"Hi, i'm Shen Lang. I made a reservation on the app earlier—two people, deluxe room, for one day. Thanks!"
At the front desk of Jinhua International Hotel, Shen Lang put his arm around Su Lexuan's slender waist and handed his ID to the clerk. He then asked expectantly, "Baby, where's your ID? Hurry up and give it to them, we need it for check-in."
Su Lexuan hesitated but eventually pulled out her ID and handed it to the clerk, avoiding eye contact with the friendly, all-seeing smile of the service staff.
The clerk handed the room key card to Shen Lang: "Hello, Mr. Shen, here is your room card, 0220."
"Thanks."
Shen Lang took the key card and eagerly led Su Lexuan toward the elevator.
Su Lexuan still felt a bit reluctant but it was definitely better than last time. Last time, Shen Lang had to practically drag her to the room with a mix of coaxing and trickery, and she even tried to back out halfway.
Today was Saturday, and the hotel was bustling.
The elevator was filled with couples, and Shen Lang and Su Lexuan stood at the back.
Thinking about the people around them and what they were likely doing at the hotel, Su Lexuan felt both embarrassed and annoyed. She pinched Shen Lang's arm, making him gasp.
Shen Lang rubbed his arm and looked at Su Lexuan with a raised eyebrow, thinking, "Just wait, I'll get my revenge later!"
They exited the elevator and found their room.
Shen Lang used the key card to open the door and impatiently pulled Su Lexuan, who was still a bit stiff, into the luxurious room.
After enduring the landlord's scrutiny and months of system training, Shen Lang had evolved from a socially awkward introvert into a bold, worldly man.
Entering the hotel was like coming home for him. He skillfully changed into slippers and dumped his pockets' contents onto the table in front of the flat-screen TV.
Like most men, Shen Lang's essentials were just a few items: phone, cigarettes, lighter, and car keys.
Su Lexuan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She hesitated, first curiously examining the hotel's decor before giving Shen Lang a shy and nervous look.
This was Su Lexuan's second time at a hotel. The last time was when Shen Lang coaxed her into coming here, so it was normal for her to be this shy.
She was a young girl after all, and if she didn't feel nervous about coming to a hotel with her boyfriend, it would be weird for Shen Lang.
"It's almost New Year's. Are you going back to your hometown, or are you staying in Jianghai City?" Shen Lang asked as he took Su Lexuan's soft, smooth hand and had her sit on his lap. He tried to distract her with a different topic, "Should we let your parents know you're coming to my hometown for a visit?"
Su Lexuan, clearly anxious, asked, "Huh? Meeting the elders so soon? Isn't it a bit too early?"
"I think it's fine. I'm asking for your opinion now, right?" Shen Lang's gaze wandered over Su Lexuan's graceful figure, mostly lingering on her long legs clad in knee-high socks.
"I need to ask my parents first. They have to agree before I..." Su Lexuan started, but Shen Lang's hand had already gently rested on her leg.
"Just doing what I do," Shen Lang said, rubbing Su Lexuan's hot, red ear.
"You..." Su Lexuan tried to hold Shen Lang's increasingly naughty hand, staring at his eager eyes for a moment before mumbling, "I'm going to take a shower."
"Okay, go ahead."
Shen Lang let go of Su Lexuan and even gave her a light pat on the behind.
Su Lexuan shook her small fist in mock anger, looking adorably fierce, before heading to the bathroom in her robe and disposable slippers. The sound of water soon followed.
Shen Lang comfortably sat on the edge of the bed, checking his phone to pass the time.
He never got tired of coaxing girls into the bathroom; he felt that this kind of playful, semi-reluctant atmosphere was more romantic.
If a girl was too eager to get to the hotel, Shen Lang would actually find it less interesting.
Plus, Su Lexuan's lively and bold personality made her current shyness even more endearing. After a while, she might even be the one insisting on frequent hotel visits.
At that moment, Shen Lang's WeChat notification dinged. He opened it to find a friend request.
"Xin Xin Doesn't Want to Behave requests to add you as a friend."
"Why is my good friend adding me?"
Shen Lang wondered aloud and quickly accepted the friend request.
With only a 10% favorability from Xin Xin, Shen Lang wasn't thinking about anything romantic, especially since Xin Xin was his girlfriend's close friend.
Even a rabbit doesn't eat where it sleeps!
Xin Xin Doesn't Want to Behave: "Have you started yet? {Pervert}"
"Wow, talk about hitting the ground running!"
Shen Lang was startled and typed back, pretending not to know what she meant: "I don't know what you're talking about {cute}"
Xin Xin Doesn't Want to Behave: "If you can reply, then Lexuan is probably still in the shower, right?"
A Good Night's Sleep: "You should have added me, are you really asking such boring questions? {sweat}"
"Just adding a friend, I hope you don't misunderstand. Don't be like the rabbit eating near its burrow."
Xin Xin Doesn't Want to Behave: "I've sent you the account password. Remember to help me level up when you have time. That's it, I'm off to find some food. Wish you good luck."
"Geez, who is this?"
Shen Lang was both amused and perplexed. He couldn't figure out how two such different girls became such close friends.
Thinking about Xin Xin's family situation and her unique standards for a partner, Shen Lang felt a strange sympathy.
"Hey? Wasn't Wen Jie friends with her?"
Shen Lang suddenly recalled that during their last gathering, his college friend Wen Jie added Xin Xin as a friend. He wondered how that was going.
So, Shen Lang looked through his friend list, found Wen Jie, and messaged him.
"I remember you added Xin Xin's WeChat last time. How's it going with her? Any progress?"
Woke Up to the Sea: "Don't even mention it. I asked her to play duo games with me, but she said she was busy eating chicken. Turns out, her Blue Hole account wasn't even online!! {cry}"