APR 51

Shenguang City was a place that had only gradually developed in recent years, its level of urbanization far behind that of Yangang, which had been developed for many years. Thus, in the dead of night, only a few sparse streetlights lit the edges of Shenguang’s urban area, with not a single pedestrian in sight. The entire city was shrouded in rain and mist, desolate yet filled with noise.

Rain pattered down as a luxury car suddenly appeared in the night rain, slowing its speed as if patrolling its territory, scanning the shop numbers along the street one by one.

“We’ve checked this side too, still no number 147. Which way should we go next?” A Wei stepped on the brake and glanced at Zhong Su through the rearview mirror.

Zhong Su rubbed his face in frustration, peering through the rain at the unfamiliar streetscape around him. “I remember it was somewhere in this neighborhood, but it’s too dark now—I can’t see anything clearly. I can’t give you an exact direction right away.”

“Maybe if you drive around a few more times and look carefully, you’ll find it.”

Even as he said this, Zhong Su wasn’t very confident. Seven years had passed, and Shenguang’s buildings and road layouts had long since changed drastically. He even doubted whether that shop still existed at all.

A Wei didn’t dare make the decision himself and turned his gaze to Chen Huan, asking respectfully, “Mr. Chen, should we keep circling?”

Chen Huan remained silent for a moment, looking outside. The dark, shadowy silhouettes of trees and shrubs in the roadside flowerbeds blended together, swaying under the rain’s assault. He asked, “What time is it now?”

“It’s already 1 a.m., Mr. Chen.”

Chen Huan pressed his fingers to his forehead, suppressing the unsettled emotions brewing inside him. “Find a hotel nearby and rest for the night. We’ll continue searching tomorrow morning.”

“Understood.” A Wei turned the steering wheel, and the car headed toward another street crowded with hotels and inns.

However, due to the late hour, the remote location, and the rainy weather, A Wei inquired at several hotels in a row, only to be told that they were fully booked with no available rooms.

Finally, after driving around the streets for nearly an hour, they found a small inn with simple decor but relatively clean furnishings.

The proprietress sitting at the front desk had big, wavy curls and tapped her fingers on the check-in form as she said to A Wei, “Three people might not have enough rooms. There’s an event in the city today, and lots of out-of-towners are staying at inns. We only have one king-size bed room left. Do you want it?”

Three grown men sharing one bed? Especially when one of them was his unpredictable-tempered boss?

The proprietress dared to suggest it, but A Wei didn’t dare agree. He instinctively choked back his words, only to hear Chen Huan beside him say, “We’ll take the remaining room. Give me the key.”

Without changing his expression, he took the room key the proprietress had placed on the counter, then pulled a few large bills from his wallet to pay for the room.

“Alright then.” The proprietress happily tucked the money into the drawer and pointed to the nearby stairwell. “Take the stairs over there to the second floor, then walk all the way to the end of the left-hand corridor. That’s your room.”

Seeing this, A Wei understood that Chen Huan intended to take the room and said very consciously, “Mr. Chen, I’ll sleep in the car.”

“Mm, go ahead.” Chen Huan responded indifferently, unconcerned as the driver walked out of the inn and braved the rain to return to the car.

The remaining Zhong Su watched as Chen Huan glanced at the room number on the key, then headed upstairs. He hurriedly followed, but even as the other inserted the key into the lock, there was still no indication of what was to come. Unable to hold back, he spoke up, “If you take the last room for yourself, where am I supposed to sleep tonight? There aren’t any other hotels around here.”

Chen Huan’s hands didn’t pause as he turned the lock open, lazily replying, “That’s not my problem. Figure out your own room.”

He pushed the door open and was about to step inside, immediately closing it behind him. Zhong Su slapped a hand against the door panel, using some force to hold it steady.

“Let go.” Chen Huan’s lips tightened, and the force on the door noticeably increased. The doorknob groaned under the strain of their struggle.

“This isn’t just my problem, it’s yours too. You dragged me inland without a word, made me stay up all night, and now you won’t even give me a bed to sleep in. Fine, then I won’t help you look for that shop you want.”

Zhong Su looked earnestly at the tall man before him, negotiating, “Unless—I can compromise and take a step back. We can share a room. Just keep to your side of the bed and don’t cross over, and we can pretend the other doesn’t exist.”

As he spoke, Zhong Su’s eyelashes were still damp with moisture, yet he continued to press firmly against the door, meeting Chen Huan’s gaze. His hazel eyes showed not a trace of fear.

Chen Huan lowered his gaze, studying him for a moment. Something flickered in his eyes—a shadow of something unclear.

“Fine,” Chen Huan suddenly released the doorknob, raising an arm to block the doorway. A thin, cold smile tugged at his lips. “Come in if you’re not afraid of dying.”

His words carried a heavy threat. The dark-skinned man’s eyes curved into a pleasant arc, smiling as if amused, yet his aura exuded a raw, icy chill.

Zhong Su, however, acted as if he hadn’t heard the final threat. He lowered his head and fearlessly slipped under the arm blocking his way, entering the room. “Good, then we’ve reached an agreement. I need to take a shower first.”

His clothes were completely soaked, clinging tightly to his body. After the journey from Yan Port, his skin felt wrinkled and uncomfortable from the dampness. He urgently needed to strip off the wet clothes, take a shower, and feel dry again.

But when he saw the room’s layout, even Zhong Su, who was usually calm, couldn’t help but freeze in place.

In the center of the room stood an excessively wide bed, and on the bedside table, several boxes of condoms were conspicuously piled up. What was worse was the bathroom—the entire space was separated only by semi-transparent frosted glass. Anyone inside, whether undressing or showering, could easily be seen from the outside.

The design practically spelled out intimacy and encouragement of sensuality, as if it were missing only a sign in the room that read: “No entry for non-couples or spouses.”

“What’s wrong? Standing there motionless—don’t want to shower? Starting to make demands again?” Chen Huan’s voice drifted lazily from behind, his gaze sharp as needles, piercing Zhong Su’s back as if any hesitation would lead to him being thrown out immediately.

Zhong Su felt his cheeks flush, and his fingers trembled slightly at his sides. But this was no time to hesitate. If he didn’t seize the opportunity and got kicked out by Chen Huan, he would have nowhere to stay tonight.

“I’m going to wash up now, no need to rush.” He replied without turning around. Suppressing the unease in his heart, he pretended nothing was wrong as he walked into the bathroom. His fingers rested on the leather belt, undoing it before taking off the rain-soaked, heavy clothes and pants, crumpling them into a ball and placing them on the edge of the sink.

Next, he reached out to turn on the water heater. Warm water, accompanied by steam, fell onto his body, driving away the chill that had seeped into his bones. Zhong Su wiped his face, not caring whether Chen Huan outside the bathroom could see, squeezed some shower gel onto himself, and then hastily rinsed off the foam with hot water.

As he was washing his hair, his fingers suddenly touched something unusual, he plucked a small, dark red blood clot from his hair.

Huh? Whose blood is this…

Zhong Su remembered that when Yu Zizhuo had patted his head, the bloodstain on his palm must have rubbed off onto his hair.

Pinching the dark red stain in his palm and watching it wash away under the water, Zhong Su felt a strange sensation. It was the first time someone had comforted him like a child.

He couldn’t quite describe how he felt, not disgusted, but not exactly pleased either. It just gave him a deeper understanding of Yu Zizhuo’s dual nature, someone who could shed blood without batting an eye, then turn around and offer a comforting smile, blending gentleness and violence in a contradictory way.

This was a person whose actions were unpredictable, even faintly chilling.

But Zhong Su didn’t plan to dwell on it. To him, Yu Zizhuo was just a stranger he’d exchanged numbers with. From now on, they would go their separate ways, and he wouldn’t have any further interaction with him.

Ten minutes later, Zhong Su finished his shower. Looking at the pile of wet, crumpled clothes, he sighed helplessly and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Forget it,” he muttered to himself. “It’s so late, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

He decisively chose to wash only his underwear first, drying it with a hairdryer before putting it on. The rest of his clothes were hung up to dry, to be dealt with tomorrow.

“Ahem, I’m done.” Zhong Su knocked on the glass, pulled open the bathroom door, and walked out wearing the bathrobe provided by the hotel.

Under the warm yellow room light, Chen Huan was sitting on the edge of the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. His fingers were slender, and the veins on the back of his hands exuded strength. As he undid the buttons one by one, a large expanse of honey-toned, muscular chest was revealed.

With his eyes lowered, his sharp, fierce brows softened slightly, no longer as cold and unapproachable.

It felt… very much like the scene in movies where the male and female leads were about to have a one-night stand.

Zhong Su couldn’t help but recall the dream where Chen Huan had pinned him down, leaving him unable to move no matter how hard he struggled. His expression instantly turned complicated.

He took a deep breath, trying to convince himself: There’s no reason to overthink things. The current situation had nothing to do with what happened in the dream.

Zhong Su tightened the corners of his mouth, pretending nothing was wrong as he walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. He reminded Chen Huan again, “Chen Huan, finish your shower soon so we can turn off the lights and sleep. It’s already very late.”

Rather than sitting awake and awkwardly across from each other, he’d rather close his eyes and sleep. Once the lights were off, he could just close his eyes, and the night would pass in a blink.

Chen Huan glanced up at Zhong Su, noticing his unease. Drenched from the rain, the man’s lips were still pale, but at least he seemed to have settled down for now.