SDVPP Chapter 51

The two of them had lunch and then went out to have some more fun. By a little past six in the evening, they took a quick shower and got ready to head down to the hot springs.

To be honest, soaking in a hot spring was more fun when there were more people around. The types of single-person hot springs were just too limited—usually only one or two kinds.

Rong Xu didn’t want to restrict Chi Han, so he took the initiative to suggest going to look around the public hot spring area.

Chi Han was quite surprised when he heard that, because Rong Xu had always disliked having too much contact with strangers.

Let alone something like soaking in a hot spring together.

But didn’t this just prove even more that Rong Xu was slowly changing himself?

Chi Han thought this, and the smile on his face grew warmer. His eyes sparkled brightly.

The central hot spring area was the heart of the entire hot spring town.

There were hot spring pools of all sizes, each separated by variously shaped stones.

These stones had been soaked in water all year round, becoming smooth and rounded over time. Even if you leaned against them, they wouldn’t scratch your skin.

The entire hot spring area was indoors, but the ceiling was built high, so it didn’t give a feeling of being closed in. The only semi-open-air area was located at the very edge of the zone.

If you looked up, you could see roughly ten square meters of irregular sky.

Strictly speaking, it couldn’t really be called open-air. It was just that in that spot, you could see the outside while soaking in the water—the ceiling above was fitted with a glass panel to create a kind of window.

The hot spring town was located in a suburban, mountainous area, with lots of fog and rain. At night, you could even see the stars, so that particular spot was the most popular with guests.

Chi Han took one look from a distance and gave up right away.

Forget it. He figured that if they went in, it’d be leg to leg with other people. Never mind Rong Xu, even he wouldn’t be able to stand that.

He scanned the area and decided to start with one of the smaller pools.

You couldn’t just step straight into a hot spring. You had to rinse yourself with the hot spring water first.

As soon as Rong Xu looked up, he saw Chi Han holding up a wooden bucket with a mischievous grin he was clearly trying to suppress. His eyes kept drifting toward Rong Xu.

“What are you doing?”

In the thick, steamy mist swirling around them, Rong Xu’s cold voice was like an ancient block of ice—it instantly pulled a person back to reality.

The puff of confidence that Chi Han had just inflated inside him deflated with a whoosh. He suddenly felt a little guilty for no reason and lowered the bucket slightly.

“I wasn’t doing anything… Can’t I pour it on myself?”

“Give it to me.”

Rong Xu reached out his hand, and the wide sleeve slipped down, revealing a forearm so pale it was nearly translucent.

Maybe it was the calm, unwavering look in Rong Xu’s eyes, but Chi Han instinctively handed over the wooden bucket.

That arm looked delicate at first glance, but when he lifted the bucket, the smooth definition of his muscles became evident. The wooden bucket was lifted steadily, and the water inside rippled gently with a soft wave.

“Sit down.”

Chi Han obeyed the command instantly, sitting cross-legged like a well-trained soldier on the smooth, warm cobblestones.

Rong Xu tilted the bucket gently, letting the spring water pour down slowly. The moment the warm water touched his skin, Chi Han shivered involuntarily.

“Too hot?”

Chi Han shook his head. The spring water was being poured down his back. The thin bathrobe clung to his spine, curving slightly near the lower back, where a faint hint of black could vaguely be seen.

Rong Xu’s gaze grew a few degrees warmer.

Once Chi Han had gotten used to the temperature, Rong Xu set the wooden bucket aside and gave a slight tilt of his chin.

“Go ahead.”

It was an obvious signal that he had no intention of getting into the water.

Chi Han: “…………”

Rong Xu casually reached for a magazine from the nearby rack and leaned back against the chair, flipping it open.

His legs couldn’t even rest securely against the edge of the pool if he got in. Since they were out having fun, he didn’t want Chi Han to be subjected to strange looks from others.

Chi Han lowered his eyes in silence for a moment, but in the end, he still went into the water by himself.

He knew exactly what Rong Xu was concerned about, but he didn’t care how others looked at him. He was only worried that Rong Xu might overthink things.

Forget it. He’d just soak here for a while, then return to the single-person room. The whole point of coming this time was to help Rong Xu warm and loosen his meridians.

Once he’d thought it through, Chi Han’s mood perked up again. After all, this was the first time in both his lifetimes that he’d ever been to a hot spring.

“—Tss—whoa!”

Chi Han, with no experience, stepped right in without caution. The slightly high temperature instantly flushed his skin red.

It took quite a while before he gradually adjusted to the heat.

A strong herbal scent filled the air. As Chi Han moved through the water, he bumped into several small medicinal pouches.

This particular pool was a medicinal bath.

Chi Han, mimicking the people around him, was just about to lean back when a large towel came flying at his head.

“Lay it on the stone before you lean back.”

He turned to look—and sure enough, Rong Xu was watching him. Even through the swirling white steam, those dark eyes of his carried a hint of moisture.

Like a piece of obsidian just pulled from the water—stunningly beautiful.

But they never let anything else in. They always gleamed with a cold, distant light.

Suddenly, Chi Han had a mischievous urge. He wanted to see what kind of expression Rong Xu would make if he got startled!

Rong Xu, after tossing the towel, had gone right back to reading his magazine. Chi Han pretended to spread the towel out on the stone, but in reality, his legs were already bent slightly—he was poised and ready to spring up and dash toward Rong Xu.

He waited ten seconds. Then, with a push of his arms, he vaulted over the edge of the pool and ran forward. In his head, he was already imagining the scene where Rong Xu’s eyes widened in surprise.

But he had forgotten one thing.

He was wearing a bathrobe. Running on cobblestones.

And the bathrobe was wet.

So, right in front of everyone, Chi Han stumbled, stepped on the hem of his robe, and promptly slipped and skidded forward, ending up kneeling right in front of Rong Xu.

Rong Xu instinctively reached out to catch him. By the time he registered what had happened, his hand was resting on the back of Chi Han’s neck.

Chi Han was sprawled between Rong Xu’s legs, face blank with shock.

Right now, all he wanted was to go back five minutes in time and beat himself to death.

“If I said this was an accident, would you believe me?”

Chi Han looked up at Rong Xu calmly, his voice dry and brittle, like it had just been wrung dry.

Rong Xu let out a breath. For the first time, there was no trace of a smile on his face. He stared darkly at Chi Han, silently, until a flicker of panic finally showed in the other’s eyes.

The impulse he had barely held together instantly scattered like smoke.

Forget it. It wasn’t the right time yet. No need to scare him off.

Chi Han seemed to realize he’d gone too far this time. He lightly braced his hands against Rong Xu’s legs, stammering for a long while but unable to get a word out.

Rong Xu reached out and gave him a light smack on the back of the neck. Though his voice was still cool, the oppressive air around him had completely dissipated.

“Get up. My clothes are wet.”

Chi Han quickly got to his feet and offered eagerly, as if trying to make up for it, “Then let me push you back to change!”

Rong Xu lowered his gaze slightly and gave a soft “Mm.” He didn’t look angry anymore.

Chi Han let out a breath of relief but also clenched his fists in frustration.

He was truly speechless at himself. Even if it hadn’t been intentional, Rong Xu had clearly been unhappy just now!

Thinking back on it, he really had acted weird just now—so awkward he wanted to crawl out of his own skin!

That look Rong Xu gave him… probably could’ve eaten him alive.

Chi Han took a deep breath and resolved to restrain his spontaneous outbursts from now on.

This kind of reckless behavior, just because he got a little excited, had to stop.

The wheelchair rolled smoothly across the polished cobblestone floor, moving steadily forward. Rong Xu’s gaze fell on the inside of his own dampened thighs, and his breathing quickened slightly.

He pressed his fingers to his brow.

Close.

Just now, he’d nearly said something to Chi Han that he absolutely shouldn’t have.

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