novelnext Chapter 190 Morning Exercise
Chapter 190 Morning Exercise
Chapter 190 Morning Exercise
Bai Yu only felt the sound of breathing beside his ear, even and long, with a relaxed feeling unique to sleep.
Each exhale gently brushed against his earlobe, warm and moist, like a feather warmed by the sun.
There was a breathing sound coming from the crook of his neck, deeper and slower than the one near his ear, like a whale sleeping in the deep sea, only surfacing to breathe every long interval.
There was a breathing sound on his chest, the faintest one, as light as a cat's breath, almost imperceptible, making him hold his breath, afraid of disturbing something.
Then he regained his sense of touch.
This is the most difficult part.
Because of his body, his entire body felt as if it were being pressed down by something.
It wasn't the suffocating, heavy kind of oppression, but rather a soft, warm embrace that made you not want to move at all.
His left arm was being used as a pillow, and his entire arm, from his shoulder to his fingertips, was being pressed down.
The person resting their head on Bai Yu's arm was curled up to his left, their knees against his thighs, their forehead against his shoulder, their breath falling directly on his collarbone. Her hair was scattered on his chest, soft and cool, like the texture of morning dew.
His right arm was also being held.
It wasn't a pillow, it was an embrace; she wrapped her arms around his forearms and held his hands to her chest.
He could feel her heartbeat transmitted through his palm, slow and strong, one beat at a time.
His legs were bound.
Someone's calf was resting on his calf.
A hand touched his abdomen. The hand was very light, as light as a falling leaf, but the palm was warm. The warmth penetrated his skin and made his internal organs feel warm.
He tried moving his fingers.
My left hand was pressed too hard, and I could only barely bend my fingertips.
As he bent his fingertips, he touched a soft patch of skin—the cheek of the person who had been resting on his arm.
His right hand was also being held, and he couldn't move.
But Bai Yu could feel the person holding his arm tightening their fingers in their sleep, as if to confirm that he was still there.
He took a deep breath.
Then he regained his sight.
He slowly opened his eyes—he had actually been keeping his eyes closed the whole time, but only now did he realize it—and the ceiling came into view.
The light filtering through the gaps in the paper screen drew golden stripes on the ceiling, which moved slowly as the sun rose higher, like a giant sundial.
Bai Yu slowly turned his neck, but the range of motion was very small because both sides were completely occupied, but he could still see.
On his left, resting her head on his arm, is Violet.
She lay on her side, facing him, her long hair cascading over the pillow and his chest like a waterfall of wisteria blossoms illuminated by the morning light.
Her sleeping face was peaceful, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were having a beautiful dream.
Her hand rested on his abdomen, her fingers slightly curled, the tips gently touching his ribs.
Her breathtaking beauty, completely naked, made Xiao Baiyu restless.
On his right, holding his arm, is Artoria.
She lay on her back, but her body was slightly turned towards him, her hands wrapped around his forearms to her chest. Her golden hair was scattered on the pillow, gleaming softly in the morning light, like ears of wheat warmed by the sun.
Artoria's lips were slightly parted, her breathing even and steady, occasionally letting out a very soft sound, like she was eating in her sleep.
The most unruly one was Matsumoto Rangiku, who was practically lying sideways, her upper body on top of him while her lower body remained in her own place.
His legs were occupied by Robin and Retsu Unohana respectively.
Robin curled up next to his left leg, his knee against the back of his knee, one hand on his calf and the other under his head.
Robin's sleeping posture was elegant; even in his deep sleep, he maintained a composed demeanor, like a cat curled up in rest.
Bai Yu withdrew his gaze and looked back at the ceiling.
The morning light moved another inch across the ceiling.
The birdsong was more frequent than before. Several birds seemed to be arguing about something, chirping incessantly, then suddenly fell silent at the same time, as if they had been startled by something, and then started again in another direction.
The wind picked up, and the rustling of the bamboo leaves turned into a rustling sound. Occasionally, a bamboo stalk would collide with another, making a hollow, crisp sound, like an ancient percussion instrument.
Bai Yu tried to move his body.
He failed.
It wasn't because he didn't want to move, but because of his body; his entire body felt as if all his strength had been drained.
It wasn't the weakness of illness, nor the exhaustion of fatigue, but a kind of—he thought for a long time before finding the right word—
They were completely drained.
Yes, that's the feeling. Like a fruit that's been over-squeezed, all the juice being gently...
It was completely removed, leaving only the shriveled flesh and thin peel.
His muscles were still there, his bones were still there, but something inside his body had been hollowed out—not painfully, not harmfully, but something like the emptiness that comes after being completely given.
That feeling of emptiness wasn't unpleasant.
In fact, in a sense, it is satisfying.
It's like finishing a painting, writing a poem, or walking a very long road, and then standing at the end looking back—exhausted yet fulfilled, exhausted yet at peace.
Bai Yu closed her eyes, then opened them again.
The morning light moved another inch across the ceiling.
His thoughts immediately drifted away.
He remembered the moonlight from last night.
I recalled the crisp sound of wine cups clinking together.
I was reminded of the patterns on the flower cards.
I remembered the sensation of those hands and lips roaming over his body.
I remembered those kisses, landing on my brow, fingertips, earlobes, and collarbone—brother—
At this moment, the morning light is gentle, the birdsong is crisp, and the bamboo leaves whisper in the wind.
At this moment, his body was hollowed out, but his heart was full.
It was so full it was almost overflowing.
He closed his eyes again.
This time, it wasn't about falling asleep, but about reminiscing.
Reliving the joy and passion of last night.
The wind stopped, the bamboo leaves fell silent, and the entire courtyard seemed to be waiting for something.
Then, Shiraha felt Matsumoto Rangiku move slightly.
Her fingers gently scratched at his waist, as if to confirm what she had touched.
Then her breathing became uneven, changing from deep sleep to shallow, rapid breathing while half-awake.
Then her lips moved, and she mumbled something indistinctly.
Bai Yu didn't hear clearly.
But he sensed that the corners of her mouth were turned up.
He's laughing.
Matsumoto Rangiku moved again.
This time it wasn't her fingers, but her entire upper body. Like an animal just awakened from hibernation, she stretched against Bai Yu, her arm sliding from his waist to his chest, her fingertips brushing his collarbone before settling in the hollow of his shoulder.
Her eyelashes trembled.
Then, she opened her eyes.
At first, her eyes were unfocused, her golden pupils veiled with sleepiness, as if she were looking at the world through a thin mist.
She blinked, then blinked again, her gaze slowly focusing on Bai Yu.
She was stunned for about three seconds.
Then her pupils suddenly contracted.
Rangiku suddenly raised her head, the movement so violent that her long golden hair drew an arc in the air, carrying the lingering scent of last night's sake and her own unique aroma, like a mixture of honey and milk.
Her gaze swept across the room from left to right.
Violet, resting her head on Shiraha's left arm, and Artoria, embracing his right arm, had golden hair that shimmered in the morning light; Robin, curled up beside Shiraha's left leg, had long black hair draped over her shoulders, one hand resting on his calf, her posture elegant and composed.
Lying on the outside of Shiraha's right leg, Unohana Retsu had long, ink-black hair and maintained a dignified posture even in her sleep, with a faint smile on her lips.
Then Rangiku looked down at herself.
She lay prone beneath Bai Yu. Her clothes were open, exposing large swaths of skin to the cool morning air.
She then straddled him in an extremely indecent manner.
Then Rangiku's face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The red color started spreading from her neck, as if someone had lit a fire under her skin, quickly crossing her collarbone, crawling over her throat, spreading across her jaw, and finally reaching her cheeks, even staining the tips of her ears with a thin layer of crimson.
"Hmm!"
The noise broke the tranquility of the early morning.
Violet was the first to react.
Her eyelashes trembled, and then she slowly opened her eyes. Her purple pupils were initially unfocused, taking about two seconds to focus. Then she saw Bai Yu's jawline, took about two more seconds to realize that she was resting her head on his arm, and then about three more seconds to realize that she was completely naked and pressed against him.
Violet didn't sit up abruptly like Rangiku.
She shifted her gaze from Bai Yu's face and began to look around.
Then her gaze met Rangiku's gaze in mid-air.
Rangiku's face was still red, her hair was messy, and she was lying on Shiroha.
"You're in such a hurry, Rangiku! You just woke up and you're already—"
At first, there was confusion, as if asking, "What's going on?"
She then coughed softly.
Good morning, Shiraha-kun.
"Good morning."
Then Unohana Retsu opened her eyes.
Her gaze swept across the entire scene, her expression remaining unchanged.
There was no surprise, no confusion, no embarrassment.
There was only a faint calm, as if he had known everything all along.
"This is outrageous!"
Upon waking, Artoria scratched her head.
This noise finally woke up the rest of the people.
"So it wasn't a dream after all."
This statement plunged the entire room into silence.
Not a dream.
These three words were like a stone thrown into a calm pond, the ripples spreading outwards in circles, striking everyone present.
The air froze for about thirty seconds.
Then Rangiku moved.
She gritted her teeth and rolled off Bai Yu, then felt a wave of emptiness wash over her.
She remained silent for a long time.
Then she spoke.
"I----"
"I remember what happened last night."
After she said those words, her shoulders trembled slightly.
"And then—and then you too—and then we—"
She didn't finish her sentence.
But everyone knew what she wanted to say.
silence.
A long, suffocating silence.
She looked at everyone, her gaze calm and gentle.
"Does anyone regret it?"
"No----"
Then Rangiku suddenly stood up.
She turned her head to look at Bai Yu, a smile playing on her lips, a smile that was a mixture of shame, provocation, and seriousness.
"That----"
"—Shall we do it again?"
The air in the entire room seemed to freeze.
Violet's eyes widened.
Artoria suddenly raised her head, and the blush on her face spread to her neck at a visible speed.
Robin's fingers twitched slightly, and his lips parted slightly.
Retsu Unohana raised an eyebrow slightly; this was the first time she had shown genuine surprise this morning.
"Anyway, we did everything last night, but I was a bit drunk, so I haven't really experienced anything yet!"
"it is good."
Rangiku's pupils dilated slightly.
She thought Bai Yu would refuse.
But Bai Yu didn't give her a way out.
He pulled her straight into his arms.
Rangiku's lips met his, not gently, even a little rough, with an air of undeniable force.
She let out a muffled groan, then went limp, her hands bracing against his chest, her fingers gripping Bai Yu's skin tightly.
The kiss was short, but deep.
When Shiraha released her, Rangiku's breathing was completely disordered, her cheeks were flushed, her lips were slightly swollen, and her eyes were glazed over as if she had drunk three more jugs of wine.
She looked at him, took a few breaths, and then turned her head to look at the others.
"you----"
Her voice was hoarse, carrying a kind of resigned acceptance.
"If you're going to come, come along. Don't just stand there watching."
Violet was stunned.
Artoria buried her face in her knees, her ears burning red.
"I'm really defeated by you."
"Unohana said softly, shaking her head."
Then she stood up, walked around Bai Yu's body, went to his other side, and sat down next to Violet.
"Since Rangiku has already brought it up this far..."
Unohana Retsu's voice was calm and gentle, but Shiraha noticed something faintly glowing deep within her pupils.
"Continuing to be sentimental would be superfluous."
Violet looked at Retsu Unohana's hand, at Rangiku's hand still resting on Shiraha's chest, and at Shiraha himself.
She pursed her lips briefly, then relaxed them.
"—I want to too."
Bai Yu lay on the spot, surrounded by six people.
The morning light moved another inch across the ceiling.
Birdsong drifted from afar, this time not just a few scattered calls, but a continuous, chorus of chirping.
The chorus sounded like they were celebrating something.
The wind rustled through the bamboo grove in the courtyard, the bamboo leaves brushing against each other, creating a sound like an ancient melody.
A gentle song that never ends.
The bamboo shadows in the courtyard swayed gently on the sandy ground, the stone lantern stood silently in the corner, and a few petals that had fallen last night floated on the surface of the pond, casting small, round shadows in the morning light.
The wind stopped.
The birdsong stopped too.
The whole world fell silent.
Then a sound came from the room on the other side, very light and delicate, like the ripples created by a petal falling on the water, fleeting, or like something ancient, gentle, and beyond the reach of words.
In the morning light, under the bamboo shadows, amidst the fragrance of flowers, and with everyone's tacit consent, something happened.
Some things happened naturally once again.