Did Assistant Xie Make the Trending Searches Today? - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Bathroom

Jin Huaifeng was a man of unpredictable moods. After spending just a few short hours with him, Xie He-ting already understood the bittersweet taste of that reality.

It was past eight o’clock by the time dinner finished. Xie He-ting followed Mu Ying and the others to watch television in the living room for a while. Around nine, everyone began heading back to their rooms to rest. Only then did Xie He-ting reluctantly turn off the TV and head upstairs.

He pushed the door open cautiously, poking only his head in first, and asked softly, “May I come in?”

An impatient “tsk” echoed from inside the room. Xie He-ting pushed the door open and entered with light, careful steps.

“Poor Little He, so humble.”

“Yeah, it’s clearly a room for two, but he acts like he doesn’t even have a name there.”

Upon entering, Xie He-ting saw Jin Huaifeng standing by the window. His brow was slightly furrowed as he held his phone, engaged in a call, making it clear his mood was far from wonderful. Naturally, Xie He-ting wasn’t going to go looking for trouble. He lowered his voice, whispered “I’m going to shower,” grabbed his clothes, and slipped into the bathroom.

Thank goodness it’s just for tonight. We should be able to switch rooms tomorrow, right? He hoped he could get a single room tomorrow; this new roommate made him feel “Pear-Mountain Big”!

“Pear-Mountain Big” was a new pun he had learned from a TV program today. It described pears piled up like a mountain pressing down on one’s shoulders, the perfect metaphor for heavy pressure. Xie He-ting immediately put his new knowledge to use.

Inside the bathroom.

Xie He-ting stared at the high-end shower set and felt “Pear-Mountain Big” once again. The showerhead in the original owner’s home had been a classic model, which he had learned to use instantly. However, the production team was simply too wealthy. The showerheads were the most advanced, smart temperature-controlled models with full touchscreen operation. Xie He-ting looked it over from top to bottom and inside out for a long time but couldn’t find where to turn on the water.

But he couldn’t just not bathe…

He observed carefully for a moment, staring at the black LCD screen. It was probably just like a touchscreen phone—you just tap around. He stood directly under the showerhead and lightly slid his finger across the screen.

Whoosh—Water at a perfect temperature poured down from above. Caught completely off guard, he was drenched instantly and instinctively let out a loud cry.

“Crap, what happened? He-he didn’t fall, did he!”

“Quick, quick, go check! This is torture, there are no cameras in the bathroom!”

This cry didn’t just startle the viewers; it also startled the person talking on the phone in the other room.

“What was that? I think I heard someone scream?”

Jin Huaifeng turned his head, his dark eyes sharp like a predator’s as he stared toward the bathroom. “I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to see what’s going on.”

“Wait, this is an emergency, big brother! Just give me ten more seconds, everyone is waiting for your ans—”

The call was heartlessly cut off.

Jin Huaifeng strode toward the bathroom, calling out loudly at the same time: “He-ting, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Xie He-ting stood disheveled under the spray, fumbling to turn it off. Since he didn’t know how to use it in the first place, his panic only made it worse. He accidentally hit a button, and the warm flow suddenly turned ice-cold. It cascaded down his cheeks, making him shiver violently. He quickly dodged to the side, wiped the water droplets from his forehead, and called back to the person at the door: “I—I’m fine.”

His voice trembled slightly from the cold, and muffled by the curtain of splashing water, it sounded completely different to the person on the other side of the door. To Jin Huaifeng, it sounded weak and tinged with a hint of fear.

“What exactly happened!” Jin Huaifeng was driven to distraction by the frantic voice. Does that sound like ‘fine’?!

He instinctively twisted the handle. To his surprise, it turned easily. Without a second thought, Jin Huaifeng pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The moment the door opened, a slender, pale-fleshed body flashed through the mist. The veins on Jin Huaifeng’s forehead throbbed. He froze for a mere second before immediately remembering the cameras. He reached back and “thwack”—shut the door behind him.

To make the guests feel more relaxed, the director and staff lived in a much smaller villa nearby. The villa used for recording only contained 360-degree cameras, fixed-position cameras, and the handheld Pocket 3s carried by the guests. Although Jin Huaifeng’s reaction was lightning-fast, the auto-tracking cameras had faithfully recorded that brief scene.

The production team had staff on 24-hour duty. The director of Group B, currently on shift, made an immediate decision to switch the main feed to Xie He-ting and Jin Huaifeng’s room. Viewership at nine o’clock at night was even higher than during the day. The comments exploded instantly.

“Holy crap, I think I just saw…”

“No! You saw nothing!”

“Did anyone get a screenshot? Tell me loudly, did anyone!!”

“Wait, what did you guys actually see? Why did I see nothing but a blurry silhouette? Besides, He-ting was wearing clothes, right? I saw his black trousers!”

Today, for the show, Xie He-ting was wearing a white T-shirt and black casual pants. The original owner’s wardrobe was filled with black and gray; it had taken him a long time to find that single white short-sleeved shirt.

“You don’t get it. Flowers seen through a mist are the most alluring.”

“Is this something a common viewer like me is allowed to see?”

There were also comments questioning if it was a publicity stunt: “Why didn’t this He-ting lock the bathroom door???? It couldn’t be on purpose, right? Is the production team chasing heat? Staging some ‘wet-body seduction’ or something.”

“Going that far? I don’t think so.”

“Oh right, he didn’t lock the door, so Brother Jin went in. Wait—?? Brother Jin went in? Two men alone in a bathroom together?”

“Um, can they still broadcast what happens next?”

The viewers were shocked. However, no one was as shocked as Jin Huaifeng, who had just burst into the bathroom.

The slender youth stood there disheveled. Strands of wet black hair clung to his forehead. Water had likely gotten into his eyes, as the corners were crimson and his gaze was as moist as if it had been soaked in a pool. The white T-shirt, now soaked through, clung tightly to his thin frame, which was shivering slightly. At that moment, he was clutching his own arms, lightly biting his lower lip, and looking at Jin Huaifeng with a mix of embarrassment and guilt.

The water continued to splash noisily against the floor. Amidst the swirling steam, Jin Huaifeng felt his throat go dry.

Young Master Jin was twenty-eight years old and had seen plenty in his time. There were many who had tried to throw themselves at him. Usually, he would look down on such petty tricks. But—

Jin Huaifeng narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the two swaying “little red flowers” (his eyes). The sight made his blood surge. A dangerous intensity flickered across his handsome face. His dark pupils grew deeper, like a lion on the savannah that had found its prey. He stared fiercely at that pale, elegant neck. He felt a phantom itch in his teeth and pressed the tip of his tongue against his sharp canines. His Adam’s apple rolled as he asked in a husky voice: “Are you… alright?”

Xie He-ting raised a hand to wipe a droplet from his chin and spoke awkwardly: “I—I don’t really know how to use this. It’s different from the one at my house.”

As he moved, the shirt clinging to his body shifted. Because the fabric had absorbed the water, it was weighed down and pulled tight, making the lean muscles of the youth even more distinct. His rosy, pale skin was visible in glimpses.

Jin Huaifeng stepped naturally toward him. His strong forearm passed through the curtain of water as he slid his hand across the LCD screen. “…This is where you turn it off.”

“Ah, so that’s how it works. Thank you! I understand now!” Xie He-ting didn’t realize at all how dangerous their current positions were. The bathroom wasn’t very large, and with two grown men inside, it felt cramped. Jin Huaifeng was 185cm tall, about half a head taller than him. In this position, Xie He-ting was practically half-circled in his arms.

Their bodies were extremely close. Without any effort, Jin Huaifeng could smell the faint, ethereal fragrance coming from Xie He-ting. It was a unique scent, refreshing and soul-penetrating. It drifted toward him in strands, like vines lightly hooking onto his heart.

“What perfume are you using?” His voice was low and hoarse.

Xie He-ting was focused entirely on testing the showerhead. Following Jin Huaifeng’s instructions, he pressed his finger to the spot on the screen, and the water indeed came out. He reached out to test it—it was warm water at the perfect temperature! He pressed it again, and the water shut off! All his attention was on the showerhead; he hadn’t heard clearly what Jin Huaifeng had said.

“Hmm? What did you just say?”

Jin Huaifeng’s eyes were dark. He squinted at him for a long time before saying softly, “Nothing.”

D*mn it. He had almost been led away by the nose. Jin Huaifeng hadn’t forgotten they were on a live broadcast. It had been nearly three minutes since he entered. If he didn’t leave soon, it would be hard to explain.

However…

Jin Huaifeng looked at the person standing right in front of him, his gaze deepening. His rough thumb brushed through Xie He-ting’s wet hair. He-ting didn’t realize anything at first, not until his lower lip was firmly pressed and rolled over. Only then did he look up in a panic.

Satisfied to see the lip meat he had been “tormenting” with his teeth finally released, Jin Huaifeng’s lips curled imperceptibly. His finger remained pressed against the corner of the boy’s mouth. His voice was husky, but his tone was perfectly serious: “Don’t bite it. If you keep biting, it’s going to break.”

Because there were no cameras in the bathroom, the viewers could only judge the situation by their voices.

“…I’m dying. Young Master Jin has been in there so long and hasn’t come out. Nothing bad is happening, right?”

“What a suggestive line: ‘Don’t bite it, it’s going to break.’ Wait, what are you guys biting???”

“Jin Huaifeng, I’m warning you, our He-he is still a child, if you’re going to do something, wait until you’re off the show, hey!!!”

“Asking weakly: is this really something I can watch without paying?”

Xie He-ting hadn’t even reacted to the dangerous remark when a large bath towel was draped over his head.

“Hurry up and wash. Call me when you’re done.”

With that, Jin Huaifeng opened the door and walked out. His own clothes were wet, and he needed a shower too. He left Xie He-ting standing there alone, completely bewildered.

Just now? What happened?

He raised a dazed hand to touch his lower lip. As his senses gradually returned, a “boom” went off in his head. His entire body turned bright red, just like a steamed shrimp.

He… he… he touched his mouth!

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