Chapter 22: Catching the Adulterer

At 10 AM, Fan Xia slowly woke up, her eyes fluttering with a hint of weariness. The hotel suite was quiet, with a soft white down comforter wrapping her body. Her long hair, like seaweed, was spread out, revealing her slender white arms. Fan Xia rubbed her temples as she sat up in bed, the thin down comforter sliding off her shoulders, exposing the thin straps of her camisole. The white shirt she wore last night was casually draped over the bench at the foot of the bed.

She rubbed her head, trying hard to recall what happened last night, but only remembered helping Rong Xiu fend off drinks, seeing off the guests, then they went to the seaside together, and after that, she couldn’t remember anything, completely blacking out.

She pursed her lips, feeling a bit thirsty. Wearing the hotel slippers, she got out of bed, intending to go to the outer room to get some water. After a night of drinking, her steps were still a bit unsteady.

She opened the bedroom door. Rong Xiu was sitting upright on the sofa, elegantly drinking coffee. He was wearing a white hotel bathrobe, loosely tied at the waist, exposing a large patch of porcelain-white, cool skin at the neckline. His usually meticulously combed hair was slightly disheveled, hanging down. His long, powerful legs were crossed lazily and comfortably, with a round, fluffy white ball of fur lying on them.

At this moment, he had shed the sharp, cold, and unapproachable demeanor he showed to outsiders. His long fingers casually played with the little furball, a few strands of hair falling across his forehead, half-hiding the faint smile in his eyes. The soft light fell on his elegant and noble profile, and time seemed to slow down at this moment.

“You’re awake?” Rong Xiu’s eyes lifted slightly, a faint smile on his lips. “Come and have some breakfast.”

Fan Xia stood at the door, looking at Rong Xiu in his bathrobe, then thinking of her shirt draped over the bench at the foot of the bed, she asked somewhat nervously, “Last night, I… I didn’t do anything excessive, did I?”

“Excessive?” Rong Xiu slowly leaned back against the soft pillow behind him, his long eyes slightly teasing. “Yes, you did.”

Fan Xia’s heart was in suspense. Had she harassed Rong Xiu?

Rong Xiu leisurely rested his chin on his hand: “To avoid the hotel manager, you hid the puppy in your clothes and ran back to the room like a thief. I suppose that counts?”

“Puppy?” Fan Xia pointed at the small furball lying obediently on Rong Xiu’s legs. “That?”

“Yes.” Rong Xiu’s voice was low and amused. “I told you several times last night that this hotel we’re staying in is one of the few pet-friendly five-star hotels, but you didn’t believe me. You hid the puppy in your shirt, thinking no one would notice… Unfortunately, you didn’t see the look on the hotel manager’s face.”

Fan Xia covered her head, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Rong Xiu smiled and put the puppy on the ground. The suite was carpeted with soft rugs. The puppy trotted towards her on its short legs, wagging its little tail, its fluffy head gently nuzzling against her feet.

“Yi Zhi Mei has already accepted you as its owner,” Rong Xiu said.

Fan Xia rubbed the puppy’s head and asked, “Yi Zhi Mei, is that its name?”

Rong Xiu nodded.

Fan Xia picked up the puppy and saw a conspicuous tuft of black fur among its snow-white coat, hanging dejectedly above its eyes, which was oddly funny. “The name is quite fitting. Did you name it?”

Rong Xiu took a sip of coffee. “You named it.”

“Me?” Fan Xia couldn’t believe it, yet dared not disbelieve. When drunk, one could do anything.

Seeing the little furball trustingly and dependently rolling around in her arms, Fan Xia smiled faintly. “My habit of randomly picking up things when drunk really can’t be changed. It’s a pity for Yi Zhi Mei, I’ll find a good owner for you.”

Rong Xiu’s eyes showed surprise. “You like dogs very much, why don’t you keep it?”

“…Lan Sheng doesn’t like cats and dogs. He thinks they shed and are hard to take care of,” Fan Xia said, her tone unable to hide her disappointment.

“If he doesn’t even have the patience to take care of a dog, how can he possibly manage household chores after marriage? In the end, it’s just that he finds it troublesome,” Rong Xiu’s voice was extremely faint and cold, showing undisguised disgust.

Fan Xia looked at him, her clear eyes as gentle as water.

Rong Xiu’s gaze deepened, and he said, “Actually, you can leave Yi Zhi Mei with me to take care of. This way, you can still see it often.”

“Really?” Fan Xia’s eyes brightened.

“Mm.” Rong Xiu’s fingers tightened slightly. “Although I’ve never raised a dog before, I should be more patient than Wen Lan Sheng.”

Fan Xia was stunned for half a second, then smiled gently. “Thank you then.”

Rong Xiu pressed his thin lips together. “As long as you’re happy.”

As they spoke, the puppy in her arms looked up at her with its wet, round eyes and burrowed into her embrace. Its pink little tongue licked her palm, causing a ticklish, numb sensation. She pulled her hand back, and Yi Zhi Mei let out a dissatisfied whimper.

“It must be hungry. Go eat,” Rong Xiu grabbed a handful of dog food. Yi Zhi Mei quickly scampered over on its short legs to eat. The palm-sized puppy ate with gusto, its little tail wagging so fast it almost turned into a propeller.

“I really envy Yi Zhi Mei. At such a young age, it’s already become part of the wealthy class. Following you, it will never have to worry about food or clothing in the future,” Fan Xia joked.

“You should eat some breakfast too. You got caught in the rain last night, I could only help you change out of your shirt. After breakfast, go take a shower,” Rong Xiu placed a cup of hot milk in front of her.

Fan Xia withdrew her gaze and took a sip of milk. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, “Rong Xiu, I really didn’t do anything untoward last night, right?”

Rong Xiu looked at her leisurely. “Why do you ask that?”

Fan Xia pointed at the bathrobe he was wearing. “Why are you in my suite, and wearing a bathrobe?”

“Do you really want to know?” Rong Xiu leaned in slightly, his slight movement revealing a large expanse of firm skin on his chest.

She averted her gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable as she nodded.

“If you really did something to me in your drunken state, would you take responsibility? Would you give up Wen Lan Sheng and marry me?” Rong Xiu hooked her collar with his finger, his low breath brushing past her ear.

Fan Xia lowered her head, her lips quivering. Before she could answer, Rong Xiu spoke first.

“Don’t overthink it. I lost my room key last night, so I’m just staying here temporarily,” Rong Xiu’s voice was light and rushed, as if fearing to hear her negative answer.

Besides Wen Lan Sheng, she also had Gu Jin. Even if she were to abandon Wen Lan Sheng, it wouldn’t be his turn.

Fan Xia’s fingertips curled slightly as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Then I’ll go take a shower,” she said.

Rong Xiu responded faintly.

The shower in a five-star hotel was much better than in ordinary hotels. The gentle, even water sprayed on her body, the sound of rushing water enveloping her ears, blocking out all external noises.

When she finished showering and walked out of the bathroom, wiping her wet hair with a towel, she came to the living room, about to sit down and use the hair dryer. However, she saw a man sitting next to Rong Xiu. It was Wen Lan Sheng.

Rong Xiu and Wen Lan Sheng sat with a clear divide between them, both with lowered expressions. The surrounding temperature seemed to have mysteriously dropped, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

“Lan… Lan Sheng?”

Fan Xia rubbed her eyes, thinking she might be hallucinating due to lack of oxygen from showering too long. Otherwise, how could she see Wen Lan Sheng sitting next to Rong Xiu?

She looked again.

No mistake, it was Wen Lan Sheng.

“Surprise!” Wen Lan Sheng, upon seeing Fan Xia, immediately hugged her tightly like an octopus, happily exclaiming.

Fan Xia was so surprised that the towel in her hand fell: “Lan Sheng? How did you get here!”

“Lan Sheng arrived not long after you went to shower. Fan Xia, your good husband is very clingy, truly can’t bear to be apart from you for a moment,” Rong Xiu said carelessly as he stroked Yi Zhi Mei’s smooth fur, his voice weary.

Wen Lan Sheng smiled and hooked Fan Xia’s neck, affectionately kissing her cheek. “Because I missed you. Last night you weren’t by my side, I couldn’t sleep at all, so I took the earliest flight to come see you.”

Fan Xia awkwardly pushed away the overly intimate Wen Lan Sheng, saying softly, “Rong Xiu is still here.”

Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes changed slightly, cold as frost, but he smiled and said, “Speaking of which, I was surprised to find that it was Senior Rong Xiu who opened the door for me, and he was wearing a bathrobe. I was startled, thinking I had gone to the wrong room. But after carefully checking the hotel information, I realized this was the right suite. It scared me to death.”

Wen Lan Sheng patted his chest as if still in shock, his cold gaze sweeping over him subtly. “Fortunately, I didn’t go to the wrong room. But why is Senior Rong Xiu in your room, Xia Xia? Is his bathroom broken?”

“Uh, no, Rong Xiu lost his room key, so he’s just staying here for a while,” Fan Xia said.

“I see.” Wen Lan Sheng picked up the towel from the ground and took a new dry towel to wipe her wet hair, his tone strange. “It’s fortunate that Senior Rong Xiu is staying with you, otherwise he’d have to go to the front desk to get a new room key, which would waste over half an hour.”

Wen Lan Sheng lowered his head, shooting him a glare without leaving a trace.

He had felt that something was off about Fan Xia’s business trip this time. On a holiday island far from the capital, a single man and woman, it would be easy for something to happen if they weren’t careful.

Fortunately, he reacted in time, secretly taking note of Fan Xia’s hotel information and following her here.

But he didn’t expect to still be a step too late. When he knocked on the hotel room door, he saw the smug Rong Xiu coming to open it, wearing a bathrobe with messy hair, leaning lazily against the doorframe, his bathrobe collar exposed, his gaze provocative: “Oh, you followed? Here to catch an adulterer?”

He almost couldn’t resist rushing up to pull his hair, tear his face, rip his clothes and post it online for everyone to see what a scumbag he was.

But he couldn’t. He and Fan Xia were about to get married, and at this critical juncture, he absolutely couldn’t cause any trouble.

Not to mention whether there was really an affair between Fan Xia and Rong Xiu, even if there was, Wen Lan Sheng would choose to pretend not to know.

Because he understood that no matter how deep his relationship with Fan Xia was, it couldn’t compare to Rong Xiu’s ten billion fortune. If he really fell out with Rong Xiu, Fan Xia might directly cancel the wedding and turn to marry Rong Xiu instead, which would play right into that bastard’s hands.

Since Fan Xia was willing to hide her affair with Rong Xiu from him, it meant that Fan Xia still had him in her heart.

He had loved Fan Xia for so many years, he absolutely couldn’t let that bastard Rong Xiu steal her away.

Since Rong Xiu was so shameless as to actively be the third wheel, then let him be. As long as he didn’t expose this relationship, Rong Xiu would forever be the mistress who couldn’t see the light of day, while he would be Fan Xia’s rightful husband.

Wen Lan Sheng glared at Rong Xiu hatefully.

But Rong Xiu didn’t care at all, leisurely playing with Yi Zhi Mei in his arms, his thin eyelids lazily drooping, not even bothering to give him a glance.

After a while, his thin lips moved slightly, and he said with a cold laugh, “I have a poor memory, unlike Lan Sheng, who remembers Fan Xia’s hotel information so clearly.”

Only then did Fan Xia realize why Wen Lan Sheng knew which hotel and which room she was staying in.

“You looked through my phone?!”