Chapter 28 — Honeymoon Sanctuary, Here We Come

Yan Xiuzhi and Zhou Ziyi’s post-wedding honeymoon was scheduled at a globally renowned vacation destination – a highly developed Southeast Asian island for tourism.

The island sees a constant influx of visitors throughout the year, and the public beaches are always crowded. However, as long as the money is right, one can always find a pleasant vacation spot.

“Not bad, huh?”

Zhou Ziyi and Yan Xiuzhi followed the hotel staff into the room, and the suddenly bright and clear view of the scenery caught their eyes. Zhou Ziyi pointed in the direction of the glass door in the living room and smiled at Yan Xiuzhi, “You can see the sea directly from here.”

It was more like a resort managed by the hotel rather than just a hotel suite. Zhou Ziyi’s choice was a standalone villa, with its own bedroom, living room, bathroom, and, needless to say, a private pool facing the sea. Walking out from the yard’s door led directly to the hotel’s private beach. With fewer people, cleanliness, and tranquility, it was definitely the best choice for beach activities.

Of course, the best = the most expensive.

Fortunately, the big boss wasn’t short of money. It wasn’t his first time vacationing overseas or enjoying this kind of luxury, so he didn’t have too many emotional ups and downs about it. Listening to Zhou Ziyi, Yan Xiuzhi just glanced around without showing much joy or displeasure, “It’s okay.”

After all, he wasn’t really here for a honeymoon.

It was only because if they didn’t “go on a honeymoon,” it would arouse suspicions from their families, so Yan Xiuzhi had Zhou Ziyi book the honeymoon plan. It had to be a remote place where they wouldn’t be afraid of being discovered even if they were living separately. As for where they would finally go on vacation, the big boss didn’t really care, as long as there was internet.

The day after the wedding, the two of them boarded a plane, and on the third day, they arrived at the seaside villa hotel.

The hotel staff provided attentive service, asking once before placing their luggage in the master bedroom. Then, they dutifully detailed the function and location of each room for the two guests before leaving.

Zhou Ziyi was quite happy and eagerly looked around. He circled the room on the left side of the living room and then hurried to the right for another look around, before coming back and concluding, “Such a big place, it feels a bit wasted with just the two of us. But I think you would prefer a quieter and more spacious place, so I decided on this place.”

Yan Xiuzhi felt he was being a bit cautious, not knowing what had touched his nerve, so he said, “It’s quite good.”

Zhou Ziyi blinked and asked, “Do you like it?”

Yan Xiuzhi understood.
This “honeymoon trip” was almost entirely decided by Zhou Ziyi, and Yan Xiuzhi was only responsible for the money. This kind of style naturally cost quite a bit. Zhou Ziyi was probably worried that after seeing the actual situation, Yan Xiuzhi would think he was indulging in self-pleasure, taking advantage of not having to spend his own money and spending it recklessly. So he wanted to make sure whether the moneyman also liked this arrangement.

Yan Xiuzhi couldn’t say whether he liked it or not, but he really didn’t think there was any problem with spending the money.

When Yan Wenwu just became rich, it was even more extravagant than this, and he liked to show off everywhere. Yan Xiuzhi had experienced that period when he was young, so he was already quite calm about this kind of expenditure now.

What services, what price, President Yan is very clear about.

“I don’t mind,” Yan Xiuzhi expressed his thoughts, “I don’t think there’s a problem. You don’t have to keep making sure if I like it or not.”

“Well… okay,” the somewhat embarrassed Zhou Ziyi, who felt seen through, said, “Honestly, even in the past, I never lived so extravagantly. It’s all thanks to President Yan’s influence. Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Yan Xiuzhi felt that Zhou Ziyi was always thanking him unnecessarily. “When things are decided, they’re decided, money spent is money spent. You don’t need to keep thanking me all the time.”

Zhou Ziyi: “…oh?”

“You are my legitimate partner, Zhou Ziyi. I won’t quibble over such trivial matters with you,” Yan Xiuzhi said indifferently. “Since you’ve arranged it and I’ve agreed, let’s just enjoy it calmly. You don’t need to keep checking if I’m satisfied. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll take the initiative to say it, and I won’t wait for you to ask about it later.”

“Um, okay, I got it,” Zhou Ziyi scratched his head. “So, um… I’ll go drag my luggage to the guest room?”

Yan Xiuzhi looked at him and, seemingly out of the blue, said, “You can sleep in the master bedroom.”

The master bedroom faced the sea and had a pleasant view. Judging by Zhou Ziyi’s excitement, he should like it very much.

“No, thanks,” Zhou Ziyi did like it, but he didn’t want to overshadow others. “I think the guest room is also good. I’ll go to the guest room.”

Saying that, Zhou Ziyi went to the master bedroom and dragged his luggage out with a clatter.

Passing by the living room, he reminded Yan Xiuzhi, “President Yan, don’t just stand there. Go change your clothes, take a shower, and relax a bit, will you? Do you want to rest first or have something to eat?”

It was still early, and Yan Xiuzhi wanted to adjust his jet lag a bit. “Eat.”

“Then I’ll order some food later,” Zhou Ziyi said, “Is there anything you want to eat?”

Yan Xiuzhi remained silent.

“Got it, I’ll make the decision since you’re not saying anything,” Zhou Ziyi extrapolated, smiling, and went to the guest room.

Yan Xiuzhi stood in the living room, looking towards the direction of the sea, with the sound of Zhou Ziyi dragging his luggage gradually fading away. The glass door of the living room was open, and the ceiling was designed to let natural light and sea breeze through. There was an outdoor pavilion next to the swimming pool outside the villa. It should be quite pleasant to sit on the lounge chair and enjoy the day and night views.

The scenery was so beautiful that it was indeed not very suitable to continue wearing casual suits.

Thinking so, Yan Xiuzhi entered the master bedroom and immediately saw roses on the big bed.

Heart-shaped rose petals, heart-shaped bouquets… Yan Xiuzhi realized that he had actually become accustomed to seeing such things. Habit was truly terrifying.

What was most troublesome was that the hotel even had Chinese name tags. A pair of teddy bears holding a sign with four big characters written on it: “Happy Wedding.”

Subconsciously, President Yan entered the bathroom and was not surprised to see two flower baskets beside the bathtub – also filled with fresh rose petals.

The hotel was so thoughtful for their honeymoon trip!

Yan Xiuzhi stood at the bathroom door, slowly forming a thought.

—If only I had insisted on having him in the master bedroom from the beginning.

*
In the end, it was Zhou Ziyi who helped President Yan tidy up the bed.

He threw the bouquet and the teddy bear into the living room, sweeping the petals onto the floor, and that was it. He also pressed down on the master bed, pondering, “I wonder if it’s just my imagination… Is your bed softer than mine?”

Yan Xiuzhi had just finished showering and was still drying his hair when he nonchalantly said, “Then let’s switch.”

“No, no, no, I was just expressing my thoughts casually,” Zhou Ziyi stood up, “I’ve ordered our meal, shall we go to the pavilion by the pool to eat?”

For some reason, when Yan Xiuzhi heard this, a sudden thought emerged.

—I guessed it right, he really likes it there.

President Yan’s replied calmly, “Hmm.”

Zhou Ziyi exclaimed, “Ge, I thought you would say that there might be sand blowing outside, making it unclean, so we shouldn’t go out to eat!”

“You’re overthinking it. The sand won’t blow over here, otherwise the lawn wouldn’t need maintenance,” Yan Xiuzhi paused and then asked, “What are you wearing?”

“Oh? It’s the standard attire for the island,” Zhou Ziyi turned around and showed off his short-sleeved hibiscus flower shirt, “Does it look good?”

Yan Xiuzhi: …

The President could only think of the dazzling four-piece set on his own bed at home.

So, one was wearing a black T-shirt and gray sports pants, and the other was wearing a floral shirt and had changed into shorts. This legally married couple with vastly different styles sat under the pavilion outside and had a meal together.

For the first meal after getting off the plane, Zhou Ziyi ordered something relatively light, and President Yan was quite satisfied. Just as Yan Xiuzhi picked up a spoon to scoop some beans into his salad, Zhou Ziyi suddenly said, “Don’t touch it!”

Yan Xiuzhi: “…hmm?”

Zhou Ziyi grabbed his hand, poured the beans back into the dish from his spoon, and then took the whole dish of beans away, saying, “These beans are liked to be eaten raw in other countries, but eating them raw can cause poisoning and nausea. It’s better not to eat them. My mistake, I’ll talk to them directly later that we don’t want raw beans in our meals.”

Yan Xiuzhi was truly not very clear about this and was just puzzled, “If eating them raw can cause poisoning, why serve them to guests?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe their stomachs have adapted? Or perhaps the variety is different from what I know,” Zhou Ziyi shrugged. “But just in case, it’s better not to eat it.”

Yan Xiuzhi remained silent.

“Why, do you want to eat it?” Zhou Ziyi pondered. “Should I have someone boil it in hot water for you first?”

“No need,” Yan Xiuzhi just felt that Zhou Ziyi was quite thoughtful. Regardless of whether there would be poisoning, at least Zhou Ziyi had considered it, so Yan Xiuzhi said, “I understand, thank you.”

“Thank me for what? This is nothing,” Zhou Ziyi smiled. “This is even more trivial than what I should thank you for. If you don’t let me thank you, then don’t thank me either. I can’t just watch my husband get food poisoning, right?”

The term “husband” left Yan Xiuzhi speechless for a few seconds.

Yan Xiuzhi decided to change the topic: “The day before yesterday, Yan Meiyue went to the wedding banquet. What exactly did she say?”

Zhou Ziyi was taken aback by the question, then sighed, “Ge, blue sky, white clouds, sunshine, and beach, do you have to talk about this during meals?”

Yan Xiuzhi pointed out: “I can also bring my notebook over for a work meeting.”

It can ruin the holiday atmosphere as much as you want.

“Okay, okay,” Zhou Ziyi took out his phone, placed it on the table, and tapped a few times. Yan Xiuzhi looked at his little white rabbit pendant, seemingly feeling something, “Recording again? You’re wasting your talent not becoming a spy.”

“Of course, I’m not someone who casually slanders others, okay? But I don’t just record audio for no reason. Otherwise, you can check all the audio files on my phone,” Zhou Ziyi said. “I just think, if I file a complaint without evidence, even if I pretend to be pitiful to you, you wouldn’t even take a look, right?”

Yan Xiuzhi glanced at him, said nothing, and the recording had already started playing.

The conversations about Yan Meiyue’s two price increases were recorded clearly. Zhou Ziyi’s passionate defense of true love even earned a glance from Yan Xiuzhi.

When Yan Xiuzhi appeared, the recording stopped.

Yan Xiuzhi concluded, “So, did you refuse her proposal because the money was too little?”

Zhou Ziyi thought to himself, even if it’s true, he can’t admit it, so he replied, “Of course not, I have a strong sense of contract!”

Yan Xiuzhi said, “Perhaps next time Yan Meiyue approaches you, she’ll offer ten million.”

Zhou Ziyi responded, “We have true love! Love is not something she can buy just because she wants to!”

Yan Xiuzhi stared at his face, and after a while, he chuckled.

“Remember what you said today.”