I Turned a Competitive Variety Show into a Dating Show - Chapter 7

Shi Xu wasn’t much more sober, so she paused, giving her brain time to process Jian Zhi’s words.

Is it because she’s always treated me like a puppy that she said something like that?

Shi Xu tilted her head back to look at Jian Zhi, who was gazing down at her, her long, thick lashes casting shadows on her lower eyelids, obscuring the emotions in her eyes.

Before Shi Xu could speak, Jian Zhi stroked her hair again. The warmth of her palm seeped through the strands, like a ray of sunlight piercing Shi Xu’s heart.

At first, it was comforting, but the heat quickly intensified, scorching her heart into a restless frenzy, scattering her thoughts into chaos.

Shi Xu leaned into Jian Zhi’s touch, feeling a pang of disappointment when she stopped. Jian Zhi swayed to her feet, looking down at Shi Xu crouching on the floor, a gentle smile curving her lips.

“Get up, little puppy. I don’t have any dog food for you.”

Hearing Jian Zhi’s slightly husky voice, Shi Xu felt an urge to stick out her tongue and bark. Being a puppy isn’t so bad after all. They’re kind of cute.

Just as Shi Xu was about to stand, Jian Zhi swayed twice and collapsed forward. Shi Xu instinctively reached out to catch her, and they both tumbled to the floor.

The cold floor pressed against Shi Xu’s butterfly bones, sending a sharp pain through her. She gasped, but her first thought was: Thank goodness Jian Zhi didn’t hit her head.

Jian Zhi lay sprawled on top of Shi Xu, motionless for a long moment. The fall had made her head spin even more; everything swam before her eyes, multiple Shi Xus blurring into one another, making her irritable.

“Stop moving,” she said, using both hands to fix Shi Xu’s face in place.

Shi Xu’s lips were pressed into an “O” shape by Jian Zhi’s grip. Staring at Jian Zhi’s face so close, her breath hitched at the sight of Jian Zhi’s eyebrows, and all thought vanished.

The hand that had been loosely protecting Jian Zhi fell to her slender waist, gripping it firmly. Jian Zhi let out a soft moan, her warm breath brushing Shi Xu’s neck. A tingling sensation swept down Shi Xu’s spine, her heart pounding like a drum in an instant.

Shi Xu feared Jian Zhi would hear her racing heartbeat, given how close they were. But Jian Zhi seemed too drunk, completely absorbed in her own thoughts.

Jian Zhi squeezed Shi Xu’s face, kneading her cheeks. “Feels pretty good,” she murmured.

Shi Xu: Thank you, I’ve been taking good care of my skin.

Jian Zhi tilted her head back to gaze at Shi Xu for a moment before collapsing softly, her face landing perfectly in the crook of Shi Xu’s neck. Shi Xu shuddered slightly, her breath quickening.

This was an absolute test of her willpower, worse than any torture.

Unable to bear it any longer, Shi Xu gently nudged Jian Zhi and whispered, “Sister, the floor’s a bit cold. Should we get up…?”

Her words abruptly cut off as Shi Xu instinctively tightened her arms, making Jian Zhi’s waist seem even more slender, as if she could encircle it with just one hand.

Jian Zhi buried her face in Shi Xu’s neck, sniffing lightly before murmuring, “You really do smell like a puppy.”

Shi Xu was startled. I showered before bed, she thought. Did drinking a little wine really make me smell this bad?

Her waist ached from the tight embrace. Jian Zhi belatedly realized this and struggled to sit up. In the process, her long, wavy hair became disheveled, the thick strands making her head look fluffy, like a kitten just waking up.

Shi Xu’s heart stirred. Since Jian Zhi touched me, it should be okay if I touch her back, right?

Before she could reach out, her hand was slapped away. The kitten glanced at her haughtily and said, “Naughty puppy. Trying to climb on your owner’s head?”

Shi Xu shook her head, looking aggrieved. Jian Zhi ruffled her hair again and stood up unsteadily.

Shi Xu reached out to steady her, but Jian Zhi waved her off. Seeing that she could walk relatively steadily, Shi Xu turned to go shower, only to have her hem tugged.

“Where are you going?”

“A bath? Didn’t you say I stink?”

Jian Zhi tilted her head, as if deep in thought. Shi Xu had never seen her look so adorably dazed, and her heart was struck hard. If she had a tail, it would be wagging furiously.

Jian Zhi didn’t think Shi Xu smelled bad, nor did she find her repulsive. But Shi Xu seemed to have misunderstood. Jian Zhi stepped forward, cupped Shi Xu’s face in her hands, and said, “I’ll help you wash.”

“Y-you… you’ll help me wash?!” Shi Xu stammered in shock.

Jian Zhi countered, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want me to?”

Before Shi Xu could recover from her shock, Jian Zhi added, “A puppy can’t refuse its owner, you know.”

Shi Xu: …Huh?

Jian Zhi patted her head, then took her hand and led her toward the bathroom. Shi Xu followed like a puppet on a string, not because she didn’t want to, but because the situation felt so surreal, like a dream.

To confirm it wasn’t a hallucination, she pinched her cheek hard. The pain proved it was real.

Inside the bathroom, Jian Zhi started filling the bathtub. Shi Xu quickly protested, “A quick rinse is enough. I don’t smell that bad, do I?”

Jian Zhi’s face flushed crimson from the alcohol, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with a hazy, misty quality. She stared at Shi Xu for a few seconds before asking, “Doesn’t the puppy want to bathe with its owner?”

How could I not want to? I dream about it all the time! But not now! Shi Xu pulled Jian Zhi aside and turned on the shower, letting the water cascade over herself.

“Let’s hurry up and shower so we can go to bed. I’m getting sleepy, haha.”

Jian Zhi hummed in response, took the showerhead from Shi Xu’s hand, and gripped the lapels of her pajamas with her other hand. “You can’t get properly clean with your clothes on.”

Shi Xu grabbed Jian Zhi’s hand and retreated frantically. “N-no need! I’m really not dirty…”

Clang! She landed with a thud in the bathtub, her back slamming against the rim. She winced in pain, but something more pressing immediately captured her attention.

Jian Zhi held the showerhead and drenched Shi Xu from head to toe, admiring her disheveled state for a moment before stepping into the tub with a long stride and settling onto Shi Xu’s lap.

Shi Xu turned her face away, tears welling up but unable to fall. Please, stop testing me! I don’t have an iron will.

Jian Zhi ruffled Shi Xu’s hair and patiently scrubbed her scalp. Shi Xu thought Jian Zhi might actually see her as a dog, and she was the only one getting worked up over this.

With that thought, she relaxed slightly, but her body temperature remained high, her heart still raced, and her face and ears burned.

Both were in their pajamas, but Shi Xu was now completely soaked. The wet fabric clung tightly to her skin, revealing the soft pink of her flesh beneath.

Although Jian Zhi hadn’t directly touched the water, their close proximity inevitably splashed some onto Shi Xu. Her thin nightgown clung to her body, outlining her delicate curves, especially the two rosy peaks on her chest, which seemed to surge like a tidal wave, leaving Shi Xu’s mind reeling.

This is…

The rosy peaks trembled gently like peach blossoms blooming in the spring breeze. Shi Xu unconsciously swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, her heart pounding.

Forcing herself to look away, she asked Jian Zhi, her gaze darting nervously, “Sister, why aren’t you… wearing a bra?”

“It’s too tight,” Jian Zhi replied, lifting her nightgown to show the chafed skin beneath. “See? It’s almost worn through.”