Chapter 86: The Tycoon Xia Xingxing

The rain had stopped, though no one knew when.

By dawn, the sky was already a boundless expanse of clear blue.

Qin Yun stepped out of the car, stretched his stiff body, ran two laps around the parking lot, and felt refreshed again.

He took the stove, stool, and table out of the trunk and immediately prepared breakfast.

Xia Xingxing opened her eyes drawn by the aroma, half-asleep, she threw off the blanket, opened the car door, and stepped out—but she forgot she was wearing Qin Yun’s T-shirt, and nothing else.

The morning breeze blew, sending a chilly sensation straight to her backside.

Qin Yun looked up at her; she looked back. Their eyes met. Xia Xingxing’s cheeks slowly flushed red, then she let out a scream on the spot and bolted back into the car.

He rubbed his nose, thinking to himself: quite fair and soft.

Xia Xingxing hid back in the car, dazed—had this been an animated film, she’d have been steaming.

“So embarrassing, Xia Xingxing!” She rubbed her cheeks hard, her palms clearly feeling the heat.

After a long while, seeing no movement from the car, Qin Yun couldn’t help calling out: “Xia Xingxing, come eat breakfast.”

“Mm, okay, I’m coming right down.”

Had Qin Yun’s hearing not been sharp, he might not have caught that whisper-thin voice.

Xia Xingxing touched her clothes and pants by the vent—they were already dry, since they hadn’t been fully soaked. She quickly peeled off the T-shirt and changed into her own clothes.

When she stepped out of the car, Xia Xingxing dared not meet Qin Yun’s eyes.

“Come eat first. Afterward, we can leave.”

“Oh.”

Xia Xingxing sat down on the chair opposite Qin Yun; a pancake and a bottle of milk appeared before her.

“Eat.”

“Thank you!”

Qin Yun nodded, eating as he spoke: “Are you from around here?”

Xia Xingxing took a bite of the pancake in her bowl; the scent of scallions flooded her mouth, making her eyes light up. She shook her head, chewing quickly: “No, I’m here visiting my grandfather. My family’s in Shanghai.”

“Then why’d you come all this way without spare clothes? Your other gear’s fully packed,” Qin Yun said, puzzled.

Xia Xingxing blushed: “Yesterday’s weather forecast looked good, so I left all my luggage at my grandfather’s. Didn’t expect a downpour.”

Ah, that explained it. Qin Yun had thought she simply didn’t bother bringing essentials.

At this hour, the scenic area showed not a single soul—not even a staff member. The two sat in the parking lot, forming their own peculiar scene.

When they’d finished eating, Qin Yun said: “I’m planning to leave...”

Before he could finish, a system panel suddenly dropped, and a voice echoed in his ear.

【Publishing check-in task: Host must attend the October 18 Poetry Conference at the Lanke Mountain Go Park. Completing the task upon reaching the finals.】

“Big Brother Qin, what did you say?”

Qin Yun snapped back to reality, shook his head: “Nothing. By the way, have you heard of the Lanke Mountain Poetry Conference?”

Xia Xingxing blinked, delighted: “Big Brother Qin, you like poetry too? Tomorrow’s the semifinals and finals of the Lanke Mountain Poetry Conference.”

She tilted her head slightly, eyes smiling: “I already passed the preliminary round.”

Qin Yun wanted to laugh but held it in, giving a thumbs-up: “Impressive. Didn’t know you were a literary type. Admirable, admirable.”

With his praise, Xia Xingxing nearly burst into a grin.

“Big Brother Qin, want to join? This year’s format changed: anyone who passed the prelims can bring a partner to the semifinals and finals. If you’re interested, come with me?”

“Sure. I don’t understand poetry, but I’ve always been fascinated by our country’s poetic culture.”

Qin Yun had no reason to refuse—he immediately agreed. That meant he’d have to stay in Quzhou for two more days; he couldn’t leave tomorrow, not even the day after at the earliest.

Indeed, whenever the system issued a check-in task, his schedule was no longer his own.

“Hehe, I’m confident I’ll make the finals. Big Brother Qin, just wait—I’ll carry you along.”

“That good?”

Seeing Qin Yun’s astonished, admiring gaze, Xia Xingxing couldn’t hold back: “I won second prize in the National Poetry Competition.”

This time, Qin Yun was genuinely surprised.

He’d heard of the National Poetry Competition—it was a CCTV program. Winning second prize there meant serious talent.

He bowed slightly: “So it’s a literary talent before me. My apologies for my ignorance.”

Xia Xingxing feigned indifference, but her grin was barely contained: “Nothing much, nothing much.”

Watching her clearly relish the praise, Qin Yun heaped on even more compliments, until he’d turned her into Li Qingzhao.

“Big Brother Qin, are you traveling across the country by car?”

Qin Yun nodded: “Yeah, just wandering, experiencing local customs, tasting regional cuisine.”

“I’m so envious,” Xia Xingxing said, her eyes full of longing. “I love this kind of life, but my mom always interferes.”

“Then just do it,” Qin Yun said casually, then paused. “By the way, how old are you? In college?”

“Just graduated from Jiaotong University,” Xia Xingxing grinned. “Big Brother Qin, do I look like a middle schooler?”

Qin Yun was speechless. Was that something to be proud of?

“I want to do it too,” Xia Xingxing returned to the topic, her face now troubled. “But Mom says I’m not grown up—she won’t let me do this or that. This trip to Quzhou? I begged and begged before she agreed.”

“You’re a girl, and a cute one at that,” Qin Yun laughed. “If I were your dad, I’d forbid you from wandering around too. What if you ran into bad people?”

Xia Xingxing’s cheeks flushed. She thought Big Brother Qin had a sweet tongue—always speaking plain truths.

Qin Yun’s peripheral vision caught staff entering and exiting the scenic area’s gate. He stood up to pack up.

“We should head out. I’ll find a hotel first. Today I’ll explore Quzhou. We’ll meet again at Lanke Mountain tomorrow?”

“Big Brother Qin hasn’t booked a hotel yet? Let me book one for you. My grandfather owns a few hotels—he’ll give you a free room.”

“Won’t that be too much trouble?”

“Not at all. Just one phone call.”

Without delay, Xia Xingxing pulled out her phone and dialed. Soon, a voice answered: “Xiao Xing?”

“Sister Li, prepare a room for my friend—he’ll check in soon.”

“Alright. What’s your friend’s surname?”

“Qin. No need to worry—I’ll come over too.”

“Oh?” The voice on the other end sounded surprised. “Xiao Xing, is he a guy? Are you dating? You’re usually not this enthusiastic.”

Seeing Qin Yun quietly packing, Xia Xingxing lowered her voice: “Sister Li, don’t say that. He’s just a friend.”

“Oh, just a friend?” The voice dripped with teasing. “Alright, noted. Call me when you arrive.”

“Mm, gotta go. Bye.”

After hanging up, Xia Xingxing turned to Qin Yun: “Big Brother Qin, your room’s booked. Let’s go.”

Qin Yun neatly folded the table and chairs, closed the trunk, and nodded: “Thanks. I won’t refuse.”

“It’s no problem. The room sits empty anyway.”

This time, Xia Xingxing’s car led the way, Qin Yun followed behind. After about fifteen minutes, the city came into view.

Quzhou’s urban layout resembled Zhoushan’s—typical of a fourth- or fifth-tier city.

Along the way, he’d heard fighter jets roar past at least four times. No wonder there were almost no skyscrapers.

As they drove, passing hotel after hotel, Xia Xingxing’s car suddenly turned into the internal entrance of the Hilton.

They parked outside. Qin Yun stared at the hotel—this was the first time he realized Xia Xingxing was a true tycoon. She said this hotel belonged to her grandfather, but Hilton was an international chain, wasn’t it?

“DoubleTreeBYHILTON”

The hotel’s entrance sign was in English. The whole place screamed one word: grand.

“You’re sure this is your grandfather’s property?” Qin Yun’s mouth twitched as he looked at Xia Xingxing.

Xia Xingxing nodded: “Yes. This Hilton in Quzhou is operated by my grandfather’s company. They hold shares—it counts as his property.”

Fine. He’d been ignorant.

Through the revolving door, a dazzling, gilded lobby greeted them—the floor tiles were so polished they could serve as mirrors.

“Xiao Xing.”

A woman in a business suit approached them.

“Sister!”

Qin Yun looked over. She was at least 1.7 meters tall, with exquisite features, a slender figure, flawless beauty.

Zhong Li, seeing the two figures enter the revolving door, immediately fixed her scrutinizing gaze on the man.

She knew Xia Xingxing’s background, so she viewed anyone approaching her with suspicion.

But as they drew closer and she saw the man’s face, her mouth dropped open in shock.

“Qin... Qin Ye!”

Hearing her address, Qin Yun realized she was one of his Douyin fans—he smiled.

Xia Xingxing was about to speak when she heard Zhong Li fix her gaze on Qin Yun and utter a title she didn’t understand.

“Sister Li, do you know Big Brother Qin?”

Zhong Li’s expression turned strange: “Xiao Xing, you don’t know Qin Ye?”

You, an outdoor enthusiast, don’t know Qin Ye—the outdoor god of Douyin? And yet you brought him here.

Xia Xingxing was baffled.

Qin Yun chuckled: “Xia Xingxing, I’m a Douyin streamer. Sister Zhong must’ve watched my livestreams—my fans call me Qin Ye.”

Xia Xingxing’s eyes widened: “Big Brother Qin, you’re a streamer? What kind?”

Zhong Li extended her hand: “Hello, Qin Ye. I’m Zhong Li, manager of this hotel. Let me take you to your room.”

Qin Yun gently released his grip: “Miss Zhong, hello. I didn’t expect someone so young would be in charge of such a large hotel.”

“You flatter me—it’s just family business,” Zhong Li said with casual ease.

“...”

Damn, another rich kid. So Xiaoxing and Zhong Li are cousins.

Following Zhong Li, Qin Yun soon appeared on the top floor.

He tugged at Xiaoxing’s sleeve: “You didn’t arrange a presidential suite for me, did you?”

Xiaoxing blinked: “This room’s been empty all along—why not stay? Sister, you agree, right?”

Zhong Li opened the door and gestured inward: “Mr. Qin, no need to be formal. As Xiaoxing said, it’s empty anyway—might as well use it.”

Fine, two spoiled rich young ladies—truly extravagant.

Only when he stepped inside did he truly feel how incomparable the presidential suite was compared to an ordinary room.

“Mr. Qin, the room is three hundred and five square meters, with separate living, dining, and bedroom areas...”