Lying in the comfortable oversized bathtub, feeling the warm water, tinged with a familiar scent, flow rhythmically over every part of his body, Lin Haobai felt like today had truly gone to hell.
Who could tell him why he was soaking in someone else’s bathtub? And not just anyone’s—Ren Fairy’s private bathtub!
He kicked his foot, and the faintly pink-tinted water splashed onto the smooth tiles. No matter how it swirled, it would eventually disappear down the drain.
Right now, Lin Haobai felt just like that pink bathwater, carried along by the current. And that current was Ren Tianxing.
This man really shouldn’t be some CEO. He’d make a perfect salesperson! Just look at how he’d talked him into foolishly soaking in his bathtub.
Sure, they were both men, whatever one had, the other had too. But still, as he lay completely bare in the bathtub Ren Tianxing used every day, surrounded by that familiar fragrance, there was a subtle intimacy to it that made him feel both embarrassed and oddly thrilled.
Damn it.
Lin Haobai muttered another curse under his breath. He refused to admit that he had been bewitched by Ren Tianxing’s irresistibly beautiful face.
“Xiao Bai, is it comfortable?”
The bathroom door suddenly opened. Under the dim yellow light, a pale, almost glowing figure stepped in.
For a moment, Lin Haobai’s vision blurred. Through the hazy steam, that figure seemed like it was under a spotlight, impossible to look away from.
“Y-you… why did you come in?”
He had been resting his head against the edge of the tub. Startled, he tried to sit up, but his foot slipped. With a splash, he nearly tipped forward headfirst.
Ren Tianxing, who had been leaning casually against the doorway in a relaxed pose, instantly dropped the stylish entrance act. He strode forward and in just a couple of swift movements pulled Lin Haobai upright.
“Cough, cough…”
Lin Haobai spat out two mouthfuls of scented bathwater and was just about to lift his head to demand why he had barged in—
When something familiar, strategically blurred from view, came into sight.
Damn it!
Lin Haobai cursed again.
He had no idea how many times he had cursed tonight, but all he wanted to do was keep on swearing.
This was already the third time.
He had never imagined that one day he would have such “fate” with another man’s private part. This was one connection he absolutely did not want.
As if sensing his thoughts, the “little brother” in front of him perked up and gave a spirited twitch.
“Y-you… you… you’re shameless!”
Lin Haobai stood there for a long moment before finally managing to squeeze out those words.
Ren Tianxing shifted slightly, as if by accident, and chuckled in a low voice. “Look at your own hand first. Who exactly is being shameless? Mm…”
That simple “mm” sent heat rushing through Lin Haobai’s entire body. He finally lowered his head to look at his hand and realized that, at some point, his right hand had grabbed hold of a white, soft bath towel. It felt plush, clearly high quality.
Wait.
Lin Haobai shook his head, realizing his thoughts had gone astray.
He glanced down at the towel in his hand, then back up at the teasing expression on Ren Tianxing’s face. In an instant, he felt his cheeks grow hot enough to steam an egg.
“I… I… didn’t mean to…”
He stammered, carefully avoiding looking directly at that spirited “little brother,” and cautiously studied Ren Tianxing’s expression instead. His right hand trembled as he slowly extended the towel toward him.
Seeing the guilty look on his face, Ren Tianxing was thoroughly amused inside.
He finally understood how this silly guy had managed to win Best Actor.
That little expression of his could change dozens of times within five minutes.
“Ha ha…”
Bright laughter rang out, echoing through the spacious bathroom.
Amid the swirling steam, Ren Tianxing snatched the obstructive towel from Lin Haobai’s hand and tossed it onto the floor, then stepped fully into the bathtub.
The pink bathwater, already filling the tub, overflowed considerably as another person joined in. For a moment, the scent in the entire bathroom grew even richer.
“Y-you… how come you just came in?”
Lin Haobai watched him sit in the tub so boldly, and a surge of panic rose in his chest.
“Hey! Tell me, aren’t we good brothers?”
Looking into those even more beautiful eyes through the mist, Lin Haobai obediently nodded.
“Isn’t it normal for good brothers to bathe together?”
Lin Haobai: “Even so, shouldn’t you at least add a towel or something?!”
“I didn’t add a towel, did I? You were the one who pulled it off,” Ren Tianxing said, wearing an innocent, pitiful expression.
“But—”
Before Lin Haobai could finish his sentence, he realized Ren Tianxing was leaning closer to him.
“Y-you… the bathroom’s so big, why are you sticking so close?” Lin Haobai felt this proximity was dangerously intimate.
Ren Tianxing, still looking innocent: “You have to be close so I can wash your back!” He stretched an arm across Lin Haobai’s solid shoulder, looking like a perfectly friendly “good brother.”
In the increasingly steamy bathroom, with this shameless man pressed so closely against him, Lin Haobai felt like he could hardly breathe.
He shook his head, trying to convince himself he was overthinking it.
After all, Ren Tianxing’s limbs were behaving properly, aside from holding his shoulder. Occasionally, with the tub’s automatic massage jets pushing against them, their arms or legs might brush briefly, but they immediately separated, completely normal.
That dangerous feeling seemed to have diminished considerably.
Maybe he really was overthinking it.
Still… this bathtub really was comfortable!
Lin Haobai sighed.
Well, since things were already like this, he might as well enjoy the bath! He was probably overthinking it—Ren Tianxing, such a handsome grown man, how could he possibly be dangerous?
As the bathtub’s functions kicked into full speed, the increasingly pleasant scent filled the entire bathroom.
Breathing in the familiar aroma, Lin Haobai felt completely relaxed.
“Why that little expression of enjoyment?” a light laugh sounded from above.
Completely at ease now, Lin Haobai rolled his eyes at Ren Tianxing. “Why are you sitting higher than me?” In his memory, he and Ren Tianxing were about the same height. But once seated, he felt like he was a head shorter.
“Do you have some misunderstanding about height?” Ren Tianxing replied with a smile, puffing out his well-built chest.
Lin Haobai thought: Hmph, you think only you have chest muscles?
As if displeased, Lin Haobai also puffed out his chest.
The clash of snow-white and chocolate-toned skin, the stark contrast of colors, and the other person’s heartbeat made them both shiver.
Lin Haobai felt flustered.
He scrambled to press on Ren Tianxing’s shoulders, trying to create some distance between them.
Ren Tianxing’s hand, which had been itching to move, suddenly changed direction, moving away from Lin Haobai’s waist and instead splashing into the water.
Pink bathwater sprayed everywhere, and Lin Haobai accidentally swallowed several mouthfuls.
The flustered feeling dissipated a bit. Spitting out the water, Lin Haobai immediately launched a counterattack.
Soon, the previously flirty bathtub turned into a scene of pure fun.
Two contrasting figures, one dark, one light, like mischievous children, splashed each other with bathwater. Laughter and the sound of splashing echoed through the bathroom, lingering for a long time.
Author’s Note:
Lin Haobai: Today, we’re still good brothers!
Ren Tianxing: Yes, today we are. Tomorrow… hehe!
Good brothers, purely good brothers.