Chapter 64: My Grassland, My Horse

Cheng Simin spoke boldly, not waiting for Shi Ying to react. She swiftly dashed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Shi Ying, with his cheeks stuffed like a hamster, blinked in confusion and lowered his head to sniff at the collar of his shirt. Was she serious?

He prided himself on cleanliness. Before picking up Cheng Simin, he had already taken a shower. Since he had to stay over unexpectedly and hadn’t brought any luggage, he made sure to be as fresh as possible before seeing his girlfriend—almost like preparing for a ritual cleansing.

He had brushed his teeth multiple times, shaved his stubble clean, and used two whole bottles of orange-scented body wash.

The scent of oranges, while simpler than high-end fragrances, surely wouldn’t be mistaken for body odor, right? Did Cheng Simin’s nose malfunction?

As for whether he looked bad—he sat up straight, stretched his neck, and examined himself in the wardrobe mirror. Could it be that he had tanned today? Last time, Cheng Simin had praised his fair skin, so he had been diligent with sunscreen whenever he went outdoors. His sunscreen was SPF 50 with PA++++, and he never skimped on the amount.

But clearly, going without sunglasses in the desert was a mistake—his nose bridge was slightly red, showing signs of sunburn. Tomorrow, he’d have to apply some repair serum.

Inside the bathroom, the shower turned on, and the warm yellow lighting cast a delicate, graceful silhouette of Cheng Simin onto the frosted glass. As the steam rose, the hazy figure flickered, sparking the imagination.

Shi Ying was still mulling over her words. He glanced at Cheng Simin’s blurred form on the glass, then looked at himself in the mirror. Seeing no other unusual signals from her behavior, he channeled his frustration into food and continued shoveling rice into his mouth.

For twenty minutes, Cheng Simin showered while mimicking the poses of sexy supermodels. She twisted and turned, but maybe due to objective limitations—being short and petite—the bathroom door never dramatically burst open with Shi Ying kicking it down.

Her plan was failing. If she stayed in the shower any longer, her hands would wrinkle like a Shar-Pei’s. Gritting her teeth, she finally shut off the water and pulled out her trump card: an oversized boyfriend-style T-shirt with a wide neckline. It could double as sleepwear and achieve the alluring “no-pants look.” From certain angles, it was even a little sheer.

But this move didn’t go as smoothly as planned either. As she towel-dried herself, she realized she had rushed in too quickly and hadn’t brought her small backpack. Walking out in nothing but snug thermal underwear was absolutely out of the question.

So, she called out to Shi Ying from behind the door, “Shi Ying, can you grab my change of clothes? They’re in my backpack.”

Mindful of the other items in the bag, Cheng Simin added a reminder, “Just bring me the whole bag, okay? Don’t open it.”

Shi Ying had just finished eating and, as usual, took time to tidy up—brushing his teeth, putting away the dishes, wiping down the table, and tying up the trash to leave it outside the door.

When he came back in, he heard Cheng Simin calling for him to grab something. The background noise outside was loud, so he only caught bits and pieces. Bending down to pick up her small backpack, he responded with great enthusiasm, “You said you got your period? You need me to open the bag and get a pad for you?”

He unzipped the bag as he walked toward the bathroom, completely at ease. In fact, since she was feeling unwell yet still made the effort to see him, he became even more considerate.

“Does your stomach hurt? Maybe we should save the fireworks for another time. You should rest in bed—I can go to the staff and get you a couple of heat patches.”

Behind the door, Cheng Simin couldn’t hear him clearly.

“What? Gobang? Who plays Gobang at night?”

Anxious, she wrapped a towel around herself, cracked open the bathroom door, and poked half her face out.

Their mutual misinterpretations were harmless, but the moment she opened the door, her face smacked right into her small backpack.

The zipper was already open. The T-shirt she wanted was at the very bottom. On top of it? An assortment of contraceptives and small packets of lubricant.

Shi Ying let out a chuckle, arching a brow with an unreadable expression. Now he understood—no wonder Cheng Simin had been acting so strangely, complaining that he smelled and looked bad. She was setting the stage for this.

Wanting him meant wanting to do something with him—craving his body.

At this realization, Cheng Simin’s grand, secret plan to subtly lure Shi Ying into taking the lead completely and utterly collapsed.

Their eyes met. Cheng Simin, seeing the chill in his gaze, let out an awkward laugh.

“Oh wow, how did these things get in my bag? That’s so weird.” She grabbed onto the backpack strap, trying to pull it back. Just as she was about to retreat, Shi Ying braced one hand against the glass door and pushed inward.

Cheng Simin stumbled back. He stepped forward. Until she was pressed against the tiled wall, Shi Ying had completely entered the narrow shower space.

Her heart pounded, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she clutched the towel tightly to her chest. Tilting her head up, she asked in a tense voice, “What are you doing?”

Shi Ying shrugged and, right in front of her, pulled off his sweatshirt.

“What else? You said I stink. I’m here to shower.”

Underneath the gray hoodie was a plain white T-shirt. He could have pulled it off in one go, but he chose to do it in two steps.

The shower stall was cramped. They weren’t even touching, yet the heat between them seemed to set every nerve ending on fire. It was almost as if their gazes alone were tracing each other’s skin.

As the first layer came off, the hem of his T-shirt lifted, revealing the lean lines of his torso. Cheng Simin caught a glimpse of his narrow, vertical belly button and felt her throat go dry.

When the second layer was peeled away, the play of light and shadow over his toned physique was too much. The elements that triggered her preferences—pale skin, defined muscles, subtle shadows—were all there. Her eyes darted around, unable to settle. Her mind felt like it was overheating. She tugged at her towel and said, “Oh. Okay, then. You shower, I’ll go out first?”

Her words were strong, but her body betrayed her—her feet refused to move, as if glued to the spot.

She stared at him, unblinking, pupils glimmering. The corners of her lips curled up ever so slightly, resembling an online meme of a mischievous cat. She looked ready to devour him whole.

Shi Ying clicked his tongue, understanding her game. He played along, nodding and coaxing, “Didn’t you say you wanted to watch last time? The lighting here’s pretty good—I can strip for you, piece by piece.”

“That’s not proper… A gentleman wouldn’t impose.”

“No worries. It’s nighttime. You make the rules. I’m all yours—whatever you want.”

“Oh.” Cheng Simin’s dark lashes were still damp. She blinked, then said softly, “Then come kiss me now.”

Moments later, her soft body was pulled into his firm embrace, their lips colliding in heated passion.

The towel slipped to the floor.

With a muffled sound, Shi Ying knelt down, his head tilted up like a worshipper at an altar.

And Cheng Simin, caught in the waves, could do nothing but surrender to the tide.