When the two arrived at the hotel, although the lobby was still brightly lit, it was exceptionally quiet, with their footsteps echoing clearly on the floor.
The night shift receptionist, upon seeing someone approach, greeted them with a warm smile, devoid of the fatigue one might expect at such a late hour.
They handed over their ID cards.
Unfortunately, the hotel happened to be hosting a large-scale business conference, and the standard twin room that Lu Xingyan inquired about was no longer available, only a room with a double bed.
Lu Xingyan said, “A double bedroom will do.”
The receptionist carefully observed their expressions and softly asked, “Would you two be needing one room or two?”
After a moment of silence, Lu Xingyan said, “One room.”
The receptionist nodded. “Alright, please wait a moment.”
Lu Xingyan subtly glanced at Shen Xingruo.
Shen Xingruo didn’t speak, which probably meant she agreed.
The room was on the sixteenth floor. They swiped the card to enter the elevator, and the mirrored walls reflected their expressions with exceptional clarity.
Shen Xingruo appeared calm, without even a hint of nervousness in her lowered gaze.
On the other hand, Lu Xingyan fidgeted with her bangs for a while, then cleared her throat a couple of times, touching the back of her neck. Her nervousness was evident in her numerous small movements.
They swiped the card to enter the room, and with a soft beep, the lights came on.
The room wasn’t large, with just one big bed. Directly facing them was a television, beside which stood a floor-to-ceiling window with a sofa, a small table, and a floor lamp. When lying on the bed, they could faintly see the scenery of the Star River.
On the other side was a frosted glass bathroom, with bamboo blinds pulled tightly shut, ensuring privacy.
After a night of rushing around, perspiring profusely, Shen Xingruo’s first action upon entering the room was to open the wardrobe.
Inside were hanging bathrobes, along with neatly packaged new bathrobes and disposable changing clothes with clearly marked prices.
She unpacked a set and headed for the shower. While Shen Xingruo was showering, Lu Xingyan paced back and forth in the room, casually making about seventy or eighty laps.
As the saying goes, “You never know the value of a book until it’s used,” or in this case, “You never realize the climax until you’re in it.” Damn, he couldn’t just go ahead and… He didn’t doubt for a moment that if he dared to make any inappropriate moves, Shen Xingruo would either chop off his hands or drag him straight to the police station, accusing him of sexual harassment during their relationship.
Lu Xingyan’s mind went blank. After completing his laps, he stopped in front of the TV cabinet and couldn’t help but examine the small box containing condoms.
This hotel had it all. The sizes and brands were quite comprehensive. There were so many lined up; who were they trying to exhaust?
He was so engrossed in his examination that he didn’t even notice the sound of the water in the bathroom stopping until the door creaked open, releasing a cloud of steam, and only then did he come to his senses.
Subconsciously glancing backward, he hastily put down the small box, cleared his throat awkwardly, and then put his hands in his pockets.
Shen Xingruo stood by the door, glanced at him, dried her hair slowly, and started to walk out.
The hotel’s standard-sized bathrobe was a bit too big for her, even when she pulled the collar closer, it still revealed a large expanse of white skin below her neck.
Her collarbones were beautiful, forming a delicate line that made her shoulders appear slender.
Lu Xingyan had seen more revealing attire before, but now, he still couldn’t help but blush and didn’t know where to look.
He also noticed Shen Xingruo glance at the box of self-service shopping items. Nervously, he felt the need to explain unnecessarily, “I didn’t bring any cigarettes. I just checked. The cigarettes here are quite expensive, and not even a good brand.”
Shen Xingruo remained silent, continued drying her hair, and walked up to him.
She paused, then suddenly reached out, picked up the box of condoms that he had just examined, and adjusted its position. Then, she continued walking to get the hairdryer.
Lu Xingyan “…”
He turned around. “I was just checking, nothing else.”
Lu Xingyan knew that no one would believe him even if he said that. After saying it, he felt particularly awkward.
What’s the point of denying anything anyway? He thought, what’s wrong with thinking about his girlfriend? It’s not illegal.
Shen Xingruo picked up the hairdryer and glanced at him. “Your thoughts won’t change anything.”
Lu Xingyan “…”
He pressed his temples, sighed, and resignedly took his things to the bathroom to shower.
It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom that he understood the meaning behind Shen Xingruo’s earlier words, “Your thoughts won’t change anything.”
—She had unpacked a package of sanitary pads, leaving a few pieces on the sink.
Only then did Lu Xingyan remember that Shen Xingruo’s menstrual period was supposed to be at the beginning of the month, coinciding with the college entrance examination. Aunt Zhou had forcefully delayed her period with a few bowls of medicine.
Okay then. Stop thinking about it tonight.
He took a cold shower, effectively washing away any lingering thoughts.
When Lu Xingyan emerged from the bathroom, Shen Xingruo had already dried her hair and was leaning against the bed, watching a show that seemed to exaggerate the atmosphere of horror and mystery, but the resolution always left viewers scratching their heads.
She seemed quite engrossed, barely touching the bag of potato chips she had opened, her gaze fixed on the TV screen.
Lu Xingyan, drying his hair and trying to gather his thoughts, was about to say something when suddenly, spooky music played on the TV, followed by a ghostly voice saying, “What mysterious origins lie behind the ghost fire of Zhujiabao? What disasters has its appearance brought to this peaceful and beautiful village? Don’t go away, the excitement is coming back soon.”
“…”
Lu Xingyan rubbed the back of his head.
Why did the atmosphere in the room feel so strange all of a sudden?
Since when did Shen Xingruo have this hobby? How was it any different from watching “Getting Rich” on TV2?
Despite the commercials, Shen Xingruo remained focused. After hesitating for a moment, Lu Xingyan stealthily crossed in front of the TV and grabbed the hairdryer before retreating to the bathroom, closing the door behind him to blow-dry his hair.
As he dried his hair and prepared to gather his thoughts again to ask Shen Xingruo if he could also sleep on the bed, the ghostly voice returned:
“The mysterious ghost fire in Zhujiabao, the missing pigs and sheep, the damaged houses—what unknown force lurks behind these enigmatic occurrences?”
Lu Xingyan “…”
Ghost fires, missing livestock, unknown forces… He couldn’t believe any of it.
He circled to Shen Xingruo’s side of the bed, about to speak when she suddenly looked up, glanced at him, and then silently—moved over to another spot on the bed.
…?
Lu Xingyan was slightly puzzled.
Wait, he was already prepared to sleep on the floor, so what was this unexpected stroke of luck?
Without hesitation, Lu Xingyan sprinted at a fifty-meter speed, immediately lifted the covers, and dove in, matching Shen Xingruo’s position and posture, half lying, half leaning against the headboard. He didn’t say another word, simply enjoying the mystery of Zhujiabao’s ghost fire with her in silence.
After watching for a while, Lu Xingyan thought that Shen Xingruo’s taste was quite good. This show was somewhat interesting if you watched it seriously.
While Shen Xingruo appeared calm on the surface, she was quite nervous.
She didn’t know what she was thinking, perhaps she just wanted to experience the adult world fully, so she suggested to Lu Xingyan that they get a room.
This was her first time booking a hotel room, and with her newly minted boyfriend today, it felt quite romantic and exciting.
But she didn’t expect that Lu Xingyan would find the show she casually turned on while he was showering so engrossing. Not only did he enjoy it, but he also occasionally reached for some potato chips for snacks.
If they had bought sunflower seeds when they entered the hotel, she believed Lu Xingyan would have grabbed a handful and cracked them open while watching.
Shen Xingruo watched the villagers on TV clamoring about encountering gods and ghosts, and how they must get their livestock back, with an expressionless face. In her mind, she wondered why Lu Xingyan, who seemed to follow the latest trends at school, secretly enjoyed shows like “Getting Rich” and this kind of supernatural nonsense.
She rubbed her temples, feeling a bit doubtful about her choice of boyfriends.
Twenty minutes later, the episode ended with the mystery of Zhujiabao’s ghost fire still unsolved, and the host waved a fan, bidding farewell until the next episode.
Lu Xingyan, still feeling unsatisfied, finally came to his senses and glanced at Shen Xingruo.
At some point, Shen Xingruo, who had been engrossed in the show before, had drifted off to sleep.
He lowered the volume of the TV and asked, “Are you tired?”
Shen Xingruo nodded slightly.
“Do you want me to turn off the TV so you can sleep?”
He sought Shen Xingruo’s opinion again.
In a half-asleep state, Shen Xingruo murmured, “It’s okay, have you finished watching? If not, you can continue.”
…?
Wasn’t it her who wanted to watch?
Lu Xingyan was a bit confused, but he obediently turned off the TV. He tucked Shen Xingruo in and asked, “Should I turn off the lights now?”
Shen Xingruo replied with a soft “Mm.”
Lu Xingyan reached out and switched off the lights.
The room suddenly plunged into darkness. Both of them lay on the 1.8-meter-wide bed, their sleeping postures unusually proper and restrained.
Originally, with the lights on and the TV playing, lying together on the bed felt fine, as if it were no different from sitting together on the sofa watching TV as usual.
But now, with the surroundings quiet and dark, their breathing became the only sound, initially sporadic but gradually becoming rhythmic and orderly.
Both of them remained awake, and neither spoke a word.
Lu Xingyan felt like this wasn’t right. Even though she was on her period tonight and physical intimacy was out of the question, if they just silently lay in bed and fell asleep until early morning, he could already picture Li Chengfan, Zhao Langming, and the others teasing him for the next twenty years.
Moreover, Shen Xingruo was his girlfriend now, so why should he hesitate?
Actions speak louder than words. Lu Xingyan reached out from under the covers and soon held Shen Xingruo’s slender hand. To his surprise, he noticed that Shen Xingruo didn’t resist.
Encouraged by this, he turned his body slightly and reached out with his other hand, pulling Shen Xingruo closer by her waist.
He could feel Shen Xingruo stiffen slightly at first, but then she seemed to gradually relax.
Sensing this subtle change, Lu Xingyan gently pulled Shen Xingruo into his embrace.
Shen Xingruo didn’t resist and soon found herself enveloped in his arms.
In the darkness, his heartbeat was audible, quick, and strong.
The air conditioning in the room maintained a temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius, and the thin blanket seemed inadequate. Shen Xingruo felt hot, especially when pressed against Lu Xingyan’s chest. The proximity felt too intimate, making her ears and neck burn with heat.
Feeling suffocated, she quietly turned to her side, still nestled in Lu Xingyan’s embrace but now with her back against him.
Lu Xingyan felt her shift against him and blurted out without thinking, “Shen Xingruo.”
She paused. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Lu Xingyan “…”
Could he say, “You moving like that has gotten me excited”?
He endured the discomfort and shifted his lower body slightly backward, trying to avoid any contact with Shen Xingruo. He didn’t want her to think he had lost all decency and humanity, still thinking about desires in such a situation.
But now, he felt stiff and unable to move, tormented by desire, unsure of what to say.
Seeing him silent for a while, Shen Xingruo asked again, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he casually replied, trying to deflect her attention. “Look outside.”
Shen Xingruo turned to look outside.
Tonight, the moon was only a crescent, its gentle light dimmed. The lights around the Star River outside the floor-to-ceiling windows still shimmered, reflecting on the river’s surface.
“It’s beautiful,” she remarked.
Lu Xingyan searched for something else to say. “Look at that green light on the river. Doesn’t it look a bit like… Zhujiabao’s ghost fire?”
Shen Xingruo remained silent.
“Speaking of which, it’s quite eerie,” Lu Xingyan continued. “Where do you think their livestock went?”
Shen Xingruo remained silent.