"The button... the button's stuck."
Su Li reached out and undid the knot at her back. When his fingertips brushed the nape of her neck, Saina's whole body shuddered, her skin flushing from white to pink—the same effect as pouring hot water over the row of cabbages she had planted.
Elena stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.
"You were quick to help her."
"Are you stuck too?"
"I'm not." Elena turned her face away and gave a tug at her waist. Her silk nightgown slid down her body and pooled over her feet.
Out of the corner of his eye, Su Li caught a broad expanse of dazzling white.
Well then, a count's daughter was a count's daughter—she was much more efficient at taking clothes off than putting them on.
Saina had finished undressing as well. With both arms crossed over her chest, she bent at the waist and shuffled toward the wooden tub.
"Is there enough room?" Saina's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Su Li leaned back and patted the space in front of him.
"We'll squeeze in."
Biting her lip, Saina stepped over the rim and climbed in, sitting in front of Su Li. The water rose at once and splashed over the sides in a circle.
The two of them were close. Saina's back pressed against Su Li's chest, her shoulder blades digging into his ribs. Her whole body was taut as an iron plate.
"Relax. If you're tense, I'm uncomfortable too."
Saina gave a quiet mm and softened slightly, but her arms remained tightly crossed over her chest.
Elena stood outside the tub, looking down at the two of them inside.
"Can I still fit?"
Su Li assessed the size of the wooden tub.
She could fit, but it