"I’m to blame, I was too nervous, and too impulsive..."
"Really, it doesn’t hurt,"
Chen Cheng lifted her chin, "How could I feel any pain when I see you?"
Their eyes met, and Meng Wanning’s heart skipped a beat.
His gaze was so gentle, so focused, at this moment, in Chen Cheng’s eyes, there was only her.
Meng Wanning shyly turned her head, but her body involuntarily leaned against Chen Cheng’s, her white canvas shoes shaking slightly, just like her mood at the moment.
"Next time, let’s choose a place where no one is around."
Meng Wanning was both annoyed and pleased, she snorted, "I’m going back now."
Saying that, she stood up.
Chen Cheng grabbed her hand, "Go back where?"
"Back to the Kaiyang hotel!"
Meng Wanning answered honestly, and half a second later, she realized and said with a smile, "Did you think I was going back to Beijing?"
Chen Cheng smiled, "I really thought you were going to leave me alone here."
"Hmph, I would never do that!"
Meng Wanning lifted her chin proudly, "Once I’ve made a decision, it’s set!"
Chen Cheng stood up, "Okay then. But, don’t leave tonight."
Meng Wanning became nervous again, "Then where will I stay..."
Chen Cheng: "It’s too late, I can’t let you go back alone by taxi. Xiao Hai is also very tired these past few days. It’s tough for him to go back and forth."
He looked at Meng Wanning, "Come back to the hotel with me."
"Ah? Didn’t we just..."
Chen Cheng patted his forehead, "I mean, come back to the hotel, I’ll get you a separate room."
Meng Wanning sighed with relief, she might be innocent, but she understood that something could happen.
But definitely not now.
"You probably haven’t been resting well lately in the county. When we get to the hotel, have a good bath."
Chen Cheng walked back with Meng Wanning, "If you need makeup remover, face masks or anything, I’ll get Manager Xu to buy them for you."
"You just need to sleep well, tomorrow I will take you back to the county to collect your belongings."
Chen Cheng’s domineering CEO-like statement made Meng Wanning very reassured.
"I don’t have many belongings, just a few clothes over there."
She quickly followed by Chen Cheng’s side, "I also don’t wear makeup usually, just face wash will do."
Chen Cheng stopped walking, again lifting Meng Wanning’s chin, looking at her slender, lightly made-up face, and laughed:
"You’re so beautiful without makeup, if you put makeup on, wouldn’t I be mesmerized?"
Meng Wanning’s cheeks instantly became hot, she annoyed slapped away Chen Cheng’s hand, chastising coyly, "How can you say that about someone..."
Chen Cheng, holding the freshly issued room card, took Meng Wanning to her room door.
"Here’s the card," he said, "I am staying in the room opposite yours, call or message me if you need anything."
Meng Wanning took the card with both hands, nodding slightly, "Okay."
"Then... Brother Cheng, I’ll go inside now."
"Go on." Chen Cheng pocketed his hands, "Rest well."
Meng Wanning swiped the room card and before closing the door, left a small gap, looking at Chen Cheng who stood erect outside.
Chen Cheng noticed that Meng Wanning hadn’t completely shut the door and asked, "What’s wrong? Is there something else?"
Meng Wanning bit her lower lip, seemingly hesitant.
She peeked her head out, her gaze wavering, not daring to look directly into Chen Cheng’s eyes, and asked softly, "That... do you want to come in and sit?"
After saying this, Meng Wanning’s cheeks reddened.
She really wanted to find a crack to crawl into. What was she thinking? Why did she invite him in?
Chen Cheng visibly paused for a moment, then deliberately took a couple of steps forward, "You said it."
Hearing Chen Cheng’s words, Meng Wanning quickly waved her hands, frantically explaining, "No, I didn’t mean that!"
"Then what did you mean?" Chen Cheng looked at her, his eyes brimming with amusement.
"My meaning is..." Meng Wanning stammered, unable to articulate her thoughts clearly.
Chen Cheng looked at her flustered appearance, "Alright, I won’t tease you anymore."
He gently said, "I’m also going back to my room now."
Meng Wanning quickly closed the door, leaning against it, gasping for air.
The scene just now lingered in her mind for a long time, making her unable to resist leaning on the door and peeping through the peephole at Chen Cheng as he opened the door opposite hers.
Until she saw the door across close, Meng Wanning’s heart finally settled down.
She turned around, inserted the room card into the power switch, and when the suite’s lights turned on, she once again felt the care of Chen Cheng.
These past days, she had been staying in a standard room with her colleague, Zhang Zhang.
Of course, they weren’t staying at the luxurious Nanjiang Hotel where Chen Cheng not stayed but in an ordinary small inn in the county.
The room only had a musty smell, and in the cramped space were placed two single beds just 1.2 meters wide, even the nightstands bore marks of burnt cigarette butts.
And the bathroom, there’s no need to mention how poor it was; the shower had a pitifully low water flow, and the water temperature fluctuated between hot and cold—it felt like undergoing a trial by fire.
What she found unbearable was the poor soundproofing of the room; she could hear everything clearly from the neighboring rooms: conversations, sound from TVs, and even snoring.
She hadn’t had a good sleep in a long time.
And now, seeing this spacious, bright room, the soft, comfortable bed, and the bathroom with a faint scent of aromatherapy, Meng Wanning felt an indescribable relaxation and comfort.
This was the life she was meant to have.
Meng Wanning shook her head, throwing those chaotic thoughts to the back of her mind.
It was only as she took off her overcoat that she realized the coat that Chen Cheng had draped over her shoulders was still on her.
She carefully took it off, held it in her arms, tentatively smelled it, and a blissful smile appeared on her face.
"Brother Cheng is so good to me."
Meng Wanning mumbled to herself: "He doesn’t seem as stern as he looks."
"But it seems everyone calls him Brother Cheng."
"That’s not right, the senior sister calls him Xiao Cheng."
"And Miss Wen, she calls him Mr. Chen."
"Should I also think of a special name for him?"
A gentle affection appeared on Meng Wanning’s face at the thought, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
"Oh my, Meng Wanning, what are you thinking!"
She quickly shook her head, casting those messy thoughts out of her mind.
"I can’t think about this anymore, I can’t..."
She patted her hot cheeks and forced herself to calm down.
"Better take a bath first..."
Meng Wanning hung up Chen Cheng’s clothes properly and headed to the bathroom.
"Eh? There’s a bathtub!" Meng Wanning excitedly rushed over, and then noticed the warm reminder on the bathtub, "Hot spring water is hot, be careful of scalding."
"It’s even a hot spring!"
"Brother Cheng treats me so well!"
She quickly ran the hot water, tested the water temperature, and then slowly stripped and relaxed into the massage bathtub.
The warm spring water embraced her body, dispelling all fatigue and chill, making her feel incredibly relaxed and comfortable.
She closed her eyes, and the image of Chen Cheng’s sharply defined face, as well as his gentle gaze and commanding tone once again appeared in her mind.
"You don’t have to face them..."
"You are you, you are Meng Wanning..."
"Just be happy, leave everything else to me..."
Phrase by phrase, sound by sound, they were imprinted in her mind like a brand, warming her heart.
She knew she had bet right.
This man was worth entrusting her life to.
Meanwhile, after Chen Cheng returned to his room, he wasn’t able immediately to engage in work as usual.
His mind was filled with Meng Wanning, her smile, her tears, each expression, each movement, as if they were scenes from a movie playing repeatedly in his head.
He had never thought he’d meet her here.
Chen Cheng took out his phone, opened Meng Wanning’s WeChat, thinking of sending a message, "She must be washing up, right?"
He unconsciously glanced toward the door.
Then he opened Meng Wanning’s Moments, reflecting her personality, it was very clean.
Aside from a few photos of performances, there were just some snippets of daily life.
No heavily edited selfies, no fancy rhetoric, just real and straightforward records.
Chen Cheng, looking at it, couldn’t help but slightly smile.
He discovered he was growing fonder of this simple, kind-hearted girl.
A WeChat notification sound.
It was from Meng Wanning.
"Brother Cheng, the hot spring water is warm. I really like it."
Chen Cheng looked at the text on the screen, his lips curling into a smile, thought for a moment, and replied, "Good that you like it."