My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 76 Part 1

Chapter 76  

Ji Taoyu, wrapped in a long bathing wrap, his face slightly flushed, stepped onto the stool beside the bathtub. He leaned over the edge and tested the water temperature with his hand.  

It was a bit cooler than the water he usually used for washing, but just right for a soak.  

He stretched out his bare foot, about to step into the tub, when he noticed Huo Shu standing nearby. "You… go out," he said.  

Huo Shu remained expressionless, his gaze dropping to Ji Taoyu’s fair, slender calves and the thin, veined tops of his feet, where the tendons were visible with even the slightest movement of his toes.  

"I’ll wash your hair for you."  

Ji Taoyu blinked. Before he could agree or refuse, a pair of large hands suddenly pulled open the bathing wrap wrapped around him, like peeling a banana.  

Instinctively, he hugged himself.  

Fortunately, Huo Shu didn’t do anything further—just lifted him into the bathtub.  

The water rippled gently, wrapping around him like the softest silk.  

"Too hot?"  

Ji Taoyu shook his head.  

The water wasn’t hot, but his face was.  

The clear water made everything beneath it visible.  

"I can do it myself. Go take bath, you’re even more drenched than I am."  

Ji Taoyu hugged his upper body and muttered quietly.  

Huo Shu moved behind Ji Taoyu, took a ladle from the bucket, and gently poured water over the back of his neck.  

"I’ve never washed anyone’s hair before. Once I learn with you, I can wash our child’s hair in the future."  

Ji Taoyu couldn’t help but glance back at Huo Shu when he heard that.  

His lips pursed slightly, and he felt a little happy. "Fine, then."  

Huo Shu took some soapberries and rubbed them into the ends of Ji Taoyu’s hair.  

The water rippled, steam rising. Huo Shu noticed Ji Taoyu’s skin, slightly reddened from the soak, as if a faint layer of red gauze had been draped over his fair complexion.  

It resembled the color of his skin when he was aroused, though not as deep a red.  

His neck was slender, its lines pleasing—Huo Shu could easily encircle it with one hand.  

His wrists and ankles were no exception—Huo Shu could easily hold both together.  

But he had only ever restrained his wrists and slender calves.  

Whenever Ji Taoyu lay sprawled on the bed, hair disheveled, eyes red, arching slightly from overstimulation, Huo Shu had often thought of wrapping his hands around that neck.  

But even just pinning his wrists would make Ji Taoyu pout and complain that he didn’t like it, that Huo Shu was too rough.  

Though Huo Shu usually pretended not to hear, he still remembered.

Because of that, he had never acted on the impulse, worried that Ji Taoyu might fear him.  

Ji Taoyu was the closest person to him. It didn’t matter if others were afraid of him, but Ji Taoyu couldn’t be.  

He knew Ji Taoyu was too fragile, unable to withstand his unrestrained intensity, so he always held back, stopping before going too far.  

Huo Shu had once thought that if he had found a tough little ger in the northern frontier, they might have been able to handle his roughness.  

But the moment he imagined it not being Ji Taoyu, he realized he wouldn’t have the slightest interest. What should have excited a man suddenly felt dull and meaningless.  

It seemed there really was no one else for him.  

"Embarrassed?"  

Huo Shu snapped out of his thoughts, noticing how unusually quiet Ji Taoyu was.  

Ji Taoyu’s face reddened. "Wouldn’t you be embarrassed if someone bathed you?"  

"What do you think?"  

Ji Taoyu shut his mouth. Those two words probably didn’t even exist in Huo Shu’s mind.  

Huo Shu added, "It’s not the first time I’ve washed you."  

Ji Taoyu’s face burned even hotter. After their intimacies, he was usually either fast asleep or so weak he felt like melted water—how could he possibly have the strength to wash himself?  

Huo Shu knew he was particular about cleanliness and wouldn’t be satisfied with just a wipe-down, so he always fetched water to clean him properly.  

But back then, he had been too dazed to care. Now, he was fully awake and aware.  

After washing Ji Taoyu’s hair, Huo Shu said, "All done. Soak a little longer. I’ll go take bath."  

Ji Taoyu took the ladle, then peeked over as Huo Shu stripped off his inner garment, then his pants, and then—  

He quickly turned his head away. This man used to wear pants even while bathing, when had he become so shameless?  

Once they had both finished washing up, they returned to the room to dry their hair.  

Outside, rain tapped against the window. Ji Taoyu cracked it open slightly to look out. This year had seen a lot of rain, the few peaches on the tree outside his window still hadn’t ripened.  

They swayed in the wind and rain, and he wasn’t sure they’d last until autumn.  

Before long, Huang Manjing called them for dinner.  

Ji Taoyu straightened his clothes and went out, only to find his mother had stir-fried pork with scallions tonight. Delighted, he served himself a bowl of rice, ready to eat two full portions.  

During the meal, Ji Yangzong asked a few questions about the progress of the shop in town. He had been busy lately—the autumn harvest was coming in the seventh month.  

He had only visited the land once after acquiring it and hadn’t had time to go into town since. Truthfully, he would have loved to check on it if he had the chance.  

Just hearing Huo Shu’s rough summary was enough to make him happy.  

Their family had bought such a large plot of land—and in the town at that. Though he hadn’t bragged about it in the village, word had spread anyway.  

Every time he ran into someone, they’d bring it up. The other farmers weren’t just envious, they were downright admiring.  

Ji Yangzong played it cool, saying it was the young people’s business to forge their own path, and he wouldn’t interfere.  

To the villagers, he acted indifferent, but in truth, he paid close attention to Huo Shu’s affairs. The prestige reflected on him grew layer by layer, and his standing in the village became firmer by the day.