Taking a Bath With Xiao Wu and the Others

Jiang Lan looked up at her and saw Ning Rongrong with a self-righteous expression and bright eyes. "This place is so much fun, much better than the dormitory at the Blue Tyrant Academy. I want to live with Xiao Wu and also help you try the drinks. I'm not afraid of gaining weight."

"I live here too," Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from the side.

Jiang Lan opened her eyes wide and turned to look.

Zhu Zhuqing stood beside the old locust tree, arms crossed, her expression still aloof.

"All three of you are staying here?" Jiang Lan scratched his head, causing the hood of his Penguin Suit to sway. "I only have two empty rooms in this yard. The three of you will squeeze into one room. Doro will have to sleep with me, so don't fight with him for it."

"Who's taking it from me?" Xiao Wu snorted softly, turning her head away, two very faint blushes rising on her cheeks.

"I can also help you tidy up the yard," Zhu Zhuqing added, her gaze sweeping over the pile of scattered iron sheets and wooden planks in the corner. "The west side is too messy; it could be turned into a clothes-drying area. I also want to plant some flowers in the backyard."

"Give me the east side, I want to build a swing," Ning Rongrong immediately added.

Jiang Lan watched as the three girls meticulously planned out the backyard, one after another, without asking for his opinion as the landlord. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Oh well, it'll be lively with them staying here anyway, so it won't be just him and Doro counting stars in the yard every night.

"Alright, you can stay in that big room." Jiang Lan pointed to the guest room on the east side. "If there aren't enough beds, go to the front hall and get a few folding beds. Let room Number One and Number Two make room for you. But let me make this clear: the Milk Tea Robot in the front hall isn't your babysitter, so don't make them do your laundry."

"We don't need a robot to do the laundry." Xiao Wu jumped up from the bamboo chair, clearly in a better mood. She reached out and tugged at a tuft of hair on Jiang Lan's head that was sticking up from under his hat. "We'll wash it ourselves."

Jiang Lan turned her head away to avoid her hand, but she couldn't dodge it and was caught red-handed.

Doro giggled beside her as Ning Rongrong lifted him up above her head, his two short legs flapping in the air.

Before we knew it, it was evening.

"I love taking baths, my skin feels so good..."

Jiang Lan sat in the bathtub, rubbing her body with a towel.

He squinted and hummed a tuneless little tune, his chubby little face flushed red from the steam.

Doro held a towel bigger than half its body in its two little paws and carefully rubbed Jiang Lan's back.

Its movements were rhythmic, rubbing left and right, while mumbling "dorodoro" in Jiang Lan's tone, creating a heartwarming yet comical scene.

Just as the man and the soul were enjoying their bath, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

"Little Guga, your sisters are going to bathe you!"

Xiao Wu's voice was clear and loud, carrying a strange excitement, and the door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

Then three girls appeared in the doorway. The heat blurred their outlines, but it couldn't hide their three pairs of frighteningly bright eyes.

Jiang Lan froze instantly, and the towel fell into the water with a splash.

He slowly turned his head and saw the person who had come through the misty steam.

Xiao Wu stood at the very front, hands on her hips.

Ning Rongrong followed behind her, carrying two clean towels.

Zhu Zhuqing lagged behind, her ears burning red, her gaze shifting uncertainly, yet she showed no intention of turning away.

"What are you doing in here!" Jiang Lan's voice cracked, and she instinctively shrank back into the water.

Only his head and two small, short hands were visible, and the water in the tub splashed out halfway around because of his movements.

"I'll help you take a bath!" Xiao Wu walked in confidently, completely ignoring Jiang Lan's horrified look. "Look how small you are, you can't even reach your own back when you take a bath. Isn't it perfect that we're here to help you?"

"I have Doro! It will help me scrub my back!" Jiang Lan scooped Doro up to her chest.

Doro, feeling languid from the steam, blinked his large purple eyes in confusion after being scooped up like that, seemingly still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Doro is so small, he almost fell into the bucket himself, how can I help you get him clean?" Ning Rongrong came in carrying a towel, and tested the water temperature with her hand. "Oh dear, the water is almost cold, let me add some hot water for you."

"No, no, no, I can do it myself!" Jiang Lan panicked, kicking her short legs wildly in the water, splashing water everywhere.

But the bathtub was only so big, so Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu teased Jiang Lan from both sides.

Zhu Zhuqing was still standing at the door, her lips pursed, her fingers gripping the door frame, her expression suggesting she was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Zhu Zhuqing finally stepped in, closed the door behind her, and sighed softly, "Don't bother him, the water's getting cold and he'll catch a cold."

Zhu Zhuqing walked to the bathtub, picked up a ladle and poured two spoonfuls of hot water into the tub. Then, as if by magic, she took out a fragrant cotton handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to her. "Here, use this to wipe your face. It smells better than your towel."

"Sister Zhuqing, you're with them too!" Jiang Lan accused, huddled pitifully in the water, like a drenched penguin cornered by three big cats.

"I just don't want you to catch a cold." Zhu Zhuqing looked away, her ears turning even redder, but her tone remained calm and even.

Doro finally figured out what was going on. It broke free from Jiang Lan's grasp and jumped into the water with a splash.

"Don't do this! My Mom Bo Saixi, said that men and women shouldn't touch each other!" Jiang Lan sank even lower, leaving only her nostrils and eyes exposed, and exhaled a string of bubbles underwater, her voice muffled.

"You're only six years old, what nonsense about boys and girls not touching each other?" Xiao Wu reached out and ruffled his wet head, making a big clump of bubbles, laughing so hard she almost fell over. "Besides, didn't you say before that you'd marry us all when you grew up? Isn't it a bit late to be shy now?"

"I... I... I... that's different... Little Guga!" In her desperation, Jiang Lan even blurted out her catchphrase, her whole being like a punctured balloon, giving up all resistance in despair.

After an unknown amount of time, the bathroom door finally reopened.

Jiang Lan was pulled out of the room by Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, one on each side. She was wrapped in a large towel, with only her messy hair and two small feet dripping with water showing.

He looked like a peeled egg, his face so red it looked like it could bleed.

After Ning Rongrong and the others finished bathing him, they took off their clothes and bathed with him, the three women taking turns holding him in the bath.

"I'm going to tell Mom Bo Saixi," Jiang Lan muttered angrily in a low voice.

"Your Mom Bo Saixi is far away on Sea God Island. We'll talk about it when she gets here." Xiao Wu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and gently poked his cheek.

Jiang Lan gave a soft snort, pulled Doro towards his room, and went back to sleep.