At the Seaside Hotel, the only three-star hotel in Feng County, the atmosphere in the room was tense between Cao Yang and Xia Dongdong.
Xia Dongdong had wanted to book two rooms, but Cao Yang insisted on only one, warning that multiple rooms would raise suspicion. Now, she didn't dare sleep or shower, fearing that Cao Yang's lascivious instincts might turn their act too real.
Cao Yang, on the other hand, was unconcerned. He stripped and went to the bathroom. Soon, he emerged shirtless, a towel around his waist.
"Check out my body," he said, flexing his chest and abs.
Xia Dongdong glanced at him, blushing, and turned away. This flirtatious guy was trying to seduce her?
"You're not going to shower?" she asked.
"Nope."
"Then let's sleep."
Cao Yang flopped onto the bed, pulling the blanket over himself, tossing the towel aside. Both were exhausted from days of traveling. Sleep quickly overcame him.
"Don't sleep!" Xia Dongdong shook him.
"Why not? Aren't you tired too?"
"This is someone else's territory. You can't just sleep."
"Relax. They're probably verifying our identities. They won't act immediately."
"You, on the other hand, should call the police now."
"To arrest whom?"
"Chen Hao?"
"Hehe… Without evidence? And Chen Hao has backup. Taking him alone won't solve anything."
Xia Dongdong worried about infinite layers of backup, unsure where it would end.
Cao Yang shook his head. "There shouldn't be any more layers."
"Okay… but what if their base is in Feng County?"
"Exactly. But we'll take things step by step. Once they confirm my identity, I can make further demands."
Xia Dongdong stayed silent, then said, "Pretending to be your girlfriend feels like a flaw. Who would bring a girlfriend into this kind of business?"
Cao Yang nodded. "True. But we had no choice."
"I refuse to share a room with you. I'll book another."
"Absolutely not. At least four people are watching us. Moving rooms would raise suspicion."
She hesitated but couldn't contradict him. When she wanted to speak, she realized Cao Yang had already fallen asleep.
This carefree man!
Listening to his steady breathing, Xia Dongdong got up carefully and went to shower. She undressed and bathed cautiously, watching Cao Yang in case he suddenly woke up.
After showering, she dressed completely, sat on the bed, and looked at the sleeping Cao Yang, wanting to punch him.
Yawning repeatedly, she decided to nap briefly. Holding her gun for precaution, she closed her eyes.
…
Cao Yang woke and saw Xia Dongdong asleep. A lascivious grin spread across his face.
Quietly, he took her gun, tied her limbs, and stripped her. Seeing her perfect body, he chuckled with a wild, predatory laugh.
"Don't!" Xia Dongdong screamed.
Then… she woke up.
It had been a dream. She sighed in relief.
But something felt off. She had ended up very close to Cao Yang while sleeping. Her face flushed as she realized she had instinctively hugged him like a doll during sleep.
Looking closer, she saw wet marks on his face — saliva from her mouth during sleep. She hurriedly grabbed tissue to clean it before he woke.
Cao Yang stirred.
"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled.
"I… nothing…" Xia Dongdong stammered, flustered.
Cao Yang noticed sticky trails on his neck and face.
"What's this? Sticky water on my face?"
"Saliva," she explained quickly.
"Saliva? Really?"
"Yes! Don't get the wrong idea, you pervert!"
Xia Dongdong was about to lose her mind.
"I wasn't deliberate," she continued, explaining her bad habit of sleeping with her mouth open, hugging things, and drooling.
Cao Yang listened but remained skeptical.
"If what you say is true, then fine. Otherwise, you're the real pervert."