The two were now less than a fist's width apart.
Chi Li lay on the equipment, breathing slightly heavily, her chest rising and falling, the wet patches on her sweatshirt widening and clinging tightly to her body.
Because of the movement, the shorts had ridden up a bit more, revealing even more of her dazzlingly white thighs. The soft fabric at the base of her legs piled up, creating an ambiguous shadow.
Shen Xunye's gaze fell heavily on his face, then slowly moved down, sweeping over his sweat-dampened collar, over the vague outline, over his flat stomach... and over the tempting thighs exposed under his loose shorts.
The faint smell of sweat in the air was immediately replaced by the thick, dangerous ambiguity that surged under this silent gaze.
Their slightly heavy breathing, alternating between the two, could be clearly heard in the small space.
Shen Xunye withdrew his gaze and lowered his head very slowly.
Just as his lips were about to touch Chi Li's sweaty forehead, Chi Li seemed to finally wake up from this suffocating ambiguity and hurriedly turned his head away.
Shen Xunye stopped moving.
... How stingy, not even allowing a kiss on the forehead.
In the end, his lips merely brushed lightly against Chi Li's burning earlobe.
It brought a subtle, tingling, and slightly unsettling sensation.
Chi Li trembled all over, almost screaming out in alarm.
Shen Xunye maintained that posture for two seconds before straightening up. He took a step back, increasing the distance between them.
"Shall we continue?" he asked seriously.
It was as if he wasn't the one who had deliberately seduced her just moments before.
"... No need." Chi Li sat up from the machine, pressing her hand to her heart, which was pounding like a drum. "... You should go back first."
He was now somewhat afraid to look at Shen Xunye.
Shen Xunye didn't say anything, but squatted down, reached out, and directly grasped Chi Li's ankle.
Chi Li trembled and instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but Shen Xunye held it firmly.
The force wasn't great, but it was impossible to break free.
"Don't move." Shen Xunye's voice was low and husky as he pressed lightly on an acupoint on the inside of Chi Li's ankle with the pad of his thumb. "You must be tired from exercising for so long. Let me relax you a bit."
His movements were unprofessional, even somewhat stiff, yet strangely they brought a tingling, numb sensation that traveled up his calves.
"... It's past 10 o'clock, no one will see it even if you press it." Chi Li's cheeks were burning, her body stiffened, and she dared not move, trying to dissuade Shen Xunye with words.
"It's not like we have to show it to them." Shen Xunye pressed a few times, his fingers slowly moving upwards along the back of Chi Li's calf.
My fingertips brushed against my taut calves, sending a more pronounced shiver through me, a mixture of itchiness and stinging.
Chi Li's calf muscles trembled uncontrollably from the training he had just completed and the tension he was feeling at the moment.
Your legs are too tense.
Shen Xunye said in a low voice, his fingers had moved to the back of Chi Li's knee, lingered there briefly, and gently pressed the soft indentation with his knuckles.
"Ugh..." Chi Li couldn't help but let out a short, muffled groan.
His leg twitched reflexively, but was firmly pressed down by Shen Xunye's other hand, which had somehow landed on his knee.
Shen Xunye's fingers continued upwards, past the back of his knees, and reached the back of his thighs.
The skin there is softer and has almost no muscle covering.
His fingertips, warm to the touch, traced the smooth, delicate skin with extreme slowness, almost inch by inch.
Wherever it passed, it was like lighting a tiny fuse, the burning sensation clear and distinct.
Chi Li's breathing was already erratic.
He bit his lower lip hard, his eyelashes trembling, and his eyes welled up with tears from the physical stimulation and extreme shyness.
He tried to bring his legs together, but his knees were pinned down and he couldn't move at all.
They could only passively endure this relaxation, which was full of aggression and a certain unspoken implication.
Shen Xunye's gaze remained fixed on his fingers and Chi Li's legs.
His breathing had already become heavy.
Finally, his fingers stopped at the base of Chi Li's thigh, just below the edge of her shorts.
The skin there was warm, with a rosy glow from exercise.
He drew a small circle there very slowly before letting go.
The touch abruptly disappeared, leaving behind a chilling emptiness.
"I'm too tired to press anymore." Shen Xunye suddenly stood up and turned around. "That's enough for today. I'll help you next time."
Chi Li brought her legs together, rubbed her knees together, still not daring to look at Shen Xunye, and whispered, "... Mmm."
"Well... I'll be going now." Shen Xunye glanced down at his condition, touched his brow with his finger, and wearily closed his eyes. "... Goodnight, see you tomorrow."
"... See you tomorrow."
Only after the footsteps had faded from her ears and a long time had passed did Chi Li dare to look at the spot where Shen Xunye had stood.
The spot on my inner thigh where the fingertips had drawn circles still seemed to retain a clear, burning sensation that traveled all the way to my heart.
Chi Li returned to her dormitory and locked the door behind her.
He stood in front of the sink, looking at his face in the mirror, which was flushed with rosy hue.
The scenes in the gym played repeatedly in his mind like a movie rewinding.
Deep within, a burning restlessness, forcibly suppressed yet suddenly surging back when alone, erupted like a volcano awakening.
His breathing became rapid.
He bit his lower lip, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the hem of his sweatshirt.
He knew Shen Xunye was doing it on purpose, and he should stop him.
But his body's instinctive craving prevented him from opening his mouth.
The wicked fire, easily ignited by Shen Xunye, a mixture of shame, desire, and... pleasure, burned so intensely that his limbs felt weak and hot.
He closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes trembling uneasily.
In the quiet restroom, only the boy's suppressed, shallow breathing could be heard.
Shame and pleasure intertwined like vines, binding him tighter and tighter.
After a brief period of silence comes a deeper emptiness.
He slumped onto the cold bathroom floor, soaking wet as if he'd been pulled from the water, gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Xie Weishui restarted her 'meeting' and was having a heated discussion with the newly joined members.
"The script?" Chen Anyan, upon hearing Xie Weishui's arrangement, reacted as if he'd heard a joke. "... What a stupid design!"
"What do you mean?" Xie Weishui raised an eyebrow. "My scripts have successful precedents; it's not up to a newcomer like you to question them."
"Then let me ask you," Chen Anyan tilted his head, "Is the old Raising House Raising House the same as the current Raising House?"
"Why not?" Wei Xuan couldn't stand Chen Anyan's arrogant attitude. "At least half of them are still the original members."