“Have you heard? Su Man is going to the bathhouse today.”
“So what if she is? What, do we need to roll out a red carpet for her?”
“No, that’s not what I mean. That girl came from the countryside, so her skin must be rough as tree bark. Our compound’s bathhouse isn’t just any place—it’s practically a beauty detector! Once everyone takes off their clothes, you can tell at a glance who’s fair, who’s dark, who has smooth skin, and who’s rough.”
It was Saturday afternoon.
The women’s bathhouse in the residential compound was filled with steam, white mist billowing through the air and mingling with the scent of soap and the natural fragrance of women.
The sound of splashing water filled the room, but even louder was the gossip coming from the corner.
Although Zhang Guifen had been humiliated at the medical station yesterday, the bathhouse was her territory. And now that she was here, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
As she rubbed soap over her body, she exchanged knowing looks with Sister Li beside her.
“Last night it was dark, and we were too far away to see clearly. I just don’t believe that a village girl who’s been doing farm work since childhood and abused by her stepmother could possibly have smooth skin. She must have scars. And calluses too.”
“I bet Commander Lu is only interested because she’s something new. Just wait until he sees that dark, rough skin of hers. I bet he’ll be disgusted.”
“Sister Zhang, maybe you should stop talking.”
Sister Li was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She glanced toward the entrance.
“She was injured like that while trying to save the children last night. You—”
“What about her leg? That was all an act!”
Instead of lowering her voice, Zhang Guifen raised it even louder, as though she wanted everyone in the bathhouse to hear.
“If you ask me, that’s just fate. A pheasant can’t turn into a phoenix. No matter how nice a dacron dress she puts on, she’ll still have that earthy, rustic smell in her bones!”
Just as she was getting carried away, the heavy cotton curtain at the entrance was pushed aside.
A gust of cold air swept inside, dispersing the cloud of steam near the doorway.
The previously noisy bathhouse suddenly fell silent, as though someone had squeezed the life out of it.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Su Man walked in carrying a red enamel washbasin, a change of clothes tucked under one arm. She was limping slightly.
The injury on her leg had not completely healed. The bandages had already been removed, but the wound had scabbed over, and walking still felt somewhat awkward.
That, however, did nothing to diminish her presence.
She wore an oversized military-green men’s shirt. It was one of Lu Zhan’s old shirts, and the hem hung past her hips. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing two slender, fair forearms.
Her hair was casually tied back, with a few loose strands falling beside her face. The steam made them slightly damp, causing them to cling softly to her skin.
She wore no makeup, her face completely bare.
Yet under the dim yellow light, her complexion looked almost dazzlingly fair.
Su Man’s calm gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Zhang Guifen’s broad face.
She said nothing.
She merely curved her lips into a faint, knowing smile before walking straight toward the lockers at the very back.
“What are you putting on airs for…”
Zhang Guifen muttered under her breath, but her eyes remained fixed on Su Man.
She practically wanted to bore holes through her with her stare.
Su Man set down her basin and began leisurely undoing the buttons on her shirt.
One.
Two.
Three.
As the shirt slipped from her shoulders, revealing the white cotton undershirt beneath, several women around her audibly sucked in their breath.
That skin—
How could it possibly be like old tree bark?
It was as delicate as a freshly peeled lychee, smooth and lustrous like the finest white jade, so flawless that even her pores were barely visible.
Under the light, her skin seemed to glow with a soft, luminous sheen.
Su Man did not rush to remove her undershirt. Instead, she bent down and took off her trousers first.
Her legs were not flawless—two ugly scabs around her knees marred their beauty—but they were straight and slender, with full thighs and delicate calves.
Those were supposed to be the legs of someone who had spent her life doing farm work?
They were clearly the legs of a pampered young lady!
Zhang Guifen’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
The bar of soap in her hand slipped and plopped into the water.
But that wasn’t even the most shocking part.
Su Man turned around, presenting her back to everyone, and reached up to remove the last of her clothing.
The women who had been waiting to see her make a fool of herself were rendered completely speechless.
The graceful lines of her back were almost like those of a butterfly about to take flight. The curve along her spine was pronounced, while her waist was so slender it looked as though it could be encircled by a single hand.
Yet what drew the most attention wasn’t her perfect figure.
It was the unmistakable reddish marks scattered across her fair back.
Some were on her shoulder blades, some at the small of her back, and one was even visible just beneath the side of her neck. They were deep red, clearly left by intense kisses or the pressure of someone’s hands.
They were marks left by a man.
Marks left by that notorious “Living Yama,” Lu Zhan, after staking his claim on that delicate body.
“Commander Lu really is…”
Sister Li’s face flushed bright red, and she quickly turned away, too embarrassed to keep looking.
Most of the women present were married and experienced enough to understand exactly what those marks meant.
This wasn’t evidence that Su Man had been mistreated.
Quite the opposite.
She had clearly been cherished to the bone, loved so intensely that it had left unmistakable traces behind.
Zhang Guifen’s face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
Just moments ago, she had been mocking Su Man for supposedly having dark skin and scars.
But now?
Not only was Su Man’s skin dazzlingly fair, she had practically “displayed” the couple’s affection all over her back.
It was a silent slap in the face—one that stung Zhang Guifen’s pride badly.
Su Man acted as though she hadn’t noticed the stares behind her. She picked up her towel and soap and calmly walked into the shower area.
Hot water cascaded over her body, washing away the exhaustion of the past two days.
She closed her eyes, but her mind was already occupied with something else.
Most of the people in this compound judged others according to appearances and status.
Since these women loved judging people by their looks, then she’d simply give them something to look at.
Only after silencing these women would she truly be able to establish herself in this circle. Only then would she have the freedom to focus on doing business and making money.
About half an hour later, Su Man emerged, rubbing her damp hair with a towel.
By then, there were fewer people in the bathhouse.
But Zhang Guifen was still there, deliberately taking her time. Clearly, she wasn’t willing to slink away just yet.
Su Man got dressed and wrapped her hair up.
As she passed Zhang Guifen, she suddenly stopped.
“Sister Zhang.”
Su Man spoke, her voice crisp yet carrying the lazy softness of someone who had just taken a hot bath.
Zhang Guifen jumped. The bath towel in her hand nearly flew out of her grasp.
“W-What do you want?”
Su Man looked her up and down, her gaze finally settling on Zhang Guifen’s dirt-covered back.
“Sister Zhang, I don’t think you’ve washed very thoroughly.”
Su Man smiled.
There was no trace of mockery in her eyes, yet somehow her words felt like needles.
“I can see quite a lot of dirt on your back. It’s even rubbed into little rolls.”
“How about I help you scrub it? We’re neighbors, after all. We should help each other.”
“No!”
Zhang Guifen recoiled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She stumbled backward and slammed her back against the wall, grimacing in pain.
“I can do it myself! I don’t need your fake kindness!”
“Oh, all right.”
Su Man nodded without insisting.
“Then take your time, Sister Zhang. Make sure you scrub yourself clean.”
She paused, then smiled faintly.
“Otherwise, if too much dirt builds up inside your heart too, it can be rather uncomfortable.”
With that, she picked up her basin and walked out without looking back.
Zhang Guifen was left standing there alone, her face turning red, then white, then red again.
She was shaking with rage, yet couldn’t come up with a single word.
The women nearby who had been watching the spectacle couldn’t help covering their mouths and snickering.
“Serves her right! That’s what happens when you provoke someone stronger than you.”
“Su Man looks so delicate, but she’s got quite a sharp tongue.”
“Don’t mess with her from now on. That woman is definitely not simple.”
After leaving the bathhouse, Su Man pulled her coat tighter when the cold wind hit her.
A faint pain shot through her knee.
The floor in the bathhouse had been slippery earlier, and while maintaining that graceful turn, she’d accidentally twisted her old injury.
“Hiss…”
Su Man sucked in a breath and leaned against the wall for a moment to recover.
Putting on that little show came with a price.
But it had been worth it.
She looked up at the sky.
The setting sun had dyed the entire compound a brilliant gold and crimson.
Judging by the time, Lu Zhan should be coming back from headquarters soon.
A sly smile curved across Su Man’s lips.
In front of outsiders, she was a rose covered in thorns.
But in front of her own man…
She absolutely had to be a pitiful little white rabbit who had been wronged.
Otherwise, who would feel sorry for her injured leg?
She adjusted her expression, putting away that sharp, calculating look and replacing it with one of helpless vulnerability.
Then, limping slightly, she headed home.
This little performance wasn’t over yet.
Brother Zhan, get ready for what’s coming.