Chapter 2: First Touch
In the hushed whispers of twilight, an elder recounted to us a tale of the peony's demise, a bloom so fair that its passing could stir the hearts of specters to romance.
A sage once warned us, his voice a solemn murmur, to never belittle the malevolence that lurks in the diminutive, for even the smallest shadow can house the darkest of spirits.
From the lips of another venerable soul, we learned a truth as cold as the earth itself: beauty, no matter how resplendent, cannot ward off the chill of the ground's embrace.
And another senior said, "Sophia is my sister, and I'm a beast for peeking at her. If I don't save her, I'm not a beast at all."
Ethan Wraith hesitated at the door, then bravely knocked. "Sophia, Sophia."
"Who is it?" "Ah, Ethan, come in, Sophia is at home. She just got back from school." Sophia's grandfather, leaning on his cane, slowly opened the door, revealing a toothless mouth with a smile. "Ah, Ethan, it's been a while since you've come to our house for dinner."
"Ha ha, yes, Grandpa. I've been busy with work lately. Grandpa, I'm not here to see Sophia, I just need to borrow your bathroom - ours is clogged, and the repairman hasn't arrived yet. I'm in a hurry. Can I?" Ethan Wraith used a clever tactic.
If he had said he was there to see Sophia from the start, he would have had to wait in her room or the living room, and Sophia, being a shy and stubborn girl, would not have responded, and he couldn't just barge in, laughing, saying "Ha ha, Sophia, come out, I know you're hiding in the bathroom" - Sophia would have killed him.
"Okay, go ahead and use it. You're still so polite. We're all family, and I've known your grandma for decades, Ethan." Grandpa Tang was still chatting away in the background, unaware that Sophia was taking a bath.
Ethan ignored the old man's chatter and rushed towards the bathroom, holding his stomach. He had spoken softly when asking to borrow the bathroom, fearing Sophia might respond, and if she did, even Ethan's thick skin wouldn't be able to take it.
He grabbed the bathroom door and turned the handle counterclockwise.
It didn't open. The door was locked from the inside.
Miscalculation. Ethan slapped his forehead.
He took out a keychain from his pocket, inserted a small knife into the lock, and with a click, the door opened.
Ha, it's just a door, how could it be difficult for a master lock-picker like me?
Oh no, I'm going to die - Ethan pretended to be in a hurry, holding his stomach, and pushed open the bathroom door.
"Ah!" Ethan looked at Sophia, sitting on the floor, wiping away tears. "What are you doing, sitting there without clothes on?"
"Brother Ethan, I fell," Sophia said pitifully, looking up at Ethan with a tear-stained face.
"I know, I saw your leg and knew you fell. But Ethan clearly remembered that Sophia hadn't had time to put on clothes before falling, yet now she was wearing a purple silk sleep shirt.
"Why didn't you ask for help?"
"My mom's not home, and my grandpa... isn't convenient." Sophia looked down, her face red, and her neck was also flushed.
"Is it okay? Let me take a look." Ethan, of course, knew what "not convenient" meant, and he squatted down, lifting Sophia's leg, which had a deep purple bruise on the knee. "Does it hurt?"
"It hurts." Sophia nodded.
"Can you move?"
"I can't. I just got up to put on my sleep shirt, but it hurts." Sophia spoke while trying to move her leg, wincing in pain.
"Don't move. Let me carry you to your room, and I'll get some medicine for you. It'll be okay soon." After seeing Sophia nod, Ethan picked her up and carried her to her bedroom.
Although they had known each other for many years and had a close relationship, this was the first time they had such intimate contact. It was summer, and Sophia was only wearing a thin sleep shirt, which made Ethan feel her soft skin as he carried her.
What excited Ethan even more was that Sophia, in her panic, hadn't had time to put on underwear or a bra. As Ethan held her bottom, the fire in his body was like boiling water, and the two soft mounds of flesh made him stumble against the door frame.
"This isn't a butt, this isn't a butt," Ethan silently chanted, trying to restrain himself from exploring further.
Sophia lay in Ethan's arms, smelling the sweat on his body, listening to his rapid heartbeat and breathing, and feeling something unusual. She didn't dare look up at Ethan's face, and her white neck turned red.
Sophia didn't dare look up, which benefited Ethan. He slightly tilted his head back, peeking down through the sleep shirt's collar, seeing the faint outline of her breasts - this little girl hadn't fully developed yet.
Ethan wasn't new to Sophia's room, but every time he entered, he felt a warm atmosphere. The room was tidy and clean, with a faint fragrance, and the cartoon-patterned curtains, bedding, and pillowcases made Ethan's heart feel at peace. All the painful memories, sadness, and darkness in his heart would disappear.
Ethan put Sophia on the bed, squatted down, and gently massaged her injured leg. After the blood dissipated, he took out medicine and cotton balls from his pocket to clean the wound.
"Brother Ethan."
"Uh-huh."
"How did you know I was hurt?"
"Ha ha, I just happened to know. Coincidence."
"Then why did you happen to come?"
"I had to use the bathroom, and our toilet is clogged - Grandpa Tang knows about it."
"You came to borrow the bathroom with medicine and cotton balls in your pocket?"
"Ah..." Sweat dripped from Ethan's forehead. "Oh no, this summer is really hot. Sophia, I've finished applying the medicine, you should rest now, and I'll go to the bathroom - my stomach hurts." Ethan quickly got up and ran away.
"Brother Ethan, was that hole on the bathroom door made by you?"
"Ah..." Ethan bumped into the door frame again.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone