233: Chapter 232 Massage

A few bold Little Monkeys even took out fruit hidden in tree hollows and carefully handed them to Lu Fan and An Lan.

They looked as if they were showing off their most precious treasures, their eyes sparkling with expectation, seemingly waiting for the two to praise them.

Lu Fan and An Lan took the fruit with smiles, played with the Monkey troop for a while, and then prepared to enter the hot spring.

They each found a side, gracefully and slowly shed their clothes, and then carefully stepped into the hot spring.

The warm spring water instantly enveloped their bodies, like countless gentle little hands softly massaging their aching muscles, making them feel incredibly comfortable.

"Wow, this hot spring is simply too comfortable."

An Lan couldn't help but exclaim, a relaxed expression appearing on her face; the previous soreness seemed to be instantly banished to the ends of the earth by the warm spring water.

Lu Fan was also soaking comfortably on the other side. Seeing An Lan's look of enjoyment, he said with a smile, "If I had known this hot spring had such miraculous effects, we should have come for a soak yesterday, then we wouldn't be so miserable today."

"Who could have guessed?" An Lan replied with a smile.

After soaking for a while, An Lan took out the medicinal herbs she had brought and began to carefully crush them.

Her movements were skilled and focused, as if she were completing an incredibly important task.

She applied the crushed herbs evenly to her aching arms and legs.

The juice of the herbs brought a cool sensation that intertwined with the warmth of the hot spring, creating a wonderful feeling that made her shiver involuntarily, though she muttered, "So comfortable, this is exactly the feeling."

"An Lan, are these herbs really effective?" Lu Fan watched An Lan's movements curiously, still a bit skeptical whether these ordinary-looking herbs could truly relieve the soreness.

"Of course. Don't underestimate these herbs; they're treasures I found with great effort in the wilderness. You should try them later too; I guarantee they'll make you feel brand new," An Lan said confidently, her eyes full of determination.

Seeing An Lan's serious demeanor, Lu Fan followed suit and applied the herbs to his own body.

At first, he only felt a wave of coolness, as if a clear spring were flowing through his body.

Gradually, his aching muscles really did seem to relax a lot, and that feeling of relief made him marvel.

"It really works!" Lu Fan said in surprise, his gaze towards An Lan holding a bit more admiration.

As they soaked, Lu Fan noticed that even though An Lan had applied the herbs, a look of pain still flashed across her face from time to time; clearly, the soreness was still intense.

Lu Fan's heart felt as if it were being pulled repeatedly by thousands of fine strings, leaving him deeply conflicted.

Several times, words rushed to the tip of his tongue, only to be swallowed back down.

He knew very well that the suggestion was too forward, but seeing An Lan tormented by the soreness, he finally summoned all his courage and asked.

"How about I give you a massage? It might help a bit."

Hearing this, An Lan's cheeks, already slightly flushed from the steam of the hot spring, turned crimson in an instant, and even the tips of her ears were tinged with a shy blush.

She waved her hands in a panic and stammered in response, "No need, no need, I can do it myself."

Her voice carried obvious panic and helplessness.

Seeing this, Lu Fan wished he could slap himself twice, inwardly lamenting, "It's over, she definitely thinks I have ulterior motives."

He lowered his head in frustration and silently sank to the bottom of the water, as if trying to hide his embarrassment within the warm spring.

However, before long, a faint call came: "Lu Fan..."

The voice was as quiet as a mosquito's hum; if not for the relative silence by the hot spring, it would have been impossible to hear.

Lu Fan instantly surfaced from the bottom, like an alert lion, pricking up his ears.

He heard An Lan continue, "My arms are so sore I really can't lift them, I can't apply the medicine at all... How about, I'll have to trouble you to help me."

After speaking, she lowered her head shyly, her waterfall-like long hair falling down to cover most of her blushing face.

It wasn't a hallucination!!

Confirming it was An Lan calling him, Lu Fan took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart which was racing like a panicked deer, and composed himself.

"Okay, I'm coming right now!"

He quickly wrapped a piece of animal hide he carried with him tightly around his waist, the action like putting on a solid layer of "armor" to ward off his inner panic and nervousness.

Then, he carefully walked toward An Lan, each step extremely cautious for fear of startling her.

Reaching her, he first turned his head away, as if afraid to look directly into An Lan's eyes, and handed her another animal hide, gently gesturing for her to use it to cover herself.

An Lan took the animal hide, her fingers trembling slightly—a sign of mingled nervousness and shyness.

She quickly covered herself, as if doing so would give her a bit more sense of security.

Only then did Lu Fan dare to turn his head. He reached out, gently supported An Lan, and slowly walked to a stone step in the water to let her sit down.

An Lan sat with her back to him, her shoulders trembling slightly from nervousness like a startled deer.

Lu Fan sat behind her, sitting sideways; in this situation, how could he dare to sit with his legs wide apart?

His face was flushed crimson, even deeper than from the soak in the hot spring, as if it could drip blood.

"Shoulders... and arms are sore, right?" His voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of imperceptible nervousness.

"Mm..." An Lan responded softly, her voice as light as a spring breeze, barely audible.

Lu Fan's hand, as if pulled by an invisible thread of affection, rose slowly of its own accord and rested gently on An Lan's shoulder.

At the moment their skin touched, it was as if an electric current had streaked across a quiet lake; both their bodies shuddered slightly, giving rise to layers of unspeakable ripples.