Chapter 146: Washing Up

Chapter 146: Washing Up

After some time, Lin Shu finally finished her bath and emerged from the river.

She used the inside of her soiled clothes to wipe off the water droplets, changed into clean attire, and called out to Zhou Ye, "A Ye, I'm done. You can go now."

She was a bit tired; otherwise, she might have lingered in the river a little longer.

The river water, just as A Ye had said, still held a residual warmth—neither too cold nor too hot—making it wonderfully comfortable to soak in. She mused about bringing a small bamboo stool next time to sit on while bathing; wouldn’t that be less effort than squatting?

Hearing Lin Shu’s call, Zhou Ye hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped out from behind the large tree.

But the moment he emerged, Zhou Ye caught sight of Lin Shu’s appearance, and a rush of blood surged through him.

A Shu’s hair at her temples was damp, and water droplets still clung to her face and neck, a large one tracing a path down her fair skin.

But these were minor details.

What truly captivated him was that A Shu’s upper garment was unfastened!

His gaze immediately fell upon the form-fitting undergarment she wore beneath—red with embroidered white plum blossoms. Clinging tightly to her body, it accentuated her slender and well-proportioned figure, especially the curves of her…

Zhou Ye’s eyes, having inadvertently strayed to a certain area, snapped back instantly.

He had seen A Shu dressed so boldly before, but that was at night, when he could only discern vague outlines. Now, under the bright, starlit sky, which illuminated both the river and the shore, he could see A Shu’s appearance with crystal clarity, every graceful curve of her body distinctly visible.

He felt hot all over again.

Lin Shu was amused by his reaction—clearly interested, yet trying to avoid looking.

Ah, this must be the difference between modern and ancient people, she thought.

A good figure should be shown off, shouldn't it? It wasn't as if she were naked. But for ancient people, a fine physique had to be hidden away; revealing it was considered improper and scandalous.

Yet, Lin Shu wouldn’t admit she had done it on purpose.

She stamped her foot playfully, putting on an exaggerated act as she said, "A Ye, you came out too quickly! I haven't even tied my sash yet."

Zhou Ye: …

He knew A Shu was being deliberate, but her feigned shyness struck him as charming and endearing.

He truly adored it.

He didn’t expose her, nor did he feign turning away and tell her to dress properly. Instead, he played along, replying, "Then I’ll come out slower next time."

Lin Shu let out a light hum, feeling a sudden lack of amusement.

A Ye wasn’t the same as he used to be—not so easily flustered. Look how composed he appeared now. Even though she knew he was undoubtedly stirred by her, he maintained a calm exterior. What fun was there in teasing him like this anymore?

Lin Shu dropped her affected pose, closed her open garment, and properly tied the sash. She said to Zhou Ye, "It’s getting late. You should go wash up quickly. I’ll keep watch for you."

Zhou Ye felt he didn’t need anyone to keep watch. His hearing was excellent; he would notice if anyone approached. Besides, the spot was remote, and they were the last household at the village’s edge.

Even if Zhao San and his family moved here later, they probably wouldn’t come all this way just for a cold bath. Not everyone was as particular as Zhou Ye.

"A Shu, wait for me. I’ll be quick," Zhou Ye said.

He came to the river to bathe every day, so he wasn’t particularly dirty—just needed to wash off the day’s sweat. He usually finished quickly.

But after he spoke, A Shu remained motionless.

Zhou Ye looked at her, puzzled. "A Shu?"

Lin Shu crossed her arms, her eyes curving like crescent moons as she smiled. "What are you looking at me for? Go ahead and wash."

Zhou Ye fell silent.

Did A Shu mean...? She wanted to watch him undress?

But it was no big deal. He always only took off his upper garment and went into the water wearing his trousers.

So, right in front of Lin Shu, Zhou Ye calmly took off his short coat. Then, wearing his trousers, he strode into the river with his long legs.

"A Ye, why are you going in with your trousers on? Can you really get clean like that? Or are you worried about thieves?" Lin Shu put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

If A Ye dared say yes, she wouldn’t give him any favors in the future.

Zhou Ye hurriedly explained, "A Shu, I always wear trousers when bathing in the river."

Lin Shu: "I don’t believe you. You’re lying to me."

Zhou Ye, exasperated, had no choice but to explain further, "When have I ever lied to you? I go into the river wearing them, and when I wash, I just reach in and scrub. Anyway, the clothes I change out of need to be rinsed here before I take them back, so it’s fine if they get wet."

Hearing this, Lin Shu started giggling for some reason.

Reach inside to scrub? Why did that image seem so funny?

Ancient people were indeed more reserved, unlike her, who had stripped completely bare just moments ago.

Would A Ye be shocked by her boldness?

Let him be shocked—that's just how she was. Putting on an act of innocence in front of outsiders was one thing, but with someone who would accompany her for a long time, possibly even a lifetime, she had to be true to herself and do what felt comfortable.

Fortunately, A Ye could accept it—and was getting used to it faster and faster. He indulged all her bold, ahead-of-her-time behaviors and was even becoming bolder himself under her influence.

Who would have believed it before? That A Ye would go out with a young woman at night to bathe?

Lin Shu couldn’t help but chuckle softly again at the thought.

"Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Go ahead. You must be exhausted after wandering in the mountains all day."

Zhou Ye glanced at her and saw that not only was she not upset, but she was secretly amused by something. Though he didn’t understand why, he felt relieved. He didn’t want A Shu to misunderstand.

Actually, if A Shu insisted he take off his trousers—

He would do it.

In such matters, it wasn’t as if he would be the one at a disadvantage. He was just a little afraid that he might… startle A Shu.

Zhou Ye, wearing his long trousers, went into the river without worry.

He also went behind the large rock in the center of the river. With the rock shielding him, even if he made any indelicate movements while bathing, he wouldn’t have to worry about A Shu seeing.

Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that he was tall enough that even when squatting, his head and half his shoulders would still be visible above the rock. As a result, Lin Shu could roughly guess what he was doing based on the movements of his shoulders.

Lin Shu watched for a while, seeing him quickly scrubbing and patting himself, and finally lowering his head, his right shoulder dipping downward.

Hah.

He really did reach in to wash himself.

Lin Shu pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh, averted her gaze, and stopped watching. She found a dry stone by the shore to sit on, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at the crescent moon.

The night breeze wasn’t hot; it was cool and refreshing, blowing gently against her face, which felt utterly comfortable. She had just finished bathing, and her whole body felt clean and refreshed.

No wonder A Ye came to the river to bathe every day—this was far more comfortable than wiping down with a damp cloth.

She decided then: she would come here every day from now on.

With A Ye accompanying her, even in the wilderness, she felt perfectly safe.

A Ye, A Ye—the name actually suited him quite well.

Zhou Ye really did bathe quickly. Lin Shu had only been lost in thought for a short while when he came ashore. His loose hemp trousers, now soaked, clung wetly to his legs, outlining their straight, firm shape.

And a certain part of him, even at rest, was quite impressive.

Tsk, Lin Shu felt she would be quite happy in the future.

In her past life, though she hadn’t tasted meat, she had certainly smelled its aroma. Especially since her fallen rival often paraded herself in front of her, deliberately talking about *that* kind of thing—how it felt like floating in ecstasy, how women needed to be "moisturized" by men to become more beautiful. And indeed, every time after *that*, her rival did seem rejuvenated, as if she had taken a youth-restoring pill. Her rival tried to pique Lin Shu’s curiosity, hoping to lead her down the same path.

Though Lin Shu never let her succeed, she wasn’t as calm as she appeared. Of course, she was curious. But in her past life, she had been too focused on filling her stomach; everything else had to take a back seat.

Now, though, it seemed she was well-fed and beginning to think of lustful desires.

Or perhaps, a man like A Ye was simply a feast for the eyes?

Who said that phrase could only describe women? Men could be just as enticing.

Lin Shu didn’t stare at inappropriate places for long. Joking was one thing, but she still had a bit of modest reserve.

After coming ashore, Zhou Ye first shook off the water droplets, then went to pick up his dirty clothes from the ground.

Common folks weren’t that particular. For wiping down, they might use a cloth, but after rinsing off in the river, they usually just used the inside-out dirty clothes they’d changed out of. The outside of the clothes might be dirty, but the inside was still relatively clean.

Seeing A Ye pick up his previously discarded dirty clothes to wipe himself, Lin Shu couldn’t stand it and tossed him the clothes she had used. "Use mine. They only got slightly damp when I wiped myself, so they should be enough for you."

Although they had done similar tasks today, things like digging up the pepper trees and picking wild fruits were done by A Ye. He had even climbed a tree to pick Nanking cherries. How could his clothes compare to hers? His were filthy on the outside; even turned inside out, the inside wouldn’t be much cleaner.

Zhou Ye caught the bundle of clothes Lin Shu threw at him. The bundle contained a top and a skirt, with a changed, pale yellow inner garment hidden within.

A Shu had simply crumpled them into a ball and tossed them over without even looking.

Zhou Ye's palm felt scalding hot the moment he caught the clothes. Even though he had just washed in the river, it felt like it had been for nothing—he was sweating again, feeling intensely hot.

Sensing something, Zhou Ye quickly used the bundle of clothes Lin Shu had thrown to wipe the water off his body, simultaneously covering a certain area.

"A Ye, if you don’t take off your wet trousers, how are you going to change into clean ones?" Lin Shu asked, laughter bubbling in her voice.

Zhou Ye, deliberately keeping his back to her, was already wrestling with whether to take off his trousers when he heard A Shu’s question.

Lin Shu saw his figure stiffen slightly and burst out laughing.

After a good while, she turned around. "Just teasing you. Go ahead and change."

Anyway, those wet trousers clung so tightly to his legs they hardly hid anything. What was erect was distinctly sexy, and what was resting was still impressively sizable—she could see it all clearly.

And those straight, long legs made shorter people endlessly envious and jealous.

Zhou Ye glanced back, saw that Lin Shu had indeed turned away, and immediately stripped off his trousers with the fastest speed he could muster, then hastily wiped himself with Lin Shu’s crumpled clothes.

But whether from nervousness or something else, as he wiped, the bundle came undone. The small inner garment tucked inside fell out, landing right where he was covering himself.

Zhou Ye immediately felt very, very uneasy.

Although this inner garment was one A Shu had changed out of, soaked with her sweat, A Shu’s sweat carried a pleasant, feminine fragrance. He didn’t find the garment dirty at all; on the contrary...

His hand clutching the small garment tightened involuntarily.

Hearing the rustling sounds behind her, Lin Shu frowned suspiciously and suddenly spoke up, "A Ye, are you done yet?"

Startled by her sudden question, Zhou Ye’s pupils contracted sharply.

Flustered, he hurriedly wrapped the now thoroughly soiled small garment inside the other clothes, then wrapped another layer with his own dirty clothes. Making sure no unusual scent escaped, he hastily pulled on his trousers and his short coat, replying in a steady voice, "A Shu, I'm done."

Lin Shu approached, about to take his hand, when a flicker of panic crossed Zhou Ye's eyes. "A Shu, wait a moment. My palms are sweaty."

He hurried to the riverbank to wash his hands again, scrubbing the "sweat" from his palms clean, then, expression normal again, took Lin Shu’s hand and they started walking back.

On the way back, both feeling clean and refreshed, Lin Shu didn’t ask him to carry her piggyback. That kind of close contact would easily make them sweat. On the way to the river, she had noticed A Ye’s back was already sweaty.

"A Ye, I really won’t come tonight. Don’t wait up, get a good sleep, okay? If you can’t sleep, just think about the characters I taught you earlier. Trace each stroke in your mind. Writing them mentally will eventually make you fall asleep. It’s a very effective method; you should try it."

Zhou Ye responded with a slow "Mmm." "A Shu, you should get to sleep early too."

Lin Shu, heartlessly cheerful, said, "I’ll definitely sleep soundly." No sooner had she finished speaking than she let out a big yawn.

Originally, she had been worried that A Ye might have been too pent up from their kiss in the mountains during the day and thought about sneaking into his bed late at night to give him a chance to take another cold shower in the yard. But now, she was simply too tired and would probably fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. A Ye would just have to wait for another day.

Little did Lin Shu know that the very A Ye she worried was pent up had already been stirred by her earlier words to the point of trembling release, using her fragrant, sweat-dampened small garment. The garment was left in a disgraceful state.

After Zhou Ye confirmed Lin Shu was sound asleep in her room, he stealthily got up again, took the basket of dirty clothes, and returned to the river.

He quickly separated his own dirty clothes, took out the small garment he had soiled, and rinsed it thoroughly in the river several times.

Washing only this one small garment would be far too suspicious, so he ended up washing all the clothes Lin Shu had changed out of as well.

The next morning, He Guixiang, rising early as usual, went to collect the dirty clothes A Shu and Xiao Pu had changed out of.

Since summer began, the weather was hot, and they sweated a lot. Even if clothes weren’t visibly dirty, they needed to be changed and washed. Especially since A Shu was particularly fastidious, He Guixiang made a habit of collecting A Shu’s clothes every morning to wash and hang them first. But this time, He Guixiang didn’t find any dirty clothes in the room. Instead, she saw them already hanging on the clothesline in the yard.

At first, she thought A Shu had washed them herself. Although He Guixiang had spoiled A Shu since her arrival, sparing her from manual chores, A Shu wasn’t lazy—she just liked to sleep in. It was He Guixiang, as her mother, who indulged her.

But upon second thought, that didn’t seem right.

A Shu must have finished her tasks quite late last night; when would she have had time to wash clothes? She wasn’t like A Ye, who was fussy about cleanliness, washing his dirty clothes right after bathing in the river or getting up early to fetch water and wash clothes by the river.

Suddenly, He Guixiang thought of something. She looked towards A Ye, who was already busy working in the yard, and her expression gradually grew thoughtful and a little knowing.