Chapter 187: Bathing Together
The lights suddenly went out—complete darkness, not even a hand visible in front of his face. Then came Yang Jing's sudden scream, startling Zhang Yang. He wasn't a timid man, but lately he'd been ambushed by assassins so often that even though his life-saving system made him fearless and used to danger, his biggest worry was that the women around him might get dragged into it. So being jumpy was understandable.
This was a residential area—an upscale community, no less—usually equipped with backup generators. There shouldn't be any power outages. Which meant, most likely, the assassins were back.
Zhang Yang had seen it in countless movies—killers always cut the power first, then strike in the dark.
He hated the Spade Eight organization to the core. These people never stopped hounding him, making his life a constant frustration. Things couldn't go on like this. He needed a plan. Once his system points returned to positive, he'd find a way. Even if he couldn't wipe them all out at once, he'd make sure they felt pain.
He didn't dare delay. He sprang up and rushed straight to the bathroom next door.
"Sister Jing…" Since no one else was around, Zhang Yang called out loudly—partly to reassure her, partly to attract attention if an assassin was indeed present, keeping them away from Yang Jing.
"Yangzi, y-you… come wait outside the bathroom for me," Yang Jing answered from inside, her trembling voice revealing real fear.
"Okay." Zhang Yang replied as he cautiously scanned the surroundings. Outside the bathroom was a corridor, no windows—only a stairwell at the corner. If there was an assassin, there were only two possibilities.
Either they came up from the stairs—or through the bathroom window.
The stairs seemed unlikely. They had locked the front door earlier; unless someone blew it open, no one could get in. That left only one option—the window.
Yang Jing had been bathing earlier with the light on—perfect target.
Realizing that, he grew anxious. If there really was a killer, this could be bad…
"Sister Jing, can you open the door?" he asked urgently.
"Ah…" Yang Jing was flustered by his sudden request. "Yangzi, you… you better not be thinking anything weird about me, we're like siblings…"
"No, it's not that—listen, I don't have time to explain." Zhang Yang took a deep breath. "I think there might be an assassin. We're on the second floor—it'd be easy for them to climb up."
"An assassin?" Yang Jing instinctively turned to the window. Though heavy curtains covered it, she thought she saw faint shadows shifting outside.
Her body trembled slightly. With the power out, the heater stopped, and a chill slowly crept in.
"But… I haven't finished washing…" Yang Jing looked down, her eyes now somewhat adjusted to the dark.
She could vaguely see her own voluptuous figure. If Zhang Yang came in now, he'd see everything.
"Time's tight, Sister Jing," Zhang Yang said, unable to see inside and growing more anxious by the second. It had been a full minute since the blackout—if there was an assassin, they'd be moving soon.
"A-alright then, come in…" Yang Jing gritted her teeth. It was pitch black anyway; he wouldn't see much. And after all, the two of them had already shared intimate moments. She grabbed a bathrobe, stepped out of the tub, wrapped herself, and opened the door—just as a cold draft swept in, making her shiver. The bathrobe slipped from her shoulders.
As for Zhang Yang—his mind had been purely on defense until that moment. But when the door opened, he was greeted by a dazzling sight: a snow-white, curvaceous body. Though dimly lit, her figure was perfectly outlined—her full, firm breasts, her slim waist. The robe still covered her lower half, but the sight alone made his mind go blank. Heat surged from deep within him.
"Don't look…" In the darkness, Yang Jing blushed furiously. That one night between them had been under the influence of alcohol, but tonight, she was completely sober.
Zhang Yang wiped a bead of sweat and forced himself to suppress the raging desire inside. He was here to protect her, not indulge.
"Sister Jing, I won't look. Just get dressed quickly. I'll keep watch."
"But… I'm covered in foam." Yang Jing's voice was shy. She'd been mid-wash—her body still covered in bubbles, shampoo in her hair. How could she just step out like this?
Zhang Yang looked toward the window, lifted the curtain slightly, and peeked outside. Nothing seemed out of place—dark and still. "Sister Jing, just keep washing. I won't peek."
Even so, he stayed alert, still uneasy.
"Anyone outside?" Yang Jing asked nervously, pulling her bathrobe tighter over her chest while closing the bathroom door.
"Doesn't seem like it, but better safe than sorry," Zhang Yang said, closing the curtains again. "Go ahead and wash, Sister Jing."
"Okay." Yang Jing nodded. The power outage really did feel odd—her home had never experienced one before. Given Zhang Yang's recent string of assassination attempts, she couldn't rule out danger.
Plus, she was afraid of the dark—and in this big empty house, even if it wasn't an assassin, a prowler could still be terrifying.
"No peeking, got it?" she warned again.
"Not a chance." The bathroom was enormous—half the size of a bedroom—with a tub, shower, vanity, dressing area, dryer, even a wall-mounted waterproof LED TV.
"Good boy," Yang Jing said softly, glancing at his back. Then, biting her lip, she hesitated before letting the bathrobe slip from her body and sinking back into the tub.
Once her body was submerged, she felt a bit calmer. Covered in bubbles, he couldn't see anything anyway.
"Yangzi, there's really no one outside, right?" Yang Jing asked, scooping water over her chest, her hands rubbing gently through the foam. A tingling warmth spread through her as unfamiliar feelings coiled in her heart.
If those hands belonged to that man, how would it feel? The thought made her blush. What the hell was she even thinking?
"Looks like it's just a power glitch," Zhang Yang said, listening to the sound of splashing water behind him. His heart raced, but his focus stayed on the window. Thanks to Advanced Combat Technique and its mental training, his hearing was sharper than ever—but even after careful listening, he detected nothing.
So it seemed to be an accident. No signs of trouble anywhere else.
Still, he wasn't about to leave. Staying with a beautiful woman while she bathed—what a blessing.
As he relaxed, the sound of water behind him stirred that buried desire once more. That brief glimpse earlier hadn't left his mind—he could easily picture her now, her flawless, curvy body glistening in the water. The image alone was intoxicating.
He'd already been through four rounds with Lulu and Gao Qi earlier, but after a few hours of rest, his energy had returned. And knowing there was a naked beauty just a few feet behind him, separated only by the bathtub, was pure torture.
"Is it really a power outage? Strange… our neighborhood never has one," Yang Jing murmured, glancing at him. For some reason, her heartbeat was quickening.
"Should be. It's pitch black outside too," Zhang Yang replied casually.
"Oh… then can you hand me the towel on the rack?" Yang Jing asked. She was almost done washing but couldn't reach the towel herself.
The rack was right beside Zhang Yang. To grab it, he'd have to turn around—and that made his pulse race. This dim, sultry atmosphere was unbearable for any hot-blooded man, especially with a naked, mature beauty just behind him.
That kind of alluring perfection was like an oasis to a dying man lost in the desert—it took all his will not to give in.
Zhang Yang turned. By now, his eyes had adjusted, and he could see clearly in the dark. Instantly, his gaze fell on Yang Jing in the tub. Most of the bubbles had faded, and her fair body floated in the water like polished ivory.
He couldn't help but swallow hard as he reached for the towel. Yang Jing smiled faintly in the water. "Lucky you, Yangzi. Hand it here."
She extended a snow-white arm toward him.
Just as Zhang Yang was about to pass it over, the lights suddenly flashed on—
Power was back.
Zhang Yang froze, instinctively looking down at Yang Jing's body gleaming in the bathtub.