Chapter 64

She had been drenched in several scorching rains.

The sunrise on the sea that day wasn’t beautiful; the sky wasn’t yet blue, and the sea was gray and misty, with only faint golden hues in the tidal fog.

Even if it had been beautiful, Shang Mingbao probably wouldn’t have had the energy to appreciate it. Her mind was occupied with a single thought: “Is it dawn…?”

Dawn didn’t mean the end.

Hope flickered in her half-closed eyes, with a clear implication: “Feiran, the sun has risen…”

“Do you want to see it?”

Shang Mingbao was very sure that his “seeing the sunrise” meant something else entirely. Despite her head being soft and weak, she firmly shook it: “N-no, I don’t want to…”

Xiang Feiran chuckled beside her ear, his palm sliding from her sweat-drenched forehead to her cheek: “It’s cold outside; I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

The morning news that day covered an emergency report on Middle Eastern conflicts. It played for forty-five minutes, and by the end of the program, Shang Mingbao couldn’t remember which two countries were at war.

After the program, the advertisement for Qili started looping, in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, until Xiang Feiran picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

In reality, it wasn’t a continuous night, but rather a series of sleep and wakefulness.

After the first time, both of them were exhausted. She was carried to the shower. Unable to stand, she relied entirely on Xiang Feiran’s support.

She, being innocent and tired, asked, “Feiran, are you tired?”

Xiang Feiran pressed her against the warm ceramic tiles: “We’ve only just begun.”

He cleaned her thoroughly, dried her with a towel, and put her in a pink bathrobe.

He tied it with a bow at the waist, similar to how she had tied it earlier, the overlapping flaps revealing curves and spring colors.

“Does it look good?” Shang Mingbao asked.

“It looks good,” Xiang Feiran kissed the tiny droplets of water on her neck, “Did you buy it yourself?”

Shang Mingbao turned her head to expose her long neck and replied, “My mother gave it to me.”

Xiang Feiran was momentarily stunned, something inside him stirred, making him hold her tighter.

Shang Mingbao, like a kitten, rested against him, her hair tickling his neck.

Xiang Feiran’s kisses were lighter than dew on petals, touching her earlobe, and he softly asked if she was hungry or if she wanted room service.

Shang Mingbao was indeed starving and exhausted. With her prior hint, she was now a priority guest in room 2024. Although the choices for late-night dining were limited, half an hour later, a server and a supervisor arrived with a complete set of meals, from soup to appetizers, main course, and two desserts, all exquisitely prepared.

The server didn’t know who the guest was but kept their eyes straight ahead.

Xiang Feiran noticed something was off and reminded, “Wrong order.”

“Not wrong, sir,” the more senior supervisor politely explained with a tone meant for a vice president, “We select one room each day as a lucky room, and today’s choice happened to be this one. Enjoy your meal.”

Shang Mingbao felt quite guilty: “Wow, wow…,” clapping, “Feiran, how lucky, lucky day!”

Xiang Feiran was not suspicious, simply nodded and looked at her, smiling: “Lucky day.”

After the late-night meal and having the server collect the dishes, it was already past 3 a.m. Xiang Feiran carried her to bed, embraced her, and asked, “Are you full?”

Shang Mingbao nodded.

“Really?” he asked meaningfully.

“…”

In a small voice: “It’s too exhausting, I don’t want to eat anymore.”

Whether she was serious or just teasing, Xiang Feiran’s breathing seemed to pause for a moment. He gently comforted her while his lips curved into a smile, speaking softly: “Sorry, even though I did a lot of preparation, I still didn’t get it right.”

“It’s not…” Shang Mingbao couldn’t see his strategic retreat and hurriedly insisted, “Very…”

It was too embarrassing; she was ashamed to say it aloud, yet the vivid touch in her sensitive areas was so strong it made her dizzy.

“Very what?” Xiang Feiran’s breath was close to her ear.

Buried in his chest, Shang Mingbao finally had the courage to say, “Very good.”

“If it could be a bit smaller… it would be even better.”

After she finished speaking, her face reddened even more than before.

A light laugh came from above her: “How much does it hurt?”

“It’s just the beginning…”

“And later?”

She fell silent.

“Did you forget?”

“…”

“Would you like to review it again?”

During the review, although it went much smoother than the first time, it was still challenging at the start.

“Relax,” he instructed her, his breath warm and his words accompanied by soft sighs.

Her freshly cleaned body was soon covered in sweat again. Shang Mingbao took the opportunity to gaze intently at Xiang Feiran, observing the sweat-drenched strands of his hair and his face.

Without a trash can nearby, tissues and other items were scattered on the exquisite handmade carpet. Eventually, even the corners and ends of the bedspread ended up on the floor.

When they fell asleep embraced, it was uncertain what time it was—likely only a few hours away from dawn. As she slept, she felt tender kisses and caresses on her lips. Shang Mingbao couldn’t open her eyelids but obediently kissed him back. When she woke to the kisses, the warmth of his breath made her turn to lie on her back against him.

The next thing was sunrise and the morning news.

Drawing the blackout curtains, the view from the six-thousand-yuan room was concealed, finally allowing for a full and peaceful sleep.

She woke again at noon. With no one beside her, she tried to sit up, feeling a sharp pain and turning pale.

So painful… She couldn’t pinpoint the source, only feeling as though her whole body had been crushed.

Hearing the movement, the man who had been reading at the desk got up and walked over to her.

“Awake?” He opened a bottle of water for her and held her in his arms.

Shang Mingbao looked at him in confusion. He was clear-eyed, wearing glasses, and looking well-rested.

She glanced over his shoulder at the desk. A silver notebook was open, making a serene, rhythmic sound.

Her disbelief was so vivid that Xiang Feiran smiled slightly and explained, “It’s unavoidable; there’s too much to handle.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Shang Mingbao, extremely thirsty, drank half the bottle of water.

She had a tendency to spray.

“Tired.”

Hearing him admit it so frankly, Shang Mingbao found herself at a loss for words. Oddly, she found his honesty extremely attractive, beyond what words could describe.

After sipping the water to soothe her throat and body, and once the blush on her face faded, she asked softly, “Are we leaving tonight?”

“Not leaving,” Xiang Feiran said, “We’ll leave tomorrow. Let’s stay another night.”

As a PhD student, he had some flexibility with his schedule. Over the years, he had rarely taken time off, even during statutory holidays, remaining in the lab. His self-discipline and focus were well-known, so delaying his return by a couple of days was acceptable to Professor Tryon. Moreover, it was spring break, and a few extra days off were reasonable.

Shang Mingbao handed the water bottle back to him, unable to hide her smile, which was quite obvious. Still, she expressed concern softly, “It’s so expensive…”

Two nights cost over ten thousand… Really, how could my sister book such an expensive room!

Xiang Feiran smiled with a hint of amusement, “Don’t tell me, you want to give me money again.”

Shang Mingbao shook her head, “I don’t dare…”

“When I don’t have money, I’ll tell you. I won’t borrow money to date you.”

Shang Mingbao hesitated, “But spending so quickly, what about the future?”

Xiang Feiran looked at her calmly, “Which future?”

Shang Mingbao didn’t reply. Such a pleasant morning shouldn’t be marred.

While she called her brother, Xiang Feiran was nearby smoking, listening to her update her brother with a cute expression.

When she turned, Shang Mingbao was captured by his gaze—casual yet profound.

It turned out that not only had she changed last night, but he had changed as well.

They now shared a synchronized life journey.

The smoke was blown away by the sea breeze. Xiang Feiran curled his fingers holding the cigarette and beckoned her over. Shang Mingbao moved over and sat on his lap, unable to hear what was said on the other end of the phone.

When she hung up, Xiang Feiran stubbed out the cigarette and asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Shang Mingbao nodded.

“Let me see?”

The sunlight was bright, and the sound of the waves was distant. From the railing on the twentieth floor, the sky was clear and the sea blue, with the sea breeze dried out by the sun.

In such brightness, Shang Mingbao was held by him and sat on the glass coffee table. It was cold, and her legs trembled slightly.

As Xiang Feiran leaned over to examine her carefully, she closed her eyes and bit her lip. The shame made her almost bite her lower lip until it bled.

Indeed, the redness was a testament to his tireless efforts last night. Moreover, in the later encounters, he had eased off, no longer treating her with the same intensity.

Facing such vivid evidence, Xiang Feiran, with a sense of guilt, restrained himself from doing anything further and lightly cleared his throat, saying, “You’ve stretched.”

Shang Mingbao was stunned in the sea breeze.

What? She was a young woman who had just gone through her first experience…

Xiang Feiran, with a scientific approach, comforted her: “It will recover.”

He wisely changed the topic: “I’ve just asked the concierge to buy some medicine.”

Shang Mingbao’s pupils dilated.

Wh-what? What concierge? What medicine? Where is this? Oh, it’s my sister’s hotel… my sister’s headquarters…

“What’s wrong?” Xiang Feiran, unable to understand her reaction, half-smiled, “It’s just anti-inflammatory medicine.”

For any hotel charging six thousand per night, such concierge service was expected.

Shang Mingbao covered her face with both hands.

It’s over, it’s really over… Soon, the entire room service department will know that the special guest, who was specifically asked to be taken care of by Third Lady, had the concierge buy an anti-inflammatory ointment! No matter where the inflammation is! It’s just anti-inflammatory!

Seeing her blushing, Xiang Feiran gently coaxed, “Don’t overthink it; no one knows you.”

The comfort had the opposite effect, causing Shang Mingbao to collapse, but Xiang Feiran quickly caught her in his arms.

The doorbell suddenly rang, and the bellboy stood at the door with a pharmacy paper bag.

Like a puppet on strings, Shang Mingbao was half-coaxed, half-kissed by Xiang Feiran while taking her medicine. When her toes touched the ground, she remained soft in his embrace.

“First, wash up, and then we’ll go downstairs for dinner. I reserved a table at the Chinese restaurant downstairs,” Xiang Feiran said, rubbing her ear.

Shang Mingbao nodded. As she walked towards the bathroom, she heard Xiang Feiran call room service to request cleaning and linen change in an hour.

Shang Mingbao’s legs went weak again, and she leaned against the wall, fainting.

How could she forget about this!

She rushed back, threw back the quilt—pink bloodstains marred the white sheets, and other patches were scattered.

Seeing this scene, she suddenly became dazed, as if reminded of her change from an outside perspective.

A sense of inexplicable shame and anger surged in her heart. She turned around, her black, round eyes blinking like they had been washed, glaring at him, and then slapped him.

The slap was light and inconsequential, not as impactful as the waves he had made on her last night.

“Hey,” he didn’t move away, gripping her wrist with a raised eyebrow, “Isn’t it a bit late?”

Shang Mingbao pulled her hand away, sulking, and complained, “I told you to leave yesterday!”

“I left, and then I came back.”

“…You!”

“Enough with ‘you’,” Xiang Feiran wrapped his arms around her waist, his eyes narrowing behind silver glasses, “I can’t resist your coquettishness right now.”

Shang Mingbao ceased her resistance, her pink, moist lips pressing together, and was pulled into a kiss by Xiang Feiran.

Wearing glasses was inconvenient. He raised his hand to remove them.

Shang Mingbao regretted revealing her identity last night. If she hadn’t done so, no one would have noticed this room or anything in it… How foolish!

She dragged the quilt to the floor, pulling off the bed cover.

Xiang Feiran asked, “What are you doing?”

Shang Mingbao gathered the linens in her arms and said seriously, “Throw them away.”

“…”

She really did take them away, wearing Xiang Feiran’s T-shirt, crouching down the hallway, tiptoeing quickly to the linen room at the end, and mixed the items with other linens from guest rooms.

When she came back, she no longer felt guilty, standing straight and clapping her fingertips as if brushing off dust.

The door was not closed. Xiang Feiran leaned against the door, holding a cigarette, and chuckled, “Does it not hurt anymore?”

Shang Mingbao tilted her chin, looking smug.

How much would the hotel charge for a lost sheet? Xiang Feiran had never encountered such a situation, prepared to pay over a thousand dollars, and only shook his head with a low laugh.

Well, since meeting her, money had been spent on her in an absurd yet willing way.

After Shang Mingbao finished washing up, she and Xiang Feiran went downstairs for lunch. The trench coat was a bit formal and uncomfortable; she had worn it last night to cover her nightgown, but today she preferred to wear Xiang Feiran’s T-shirt, covering up to mid-thigh.

The hotel, had eight restaurants. The Chinese restaurant on the third floor was highly acclaimed, with dishes comparable to Michelin standards. They reported their room number for charging, and the waiter led them to their table.

The floor-to-ceiling windows faced the vast sea, and the best spot was cleared of the silver-gray “Reserved” metal sign.

Shang Mingbao sat beside Xiang Feiran, looking at the menu with him, suggesting, “The kumquat palin sauce ribs sound really good.”

Xiang Feiran replied, “Order it.”

“This, the fish maw and abalone soup with royal almond chicken bones.” Shang Mingbao licked her lips. This was her favorite dish here.

Xiang Feiran didn’t blink, “Order it.”

“And this, the Australian bush honey roasted silver cod.” Although silver cod was common, Shang Mingbao liked the honey flavor on it.

This time, the waiter noted it down without waiting for Xiang Feiran’s confirmation.

Shang Mingbao finally pointed to the main course on the menu, “Seafood garden stir-fried red rice. Oh, right,” she said, looking up, “If there are shrimp in any of these dishes, please replace them with something else.”

The waiter nodded with a smile, “Sure, ma’am.”

Being remembered for an allergy felt surprisingly good. Xiang Feiran smiled, flipping to the dessert page.

“Let’s have this, Japanese white peach taro paste,” Shang Mingbao suggested.

She ordered only the best dishes because she had tasted all the chef’s offerings before the restaurant opened. She eventually got bored of them, but Shang Mingbao insisted on her scoring.

“One serving is enough,” Xiang Feiran instructed the waiter.

“It’s not too sweet,” Shang Mingbao asked, trying to avoid giving away her secret, “Right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Xiang Feiran had to mention his second allergen, “Peaches.”

“Ah?” Shang Mingbao was stunned.

Peaches are seasonal and less common than shrimp, so besides mentioning it to a few people, no one else would remember. When he later stayed at the Xiang family home, he only told Aunt Lan that he didn’t like fruit.

After ordering, Shang Mingbao asked, “How did you discover these allergies?”

Xiang Feiran calmly replied, “You know after being allergic once.”

“What does it feel like?”

It was a long time ago, so Xiang Feiran recalled, “Difficulty breathing, itching throat, loss of consciousness.”

In short, it could be fatal.

Shang Mingbao suddenly remembered that one of her perfumes had a peach scent, but Xiang Feiran liked it. That was the first time he smelled it on her neck and whispered that she smelled good today.

It turned out it was because of an allergy, making her particularly fond of things she couldn’t touch.

During a routine patrol, Shang Mingxian, the manager of the Qilu Hotel, stopped in her tracks. The sound of high heels following her also ceased.

Well, having missed brunch, she had heard that someone had gone down the mountain to find a high school classmate. Now, this person was appearing in her hotel’s Chinese restaurant, accompanied by a man.

Shang Mingbao didn’t understand the stringent hotel surveillance and complex personnel structure. Every five-star hotel is a wall that blocks everything, yet at the same time, a window with leaks on all sides. Everything that happens within the hotel is unknown outside, but it is absolutely known to everyone inside.

Shang Mingxian snapped her fingers twice and instructed her assistant, “Find the executive on duty last night.”

“It’s Mr. Zheng. He’s off work now,” the assistant replied.

Shang Mingxian raised a finger, “Call him. Also, check with the restaurant which room the guests at that table are staying in.”