Yichen’s action of holding Zixuan had looked like a drunk lunatic suddenly attacking her to the bystanders. The venue was packed; almost everyone knew Zixuan, but few recognized Yichen. Given her beauty, it made sense that a lovesick, drunk admirer might lose control and assault her. Someone rushed off to call security.
“What are you doing? Let him go!”
“Huh? But, Miss Zixuan?”
The two security guards pressed down on Yichen firmly, terrified he might lash out. If an important guest got hurt on their watch, they’d lose their jobs. Seeing Zixuan’s shocked face, they felt puzzled but didn’t dare release him.
“Hey! He’s Chairman Lin’s younger brother! What are you doing!”
The deputy mayor spotted the commotion, strode over, saw Yichen pinned to the ground, and shouted furiously.
The guards froze.
“Release him now!”
The deputy mayor glared fiercely at them.
Only then did the guards realize their mistake. They quickly let go of Yichen, apologizing nonstop while standing awkwardly.
Yichen felt dizzy, having been grabbed and slammed down for no reason. His cheek throbbed from hitting the floor, almost numb. Kneeling, he propped himself up with his hands and looked up dazedly. Zixuan crouched before him, panic on her face, gripping his arm. Behind her, well-dressed onlookers stared with strange expressions. Yichen scanned them and saw the girl who’d spoken earlier, also looking astonished.
“Heh, heh, heh…”
Yichen suddenly burst into a foolish laugh.
“Yichen? What’s wrong?”
His inexplicable reaction made Zixuan even more worried.
Yichen chuckled foolishly for a while, then shoved Zixuan hard and sprinted out with all his might.
“Yichen!”
Pushed aside, Zixuan fell flat on her butt. Before she could react, Yichen vanished from the venue.
Yichen dashed out of the hotel, running as hard as he could. He didn’t care where he was going; he just needed to escape. Heavy rain suddenly poured down with lightning and gale-force winds. Soaked to the bone, the cold pierced his body, but Yichen felt strangely relieved. He deserved this.
He didn’t know how long he’d run; his strength was almost gone. Dragging his exhausted body, he walked slowly. His mind had cleared somewhat, but he felt icy, tired, and sleepy. Glancing around, he realized he was in South City’s commercial district. Far from home, shops were closed, and few pedestrians or cars remained. Yichen crouched outside a shuttered store to take shelter.
“Sister…”
Rain still fell. Yichen hugged his knees, shivering violently.
“Yichen? What are you doing here?”
A familiar voice, laced with confusion, sounded ahead. Yichen looked up dazedly to see a girl standing before him. It was Shiyue. She wore a sky-blue T-shirt and white shorts; her bare legs below the knees and shoes were soaked. Holding an umbrella in one hand and a shopping bag in the other, she’d spotted him on her way home after shopping.
“Sister…”
Yichen closed his eyes and slumped sideways. Shiyue dropped her umbrella, crouched down, and supported him to keep him from hitting the ground.
“Yichen! Yichen?”
Shiyue realized he’d fainted. A strong smell of alcohol hit her—it was coming from him—and she frowned.
Shiyue stared at Yichen helplessly, wondering what to do. She turned toward the road. As she checked for taxis, she noticed a hotel across the street.
Its sign featured a big pink heart and the word “Sweet” in fancy script. Shiyue knew exactly what kind of place it was. Blushing, she stared at the hotel for a moment, then at Yichen sleeping against her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she made up her mind. She pulled his arm over her slender shoulder and stood up with effort.
“Huff, huff… Seriously, boys are this heavy?”
Complaining, Shiyue struggled to carry Yichen across. By the entrance, she was breathless and soaked. Seeing the three-step staircase, she felt a wave of helplessness. Those steps loomed like Mount Everest before her.
Taking two deep breaths, Shiyue gritted her teeth. With her slender legs, she mustered all her strength and carried him up step by step.
After climbing, Shiyue felt unsteady; her legs trembled. She grumbled about girls’ weak strength but glanced at Yichen—he must just be too heavy. After all, she exercised regularly.
Shiyue wanted to sit and rest but didn’t want to leave Yichen on the ground. As she hesitated, someone came out of the hotel.
“Miss, do you need help?”
It was a woman in beige work clothes and black pants. Her mature face suggested she was about five or six years older than Shiyue—a hotel clerk.
“Um, could you help me carry him inside?”
The clerk immediately took Yichen’s other arm. Together, they carried him to a sofa in the lobby. As soon as they set him down, Shiyue slumped beside him, breathing lightly.
“Welcome to Sweet Love Hotel. Here, have some hot water.”
“Mm, thanks.”
The clerk smiled and handed Shiyue a cup. After thanking her, Shiyue gulped it down. She realized her shopping bag was gone—probably left where she’d found Yichen—but she was too tired to care.
Only then did Shiyue notice she was completely soaked. Thanks to the effort of carrying Yichen, she didn’t feel cold yet, but she could easily catch a chill. She needed to shower and change soon.
But Shiyue faced a big problem. After hesitating, she looked at the clerk, blushing.
“Um, I’ll stay here tonight. Could you help carry him upstairs?”
The clerk paused, then smiled meaningfully.
“Sure. What room would you like?”
“Um, just a regular double room.”
“Huh? A double bed? A king bed is much more comfortable.”
The clerk beamed at Shiyue. Shiyue turned away shyly, her lips trembling slightly, and whispered almost inaudibly:
“I… I’ll take a king room.”
“Okay. Our rooms have four themes: Sea of Vows, Romantic Destiny, Love Nest…”
“I’ll take… Romantic Destiny!”
Shiyue interrupted hastily, her face red to the neck.
After paying by card, the clerk and Shiyue carried Yichen to the elevator and went up to the fifth floor.
“You have good taste, hehe.”
The clerk chatted again.
“W-what good taste?”
“Such a handsome guy, I’d want to gobble him up too.”
Shiyue was startled and instinctively tightened her grip on Yichen. Blushing, she lowered her head and stayed silent.
After carrying Yichen into the room, the clerk tactfully left immediately.
The room had dim yellow lighting, a red theme, and was filled with rose decorations. A heart-shaped bed, a white bathtub scattered with rose petals. It felt like a sweet, otherworldly paradise.
Shiyue watched Yichen lying on the bed, breathing steadily. Her mind was in chaos. She’d brought him here on impulse, but now she was at a loss.
(What was I thinking, bringing him to a place like this? Seriously, am I becoming a loose woman? D-do I really have to do that? What if he refuses? Ugh! What am I doing!)
Shiyue grabbed her head and shook it wildly. Then, guiltily glancing around, she bent down, blushing, and gently kissed Yichen’s cheek.
Yichen suddenly opened his eyes.
“Shiyue? What are you doing here?”
Yichen sat up, his head throbbing painfully. He pressed his hand to his head. Slowly, he looked around dazedly.
He only remembered dashing out of the hotel into the rain, feeling cold and tired, and crouching somewhere to take shelter. But why was he here? Where was this place?
Scanning the room, Yichen vaguely recognized it. Then he noticed Shiyue sitting beside him like a statue.
Yichen reached out and shook her shoulder.
“Shiyue?”
“Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!”
Shiyue’s eyes widened in shock. She screamed and buried her head under the blanket.
