“Are you having a nightmare? You broke out in a cold sweat.”
As the two stepped out of the room, Wang Yuqiong finally noticed that Shen An’s hair was still not fully dry.
Shen An touched it and quickly explained, “Maybe it’s too hot. I was sweating from the stuffiness.”
In truth, he had just finished showering and was getting ready to wait for Zhao Qingyu’s arrival.
But as he waited and waited, nearly an hour dragged by with no sign of her. Bored out of his mind, he flopped onto the bed.
And then… nothing. He had blacked out.
He owed that much to Zhao Qingyu’s repeated nagging before she left for him to take a shower. Otherwise, the perfume she’d left on his skin wouldn’t have been nearly as faint as the lingering scent in the living room air.
“It’s pretty hot, huh? Why didn’t you turn on the AC?”
Wang Yuqiong didn’t suspect a thing. She just rolled her eyes and grumbled.
“I did turn it on. It’s on a timer, though—once the time runs out, all the cool air vanishes.”
“Fine, fine. Hurry up and get ready. Let’s go out and do some sightseeing!”
Right now, Wang Yuqiong’s mind was entirely consumed with her daytime date with Shen An. She wasn’t paying attention to any of these little details.
“What’s there to get ready? I just need to slip on my shoes, and we’re good.”
“Fair point.”
Once he had his shoes on, Wang Yuqiong took the lead and unlocked the door. She suddenly glanced back at Shen An. “Did you bring your phone?”
The question sounded like a simple reminder for Shen An, but it was really a roundabout way of probing.
At the mention of his phone, Shen An shrugged. “Don’t even ask. Senior Sister Zhao has it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been stuck lying in bed all night.”
Just as she figured.
Wang Yuqiong pursed her little lips. “How did your phone end up in her hands?”
“Sigh. I forgot my charger, that’s how.”
Shen An grumbled his explanation. “I rushed out the door without grabbing a charger or cable.”
“Yesterday afternoon by the stream, your phone died, remember? You even reminded me to charge up when we got back.”
Wang Yuqiong’s eyes flicked as she tilted her head. “So you just handed it over to her to charge for you?”
“Were you born yesterday?”
Shen An’s mouth twitched. “In that situation, could I say no?”
Oh… yeah, good point.
If Zhao Qingyu was dead set on keeping Shen An cooped up, swiping his phone wouldn’t have been any trouble at all.
Which meant none of yesterday’s messages had come from him.
“What? Were you blowing up my phone last night nonstop?” Shen An teased with a light laugh.
“You tell me.”
Wang Yuqiong let out a cold huff, not bothering to deny it.
She didn’t go into the details of last night, though—not to spare Zhao Qingyu’s feelings.
She just didn’t want to admit, especially not to Shen An’s face, that Zhao Qingyu had played her for a fool.
She’d chalk this one up on Zhao Qingyu’s tab.
“Ha. So you didn’t get any weird replies last night, right?”
Shen An clearly knew Zhao Qingyu inside and out.
Or more accurately, he’d handed over his phone expecting exactly this. It was the perfect excuse to dodge invitations from both women.
Wang Yuqiong shifted uncomfortably. “Just get your phone back and check it yourself.”
“So mysterious? Won’t even tell me?”
Shen An stepped up and took her small hand in his. “Just pull it up on your phone. It’s the same stuff anyway.”
“What’s the point?” Wang Yuqiong sighed and leaked a bit of info. “She just used your phone to reply to me and mess with my head, that’s all.”
“Did it work?”
That was what Shen An really wanted to know.
“As if.” Wang Yuqiong’s lips curved up. “I could tell from the replies it wasn’t you. No way she fooled me.”
“Oh? You know me that well? You can spot my style just from the wording?”
Disappointment tinged Shen An’s voice, but his eyes sparkled with teasing.
“You’re such a chatterbox. We going or what?” Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes at him.
“Let’s go, let’s go. First things first—gotta grab some food. I’m starving.”
“You didn’t eat dinner last night?”
“Dinner doesn’t cover breakfast. I haven’t eaten since.”
“Ew!”
Shen An: ……
The two slipped quietly out of the room, sticking to the edges of the corridor until they reached the elevator. Only then did they relax a little.
“By the way, does this hotel have a cafeteria or something?”
“What are you scheming?” Wang Yuqiong narrowed her eyes.
“I’m hungry!”
“Then head to the 3rd Floor. They serve breakfast there.”
“Sounds good.”
Shen An punched the button for the 3rd Floor. As the elevator descended smoothly, the pair made a beeline for their destination.
Meanwhile, on the other side of things.
Zhao Qingyu had finally ditched Zhao Li. The instant she hung up, she heaved a long sigh of relief.
Hmm~
Nothing new there—just the same old nagging to keep an eye on Xu Yijing and make sure to look after Xu Yijing.
Typical worn-out reminders.
Zhao Qingyu nodded along to Zhao Li before hanging up, then instinctively curled her lips into a cold smirk.
She won’t take care of her own daughter herself but expects her cousin sister to pick up the slack?
What a joke.
What disappointed Zhao Qingyu even more was that Zhao Li hadn’t breathed a word about Shen An.
She had no angle to work with.
Not that she wanted to meddle too much in their mother-daughter drama.
She certainly wasn’t going to admit she was too scared to bring it up.
The moment she shook off Zhao Li, Zhao Qingyu snatched up her phone and hurried to Shen An’s suite.
She pushed open the door, but the living room was eerily quiet.
Zhao Qingyu arched an eyebrow. “Did that guy crash out again?”
She slapped her forehead in exasperation. He definitely needed a lesson for treating her words like background noise!
She strolled over to his bedroom and rapped lightly on the door a few times. No answer. She pushed it open.
No Shen An on the bed—just the covers in a tangled heap, half falling off.
Zhao Qingyu: ?????
Where was he?
A grown man doesn’t just vanish.
She spun on her heel and rushed to the bathroom.
Modesty be damned—she flung the door wide. Empty.
Just a damp floor that hadn’t dried yet and tiny droplets pattering from the showerhead.
What the hell?
Zhao Qingyu sank into thought.
The wet floor proved Shen An had showered recently.
So…
He had to be in the room.
Hiding?
She bolted from the bathroom and combed through the entire suite. Still no sign of him.
“Shen An?”
Zhao Qingyu called his name softly.
Silence.
“Shen An!”
Her voice sharpened. “You’d better show yourself right now—now!”
Not even her fierce bark got a peep.
What…
On earth was going on?
Zhao Qingyu was stumped.
She double-checked the door lock’s code. Unchanged—the one she’d set herself.
No way out through the door like that, and the bathroom had been used fresh.
Every clue screamed that Shen An had been there moments ago.
But poof—gone. Like he’d evaporated.
Mind racing, Zhao Qingyu cut to the chase.
She grabbed the room phone and dialed the hotel manager.
“I’m heading to the Surveillance Room,” she said coolly.
“Miss?”
The manager blinked in surprise. “You finished talking with the young miss already?”
“Yeah. Meet me in the Surveillance Room. Now.”
“Uh… well…”
“Spit it out.”
“I was just about to tell you, Miss. Right before you wrapped up with the young miss, Miss Wang came by asking questions.”
Miss Wang?
Zhao Qingyu’s brows furrowed. “Wang Yuqiong?”
“That’s her.”
“What did she want?”
“Mr. Shen An’s room number. And…”
“And?”
“And she took my Universal Card… Miss, could you ask Miss Wang to give it back?”
The Universal Card was the manager’s lifeline.
Losing it meant kissing his job goodbye.
Wang Yuqiong… figures…
Damn her!
Zhao Qingyu’s face was a mask of ice. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“You were on with the young miss and said not to disturb you…”
Ugh…
Zhao Qingyu drew a deep breath. “Get your ass to the Surveillance Room. Immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Whew…
Zhao Qingyu whirled and stormed toward the Surveillance Room.
Her parting door slam rang out like a gunshot, echoing through the corridor with a resounding bang.
Over on the Grand Hotel’s 3rd Floor.
Shen An and Wang Yuqiong had ordered breakfast and were picking at it leisurely side by side.
“How’d you score this room key anyway?”
Shen An tossed out casually. “Looks like a Universal Card—opens anything.”
Wang Yuqiong dodged. “Found it. Why?”
“Found it?”
“Yep!” Wang Yuqiong declared with shameless confidence.
“Don’t tell me you ‘found’ Senior Sister Zhao’s card?” Shen An eyed her with a knowing smirk.
“Maybe. Want me to give it back later?”
Wang Yuqiong shot back slyly.
“Sure.”
Shen An polished off his meal first.
Wang Yuqiong shot him a glance. “So, where are we wandering off to?”
“Not from around here—I wouldn’t know. Just poke around wherever.” Shen An rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Just anywhere? This Mountain Villa’s massive. You’ll drop dead of exhaustion before you see it all.”
Wang Yuqiong clearly had spots in mind.
Shen An played along. “Any brilliant ideas from Class President, then?”
“Hmm, while I was wandering around yesterday, I discovered an amusement park to the south.”
Wang Yuqiong said casually, as if it were no big deal.
“An amusement park? You want to go?” Shen An raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not like I particularly want to, but since you don’t have a specific destination in mind, why not check out the amusement park?”
Wang Yuqiong took a sip of her porridge, her voice soft and low.
“Is it open?”
“Of course it is. A few people from our department went there last night to have some fun.” Wang Yuqiong looked up with a smile.
“Alright then, let’s hit the amusement park.”
Shen An rubbed his hands together. “Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I’ve been to one.”
Wang Yuqiong nodded in satisfaction. “Mm-hmm.”
“Wait, hold on.”
“Huh?”
“Does going to an amusement park cost money? I think I forgot my wallet.”
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes. “Just stick with me! God, you’re such a pain.”
“Ahem, having a sugar mama is the best.”
Shen An chuckled.
The two finished breakfast and left the hotel, heading toward the amusement park to the south.
Their figures were captured entirely by the surveillance cameras.
In the surveillance room at that moment, Zhao Qingyu stood with her arms crossed, staring coldly at the pair on the large screen.
Filthy pair.
She cursed inwardly.
No, wait.
Filthy bitch!
Hmph.
Zhao Qingyu’s anger surged, mirrored by the sharp arch of her brows.
The manager nearby didn’t dare utter a word.
“Guess where they’re headed?” Zhao Qingyu suddenly turned her head toward him.
The manager jolted. “Judging by their direction… it looks like the amusement park.”
“The amusement park, huh?”
“Uh… probably.”
“Then do you know what to do?” Zhao Qingyu said coolly.
“But miss… we can’t just shut down the amusement park.”
“I don’t care!”
Zhao Qingyu sat down and crossed her legs.
“Even if you fire me, miss, I can’t close it down.”
The manager spread his hands helplessly. “This is… your father’s… orders.”
As his words hung in the air, Zhao Qingyu’s expression flickered between shadow and light.
Her gaze flicked to Wang Yuqiong on the screen.
Fine.
You’ve outdone yourself this time, Wang Yuqiong.
Cutting in on me, huh?
Just you wait.
Zhao Qingyu stood and stormed out of the surveillance room.
Manager Guan watched her retreating back and let out a long sigh. “My Universal Card…”
