Chapter 80: Touching
At her question, Yue Junxiao averted his gaze in embarrassment. "No, it looks great. I’ll go change right now."
With that, he quickly hurried past her and into the bathroom.
Yan Yichen knocked brashly and poked his head in. "Are you two ready? It’s time to head down."
Bai Zhi said, "I’m ready, but Yue Junxiao is still changing. Why don’t you all come in and wait?"
It was the first time Yan Yichen had seen Bai Zhi wearing so little, and her voluptuous figure left him flustered, not knowing where to look. He mumbled an "oh" in response to her suggestion, then walked off stiffly to get the others.
Seeing him return with such a stiff gait, Hu Yan asked in confusion, "What’s wrong with you?"
Yan Yichen’s mind was filled with the image of her fair, supple skin. He said mechanically, "Bai Zhi told us to go to her room."
Hu Yan, not suspecting a thing, said, "Then go get Lang Qiu and Sang Mo."
The men had just arrived in the room when Yue Junxiao emerged wearing only a pair of swim trunks. He flexed his muscles until they bulged, deliberately struck a pose, and called out, "Wife."
Bai Zhi: "Hm?"
Yue Junxiao raised his eyes to give Bai Zhi a smoldering look, only to find the room full of people.
Yue Junxiao jumped. He had planned to seduce his wife with his physique, but the sight of so many people instantly deflated him. Stunned, he asked, "What are you all doing here?"
Yan Yichen had returned to normal after Bai Zhi put a robe on. Hearing Yue Junxiao’s question, he answered, "Bai Zhi told us to come wait for you."
He asked curiously, "What about you? What were you just doing?"
Yue Junxiao: "..."
Meeting their gazes, Yue Junxiao had the distinct feeling of being seen through. He snapped in exasperation, "Can’t I do some warm-ups?"
’They could have come earlier or later, but no, they had to show up right when I was changing clothes.’
And they were all wearing bathrobes, leaving him the only one bare-chested. He took a few steps, grabbed his own bathrobe, and draped it over his shoulders.
Hu Yan said calmly, "Since everyone is here, let’s head down."
The hot spring was on the right side of the first floor. Since their group was large, they had a private bath. They had already given the food they brought to the hotel’s sub-beastman staff to prepare.
As they descended into the hot spring pool, steam instantly enveloped them. The air temperature wasn’t freezing, maybe in the fifties Fahrenheit, but soaking in the hot water still felt incredibly comfortable.
Yue Junxiao went to great lengths to claim the spot next to Bai Zhi. With Hu Yan on her left, a silent competition ensued, and Yue Junxiao successfully snagged the position on her right as he entered the water.
They had just settled into the pool when a robot rolled over with a food cart.
The hotel, anticipating that many guests enjoy a drink or a snack while they soak, had installed a special apparatus next to the spring. With the press of a button, a tray would extend out to span the entire pool.
The robot placed the prepared food on the tray and departed.
Bai Zhi speared a piece of succulent fruit with her fork. It burst in her mouth the moment she bit down, flooding her senses with sweetness. Delighted, she turned, speared another piece, and held it to Hu Yan’s lips. "This is delicious. Hu Yan, you have to try it."
As she lifted her arm, she sent a cascade of water droplets down her skin. The other Beast Husbands, who had turned to look at her when she spoke, found their mouths going dry as they watched the rippling water wash over her fair chest again and again.
But the woman at the center of it all was completely oblivious.
Hu Yan opened his mouth and accepted the piece of fruit.
Yue Junxiao felt it most acutely, as the same ripples lapped against his own body, making him swallow hard. Just then, Yan Yichen beat him to the punch, "Wife, I want some too!"
Hearing this, Bai Zhi immediately speared a piece and offered it to him as well.
Seeing that Yan Yichen had gotten a piece, Yue Junxiao, not to be outdone, called out, "Wife..."
Bai Zhi instantly understood and fed him a piece as well. "Yes, yes, there’s enough for everyone."
Having fed three of them, she made sure not to show favoritism and fed a piece to Lang Qiu and Sang Mo as well.
Sang Mo watched them vying for her affection, a flicker of disdain in his eyes as he turned his head away.
The next second, however, a piece of fruit on a fork appeared before his eyes, held by a fair, slender arm. He looked over to see Bai Zhi’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "Here," she said. "This one’s for you."
For some reason, that single glance made Sang Mo’s heart beat a little faster. ’It must be the heat from the spring,’ he thought, ’making my heart act up.’
His gaze swept across her face as he said icily, "No, thank you. I don’t want any."
He thought his refusal would make her back off, but he suddenly felt something cool against his lips. Bai Zhi had pressed the fruit right against his mouth. "You’ve touched it now," she said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "No one else will eat it, so don’t let it go to waste."
Sang Mo: "..."
Bai Zhi had it pressed right against his lips. If he didn’t open his mouth, she looked like she would just shove it in.
With that thought, Sang Mo grudgingly ate the piece of fruit.
After he finished it, Sang Mo thought to himself, ’It was just okay. Too sweet.’
They didn’t soak for very long, as it was easy to get dizzy if you stayed in too long. After less than twenty minutes, they decided to head back to their rooms.
But as Bai Zhi stood up to get out, her foot slipped, and she started to fall backward. The sudden feeling of weightlessness made her cry out in alarm, "AHH—"
Hu Yan and Yue Junxiao, who were on her left and right, were the first to reach out to catch her.
The others also reached out at the same time. Even Sang Mo, who had just been looking on with disdain, instinctively stretched out a hand toward her, only to quickly pull it back with a sullen expression once he realized what he was doing.
Bai Zhi fell into the arms of Hu Yan and Yue Junxiao. In her panic, she subconsciously grabbed onto the person she trusted more.
She was clearly certain that Hu Yan would catch her.
As a result, she was half-clinging to Hu Yan’s arm. Hu Yan had one hand supporting her back and the other under the crook of her knees. Yue Junxiao was holding her other leg. The healthy pink that the hot spring had brought to her cheeks instantly drained away, replaced by a pale white. She had clearly gotten a bad scare.
Yue Junxiao immediately asked in a panic, "Wife, are you hurt anywhere?"
Hu Yan also looked down at the woman in his arms. "Are you all right?"
Bai Zhi shook her head. "I’m fine, just startled."
Yue Junxiao breathed a sigh of relief at her words. Seeing that Bai Zhi was almost entirely in Hu Yan’s arms, he slowly released his grip. "She’s probably still shaken, so her legs might be a little weak. Hu Yan, you should just carry her out."
Hu Yan nodded. He tightened his grip, securing her in his arms, and then lifted her out of the hot spring in a princess carry. Her cheek came to rest against his solid chest.
Since they had just been soaking in the hot spring, both of their bodies were warm. With her smooth skin pressed against his firm muscles, it wasn’t long before the rosy blush returned to Bai Zhi’s cheeks, which now seemed even a bit dewy.