Chapter 9: Exquisite Clothes

As Lu Qiwen pulled the blanket away from He Xuan’s body bit by bit, she felt a surge of embarrassment. When the blanket reached her waist and stopped, she let out a long sigh of relief, though a strange sense of disappointment also arose.

While He Xuan was lost in her thoughts, she heard Lu Qiwen’s voice but only responded with a soft “Mm.”

Lu Qiwen’s hand, holding the damp towel, trembled as he reached out to her jade-like back.

“Mm…”

A soft, almost moaning sound escaped He Xuan’s lips. Lu Qiwen, hearing it, asked, “Sister Xuan, did I touch a burn?”

He Xuan was mortified that such an embarrassing sound had slipped out while Lu Qiwen was wiping her back. She wished she could disappear into a hole but managed to say, “No, it’s just that the towel is a bit warm.”

Lu Qiwen didn’t think the towel was warm; instead, he felt his own body heating up. He gave He Xuan a puzzled look but continued wiping her back.

His hand, covered by the towel, slid over her smooth skin. He could feel the warmth and softness beneath the towel, and watching the red flush that appeared on her skin as he wiped made him momentarily lose focus.

After what felt like an eternity, Lu Qiwen finally finished wiping her back down to her waist. He couldn’t help but recall the sight of her round, moon-like hips when he had burst into the room earlier. Should he wipe there too? Surely, she could handle that herself.

Just as he was contemplating, He Xuan’s voice brought him back to reality. “Qiwen, you can leave the rest to me. Go get the clothes you bought.”

Relieved, Lu Qiwen quickly stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him.

As he left, He Xuan sighed in relief and used the towel to finish cleaning herself.

“Knock, knock. Sister Xuan, can I come in?”

He Xuan threw the towel into the basin, looked at her scarred body with a sigh, and covered herself with the blanket. Smiling, she called out, “Come in.”

Lu Qiwen entered, carrying the clothes he had bought from the market. He placed the neatly wrapped clothes on the bed. “Sister Xuan, I bought these for you. See if you like them.”

Women naturally have a love for clothes, so when He Xuan saw the neatly folded clothes, her face lit up with joy. She grabbed the small shopping bag and said, “You bought me clothes? Let’s see how good your taste is.”

Seeing her grab the bag with the lingerie, Lu Qiwen blushed and quickly turned away.

“Ah!”

He Xuan exclaimed as she pulled out a pair of pink lace panties and a black silk thong. She hadn’t expected Lu Qiwen to choose such sexy underwear for her. As she rummaged through the bag, a small box fell out from one of the bras.

He Xuan froze when she saw the box.

Durex. It was a box of condoms. Her hand stopped mid-air, recognizing what it was.

Hearing her exclamation, Lu Qiwen’s face turned even redder. He thought she was surprised by the lingerie he had bought.

But when he didn’t hear any further reaction, he turned around to see what was going on.

Seeing the small box on top of the black thong, Lu Qiwen felt like he had been struck by lightning. His mouth hung open in disbelief. “Oh my god, how did that get in there? Why is there a box of condoms with the lingerie? Did the store start giving away gifts with purchases?”

The room was silent. Both He Xuan and Lu Qiwen were stunned. Suddenly, Lu Qiwen shouted, “I get it now! It was that saleswoman! No wonder she looked at me so strangely.”

Feeling He Xuan’s gaze on him, Lu Qiwen couldn’t bear to stay in the room any longer. Without another word, he fled the room in embarrassment.

Watching him leave, He Xuan stared at the closed door for a moment before quickly hiding the embarrassing box.

Looking at the two exquisite pieces of lingerie, He Xuan wondered how Lu Qiwen, a young man, had managed to buy such items. Though curious, she quickly dressed, choosing a light blue outfit from the clothes he had bought.

Lu Qiwen must have considered her scars when buying the clothes, as both outfits were long-sleeved and long-pants. The well-made clothes fit her perfectly, highlighting her figure.

Admiring herself in the mirror, He Xuan felt a surge of joy. But seeing her scarred, disfigured face in the reflection quickly dampened her spirits.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiwen was in the living room, sorting the items he had bought and cursing the saleswoman who had slipped the condoms into the bag.

He Xuan sat in her room, lost in thought, until she heard Lu Qiwen’s voice calling, “Sister Xuan, dinner’s ready.”

Snapping out of her reverie, He Xuan walked out to find Lu Qiwen setting the table with delicious-smelling dishes.

Smiling, she sat down and said, “I didn’t know you could cook. This is a pleasant surprise.”