The sound was crisp, as if something had shattered.
Immediately after, a sinister voice came from outside: "Damn it! I just finished bathing..."
It was unmistakably Shenhe's voice.
Only then did Lucas remember that he hadn't seen his sister-in-law, who lived under the same roof, all day.
The door to the room suddenly opened, and the one who entered was none other than Shenhe. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, as if she had just stepped out of the bath, but her hair and towel were soaked with tea, and a small piece of purple clay shard was visible.
Clearly, the cup Lucas had teleported using his spatial powers had landed right on Shenhe's head.
"Lucas!" Shenhe, who was already known for her fiery temper, was now absolutely furious. She stormed over to Lucas, her eyes filled with murderous intent, and demanded, "Was it you who threw that cup?"
"H-how could it be me?" Lucas quickly tried to defend himself. "I've been in the room the whole time. How could I have thrown a cup at you?"
"Oh?" Shenhe's gaze shifted to the table, where a tea set was laid out, missing exactly one cup. She picked up a shard from her hair and compared it to the remaining cups, then coldly said, "The cup that hit me is clearly from your table. Are you still trying to deny it?"
At this moment, Ganyu was still working at Yuehai Pavilion, and as for Cloud Retainer, even if she had been the one to throw the cup (which was highly unlikely), Shenhe, as her disciple, wouldn't dare to say a word.
So, all of Shenhe's anger was naturally directed at Lucas.
Seeing that the evidence was irrefutable, Lucas had no choice but to admit defeat and said helplessly, "I'm sorry, but I really didn't mean to."
"If you had done it on purpose, I would have skewered you with my spear by now," Shenhe said, her anger still burning. "I just finished bathing, and now you've made me look like this. Tell me, how are you going to make it up to me?"
Shenhe, with her profound cultivation, wasn't hurt by the cup hitting her head, but her silvery hair, which she took great care of, was a different story. Washing it was a tedious process, and for someone as impatient as Shenhe, it was akin to a form of cultivation.
Now, after all that effort, her freshly washed hair had been ruined by Lucas's cup of tea. Naturally, she was livid. If it had been anyone else, she might not have resorted to weapons, but a good beating would have been inevitable.
"How about..." Lucas ventured cautiously, "I wash it for you again?"
Shenhe was slightly taken aback and frowned. "You know how to wash hair?"
"It's not that hard," Lucas said with a smile, flexing his fingers. "I can even give you a head massage while I'm at it."
Shenhe turned around, and Lucas quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"To the bathroom, of course," Shenhe replied without looking back. "Hurry up, before the water gets cold."
"W-wait a second!" Lucas said, somewhat embarrassed. "At least let me put on some clothes first."
Since Zhongli had "borrowed" his clothes earlier, Lucas was now only wearing a loincloth. Walking out like this would be rather inappropriate.
"Don't worry, there's no one outside. My sister hasn't returned from work yet, and Master went out shopping," Shenhe said, glancing back with a indifferent expression. "Besides, haven't I seen everything you've got? Why are you acting shy now?"
Lucas was left speechless and had no choice but to follow Shenhe out in his "light attire."
---
Ganyu, with her long years of service to Liyue and her generous salary, had accumulated considerable wealth. However, she lived a simple life, and her large mansion was rather modestly furnished.
The only exception was the bathroom, which could be considered a luxury. After long hours of work, a good soak in the bath was one of the few ways Ganyu could relax.
The bath was quite spacious, not out of extravagance, but because Ganyu sometimes, in her relaxation, would unconsciously transform into her true form. An unsuspecting person walking into the bathroom might mistake it for a hot spring inn from Inazuma.
As soon as they entered the bathroom, Shenhe stripped off her bathrobe. After all, there were no more "secrets" between her and Lucas.
However, such a perfect figure was something that could never be tiresome to look at, no matter how many times one saw it.
"What are you standing there for?" Shenhe raised an eyebrow, sitting down with a hint of impatience. "Haven't you seen enough? Weren't you going to wash my hair?"
"Oh, right!" Lucas quickly picked up a bucket of water and stood behind Shenhe. "I'll start now."
The water flowed down, wetting Shenhe's hair once more. Lucas picked up the shampoo, ready to apply it, when Shenhe suddenly spoke up, "W-what are you doing?"
Her voice sounded nervous, and Lucas asked, confused, "What do you mean? I'm putting on shampoo. How else are we going to wash your hair?"
"N-no! Not that stuff!" Shenhe muttered. "Shampoo... it's scary."
"Shampoo is scary?" Lucas chuckled. "You're not afraid of demons and monsters, but you're scared of shampoo?"
"It hurts when it gets in my eyes," Shenhe said softly. "I don't like it."
Only then did Lucas realize that Shenhe, having grown up in the wilderness, had probably never used shampoo before. After returning to Liyue, she might have tried it once and ended up with a painful experience, which had left her traumatized.
"Don't worry, just close your eyes," Lucas reassured her. "With me here, you can relax. I'll make sure your hair is smooth, shiny, and smells amazing!"
Shenhe hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing, "F-fine. But if I feel even the slightest discomfort, you have to stop immediately."
Lucas couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Who would have thought that the usually fierce and aloof Shenhe would be afraid of shampoo?
Since her hair had already been washed once, it quickly lathered up with foam. Shenhe, still wary, trembled slightly.
Lucas massaged her silver hair, his skilled hands moving over the acupoints on her scalp. With his innate talent as a "doctor," he was a natural at massage. Under the expert touch of his hands, Shenhe melted like a cat having its soul extracted—utterly relaxed, her entire body turning soft and weak with comfort
If it weren't for her fear of shampoo foam getting into her eyes, Shenhe might have started rolling her eyes in bliss by now.