Ni Jingxi was still lying in bed, her long black hair loosely draped over the snow-white pillow, a thin blanket covering her chest, revealing her slender, snow-white neck.
A look of surprise flashed across her face; her dark eyes, having just woken up from a nap, shone as brightly as crystal.
The next moment, Ni Jingxi sat up in bed, and the first thing she said to him was, "I'm sorry."
If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have had to spend the night curled up on the mini sofa in her small room.
Huo Shenyan slowly sat up straight. It was clear that he hadn't slept well that night, and his whole body ached.
He looked up at her.
Ni Jingxi felt genuinely embarrassed by his gaze, not for any other reason than that he had truly stayed by her side all night. It was because of her impulsiveness and a single sentence she uttered.
She doesn't like to bother people and has always been strong and independent enough to withstand anything.
It was only the second time she saw him, and she suddenly became attached to him...
Huo Shenyan chuckled lightly and said calmly, "It was my promise to you."
Since I've agreed, it's only right that I protect you.
He slowly stood up. His shirt, which had been fairly well-fitting, was now completely wrinkled after a night's sleep, indicating that he was about to leave.
Ni Jingxi watched his actions and said, "Thank you for last night."
At this moment, she quickly threw off the covers and got out of bed. She couldn't find slippers, so she stood barefoot on the floor as if afraid he would leave. She quickly said, "How about I treat you to dinner?"
"How about we have breakfast?" She tilted her head slightly.
Ni Jingxi had never experienced anything like this in her life. She was too bad at handling emotions. She had never met anyone who made her feel something before, but this time she realized that if he wanted to leave, it would make her feel panicked.
Besides, they've been watching over her all night, so it's not like she's up to no good by offering to treat her to breakfast.
Huo Shenyan looked down at her feet, which were directly on the cold floor. Her feet were truly beautiful, with slender insteps, slightly protruding knuckles, and long, white toes.
Whether it was because of the cold or some other reason, her big toe curled up slightly.
Huo Shenyan said in a low voice, "Put your shoes on first."
Ni Jingxi's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked down at her toes, but the next second she asked again, "Are you going to eat?"
Huo Shenyan suddenly laughed.
He looked up at her, his voice low and hoarse: "I'm not leaving."
Ni Jingxi was taken aback, and then a smile appeared on her face. However, the smile froze for a moment because she looked down at her clothes and realized that she was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
And the smell of alcohol on her.
Ni Jingxi nodded, trying to appear calm, her voice as composed as ever: "Wait for me a moment, I'm going to take a shower."
Huo Shenyan nodded and sat back down on the small sofa.
Ni Jingxi grabbed her clothes and quietly went into the bathroom, but just as the bathroom door closed, she exclaimed softly, "Ni Jingxi, you idiot."
She was practically cursing herself through gritted teeth.
Huo Shenyan, who had already taken out his phone to check the information, looked up and his eyes fell on the closed bathroom door.
In an instant, a smile appeared on his face, and he gently shook his head.
Ni Jingxi tried to shower as quickly as possible, but that's how it is for girls; even with long, shiny hair, it takes her twenty minutes to wash it clean. By the time she came out, half an hour had passed.
She looked exceptionally fresh today, wearing a blue shirt and white wide-leg pants.
She came here to find someone, not for sightseeing, so the only things she could find in her suitcase were long pants and shorts, with only these wide-leg pants looking somewhat fashionable.
When she finished getting ready and went out, Ni Jingxi realized that it was already past eight in the morning. Fortunately, it wasn't strange to have breakfast at this time.
But she hadn't done any food research in Haifa and had no idea where to eat.
Huo Shenyan turned to look at her and said, "How about we go to my hotel?"
Ni Jingxi nodded, but when the two arrived at the place, she looked up at the magnificent and bright building at the entrance, which was luxurious in the style of the Middle East.
"Do you mind if I go upstairs to change my clothes first?" Huo Shenyan asked, turning his head.
Ni Jingxi then remembered that he was still wearing yesterday's wrinkled shirt, and immediately shook her head: "You should change first, I'll wait for you downstairs."
"Let's go, let's go up together," Huo Shenyan said.
Ni Jingxi watched as he pressed the elevator door button, so she followed him upstairs.
After entering the room, Ni Jingxi suddenly realized how much he had suffered the night before. He was staying in a suite, which not only had a kitchen but also a bar with lots of drinks, and an entire wall was a glass-walled scenic wall, from which you could really see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance.
The seawater, as clear and bright as a sapphire, was so beautiful it was almost breathtaking.
"I'm going to take a shower first, wait a moment," Huo Shenyan said in a low voice.
Ni Jingxi nodded, and after he went into the bedroom, she walked to the glass window and gazed at the deep ocean, almost reluctant to blink. From the moment she set foot in Israel, she had never thought about having fun, let alone visiting tourist attractions.
But at this moment, she was so engrossed in watching that she almost couldn't bear to blink.
After a long while, Huo Shenyan, who had finished showering and changed his clothes, came out and saw Ni Jingxi standing by the window.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Huo Shenyan went over to open the door.
Ni Jingxi turned her head and saw a waiter pushing a food cart in. The waiter then pushed the cart to the table and placed the breakfast inside on the table.
As Ni Jingxi looked surprised, Huo Shenyan said, "The view from this room is better than the restaurant downstairs."
Ni Jingxi smiled and said, "She's really beautiful."
The two barely spoke during the meal, barely exchanging a few words until they finished eating.
Just then, her phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang. She glanced down at it, her eyes lighting up instantly. She reached out, opened the phone, and read the message again.
It turns out that a message came from a Chinese community group saying that a Chinese person doing business in Israel seemed to remember Ni Pingsen.
They even sent the address along with it.
Ni Jingxi felt as if her heart had been plunged into warm water, instantly coming back to life. She immediately stood up.
"I have to go," she said softly, looking at Huo Shenyan.
Huo Shenyan's gaze fell on her hands, and just as he was about to speak, he heard her voice again: "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Huo."
The single word "Mr. Huo" instantly widened the distance between the two people.
Ni Jingxi lowered her eyes and stopped looking at him, almost turning around and leaving while still holding her phone.
When she reached the bottom of the hotel, she turned around and looked up at the magnificent building in front of her. In her mind, she could still picture a breathtakingly beautiful ocean in one of the rooms upstairs.
And that handsome yet aloof man sitting at the white dining table.
She used to think she never had any girlish dreams, but now she realized it was because she hadn't met the right person yet.
Unfortunately, even if I were to encounter it now, it would seem to be nothing more than a glamorous and romantic dream in a foreign land.
Just like her desire to drink last night, sometimes being too clear-headed is truly pitiful.
Ni Jingxi returned to her simple hotel room, took off her bright and pretty clothes, and changed into a T-shirt and jeans.
The girl in the mirror had a resolute expression, and the shy and cute look on her face was gone.
She slung her bag back over her shoulder and went downstairs to find another car rental company, since the location wasn't in Haifa city, but in a town about an hour away from Haifa.
But when she got downstairs, she saw a man standing at the narrow front desk of the hotel.
He seemed to hear the creaking sound of people coming down the stairs from upstairs, and slowly turned around.
Huo Shenyan looked up at her quietly and asked, "Where are you going?"
Ni Jingxi was stunned, but after a moment she gave a place name: "Lossa Town".
“Coincidentally, I’m going there too. Let’s go together.” Huo Shenyan said calmly.
Ni Jingxi: "..."
But before she could say anything, he had already stepped forward and taken her backpack.
*
But things didn't go smoothly. When they arrived in town, the owner wasn't home. Apparently, he had gone to Tel Aviv and wouldn't be back for two days.
Therefore, Ni Jingxi had no choice but to return to Haifa.
She originally wanted to go straight to Tel Aviv to find him, but Huo Shenyan stopped her, telling her not to rush, in case he came back halfway.
On the morning of the third day, Ni Jingxi once again picked up her backpack and walked to the hotel entrance.
The familiar red SUV was still parked at the entrance.
Huo Shenyan, who was standing by the car, looked up at her.
Ni Jingxi looked at him and asked first, "Is this another coincidence?"
Huo Shenyan nodded calmly, "The scenery there is quite nice."
Ni Jingxi listened to him blatantly lying. Israel is a place where most of the land is desert. Large cities like Haifa are fine, and being close to the sea, they are indeed scenic.
But the surrounding towns, as far as the eye can see, are all yellowish-brown.
When the two arrived in the small town, Ni Jingxi finally met the businessman. He looked at the photo in Ni Jingxi's hand, which was a family photo that Ni Pingsen had taken with her and her grandmother before he went abroad.
The other person nodded: "I do remember him, he's an accountant, right?"
"Yes, yes." Ni Jingxi's voice was almost trembling; this was the first time in so many days that she had a clue.
Ni Pingsen was originally sent abroad, but after his incident, the company quickly went bankrupt, and some employees were still stranded there. In the end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged for these people to return to China.
However, Ni Jingxi had no such information at all, and the person in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also told her about it.
Her father's disappearance was an unexpected event; he happened to be on holiday that day and should have stayed in his dormitory to rest.
However, when people didn't see Ni Pingsen for a day and found him still missing the next day, they realized something had happened to him. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately issued a notice and launched a search for him throughout Israel.
“I remember your father’s incident caused quite a stir, but Israel is different from China; there’s not much surveillance here. We don’t know exactly where your father went.”
The other person's words plunged Ni Jingxi's heart into utter silence.
She left the store in a daze, seemingly lost in a trance. Throughout it all, she clung to the unwavering belief that her father was still alive. Some said she was too foolish and stubborn, refusing to accept reality.
But is it really accepting reality to say that someone who hasn't even seen the body is already dead?
The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight felt like a burning pain on people's skin.
Huo Shenyan stood a few meters away from her, watching her quietly. He knew that she didn't need any words of comfort at this moment; he just wanted her to stay quiet.