Ch126 - Showering Together

“Shower together?” Ji Xiunian hesitated for a moment, and his face also turned slightly red.

“Yeah, it saves more time this way,” Lu Xu remarked then suddenly leaned in, staring at Ji Xiunian. “Nian ge, why is your face red?”

“Ai?” Ji Xiunian immediately raised his hand to touch his face, feeling a bit guilty. “Really? I don’t think so…”

Just as he was thinking of using the excuse of the weather being too hot, Lu Xu suddenly burst into laughter. “Hahaha, Nian ge, I was just teasing you. It’s not like we’re with girls. There’s no need for guys to feel embarrassed, right?”

“Yeah…”

Since Lu Xu put it that way, Ji Xiunian found it difficult to refuse. “Alright, let’s shower together then.”

Ji Xiunian had been in the entertainment industry for many years and had shared bathtubs with others when filming, but the current situation was still a first for him.

Lu Xu didn’t think much of it. It was just taking a shower together; there was nothing inconvenient about it.

“You go in first, I need to get something.” Lu Xu had already reached the bathroom door, but Ji Xiunian used the excuse of fetching something to slip out.

Lu Xu glanced at him as he turned back, not thinking much of it. He merely continued walking and took off his shirt.

By the time Ji Xiunian returned, he had taken off all his dirty clothes, leaving only a pair of swimming trunks on.

Lu Xu couldn’t help but be surprised, “Come on, Nian ge, why are you wearing swim trunks to shower?”

“It’s just… I wanted to wear…” Ji Xiunian didn’t know how to explain his behaviour, fearing that any reaction he might have during their shared shower might make both of them uncomfortable.

“Mhm,” Lu Xu understood and gave him a knowing look, his lips curling into a smile. Anyone unaware would think that he had seen through Ji Xiunian’s inappropriate thoughts.

Ji Xiunian considered this and realised it seemed as if he had already revealed what he had intended on hiding. But since he had already come in wearing them, it would be awkward to take them off now.

He shifted forward, trying his best not to look sideways. But with the limited space in the bathroom and Lu Xu being so close, it was difficult not to steal glances.

Water sprayed from above, falling onto their bodies with a comfortable warmth.

Steam rose, enveloping the bathroom in a damp, warm atmosphere, carrying a hint of ambiguous tension.

Ji Xiunian felt his body temperature rise with the increasing warmth of the bathroom. Taking a glance at the earnestly showering Lu Xu, he found his mouth drying up.

He had encountered similar scenes in his dreams, where even though he was conflicted, his instincts had eventually won out.

However, reality was different from dreams. Even if his body’s instincts were clamouring, Ji Xiunian didn’t dare to cross any boundaries.

Lu Xu’s skin was naturally fair, but his body wasn’t frail like most youth’s bodies. Instead, it had smooth lines, giving the impression of someone who exercised regularly.

The more attractive the body, the more fatally alluring it felt. Even though Ji Xiunian himself had an excellent physique, he couldn’t help but admire it.

Admiring those delicate collarbones, and then those gorgeous chest and abdominal muscles…

The water flowed down Lu Xu’s neck and continued down, passing over his chest and abdominal muscles. Ji Xiunian’s gaze followed the water, but when it reached his “V-line,” he quickly averted his eyes.

Who knew what he was thinking at this moment, but his ears had turned red as well.

Lu Xu was taking a thorough shower; when he didn’t hear Ji Xiunian’s voice, he thought it was a bit strange. Just as he raised his head to look at Ji Xiunian, he noticed Ji Xiunian hurriedly standing under the showerhead, adjusting it to a colder temperature.

“Nian ge, won’t you feel cold like this?”

Although it was true that people loved to take cold showers in summer, after a day of work, a hot shower was more refreshing.

“No, not cold at all. Actually, I think today was too hot, so I wanted to cool down properly.”

“Mhmm?” Lu Xu nodded and didn’t say anything more.

He washed himself clean and then reached for the shower gel. There were three bottles of toiletries in the shower: body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.

Lu Xu intended to pick up the shampoo, but accidentally knocked the soap on the sink counter onto the ground. The packaged soap rolled and, coincidentally or not, ended up at Ji Xiunian’s feet.

“Nian ge, could you please pick it up?” Lu Xu was busy squeezing shampoo out, and naturally asked Ji Xiunian to pick up the soap.

“Sure.” Ji Xiunian didn’t think much of it and bent down to pick up the soap by his feet.

When he bent over, his back was turned to Lu Xu. His elegant spinal line became even more evident, showcasing his attractive physique.

Lu Xu glanced at Ji Xiunian’s swim trunks and couldn’t help but laugh.

Ji Xiunian straightened up and put the soap back. Out of suspicion, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Xu didn’t overthink it and simply shared what he was thinking with Ji Xiunian. “It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought of the soap picking meme. “With you, Nian ge, you can safely pick it up while being around me. But if you’re with someone else, you have to be careful!”

The soap picking meme had been popular online for a long time, and Ji Xiunian instantly imagined the related scenes upon hearing it. After a moment, his face grew even warmer.

“I won’t shower with others.” His unspoken meaning was clear—he wouldn’t find himself in that kind of situation.

Seeing Ji Xiunian stutter while speaking, Lu Xu found it incredibly endearing. He had a mischievous thought and couldn’t help but tease, “But you showered with me.”

“You’re you, others are others. Showering with you is normal, but there’s no chance for others.” Ji Xiunian’s answer was resolute, clearly indicating his resistance to showering with anyone else.

Lu Xu’s eyes curved into a smile. “Well, I’m truly honoured then.”

With that, Lu Xu lathered his hair with foam and after rinsing it clean, he didn’t forget to ask Ji Xiunian, “Nian ge, do you need a back scrub?”

“No need.” Ji Xiunian was afraid that Lu Xu would scrub his back and accidentally evoke sensations in the front, so he refused without thinking.

Lu Xu simply regarded Ji Xiunian as someone unaccustomed to showering with others. He shrugged in understanding. “Although it’s a bit regrettable that I can’t provide a service to Nian ge, since you’re not willing, I won’t force it either. I’m done, so I’ll head out first.”

“Okay.” At this moment, Ji Xiunian’s mind and body were a bit conflicted, and his thoughts were quite contradictory.

On one hand, he really wanted to be alone with Lu Xu, especially in such a confined space where it was just the two of them, creating a sense of mutual understanding and closeness. On the other hand, Ji Xiunian could hardly restrain his restless heart. His body’s instincts were the most honest, even if his mind was clear. When faced with the immense presence of Lu Xu, Ji Xiunian couldn’t help but crave more.

Rather than facing this awkwardness together, he hoped Lu Xu would quickly finish showering and leave.

Ji Xiunian was lost in his thoughts when he saw Lu Xu leave the bathroom wearing a bathrobe and head towards the bedroom. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

However, before he could relax completely, Lu Xu, who should have left, suddenly poked his head back out again. “Nian ge…”

“What’s up?” Ji Xiunian felt a bit flustered, almost raising his hand to cover his body.

Thankfully, he didn’t act on that impulse; otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing.

Lu Xu pouted and pointed naturally at Ji Xiunian’s swim trunks, saying, “After I leave, you can take off your swim trunks and wash properly. We’re both men, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about…”

Ji Xiunian had worn swim trunks into the bathroom, so just thinking about it made it clear that he had been feeling shy.

Lu Xu was well aware of this, yet he couldn’t resist wanting to tease him a bit more.

Seeing Ji Xiunian’s dazed look, it was evident he had been caught off guard. After Lu Xu finished speaking, he whistled and retreated, looking rather pleased with himself.

Ji Xiunian had initially felt a bit embarrassed, but after Lu Xu’s playful teasing, he surprisingly felt much more relaxed.

When glancing down at his swim trunks and then comparing them to Lu Xu’s nonchalant demeanour, Ji Xiunian didn’t know whether it was fortunate or not to have encountered someone as straightforward as Lu Xu.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and suddenly felt that being so cautious wasn’t truly his style.

In the end, he had been overly concerned, worrying about showing his emotions too obviously and pressuring Lu Xu.

For a moment, Ji Xiunian’s mood became quite complex. Eventually, he decided to take things one step at a time—

No one could predict what the future would hold, and no one could guarantee that things would go according to plan.

On the other side, Lu Xu came out of the bathroom and sat on the sofa, drying his hair. Thinking about Ji Xiunian’s expressions just now made him want to laugh. He found Ji Xiunian even more adorable. The act of showering and then wearing swim trunks was something probably only Ji Xiunian would do.

As Lu Xu was towel drying his half-damp hair, Ji Xiunian finally finished his shower.

Perhaps it was because he had stayed in the bathroom for too long, Ji Xiunian’s face was slightly flushed. His expression seemed to be fairly good.

Seeing him emerge, Lu Xu mentioned that he was ready to leave, as it wouldn’t be appropriate to linger there for too long.

Lu Xu’s previous clothes were a bit dirty, and Ji Xiunian had asked someone to get them cleaned. However, he didn’t want Lu Xu to walk out in the bathrobe. Ji Xiunian thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go find a set of my clothes for you to change into. Whether you like it or not, just make do for now.”

“Sure, thank you Nian ge.” Lu Xu accepted this openly. Clearly, Ji Xiunian’s clothes would suit him better than the bathrobe.

Soon, Ji Xiunian emerged with a set of clothes.

A white dress shirt paired with casual trousers, looking simple and comfortable.

Lu Xu didn’t think much of it either. He took the clothes from Ji Xiunian’s hand and threw them onto the sofa. Then, he casually took off his bathrobe.

This action left Ji Xiunian dumbfounded. He instinctively turned his head away, but his gaze unintentionally shifted towards Lu Xu.

Lu Xu paid no heed to how others might perceive him and didn’t think much of it. He swiftly changed into the new clothes and prepared to leave.

“Well, make sure you rest early when you go back,” Ji Xiunian said. He knew very well that the grim reapers didn’t need rest, yet his concern remained as usual. If one didn’t know better, they might think there was a special kind of friendship between the two.

“You too, Nian ge.” Lu Xu smiled at Ji Xiunian and then turned to head back to his dormitory.

There were quite a few trainees coming out along the way, but none of them thought there was anything unusual about Lu Xu emerging from Ji Xiunian’s room.

It wasn’t until Lu Xu returned to his own dormitory that someone asked him a couple of questions.

Seeing Lu Xu enter and immediately hug his cat, Ba Mei, Xu Haoming initially found it amusing—this guy was a cat servant. However, when he caught sight of Lu Xu’s wet clothes and damp hair, he felt puzzled—

He had only gone over for a meal, so why had he also taken a shower?

nao: the author remembered this was a romance novel 126 chapters in!!