After dinner, after seeing Mo Xuan off, after clearing the table and finishing their homework, it was time for a bath.

The weather was still a little warm, but that didn't affect the Shen sisters' mood at all. Every night before bed, Shen Bingjing would hum to herself while filling the tub. Back when Grandpa was still alive, he had connected the bathroom to the well. As long as they turned the faucet, water would keep pouring in, saving them the water bill.

Shen Bingyao couldn't help much with this kind of work. So she sat in her wheelchair, folding their bras and panties, carefully smoothing out every wrinkle before glancing at Xiao Jing.

She felt that her little sister was in a very good mood tonight. She had been cheerful even during dinner, and had even added an extra dish, a tangy and appetizing fish with pickled mustard greens. It made Shen Bingyao a little curious.

That unusual reaction made her want to ask. Then she thought of what Mo Xuan had said that evening, and drifted off for a moment.

"Sis, sis."

Shen Bingjing called several times before Shen Bingyao suddenly snapped back to herself. At a loss, she asked, "W-what is it?"

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Shen Bingjing grinned. She reached into the tub to test the water, then gave a happy cheer. "It's about ready."

"You go in first."

Hearing that, Shen Bingyao smiled indulgently. She slowly turned her wheelchair toward the tub and gestured for her sister to go first.

"Okay."

The girl swiftly undid the buttons of her top. She gave her shoulders a little shake, and the white shirt, light as a feather, slipped neatly down. Her fair, delicate skin was exposed to the misty heat, flushed with a healthy pink.

Then she bent down and tugged off her long pants. She had worn the school uniform pants all day, so they should've been washed anyway. The best thing about having a courtyard was that they could hang clothes out however they liked. Whatever they washed tonight would be dry by tomorrow.

As she moved, a pair of straight, perfect legs came into Shen Bingyao's view. Their curves were balanced and supple, with a pearly sheen. No matter how she looked, she couldn't get enough. Even as a woman, Shen Bingyao couldn't help feeling jealous. Shen Bingjing's legs were just that beautiful.

If those damned school pants hadn't hidden them so well, then the boys chasing after Shen Bingjing at school could probably line up from Qingyuan to Rende.

For Shen Bingjing, was that a good thing or a bad thing?

After taking off her bra and panties, Shen Bingjing showed her bare body in front of her sister without the slightest restraint. She nimbly climbed into the tub and carefully lowered herself into the water.

The warm well water was like a mother's hand, gently stroking every inch of skin. It seemed to seep through every pore and into the bone, so soothing it made a person want to purr in contentment.

Shen Bingjing skillfully undid her hair tie and pinned up her hair. As she wrapped it with a towel, she called out excitedly to Shen Bingyao, "Sis, your turn."

Because her legs were inconvenient, something as easy as taking a bath for Shen Bingjing was almost as hard as climbing to heaven for Shen Bingyao.

Just getting into the tub took a lot of effort. Shen Bingjing leaned over the edge and held out both hands to help her sister.

Shen Bingyao quickly stripped off her upper clothes. It took a great deal of effort to tug off her skirt. Then, with her sister's help, she removed the last bit of fabric and took Shen Bingjing's hand.

"Sis, be careful."

Every time she got into the tub, Shen Bingyao first had to shift herself to the edge. Then she slowly sat on it, turned herself around, lifted her legs into the water, and finally Shen Bingjing would push her down from behind. Like always, the two of them sat facing each other in the tub, knees touching knees, with only their two little heads above the water.

Usually when the sisters bathed together, they would chat about this and that. Most of the time, Shen Bingjing would share all kinds of funny stories from school with Shen Bingyao, who rarely got to go out. It had become Shen Bingyao's only way of hearing school news.

But this time, Shen Bingjing seemed to have forgotten that daily routine. She only narrowed her eyes and hummed softly in delight. Her good mood seemed to pass through the skin and into Shen Bingyao.

Her sister couldn't hold back anymore. Half curious, half puzzled, she asked, "Xiao Jing, you seem to be in a really good mood today."

"Yep." Shen Bingjing gave a cheerful hum.

"Is it because Mo Xuan had dinner with us?" Shen Bingyao smiled slightly. For their plain and ordinary life, even having a guest at dinner counted as a rare big event.

"Not just that." The moment the topic came up, Shen Bingjing lit right up. She suddenly leaned forward, the soft curves at her chest seeming ready to spread wings and fly.

"Sis, you remember I told you before, right? Mo Xuan likes a girl in his class. Her name is Yun Jiumo."

Shen Bingyao froze. Then she forced a smile, her mood sinking a little.

"Mm, you mentioned it once before. What, are they dating now?"

"Nope." Shen Bingjing shook her head like a rattle drum. No matter how you looked at it, she seemed a little gleeful about his misfortune.

"I asked him this afternoon. He said they're not dating at all. More than that, Yun Jiumo doesn't even think much of him." The girl smacked her lips. "He's liked her for two whole years, and she still hasn't responded at all. What does that mean? It means there's no chance between them. It's just Mo Xuan's one-sided crush."

"Is that so?" Shen Bingyao's expression was faint.

"Of course. That only proves one thing. Mo Xuan likes Yun Jiumo, but Yun Jiumo doesn't like him at all." Shen Bingjing said it with absolute certainty.

"..."

Shen Bingyao looked deeply conflicted.

"So I've made up my mind."

"What kind of mind?" A bad feeling suddenly rose in Shen Bingyao's heart. "Xiao Jing, don't do anything foolish."

"How is that foolish?" Her little sister gave her a strange look. Inwardly, she muttered about how weird her sister was acting tonight. Her face flushed red, and like a thief, she secretly edged closer, whispering carefully, "Sis, I'll tell you a secret, but you absolutely can't tell anyone."

Shen Bingyao nodded. Suddenly, she felt a little afraid. She wanted to push her sister away, as if doing that could stop what was about to happen.

"I want to pursue Mo Xuan."

Five simple words.

To Shen Bingyao, they were no less than five bolts of thunder crashing down.

She stared at her younger sister in disbelief. Shen Bingjing looked shy and excited, but under that fixed gaze, her eyes began to dart away.

"Sis, why are you looking at me like that?" Shen Bingjing pouted unhappily. "It's like you're about to eat me."

But Shen Bingyao didn't hear a word of it. Trembling, she raised both hands and tightly gripped her sister's smooth, delicate shoulders. With difficulty, she forced out, "What did you just say?"

"I said I want to pursue Mo Xuan." This wasn't the kind of thing you could casually say out loud. Even saying it to the person closest to her, her own sister, gave her the panicked feeling that the person involved was right there beside them, hearing every word.

After saying it, Shen Bingjing really did glance around for a moment, as if afraid Mo Xuan might be nearby.

"You..."

At that moment, a thousand words broke apart into chaotic fragments. Pale, disordered words drifted through her mind and filled her whole head.

All Shen Bingyao could hear was a buzzing in her ears. Facing her sister's cute, innocent smile, she couldn't force out a single word.

But a huge wave of helplessness and confusion swept through her whole body.

The thing she had feared most had still happened.

Seeing her sister's face suddenly lose all color, Shen Bingjing grew flustered for no reason. She thought her gentle sister simply felt this approach was inappropriate, so she hurried to explain.

"Sis, listen to me. I've really thought this through."

"It's true that Mo Xuan likes Yun Jiumo. But Yun Jiumo has never given him any hints or chances. It's been two years, and there's been zero progress between them. Doesn't that basically prove they won't have any result?"

"They're in the same class. Maybe Yun Jiumo thinks rejecting him to his face would make things awkward for everyone. They see each other every day, after all. It'd be easy to hurt their relationship. So she can only use this method to make Mo Xuan back off on his own. But that idiot can't even tell."

"Mm, Sis, you're the person I trust most in this world, so I'll be honest with you. I've actually liked Mo Xuan for a long time. I don't even remember exactly when it started. I just know that every time I see him, my mood gets better, and I always look for chances to go play with him."

At first, Shen Bingjing was a little embarrassed saying it. But as she went on, she gradually relaxed and became bolder, speaking more and more freely.

"I feel like he has a pretty good impression of me too. Last time, he even dragged me into the little woods and hugged me all over." She gave a soft huff. "I'm definitely going to settle that score sooner or later, with interest. He doesn't get to wriggle out of it that easily."

"And besides, I think if he and I could be together, life might get a little easier and more convenient for us too. Don't you think it's too quiet here? Wouldn't it be nice if there were one more person?"

"Besides, our family's situation isn't that great, and it's the same on Mo Xuan's side. He's living alone now too. So if we started dating, no one would oppose it, right?"

"Hm? Sis, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick? Why does your face look so bad?"

No matter how anxiously Shen Bingjing asked, Shen Bingyao gave no response. Her eyes were empty as her sister pushed her and shook her.

If her little sister hadn't been supporting her, she probably would've sunk her whole body into the water by now.