Rui disappeared behind a painted screen, emerging moments later wrapped in a single layer of translucent silk that clung to her curves while preserving the barest hint of modesty.
"Last one in is a rotten peach!" she called, stepping gracefully into the steaming water.
The hot spring bubbled around her as she sank into its depths with a contented sigh. Her midnight hair floated on the surface like ink spilled across parchment.
"Ahhh....This is heavenly," she murmured, tilting her face toward the moon.
Zou was quick to follow, shedding his outer robes quickly. He kept on a thin inner garment that did little to conceal his lean, muscular form.
"Oooh...this is almost as good as my bath back home," he purred, sliding into the water opposite Rui. His golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
"Though I must say, the company elevates the experience considerably."
Rui opened one eye. "I take that this is a compliment?"
"Of course, you elevate any experience," he answered with a flirtatious smile.
At the edge of the garden, Jin stood frozen. His fists clenched at his sides as he watched Rui and Zou in the water.
"Jin?" Rui's voice called gently through the haze.
"Aren't you joining us?"
"I'll be right there," Jin said, jealousy burning in his voice.
He ducked behind a screen, changing into the inn's provided bathing garments, plain and opaque.
When he returns, Zou is halfway through a story about a scandalous fox noble caught glamorizing an entire harem.
"…and naturally, he claimed he was only giving them fashion advice," Zou said, swirling a hand through the water.
Jin slipped into the water with barely a ripple, positioning himself between Rui and Zou.
"There," Rui said brightly, resting her arms on the rocks behind her.
"Isn't this perfect? Two champion beauty contestants and a demon princess, soaking in the finest spring this town has to offer."
Steam rose between them like unspoken thoughts, and Jin found himself watching droplets trail down Rui's collarbone, disappearing beneath the silk wrap.
Zou noticed his gaze and smirked.
"Careful, monk. Your discipline is showing."
"My discipline is fine." Jin looked down.
The water rippled as Rui shifted closer to Jin.
"Stop teasing him, Zou."
"I'm merely making conversation." Zou's tails swished beneath the water's surface.
"After all, we're sharing quite an intimate space."
Jin closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the spring sink into his tense muscles.
"The stars are beautiful tonight," Rui said, tilting her head back to gaze at the sky.
"We don't see them like this in the demon realm."
Jin followed her gaze upward.
"The monks taught me that stars are the eyes of ancestors watching over us."
Rui smiled. "That sounds comforting. And also a little creepy."
Zou snorted from across the spring.
"That's poetic, but far too distant for my tastes."
He moved closer, steam curling around his bare shoulders.
"If you want stars, Princess… I'll give you ones you can touch."
With a flick of his fingers, the air above the spring shimmered.
Dozens of glowing bubbles appeared, each one swirling with liquid starlight.
They hovered overhead, reflecting the moon and casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the water's surface.
"Oh!" Rui gasped, her face alight with wonder as the bubbles drifted around them, some brushing her shoulders, others catching in her damp hair.
"Just a little something to level up the ambiance," Zou said with a self-satisfied smile.
Jin watched in silence. He wanted to be irritated.
But the sight of Rui's face lighting up with childlike wonder as she reached to catch a bubble between her palms broke all his defenses.
No wonder people fall for her, he thought. No wonder I did.
The moment was shattered as a small black blur shot through the air with a battle cry.
"CANNONBALL!"
Kee Kee launched himself into the heart of the hot spring like a demonic meteor.
A disproportionately massive splash erupted, sending a tidal wave of water crashing over all three.
Rui shrieked as the spray drenched her from head to toe, soaking her freshly brushed hair.
Jin sputtered beside her, wiping his face with both hands.
Zou emerged looking like a drowned cat—his silken hair now plastered unceremoniously across his face.
From the center of the spring, Kee Kee surfaced with a victorious snort.
"What? Too much splash for your delicate sensibilities, fox boy?"
With an exaggerated sigh, he slicked his dripping hair back and posed as if nothing had happened.
"Well played, little beast," he declared.
"You've single-handedly destroyed the sacred tranquility of this scene. A true talent for chaos."
Kee Kee paddled in smug circles, releasing a few harmless embers that skated across the water.
"Better chaos than whatever seduction scene you were rehearsing."
Zou sniffed dramatically. "It was mood-building."
"It was mood vomiting," Kee Kee retorted.
Laughter rippled through the steam, wrapping around them like warmth.
Eventually, Jin cleared his throat gently.
"We should head in. We have a long journey tomorrow."
They agreed, reluctantly leaving the soothing comfort of the spring.
Zou exited first, shaking himself with a fox-like motion that left him instantly dry.
Jin followed more modestly, reaching for one of the neatly folded towels by the edge.
Rui rose last, water streaming from her silk-wrapped form.
As she stepped onto the smooth stones surrounding the spring, her foot slipped on the wet surface.
She pitched forward with a surprised gasp.
Jin reacted instantly, lunging to catch her. His hand closed around her upper arm, steadying her from the front.
At the exact moment, Zou appeared behind her with a thick towel already unfurled in his arms.
He pressed a warm, dry surface to her back just as she began to tilt, anchoring her between them.
Jin's eyes searched hers, wide with concern, his grip steady and grounding.
Zou's presence behind her radiated confidence, his breath brushing against the nape of her neck.
"Careful, Princess," Zou murmured.
"I've got you," Jin said simultaneously.
Water dripped between them. Steam rose from their skin. No one moved
.
"Well," Kee Kee broke the silence from his perch on a nearby rock.
"This is steamy in every sense of the word."
Rui stepped back quickly, cheeks flushed pink, not from the heat.
She clutched the towel tighter around herself, the fabric now wrapped snugly over her shoulders where Zou had placed it.
"Thank you… Both of you," Rui said, her voice quieter than usual.
Zou flicked his wrist theatrically, sending a gentle shimmer of golden magic over Rui.
Warm air brushed across her skin, instantly evaporating every lingering drop of water.
Her midnight-black hair settled into perfect waves down her back, gleaming like polished silk.
"A princess," Zou declared, "should never suffer the indignity of dampness."
Rui turned in place, admiring the effect. "You just want an excuse to show off."
"Is it working?" he purred.
Jin's jaw clenched, and he averted his gaze; he headed straight for the futon furthest from the bed.
Kee Kee flopped dramatically onto a cushion near the window.
"Wake me only if someone starts kissing—or stabbing."
Moments later, Rui emerged in a light sleeping robe from behind the dressing screen.
She tilted her head as she took in the sleeping arrangements. Zou and Jin were sleeping on the thin futons on the ground, leaving the bed for her.
Then she flopped backward onto the large bed, arms spread wide and hair fanning out around her.
"This bed is glorious!" she sighed. "I feel like a dumpling in a cloud."
She sat up slightly, eyeing Jin, then Zou.
"This is silly," she announced.
"Why should I get all this room while you two sleep on glorified napkins?"
Zou arched a brow. "Are you offering to share your dumpling cloud?"
"I'm inviting you both," she said, patting the spaces beside her.
"Come on. There's plenty of room."
Jin sat bolt upright. "That wouldn't be appropriate."
"It's just sleeping," Rui insisted, patting the spaces beside her.
"We have a long journey ahead. We should all rest comfortably."
Zou gracefully rose and settled on one side of the large bed. He reclined with casual elegance, one arm behind his head.
Jin remained frozen, conflict evident in his expression.
"Please?" Rui asked softly.
With reluctance that melted under her gaze, Jin finally moved to the bed's other side, lying stiffly on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The three of them lay in silence. Rui nestled under the covers like a satisfied little princess between her chosen knights.
In the hush of night, with only the faint rustle of leaves outside, Jin lay awake, eyes fixed on the soft rise and fall of Rui's breath.
She looked impossibly serene in sleep—her face unguarded, free from trials and expectation.
He lifted his hand slightly to touch her face, caught in the gravity of her nearness.
Then, he slowly lowered it, tucking it tight against his side.
As Jin turned away, Zou turned towards Rui, his golden eyes gleaming like twin moons in the dark.
His usual mask of theatrical charm had fallen away as his gaze drifted across Rui's sleeping profile.
This wasn't what he'd meant to feel. Devotion, yes. Amusement, certainly.
But not this tight pull in his chest every time she laughed. Not this envy, sharp and silent, whenever she looked at someone else.
Between them, Rui murmured in her sleep and shifted, one hand curling loosely against Jin's sleeve.
A moment later, Kee Kee crept across the bedding, as silent as a shadow.
He circled her once, then plopped atop her head like a smug, living crown.
He shot both men a baleful, narrowed glare before closing his eyes—one stubby paw draped protectively over Rui's forehead.