Forty or fifty minutes later.
Su Yang was about to get up and take a shower when he turned to leave the bed.
Zhao Mengrou, still half-asleep, reached out with her soft, delicate hand and pulled him back. "Don't go... don't go," she murmured.
Su Yang glanced back and saw her eyes still closed, her lips mumbling incoherently.
"Sleep first. I’m just going to shower," he said gently, prying her hand away before heading to the bathroom for a quick cold rinse.
Under the icy stream, the alcohol in his system dissipated almost entirely.
Humming a tune, he enjoyed the refreshing spray.
[Ding! Detected host’s elevated mood and enjoyment. Reward: 1 million yuan.]
[Ding! Detected host’s exceptionally good mood. Reward: Aston Martin DBX707, valued at 3.5 million yuan. Vehicle now parked in West Hotel’s underground parking lot, Zone A, Space 1213.]
—Holy shit! Another car!
—And a Martin SUV at that—nice! 707 horsepower, V8 engine. Damn impressive!
—Perfect timing too, since I needed a bigger ride.
Five minutes later, Su Yang stepped out of the shower, thoroughly refreshed.
By then, Zhao Mengrou had fallen into a deep slumber.
He quietly approached her bedside, gave her a glance, then turned and left the room, softly closing the door behind him.
In the living area of the suite, Su Yang was about to crash on the sofa when his gaze landed on the open door of Gu Xiaoman’s room, the light still on inside.
Curious, he walked over and found Gu Xiaoman sprawled on the floor—luckily cushioned by the plush carpet, so no harm done.
She lay on her side, hair disheveled.
The sight made Su Yang swallow hard. Shaking his head, he strode over, scooped her up in a bridal carry, and deposited her back onto the bed.
The moment he set her down, Gu Xiaoman’s bleary eyes fluttered open. Spotting Su Yang, she instinctively looped her arms around his neck, her breath laced with alcohol as she slurred, "More... more drinks... I can still go!"
"Keep drinking, and you’ll be out cold," he retorted.
Their noses nearly touched, breaths mingling, hot and heavy.
Su Yang’s pulse spiked again. With a decisive grit, he climbed onto the bed.
......
Some time later, Su Yang lay still for a brief respite before rising and exiting the room.
After another quick shower in the suite’s guest bathroom, he finally collapsed onto the sofa to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Gu Xiaoman’s room...
She gingerly lifted the covers, her face flushed and utterly captivating.
Peeking through the door crack to confirm the lights were off outside, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the ensuite bathroom.
‘Aahhh, how did this happen?! So embarrassing! How am I supposed to face him tomorrow?!’
The thought sent her cheeks burning again. But given her easygoing nature, she wasn’t one to dwell on such things.
She felt no real guilt—if anything, a thrill of excitement. The blush was just instinctive.
Besides, her first impression of Su Yang had been stellar: handsome, fit, loaded, and with a great personality.
For a long-single woman like her, that combo was irresistible.
Still, she knew a high-value guy like Su Yang would have women flocking around him. At her age, she didn’t stand out, so she’d never planned to get involved.
She just hadn’t expected him to be... so capable.
Exhaling, she touched her warm cheeks and whispered, "Turns out he’s pretty amazing~~"
[Ding! Detected Gu Xiaoman’s favorability toward host has risen to 65. Reward: 500,000 yuan.]
Su Yang, still awake, smirked at the notification.
......
The night passed swiftly.
By 9 a.m., Su Yang groggily woke on the sofa.
Stretching, he checked the time and sat up—only to find both Zhao Mengrou and Gu Xiaoman’s bedroom doors wide open, their occupants gone.
The suite was silent except for his own breathing.
"What’s this? They bolted already?"
"Pity. I was gonna help ‘sober them up’ some more. Missed opportunity!"
Pulling out his phone, he spotted two unread WeChat messages.
The first was from Zhao Mengrou:
—Su Yang, just remembered something urgent at home. Had to leave.
—About last night... it was an accident. Forget it happened!!
—And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you’re dead. Got it?!! [Fist emoji]
Su Yang chuckled.
"Pretty bold for someone who dragged me down first. Thought she was out of it, but guess she remembers everything. Wonder if she knows about the rest... Probably not."
He typed a reply:
—Wish I could forget, but it’s stuck in my head~~
Then he sent a smirking, finger-curling sticker before exiting the chat.
The second message was from Gu Xiaoman.
Opening it, Su Yang felt a twinge of guilt—after all, they’d only met yesterday.
He had no clue what kind of person she was. If she turned out to be the conservative type, he’d be screwed.
With Zhao Mengrou, it’d been self-defense—she’d struck first, leaving him no choice. But with Gu Xiaoman... he’d been the instigator.
Hesitantly, he tapped the chat.
—Su Yang, didn’t expect you to be that good [Shy emoji]
—But let’s keep this between us, okay?
—Also, don’t think I didn’t notice what you did before coming to my room [Fist]
—Next time, behave!
......