Chapter 4: Expressing Tension Through Clothing

After entering the bathroom, Li Yunchu felt her heart pounding wildly.

She was terrified.

Her mother was truly fearless about her being vulnerable to men—she actually brought Pei Siyie into her room!

But Dr. Pei probably wasn’t that kind of person.

Although Li Yunchu didn’t know him very well, she could sense Pei Siyie’s character.

There was no time to dwell on those thoughts; she decided to finish dealing with the depilatory cream first.

Li Yunchu took off her coat and baggy pants, left only in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.

The depilatory cream had already stained her clothes.

Looking at the softened hair mixed with the cream, she felt a slight headache coming on.

She wasn’t exactly obsessed with cleanliness, but now she found herself disgusted.

If it were just normal underarm hair removal, it might be tolerable, but her arms and legs were covered with fine hair, which now looked particularly unpleasant.

She thought to wipe off the cream with tissue first, because rinsing directly with water would scatter the hair all over the bathroom, making it hard to clean.

After a quick wipe, her arms and legs felt oily.

No matter how much she wiped, she couldn’t get it clean.

Grabbing the showerhead, she planned to rinse herself off. As she stood there scrubbing and rinsing, just as she was about to lift her leg to rinse her calf, her foot suddenly slipped.

Crash!

She fell hard to the floor!

“Ah!”

The pain made her cry out involuntarily. Quickly, she used her hands to protect her head, but her waist hit the sink, and she lay there on the floor.

Tears welled up in Li Yunchu’s eyes. She glanced down at her leg—the fine hairs still stuck to it, and a large bump had formed with blood oozing from the scrape on her calf.

She had always thought cartoon bumps after a fall were exaggerated.

But today she realized that such a bump could really form instantly, and now she couldn’t even stand.

From the bedroom chair, Pei Siyie heard the noise inside. Almost running, he reached the bathroom door but restrained himself from opening it.

“Miss Li, what happened?”

Li Yunchu was on the verge of tears. This was humiliating—falling so awkwardly in the bathroom, with hair still stuck to her arms and legs, and now Dr. Pei right outside.

Her face felt utterly ruined today.

“Dr. Pei…I…I fell.”

Though reluctant, she had no choice but to ask for help.

“How do you feel now? Can you get up?”

The man’s voice entered the bathroom.

Perhaps because he was a doctor, Li Yunchu felt less panicked.

With a choked voice, she replied, “I can’t get up. What should I do?”

Her soft voice sounded as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

Pei Siyie paused, wondering what to do.

He should go in and carry her out.

But would that make her think he was acting inappropriately?

A man and woman alone in a room was already ambiguous enough.

And in the bathroom…

He took a deep breath.

Trying to keep his voice calm, he said, “Miss Li, do you need my help?”

No matter how shy she was, Li Yunchu had to let him help. Biting her lip, she hesitated before whispering, “Dr. Pei… could you come in and help me up…”

After she spoke, there was no immediate answer.

Her heart fluttered uneasily—she was a girl, and asking like this wasn’t proper.

But the situation was different now.

She might faint right there in the bathroom!

Several seconds later, she heard a steady “Hmm” from outside.

Thankfully, Dr. Pei didn’t mind.

The bathroom door opened.

Pei Siyie approached with an expressionless face and extended his hand.

Li Yunchu, understanding the situation, took it obediently—when you’ve fallen, you have to accept help.

“Thank you, Dr. Pei. I’m really sorry…I didn’t expect to fall.”

As he lifted her onto his back, she whispered quietly behind him.

Her clothes were dirty, and her arms and legs hadn’t been washed clean, so she was worried about dirtying his clothes.

“It’s nothing,” he replied simply.

Li Yunchu felt even more embarrassed. She recalled their conversation by the car earlier that day and felt a twinge of guilt toward him.

She couldn’t see his face from behind as he carried her.

Pei Siyie’s heartbeat quickened; he dared not speak much, afraid it might burst out of his chest.

The young lady had actively sought his help today and spoken so much.

Hearing her muttering softly behind him, he forced a slight smile, not wanting her to see how pleased he was.

Her body was so soft; the phrase “as if without bones” described her perfectly.

Her hand rested on his shoulder.

He thought to himself that there was no need to wash this shirt—it was the first time she’d touched his clothes since they met again.

If only the bathroom were farther from the bed; he was reluctant to put her down.

When Pei Siyie finally laid her gently on the bed, her tense heart relaxed.

At last, she was safe.

Pei Siyie, eyes calm but filled with frustration, wished he could dismantle this bed and throw it off the planet.

“Dr. Pei, thank you,” Li Yunchu rubbed her waist, wincing in pain as if her entire head were about to split open.

“Ouch… it hurts so much…”

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes—she hadn’t been hurt this badly in a long time.

A flicker of concern crossed Pei Siyie’s gaze.

“I’m a doctor. If you don’t mind, Miss Li, I can take a look.”

His voice was emotionless.

Li Yunchu glanced at him; he seemed a little impatient.

“Dr. Pei, I… I should be fine after a while. I’m really sorry for today’s trouble. If you take off your coat, I can help wash it for you?”

She asked cautiously but received no immediate reply.

Pei Siyie’s mind went blank.

Two inner voices clashed in his head.

“Keep the clothes. That way, you’ll have a chance to see the young lady again!”

“No! You want to wash away her scent and the feeling of her touch? You know better than anyone how precious this shirt is.”

“But if you take it off, she’ll see your firm chest and abs. Without showing that tension through your clothes, your wife might run away!”

“Is she that kind of person? She definitely won’t judge by appearances!”

…

“Dr. Pei? Please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll wash it clean.”

The soft voice came again.

“I’m not angry.”

Clearing his throat, Pei Siyie said, “Miss Li hasn’t answered my earlier question. Or, I can take you to the hospital now to have it checked.”

Li Yunchu was stunned—go… to the hospital…

She didn’t want to embarrass herself in public, especially with hair still left unremoved.

Several long strands…

She cared about her dignity!

“Please, Dr. Pei! Dr. Pei, help me look at it, please!”

What did she just say?

She said she wanted him, wanted Dr. Pei…

Pei Siyie’s breath caught once more.