Jie stepped into the communal bathroom, the sound of rushing water echoing through the tiled space. He glanced around, realising that everyone else had already left for the cafeteria. The only person in the closed shower door could only be Qie Xieling.

Just as Jie was about to head to the shower door to knock and give him the shower gel, he heard him curse from behind one of the stalls.

"Shit... how could I forget that Argh... fuck, I mean fudge," he yelled before correcting himself.

Rustling sounds came from the stall before it opened.

Qie Xieling emerged from the shower completely nude. Seemingly oblivious to Jie’s presence he grabbed his bath towel nearby and hastily wrapped it around his waist, droplets of water cascading down his well-toned body, which glistened under the dim LED lights of the bathroom. Jie swallowed hard, trying to suppress the annoyance he felt at the situation.

Just as Jie was preparing to make a swift exit, Qie Xieling noticed him and a bright smile spread across his face. He spotted the shower gel in Jie’s hand and assumed it was meant for him. With genuine gratitude, Qie Xieling asked, "Is that for me? I forgot it just now. Thanks."

Still feeling flustered and unable to find his voice Jie simply handed the shower gel to Qie Xieling without a word. He swiftly turned and walked out of the bathroom, his heart pounding with a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and frustration.

Qie Xieling called out after him, his voice echoing through the bathroom, "Thank you, uncle!" However, Jie didn’t respond, storming out of the communal bathroom and retreating to the safety of the cabin. Inside, he leaned against the cabin door, his mind racing and his heart still pounding. How to unsee it? He had seen everything. Every wrinkle and every dingle he had seen it all. "Shit," he swore under his breath before covering his face with his hands.

Qie Xieling had no idea what sort of impact his explicit display had on this poor uncle who was traumatised.

After a while the door to the cabin slid open and a shirtless Qie Xieling stepped inside. Jie’s eyes immediately locked on his chiselled chest and six-pack. "Uncle, I didn’t get to properly thank you," he said before pausing to chuckle, "Aiyo, my back is just so sore that I forgot to take the shower gel."

Jie looked away and let out one word in response, "Mn," before looking away. He could hear Qie Xieling bustling about behind but he didn’t turn around to take a look despite his curiosity. After the third grunt, he couldn’t stand it anymore so he said, "Stop making that noise."

Qie Xieling who was struggling to reach his back to put the ointment sighed. Having a roommate sucked. He tried to rub it in silently but he couldn’t help but groan from the pain. His muscles were stiff and he couldn’t reach some places.

"Argh," he grunted and froze before turning to look at Jie who was looking back at him as well.

"I can’t help it. Tsk, I told the captain to come apply ointment for me but it seems like he stood me up," he mumbled feeling irritable.

Jie’s brow knitted before asking, "And why would he do that? You two aren’t close?"

Qie Xieling grabbed his clothes while saying, "Of course,... why would he come?"

"Where are you going?" asked Jie when he saw him get dressed.

"I am going to ask Mauve. My muscles really hurt and they are stiff," he complained before putting on his T-shirt.

Jie bit his lower lip unwilling to say anything but just as the sliding door opened he stood up on impulse and grabbed Qie Xieling’s arm his strength powerful. He pulled him back into the cabin and said,

"Take it off."

Qie Xieling stepped back in with a hint of mockery.

"Uh uncle, is that what you used to tell your female guests when they came to visit? That’s so unromantic," he said while taking off his t-shirt.

Jie froze in place his breath stagnated. Qie Xieling always had the neck to say certain things at awkward moments.

"If you don’t behave I won’t help you," he said and Qie Xieling pouted his lips before lying down on the bed.

"Uncle, I promise I will be good. Just hurry up my body aches so much," he said and Jie took the ointment and sat next to him.

His hands worked skillfully over the tense muscles. After a few minutes, he stopped and stared at the muscles under his fingertips, his heart beating faster than usual.

"Why did you stop? Ugh, uncle, you need to go deeper than that. It’s really painful," he said and Jie almost rolled his eyes. This person was so demanding.

"I can’t. The way you are lying down makes it difficult," he said and Qie Xieling replied,

"Then get on the bed and straddle me. It helps."

Jie was so shocked that he exclaimed, "Huh?!"

Qie Xieling turned to look at him and said, "It’s easier. That way you can give me a deep tissue massage." After seeing this he lay down again waiting.

Jie’s pupils trembled. He felt that what he was asking was a little too intimate but he could see that from Qie Xieling’s expression it seemed like this was a pure request with no other meaning. If Qie Xieling wasn’t anxious why should he?

He got on the bed and straddled him before clenching his knuckles and massaging the ointment on his back. Everything seemed bearable at first well, that is until Qie Xieling decided to open his big mouth.

"Ohh yeah, there. Uncle, you are great," said Qie Xieling. Jie tried to ignore him as he continued but the tips of his ears were red. He found that Qie Xieling’s body was full of knots and was extremely stiff.

"Was the training that hard today?" he asked and Qie Xieling answered,

"Yes, it was so bad and I ended up getting beaten by the captain. Tsk, ah that man. He hit me real hard."

"You probably deserved it. The captain is never that ruthless," he said as if he wasn’t the one who hit him. He had his own battle scars but unlike Qie Xieling he used the healing pod in the upper deck.

"Ugh old man, whose side are you on?" he said when he felt an extensive sharp pain in his back, "Ah!!... Don’t press it too hard."