Chapter 96: Washing Peaches at The Peninsula Hotel
Chapter 96: Washing Peaches at The Peninsula Hotel
After buying groceries, Li Zian strolled on the River Embankment for a while. He hoped the White-clad Woman would appear, but she never did.
After lunch, he stood in his room again, looking out the window at the River Embankment. The White-clad Woman still did not appear.
“Only one surveillance camera captured her, and just one frame. Could she really have descended from the sky, killed someone, and then flown away like a bird?” The more Li Zian thought about it, the more mysterious it seemed.
What was even stranger was that he had clearly seen the White-clad Woman that day. There were surveillance cameras on the River Embankment and around the neighborhood, so why hadn’t a single one captured her?
“Could she really be a female ghost?” A chilly feeling crept up Li Zian’s back.
Beep-beep.
His mobile phone made a WeChat notification sound.
Li Zian picked up his mobile phone and woke the screen. A familiar name appeared before his eyes.
King Kong Lolita: Are you at home?
Li Zian: I’m at home. Is Uncle Mu at home?
King Kong Lolita: Why are you asking if my dad is home? What do you want to do?
Li Zian couldn’t help but smile. He liked the feeling of chatting nonsense with her. He didn’t know if this was the feeling of being in love, but he liked it—it felt warm and sweet.
King Kong Lolita: If my dad is home, you won’t come over, right?
Li Zian: I’m afraid Uncle Mu might come at me with a knife.
King Kong Lolita: If he comes at you with a knife, I’ll stand in front of you and make him strike me first. Besides, you’ll be mine sooner or later; he won’t cut you.
Li Zian replied with a laugh: So, is Uncle Mu home or not?
King Kong Lolita: Guess.
Li Zian: …
Is it really okay to tease like this?
King Kong Lolita: If you can’t guess, then don’t come over.
Li Zian felt so teased that his heart itched. If she were beside him right then, he might not be able to resist giving her bottom a big slap.
Li Zian: He’s not home?
King Kong Lolita: Guess.
Li Zian sent a smiley face emoji: The way you’re saying it, Uncle Mu must not be home. I’ll come right away.
King Kong Lolita: My dad is home.
Li Zian was already about to head out, but when he saw that message, his feet wouldn’t move.
King Kong Lolita: I’m at the place you wanted to take me yesterday but didn’t get to. I’ll wait for you here.
Li Zian: The Peninsula Hotel?
King Kong Lolita: If you still can’t guess, then don’t blame me.
Li Zian excitedly replied: I’ll be right there!
King Kong Lolita: You definitely want to do something bad. I don’t want you to come. Please don’t come, okay?
Li Zian: …
Is this the legendary “no, no” they talk about?
A few minutes later, Li Zian changed into his favorite white Tang Suit. This trip to The Peninsula Hotel was for a major life event, so of course he had to dress nicely to leave a good impression.
Before heading out, he also shouldered his toolbox.
Lin Shengnan, who was chanting scriptures on the balcony, saw Li Zian come out of his room and asked, “Zian, where are you going?”
Li Zian said, “Grandma, I’m going to discuss business.”
Lin Shengnan looked at Li Zian: “Your business seems to be doing quite well lately.”
Li Zian smiled: “I need to work hard. Otherwise, how could I be worthy of Meilin?”
Lin Shengnan nodded approvingly: “That’s the right way to think. A man should focus on his career. Go on, go on. Come back early to make soup for me after you’re done.”
“Okay,” Li Zian replied, then went out carrying his toolbox.
This showed the importance of having a cover.
As he left, Li Zian was genuinely worried that as soon as he opened the door, he would see Kun Li’s cold face and then hear her ask, “Where are you going?”
That would have really been like sleeping with a Husky.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
After leaving the neighborhood, Li Zian hailed a taxi and went straight to The Peninsula Hotel. Sitting in the car, he occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror to see if any heavy motorcycles or such were following him.
Sneaking around for a secret rendezvous felt like a spy drama—how ridiculous.
Gaochen Yipin wasn’t far from The Peninsula Hotel; it was about a twenty-minute ride.
Li Zian paid the fare, got out of the taxi, and stood at the hotel entrance to send Mu Chuntao a message: I’m here, right at the hotel entrance.
King Kong Lolita replied almost instantly: Come inside. I’m waiting for you in the lobby.
Li Zian put away his mobile phone and entered the hotel lobby. At a glance, he saw Mu Chuntao standing beside a sofa set, waving at him. She wore a red spaghetti strap dress, and her figure and looks were so outstanding that she was the most beautiful person in the entire lobby.
The moment he saw Mu Chuntao, Li Zian felt as if sunlight had filled his eyes, and his mood lightened considerably.
Li Zian walked toward her, a big smile on his face. In his heart, he was also thinking about what to say later so that she would feel he was graceful, without making himself feel awkward.
But before he could say a word, Mu Chuntao threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. That soul-stirring impact made his head spin, and all the words he had prepared vanished.
Lack of experience was a real weakness.
“Why are you still carrying your toolbox?” Mu Chuntao’s voice was so soft too.
Li Zian said, “I brought the toolbox as a cover. If I didn’t say I was going out for business, the Old Matriarch would ask all sorts of questions.”
“Oh dear, you’re really pitiful. Later, I’ll take good care of you, okay?” Mu Chuntao said.
Li Zian’s heart almost melted, and he grew anxious: “I, I’ll go get a room.”
That was the Master’s grace.
Mu Chuntao laughed: “Why would you get a room?”
Li Zian stared at her blankly: “Then why did you ask me to come to the hotel?”
“This hotel serves good afternoon tea. I invited you out for afternoon tea. What were you thinking?” Mu Chuntao said.
Li Zian: …
The tea in the pot is already brewed, and you’re telling me the cup is missing?
Mu Chuntao burst out laughing: “I was teasing you. I booked the room long ago. Yu Meilin is so sharp, and she has people who follow others around. If you booked the room, you might get caught, so I booked it last night.”
“Why are you so mischievous?” Li Zian felt both excited and a little annoyed. He reached out, wanting to spank her bottom, but suddenly remembered they were in the lobby. Mu Chuntao was already hugging his neck in front of everyone; if he slapped her, who knows how many eyes would be on them. So his hand slowly retracted.
“You want to hit me?”
Li Zian shook his head. Only a fool would admit that.
“Come with me, and I’ll let you hit me as much as you want.” Mu Chuntao finally released her arms from around Li Zian’s neck.
Li Zian shifted the wooden toolbox from his shoulder to the front.
For no other reason—he felt embarrassed.
Mu Chuntao held back her laughter, linking arms with Li Zian as they walked toward the elevator lobby: “Do you really want to eat Taozi?”
Li Zian felt very awkward inside. If he said yes, his Master image would crumble. If he said no, he’d be lying, and what if Mu Chuntao took it seriously and dragged him to have afternoon tea? That would be stupid.
When the elevator went up, Mu Chuntao was surprisingly quiet. She didn’t say any playful words, just held Li Zian’s arm. The same in the hallway—just holding his arm and walking properly. After all, this was a hotel; the elevator and hallways had surveillance cameras. If she did anything intimate with him, it would just be giving the security guards watching the monitors a free show.
Li Zian also seemed very nervous. A wish he had held for over twenty years was about to come true. It wasn’t hard to imagine how excited and nervous he felt. On the other hand, he also felt a little guilty—this wasn’t exactly an honorable thing. He was cheating on his wife and child with another woman. No matter how wrong Yu Meilin was, she hadn’t cheated on him. Plus, this felt disrespectful to the role of “Dad” and let down his Little Cotton-padded Jacket.
Only he himself knew how complicated his feelings were at that moment.
But when he followed Mu Chuntao into the room, the moment she closed the door, his heart suddenly became simple, and his thoughts changed.
How much had he given for that family, and what had he gotten in return?
He and Yu Meilin had been married for four years, yet it felt like he had lived as a widower for four years. He had only met his Little Cotton-padded Jacket recently. Who had ever thought about his feelings?
He was tired.
Aside from his mother, Mu Chuntao was the woman who treated him best in this world. How could he bear to disappoint her or make her sad?
Life was short. Why live so miserably?
Thinking this, he let go of all the burdens in his heart and stopped dwelling on them.
After entering the room, he set down the toolbox on the floor and reached out to hold his Taozi, but his Taozi dodged away.
Mu Chuntao’s high heels dropped to the floor. Free from her shoes, she was even more agile. Her dodging movements were like a fluttering butterfly. She ran while laughing, even taunting him: “Come catch me, come catch me.”
Li Zian began what felt like his first-ever butterfly chase, his heart fluttering anxiously.
The room was spacious, but it wasn’t a grassland where a butterfly could fly freely. After a few attempts, Li Zian caught her, holding her tightly, afraid she might fly away again.
No one had to teach him, and he didn’t need to read any guides; Li Zian knew he should use his mouth next.
But Mu Chuntao covered his mouth with her hand.
“Zian, do you really want to eat Taozi?”
“Yeah,” Li Zian replied, his voice very gentle.
“How many do you want to eat?”
Without even thinking, Li Zian blurted out: “Eight.”
“Oh my, you really have a big appetite. Can you eat that many?”
Li Zian had no mind for such talk. He tried to lean in again.
Who cared if he could finish? He’d eat first and worry later.
A charming smile appeared on Mu Chuntao’s face: “Silly, why are you in such a hurry? I’m not going to run away. Let me go wash the peaches for you, then you can eat them, okay?”
Wash them?
Li Zian understood instantly and nodded.
Mu Chuntao pushed Li Zian’s hands away and tiptoed toward the bathroom with light, cat-like steps, glancing back every couple of steps. Her smile was alluring, her eyes captivating—every part of her was enchanting.
Li Zian was mesmerized.
If Mu Chuntao laughed at him for being foolish right then, he’d accept it.
The bathroom door closed.
The sound of water came from the bathroom.
Li Zian felt a surge of uncontrollable excitement: “She clearly wants me to join her inside. Why am I standing here like an idiot?”
Thinking this, he couldn’t control his legs.
But before he reached the bathroom door, it opened again. Mu Chuntao came out holding a plate of peaches. The peaches had clearly just been washed and were still wet.
Li Zian was stunned.
It really was about eating peaches.
You can’t tease someone like this, can you?