"Don’t recognize me anymore?"
Tang Li clenched the hanger in her hand, feeling both surprised and conflicted. Surprised by his sudden appearance, tangled over how he knew she was here. Subsequently, unable to restrain the surge of emotions, she rushed into his embrace.
Just like that time at the long-distance bus station.
Due to that inertia, as Song Baiyan’s left hand, the one wearing a watch, enveloped her, he spun her half a turn on the spot.
Tang Li tightly wrapped around his broad arms, and after turning half a circle, her feet touched the carpet again. But she was unwilling to leave his embrace, burying her face in Song Baiyan’s chest, smelling the faint scent of alcohol on his suit and shirt. In a foreign land in the dead of night, it gave her a profound sense of security.
"How did you know I was here?" the girl’s voice came muffled.
Song Baiyan’s large hand was feeling her slender clavicle through her homewear, tracing her butterfly bone.
This sensation, it was like holding a little tree adorned with twinkling stars.
It looked frail and thin, yet was resilient and exquisite.
As Tang Li threw herself at him, Song Baiyan’s heart softened, irrespective of the day’s weariness from travel or the lethargy after a state banquet. Embracing the girl in his arms made all exhaustion and hardship vanish, leaving nothing but tranquility and peace.
"How did you know I’ve come to London?"
The man’s palm gently stroked her spine: "Escaping to a foreign country in secret, and not allowing anyone to know."
"Coming to a place where the language is unknown, aren’t you afraid?"
"You’re here too, aren’t you?"
Tang Li responded, "Although I haven’t passed the IELTS, my English is actually pretty good. If I really can’t communicate with the locals, I’ll go to the embassy. I’ve already looked up the location of the embassy before I came."
The most embarrassing outcome would be being deported.
And then she couldn’t help but ask: "Did you put a tracking device on me?"
Song Baiyan had already let go of her.
In the cramped corridor, Tang Li looked down at her body and felt through her pockets. Not finding anything suspicious, she looked up again, pursed her lips, and gazed deeply at Song Baiyan: "Did you implant a chip under my skin while I was asleep? So, you just make a call and know where I am?"
Song Baiyan chuckled, pinched the bridge of his nose, and cast a gentle look: "What on earth are you always pondering about in that little head of yours?"
"If it’s not a chip implant, then are you having someone monitor my whereabouts all the time?"
As she spoke, Tang Li put her hands behind her back, her expression somewhat shy: "Although that’s kind of creepy, I’m not very resistant to it."
Tang Li had booked a single room.
Inside the room, all other facilities were complete and tidy.
Seeing Song Baiyan looking around, Tang Li took the initiative to explain: "I read guides online, many people recommended this hotel, 100 pounds a night, including breakfast. The staff at the front desk were very nice, and there’s a handsome guy who showed me to the room last night."
Then, Song Baiyan sat down by the bed.
He set his suit aside and naturally pulled over Tang Li’s hand, inviting her to sit on his lap: "When you’re outside, especially abroad, you can’t be too trusting of strangers."
Such a posture made Tang Li’s "old" face turn red.
She lifted a hand, lightly touching her earlobe: "Today, I even encountered a few folks dressed up as anime characters outside. They wanted to take photos with me, but I refused. We have this in China too, they take a picture and then ask you for money. If you don’t pay, they won’t let you go. I am smart, aren’t I?"