Ye Liu pretended not to have heard her as he brushed several strands of wet hair off his face.

The droplets surfed along and slid down the contours of his face, adding a layer of charm to his already drop-dead gorgeous appearance.

"Liu Duo, I'm already wet anyway. Do you have the heart to let me catch a cold outside? This tub is big enough for the two of us, so why not take a bath together? Lower your voice though, Ran Er might hear you, and we don't want that."

Liu Duo had stepped into the tub, so what reason did he have to get out?

If she had discovered him after she took off her clothes but before stepping into the tub, his desire for a shared bath would have surely been dismissed!

Liu Duo rolled her eyes. So he knew it was not wanted? So nice of him to acknowledge that!

"I'll wait until you're done, I don't mind the cold!" Liu Duo said, taking her leave. Since he would not go, she would.

Before she could do so, Ye Liu placed both his hands on either side of her shoulders, against the tub, blocking her way.

"Come on, Little Duo, you've taken off your clothes anyway. How troublesome it would be to put them back on, only to take them off again eventually? Like I said, I can rub your back and we can have a talk, how great is that? Be good now."

Finding herself in this situation, Liu Duo reacted on conditioned reflex and placed her hands on her chest. Her cheeks flushed, either from anger or shyness, bearing a tint of redness on her fair skin. What a sight to see.

She was left with speechless exasperation as she confronted his shameless statement.

The grin he bore might have highlighted his handsome features, but in her eyes, he was nothing but trouble! "Little Duo, if you stay quiet like that, then I'll take that as a yes, since you didn't say no. Put down your hands and let me wash you. I can't work like this."

Then he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Feeling a jolt of electricity cruising through her, she leaned back and retaliated, "Who says I agree to this? Liuzi, you may be thick-skinned, but this is going too far!"

Her heartbeat sped up rapidly. This was so embarrassing. Why must her man be so good-looking, even more so than herself?

Ye Mo was still standing by the door, waiting for a good show, but Ye Liu had not been driven out yet. He thought, if this works for Liu, then I'll do the same thing tomorrow!

He had witnessed his brother holding his breath as he hid beneath the water, and earlier, he had requested Ye Mo himself to hide his shoes and clothes.

Ye Ling finished kneading the flour and was about to wash his hands at the well when he noticed Ye Mo standing by the door and staring into the distance. He asked, "Mo, what are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing, just wondering if the rain will stop." Ye Mo took one last look at the bathroom before returning to his station by the fire.

Ye Ling looked outside too. It was already dark. He could hardly see any rain. He could barely hear the drizzle.

Ye Ling did not get what Mo meant and did not think much about it, as he went to wash his hands at the well.

Ye Liu kept his eyes locked on Liu Duo, who was behaving shyly. He smiled, and feigned seriousness as he said, "Little Duo, I can't reach my back. Can you help me wash that spot? I can't sleep well knowing it's not clean."

He turned his back towards her. Not only was he very close to her, but he had both hands placed on the sides of the tub, securing her perimeters and preventing her from making an escape.

Damn...

Facing his back, Liu Duo twitched her lips and rolled her eyes. If that's true, then how have you been sleeping all these years? You really should keep up with your lies.

She looked to and fro between his back and the arms that were holding on to the sides of the tub.