Chapter 107: It's true

Females always take flower petal baths; the freshly picked ones are best, but that also means they're expensive, so everyone prefers to grow their own.

"Let's go shopping again tomorrow!" Ji Jiangci suddenly said, his eyes full of longing for perfection; tonight he won't sleep, he'll make a shopping list to ensure nothing goes wrong, buying everything needed.

"Ah?" Ye Xi'an looked pained; she didn't want to go shopping anymore—she just wanted to find a place with huge windows, lie back with a breeze, and watch TV dramas.

"Not now," Ye Xi'an said unhappily: "Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow; hurry up and wash me, I'm going to sleep."

Although Ji Jiangci still wanted to coax Ye Xi'an into going shopping tomorrow, seeing her exhausted, he decided to bring it up tomorrow.

The water in the tub rippled slightly, forming fine waves.

Ji Jiangci knelt on one knee beside the tub, his long fingers sinking into the warm water as he lifted Ye Xi'an's arm and gently kneaded it.

Though called gentle, it was actually quite firm, but Ye Xi'an, having been squeezed half a day inside the mutant vines' body, felt her circulation sluggish; his kneading felt really soothing, easing the soreness with a wave of comfort, making her whole body relax.

Under Ji Jiangci's pressure, even before midnight arrived, Ye Xi'an felt so relaxed she wanted to sleep, eyes closed, neck resting on the tub's edge, enjoying his attentions.

After massaging her arm, Ji Jiangci lightly placed his fingertips on Ye Xi'an's smooth shoulder, followed the shoulder line to lay his palm on the back of her neck, and helped her sit up.

His thumb pressed lightly along the depressions on either side of the spine, with just enough force to loosen the tight muscles; the pale skin dimpled slightly, forming a small hollow, then he gradually moved his pressure downward.

His palm slid to her waist, his fingertips lightly circling along the waistline.

When he pressed a certain spot on her waist, Ye Xi'an jerked as if an acidic, tingling current shot through her side, making her ears itch and her whole body feel weak; she quickly lifted her waist to escape his hand.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No, just a little itchy—don't press there, press somewhere else," Ye Xi'an said, still feeling a strange sensation on her back, which she disliked.

Ji Jiangci followed Ye Xi'an's advice, avoided that spot, and massaged elsewhere; when he reached her legs, she fell completely asleep.

It was midnight.

Ji Jiangci's usually warm eyes grew dark; he held Ye Xi'an's knee, silently gazing at her face—not with infatuation, but with deep suspicion.

He still felt the person before him couldn't possibly be Ye Xi'an; even if someone could have an instant epiphany and change personality, it would be impossible for them to undergo the kind of earth‑shattering transformation he saw.

Not only had her personality changed, but even her way of speaking and little daily habits were different.

The former Ye Xi'an would never be shy about looking at him; she'd stare at him hungrily, wanting to rip off his clothes.

So she really wasn't Ye Xi'an; Ji Jiangci's gaze slid slowly down from her face, past the collarbone and chest, finally stopping at the leg he had lifted.

To test this idea, all he needed was a glance at her inner thigh.

By chance, he saw a bright red mole on Ye Xi'an's inner thigh.

He pressed down with his palm, lifting more of her leg out of the water; when he saw the red mole, Ji Jiangci pressed his finger on it, the slight bump confirming that this was indeed Ye Xi'an—at least this body was hers.

Feeling a bit disappointed, he lowered her leg, and the moment it slipped back into the water it made a crisp splashing sound.

Ji Jiangci plopped onto the floor, legs bent in front of him, head bowed in frustration, unable to make sense of it.

Could a person really change this much?

Forget it; as long as Ye Xi'an can get along well with him from now on, he'll pretend the things she once did to him never happened.

Thinking this, Ji Jiangci finally got over that mental hurdle.

Although he had acted gentle and domestic in front of Ye Xi'an before, it was all an act; even if he were truly domestic, he'd still resent the former Ye Xi'an.

"You must never change back," Ji Jiangci said, eyes downcast, his damp palm caressing her cheek, thumb stroking back and forth over her smooth, egg‑like skin.

Afterwards, he mechanically applied body lotion to Ye Xi'an, then massaged her from head to toe with rose essential oil, wrapped her in a towel, and left the bathroom.

Lin Zhi Jing had been waiting at the door; as soon as it opened he asked, "When did you fall asleep?"

"Midnight," Ji Jiangci replied, holding Ye Xi'an, answering Lin Zhi Jing; he too had been tracking when she fell asleep.

"As expected!"

Ji Jiangci nodded: "That's also good—having a set time means we finally don't have to worry about being discovered."

"Mm," Lin Zhi Jing said, looking at the person in Ji Jiangci's arms, "Are you tired? Let me help you carry them over."

As he spoke, he reached out, but Ji Jiangci dodged: "Even though joining the family is a done deal, you haven't actually joined yet; to avoid unnecessary trouble, you'd better look after yourself."

"I'll take my wife to bed first," he said, then placed Ye Xi'an on the middle of the five beds, expertly helped her into underwear and a nightgown, and lay down on the bed to her left.

Bao Jing naturally slept on the right‑hand bed, while Yi Yang could only resentfully squeeze in beside Ye Xi'an, separated by Ji Jiangci.

Lin Zhi Jing still stood at the bathroom door, watching the three interact so naturally; he loosely gripped his hands at his sides twice, then glumly took the last remaining bed.

But it's fine; once he joins, he'll be able to rely on his own strength to sleep as close to Ye Xi'an as possible.

The next day, Ye Xi'an had planned to lie in the hotel all day to recover her fragile spirits from going out, but no matter how she stayed there, the hotel was uncomfortable and lacked any comforting sense of belonging.

Lying there felt unsettled.

"Ji Jiangci."

Ji Jiangci was preparing vegetables for cooking when he heard Ye Xi'an call him; he looked up, his hands still chopping, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Are the houses inside the three rings on Zhu Shen Xing really only for rent, not for purchase?" Although Bao Jing had told her that before, she still wanted to double‑check.

"Not exactly."

Hearing Ji Jiangci's words, Ye Xi'an instantly realized buying a house might be possible, her eyes bright as she awaited his next explanation.

"But it's difficult; no one has managed it on Zhu Shen Xing yet."

"What's the method?"

"Have two daughters, and you'll gain ownership of the house without needing to buy it."