pain cleared her head a little, and she barely pushed down the messy images.

“Okay, I’m opening the door now.”

Mo Liang’s voice came from behind the door. Shen Zhiyi could see the figure slowly approach the glass. The handle turned, and the door opened a narrow crack.

A hand reached out. It was pitifully small.

Shen Zhiyi was about to pass the clothes over when she realized that little hand could not possibly hold the whole stack.

Mo Liang fumbled behind the door for a moment. She finally realized that one hand was not enough, and using two would expose most of her body.

She looked down at the pink towel wrapped around her chest. It seemed secure enough. It should be fine.

The next second, the glass door slid open a little more.

Under Shen Zhiyi’s startled gaze, a wet little head poked out first, then her entire upper body.

Her damp hair clung messily to her shoulders. Water droplets slid down her collarbone. Her small face was flushed pink from the steam, her eyes wet and bright, her lips still moist from the bath.

Shen Zhiyi turned her head the instant she saw her, but she could not help glancing back. Her eyes stole quick looks.

She saw the pink towel barely covering the area above her chest. Below it, her waist was astonishingly slim, with a thin layer of soft flesh that rose and fell with her breathing.

Her throat moved. She suddenly felt very thirsty.

“Why are you standing there? Give me the clothes.”

Mo Liang reached out again when she saw Shen Zhiyi not moving.

Shen Zhiyi’s gaze swept up and down uncontrollably. Mo Liang seemed to notice. Her little face scrunched up in disgust, and she snatched the clothes.

The door slammed shut.

“Perverted sister! Staring at my body!”

“Huh?”

Shen Zhiyi froze. She instinctively touched her nose. Good, no nosebleed.

She wanted to explain. She opened her mouth, but only managed, “I wasn’t.”

Even she thought it sounded weak.

During those ten seconds or so, she had actually stolen more looks than she could count.

When no response came from inside, Shen Zhiyi walked quietly back to the bedroom. She let out a soft sigh and comforted herself.

‘It’s only human nature.’

‘She’s my little sister. What’s wrong with a few glances? It’s not illegal. At worst, I’ll let her look back at me someday.’

At that thought, she pinched her own arm hard. The pain made her gasp.

‘No. I can’t keep going on like this.’

She had to act like a proper older sister. So she hugged her pillow, rolled off the bed, and lay back down obediently on her small mat.

‘Sigh, life.’

Shen Zhiyi lay on the small mat on the floor. She reached up and turned off the light. Staring at the dark ceiling, her mind kept replaying the scene at the bathroom door.

‘If that little brat had slipped and fallen right into my arms, that would have been nice.’

‘…No. How could she have that kind of thought?’

Shen Zhiyi squeezed her eyes shut and scolded herself inwardly. She was not like this before. Why had she been getting worse lately?

A moment later, the hum of a hair dryer came from the living room. Little Yellow Hair must have finished her bath.

Then came the shuffle of slippers, getting closer. Shen Zhiyi did not pay much attention. She was still arguing with herself.

But just as the footsteps neared the bed, a terrible thought struck her.

She was sleeping on the small mat.

That was not the point. The point was the mat was laid right in the middle of the walkway. For Mo Liang to get into bed, she had to take off her slippers and step over the mat.

Shen Zhiyi’s position happened to be exactly where Mo Liang would step. Worse, the light was off. Mo Liang definitely could not see her.

And yesterday she had slept on the bed. That little brat would never expect her to sleep on the floor again tonight.

She opened her mouth to warn her, but it was too late.

A soft little foot, still damp from the bath, landed squarely on her face.

“Ah! What is that?!”

Mo Liang had just taken off her slippers and stepped barefoot onto the mat. Her sole pressed down on something soft and warm. She screamed.

She bounced back as if shocked, retreated two steps, and fumbled for her phone. She turned on the flashlight and shone it at the mat.

Shen Zhiyi was lying on the small mat, staring at the ceiling with a dead look in her eyes.

“What the hell! Why are you sleeping on the floor? You scared me!”

Mo Liang patted her chest, still shaken, her tone full of complaint.

By now Shen Zhiyi had sat up. Messy strands of hair clung to her cheeks. She looked at Little Yellow Hair, who was playing the victim despite being the one at fault, and felt both annoyed and amused.

“So it’s my fault?”

“Of course it’s your fault! You don’t sleep in bed at night. You lie on the floor like a corpse and don’t even make a sound!”

The more Mo Liang spoke, the more justified she felt. She put her hands on her hips, utterly self-righteous.

Shen Zhiyi stared at her. She had wanted to argue back, but her mouth opened and closed. In the end, she squeezed out through her teeth, “Fine. You win.”

She stood up slowly, expressionless, but her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. Then clenched again.

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