13

Thinking about what had happened in the bathroom, Qin Ruan's face suddenly flushed bright red, as if it were on fire.

"Why is your face so red?" Wen Yixin furrowed her brows in confusion. She lifted her hand and gently placed it on Qin Ruan's warm cheek, her voice filled with concern. "Qin Ruan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Qin Ruan turned her head slightly, trying to distance herself from Wen Yixin's touch in hopes of cooling down her heated face.

However, as soon as she moved away from the comforting warmth of Wen Yixin's hand, she felt a sudden emptiness in her heart.

Almost instinctively, Qin Ruan's head tilted back to its original position, her flushed cheek once again pressing against Wen Yixin's palm.

Wen Yixin didn't think much of this small back-and-forth, her thoughts focused on the cause of Qin Ruan's reddened face.

Gently rubbing Qin Ruan's soft skin with her thumb, Wen Yixin was about to speak when she heard Qin Ruan's slightly husky voice.

"It's probably just because I just got out of the bath and I'm too hot," Qin Ruan explained.

"Is that so?" Wen Yixin looked at Qin Ruan's slightly flushed face, half-believing her words, and then pondered, "But when you first came out of the bathroom, your face wasn't this red."

Qin Ruan froze at Wen Yixin's remark, a nervous smile playing on her lips as she shifted her gaze to the bottle in Wen Yixin's hand, softly changing the subject. "Sister Wen, this… are you going to apply it now?"

Noticing Qin Ruan's attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere, Wen Yixin decided to follow along. She glanced at the bottle in her hand and nodded in agreement, "Yes, applying this before bed is really good for your skin."

With that, Wen Yixin unscrewed the cap, pouring some of the oil into her palm. She lifted her hand and smiled at Qin Ruan, her voice gentle, "Why don't you lie down on the bed?"

"Huh?" Qin Ruan was caught off guard by the suggestion, her mind blank for a moment as she let out a soft, confused sound.

She fidgeted with her hands, nervously asking, "Why… do I need to lie on the bed?"

Wen Yixin couldn't help but smile at her reaction, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Because it's easier to apply this while lying down, especially when it comes to your back."

"It's much more convenient that way."

As she spoke, Wen Yixin gently placed her palm, now coated with the moisturizing oil, onto Qin Ruan's slender arm, massaging it in with careful, soothing movements.

Under the warm, golden glow of the room's light, Wen Yixin's face appeared even softer, her smile radiating a quiet serenity that seemed to make time slow down.

Qin Ruan watched her intently, feeling a subtle warmth spread through her chest, just from looking at Wen Yixin.

"What's on your mind?" Wen Yixin's soft voice pulled Qin Ruan back from her thoughts.

"Nothing… nothing," Qin Ruan quickly shook her head.

Wen Yixin raised her brows slightly and smiled, motioning towards the bed. "Then go ahead and lie down."

"Oh, okay." Qin Ruan agreed, but her nod was slow, her hesitation still apparent as she remained seated, her feet rooted to the spot.

Seeing this, Wen Yixin couldn't help but gently pat Qin Ruan's head, her voice soft and encouraging:

"Don't worry."

"There's no need to be nervous."

Wen Yixin's gentle coaxing, coupled with the tender touch on her head, allowed a trickle of warmth to seep into Qin Ruan's heart.

She nodded and softly replied, "Okay."

With that, she slowly made her way to the bed, sitting down on the edge and looking back at Wen Yixin.

She was being so obedient.

Wen Yixin chuckled softly.

She walked over and sat down beside Qin Ruan, then gently instructed, "Scoot a little further in."