Xiao Wu plopped down boldly beside Ning Rongrong, wiping the sweat from her face with a grimace. "I'm exhausted! My legs feel like they don't belong to me anymore. I never want to run again!"
Zhu Zhuqing quietly approached and sat down beside the others, too tired to even speak. She leaned against the tree trunk behind her with closed eyes, her chest still heaving heavily.
Just then, Su Yu walked over from nearby. "Brother Husband!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting her fatigue as she stretched her arms toward him, her voice dripping with coquettishness. "I'm so tired..."
Su Yu stopped before her, his gaze sweeping over the weary young women. A hint of tenderness flickered imperceptibly in his eyes. He bent down, naturally taking the hand Ning Rongrong offered, and gently lifted her up. "You should walk around, or your legs might cramp!"
Ning Rongrong nestled against his chest like a lazy kitten, mumbling, "I don't want to walk. I'm so tired—I just want to rest against you for a while..."
"Alright then, no need to walk. Xue Na, Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, get up! I'll take you back." Xue Na was the first to rise, grabbing hold of Su Yu's sleeve.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing clearly didn't understand what Su Yu meant until Xue Na reached out her hands to them. As they placed their palms in hers, the scenery around them instantly shifted, and they found themselves back in the courtyard of their residence.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing stared in astonishment at their surroundings. What kind of Spirit Ability was this, transporting them back to the courtyard in an instant!
"Alright, this is my special Spirit Ability. The bathwater is already prepared—go soak properly." Just as Su Yu was about to set Ning Rongrong down, she clung to his neck and whined, "Brother Husband! Carry me there! My legs hurt so much. Carry me!"
Su Yu smiled helplessly and tightened his hold on her. "You really leave me no choice." He carried Ning Rongrong toward the room, with Xue Na, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing following behind. Xiao Wu muttered under her breath, "Teacher Su Yu's Spirit Ability is incredible! We reached the courtyard in a blink—faster than flying!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly, her eyes filled with amazement. She had clearly never encountered such a bizarre yet convenient Spirit Ability.
When they reached Ning Rongrong's door, Su Yu tried to set her down, but she held on tighter, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I want you to carry me inside. My legs are really sore."
Unable to resist her, Su Yu carried her into the room. The air inside was steamy, with a bathtub filled with warm water and sprinkled with calming flower petals—clearly prepared in advance.
"Alright, get in and soak. You'll feel better afterward," Su Yu said softly as he set her down.
But Ning Rongrong still held onto his sleeve, tilting her face up to look at him. "Brother Husband, could you wring out the towel for me?"
"You... you're not a child anymore. From now on, I need to avoid impropriety!" Su Yu tapped her forehead and turned to fetch the towel.
Ning Rongrong sat on the chair, watching him with a tone of utter conviction. "You're going to be my husband in the future—there's no need to avoid anything. Besides, you've bathed me before!"
Su Yu's hand paused as he reached for the towel. When he turned around, the tips of his ears were faintly flushed.
"That was all when we were children. Now that you've grown up, there should be proper boundaries between men and women. We still need to be mindful of certain things."
He placed the towel on the stool and deliberately took two steps back, creating some distance between them:
"The water should be about right now. Take your time bathing—I'll wait outside."
Ning Rongrong watched his slightly restrained demeanor and couldn't help giggling, deliberately drawing out her words:
"Understood~ Teacher Su Yu~"
She rose from the chair and walked to the bathtub, then glanced back at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes:
"I'll call for you when I'm done, Brother Husband. You're not allowed to run away."
Su Yu shook his head helplessly, turned to leave the room, and gently closed the door behind him.
The sound of splashing water came from inside the room. Outside, he leaned against the corridor pillar, gazing at the sunlight in the courtyard as the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upward.
This girl—from childhood till now, she always loved clinging to him like this. Some things never changed.
Inside the room, Ning Rongrong soaked in the warm water and sighed contentedly. The fatigue from running earlier seemed to dissipate along with the steam.
She looked at the closed door and muttered quietly: "We're going to be together eventually anyway, why bother avoiding impropriety..."
Yet a sweet blush spread across her cheeks, making the water temperature feel even warmer.
Meanwhile, Xue Na blinked at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing who were still standing dazed, and said softly:
"Let's go bathe quickly too. A good soak will really make you feel much more comfortable."
Xiao Wu finally snapped out of her daze, pulling Zhu Zhuqing toward their respective rooms:
"Come on, let's hurry and bathe! We can eat something delicious afterward!"
Soon half an hour passed. Ning Rongrong felt that after the bath, aside from some lingering pain in her soles, her entire body felt much more comfortable.
When Ning Rongrong pushed open the door, she saw Su Yu sitting under a tree in the courtyard.
"Brother Husband!"
Su Yu looked up at the sound. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, tracing the clear contours of his face.
He saw Ning Rongrong wearing clean clothes, her hair loosely tied up, cheeks flushed from her recent bath.
"Finished bathing?" He stood up, his gaze falling on her slightly tiptoed feet. "Do your feet still hurt?"
Ning Rongrong ran over to him in a few steps, nodding then shaking her head:
"A little, but much better than before."
Su Yu lifted her to sit on his lap, then took a towel from his Soul Guiding Device.
"You didn't even dry your hair properly—aren't you afraid of catching a cold!"
Ning Rongrong settled comfortably on Su Yu's lap, leaning against his shoulder like a docile kitten as he began gently drying her damp hair with the towel.
Her hair carried moist vapor that scattered with his movements, releasing a faint floral fragrance.
"I was still warm from the bath, thinking it would dry on its own later," she mumbled in defense, her voice soft and slightly coquettish.
Su Yu's movements were gentle. When his fingertips occasionally brushed against the delicate skin at the nape of her neck, Ning Rongrong slightly shrank her shoulders, though her eyes sparkled with laughter.
"A young lady shouldn't be so careless," he murmured, his tone carrying a barely perceptible tenderness.
"You'll suffer if you catch a cold."
The towel gently rubbed through her hair, absorbing most of the moisture. Sunlight showered through the leaves upon them, warm and cozy.
Ning Rongrong tilted her head to look at him and suddenly smiled: "Brother Husband, were you waiting here for me all this time?"
Su Yu glanced at her, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth:
"Otherwise? I was afraid you wouldn't be able to find anyone after your bath."
"I just knew Brother Husband was the best!" Ning Rongrong gently rubbed against Su Yu's chest.
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