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Her voice was gentle, but there was still that tiny bit of teasing in it, the kind that made the whole thing feel even more unnatural and more personal at the same time. She squeezed some foam cleanser into her hand, then looked at Bai Li and said, "Straighten up a little and lift your face up."

Bai Li did exactly what she was told. She raised her face slightly and spread her arms out to the sides so she would not accidentally get water on her hands or drag the gloves against anything wet. She stood there looking still and composed, but in truth she was feeling strangely aware of every little movement happening around her. Yan Cijin was close enough that Bai Li could feel the warmth from her body, close enough to hear her breathing, close enough to notice how carefully she moved, like she did not want to hurt her at all. That kind of care was strange in a way Bai Li could not quite explain. She was used to dealing with danger, with pressure, with pain, but not this. Not this kind of quiet closeness.

Yan Cijin gently rubbed Bai Li’s face, and almost immediately her own earlobes turned a little red. She had not noticed before how pretty Bai Li really was. At first glance Bai Li had always looked more like the sharp kind of woman, the kind with a cold expression and a strong, almost untouchable presence. Her features were sharp, her eyes were calm, and she carried herself like someone who could make a decision in one second and act on it without hesitation. That was what made people look at her first. But now that Yan Cijin was standing so close, washing her face with her own hands, she realized that Bai Li had this strange balance to her, a mix of handsomeness and beauty that was very hard to describe properly. It was not just pretty. It was the kind of face that made people want to look twice because the first glance did not tell the whole story. There was a sort of quiet charm hidden under those sharp edges, and once you noticed it, it was very hard to look away.

Yan Cijin coughed lightly, partly to cover the fact that she was staring too much, and partly to steady herself a bit. Then she quickened her movements a little and moved her hands from Bai Li’s face to her ears. She rubbed them gently, then pinched them a little, just enough to wipe away the foam and the last bits of grime that were still stuck there. Bai Li’s ears turned slightly red under her touch, and Yan Cijin glanced away for a moment, feeling strangely awkward all of a sudden. Her fingertips slid down from Bai Li’s ears to her chin, rubbing lightly there as she cleaned away the last of the dirt. Once she saw that most of the blood and grime had been washed off, she picked up the showerhead again and rinsed Bai Li’s face. One hand handled the water, while the other stayed near Bai Li’s cheek, gently guiding the foam and dirt off in small careful motions, bit by bit, until the skin underneath was finally visible again.

She had to admit it to herself, Bai Li’s skin was really quite nice. Smooth. Clean looking even when she had just come back from all that fighting. The kind of skin that felt good under the hand and made it almost too easy to keep touching just a little longer than necessary. Yan Cijin pressed the facial cleanser a few more times, trying very hard not to think about anything weird, because the more she thought about it, the more her own face seemed to warm up. She kept telling herself that this was just helping with cleaning. Just washing up. Nothing more than that. Still, she continued to apply the foam to Bai Li’s face and rubbed it carefully in slow circles, making sure she got the sides of the nose, the jawline, and the corners around the mouth. After three rinses, Bai Li’s face was finally clean, and the last traces of blood and dirt were gone. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Then Yan Cijin squeezed some more shower gel into her hands and rubbed them together until they formed a soft lather. She lowered her hands to Bai Li’s neck and began lightly stroking the skin there. Bai Li herself did not seem to feel anything much beyond the gentle pressure, but Yan Cijin’s touch was very soft and careful, and because of that it felt surprisingly comfortable. It was the kind of touch that was so light it almost did not seem real, but at the same time it made Bai Li stand very still, as if she was too aware of it to move carelessly. Yan Cijin’s face had turned red by now, hotter than before. She had never been this close to another woman before. That fact alone made her feel a little strange, and the weird part was that even though she liked teasing Bai Li and had no problem saying things with a smile, the actual process itself was making her a little flustered. It was one thing to joke. It was another thing to stand here, hands on Bai Li’s neck, and realize just how close they really were.

As she rubbed, Yan Cijin’s mind wandered a little. The sensitive area was also located on the right side of the neck. She slowed down almost without meaning to and brushed her fingertips over Bai Li’s right side of the neck, her movement lighter and more uncertain than before. The moment she did that, Bai Li shuddered and opened her eyes. Since she had already rinsed with water, there was no sting in her eyes anymore, so she could look straight at Yan Cijin without discomfort. The second she felt Bai Li’s gaze on her, Yan Cijin’s ears got even redder.

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TO BE CONTINUED.