Upon hearing this, the two people wiping their faces immediately looked strange, which made the foreman tremble with fear.
Did he...did he say something wrong?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Upon hearing the foreman's words, Bai Yan paused, looked at Mu Xing, and her heart suddenly raced.
Will Young Master Mu stay here for the night? If Young Master Mu wants to rest here, she certainly can't ask to leave, and with the rain so heavy, she can't leave either.
What if Young Master Mu... what if...
She hadn't even lit a large candle yet. If she were to share a room with Young Master Mu like this, her mother would surely beat her to death!
But... what if Young Master Mu were willing to light a large candle for her?
Then... it should be fine, right?
Bai Yan fell into deep thought.
Although her time with Young Master Mu was short, she could tell he was a reliable person and not stingy with money. Besides, given that he had spent so much time with her, it was unlikely he was completely indifferent. So, wouldn't staying here tonight be a perfect match made in heaven?
She probably won't meet another man like Young Master Mu. If she can seize this opportunity to win his heart, what is there for her to hesitate about?
After thinking it over for a while, Bai Yan felt more and more that she needed to seize this opportunity. Just as she was about to hint to Mu Xing to stay, Mu Xing suddenly said, "No need. Let's wait and see if the rain will stop."
Bai Yan felt a sudden jolt in her heart and almost couldn't catch her breath.
Why?!
She looked at Mu Xing with confusion, but Mu Xing didn't look at her. Instead, he said to the supervisor, "Excuse me, where is your office's phone number? I need to make a call to the Mu Mansion."
Upon hearing that Mu Xing was calling the Mu Mansion, the head waiter immediately said solicitously, "No problem, this way please."
Mu Xing then said to Bai Yan, "Miss Bai, why don't you rest for a bit? I'll get you back safely." She then asked the supervisor to find a heater for Bai Yan to warm up before hurrying towards the counter, leaving Bai Yan standing there, looking at her in bewilderment.
Mu Xing noticed Bai Yan's gaze, but she didn't dare to look back.
She wasn't some naive, innocent young lady who was completely oblivious to romance. If she stayed here with Miss Bai, Miss Bai would definitely have some thoughts about it.
But she's a woman!
She found Miss Bai interesting and was willing to get to know her and be close to her, but she absolutely did not really consider herself a man or Miss Bai an object to be trifled with.
If Miss Bai found out that she was a woman, especially in a restaurant setting, she couldn't even imagine what would happen.
Even if Miss Bai isn't angry, as a woman, it's inconvenient for her to have any further contact with Miss Bai, and the relationship they've worked so hard to build will naturally be ruined.
Although she couldn't possibly keep it from Miss Bai forever...
His thoughts raced, then stopped there, and he didn't think about it anymore.
Finding the phone, Mu Xing dialed the number for the Mu Mansion, but after waiting for a while, the call didn't go through. He tried several more times, but still couldn't get through.
Mu Xing frowned, and the foreman next to him quickly said, "Perhaps the rain was too heavy and the line broke."
Mu Xing turned her head and saw that the rain was indeed heavier than before. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Could you trouble your shop's servant to send a message to the Mu residence and ask them to send a carriage over?"
That's strange, why would anyone want to go back in such heavy rain...?
Muttering to himself, the foreman feigned a troubled expression: "We certainly can't refuse the master's request, but the rain is really heavy, and it's not easy for a servant to make the round trip..."
Mu Xing naturally knew what he meant: "Of course we can't let you go to waste."
Upon hearing her words, the supervisor beamed again: "Alright, I'll go arrange for someone right away. Sir, please sit by the heater and wait, and warm your clothes."
When Mu Xing returned to the lounge, Bai Yan was drying her hair with a towel provided by the hotel. Seeing her come in, Bai Yan asked, "How did it go? Did you manage to call a car?"
She had figured it out in the short time she had been waiting for Mu Xing.
Mu Xing is not the type to easily philander, and it's normal for a young master from a prominent family to be unwilling to stay at the hotel with her, given his reputation. Besides, on a rainy day like this, the people at the Mu mansion wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her outside unattended.
However, although she could understand it, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Mu Xing told them about sending someone to the Mu Mansion, and the two of them sat together by the stove to warm themselves.
Mu Xing was already a little drunk and had been soaked in the rain, so she was feeling unwell, but she didn't say anything so as not to worry Bai Yan.
"What will happen to the academy if you go back so late?" she asked.
So much time has passed, even if you bribed the maidservant just now, it probably won't work now.
Bai Yan lowered her eyes and said, "I'm afraid I'll be punished."
Mu Xing suddenly became a little anxious: "Then I'll personally take you back later and talk to your mother. She can't possibly disregard my feelings."
Seeing how concerned she was, Bai Yan felt much relieved. The two then sat by the fire chatting idly, waiting for the people from the Mu mansion to arrive.
After waiting for a long time, the number of people coming and going in the hotel lobby gradually decreased. Instead of waiting for the car from the Mu Mansion, they were met with an even heavier rain.
The torrential rain pounded violently against the hotel roof, and the glazed tiles, which used to clang and jingle, now roared overhead with a deafening force that made one wonder if they might collapse the building.
The foreman paced back and forth at the door of the lounge several times before finally coming in and saying to Mu Xing, "Sir, I think the road outside is blocked by floodwater. I'm afraid the people I sent won't be able to reach the Mu mansion, and even if they do, they probably won't be able to get through."
Just then, a few people ran in through the restaurant entrance, all soaked to the bone. They were cursing and saying, "Damn it, the streets are completely flooded. I'm afraid a couple of people will die. There'll be some more drama tomorrow!"
The foreman rushed over to ask which road was flooded, and the man replied, "It's the road to the British Concession! Half the street is flooded. Our car got submerged halfway, and we had to wade through the water to get here. The officials' road is blocked; they'll have to do a major project to clear it tomorrow..."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xing felt as if the heavens were against him, and his head spun even more.
Bai Yan reached out and grabbed her, about to speak, when she suddenly exclaimed, "Young Master Mu, why are you so hot!"
Blinking his heavy eyelids, Mu Xing said, "It's nothing serious, I guess I just caught a chill..."
"How can you say it's nothing!" Bai Yan said worriedly, "Stay here tonight, we can talk about tomorrow tomorrow. Everything else is a small matter, but what will I do if you get sick..."
Now that things have come to this, and she can finally settle down, Mu Xing nodded, forced herself to get up, and Bai Yan quickly helped her out of the lounge.
As soon as the head waiter came over, Mu Xing said first, "Get two VIP rooms."
The supervisor was taken aback, gave the two of them a strange look, and then went to process the formalities.
Bai Yan was only worried that Mu Xing had caught a cold and developed a fever. At the moment, she had no romantic thoughts and no mind to guess Mu Xing's intentions. She hurriedly escorted Mu Xing to a guest room and found a thermometer to take Mu Xing's temperature.
Unexpectedly, just as she touched Mu Xing's collar, Mu Xing suddenly reached out and pressed her hand down, saying in a hoarse voice, "I can do it myself."
Bai Yan pursed her lips and said nothing. She placed the thermometer in Mu Xing's hand and turned to ask the waiter for ginger tea.
When she brought in the ginger tea, Mu Xing said, "She doesn't have a fever. She must have just caught a chill. She should be fine after a nap."
Bai Yan felt relieved and served the ginger tea to Mu Xing.
She sat on the sofa, hesitating for a moment, not wanting to go back to the other room.
This was truly a golden opportunity, and she really... didn't want to give it up.
As long as she and Mu Xing had physical intimacy, she thought Mu Xing would take responsibility for her—there was no basis for this, but she believed Mu Xing would take responsibility for her.
if only…
Mu Xing suddenly said, "Miss Bai, it's getting late. You should go and rest. Remember to drink some ginger tea to warm yourself up. I will personally take you home tomorrow to explain to your mother, so don't worry."
Her carefully drawn eyebrows furrowed and then relaxed. Bai Yan pursed her lips, stood up, and said, "Then you should get some rest."
Although Mu Xing didn't show it on his face, he was very happy inside.
Go quickly, go quickly. As long as you get through tonight safely, everything will still be fine.
Under Mu Xing's burning gaze, Bai Yan returned to her room with heavy steps.
The hotel had prepared some underwear in public sizes, which Mu Xing had just instructed to be delivered to Bai Yan's room.
Holding a brand-new white silk petticoat, Bai Yan walked into the bathroom, took off her wet and sticky clothes, turned on the hot water, and soaked in the bathtub.
The water was a little hot, but it gradually spread over my body, allowing my tense body to relax.
Although there was a bathroom in the brothel, it was only for showering, and only the eldest son had the privilege of taking a longer shower. She hadn't taken a bath in a long time.
After a quick wash, Bai Yan sat in the bathtub, curled up, and hugged herself.
The body may relax, but the mind can never truly relax.
Her insistence on staying in Young Master Mu's room was impossible for him not to notice.
But he still didn't want her.
Why? Is he truly able to remain unmoved by her charms, or is he playing hard to get, using underhanded tactics?
Or perhaps... he actually still dislikes her?
With a long sigh, Bai Yan looked at the rising steam in front of her, closed her eyes tightly, and slowly sank into the water.
She hates rainy days.
The torrential rain pounded against the window, making a loud banging sound. The bathroom was steamy, and for a moment, she almost thought she was back in that gloomy room.
It was on such a rainy day that my mother passed away.
The long-neglected courtyard exuded an air of decay, with mud overflowing from the once beautiful pond, staining her leather shoes.
Those leather shoes were for school services. She attended a church school, and because of her good English, she was always in the front row leading her classmates in singing whenever there was a church event.
She used to love those shoes so much, but now she's forgotten where she lost them.
Was she lost when she was sold to that old woman surnamed Chen, or when she tried to escape?
She only remembered rushing out of the cheap wedding room, her feet cut by the gravel on the road. The torrential rain lashed down on her, obscuring the traces of her escape.
The light shone into the bathtub, making the water ripple. A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by a thunderclap that shook the heavens. Bai Yan abruptly rose from the water, splashing water everywhere, her chest heaving violently, her eyes wide with bewilderment.
Another clap of thunder startled her awake, and she shuddered as if from a dream. She hurriedly stepped out of the bathtub, hastily dried herself, wrapped herself in a slip, and ran out of the bathroom as if her life depended on it.
The shirt provided by the hotel was too big for Mu Xing. After taking a shower, she managed to put it on, and after thinking for a moment, she put on the pants as well.
Just in case.
Her hair was still wet, and she was sitting on the sofa drying it when she suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.
Thinking it was room service, Mu Xing went over and opened the door, only to find Bai Yan standing outside.
Bai Yan seemed to have just taken a bath. Her hair was still dripping wet, shimmering and cascading over her shoulders like a snake. She was only wearing a slip dress with white silk clinging to her body. A gust of wind passed by, and the white silk rippled, subtly outlining her stunning curves.
Without the cover of makeup, her most genuine innocence and naivety were on full display on her young face. The sensuality of her curves clashed with the innocence of her face, revealing a strange and unsettling beauty.
Unexpectedly, it was her. Mu Xing stared wide-eyed in surprise. Before she could speak, Bai Yan was already pressed against her, whispering in her ear in a soft, sweet voice, "It's thundering, I'm so scared..." As she spoke, her hand reached out to touch Mu Xing's body.