Qi Zhimu had no choice. He froze in place, not daring to look back. Behind him, the sound of rustling clothes was followed by the splashing of water. His mind involuntarily conjured images of his teacher, unclad and flushed, stepping into the tub. He pinched his thigh hard to drive the thoughts away.
"Xiao Mu, come behind Teacher."
"..."
He moved blindly, standing behind her and staring straight ahead. From this angle, if his gaze dipped even slightly, he would see things he shouldn't. It was too close. He stepped back half a pace, just far enough to reach her shoulders with his arms extended.
Above the rim of the tub, her shoulders were partially exposed in the misty steam. Her neck was white as snow, her skin smooth as satin. Her shoulders were soft and graceful, dotted with sliding droplets of water. Qi Zhimu's face turned bright red.
This isn't right for a teacher and student…
The feeling of dancing on the edge of the forbidden made his heart race. He held his breath, his hands trembling.
"What are you waiting for, Xiao Mu? Quick, my shoulders are very sore," she urged.
With a heavy sigh, he steeled himself and touched her shoulders. The feedback from his fingertips was soft and tender, like touching exquisitely carved jade.
"Your hands are so hot. Are you sick?"
"…N-No. Teacher, shall I begin?" Qi Zhimu's face was burning even hotter than his hands.
"Mm."
After a few kneads, she spoke again. "Not enough pressure."
"…Is this better, Teacher?"
"Mmm~" Ruan Mei let out a soft hum, her expression relaxing entirely as she enjoyed the service. "Just right. Keep it like that…"
Fifteen minutes passed. Ruan Mei didn't tell him to stop, and he didn't dare speak. After half an hour, he realized she had stopped responding. He paused and saw that she had fallen asleep. Her breathing was rhythmic and light.
Now he was in a bind. He couldn't leave her in the tub; it wasn't good for her health. He hesitated, then went to brew some hangover soup, hoping she'd wake up by the time it was done.
He was wrong. After knocking and calling her name three times with no response, he slid the door open an inch. He averted his eyes, staring at the ceiling and using his peripheral vision to navigate.
"Phew… so that actually happened…" The present-day Ruan Mei exhaled sharply, her face complicated. It seemed the theory that one forgets what happens while drunk was true. She had zero memory of this. She never imagined that as a teacher, she had used her status to force her student to break the rules.
In the memory, the boy tried to wake her. "Teacher." No response. "Teacher!" He raised his voice. Still nothing.
"Teacher!!" He gritted his teeth and patted her shoulder, then shook her. The water in the tub rippled. "Teacher, if you don't wake up in ten minutes, I… I will have to be impolite!"
Ten minutes passed. "Teacher, wake up! Ten more minutes and I'm really going to be impolite."
Another ten minutes. "…Please wake up…" The boy's face was filled with misery. Drunk people were so hard to wake.
After failing to retreat multiple times, Qi Zhimu finally made a decision. He muttered a long list of the dangers of soaking in water too long, then covered his eyes with a towel and grabbed a large bath towel from the rack.
"I'm sorry, Teacher… please forgive my rudeness!!"
He gritted his teeth, slid his left arm under her knees and his right arm around her shoulders. With a slight heave, he lifted her out of the tub and wrapped the large towel around her body. Only then did he pull off the blindfold. He carried her to her room without looking.
He placed her gently on the soft bed and brought the hangover soup, slowly feeding it to her. He was perfectly disciplined, avoiding every place he shouldn't touch and refusing to look where he shouldn't see.
Finally, he faced a dilemma. She was only wrapped in a towel. He couldn't change her clothes. As he pulled the blanket over her, Ruan Mei's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes halfway.
Qi Zhimu froze. "…Teacher, you're awake…"
"My feet are a bit sore. Rub them for me."
"This… I haven't finished the assignment you gave me. You should rest." He was still hoping for an out.
"Stay."
"..." The boy gave a bitter smile.
"Come here. Rub my feet."
He sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at her as she propped herself up before quickly looking away.
"Good boy~" she lay back down and rested her feet on his lap. "Teacher will reward you later…"
Xiao Mu was stunned. Her ankles were smooth and delicate, the skin so fair you could see the faint blue veins trailing up her calves. Her soles were a healthy pink, her toes like a string of rounded pearls. A faint fragrance drifted toward him. No matter how strong his discipline, he couldn't stop his face from turning crimson.
He sighed. Since he couldn't resist, he could only face it. He gripped her feet and began to massage them with practiced skill.
....
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