The nerves on the scalp were highly sensitive—external stimuli traveled almost instantly to the brain's sensory center, which then relayed signals back to the affected area.
Theoretically, if Lucas were to study it further, he could use head massage techniques to evoke various sensations purely through nerve stimulation.
Perhaps out of guilt for hitting Shenhe with a teacup earlier, his massage was especially skillful. If he ever opened a massage parlor, it might become an overnight sensation in Liyue.
As he continued, Shenhe, who was seated in front of him, began to tremble slightly. A moment later, soft sobs escaped her lips.
Wait, what?
Lucas was taken aback.
Was she crying… because it felt good?
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked gently. "Did some foam get into your eyes?"
"...No." Shenhe shook her head lightly. "I just… remembered my father. When I was little, he used to wash my hair like this."
Her father.
Before he was consumed by madness—before he tried to resurrect his dead wife by offering his daughter as a sacrifice to an evil spirit—Shenhe's father had been a kind and gentle man. Though most memories of him were shrouded in pain, a few fragments of warmth still remained.
Lucas's fingers paused for a brief second. Even someone as distant and ice-cold as Shenhe… still had a fragile, hidden side.
If that's the case, then I'll help her relive it.
With that thought, Lucas shifted his fingers, pressing into a few acupoints at the top of her head—ones capable of inducing a dreamlike, half-conscious state.
"Ahe," he murmured, his voice lowering to a softer timbre, "I know you've always been strong. You've endured a lot. Daddy sees everything… So it's okay to be spoiled once in a while."
Let her dream. Let her return, if only for a fleeting moment, to the warmth of a father's love.
Sure enough, as he continued massaging, Shenhe's consciousness drifted. Slowly, she turned to face him, her expression hazy. In that moment, in the trance-like state she had fallen into, she seemed to truly mistake him for the gentle father from her memories—the one who had yet to lose himself to madness.
"Dad… Daddy…"
Her voice trembled, thick with longing.
And then, without warning—
She threw herself into his arms.
Clinging to him like a little girl seeking comfort, her entire body pressed against his.
Lucas stiffened.
…Hold on.
Something—something was seriously off here.
Though her mind had regressed to childhood, her body had not.
A pair of incredibly soft, all-too-substantial peaks were now pressing directly into his chest. The weight, the heat, the sheer force—
…Yeah. This impact was no joke.
Two buns and a sausage. The prophecy had been fulfilled.
Even so, Lucas played his role to the end, gently patting her back as he coaxed, "Alright, alright. Turn around now—Daddy's not done washing your hair yet."
"...No," Shenhe murmured, her voice uncharacteristically meek. "I want to wash with Daddy."
Lucas's brow twitched slightly.
This… was dangerous.
But Shenhe's expression was so rare, so unguarded, that he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"...Fine," he relented, his voice softer than usual.
Though the posture was a bit unconventional, he could still manage to wash her hair while she clung to him like this.
The only problem was that the constant friction was making Shenhe feel more and more comfortable, while Lucas was growing increasingly... uncomfortable. Even so, he endured.
"Close your eyes," he instructed once he had worked the foam through her hair. Lifting the bucket, he added, "Daddy's going to rinse now."
"Mm." Shenhe obediently lowered her head.
As the clean water cascaded down, rinsing away the suds, her hazy consciousness began to clear.
Lucas, however, was still immersed in his role. He cupped her cheek gently, his voice tinged with amusement.
"Let Daddy take a look… Did I rinse it all out?"
A deathly silence filled the bathroom.
And then—
"Are you looking for death?"
Shenhe's gaze burned into him, her expression dark and menacing.
Despite the fact that her face was still cradled in his hands, and despite the slight flush dusting her pale cheeks, her ice-cold eyes made Lucas feel as if the word 'death' had manifested behind him in glowing crimson letters.
"W-Wait, didn't you just say you missed your father?" Lucas tried to salvage the situation, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just playing along—"
Shenhe's face burned even redder.
She remembered.
She remembered everything.
And precisely because she remembered everything, she felt even more ashamed.
She knew he hadn't done it to mock her. In truth, that fleeting moment of warmth had genuinely touched her.
After a long pause, her murderous aura subsided slightly. "...Forget it. Since you washed my hair, I'll let you off—Huh?"
Something—something below—caught her attention.
Her gaze drifted downward.
Realization struck.
Her face turned scarlet.
"...Handle your own problems," she muttered stiffly.
"It's because you were holding onto me so tightly earlier," Lucas said with a cheeky grin. "I took care of your head, so shouldn't you take care of mine?"
"How am I supposed to do that?" Shenhe frowned.
Lucas didn't answer directly. Instead, he gently brushed his thumb against the corner of Shenhe's mouth, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "This mouth of yours... when you called me 'Daddy' earlier, it sounded so sweet. I bet it tastes just as sweet, doesn't it?"
Shenhe immediately understood what he was implying. She opened her mouth and bit down on Lucas's thumb, giving it a light nip before huffing, "Don't even think about it! It's disgusting!"
"Really? Not even a little?" Lucas teased.
"Not a chance!" Shenhe said firmly.
Lucas smirked and flicked his finger lightly, saying, "Here comes the little flying stick!"
Almost instinctively, Shenhe opened her mouth and caught it.
"See? For someone as stubborn as you," Lucas said, pinching Shenhe's cheek playfully, "this trick always works."
Shenhe shot him a glare, but since things had already gone this far, she couldn't very well stop halfway. Reluctantly, she continued to help Lucas with his... predicament.
Ten minutes later, Lucas sheathed his sword and asked, "Are you tired?"
"Cough, cough..." Shenhe cleared her throat and asked, puzzled, "Is that it? But you haven't..."
"Don't worry," Lucas said, picking up the shower gel from the side. "I just want to try something different."
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