Power and Wealth

It was already nine o'clock.

The thunder continued, and the rain kept pouring down.

In the quaint little courtyard, the landlady, holding an umbrella, led Dong Xuebing and Jiang Min out of the house. They walked on the damp ground, braving the breeze, heading towards the backyard. Rows of small wooden houses filled the space, some larger, presumably double rooms. They headed towards the row of wooden houses at the far end. Several red lanterns were lit at the doors. Some people were asleep, while others were still leaning against the windows, enjoying the rain.

Only the lantern in the middle house was not lit.

The landlady went in first, taking out the keys to open the door. The lights inside and outside the house were turned on with a click.

"This is it," she said.

"Great, thank you," Dong Xuebing replied.

"The bathroom has hot water for showering," the landlady added.

"Okay, got it," Dong Xuebing nodded.

"Any other requests, let me know in advance," the landlady said.The most update n0vels are published on ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt

"Could you add an extra blanket? Also, do you have any clean clothes available?" Dong Xuebing asked.

"We have blankets but no clothes. You can hang them up to dry if you didn't bring any. If the rain stops tomorrow and the sun comes out, they'll dry by noon," the landlady replied.

"That'll do, thank you," Dong Xuebing said.

"I'll have someone bring them to you shortly," the landlady said before leaving with her umbrella.

Seeing Jiang Min shiver, Dong Xuebing quickly ushered her into the house. He closed the door behind them, shutting out the slightly chilly wind and rain outside. The wind creaked the door while the raindrops pattered against the wooden windows, creating a crisp sound. It had a somewhat poetic feeling.

The room was very small, barely seven or eight square meters.

Underneath the window in the center was a small bed, pressed against the wooden wall. There was a small wooden table and chair next to it, and on the right-hand side of the door was another door, presumably leading to the bathroom. Other than that, the room was bare, simple, and elegant, with pitifully little space.

Dong Xuebing sighed, "It's so small."

Jiang Min pushed her wet hair back and said, "Having a place to stay is already good. Otherwise, we'd have to spend the night in the rain."

Dong Xuebing apologized, "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you. It's all my fault."

Jiang Min smiled, "What's there to blame you for? I think the environment here is quite nice."

"It is. The atmosphere of these small wooden houses is quite charming and relaxing. I like this style," Dong Xuebing agreed.

Jiang Min took Dong Xuebing's coat off and said, "We're both soaking wet. Let's get things done first. You go take a shower, and I'll change after you."

Dong Xuebing insisted, "You go first. I'm not in a hurry."

Jiang Min said, "You've been in the rain more than I have. You've been holding the umbrella for me all the way. Go quickly."

"Come on, I can't go before you. Ladies first. Hurry up, stop arguing," Dong Xuebing hung his wet clothes on the rack and sat on the stool.

Jiang Min glanced at him and said, "You're something else. Alright then, I'll go first."

Jiang Min took the damp shirt and turned to open the door to the bathroom. Dong Xuebing stole a glance. Indeed, the toilet was also very small, barely two square meters. However, after glancing, Dong Xuebing's gaze uncontrollably fell on Jiang Min's back. He watched as the khaki pants and white shirt clung tightly to her body, revealing the faint outline of her flesh-colored underwear and panties. Dong Xuebing felt his cheeks redden, realizing that such thoughts were disrespectful to Jiang Min. He quickly averted his gaze.

Dong, the door closed.

Clatter, whoosh, the sound of clothes being removed came from inside.

Immediately after, the sound of the showerhead spraying water gushed out, and the frosted glass on the bathroom door was quickly covered with warm steam. Being a wooden room, it had many advantages, but its biggest flaw was its poor sound insulation. Sitting inside the room, Dong Xuebing could even hear the sound of Jiang Min shampooing and lathering up in the bathroom. It sounded like the shower room door was left open, and Dong Xuebing couldn't shake off the thought.

Pat, pat. Another sound emerged. This time, it seemed like the sound of Jiang Min patting herself with the showerhead, probably because she was too cold and wanted to warm her body directly.

After listening for a while, Dong Xuebing realized there was nothing for him to do. He couldn't just sit there waiting. Besides, it was quite cold. So, he removed his shoes, poured out the accumulated water in them with a splash, shook them off, and tossed them near the door. Then, he took off his wet socks and threw them over. Instantly, he felt much fresher. As for his pants, there was no choice but to leave them on. Dong Xuebing couldn't just walk around naked. Their spare clothes were in the car's trunk, and there was no way to change them now.

The sound of water stopped.

After a while, the bathroom door opened.

The air was filled with steam, giving the impression of a fairyland as Jiang Min stepped out.

Dong Xuebing was taken aback. "How come you're so quick?"

Jiang Min was wearing a long bathrobe; though it was wide, it couldn't completely cover her ample bosom. The deep neckline accentuated her cleavage, which seemed bottomless. She tied the bathrobe belt while her hair was dripping with water. "I was afraid you'd catch a cold while waiting, so I hurried. Alright, your turn, Xuebing. After you're done changing, just toss your clothes to me, and I'll wash and dry them for you later," she said, putting on her golden-rimmed glasses from the wooden table.

"Don't worry, I'll wash them myself," Dong Xuebing insisted.

"Don't bother. Hurry up," Jiang Min urged.

"Um, alright," Dong Xuebing agreed reluctantly.

"Oh, please bring out the hairdryer for me," Jiang Min added.

After handing her the hairdryer, Dong Xuebing entered the bathroom and closed the door.

The bathroom was filled with hot steam, making it warm and comfortable. There was still a lingering scent of Jiang Min's body. Looking at the sink, Dong Xuebing noticed there were still a lot of bubbles from the shower gel and shampoo. He started to undress, wringing out his heavy pants before tossing them onto the sink. Then he noticed a pile of Jiang Min's clothes lying there. The shirt was crumpled, and the pants were wrinkled, sticking together. As for the bra and panties, they were underneath everything else, just inadvertently exposing a corner. Dong Xuebing could see the faint floral pattern on the flesh-colored bra. The two short black stockings were neatly placed on the edge of the sink, half on the marble countertop and half hanging in the air, dripping water.

Now that he had undressed, there was no turning back. Dong Xuebing's mind involuntarily conjured up the image of Jiang Min in the bathrobe. Then he stepped on the foam from the shower gel that had just been washed off Jiang Min and turned on the showerhead, letting the warm water wash over him. A wave of warmth surged from his heart, feeling extremely comfortable.

Shampooing his hair, washing his face, lathering up with shower gel… Jiang Min had finished her shower, so Dong Xuebing didn't feel rushed. He leisurely massaged the foam on his body.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Done.

Dong Xuebing dried himself off and realized no bathrobe was left in the bathroom. Since it was a single room, there was only one bathrobe, which Jiang Min had used. Dong Xuebing hesitated momentarily, thinking of saying something, but then decided against it. He wrapped a long towel around his waist, barely covering himself. Then he glanced at their clothes on the sink. He didn't dare to touch Jiang Min's underwear, so he didn't wash anything. He pushed open the door and saw Jiang Min sitting on a stool, wiping her shoes with a napkin. Next to her were Dong Xuebing's leather shoes, which had already been wiped clean. Tomorrow, they could air them out. Jiang Min was now wiping her shoes, and she turned her head when she heard Dong Xuebing.

"Jiang Min, I'm done showering."

"Hmm, why aren't you wearing clothes?"

"Oh, right. I forgot. I'll make do without," Dong Xuebing replied.

"Alright, Xuebing. Get into bed quickly so you don't catch a cold. When the staff comes later, I'll ask them for another bathrobe for you."

"Okay."

"Did you put the clothes there?"

"Yes, I left them on the table."

"Alright, don't worry about anything else."

Dong Xuebing didn't hesitate and walked to the bed in his slippers, climbing under the covers. Not because he was cold but because being bare-chested and bare-legged made him feel embarrassed. "I'll just lie down for a bit. I'll sleep on the floor later tonight," he coughed.

"We'll see," Jiang Min replied, finishing drying her shoes. She struggled to stand up, probably because of her back, and washed her clothes at the bathroom.

A few minutes later, the clothes were all taken care of. There wasn't much to wash, so it was a quick task. Dong Xuebing on the bed, caught sight of their clothes hanging in the bathroom. From his angle, he could see Jiang Min's underwear hanging on the hanger, emitting a tempting light.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Two female staff members entered, one carrying a set of blankets for them and the other holding a tray with steaming milk and some bread snacks. Seeing the food made Dong Xuebing's mouth water, especially on a rainy day.

"Here are your things."

"Great, just leave them here."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Oh, right. Bring a bathrobe for my student, please."

"Okay, coming right up."

After delivering the bathrobe, the staff members closed the door and left. Jiang Min handed the bathrobe to Dong Xuebing. "You don't need to get up. Eat in bed," she said, pulling the table closer and sitting down to drink her hot milk.

Dong Xuebing took the cup of milk. "Ah, feels good."

Jiang Min smiled. "Drink more. If you need another cup, just ask. It'll warm you up."

"You too, eat more," Dong Xuebing said, handing her a piece of bread.

"Thanks," Jiang Min replied, slightly leaning forward to take it, inadvertently revealing a bit too much cleavage. Dong Xuebing's eyes widened at the sight.

It was a bit startling.

Once again, Dong Xuebing found himself momentarily dazzled.