Zhao Qingyu returned to her room, showered as quickly as she could, and dried off her body.
True to form, she didn’t bother blow-drying her hair, leaving it damp.
She slipped into some casual clothes and checked the time. It was nearing nine in the morning.
“Hmm, I should order some breakfast for him too.”
Zhao Qingyu mulled this over, but before she could give the order to the hotel manager, her phone rang.
Hm?
She picked it up casually and glanced at the caller ID. The relaxed expression on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by a growing seriousness.
How could it be… her?
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhao Qingyu answered the call, injecting her voice with deliberately forced cheer. “Auntie, good morning! It’s so rare for you to call me.”
Caught up in the conversation, Zhao Qingyu had to shelve her breakfast plans for the moment. She sat obediently on the sofa, making small talk with her aunt.
Yet she remained utterly vigilant. Even as she smiled, her wariness was dialed up to the maximum.
Her aunt was none other than Xu Yijing’s mother—and Shen An’s client—Zhao Li.
Right then, the doorbell rang.
Zhao Qingyu frowned to herself. Who could it be now?
She kept chatting with Zhao Li as she walked to the door and peered at the visitor on the electronic screen.
It was the hotel manager.
He appeared to have something urgent for Zhao Qingyu and was waving frantically at the outdoor surveillance camera.
“Auntie, hold on a second.”
Zhao Qingyu muted the call and opened the door.
“Miss, there’s something I need to report to you.”
Before the manager could finish, Zhao Li’s impatient voice urged from the phone. She clearly had important business with Zhao Qingyu too.
Compared to the manager standing before her, Zhao Li’s authority was unquestionable.
Zhao Qingyu didn’t dare keep her aunt waiting, so she waved the manager away for now.
“Miss?” The manager blinked in confusion.
Zhao Qingyu pulled the phone from her ear and whispered, “It’s my aunt on the line.”
The manager’s face grew serious as realization dawned. “I’ll come back later to report, then.”
She closed the door.
“Okay, I just stepped out to wash my face. Auntie, what’s so urgent?”
Zhao Qingyu tugged at her short hair. Irritation and unease were plain on her face.
She might treat Xu Yijing like an enemy, showing her no quarter whatsoever.
But with family elders, Zhao Qingyu always showed due respect.
Especially Zhao Li.
That respect, however, often came at the cost of closeness. Blood relation or not, facing her aunt made her more nervous than dealing with her boss.
Still, Zhao Qingyu had her own agenda.
It was a rare call from Zhao Li, so she wondered if she could fish for some information.
Information about Shen An, specifically.
She might not dare ask outright, but if Zhao Li brought him up first, she could play it from there.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qingyu was stuck on the line.
Elsewhere, the elevator doors on the 18th Floor slid open silently, and a figure stepped out.
Wang Yuqiong narrowed her eyes, scanning her surroundings.
No doubt about it—she was hunting for Shen An’s room.
The message from “him” last night had played her for a fool. Even as she’d stood on the wooden bridge, she’d sensed something was off.
Back in her own room, the more she dwelled on it, the more suspicious it felt.
Sure, that guy might send her a prank like that to mess with her. But he wouldn’t be dumb enough to send it to Song Rui too.
She wasn’t the only recipient; Song Rui had gotten it as well.
And crucially, even if it was him, he wouldn’t have ghosted them.
Which meant the message almost certainly wasn’t from him.
Not him… then who?
Who else would lure her and Song Rui away, ensuring he couldn’t slip free?
Wang Yuqiong didn’t need to think twice. She zeroed in on the most likely suspect: Zhao Qingyu.
Motive, means, opportunity—only Zhao Qingyu checked all the boxes.
So Wang Yuqiong had risen early.
But she didn’t confront Zhao Qingyu. Instead, she headed straight to the hotel lobby and questioned the manager.
Under normal circumstances, Zhao Qingyu’s clout would have sealed the manager’s lips.
Too bad the one asking was Wang Yuqiong.
The Mountain Villa belonged to the Zhao Family, with Zhao Corporation as the majority shareholder.
But the shareholders extended beyond just them.
It took little effort for Wang Yuqiong to pry Shen An’s room number from the manager.
18th Floor.
Zhao Qingyu’s room was on the 18th Floor too, as far as she knew.
That sealed it—no mere suspicion needed. Wang Yuqiong concluded Zhao Qingyu was guilty!
The message yesterday hadn’t come from Shen An. It was Zhao Qingyu.
In other words, she’d hogged all of Shen An’s time last night.
That damn, despicable stinky fox!
Wang Yuqiong ground her teeth in fury.
If she had a beef, come at her directly—why resort to such low-down tricks?
Shen An was innocent!
Hmph.
She would “rescue” Shen An.
She couldn’t let him languish in Zhao Qingyu’s clutches.
It didn’t take long to find his room.
She tried the handle—locked tight.
As expected.
But she came prepared. Leisurely, she fished a card from her pocket: a Universal Card, identical to Zhao Qingyu’s.
Passwords could be set on locks, but they meant nothing to a Universal Card.
It ignored them entirely, linking straight to the electronic core and brute-forcing the mechanism.
And she’d gotten this one from the hotel manager.
With a soft beep, the lock disengaged, and the door swung open.
The pungent stench of alcohol hit her as she entered, making Wang Yuqiong wrinkle her nose on instinct.
Such a heavy booze smell.
Was he drinking in here?
Her eyes flicked to the coffee table, littered with empty bottles.
Sigh.
Trapped like that, he must’ve been bored out of his mind.
Wang Yuqiong muttered to herself. At least Zhao Qingyu had a shred of mercy, letting him drink himself to sleep.
How else to endure a long night?
But amid the alcohol, the air carried some… odd fragrance too.
Blended together, Wang Yuqiong couldn’t quite place it.
She brushed it off as the room’s usual scent.
Her gaze swept the space. Where was he? Still in bed?
She looked everywhere but found no sign of Shen An.
Reluctantly, she headed for the bedroom.
Hmm. She was a girl, after all. Hotel room or not, this was his private space.
It wasn’t that Wang Yuqiong had a dirty mind, jumping to conclusions. Some thoughts just bubbled up unbidden.
She hoped he at least slept in clothes!
If he slept naked…
Her ears flushed pink before she even reached the door.
She knocked softly first. No response. Steeling herself, she pushed it open.
Shen An lay sprawled across the bed like a starfish. The blanket covered half his body; the other half hung precariously off the edge, on the verge of tumbling to the floor.
The sight of him banished every last worry from Wang Yuqiong’s heart.
Phew.
Thank goodness he was here.
If she hadn’t found him in his own room, she’d lack the nerve to raid Zhao Qingyu’s.
And if he’d actually spent the night there…
She’d kill him!
Sleeping like a log, without a shred of decorum.
Wang Yuqiong lacked Zhao Qingyu’s “gentleness.” She marched up, pinched his cheek, and shook him. “Hey, lazy pig! Rise and shine!”
Schooled by experience, Shen An tamped down his reflexes the moment his bleary eyes cracked open.
That prior lesson kept him alert enough to confirm the figure wasn’t Zhao Qingyu.
It was Wang Yuqiong!
Huh?
How was it Yuqiong?
Shock crossed Shen An’s face. He mumbled, “Dreaming again? This one’s way too realistic.”
Dream?
Wang Yuqiong froze, then joy bubbled up inside her.
What did he mean, again? Had he dreamed of her before?
Hee hee.
A shy smile tugged at her lips. She leaned down, pinched his nose gently, and cooed, “What dream? It’s late—get up already.”
Hiss.
Shen An snapped fully awake and scowled. “What are you doing here?”
Damn, his room was like an open vault. Anyone could stroll right in.
Wang Yuqiong pouted. “What’s with the attitude? I’m here to save you!”
She straightened with a huff. “Locked up by Zhao Qingyu all night—how’d you like that?”
“Uh…”
“Uh?” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you stayed willingly.”
It took Shen An three or four seconds to sort out the whole mess.
He grabbed her hand and yanked.
Wang Yuqiong yelped as she toppled into his arms.
He hugged her tight and whined, “You finally came. Waaah.”
Wang Yuqiong was utterly bewildered.
She kept shoving Shen An away, her voice laced with playful reproach. “What are you doing? Let me go first.”
“You have no idea how I spent last night—a long, endless night. Wuwuwu.”
Shen An wailed without end.
Black lines crept across Wang Yuqiong’s forehead, though a hint of schadenfreude gleamed in her eyes. “Hmph, serves you right for running off with her.”
“Now you know how good I am, huh? After all the trash talk you throw my way every day.”
Shen An buried his head in her embrace and rubbed against her vigorously. “Thanks for remembering me.”
“Pah!”
Wang Yuqiong gave his head a light tap. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Evidently, she still hadn’t noticed someone’s underhanded moves.
Seizing the moment before she caught on, Shen An stopped just in time. He looked up and asked, “How did you get the keycard to my room?”
“I got it from the hotel manager, obviously.”
Wang Yuqiong fished the Universal Card from her pocket.
Shen An’s mouth twitched. That card… it was identical to Zhao Qingyu’s. And that casual tone of hers.
Wang Yuqiong, you’re no ordinary girl after all.
“Did you really spend the whole night here last night?”
Rather than pushing him away, Wang Yuqiong lay beside him on the bed, propping herself up on one side to ask.
“Yeah… it was so boring…”
“Oh dear, then you missed the fireworks.”
Wang Yuqiong asked tentatively.
“Like hell I watched any fireworks. Staring at the stars was all I got,” Shen An said with a chuckle.
“Oh, you poor thing.”
Wang Yuqiong stroked his face with mock sympathy.
“Did you go watch them?”
“I… I… yeah, I did.”
“Were they nice?”
“Uh… they were okay.”
“Sigh, then I really missed out,” Shen An muttered to himself.
“It’s just fireworks. What’s there to regret?” Wang Yuqiong said with a pout.
“Ha~ The fireworks don’t matter. What I regret is missing a wonderful night with you.”
Shen An shifted gears, brushing aside her long hair as he spoke softly. “If I hadn’t been locked in, we could’ve watched them together last night.”
Wang Yuqiong averted her gaze, her tone coquettish. “You’re talking nonsense again.”
“Heh~ Who did you watch them with last night? Don’t tell me it was some guy from another department!”
Shen An put on a stern face.
“I… mind your own business~”
“Hm?”
Shen An raised his hand without hesitation and brought it down firmly on Wang Yuqiong’s rear.
When it came to brazenness, Shen An had few reservations with Wang Yuqiong.
Their relationship wasn’t quite that of lovers, but it came infinitely close. Down by the Streamside, he’d even cradled her delicate foot in his palm, toying with it for ages.
Her pert backside stung from the smack, but Wang Yuqiong merely shot him a sidelong glare. “That hurt!”
“Then hurry up and tell me the truth!”
Shen An growled menacingly.
Deep down, Wang Yuqiong grew even more smug. “What, jealous?”
“Hey, I hate to admit it, but yeah—a little,” Shen An said, blinking.
“Just a little?”
Wang Yuqiong pursed her lips.
“That’s already a good sign. Even seeds need time to sprout. Just keep at it,” Shen An said, patting her cheek with a light laugh.
“Tch~”
Wang Yuqiong felt a twinge of indignation. “Why are you the one everyone wants?”
“So you really did go watch the fireworks with some guy from another department last night?” Shen An narrowed his eyes, his expression turning subtly dangerous.
Wang Yuqiong’s heart skipped a beat. She whispered, “No way. I went by myself.”
Damn it…
Why am I even getting flustered!?
“Mm, watching alone… doesn’t that feel lonely?”
“You know it!”
“Then as compensation, how about I spend the whole day with you?” Shen An asked, utterly shameless.
“Really?” Wang Yuqiong’s eyes lit up.
“Mm-hmm. I want to stroll around the Mountain Villa anyway, check the place out.”
“Then let’s get going!”
Wang Yuqiong lowered her voice. “If she finds out, we won’t be able to leave.”
“You’re right.”
Shen An nodded in deep agreement.
