Xia Lan: From Meeting a Martial Arts Girl

Chapter 33 Goodnight

When Lu Siye opened his eyes, his back was against the wall and his legs were crossed on the tatami.

The low table in front of me is still there, the teapot is still there, and the cups are still there.

The clock on the wall points to 9:40.

He walked for two hours.

He looked down at his hands.

The fingers were intact, the nails were all there, there were no wounds, and there was no blood.

He clenched his fist, then loosened it, then clenched it again.

There was nothing in his palm, but he could feel it.

In the dantian, beside the primordial qi, at the edge of the sin seal space, something is sleeping quietly.

He stood up; his legs were a little numb from sitting cross-legged for too long.

He stretched his knees, pushed open the door of the cabin, and walked into the hallway.

The corridor was quiet, with only the creaking of his footsteps on the wooden floor.

He walked to the entrance of the hot spring area and pushed open the door.

A fog rolled in.

There were far fewer people in the pool than two hours ago; most had left, leaving only two or three people still soaking in it, eyes closed, quietly.

His gaze swept around, but there was no Xiaoman, no Baozi, and no Wen Ranran.

They've all finished soaking and have probably gone back to their rooms.

He stood by the pool, looking at the empty water and the steaming water, and suddenly felt a little lost.

He stood there for a few seconds, then turned and walked towards the locker room.

There weren't many people in the locker room.

He walked to his locker, unlocked it, and took out his clothes to change. The door opened at that moment.

Xiaoman walked in from the hot spring area.

She was wrapped in a white bath towel, her hair was wet and draped over her shoulders, with a few strands clinging to her cheeks.

Her swimsuit was light blue, just like the one in the photo he saw on his phone.

She walked with her head down, not seeing Lu Siyue standing in front of the cabinet. She took two steps before raising her head and then stopping.

Their eyes met under the locker room lights.

Xiaoman's face turned even redder in an instant.

"I……"

She spoke, her voice a little hoarse, then cleared her throat and softened her voice.

"I'd like to soak a little longer."

Lu Siye looked at her without saying a word.

He tried his best to keep his expression normal.

"There are fewer people," he said, his voice calmer than he had expected. "Now is the perfect time to go."

Xiaoman nodded.

She didn't move, standing there looking at Lu Siyue. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then looked away, and then looked back again.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "Baozi said you went to see Uncle."

"Hmm. I learned a new move."

"What move?"

"It's related to the wood element and snow."

Xiaoman nodded.

She didn't ask any more questions, but she didn't leave either.

The changing room was quiet, with only the sound of flowing water from the distant hot spring area.

"That……"

Lu Siye opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Then I'll go first," but swallowed the words back.

Xiaoman looked up and glanced at him.

"Have you soaked in it yet?" Xiaoman asked softly.

"No, I just got back from my class."

"Well..." Xiaoman's fingers twisted and untwisted the bath towel, then twisted and untwisted it again. "Are you going to take a bath now?"

Lu Siye looked at her.

Her face was still red.

"Hmm," he said.

Xiaoman nodded. She turned around, took two steps toward the hot spring area, then stopped and looked back.

"Then I..."

"Together," Lu Siye said.

Xiaoman did not answer.

She turned around, pushed open the door to the hot spring area, and went inside.

Fog seeped out from under the door, a white haze that blurred her silhouette.

Lu Siye followed behind her, pushed open the door, and stepped into the white mist.

There were indeed not many people left in the pool.

The two or three people who had been there earlier had also left, leaving the entire hot spring pool empty except for the wooden trays floating on the surface and the still steaming water.

The fog was so thick that you couldn't see the other side of the pool, and the overhead lights turned into a blurry halo.

The atmosphere was so intense that the distance between the two people seemed to be stretched out; even though they were only a few steps apart, it looked like there was a river between them.

Xiaoman sat down at the edge of the pool, first dipped her feet into the water to test the temperature, and then slowly slid down.

The water reached her shoulders, and she folded the towel and placed it on the rocks on the shore.

The light blue swimsuit was barely visible underwater, its shape distorted by the mist and the water's reflection.

Lu Siye sat down next to her, about an arm's length away.

Not far, not near.

It's the kind of distance that...not-so-close friends would maintain—a polite, restrained distance that wouldn't cause misunderstandings.

The water was so hot that it gave him goosebumps.

He leaned against a rock, his shoulders submerged in the water, looking up at the ceiling.

The ceiling was made of wood, blackened by moisture, and had several patches of green mold.

The two remained silent for a while.

The sound of water gushing from the cracks in the rocks was particularly clear in the empty pool.

Xiaoman spoke first.

"I have seven older brothers and six older sisters."

"I am the youngest daughter in my family."

Lu Siye turned to look at her.

She leaned against a rock, her face turned toward the ceiling, the water up to her chin, only her face and part of her neck showing.

Her hair was wet and clung to her cheeks, the ends of which were scattered on the water's surface.

Her profile was beautiful, with a straight nose, a pointed chin, and lips that were red from the steam.

My family spoiled me a lot when I was little.

She continued, her gaze still fixed on the ceiling.

"My brothers always bring me snacks when they go out, and my sisters help me with my hair and pick out clothes."

"My mother said that when I was three years old, I had a fever once, and my seven older brothers took turns carrying me around the room all night long. No one was willing to put me down."

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"Later, when I grew up, my family planned for me to join their company after graduating from university."

"The positions have all been arranged, the office has been renovated, and even the business cards have been printed."

"As a result, the Xia Lan seal on my hand slowly appeared. I said I wanted to go to Jiugongling, to become a Xia Lan, and to protect others."

She paused for a moment.

"My dad was silent all day. My mom cried all night."

"Some of the brothers supported it, while others opposed it, and they argued about it for several days."

"Finally, my eldest sister said something: 'Let Xiaoman go. She's always wanted to be a hero.'"

Her voice trembled slightly when she said the word "hero".

"Then I went."

She turned her head and looked at Lu Siye.

Their eyes met through the steam, an arm's length apart.

"Will your family worry?" Lu Siye asked.

"Yes. Every time I call, I ask if you're eating well, sleeping well, and if you're injured."

"After my mom learned how to use a smartphone, the first thing she did was send me a WeChat message, one every morning and one every night, without fail."

Sometimes it's "It's getting colder today, wear more clothes," sometimes it's "I saw a stray cat that looks like the one you had when you were a kid," and sometimes it's nothing at all, just a sun emoji.

Her lips were upturned, but her eyes were a little red.

Lu Siye remained silent for a while.

"They love you very much," he said.

Xiaoman nodded.

She didn't speak, but her eyes brightened in that instant.

She lowered her head, looking at the water, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles in the water.

"And you?" she asked, her voice even softer than before, "At home..."

"I only have one grandmother," Lu Siye said. "I grew up with her."

"Later I left home, and she lived alone in the old house. For the first two years, she could still cook and do her own laundry, but later her legs got weak, and the aunt next door would help take care of her."

He paused.

"I haven't been back for a long time."

Xiaoman did not speak.

Her hand reached out from under the water, and her fingers touched his.

A very light touch.

Her fingers were cold, even after soaking in hot water for so long.

Her fingertips lingered on the back of his hand for a second before withdrawing.

Lu Siye's hand moved slightly beneath the water's surface, towards the direction her fingers had retracted, but he didn't grab them.

His hand remained there, fingers slightly spread, palm facing up.

Xiaoman's finger reached out again.

This time, instead of pulling back after a quick touch, she gently placed her hand on his fingers, one by one.

First, I placed my index finger on his index finger, then my middle finger, ring finger, and little finger.

Finally, she placed her entire palm on top of his, palm to palm, fingers intertwined.

Lu Siye closed his hands.

He cupped her hand in his palm, his fingers tightening to hold the back of her hand.

Her hands were so small that his palm could completely enclose them.

His hands were very hot; after soaking in hot water for so long, the temperature of his palms was even higher than usual.

The two objects, one cool and one hot, were pressed together, like two pieces of metal at different temperatures colliding. The heat traveled from his palm to hers, and from her fingertips back to his fingers.

He could feel her pulse.

On the inside of her wrist, through the thin skin, it was throbbing rhythmically.

Soon, my heart rate became much faster than normal.

His own heart was beating so fast that he could hear the blood rushing through his ears, a loud, rumbling sound.

The two of them moved closer together without realizing it.

He looked down and could see the whorl of hair on the top of her head. Her hair was wet, and a few stray hairs stuck up and clung to his chin.

She smelled of shower gel, a very faint scent of some kind of flower, mixed with the sulfurous smell of hot spring water and a hint of her own body odor.

He couldn't describe the smell, but it was very pleasant.

Xiaoman tilted her head slightly and rested it on his shoulder.

Her hair clung to his neck, wet and cool.

He could feel her breathing; it was shallow and quick.

Neither of them spoke.

Lu Siye could feel his face burning.

The tips of his ears were probably so red they were unsightly, and his neck was burning hot.

My breathing became a little unsteady.

Xiaoman's face was also very red.

Her breathing was also a little unsteady, and her chest was rising and falling more than before, her light blue swimsuit swaying slightly on the water.

She soaked it for a little too long.

"How long have you been soaking?" Lu Siye asked. His voice was a little hoarse, and he cleared his throat.

"About... three and a half hours?" Xiaoman's voice was also very soft, with a slightly unnatural hoarseness, as if something was blocking her throat.

"It's been too long."

"Um."

She said that, but she didn't move.

She still leaned on his shoulder.

Her body was pressed against his arm, and through the thin swimsuit and the hot spring water, he could feel the temperature of her body.

It's hot.

Lu Siye took a deep breath.

The air was hot; it felt like a ball of fire when it entered my lungs.

"It's time to go out."

He said his voice was a bit more steady than before, but only he knew that the steadiness was an act.

Xiaoman nodded.

She released his hand, pulling her fingers out one by one from between his fingers.

As her hand slipped out of his, her fingertips traced a line across his palm.

She sat up straight and didn't look at him.

Her face was turned towards the opposite side of the pool, but the fog was too thick to see anything clearly.

The tips of her ears were still red, burning red, the redness extending from her earlobes all the way to her auricles.

Her fingers were tangled together underwater, with nowhere to go, and she didn't know where to put them.

Lu Siye stood up first.

Water gushed down his body as he walked to the edge of the pool, picked up a towel, and dried himself off.

The movements were very fast, much faster than usual.

He wrapped a towel around his waist, turned around, and stretched out his hand.

Xiaoman was still soaking in the water, looking up at him.

Her lips were slightly parted, as if she were saying something but didn't.

She looked at his hand, hesitated for a second, then reached out and took it.

Her hands were still cold.

He closed his fingers, cupped her hand in his palm, and gently pulled her out of the water.

Water streamed down her body, down her legs, and onto the floor, forming a large water stain on the tiles.

Her legs went weak when she stood up.

I probably soaked for too long, and all the blood was concentrated in my upper body, so my legs felt a bit unresponsive.

She leaned forward slightly, and Lu Siye's hand caught her waist just in time.

My palm rested on her waist, and through the thin fabric of her swimsuit, I could feel the curves of her waist.

It's very fine, very soft, and the skin feels very hot.

Her body stiffened for a moment.

It was a very brief moment, so brief that she could barely feel it if his hand wasn't pressed against her waist.

Then she relaxed, leaned on his arm, lowered her head, and let her hair fall down to cover her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"It's okay," she said softly, almost drowned out by the sound of the water, "my legs are a little weak."

Lu Siye did not hesitate.

He moved his hands away from her waist, supporting her back with one hand and reaching under her knees with the other to lift her up.

Her body was very light, so light that it didn't feel like the weight of an adult.

Her hair fell down, brushing against his arm, tickling him.

Her face was very close to his, close enough that he could see the water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath.

She could feel the heat.

It wasn't the kind of heat you get from soaking in a hot spring; it was a different kind of heat that rose from deep within her body, making her feel slightly hot all over.

She buried her face in his shoulder, neither looking up nor speaking.

He carried her a few steps, from the hot spring area into the changing room.

The locker room was empty, and the lights were very bright, almost blinding.

Her bath towel was still neatly folded and placed on the stool next to the cabinet, and the light blue swimsuit looked somewhat distorted under the white light.

"It's okay," her muffled voice came from beside his shoulder, "It's okay, I can walk by myself."

He put her down.

Her feet touched the tiled floor; she stood up, swayed for a moment, but regained her balance.

She reached for the bath towel on the stool and wrapped it around herself.

After wrapping herself in a bath towel, she lowered her head and began to untie the hair ties.

Her hair was loose, draped over her shoulders, and wet, soaking a small patch of the towel on her shoulder.

"Thanks."

she says.

"fine."

Lu Siye said.

He stood there, unsure of what to say, whether to leave or stay.

Xiaoman turned around, took two steps toward the door of the locker room, and then stopped.

She didn't turn around; she stood with her back to him for two seconds.

"Well... goodnight," she said.

"Good night."