The private hotel room wasn’t very big, but its decor was as good as so hotels in the city—clean and tidy. However, when you stepped inside, the large bed almost took up two-thirds of the space, making it hard to ignore.
Thinking about it, the two of them had never spent the night in the sa room before.
Upon entering the room, Shen Shuci’s heart started racing inexplicably. The window was slightly ajar to let in so air, and the breeze that blew in was cool, yet it made her feel both hot and restless.
"Have you thought about what to eat tonight?" Huo Qinqi, who had been here for over four years, was also staying out for the first ti. He carefully inspected the layout of the room.
"On our way over, I saw a small diner that seed quite crowded," Shen Shuci said, noticing he’d entered the bathroom and turned on the shower, "What are you doing?"
"Just testing the hot and cold water. What do you think of this place?"
"It’s quite nice." Having grown up in an orphanage, Shen Shuci wasn’t particular about her environnt as long as it was clean and hygienic.
"I don’t want you to co all this way only to be uncomfortable. Tomorrow night I’ll drive you to the city..."
"This place is really fine. I didn’t have lunch and I’m starving, so let’s go eat sothing."
They had started the bus journey at about nine in the morning, and although there was a break in between, it wasn’t as comfortable as a private car. Pressed for ti, she hadn’t had much of an appetite and only ate so biscuits to stave off hunger.
"I’ll try to drive back whenever I have weekends off," Huo Qinqi said. Taking long leaves wasn’t easy, but he could usually manage weekends even if it ant he could only stay ho for a half-day and a night.
He was concerned for his wife, but Shen Shuci cherished every mont. After all, relationships are about mutual giving and equality; there’s no rule that says one side must unconditionally indulge and accommodate the other.
When they first started seeing each other, because of her background, she was perhaps overly passive and hesitant. But once she set her heart on soone, she’d treat them unconditionally well...
Just like how the people from the Shen Family and Tang Family treated Tang Wan.
**
The two left the hotel to get so food. Shen Shuci picked a small diner which was packed, leaving them without a table. They ended up eting two of Huo Qinqi’s acquaintances and joined their table. In the end, the acquaintances picked up the tab, leaving Shen Shuci feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It’s our first eting and you had to treat us. I’m really sorry."
"No need for formalities, sister-in-law. It’s rare for you to visit, and a al doesn’t cost much."
After one of them spoke, the other also chid in with a laugh, "Exactly, don’t worry about it."
"You don’t have to feel bad," Huo Qinqi said, looking at her.
"Hmm?" Shen Shuci looked puzzled.
"They usually take advantage of , anyway."
The two n smiled sheepishly. Although he usually treated them, it wasn’t necessary to point that out in front of his sister-in-law. They just wanted to make a good impression on her.
"Yes, sister-in-law, usually it’s Captain Huo who treats us. Treating you guys to a al is the least we can do." Since Huo Qinqi put it this way, the two had no choice but to nod along. In front of his sister-in-law, they had to give their leader face.
Shen Shuci pursed her lips, "I thought you rarely participated in social gatherings like this."
Before getting to know Huo Qinqi, she was aware through Jiang Jinsang and their group how difficult it was to invite Huo Qinqi to anything.
"Not at all. Captain Huo is well-liked. You could ask around. Everyone in the team speaks highly of him," the two n laughed.
Though Huo Qinqi didn’t talk much and seed hard to approach, he was extrely loyal and never promised the moon but would always get things done.
Although he joined the team carrying the title of being Huo Zheng’s son, he turned doubters into fans. Despite being cold, strict, and sotis blunt, you couldn’t find any fault with him beyond that.
"Is he really popular?" Shen Shuci was curious about what he was like at work.
"I’m telling you, once you two get married, you’ll see how well-liked he is. When he first joined, you weren’t around, so you wouldn’t know. With that bossy attitude, everyone’s initial reaction was to kick him..."
Huo Qinqi shot a cold glance over, making the speaker quickly change his tone, "But he proved his worth with his abilities."
"There was a ti during a counter-terrorism exercise where at a critical life-or-death mont, he turned the tide all by himself..."
Shen Shuci listened to the vivid account without interrupting.
The story made Huo Qinqi sound like soone in a movie who could single-handedly wipe out an enemy force. Shen Shuci thought such people didn’t exist in real life and just listened for entertainnt.
Until they parted ways with the two n, she playfully teased Huo Qinqi, "Your colleagues are quite amusing, the way they exaggerated."
"Not exaggerated at all."
"What?"
"I’m indeed very amazing."
"..." Shen Shuci coughed softly; could he be any less modest?
Huo Qinqi looked at her intently, "You don’t believe ?"
"No, I believe you..." Shen Shuci chuckled softly, but to Huo Qinqi, her expression showed so doubt about his abilities.
Shen Shuci thought the person had surely exaggerated, while Huo Qinqi was determined to prove his abilities to her.
The small town was remote, with limited entertainnt options. As the sky darkened, the streets grew noticeably quieter; they wandered around for a while.
"Are you tired from the whole day’s travel?" Huo Qinqi suddenly asked.
"Not really," Shen Shuci was intrigued by everything, it being her first visit. "Is there nothing to see here?"
"No."
"Then what do you usually do at night if there’s nothing to do?"
"Sleep."
"..."
The implication being, they could also head back to the hotel to sleep.
She just wanted to see what the place where he worked and lived was like, but it seed he was only thinking about returning to the hotel quickly.
**
When they returned, the lady at the front desk greeted them with a smile. Back in the room, the atmosphere felt strangely awkward again as they exchanged glances, suddenly uncertain about what to do next.
Until Huo Qinqi’s phone vibrated; it seed to be a work call. He went to the window to answer it, and only then did Shen Shuci relax. She tidied up her bag and blushed when she saw the items Tang Wan had given her, worried he might find them, so she hid them beneath her inner layer of clothes.
The whole process felt like she was doing sothing sneaky.
But she forgot that Huo Qinqi was standing by the window, where the glass reflected everything she did very clearly.
He pressed his lips together, curious about what she was hiding.
Just after he’d ended his call, the atmosphere once again turned strangely awkward—it felt like sothing was bound to happen, yet it seed like sothing was missing.
Sotis, you don’t need to overthink things, as they happen naturally. But both had this one thing in mind, making them sowhat apprehensive and awkward, throwing off the vibe.
Fortunately, at this mont, Tang Wan called. It was just past seven o’clock; no matter what, she figured it was too early for them.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes, we just did." Shen Shuci answered the phone, feeling she finally had sothing to do, easing her tension a little.
"What are you guys up to? Anything fun nearby?"
"Not much to see, so we returned to the hotel. What are you busy with..."
Just as Shen Shuci was about to find a topic to chat about, Tang Wan didn’t give her the opportunity. "Just asking. I’ll hang up now, you both go ahead with what you’re doing, and drive safely."
What was she busy with? Shen Shuci was left exasperated.
At this point, Huo Qinqi took the initiative to speak, "Do you want to shower first, or should I go?"
"You’re going to shower again?" Hadn’t he just washed?
"If you don’t mind, I don’t have to."
"..."
In the end, Shen Shuci went into the bathroom first. Soon, the sound of running water was heard, and Huo Qinqi kept fidgeting with his phone, feeling inexplicably restless, especially with the constant sound of water. It seed as if there was a fire in his throat, making him both dry and thirsty.
He uncapped a complintary bottle of water from the hotel, drank more than half, but the heat in his heart didn’t subside.
Shen Shuci, feeling anxious, took longer in the bathroom than usual, washing herself over several tis, hoping to be calm. The longer she stayed, the more restless Huo Qinqi beca.
Soon, the sound of a hairdryer was heard, likely blow-drying her hair.
The noise from the hairdryer was loud, buzzing and bothering him imnsely.
Huo Qinqi pursed his lips, thinking for the first ti...
What should he prepare? What should he do?
It wasn’t possible to ask soone else; if Jiang Jinsang found out, he’d probably die of laughter.
However, as it turned out, so things are best left to happen naturally; overpreparing and preemptive moves often don’t help at all.
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