Chapter 9

Xu Zhenyan made his way over to the attached bathroom, using a wooden crutch.

To his surprise, Hua'er immediately moved to support him. Though she was the most senior of the three, she couldn't be older than sixteen.

"Let me help you, young master."

Smiling kindly, she put one hand on Xu Zhenyan's shoulder and the other on his arm.

Such forwardness could be considered overstepping, but he didn't rebuke her.

"Thank you."

With Hua'er's help, they made it to the bathroom without issues. Truthfully, Xu Zhenyan didn't need it, nor the crutch, but it would be strange if he recovered too quickly.

The other girls followed, the errand boy having taken his leave in the meantime. Though he was jealous, having long since admired those pretty older sisters, there was nothing to be done. There was no way he could compare with young master Xu in wealth or appearance.

"Are you sure you want to help, Xian'er? I was just thinking, Yuanba might be unhappy…"

When the door closed behind them, the older maid posed the question, glancing over her shoulder. Though her tone was concerned, mischief glinted in her eyes.

Her comment was a bit presumptuous, possibly even troublesome, but Xu Zhenyan was unbothered. Instead, he was curious, given he was unaware of the matter regarding Xian'er's boyfriend.

'This 'Hua'er' is a bit clever.'

Being a trained maid, there was no way she didn't know the rules of serving nobles--among these, 'speak only when spoken to' was tantamount. Yet, it was likely a calculated risk on her part, hoping his interest was greater than displeasure.

Xian'er's expression immediately turned gloomy.

"It's my duty, Hua'er. He would understand."

Hua'er raised a hand to her mouth before glancing sideways, appearing troubled.

"I'm not so sure, boys can be very jealous…"

Her act brought a smile to Xu Zhenyan's face. It was clear she was attempting to usurp Xian'er's position. Yet, he wasn't displeased--as far as scheming went, this much was rather harmless. Besides, Xian'er did appear to have a conflict of interest.

"Are you very knowledgeable about boys, Ms. Hua?"

This time, it was Xu Zhenyan doing the asking. His tone was placid, but if the maid answered carelessly, her chances of advancement would be ruined.

"Of course not, young master. It's just that these kind of country fellows are a bit predictable."

However, she answered easily, not caught off guard in the least. It was good too, at least eight points out of ten, by Xu Zhenyan's standards.

He huffed amusedly before glancing at Xian'er.

"Still, I didn't think Ms. Xian was in a relationship. In that case, I can imagine her troubles."

Giving the girl an understanding smile, he set his wooden crutch down before starting to fiddle with his robe.

Hua'er clapped her hands, appearing extremely impressed.

"Wow, young master Xu is so considerate. But, there's no need to undress your noble self--let me do it."

Without waiting for an answer, she reached for the sash around his waist. However, Xu Zhenyan gripped her wrist before shaking his head.

"I can do this much myself."

His voice was firm.

The reason for his refusal was, quite simply, embarrassment. Being alone in a bathroom with three pretty girls was a bit simulating for him. Given his body was thirteen, there was already a… well, response. He anticipated it of course, but at least wanted to get in the bath for a bit of concealment.

Hua'er's pretty features assembled an apologetic expression.

"Forgive me young master, I simply feel that, with your illness, it's better to let me do it."

The enthusiasm in her tone was obvious. It was to the extent that the other girls, along with Xu Zhenyan, felt their faces heating up.

"Are you experienced when it comes to this kind of thing, Ms. Hua?"

He couldn't help asking such a question. This kind of laissez-faire attitude was too unusual. Xian'er and Jing, the youngest of the three, had more reasonable reactions--that is to say, extreme embarrassment.

Still tugging at his robes, Hua'er answered honestly.

"I have two little brothers young master, so there's nothing I haven't seen."

Her answer calmed Xu Zhenyan somewhat. Especially for him, a person of noble disposition, there was no reason to settle for women with previous partners. Xian'er was a bit of an exception because her reactions showed just how inexperienced she really was.

"…well, alright then."

Releasing her wrist, he let the maid undress him. Hua'er didn't waste time either, directly undoing his sash before taking off his robe and laying it across the sectioned wooden screen.

"Wow, your skin is so smooth, young master!"

From behind him, Hua'er 'ooh'd' and 'aah'd', not being subtle in the least. Jing seemed interested too, the youngest maid closing the distance to inspect his torso.

Xu Zhenyan didn't feel too flattered. His skin was indeed flawless, most likely the doings of the [Immortal Transformation Technique], but that was the only good thing that could be said. Being bedridden for six months, he was thin as a rake, bordering on anorexic.

"Thank you."

Standing there in his underwear, he felt rather self-conscious, but didn't let it show in his posture or on his face. However, there was a pinkish tint to his cheeks that couldn't be hidden.

"Let me remove your… underwear, young master."

When it came to this issue, Hua'er's speech wasn't as fluid as before. At last, she seemed to develop some discomfort.

Xu Zhenyan nodded, forcibly keeping his hands at his sides. The urge to shield himself from their gazes was rather strong.

Holding her breath, Hua'er hooked a finger around his waistband before slowly pulling it down. However, when she was halfway done, the cloth caught on something.

Until now, Xu Zhenyan's excitement remained hidden, having surreptitiously adjusted himself earlier. Yet, when Hua'er tugged suddenly, assuming some knot or string to be responsible, Xu Zhenyan junior was revealed in all his glory.

The room instantly turned quiet, the three maid's eyes latching firmly onto his manhood, standing tall and proud. Jing, being the youngest and most timid, immediately covered her eyes. However, if one looked closely, a gap could be seen between her fingers.

"Huh…?"

Stunned, Hua'er stared at the vascular, throbbing thing. Her little brothers' didn't look like this at all!

"Young master, why is it so big and swollen?"

With pink cheeks and a hoarse voice, she voiced her confusion.

Xu Zhenyan cleared his throat awkwardly. Truthfully, it wasn't that big--being generous, he'd call it above average. Though, it was possible his stick-figure frame made it look bigger in context.

"Well, it gets like that sometimes."

He really didn't know how else to explain it. There was simply no way he'd admit to finding the situation arousing.

To his surprise, Hua'er suddenly extended a hand before poking his little brother with her index finger.

"It so hot! Is it because of your illness young master? Does it hurt? And…"

After her risqué behavior, the maid fired off a barrage of questions.

Xu Zhenyan found it somewhat inconceivable that a sixteen-year-old-girl wouldn't know what was happening, but then he considered the time period.

'Any normal parent would be uncomfortable having that type of conversation, leaving older siblings or cousins to do the explaining.'

The 'him' from this world essentially got the 'birds and the bees' talk from his older brother, back when they were still on speaking terms. Of course, it was less for the purpose of education and more to show off his womanizing.

"No, it doesn't hurt. This much is normal for a man. Anyway, I'm getting in the bath."

After quickly addressing Hua'er's queries, he put his hands on the tub's rim and went in. Lowering himself without much trouble, he immediately felt heat seeping into his limbs. The water was hot, but not scalding and scented pleasantly.

For a moment, the eldest maid simply stood there, her lips parted slightly. Apparently, she wasn't willing to drop the issue so easily.

"But…"

However, before she could continue, Xian'er stepped forward with a brush in her hand.

"Stop talking nonsense, Hua'er. Don't you see the young master is waiting for us to wash him?"

Her tone was authoritative, but her posture and expression made it clear she wasn't as confident as presented.

Shutting her mouth, Hua'er grabbed a bar of soap from a nearby rack. Yet, the haze in her eyes made it clear she was still thinking about other things.

While they readied to wash him, Xu Zhenyan sunk even lower until the water touched his chin. The experience was simply wonderful beyond words.

'This is the life…'

There wasn't a man in the world who wouldn't enjoy being served by three young, pretty girls and if they claimed so, it was nothing but a lie.

Though, Jing was somewhat of an exception, being a little too young for his tastes. If it wasn't for her face and style of dress, she'd be indistinguishable from a boy.

'Flat… well, everything really isn't for me. I need curves to be happy.'

Thinking such thoughts, he stared at Xian'er as she leaned over the tub to wash his chest and arms. Her collar was a little loose, allowing him to see a hint of something interesting.

Smirking, he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of soft bristles against his skin.

"Do you take baths with than Yuanba guy, Ms. Xian?"

His tone was a mix of coyness and teasing.

The girl immediately shook her head. The movement was so vigorous that Xu Zhenyan felt her hair brushing against the back of his neck.

"Of course not, young master! We aren't even married!"

Her adamant refusal caused him to snicker.

"Good. You aren't allowed to, either."

Wondering what that poor bastard's face would look like if he was here, Xu Zhenyan smiled evilly. He suddenly wanted to find out.

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