CHAPTER 158: 158- TAKE A BATH [2]

Fang Yuan blinked. A slow, unexpected smile spread across his face.

The smile softened into something fond and familiar.

"Alright, first things first. Let’s get Doctor Mu to figure out what happened. Then we’ll figure out the rest. Deal?"

Xiao Pei beamed, the expression dazzling on his new face. "Deal! Let’s go now, Brother Fa–"

Whoosh!

Before the words were fully out, Fang Yuan moved with startling speed and purpose.

He planted a hand firmly on Xiao Pei’s solid chest, still marveling internally at the unyielding muscle beneath his palm and pushed.

"Wha–?!" Xiao Pei yelped, stumbling backwards like a felled tree caught off guard.

His arms pinwheeled for balance, the simple robe flapping around his suddenly awkward limbs.

He hit the doorframe with a soft thud, eyes wide as saucers, genuine alarm flashing in them.

"Brother Fang! Brother Fang! Did I do something? What! What are you doing?!" His voice pitched higher, laced with confusion and a touch of fear.

He clutched at the doorframe, peering back into the room like a confused, oversized puppy banished from its bed.

Fang Yuan stood framed in the doorway, one hand still on the heavy wood.

His expression was serene, almost amused. "Alright," he stated, calm cutting through Xiao Pei’s panic.

"I need to take a bath first. You," he pointed a finger directly at Xiao Pei’s nose, "should also go take a bath. You’re gleaming like a freshly oiled statue and you smell like shit right now. We can’t meet Doctor Mu reeking like sweat. Go clean up. I’ll meet you at the infirmary shortly."

With that, and before Xiao Pei could muster another sputtered protest, Fang Yuan firmly shut the door.

The heavy thunk of the bolt sliding home echoed in the hallway.

Inside the chamber, Fang Yuan let out a long, slow breath that seemed to deflate him.

He walked back to the copper tub, the steam now curling thickly in the air.

Without ceremony, he shed his half-unfastened robes, letting them pool on the floor.

The near-scalding water finally leached the tension from Fang Yuan’s muscles.

He leaned back, eyes closed, steam wreathing his face.

He scrubbed briskly, clearing his mind as much as his skin.

Minutes later, refreshed and dressed in a simple indigo robe pulled carelessly from his closet, he strode out, the lingering warmth of the bath a stark contrast to the cool stone corridors of the estate.

He emerged into the sun-dappled outer courtyard, a place usually alive with the disciplined drills of junior disciples.

Today, however, a different kind of energy crackled in the air.

A dense, giggling throng of young Fang clan girls, disciples barely into their teens, had formed a tight, buzzing circle near the practice dummies.

Their whispers were high-pitched, excited, punctuated by stifled squeals.

Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Curiosity piqued, he approached.

The moment his presence registered, a ripple went through the crowd.

Like startled sparrows, they parted instantly, pressing themselves respectfully against the courtyard’s flowering shrubs or the weapon racks.

A chorus of breathy greetings fluttered towards him:

"Clan Head!"

"Greetings, Clan Head!"

"Honored Clan Head!"

Their eyes, however, kept darting back towards the center of their former circle.

And there he stood.

Xiao Pei.

Bathed, yes, and wearing fresh clothes looking profoundly uncomfortable.

He seemed to be trying to shrink his imposing new frame, shoulders hunched slightly, hands clasped awkwardly behind his back.

A faint flush painted his newly defined cheekbones.

He looked less like a triumphant Golden Core cultivator and more like a magnificent stag cornered by overly enthusiastic hounds.

"Brother Fang," Xiao Pei blurted out, his voice a mixture of relief and profound embarrassment. He shifted his weight, avoiding eye contact.

"You’re... uh... late." The attempt at casualness was utterly betrayed by the pink tinge creeping up his neck.

Fang Yuan couldn’t suppress a low chuckle.

He made a subtle, sweeping gesture with one hand, an unspoken command.

The girls, though visibly reluctant, their gazes lingering longingly on Xiao Pei’s sculpted form, dared not disobey.

With disappointed sighs and backward glances, they melted away into the garden paths, leaving the two men alone in the suddenly quiet courtyard.

Fang Yuan turned his full attention to Xiao Pei, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across his lips.

"Well, well, Brother Da Pang," he drawled, his voice rich with amusement. "Seems the new appearance came with... unforeseen benefits. You’re quite the spectacle now. Popular, even."

Xiao Pei flinched as if struck. The flush deepened to crimson, spreading down to his collarbones.

He wrung his hands, a gesture so incongruous with his powerful new physique it was almost comical. "Brother Fang, please," he pleaded, his voice tight with distress.

"This is no joking matter! It’s... it’s terrifying! What..."

He swallowed hard, genuine fear flickering in his eyes. "...What if... what if I managed to... to attract a lady’s attention like this? And then..."

By the time he finished, he was breathing hard, shoulders tense, looking utterly mortified at his own imagined disaster.

Fang Yuan just stared at him for a beat... then nodded slowly. "Right. Well then. Shall we?"

"Yes!" Da Pang blurted, seizing the chance to move on.

Fang Yuan turned and led the way until they arrived at a worn, weather-beaten thatch hut.

Da Pang frowned. "Brother Fang... don’t you think Senior Mu deserves a better house?"

Fang Yuan shook his head. "Nah. He prefers this place, and I don’t mind either. Trust me, this is one of the most protected spots in the entire Fang Family estate."

He clicked his tongue inwardly. Tch. Safer than my own chambers, for sure... especially now that Lin Zhaoyue’s moved in.

He pushed the door to the thatched hut open—

BANG!

A metal bowl shot past his head like a missile, followed by a furious shout.

"Pervert!"

Off to the side, Xiao Pei froze in perfect, horrified silence. Fang Yuan, unfazed, slammed the door shut with a sharp thunk.

"What in the hell..." he muttered, rubbing his temple. "Is everyone taking a bath today?"