The resort was vast—walking from one end to the other could easily take half an hour.
In the end, Wanyi took Uncle Chen’s car to the hotel lobby.
Her room with Xiaoyou was located near the front row of villas.
“Where did you disappear to? I thought you got lost,” Xiaoyou said the moment she saw her enter, her expression full of concern.
“The curator had something for me to handle,” Wanyi replied quickly, eager to move past the topic. “What time is lunch?”
“Twelve. We’re meeting at the garden restaurant.”
“Then we should probably head out soon.”
“Let me grab some water, then we’ll go.”
“Alright.”
Linking arms, Xiaoyou led Wanyi toward the restaurant.
It sat at the heart of the resort, beside a lakeside garden.
Autumn had painted the trees gold, leaves drifting down onto the winding paths and the still surface of the lake.
The water shimmered a clear jade green. The air was crisp and refreshing—it made everything feel lighter.
They took their seats in a reserved private dining room.
Many colleagues had already arrived, chatting as they waited.
“I’ll sit here.”
A male voice sounded, and the empty seat beside Wanyi was taken.
He Hao.
“What a coincidence,” he said with a smile.
“It is,” Wanyi replied politely.
Soon, the servers began bringing out dishes, their aromas filling the room.
Several of the male colleagues started pouring drinks.
Wanyi didn’t drink—she rarely did outside of private moments.
Lately, the only times she had were with Shen Yuxun.
She focused on her meal instead.
The dishes leaned toward a spicy style, but she found them quite to her taste.
One braised beef bone dish in particular drew her attention—richly seasoned, tender to the point of falling apart. She reached for it again and again.
Just as she was about to pick up some celery stir-fried with lily bulbs, the person beside her used the serving chopsticks to place another piece of beef bone into her bowl.
She paused, looking down at the extra food—then turned to He Hao.
“I noticed you liked it,” he said, smiling a little shyly as he set the chopsticks down.
“Thank you.” Though she wasn’t used to others serving her, she could only accept the gesture politely.
“Hey, Xiao He—why are you only serving Wanyi and not me?” someone across the table teased. “Got something on your mind?”
“No, no,” He Hao denied quickly, though his reddened ears betrayed him.
Anyone could see it.
Wanyi simply smiled faintly and continued eating.
She didn’t like being the center of attention.
If she had been slow to notice earlier at the restroom, now, seeing his reaction, even she understood.
“It’s just colleagues helping each other,” she said calmly, taking a sip of orange juice, quietly drawing a boundary.
“Oh really? We’ve got a mountain hike this afternoon—you’d better take good care of her then, Xiao He!” the others continued to joke.
“Of course,” he nodded eagerly.
And as if to prove it—
Throughout the entire afternoon hike, He Hao stayed close behind Wanyi.
Offering to carry her bag, handing her water—
All of which she declined.
She had no desire to entangle herself with others.
Yet he persisted in his enthusiasm.
And she couldn’t reject him too bluntly without making things awkward at work.
“Do you think Xiao He likes you?” Xiaoyou whispered when he stepped away to throw something out.
“I don’t know. He can feel however he wants,” Wanyi replied indifferently.
“You really are trouble in the best way,” Xiaoyou grinned mischievously, looking at her like she was some enchanting siren.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Wanyi hadn’t done anything out of line.
“You show up and he’s already wrapped around your finger,” Xiaoyou teased. He Hao had only joined the company less than a month ago.
“Stop focusing on things like that.” Wanyi nudged her away, unwilling to continue the topic.
“By the way, where’s the big boss today? Didn’t he drive here?” Xiaoyou switched topics after a moment.
“I don’t know.” Wanyi was even less interested in this conversation—but Xiaoyou only grew more animated.
“They were talking about his car this morning, but now that we’re here, he’s nowhere to be seen. I heard he has a private villa here—probably staying there.”
“Maybe.”
Maybe? Wanyi almost smiled. She had just come from there.
“And Xiaoqi and the others are still dreaming about him,” Xiaoyou scoffed, glancing toward a girl in the distance.
The girl wore a thin camisole, shivering in the mountain chill—beauty at the cost of comfort.
“As if the big boss would come to a team-building event. He’s probably just here on vacation,” Xiaoyou continued speculating.
“Perhaps.” Wanyi could only play along.
“Wanyi, are you cold?”
He Hao’s voice came from behind. He had noticed the shivering girl too—but his concern was clearly elsewhere.
“I’m not cold. If you’re free, you can go ahead and join the others,” Wanyi said more directly this time. She didn’t want him following her around.
“No need. I’ll stay with you.” He seemed not to understand the hint at all.
Wanyi felt a wave of helplessness but couldn’t push him away outright.
“See? He’s not going anywhere,” Xiaoyou teased again knowingly.
“Please, just stop,” Wanyi sighed, her tone tinged with quiet frustration.
After descending the mountain and finishing dinner, the group suggested heading to the hot springs together.
Because the public hot springs were mixed-gender, Wanyi felt uneasy about going. She used fatigue as an excuse and returned to her room instead.
Xiaoyou, on the other hand, happily changed into her swimsuit.
Back in the room, Wanyi grabbed a fresh set of clothes and headed into the bathroom.
The afternoon hike had left a thin layer of sweat on her skin, a faint stickiness she couldn’t ignore.
A warm shower, she thought, and then she could finally lie down and rest.
Half an hour later, when she stepped out, she realized her phone had been ringing.
She reached for it—but the call had already ended.
It was Shen Yuxun.
Still toweling her damp hair, she called him back.
“Hello… what is it?” she asked softly. The quiet of the night lent her voice a gentle, almost musical quality.
“Where are you?” His voice came through low and steady, tinged with a faint rasp, as if he had just finished a cigarette.
“In my room. I just got out of the shower.” She took a sip of water from the table, her throat still a little dry.
There was a pause on the other end—longer than usual.
“Alone?” he asked after a moment.
“Yes. My roommate went to the hot springs.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
“I’m a little tired.”
“If you’re tired, that’s exactly when you should soak.”
“But it’s mixed…” she said, hesitating. She clearly had no intention of going.
“I have a private one here. Want to come?”
“It’s a bit far…” The walk to the mountaintop villa would take at least half an hour.
“I’ll come get you.”
After the call ended, Wanyi dried her hair, then took out her swimsuit from her suitcase and neatly folded it into a small bag.
She paused over a white cover-up, hesitated—then decided against it.
Instead, she draped a clean towel over herself.
Not long after she finished getting ready, there came a knock at the door.
Knock, knock.
She opened it.
He stood there, composed and striking in the cool mountain night, a casual baseball jacket thrown over his shoulders. A few strands of hair fell loosely across his forehead.
Tall, effortless—he looked almost like a university student, youthful and self-assured.
He reached out, taking her hand, leading her to the passenger seat of the car.
He even leaned over to fasten her seatbelt himself.
As he drew close, that familiar ocean-scented fragrance enveloped her again.
He drove.
Up the winding roads, toward the mountaintop.
Outside, lush greenery lined the path—rare trees sculpted by careful hands, their shapes elegant and deliberate.
The air carried the mingled fragrance of flowers.
It truly felt like a place meant for rest—for escape.
After parking, Wanyi followed him through the villa.
Only then did she realize—
Behind the house, in the garden, was a private hot spring.
Steam curled upward in soft white ribbons.
Beside the pool, carved into stone, were two bold characters: Wine Spring.
The water shimmered with a faint reddish hue, clear yet subtly fragrant.
“There’s actually a hot spring here…” Wanyi murmured, unable to hide her amazement. The luxury of the villa was undeniable—but more than that, the setting itself felt naturally soothing.
“The water’s been freshly changed,” Shen Yuxun said, his voice low as he leaned close to her ear.
Wanyi lowered her gaze, biting her lip lightly. “I’ll go change.”
Inside, she slipped into her swimsuit.
She glanced once more at the white cover-up—then left it behind.
A towel would do.
When she returned, he was already in the pool, reclining casually against the stone edge, a glass of red wine in hand.
His upper body was bare—lean, defined, the faint outline of muscle visible beneath pale skin.
“Come here.” He extended a hand toward her.
Wanyi set aside her towel and took it, carefully stepping down into the pool.
Warm water rose around her, wrapping her body in a gentle embrace.
She moved slowly toward him.
His gaze lingered—on her bare face, untouched by makeup, her hair loosely gathered atop her head.
The hem of her swimsuit swayed faintly with each step, revealing long, slender legs beneath the water’s surface.
Something flickered in his dark eyes.
“Careful,” he said quietly, his voice a shade lower than before.
“It’s a bit slippery,” she replied, glancing down at the stone beneath her feet. Years of water had smoothed it dangerously.
She tightened her grip on his hand, wary of losing her balance.
When she finally reached him, she leaned back against the stone wall beside him, settling into the warmth.
“This feels amazing…” she sighed softly.
The warm water, the surrounding greenery, the softly lit pavilion—it all felt almost unreal.
Golden light spilled into the quiet courtyard, the pebbled paths gleaming faintly like scattered pearls.
For a moment, it felt like a dream.
“Still tired?” he asked, turning to look at her. There was something softer now in his gaze, something gentler beneath the usual calm.
“No,” she murmured, eyes half-lidded with contentment. “I feel… completely at ease.”
A faint smile curved at his lips, but his eyes darkened, deepening with something harder to name.
“Then…” he said slowly, voice low and edged with meaning,
“Does that mean you’re ready to leave yourself in my hands?”