Chapter 72: Who Really Took Advantage?

"You fell asleep so fast? I was just about to give you a bath..." Wen Qian said with a sigh.

They had gotten caught in the rain during their walk yesterday, and she had only managed a quick wipe-down before Yin Zhi called her away.

Thankfully, he hadn’t caught a cold. Otherwise, that would have just added injury to injury.

The head that had been tucked under his paws suddenly lifted, and his two beastly ears shot straight up.

A glint appeared in Chi Heng’s eyes. ’I really do want a bath.’

The balcony air was fresh and cool, but sleeping out there all night inevitably left him covered in dust.

In truth, he could already take on his human form. But he wasn’t planning on telling Wen Qian until he found a good reason for him to stay.

"Oh, you’re awake?" Wen Qian blinked in surprise. When he nodded, she mumbled under her breath, "So... do you want a bath?"

Chi Heng nodded emphatically, fighting the urge to wag his tail.

"Alright, let’s go. The weather is perfect for it today." A wolf’s fur was so thick; just blow-drying it would take forever.

He stood up obediently and followed Wen Qian, his long, thick tail starting to sway gently.

"Wait here. I’m going to go sweep," Wen Qian said, eyeing all the wolf fur on the balcony.

’Otherwise, when he comes out of his bath, all this fur will just stick to the wet floor and get tracked everywhere...’

Looking at the floor covered in wolf fur, Wen Qian picked up a broom and started sweeping, muttering to herself, "Why is there so much... He isn’t going bald, is he?"

Chi Heng’s sensitive hearing picked that up instantly. He froze and shook his head forcefully.

Then, realizing Wen Qian had her back to him and couldn’t see his denial, he let out a piercing howl.

"Don’t—don’t, don’t howl!" Wen Qian yelped, startled, and rushed over to clamp a hand over his snout.

’It’s the middle of the day; I don’t need this kind of trouble.’

He obediently fell silent, but his eyes looked utterly pitiful.

Wen Qian found it impossible to reconcile this sad-looking wolf with the hard-boiled image of Chi Heng’s human form, so she just pretended not to notice.

After finding a new, unopened towel and digging out a few disposable ones she’d saved for traveling, Wen Qian finally led Chi Heng into the bathroom.

To Wen Qian, Chi Heng was just an oversized dog right now, so she wasn’t the least bit self-conscious. Chi Heng, on the other hand, suddenly seemed evasive, lowering his head and avoiding her gaze.

She brought over a small stool, detached the shower head, and had Chi Heng squat obediently in the large washbasin in front of her.

She was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and a pair of plastic slippers with a husky design. Chi Heng, curious, found his eyes lingering on them for an extra moment.

She turned on the shower and carefully adjusted the water temperature.

"Too hot?" Wen Qian asked.

He nodded, so she adjusted it again.

"How about now?"

This time, Chi Heng shook his head.

After soaking his fur, Wen Qian began to wash him, section by section. The grayish-white wolf puffed out his chest, his black eyes narrowing in blissful comfort.

Every so often, he would lift his chin and nudge her palm with the tip of his nose.

For a moment, Wen Qian really did think of him as just a dog.

She squeezed some body wash onto her hand. Under Chi Heng’s expectant gaze, she worked it into a gentle lather before starting at his head and slowly moving down, massaging it into every inch of his fur.

She added more body wash halfway through, rubbing it in thoroughly.

...including his belly.

His eyes seemed to grow hazy. The Wolf Beast let out a low whine, then, as if remembering something, immediately fell silent.

Wen Qian froze. ’What in the world? Did I just see... shyness on this wolf’s face?’

Washing a wolf, she was discovering, was just as exhausting as washing a large dog.

Before long, Wen Qian was flushed and sweating from the effort.

"Can you stand up a little? I still need to scrub your belly." It was too exhausting for her to do all the work alone.

He obediently lifted his front paws, resting them on the edge of the basin. It was a bit too small for him, making it difficult to keep his footing.

"This is fine... just don’t move." Wen Qian gave his belly two more scrubs. The Wolf Beast’s body gave a violent shudder, and he nearly toppled over.

His paws slipped, and the Wolf Beast fell right on top of Wen Qian.

He instinctively tried to apologize but only managed a low whine.

Wen Qian, however, reacted as if she’d discovered a new continent, smearing the rest of the body wash from her hand all over his tail.

The next second, she stroked all the way from the base of his tail to the very tip.

The previously docile wolf now jolted as if he’d been electrocuted. He scrambled away, sending water from the basin splashing everywhere as his massive body fell right toward Wen Qian.

This time, Wen Qian wasn’t so lucky.

The stool tipped, and she fell straight backward, her head just moments from hitting the floor...

She cried out, but the expected pain never came.

Rough, strong fingers gripped her waist. With a slight tug from Chi Heng, Wen Qian was pulled entirely into his embrace.

In the cramped bathroom, a naked man now sat on the floor. A girl with half-drenched clothes was straddling his lap, her palm pressed firmly against his solid chest.

The wholesome scene of bathing a pet had instantly turned intimate.

Wen Qian’s mind went completely blank.

Before she could even get up, she felt something was wrong... She glanced down, and all the color drained from her face.

’Wait, why did he suddenly shift into his human form?!’

’And... and...’

"Are you okay?" The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His skin was frighteningly hot.

"Y-you, just don’t move..." She pushed his hands away and scrambled off him, her legs feeling like jelly.

Staring fixedly at the ceiling, she kept her back to Chi Heng, covering her nose as she struggled to remain calm. "S-since you’re in your human form, y-you can wash... yourself."

No one answered from behind her, and Wen Qian didn’t dare turn back.

Just as she was debating whether to bolt from the room, a wet wolf’s tail suddenly wrapped around her calf.

The next moment, the man pulled Wen Qian into his embrace.

"The Wolf Clan doesn’t believe in leaving things half-finished," he said, his voice husky. Before she could react, he pressed the shower head into her hand.

His scorching hand closed over hers, lifting it slowly. He leaned in, resting his chin on the crown of her head as warm water streamed down his body and soaked through her clothes...

Wen Qian was completely frozen. She had no idea how she even got out of the bathroom, only that her face was burning, her legs were weak, and her mind was a total mess... In short, she couldn’t tell who had taken advantage of whom.

「About ten minutes later.」

The bathroom door creaked open.

Wen Qian then remembered she hadn’t gotten Chi Heng any clothes for his human form.

Just as she was wondering if she should call Li Jiu for help, she turned and saw that Chi Heng had reverted to his beast form...

His fur was still wet; clearly, he hadn’t dried himself.

’Wait... why did he change back?’

"Why are you..." Wen Qian’s face was still a little flushed. Seeing his mouth move, she immediately pulled Li Jiu over. "Translate what he’s saying."

The boy nodded obediently and exchanged a look with Chi Heng for a moment. He then turned to Wen Qian. "He says he’s out of energy, so he can’t maintain his human form right now."

"He’s... not up to it... again?" Wen Qian was dumbfounded.

Li Jiu replied, "That’s what he said."