Chapter 25: I

"I"

Chen Yansen was stunned by her shout.

He then scanned her up and down, noticing mud and dirty water splattered on her shirt and pants; recalling the puddle they’d just passed, he instantly understood what had happened.

"Do you want me to wash your clothes clean, or just pay you?"

Chen Yansen didn’t argue—he asked bluntly.

"I—I don’t know. What do you think I should do?"

Song Yuncheng’s aggression faltered; her tone softened. She hadn’t expected Chen Yansen, who had just been so hostile, to suddenly admit fault so readily, as if leaving everything to her discretion.

The brick in her hand slipped unconsciously, clattering to the ground.

"Here’s the deal: first, take off your dirty clothes and give them to me—I’ll wash them and return them; second, I’ll compensate you three hundred yuan. Pick one."

Chen Yansen stared directly at her.

Her outfit was simple: a white T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes. From his experience, the whole ensemble was worth at most two hundred yuan—the extra hundred was for cleaning.

It was his fault anyway; no need to bully her. Besides, the girl was quite good-looking.

Her features were delicate, with a classic oval face, long lashes dusted with mist, a straight nose, and crimson lips. Her upper body was half-drenched by rain, revealing a startling curve—certainly a C-cup at least.

"I don’t want money."

Song Yuncheng shook her head, rejecting the second option.

Seeing Chen Yansen’s good attitude, her anger had largely subsided. Her clothes were cheap finds from the wholesale market, totaling less than a hundred yuan—she naturally didn’t want to accept his three hundred yuan compensation.

"There’s a hotel ahead. I’ll book you a room so you can change out of your wet clothes."

Chen Yansen thought for a moment, pointing to the hotel nearby.

"N-no thanks."

Song Yuncheng waved her hands frantically—she didn’t want to go to a hotel with two strangers.

"You don’t mean you want to strip right here in front of me?"

Chen Yansen sighed helplessly and teased, then added: "Relax—we’re both students at Xucheng College."

"Alright then."

Hearing this, Song Yuncheng’s reservations immediately eased. After a moment’s thought, she nodded in agreement.

The hotel was only forty or fifty meters away. Chen Yansen restarted the car and drove it to the hotel entrance.

The front desk clerk looked up, seeing two men and one woman walking in.

"Give me three rooms—the most expensive ones you have."

Chen Yansen pulled out his wallet and spoke with grand confidence to the owner.

He always believed in the life principle: "Money is meant to be spent—never deprive yourself." Just from renting a luxury car, you could tell.

Why didn’t he buy a car?

Obviously!

He had less than two hundred thousand yuan total—what kind of car could he afford that he’d even dare to drive?

"Uh, we only have one room left today. It’s freshman registration season—lots of parents are around."

The owner blinked, then explained patiently.

"There’s another hotel just ahead."

Song Yuncheng stood behind them, head bowed, whispering a reminder.

"That one ahead? You’d never be comfortable there."

The owner glanced at the Mercedes E300 at the door, then smiled confidently.

There was indeed another hotel ahead, but its decor was five or six years old—the rooms were small, shabby, and dirty. Poor students might tolerate it, but these three, driving a Mercedes, would definitely turn right back.

"Is the remaining room a single or a double?"

Chen Yansen caught the implication in the owner’s words. He mentally cursed his bad luck and asked.

"It’s a double. But I have to warn you—it can only accommodate two people."

The owner squinted, speaking with serious tone.

"I—I won’t be staying."

Song Yuncheng quickly explained, but she couldn’t say she only needed to change clothes—even though that was the truth. Saying it outright would inevitably invite misunderstanding.

"ID, two hundred yuan deposit, and all visitors must register."

Once they’d decided, the owner began processing their paperwork.

Three minutes later.

The three of them walked up the stairs—two men, one woman, one behind the other.

Song Yuncheng watched their backs, unease creeping in. She suddenly realized: they claimed to be students at Xucheng University, but she hadn’t even seen their student IDs.

Besides, which university student could afford a Mercedes?

In an instant, she wanted to turn and run!

It felt as if one more step forward would plunge her into a bottomless abyss!

"Hey! What are you thinking? Oh, is the suitcase too heavy?"

Chen Yansen turned around, seeing her frozen in place. He grabbed her suitcase and marched upstairs with a clatter.

"Give me back my suitcase!"

Song Yuncheng panicked, gritted her teeth, and chased after him, furious.

"It’s not heavy at all! Fine, fine—I’ll give it back."

Seeing her wide-eyed, trembling, on the verge of tears, Chen Yansen’s heart softened. He spoke gently.

Song Yuncheng snatched back her suitcase and stared fixedly at Chen Yansen, her timid eyes holding a trace of curiosity.

"Look closely—do I look like a bad guy? Which crime drama has a guy as handsome as me?"

Chen Yansen laughed, exasperated. Then he leaned closer, offering her a better look.

Song Yuncheng blinked, her gaze settling on Chen Yansen.

He stood tall—taller than even the tallest boy in their class. His short hair was neat and clean, his eyebrows sharp as blades, his eyes bright and striking, his lips curled in a carefree smirk.

He was, as he claimed, good-looking—but he didn’t look like a decent person.

"N-not like a bad guy."

Song Yuncheng stammered, lying through her teeth.

"Hmph!"

Chen Yansen saw right through her insincerity. He snorted, turned away, and walked toward the room.

Song Yuncheng hesitated for over ten seconds, then followed.

"Ding-ding-ding—"

Chen Yansen swiped his key card—the door opened, revealing a translucent frosted glass panel: clearly the bathroom door.

"Here’s the card. Change your clothes and come out—we’ll wait for you at the door."

Chen Yansen slipped the card into her hand and motioned for Wang Zihao to head out.

Before Song Yuncheng could react, the two shut the door and left.

Song Yuncheng’s mind was a mess. So much had happened in just a few minutes—she couldn’t keep up.

This boy, who laughed so carelessly, probably wasn’t a bad guy.

Song Yuncheng smiled faintly, then laid her suitcase down, pulled out a clean set of clothes, and stepped into the bathroom.

Her wet clothes clung tightly to her skin, making her uncomfortable; peeling them off was difficult. As her garments slowly came off, her pale, rosy skin emerged.

Standing before the mirror, Song Yuncheng glanced quickly, then lowered her head and slipped into the shower.

At the door, Chen Yansen leaned against the wall, tapping his phone keys with a rhythmic click.

"Sen-ge, this girl’s really pretty. Probably our senior."

Wang Zihao, who’d been holding back all this time, nudged Chen Yansen’s arm and grinned.

"Yeah, maybe."

Chen Yansen replied to Meng Jie’s message, then put his phone down and said to Wang Zihao: "Our school’s location isn’t great, but the quality of the seniors and juniors? Top-notch. You’ve got both big sisters and little sisters—depends on your taste."

"Sen-ge, you know me—I’ve always liked the big ones."

Wang Zihao, shy yet mischievous, replied with a sly grin.

(End of Chapter)