“Jiang Zheng, I’m cold……” Yu Qian refused to answer Jiang Zheng’s question and instead turned to him, putting on a pitiful expression.

“Liar.” Jiang Zheng muttered with some dissatisfaction.

Under the scorching midday sun, how could she possibly feel cold?

Jiang Zheng lightly bumped his forehead against Yu Qian’s but ultimately let her off.

Seeing this, Yu Qian staggered toward the shore.

────ρя


Once the seawater dried, an uncomfortable stickiness remained on their skin, so they decided to go back and take a shower first before heading out for food and shopping.

“Do you want to go first, or should I?”

Jiang Zheng looked at Yu Qian as if waiting for her choice.

“You go first.”

This was the perfect chance. While Jiang Zheng was showering, she could throw that thing in her suitcase away!

Yu Qian sat innocently on the chair, looking as if she was being considerate.

Jiang Zheng didn’t mind and simply nodded before stepping into the bathroom.

As soon as she heard the sound of running water, Yu Qian rushed to her suitcase, carefully opened it, lifted her clothes, and pulled out a transparent plastic bag.

Where should she hide it?

Throwing it out the window was impossible. The trash bin wouldn’t work either— it would be spotted instantly. The wardrobe? Also a no-go.

Under the bed?

No! The hotel bed had high legs. Anyone could see underneath from a distance.

Where on earth should she hide it?!

Yu Qian was on the verge of a breakdown. She regretted not throwing the things away while they were still in Jiang City!

Wait, the pillow!

She could stuff all the little boxes inside. As long as she kept using that same pillow, she’d be safe!

What a genius!

Excited, Yu Qian grabbed a pillow at random, unzipped it, and carefully transferred the small boxes from the plastic bag into it, making sure they were neatly arranged.

Done!

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Zheng’s voice suddenly rang out, scaring Yu Qian so much she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Nothing!”

She forced herself to stay calm. Luckily, she had already hidden everything. Otherwise……

“You finished showering so quickly?”

Yu Qian was so flustered that she didn’t even dare to admire the sight of a handsome man fresh out of the shower. She hurriedly got up from the bed and pretended to pick out clothes for her turn in the bathroom.

Jiang Zheng narrowed his eyes at her.

He had deliberately left his bathrobe loose, exposing a good portion of his chest, yet Yu Qian wasn’t blushing at all. Suspicious.

Jiang Zheng hummed in response, casually sweeping his gaze around the room.

Yu Qian grabbed her clothes, composed herself, and walked into the bathroom. After locking the door and turning on the water, she patted her chest, finally letting out a breath of relief.

But…… had she forgotten something? Why did she still feel uneasy?

────ρя


Jiang Zheng paced around the room for a moment before stopping beside Yu Qian’s suitcase. His fingers twitched, itching to open it. But in the end, he resisted.

He definitely wanted to open it, but if he did, Yu Qian would be mad.

As much as he wanted to uncover her secret, he didn’t want to make her angry.

He grabbed a towel and lazily rubbed his hair dry before sitting on the bed.

“Szzz—”

What was that?

Jiang Zheng glanced behind him and noticed he had sat on a plastic bag.

Seeing the familiar supermarket logo on it, he assumed Yu Qian had casually left it there.

Without much thought, he reached for the plastic bag, intending to toss it into the trash. Then……

A receipt caught his eye.

Out of habit, he picked it up and took a glance.

Vitality pack, 8 pieces. XX ultra-thin……

Jiang Zheng stared at the receipt, motionless. The words on it echoed repeatedly in his mind.

After a long moment, a slow, knowing smile crept onto his lips— one filled with unmistakable desire.

Five boxes.

So, this was what Yu Qian had been trying to hide.

If the plastic bag was there, that meant she had already hidden the contents somewhere.

Jiang Zheng lazily scanned the room, but he didn’t rush to search. Instead, he toyed with the receipt between his fingers, his gaze locked on the bathroom door.

────ρя


Half an hour later.

“I’m done.”

Yu Qian stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

The moment she looked up, she saw Jiang Zheng half-reclining on the bed, staring at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Feeling uneasy, Yu Qian tugged at her clothes.

“Let’s go eat.”

You need energy to play games.

Jiang Zheng’s usual lazy smile remained on his face as if nothing had happened.

Yu Qian blinked in confusion but quickly cheered up and followed him downstairs.

The hotel area was bustling with food stalls, and the sight of so many delicious street snacks nearly made her drool.

Seeing several things she had never tried before, Yu Qian stopped in her tracks, completely unable to move on.

“Why don’t we just eat here instead of going to a restaurant?” She grabbed Jiang Zheng’s hand, eyes full of excitement.

“Sure.”

Huh?

Hearing Jiang Zheng agree so easily, Yu Qian was a little surprised.

This guy was usually strict about his meals— three proper ones a day, no exceptions. Street food was fine as a snack, but he would never consider it a meal.

Jiang Zheng ruffled her hair with a warm smile. “We’re on vacation. Eat whatever you want.”

How should she put it?

His smile felt…… ominous, like a butcher feeding a pig one last good meal before slaughter.

But Jiang Zheng pulled so many unpredictable stunts that Yu Qian didn’t even bother guessing what he was up to this time.

Happily, she dragged him to a stall selling coconut rice, ordered two portions, and picked out several other snacks to pile on their table.

When she bit into a piece of coconut cake, her eyes lit up. She immediately decided she had to bring some back for everyone to try.

With the soft sea breeze, the beautiful sunset, and the person she likes sitting across from her, Yu Qian was completely satisfied with her meal.

She was so satisfied that when she stood up, she couldn’t stop hiccupping.

“Hic— How about— hic— we go for a walk?”

Even Yu Qian felt embarrassed. But her stomach was so full it felt uncomfortable to sit still.

“I think you need digestion tablets more than a walk.”

Jiang Zheng watched her hiccuping like a broken doll, both amused and exasperated. How old was she? Still overeating like a clueless kid.

He took her for a walk along the shore before stopping by a pharmacy to get her some digestion tablets.

While inside, Jiang Zheng’s gaze lingered on the hygiene products section for a moment, his lips curling into a subtle smile.

After a long evening, Yu Qian finally felt better.

The sky had turned completely dark, and she no longer felt like strolling around. She eagerly grabbed Jiang Zheng’s hand and led him back to the hotel.

What she didn’t notice was the increasingly smug smile on Jiang Zheng’s face as he let himself be pulled along, fingers lightly pinching the small receipt in his pocket— his expression one of quiet anticipation.