The bathroom was filled with mist.
The cracked mirror was blurred with condensation. Water droplets traced paths down black tiles, catching amber light from the warm ceiling lamp.
Texas sank her chin into the water. Fine foam clung to the pale skin of her chest, gathering and dispersing with each breath.
Her fingertip idly stirred the surface, ripples breaking the reflection of her face. The coldness she normally wore had softened into a tempting flush.
Her ears trembled lightly. Hot water loosened her body.
Lying in the narrow, worn bathtub, Texas stared into nothing for a long time—an unreal, dreamlike feeling spreading through her.
Not long ago, she'd been so hungry she'd had to use herself as bait.
Now she was soaking in a hot bath.
And it all seemed to begin with that Sarkaz youth showing up.
He knew where the fugitive was. He got the bounty smoothly. He knew where there was cheap housing.
As if all she had to do was provide the force he lacked, and he could handle everything else.
On this land, there were plenty of strong fighters. If someone else had partnered with him, the result might've been similar.
But without him, she had no idea how many thugs she would've needed to rob before she could afford a single pizza.
"Hmph," Texas bubbled into the water. "Next time, that guy should treat me to the most expensive set at Martino Pizza…"
Her ears twitched—she heard the door open.
Texas remembered something and sat up with a splash, yanking the shower curtain closed.
"Texas! I bought you clean clothes—come get—"
Chen Xiu knocked on the bathroom door immediately, full of cheer—only for it to creak open as if possessed.
He froze.
Texas: bathing. Door: unlatched. Fate: mocking him.
Texas, why don't you lock the door when you bathe!?
Is she going to kill me to erase the witness? Then again, if I don't look, aren't I losing out even more—
A storm of thoughts detonated in Chen Xiu's head.
Then he saw the curtain and finally exhaled, his overloaded brain slowly settling.
But bright light made the thin curtain show a soft silhouette—hazy and alluring.
Texas crossed her arms over her chest. Her legs overlapped. Her long tail curved from her waist to cover what needed covering.
They fell into silence separated by a single curtain, water dripping rhythmically from hair to tile.
Soft footsteps approached.
Texas's muscles tightened.
"I put the clothes on the toilet lid," Chen Xiu said calmly.
Then he turned and left quickly.
At the door, he tried closing it—once, twice—only to realize it wouldn't stay shut.
"That door's broken," Texas said as she sat back into the water, voice casual. "A little force and it just swings open."
Chen Xiu stopped fighting the door. "I'll tell Uncle Hua later. Get someone to fix it."
Texas gave a quiet "Mm," her damp tail tapping water.
After resting a bit, she stood, rinsed quickly under the shower, and finished.
On the toilet lid, besides clothes, there was a gray bath towel and hand towel—plus fur-care cream and other necessities.
Consistent, she thought. As thorough as ever.
She picked up the new outfit:
A crewneck T-shirt. Denim jacket. Denim shorts. Black stockings. Canvas shoes.
The match was good. Everything was new, tags still on.
She put it on. It fit.
Texas couldn't help admiring Chen Xiu's eye—his "data" accuracy was almost ridiculous.
She checked herself in the mirror, then stepped out to let the buyer see the results.
Chen Xiu was sitting on a small balcony stool. Between his legs was a red basin and a washboard.
As she got closer, Texas realized the clothes he was washing looked… familiar.
Her old clothes.
"Done bathing?" Chen Xiu turned and praised sincerely. "Looks great. You're a cool girl."
Texas looked him over.
His "beggar outfit" was gone. In its place was an old, yellowed, unfashionable set of clothes.
She frowned. "Chen Xiu, why didn't you buy yourself something new?"
"No need," Chen Xiu said carelessly. "Clothes that cover you are fine. No need to waste money."
Texas felt irritated, as if the new clothes on her skin had started to heat up.
"Of course," Chen Xiu added smugly as he scrubbed, "this is my personal style philosophy. I got these at a secondhand market. Total cost under fifteen. I'm very satisfied."
Texas stood there, slowly extracting the key word from his sentence:
Saving money.
Then she looked at him hand-washing her old clothes.
Back in the family, servants would've taken those away. They never would've reappeared.
Sarkaz were… this frugal?
Texas sighed, like she was learning what "life" was from scratch.
She nudged Chen Xiu's back with her knee. "Go bathe. The laundry doesn't need to be that urgent."
Chen Xiu didn't argue. He'd gone too long without bathing. His skin itched like mad. The smell was… not subtle. His long, tangled hair was matted and knotted.
He went into the bathroom.
Texas watched him, then grabbed the keys and left.
Saving money or not—he couldn't be the only one stuck in old clothes.
And his outfit was so unfashionable it wasted that face.
The market was close. She could pick something out.
Men bathed fast, supposedly. To avoid missing the timing, Texas simply hopped out the window and dropped down.
Halfway through landing, she remembered something.
She hadn't drained the bathwater.
With Chen Xiu's miserly instincts… he wouldn't, would he?
She looked up at the window, but couldn't bring herself to run back and yell.
Clenching her teeth, she turned and sprinted toward the market, forcibly pushing the thought out of her head.
Back inside, Chen Xiu stood at the tub and skimmed the surface.
The water was still warm.
So during his rinse, he added a little hot water—and then sank in with a long, satisfied exhale.
Comfort.
Eyes closed, he reviewed the intel he still hadn't used.
Two lines remained.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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