Jing Ran was nagged by Jing Li and had no choice but to stand up and walk towards the wardrobe. He opened it and took out a new pair of underwear to put on in the bathroom before returning to the coffee table to eat.

Jing Li went to the bathroom to wash her hands and slumped on the sofa. There were exquisite dishes on the coffee table, but she showed no interest.

Jing Ran asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Jing Li replied weakly, “I have no energy left. My hands are so tired, they’re about to break!” Although her stomach was growling from hunger, she just wanted to get some sleep. Last night, she stayed up late chatting with Jing Ran about hotel work, and combined with waking up two hours earlier than usual today, she was dead tired.

“I’ll feed you then.” Jing Ran put down his own chopsticks and picked up the ones in front of her. He scooped some vegetable and meat onto her rice bowl.

Jing Ran picked up a piece of meat and brought it to her mouth. Jing Li closed her mouth and made a reluctant sound, “Mmm, mmm…”

“At least eat a little. If you get any thinner, my mother-in-law will blame me for not taking care of you.”

Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, it rolled off his tongue quite smoothly.

Jing Li glanced at him, seeing the worried expression on his face. Even though she had little appetite, she didn’t want to make Little Prince worry. She slightly opened her mouth and ate the food Jing Ran fed her.

After finishing the meal, Jing Li went to take a shower while Jing Ran asked the waiter to clean up the dishes on the coffee table. Jing Li came out of the bathroom wearing the women’s pajamas Jing Ran had brought from home. She caught a glimpse of the clock in the room and realized that half of her nap time had already passed. She quickly climbed onto the bed and said, “Ah, there are still 40 minutes left. I need to sleep for at least 30 minutes.”

Jing Ran closed the curtains of the room, dimming the light significantly. He picked up the air conditioning remote and adjusted the temperature before getting onto the bed. After covering Jing Li with the blanket, he embraced her and said softly, “Lili, it’s okay to sleep a bit more. I’ll help you request time off later.”

The blanket covered half of Jing Li’s face as she peeked out, looking at Jing Ran, and asked, “Ranran, did you also slack off during your internship?”

Jing Ran, playing with her face absentmindedly, pinched it gently and replied, “No, my dad wouldn’t allow it. I had to follow the supervisor’s schedule every day.”

Jing Li shifted her body, reaching out to hug Jing Ran. Their bodies were close, and she said, “If your dad doesn’t let you slack off, how can I?”

“My dad might not pamper me, but I pamper you…”

Jing Li: “…”

Jing Li touched Jing Ran’s face, with a dotting expression, saying, “Good boy, go to sleep quickly. We have to work in half an hour.”

Jing Li set the alarm on her phone, and after half an hour, the alarm rang. She got up, tidied up, and prepared to go back to work in the banquet hall. Jing Ran handed her a room card, saying, “Working in the banquet department often involves working day and night. We probably won’t go home these days. After your shift tonight, come here to rest.”

Jing Li nodded, “Got it.”

Jing Ran pulled Jing Li tightly into his arms, and said reluctantly, “If it’s too hard, you don’t have to do it.”

Jing Li didn’t appreciate it and poked his chest with her finger, saying, “Alright, I’m not that delicate. It’s just been a morning of work; you don’t need to make a big deal out of it.”

*

After Jing Li returned to work, she continued to arrange the venue. Jing Li often worked with Chen Wenbin and Fang Zhenzhen, allowing them to chat while working.

Chen Wenbin laid clean tablecloths on the large dining table, bent down to sweep the tablecloth flat, and asked, “Jing Li, where did you go at noon?”

Jing Li, tidying up a nearby dining table, replied, “I went to Jing Ran’s room to have lunch and take a nap.”

Chen Wenbin asked, “Jing Ran’s room? Where is it?”

Jing Li said, “In the hotel suite.”

Chen Wenbin envied, “Wow, resting in a suite! Such enjoyment. I should ask him to book a room for me too. The employee break room is crowded, the air conditioner is old and ineffective, the air is stale, and it’s noisy. I can’t relax there, I just can’t stay any longer!”

Fang Zhenzhen gave Chen Wenbin a stern look and sarcastically remarked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to experience life here? Can’t even endure a little hardship. You might as well go back home and continue being a young master!”

Chen Wenbin immediately changed his tone, saying, “Who said I can’t endure any hardship! I’m staying here for a full two months!”

Fang Zhenzhen shrugged and continued to spread the tablecloth on the table in front of her. Chen Wenbin approached, trying to please her, “Zhenzhen, let me help you!”

Fang Zhenzhen didn’t accept it, “No need.”

Chen Wenbin didn’t leave; he walked to the other end of the table and helped her straighten the tablecloth.

Later, Jing Li was sent by the banquet department’s team leader to the storage room to fetch some items for the banquet hall. Jing Li arrived at the storage room, holding a list and searching for the items. Some were small, which she easily handled, while others were larger items that she struggled to lift onto the small trolley.

No wonder the senior sisters described this department as where women are used like men and men are used like beasts. After just half a day of work, she was exhausted beyond recognition.

A young man walked up to Jing Li and said, “Let me help you.”

He bent down and effortlessly lifted the box, placing it on Jing Li’s trolley.

“Thank you,” Jing Li expressed her gratitude.

She raised her head and looked at the boy. He was around 1.7 meters tall, fair-looking, and looked to be no more than twenty years old. She recognized this boy. He was also an intern under Sister Hua, but while she was assigned to Banquet Hall No. 1 today, he was sent to Banquet Hall No. 2.

“Jing Li?” the young man looked at her name tag, smiling, “So, your name is Jing Li. It sounds nice.”

Yesterday during the training, Jing Li had introduced herself—name, school major, and year. However, the young man was late and missed her self-introduction.

Jing Li nodded.

The young man eagerly held onto his own name tag and introduced himself to Jing Li, “I’m Bo Tian, but everyone calls me Xiao Tian. I just finished the college entrance examination last month and submitted my college preferences a couple of days ago.”

Jing Li nodded again, “Hmm.”

“You just finished the college entrance examination, right?” Perhaps due to Jing Li’s smaller stature, she looked younger, leading Bo Tian to assume she had just graduated from high school.

Jing Li shook her head, saying, “I’m in college.”

“Which year?” Bo Tian inquired.

“Entering my senior year next semester,” Jing Li replied.

Bo Tian said in surprise, “Senior year? That’s so old!”

Jing Li was speechless, feeling the sting of being called old when she was just in her fourth year—ouch.

Recalling her own perception of senior-year students when she was a freshman, Jing Li realized how perspectives change. Now, a prospective freshman was calling her old.

Bo Tian asked again, “Which university do you attend?”

“J University,” Jing Li answered.

After Jing Li answered, Bo Tian was particularly excited: “J University! What a coincidence! My first choice is J University. We might be schoolmates. Can I call you senior then?”

Jing Li nodded.

Bo Tian, brimming with enthusiasm, said, “Senior, what else do you need? I’ll help you carry it!”

Jing Li waved her hand, saying, “No need, I can manage on my own. You came here to find something too, right? Have you finished?”

“I finished a while ago. You just didn’t see me among all these display cabinets,” Bo Tian replied, taking a glance at the inventory list. Jing Li marked items off the list as she retrieved them. Bo Tian pointed to the unchecked items, asking, “Are these the ones you haven’t taken?”

Jing Li nodded, saying, “Yes.”

Bo Tian, with a nod, said, “Alright, I’ll help you find them.”

Having been to the storage room three times today, Bo Tian was familiar with the layout. He quickly located the items Jing Li needed.

“Thank you,” Jing Li expressed her gratitude as Bo Tian neatly arranged the items on the small trolley.

“No need to thank me; helping a senior is my duty,” Bo Tian said, wiping sweat from his cheek. He then took out his phone from his pocket, suggesting, “Senior, let’s exchange WeChat.”

“Huh? Why?”

Jing Li’s WeChat friends were mostly family and classmates; she rarely added strangers. Her male friends on WeChat were scarce, limited to family, her boyfriend, and a few male class monitors responsible for notifications. Even though she was somewhat acquainted with Chen Wenbin and Cao Jianhua, she hadn’t added them on WeChat, only exchanging phone numbers. She didn’t engage in much conversation with guys, and Jing Li knew that Jing Ran didn’t appreciate her having too much contact with them.

Bo Tian had no ulterior motive, saying, “Just making a friend. Besides, I might have the chance to enter J University in the future, and you could be my senior. I’d like to seek advice from you if there’s anything I don’t understand.”

Jing Li hesitated. Bo Tian didn’t look like those who were pursuing her. He seemed to be just making friends. She thought for a moment, took out her phone, unlocked it, opened WeChat, and said, “I rarely use WeChat. I may not be able to reply to you in time.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Bo Tian took out his phone, quickly opened his WeChat QR code, allowing Jing Li to scan it.

After successfully adding each other as friends, they each pushed their trolleys back to their respective workstations.

The banquet hall’s decoration was completed by 1 a.m. The supervisor from the banquet department checked everything and, once satisfied, told the staff, “It’s good. Go rest for now. We need to restore the venue after the banquet ends tomorrow night.”

Several people responded in unison, “Understood.”

“Jing Li, is Jing Ran coming to pick you up?” Chen Wenbin asked Jing Li as they went back to the staff rest area to collect personal belongings.

Jing Li replied, “What time is it? Ranran must have gone to bed early.”

“Tsk tsk, the girlfriend finishes work so late, and the boyfriend doesn’t come to pick her up. Alright, I will reluctantly take you home.” Chen Wenbin considered offering a ride to Fang Zhenzhen, but fearing that it might be just the two of them, and Fang Zhenzhen preferring to take the night bus alone, he decided to accompany Jing Li instead.

Jing Li showed her room card to Chen Wenbin, saying, “It’s fine, no need for your reluctant offer. Jing Ran is waiting for me upstairs.”

Chen Wenbin: “…”

Jing Li returned to Room 2109, where Jing Ran had left a small light on for her. Quietly, she entered the room, gently placing her things on the sofa.

The person in bed turned over, half-awake, and spoke, “Lili, you’re back?”

“Yeah, I’ll take a quick shower and come back to sleep.” Jing Li whispered, then rushed to the wardrobe to grab her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom as Jing Ran closed his eyes again and fell back asleep.

When Jing Ran woke up again, unsure of how much time had passed, he noticed that Jing Li hadn’t returned to bed. The bathroom light was still on, but the water had stopped. He got out of bed, put on slippers, and walked to the bathroom door, knocking, “Lili…”

No one responded.

Opening the door, he found Jing Li sitting in the bathtub, naked, and fell asleep. Jing Ran checked the water temperature, which was cold. Maybe this silly girl was too tired and accidentally fell asleep while taking a bath. Jing Ran lifted Jing Li out, dried the water droplets from her body with a towel, carried her back to bed, dressed her, and covered her with a blanket.

Jing Ran called a hotel staff member to bring a cup of ginger tea, then waking Jing Li up to drink it.

Feeling very sleepy, Jing Li didn’t want to drink the ginger tea. With closed eyes, she made a sound of refusal, saying, “Mm-mm.”

Suddenly, warm lips pressed against hers, and a sweet, warm liquid flowed into her mouth. She swallowed the liquid as her throat moved.