Xiu Gou's Taming Record

Chapter 168 Don't wear a skirt next time.

"How do you usually interact with your master?" Zhou Mengqi began.

"That's how it is, just listen to him." Bai Xinran turned to look at her. "Did you guys do it offline before?"

"No," Zhou Mengqi said, "It was all online. We've never met in person. We lost contact for a while, and I only recognized her during the club interview."

"I see," Bai Xinran said. "That's quite a coincidence."

Bai Xinran felt a bit better now. So you've spent less time with your master offline than I have.

"So now," she looked at Zhou Mengqi, "you live at school, how do you usually..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Zhou Mengqi smiled and said, "My master said he would look for me."

Bai Xinran responded with an "oh".

"But it's a bit inconvenient for me to live with Wang Luyu," Zhou Mengqi said. "I can come to your place in the future."

"Sure," Bai Xinran nodded. "It's just me and Sister Yueling here."

"Aren't you curious?" Zhou Mengqi asked, "about my relationship with my master."

Bai Xinran continued working on her hands: "A little."

"Then why don't you ask?" Zhou Mengqi said.

"Say what you want to say," Bai Xinran said. "Don't say what you don't want to say."

Zhou Mengqi looked at her for a while. This girl seemed to have a rather indifferent personality.

"We used to," Zhou Mengqi began, "do online tasks, chat with each other, play games and stuff like that."

"Yes," Bai Xinran said, "I guessed it."

"I was young then," Zhou Mengqi said, "I didn't understand anything, he taught me everything."

Bai Xinran paused in her wiping of the glass. She remembered what Yu Heng had taught her.

"He is very patient when teaching people," Bai Xinran said.

"Yes," Zhou Mengqi said, "that's why I can't forget it."

Bai Xinran didn't reply, and the two wiped each other in silence for a while.

-

Yu Heng went upstairs and entered Shen Yueling and Ning Yutong's room.

Ning Yutong hadn't made eye contact with him since the morning meeting, and had been avoiding looking at him.

He thought it was amusing; if she was going to come, she shouldn't have come at all. But since she was here, this was just tempting him to bully her.

"Not finished wiping yet?" Yu Heng walked to the window, picked up another rag, and said, "I'll do it. Yue Ling, why don't you go downstairs and change the water? The water's all murky."

Shen Yueling got off the chair and glanced at the bucket. The water was indeed so murky that the bottom of the bucket was not visible.

"Okay," she said.

Upon hearing this, Ning Yutong immediately grabbed Shen Yueling's arm. She didn't say anything, but looked up at Shen Yueling with pleading in her eyes.

Shen Yueling lowered her eyes, knowing what Ning Yutong was afraid of, but she knew even better what Yu Heng wanted to do.

Whether the basin of water was dirty or not didn't really matter; Yu Heng just wanted her to go downstairs.

Shen Yueling gently tried to pull her arm away, but couldn't.

She raised her other hand and patted Ning Yutong's hand.

"Okay," she said calmly, but with a reassuring tone, "I'll be right back."

Ning Yutong's fingers loosened, then tightened again, and finally let go.

She watched as Shen Yueling picked up the bucket of water, turned around, and walked out of the room, the door closing gently behind her.

Only she and Yu Heng remained in the room.

Yu Heng stood on the chair and began wiping the top edge that Shen Yueling hadn't finished wiping.

He moved slowly and deliberately, the rag swishing across the glass with a slight creaking sound.

"What are you standing there for?" Yu Heng asked without turning around. His voice came from above. "Wipe that part down there. I can't reach it."

Ning Yutong swallowed hard. She walked to the window, picked up her rag, and began wiping the lower half of the glass.

Water streaks spread out, and the glass gradually became transparent.

She could see the withered grass in the yard outside, and she could also see Yu Heng's reflection on the glass.

He was so focused on wiping the glass, as if he really was just there to clean it.

Yu Heng got off the chair, his footsteps very light.

He carefully washed his hands repeatedly in another basin of clear water.

Then she stared at the glass, and the reflection became clearer and clearer until it stopped behind her.

He placed his hand on her waist, the warmth of his palm seeping through her sweater.

Ning Yutong froze, her breath caught in her throat.

The hand didn't move, it was just pressed against something, as if it was measuring something.

Then I put my hand on her waist.

Ning Yutong's knees felt a little weak.

Yu Heng's other hand also came up and wrapped around her from the other side.

This posture resembles a hug from behind, yet there's a distance between them.

His fingers twitched, sliding down her waistline and stopping at the edge of her skirt.

Ning Yutong's throat went dry, and her skirt was lifted up.

"Yu Heng, please don't..."

She was wearing sheer tights, and Yu Heng's hand slipped inside.

-

Footsteps came from downstairs, followed by the sound of a doorknob turning.

The door opened, and there was Shen Yueling.

Ning Yutong's mind went blank for a second, then her knees buckled, and she squatted on the ground, trembling.

Shen Yueling walked in and placed the bucket against the wall.

She didn't ask anything, nor did she look at Ning Yutong. She simply walked to the window, picked up the fallen rag, and rinsed it in the bucket.

The sound of rushing water was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Yu Heng bent down and reached out to Ning Yutong's shoulder.

Ning Yutong shuddered and shrank back.

His hand still came down, patting her shoulder lightly.

"I'm done wiping," he said. "Get up, the floor is cold."

Ning Yutong didn't move. Yu Heng didn't urge her again.

He straightened up and looked at Shen Yueling: "How's the tidying up downstairs going?"

"That's almost done," Shen Yueling said, wringing out the rag. "There are still some grease stains in the kitchen; Lu Yu is cleaning them up."

"Okay," Yu Heng said, "then I'll leave this to you. I'll go downstairs and take a look."

He walked out, his footsteps disappearing at the top of the stairs.

Only two people remained in the room.

Shen Yueling continued wiping the glass, while Ning Yutong remained squatting there. She could feel Shen Yueling's gaze occasionally sweeping over her.

After a while, Shen Yueling finished wiping the entire window.

She washed the rag, hung it on the edge of the tub to dry, then walked over to Ning Yutong and squatted down as well.

"Can you get up?" she asked.

Ning Yutong nodded, braced herself on the ground, and slowly stood up.

My legs were still weak, and I swayed slightly.

Shen Yueling reached out and supported her arm, only letting go once she had regained her balance.

"Go wash your face," Shen Yueling said. "Your face is all red."

Ning Yutong pursed her lips, lowered her head, and walked towards the door.

As I passed by Shen Yueling, I heard her say something very softly.

"Don't wear a skirt next time, it just makes it easier for him to bully you."

Ning Yutong stopped in her tracks, her ears burning.

Without turning back, she quickened her pace and walked out, escaping into the restroom at the end of the corridor.

She leaned against the door, covering her face with her hands.

My palms were wet; I couldn't tell if it was water or sweat.

The person in the mirror had red eyes and lips that were bitten until they turned white.

There was only one thought in my mind.

There won't be a next time.

It will never come again.