Chapter 802: Step by Step, Falling into Darkness

In the tranquil, pitch-black bathroom, a sharp snap suddenly sounded.

The originally pitch-black, cramped space where you couldn't see your hand was instantly bathed in harsh yet soft white light.

The glaring light suddenly spread, causing the two people in the darkness to simultaneously narrow their eyes slightly.

At the bathroom doorway, a slender, graceful figure stood silently, breaking the late-night stillness.

It was Qin Bore, who had just woken from a deep sleep in the guest room.

She wore a loose, soft, solid-colored pure silk pajama; the thin, close-fitting fabric accentuated her already slender, graceful figure.

Her jet-black hair was left unbound, loosely draped over her shoulders and back, adding a touch of lazy, homely gentleness.

Her usual clear, sharp eyes were now veiled with a heavy mist of sleep, looking drowsy and hazy.

Her long eyelids drooped slightly, still heavy with lingering sleep, making her whole body feel soft and limp.

In the deep night, when all was quiet, she too was jolted awake by a sudden urge to urinate, getting up to use the public bathroom.

Her steps were unsteady and slow, her head still a bit dazed, as she stumbled toward the bathroom.

She was still half-asleep, completely unaware that someone might be inside.

But as soon as she stepped over the threshold, she keenly sensed that the surrounding atmosphere was unusually strange and unfamiliar.

The originally spacious, empty bathroom, used only by her, inexplicably now held a tall, unfamiliar silhouette.

Qin Bore jerked half-awake from her dazed slumber, instinctively lifting her gaze forward.

Her doubtful gaze locked onto Lin Yuan standing before the sink, filled with confusion.

Her gaze unconsciously dropped, landing precisely on Lin Yuan's raised palm.

The next second, her pupils contracted sharply, and she froze completely in place.

She clearly saw that Lin Yuan was gripping an item of her intimate clothing in his hand.

Even more shocking, just a moment ago that garment had been brought up to Lin Yuan's nostrils.

The scene was so striking that anyone seeing it would inevitably draw a different conclusion.

The last lingering trace of sleep vanished instantly, leaving nothing behind.

Qin Bore never expected to witness such a scene; she was startled out of her wits.

Her heart jumped, she instinctively stepped back half a pace, her body reflexively making a dodging motion.

Utter shock and panic surged, and she couldn't help but let out a clear exclamation.

"Ah! Pervert!"

The sharp, sudden scream pierced the night's quiet, echoing endlessly in the confined bathroom.

That shout was like a thunderclap, utterly throwing the already flustered Lin Yuan into disarray.

Lin Yuan feared nothing more than this kind of embarrassing misunderstanding that defied explanation; he instantly became flustered.

He knew that if this sound got out and drew attention, he would have no way to explain himself.

In the dead of night, a lone man and woman alone together—this scene would only look worse, cementing the misunderstanding.

In his panic, he had no time to consider propriety, hastily stepping forward a few paces.

He instinctively raised his arm, quickly using the clothing in his hand to cover Qin Bore's mouth.

The soft, delicate fabric pressed against her soft lips, instantly stifling her remaining cry.

A warm sensation hit her at once, causing the already panicked Qin Bore's body to tense instantly.

The distance between them instantly closed, their breaths intertwining, making the atmosphere ever more awkward and intimate.

Lin Yuan's chest heaved violently, his breathing rapid and disordered, his eyes full of helplessness and panic.

Fearing Qin Bore might scream again, he lowered his voice, speaking urgently and earnestly.

Every word trembled with panic as he hurried to defend himself, hoping to untangle this ridiculous misunderstanding.

"I didn't, Miss Qin, you've misunderstood…… I, I really didn't do it on purpose, please don't jump to conclusions."

"I just got up in the middle of the night because I urgently needed to use the toilet, with no other thoughts. It's my first time at your place—I'm not familiar with the layout and couldn't find the master bathroom."

"The place was pitch black; I couldn't see the way or feel for a light switch. I could only grope my way in, hoping to settle things quickly—it was utterly unavoidable."

"When I reached out to feel the wall just now, I accidentally brushed against the clothing on the sink. Believe me, I'm not the kind of person you think I am—don't misunderstand me."

Lin Yuan explained anxiously, afraid Qin Bore would misunderstand.

The soft fabric clung tightly to her lips, completely sealing off all of Qin Bore's sound.

A clear muffled hum got stuck in her throat, making it impossible to utter even half a sentence.

She opened her mouth and struggled desperately, only able to emit a series of tiny, muffled whimpers.

Qin Bore glared angrily at the flustered Lin Yuan before her, feeling both ashamed and furious.

The panic in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a flood of shame and annoyance.

The force carried a spoiled, reproachful sting—light but clear, unmistakably scolding.

The next second, she stopped struggling, slightly opened her lips, and bit hard into Lin Yuan's palm.

The fine, sharp pain in his palm made him dare not press harder; he instinctively released his grip at once.

The sudden pain shot through him, making Lin Yuan's body jerk violently.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, her brows and eyes full of irritation, and she snapped angrily.

Having regained her freedom, Qin Bore hastily stepped back half a pace and lifted her hand to wipe her lips.

"Bastard! Explain yourself properly!"

"Why are you covering my mouth with my clothing?"

"It's soaked in sweat and filthy!"

"This is clothing I wore close to my skin today!"

Lin Yuan looked at her face full of disgust and anger, and instantly felt utterly embarrassed.

Her voice, both shy and angry, carried a soft, quivering tone, making one's heart go soft.

He flustered, instinctively blurted out an explanation, speaking so fast he couldn't rein it in.

His cheeks burned, his mind went blank, and he had no idea how to recover.

The instant his words fell, the air plunged into dead silence.

"Not dirty, it's quite fragrant……"

Lin Yuan's pupils narrowed slightly, his heart gave a sudden jolt.

He was utterly dazed, wishing he could slap himself on the spot.

Such a remark, getting darker the more it's spoken, was practically shoving himself into a misunderstanding.

He spoke too fast, didn't think at all, and utterly said the wrong thing.

She raised an eyebrow, lifted her hand, and extended a slender, fair jade-like finger, pointing straight at Lin Yuan.

Qin Bore opposite first blinked, then instantly her eyes sparked with teasing and earnestness.

"Great! Now I finally caught you with a handle!"

The shyness and annoyance in her brows and eyes turned entirely into the delight of having caught him, her tone full of accusation.

"If you hadn't secretly smelled it, how would you know it's fragrant?"

"You damn pervert, still dare to stubbornly deny!"

Lin Yuan's cheeks flushed to the point of almost bleeding, his body stiff, embarrassed to the point of not knowing what to do with his hands and feet.

Every word precisely struck the loophole, leaving Lin Yuan utterly speechless.

His fragmented courage completely dissipated, he could only whisper embarrassedly.

He opened his mouth, stammered for a while, yet couldn't utter a complete explanation.

"Um…… I…… I accidentally smelled it……"

Lin Yuan hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands, his whole person embarrassed to the point of having nowhere to hide.

He hurriedly tried to recover his misspoken words, attempting to force a smooth over.

"No, it's not fragrant; I just misspoke—it's stinky……"

The moment those words slipped out, the atmosphere on site completely turned weird.

Qin Bore, who originally bore teasing and earnestness, instantly had her expression freeze completely.

Her clear, beautiful eyes suddenly widened a few degrees more.

Her pair of eyes locked straight onto Lin Yuan, full of disbelief.

Her cold gaze stared at him coldly and heavily, her aura instantly turned cold.

"What did you say? It's stinky?"

"Where on my lady's clothes is it stinky? You're asking for death, right?"

Qin Bore was both angry and amused, unable to suppress her inner vexation any longer.

She stepped forward, lifted her hand, and lightly grabbed Lin Yuan's ear tip, feigning anger.

The subtle force carried a full sense of punishment; the soreness at the base of his ear instantly spread.

Lin Yuan instantly found himself in a total dilemma—left or right both wrong—his whole person utterly dazed.

Being pulled made him tilt slightly, his cheeks flaming red, embarrassed to the point of not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

He no longer dared to speak nonsense, could only hastily correct himself, his tone cramped and embarrassed.

"That…… not stinky not stinky, it's fragrant, truly fragrant……"

The amusement in Qin Bore's eyes deepened; she still had no intention of letting him go, pressing step by step with questioning.

"Exactly whether it's stinky or fragrant? Give me an accurate answer."

Lin Yuan's heart pounded, he lowered his head honestly, daring not to be even slightly perfunctory.

"Fragrant, fragrant…… a hundred percent fragrant."

Qin Bore raised an eyebrow, released the hand gripping his ear tip, and continued to relentlessly question.

"How fragrant?"

The sudden follow-up question left Lin Yuan once again at a loss for words.

He stammered, struggled to organize his wording, and answered softly and obediently.

"It's just, just the normal scent of a woman's body…… plus the perfume you sprayed."

Hearing this bland answer, Qin Bore was visibly dissatisfied, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

Her eyes glimmering as she looked at him, she deliberately spoke to make things difficult, her tone carrying a hint of spoiled petulance.

"Didn't you smell any sweat?"

"I wore these stockings and clothes all day, moving around, and ended up sweating."

Lin Yuan's heart tightened, afraid to anger her further, he hurriedly went along with her words to appease.

At this moment he was entirely trying to coax the temperamental Qin Bore, thus deliberately being gentle and accommodating.

But what he said was indeed his truest feeling from the bottom of his heart, with no falsehood.

"Your sweat…… is also fragrant."

Upon hearing that, Qin Bore's brows and eyes slightly lifted, her face full of disbelief.

Her tone thick with disbelief, she softly voiced a counter-question.

"Oh? My sweat is also fragrant?"

"You're clearly just talking nonsense; how could sweat possibly be fragrant?"

"Normal people's sweat clearly carries an odd smell; it's basically stinky."

Qin Bore, while speaking, raised her hand to take the clothing from Lin Yuan's hands.

She lightly pinched the fabric, slowly brought it close to her jade nose, and earnestly began to sniff.

Her slender brows furrowed slightly as she carefully distinguished the scent lingering on the fabric.

At first she indeed detected a faint sour-astringent smell, the residue of sweat.

But after sniffing it deeply, that light sourness was not irritating; instead it was exceptionally fresh.

Within the sour-astringent aroma, a gentle blend of her unique sweet body fragrance mingled.

The two scents intertwined and fused, with not a hint of unpleasant odor; on the contrary, they were especially alluring.

Qin Bore herself was stunned for a moment, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She murmured softly, her tone carrying a hint of self-doubting softness.

"It's clearly just a sour taste..."

"But when I sniff it carefully, it actually smells quite nice."

"It's mixed with my own body scent, not unpleasant at all."

Watching her earnestly sniff and mutter to herself in a cute, endearing manner, Lin Yuan's embarrassment eased a bit.

He lifted his gaze to the girl before him, his eyes sincere and earnest, and spoke earnestly to explain.

"It really is fragrant; I didn't lie to you."

Qin Bore pinched the soft fabric, lifted her gaze to the earnest-faced Lin Yuan.

A flash of mischievous light flickered in her eyes as she deliberately drew out her syllables and asked softly.

"Do you like smelling my scent?"

The sudden blunt question made Lin Yuan freeze instantly.

His mind went blank again; he instinctively tensed all over and hurriedly shook his head in panic.

Seeing this, Qin Bore instantly widened her beautiful, watery eyes.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, letting out a soft hum laced with a hint of danger.

"Huh?"

A simple monosyllable, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.

She stared at him unblinking, her gaze locking tightly onto Lin Yuan's evasive eyes.

Lin Yuan felt uncomfortable all over under her stare, so embarrassed his toes almost curled into the floor.

He couldn't endure the awkward, ambiguous atmosphere any longer, so he stiffly nodded.

His voice was broken and indistinct, stammering out a few words.

"Like... like."

Hearing the satisfactory answer, Qin Bore finally curled her lips upward slowly.

That smile dispelled all her petulance, stunningly beautiful and captivating, making it impossible to look away.

The teasing glint in her eyes could not be hidden; she deliberately spoke to chastise him.

"You stinking bastard, since you secretly smelled my clothes."

"Then I will properly punish you."

"Wash this piece of clothing clean with your own hands."

"It must be hand-washed, with not a speck of stain left; it has to be spotless."

As if she suddenly thought of something, she leisurely added more demands.

"By the way, the undergarments I took off a few days ago are also piled up unwashed."

"Plus several pairs of high heels and sneakers are dirty, and I haven't had time to tidy them."

"Since you're putting in such effort, just help me wash everything together."

This barrage of demands hit him, directly leaving Lin Yuan dazed.

He stood there dumbfounded, pupils slightly dilated, his face full of disbelief.

His throat felt slightly dry, and he involuntarily let out a startled exclamation.

"Ah??"

Lin Yuan stared dumbly at the self-righteous Qin Bore before him, unable to hold back a retort.

"Why do I have to wash everything?"

Qin Bore lifted her delicate chin, her beautiful eyes glimmering as she glanced at him, her tone both petulant and matter-of-fact.

"Isn't it normal for men at home to help women wash clothes??"

Upon hearing those words blurted out, Lin Yuan's whole body froze instantly.

His pupils paused briefly, his mind went blank for a moment, and he was completely stunned.

Such a short, everyday remark, yet it carried an inexplicable intimacy that struck hard at his heart.

In the past, their interactions were just mutual scheming; they had never experienced such a domestic, ambiguous atmosphere.

The five words "the man at home" were light as air, yet they made his heart flare with heat.

Lin Yuan's ears subtly flushed red; gazing at Qin Bore's lively, charming appearance, he found himself unable to utter a rebuttal for a moment.