"Get out of here!" The woman's piercing scream was sharp enough to shatter eardrums. Fang Yingying had never imagined that a grand hotel like this could harbor such unsightly CDs. Succumbing to a moment of curiosity, she had impulsively taken one out to watch. Yet, to her shock and dismay, despite her securely locked door, a reckless scion had barged into her room. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks, but her mortification was quickly overshadowed by a burgeoning hatred for the man who so brazenly invaded her privacy.
Xiang Ri, though tempted to linger and savor the rare spectacle before him, quickly realized that the woman's ferocious demeanor promised relentless retaliation if he dared remain a second longer. With prudence outweighing his curiosity, he wisely chose to retreat.
Outside the room, hotel staff were already rushing in, eager to prevent any unpleasant commotion.
"Sir, is there a problem?" inquired a man who appeared to be the manager.
"Oh, nothing serious—just a little joke between friends," Xiang Ri replied, his expression composed and unaffected.
"A joke?" The manager, having noted the young man's bandaged right hand—a distinctive detail not easily forgotten—was well aware that this guest was Asian and a friend of the room's occupant. After all, he had been the one to assign their rooms. While the explanation seemed plausible, the manager couldn't entirely suppress his irritation. Nonetheless, adhering to professional decorum, he maintained a polite tone. "Sir, please refrain from such pranks in the future." With that, he left, closing the door behind him. Perhaps in his haste or lingering anger, he failed to notice the door didn't shut properly.
"Xiang Kui! What is the meaning of this? If you don't explain yourself today, we'll settle this at the police station!" Fully dressed, Fang Yingying appeared at the doorway once the staff had departed. Her face, a mask of fury and determination, made it clear she intended to pursue the matter to its bitter end. And who wouldn't, after having a closely guarded secret so flagrantly exposed—her privacy violated, her body glimpsed? Fang Yingying had resolved to fight to the finish, even if it meant severing ties with the man entirely.
"If I said it wasn't intentional, would you even believe me?" Xiang Ri sighed, a wry smile playing on his lips. He hadn't anticipated such an outcome. Though he had only caught a fleeting glimpse, the screen's content—a compromising position between a man and a woman—made it abundantly clear what the voluptuous secretary had been watching. Were their roles reversed, he too might be seething. But one question lingered in his mind: if this woman indulged in such content, why did she display such an interest in same-sex relationships?
Fang Yingying neither affirmed nor denied his claim. Instead, she pulled out her phone and began dialing.
Xiang Ri's expression darkened. Was she seriously going to escalate this? Without hesitation, he stepped forward and snatched the phone from her grasp, ending the call before it could connect to the police. "Listen to me," he said firmly. "I can explain everything."
"Fine. I'll give you one chance," Fang Yingying replied, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "But only one. If you dare utter another excuse, I'll ensure the Paris police sort this out."
Xiang Ri hesitated, carefully choosing his words. "The truth is… I overheard a noise from your room and thought something might be wrong—"
"Are you claiming to have superhuman hearing, Mr. Xiang?" Fang Yingying interrupted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Or do you think I lack the means to call the police, allowing you to fabricate such excuses?"
Seeing her disbelief and the simmering rage beneath, Xiang Ri gritted his teeth and made a bold confession. "Fine. I admit it. I came to find you. But I decided to listen at the door first to gauge the situation. That's when I overheard… peculiar sounds. So, I kicked the door open and came in. You know the rest." He spread his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Believe me or not, it's up to you. If you want to call the police, go ahead." With that, he handed the phone back to her.
Fang Yingying's face clouded as she contemplated his words. After a long pause, she finally put down the phone. "I'll believe you this once. Now, leave my room immediately. And I mean now—at once!"
Xiang Ri, already preparing to leave, paused at her emphatic repetition of the command. Slowly, he turned back, his face impassive and his tone chillingly calm. "Let me be clear. Yes, I find you somewhat attractive—but only just. Don't overestimate yourself. Your allure isn't so overwhelming that I'd stage a nocturnal assault. For me, while your figure is impressive, it's far from unique in this world."
Fang Yingying's barely abated fury reignited. Clutching her phone tightly, she hissed through gritted teeth, "If you don't leave now, I'll call the police!"
"Report it if you want! Enough with the nonsense!" Xiang Ri's long-suppressed temper finally erupted as he roared, "You idiotic woman! I've had enough of you! If I weren't worried about something happening to you, I'd have long gone off to mind my own business! Damn it, do you think you're so extraordinary? There are countless women more beautiful than you, and not a single one of them would even measure up to the women around me. Do you think just because you have a big chest, you can suspect everyone of wanting to assault you? Ha! What a joke! Call the police? I bet you're secretly wishing someone would assault you, aren't you? Don't deny it—what kind of proper woman hides in her room watching those kinds of films? Hardly anyone in this world would believe otherwise.
"And do you think I'd need to go through all this trouble if I really wanted you? I could just knock you out or drug you!
"To hell with it—I'm going back to my room to sleep! Do whatever you want, but if you die, at least do it far away from me. I don't want nightmares waking me up in the middle of the night!" With that, ignoring the tears already streaming down the woman's face, Xiang Ri stormed out without looking back.
"Whew—" Back in his room, Xiang Ri let out a long sigh of relief. Strangely, after saying all that, he felt much lighter, as though a weight had been lifted. As for that woman, well, if she died, she died. She wasn't his responsibility anyway—better for her to reincarnate sooner.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Xiang Ri decided to take a relaxing bath. To be honest, the alcohol he'd consumed at the banquet had left him reeking of booze, and the tension and shouting earlier had made him sweat profusely. The scent on him now was… unique, to say the least. A long soak was in order.
When he emerged from the bathroom, it was nearly midnight, but sleep still eluded him. Spotting the television in the bedroom, he switched it on to kill time. As he reached for the power button, he noticed a DVD player beneath it, along with a stack of discs.
"Hm?" Curious, Xiang Ri flipped through the discs, expecting blockbuster films. Instead, he found a collection of unsavory content. The image of the scene in that busty woman's room earlier flashed in his mind, and regret surged through him. Initially, he'd assumed the explicit film was her personal stash for… private indulgences. Now he realized he'd misunderstood her.
But what infuriated him even more was the audacity of this so-called five-star hotel to provide such material. Damn it, he'd report this to the police tomorrow.
As he indulged in fantasies of the hotel being raided by authorities, a sudden knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
Every hair on Xiang Ri's body stood on end. He had no acquaintances in Paris, save for a few who wouldn't show up at this hour. The person outside could only be trouble. Anxiety gripped him. If they had come for him, what about that foolish woman? Despite his earlier resolve to leave her fate to chance, a strange worry gnawed at him.
Approaching the door cautiously, Xiang Ri whispered, "Who is it?"
A moment of silence passed before a soft voice replied, "It's me."
"Hm?" Xiang Ri hesitated, then hurriedly opened the door. Standing there was the voluptuous woman, her eyes red and swollen, clear evidence of prolonged crying.
"You're here to see me?" Her pitiful appearance softened Xiang Ri's heart.
"I…" Fang Yingying's voice faltered, and her eyes welled up again.
"All right, come in first." Although it was late and the hallway was deserted, Xiang Ri didn't want anyone witnessing this scene. Who knew what rumors might spread by morning?
"Thank you," Fang Yingying whispered. At that moment, she resembled a meek rabbit, entirely devoid of her usual icy demeanor.
Xiang Ri was momentarily stunned, watching her walk into the living room. Had his earlier outburst jolted her into some sort of awakening?
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked after locking the door and walking over.
"No…" Fang Yingying shook her head, then, in an even softer voice, asked, "Could I stay here tonight? The door to my room is broken… I'll sleep on the couch, I promise."
"Sleep on the couch? No way. Take the bed—I'll take the couch. After all, it's my fault your door's broken," Xiang Ri replied. Truthfully, her vulnerable demeanor made it impossible for him to be harsh with her.
"Thank you…"
Xiang Ri silently cursed the situation. This sudden transformation in the busty secretary's demeanor left him utterly perplexed. Was she suffering from severe schizophrenia? How else could she display such drastically different faces?
After leading her to the bedroom, Xiang Ri quickly exited, not wanting to give her any reason for misunderstanding. Just before leaving, he added, "If you watch TV, keep the volume low—I have sharp ears!" With that, he shut the door, catching a glimpse of the blush creeping up her cheeks.
Deep down, Xiang Ri felt a tinge of disappointment. If only she had asked him to stay—how wonderful that would have been. Even sharing the bed, each taking half, wouldn't have been too bad…
...