You're my wife, don't doubt it!

The plastic basin had one end under the dining table and the other end under the bed, so Xiao Yao could only sit on the right side of the basin on a small stool, holding a large gray towel in his hand, and vigorously rubbing Shen Jie's back.

He had a strong grip, but he was also very meticulous. While rubbing her back, he would occasionally massage the girl's back and shoulder muscles with his fingers to relieve her fatigue and stress.

Shen Jie curled up in the water, feeling the strength and warmth of Xiao Yao's hands. The towel wiping her back made her feel cherished and cared for, giving her a strong sense of security.

The girl coughed softly and whispered, "Thank you, Dog."

“It is only natural for the butler to serve the young lady,” Xiao Yao said with a smile.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Shen Jie said reproachfully, “Uncle Johns has never given me a bath.”

"Didn't you have that when you were a child?" Xiao Yao asked.

“No,” Shen Jie told Xiao Yao, “There is a maid who takes care of this.”

Maid... Sister, what the heck?

“I will be fully responsible for this from now on,” Xiao Yao said with a smile.

Shen Jie did not speak.

In the sudden silence and somber atmosphere, only the sound of dripping water and the rustling of someone rubbing their back could be heard.

The faint scent of shower gel filled the air, making Xiao Yao feel comfortable and relaxed.

"A little lower."

"A little lower."

"Go up a little, then turn right."

"Put some effort here."

"Uh... don't use so much force."

"left."

Xiao Yao didn't utter a single complaint, acting like a hardworking robot.

“I suddenly realized,” Shen Jie blurted out, “that I will miss you when I get back. Just a little bit.”

"?" Xiao Yao stopped what he was doing: "What did you say?"

"It's nothing," Shen Jie leaned back, resting the back of her head on Xiao Yao's bed. "Why don't you call your buddy Xiong Ji by Brother Bo? Isn't he also a potential user?"

“He didn’t awaken the fortress, he just went to the hall with us once,” Xiao Yao said. “Actually, Brother Bo called him, but he didn’t come. It seems he said he wasn’t in Shanghai?”

"Oh..." Shen Jie wasn't really concerned about Xiong Ji, so she just casually patted the water's surface with her delicate hand: "I suddenly remembered the gem fragment that the Earl of Nottingham dropped last time..."

“Nottingham—ah, never mind.” Xiao Yao sighed. “Buckingham it is then.”

"That gem fragment should be given to Shi... Shi... Shi what was it again?"

"Shakyamuni, Shi Xiaolong." Xiao Yao thought to himself, what exactly is the problem with you remembering names?

“We should show it to the master,” Shen Jie said. “He’s really amazing and knows a lot. He should be able to tell what use it is.”

Xiao Yao wanted to tell Shen Jie that "I don't trust him," but then thought he would be criticized.

After all, they almost got into a fight last time when they didn't trust the White Knight.

Perhaps I'm just too suspicious, like Cao Cao.

Since I trust Brother Bo, and Brother Bo trusts Shi Hui, then I should also trust Shi Hui.

"I didn't expect it," Xiao Yao said casually. "I didn't have it with me. Maybe next time."

“Hey—Dog, you tell me,” Shen Jie continued, “I used to think our Brother Bo was pretty amazing, but suddenly it feels like he’s been completely outclassed by a monk.”

"Okay, I'm done scrubbing you," Xiao Yao wrung out the towel and wiped his hands on it. "I'm going out now. You can take off your underwear and wash it yourself."

"Doggy," Shen Jie called softly, "Sit down."

"Huh?" Xiao Yao asked, puzzled.

Shen Jie didn't say anything more, but simply pointed to the hard sofa in the corner of the room.

Xiao Yao hesitated for a moment, then took a big step over Shen Jie and sat down on the sofa.

……

……

"Hiss—!" Xiao Yao was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Shen Jie tossed something over, but Xiao Yao was so focused on what was in front of him that he forgot to catch it.

The boy raised his head and pressed his right index finger against one of his nostrils.

……

The way Shen Jie threw things reminded him of how she threw fireballs.

He recalled the battles, big and small, that he had just experienced in "that world," in the subway.

At the end of the subway tunnel, there was even a downward passage.

Such a bizarre sight is truly unimaginable unless one experiences it firsthand.

The six of them went down seven or eight floors before encountering the Shadows, who, instead of screaming and running away, launched an attack.

The battle was basically a one-man show where Shi Hui went on a rampage, Xiao Yao followed behind to finish off the enemies, and the other four watched and basked in the experience.

Xiao Yao will never forget the petite girl in the gray casual clothes, her lively figure.

The light from her hand illuminated the darkness of the subway tunnel.

The cramped subway tunnel wasn't a good place for her to perform, so the girl threw the fireball like a softball, sending it through an arc over Shi Hui and Xiao Yao's heads before landing in the piles of shadows ahead.

Amid the dazzling explosion, Xiao Yao smelled the odor of burning fur and felt the heat wave hitting him.

"Great Sage, stop your supernatural powers!" Xiao Yao shouted, "It's too dangerous for our teammates!"

"Doggy." Shen Jie's voice pulled him back to reality from his memories.

"Yes, I'm here." Xiao Yao turned his gaze back to the girl in the bathtub.

The girl didn't look at the boy, but lowered her head and wiped her fair, lotus-root-like arms with a towel: "Silly girl, you're a poor child."

"Shen Jie, do you know?" Xiao Yao took the opportunity to express his loyalty (and what he said wasn't entirely false): "The only time I feel most comfortable is when I'm alone with you."

"I like when we're together, it's like we're in our own little world, where no matter what happens outside, it's just you and me."

"This feeling, this peace, is something I haven't experienced these past few days with her, or when the three of us were together."

A hint of emotion flashed in Shen Jie's eyes. She glanced at Xiao Yao, then quickly turned her face away: "I'm so happy to hear you say that, really. But listen to me."

"Go ahead and say it." Xiao Yao looked at Shen Jie greedily, wishing his eyes were cameras so he could record this scene forever.

“Silly girl is a poor child. After I leave, I will contact you and meet with you,” Shen Jie said, applying shower gel to her thighs. “But you have to promise me that you will treat her well.”

"If that's your wish, I will," Xiao Yao replied cautiously after a few seconds of silence.

"Ah."

Ah, Yu Luying.

Yu Luying's body was slightly suspended inside the abandoned subway car, her left hand tightly gripping the pure silver cross on her chest, her right hand raised high, her figure slender, elegant and charming.

The girl had her eyes closed, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, deeply focused on meditation, her lips moving slightly as if she were chanting something.

Frost rose from the ground, and rings of ice immobilized the feet of many Shadows, rendering them unable to move and trapping them in place.

As Yu Luying cast the spell, the hem of her long skirt was slightly lifted, revealing black, opaque pantyhose clinging to her slender legs. Frost flowers spread across the pure black stockings, extending from the top of her shoes all the way down into the hem of her skirt. One wonders if she's cold.

The girl's pantyhose was soaked through by the icy dampness, clinging tightly to her slender calves. As she cast her spell, the frost continued to spread, and the moisture in the air became even heavier, making her pantyhose appear noticeably damp.

Under the combined effect of frost and moisture, the pantyhose became even more form-fitting, outlining the lines of her legs and her graceful figure. Moisture condensed into droplets on the pantyhose, adorning the black fabric and making it appear smoother and shinier, like a night sky studded with stars—beautiful and mysterious.

Even in such a harsh environment, Yu Luying's unapproachable aura still intimidates those in the shadows...

"And another thing," Shen Jie's voice pulled Xiao Yao back to reality for the second time, "I said you should treat her well, care for her with your heart and love, not that you should bully her—"

“How could I bully her?” Xiao Yao said.

"You're not allowed to do that with her!"

"Huh? Is that what you're concerned about?" Xiao Yao was taken aback.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely save my first time for you." Xiao Yao then said with a grin.

The boy meant to flirt, and was prepared to be scolded, but Shen Jie nodded in satisfaction: "Yes, you keep your word."

"?..."

"Otherwise, I won't leave it to you either," the girl threatened softly.

"Absolutely not!" Xiao Yao feigned a pained expression. At this moment, he didn't want to talk about Yu Luying anymore, so he quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Shi Hui's 'Boundless Buddhist Power' move was damn cool."

"No!" Shen Jie suddenly realized, staring at Xiao Yao with her big, watery eyes: "What first time—the first time, the last time, every single time, it's all mine! You and that silly girl are only allowed to have a platonic relationship!"

"Oh..." Xiao Yao thought to himself, let's talk about "the boundless power of Buddhism": "So, the kind where there can't be any physical contact at all?"

“That’s not quite right,” Shen Jie thought for a moment, “You’re allowed to hold hands as a special privilege, but as for other things… other things… anyway, the bottom line is that you have to abide by the teachings of that silly girl.”

“Speaking of this doctrine,” Xiao Yao rolled his eyes, “Do you think Brother Bo will actually drag me to get washed next Easter?”

“Then how about,” Shen Jie said with a smile, “you become the head monk’s disciple first?”