Chapter 115: Very Formal

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: Very Formal

"We have a single room, but it’s in the corner on the second floor." The receptionist took out a ballpoint pen to write up the registration. "Are you sure you want one room? It’s six yuan a night."

Su Jue’s pupils contracted when he heard the price. Although he could earn that much in a day now, it still pained him to spend it all on a single night’s lodging.

Even as he thought this, his hand was already pulling a ten-yuan bill from his pocket, which he handed to the receptionist along with Xu Yan’s letter of introduction.

Xu Yan immediately stuffed the money back into Su Jue’s hand. "Mr. Su, how could I let you pay?"

"I’m already very grateful that you brought me here."

Xu Yan was being polite, but she genuinely didn’t want Su Jue to spend the money. She knew the Su family wasn’t well-off, and for him to spend six yuan on one night’s stay... ’Who knows what he must be thinking.’

"It’s fine. I can only afford to put you up for one night anyway. Tomorrow, after you wake up and see Wanwan, you can go meet up with your main group. You’re a woman traveling alone; it’s worrying."

"So you’re worried about me?" Xu Yan’s interest was piqued by his stubborn act.

She found him much more interesting than Lu Zhengchuan had been.

Su Jue’s face tightened. "Ms. Xu Yan, if you keep saying things that could be misunderstood, I’m leaving right now."

"...Alright, alright! I’ll stop, okay?" Xu Yan quickly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

’Can’t even touch his hand, or he’ll just leave.’

Xu Yan clicked her tongue inwardly. ’How have I lived for almost twenty years and only just now met such an adorable man?’

Su Jue had already booked the room. He took the key and walked ahead. "Ms. Xu Yan, keep up."

"Oh." Xu Yan gazed at his back, thinking he looked good from every angle. Distracted, she nearly tripped going up the stairs.

If Su Jue hadn’t reached out and grabbed her in time, she would have definitely fallen.

Feeling the strong, firm hand on her arm, Xu Yan’s ears instantly turned beet red. They were so hot she couldn’t help but pinch them.

"Ms. Xu Yan, are you alright?"

"I’m fine." He helped her steady herself on the stairs. Not wanting him to notice anything was amiss, she quickly grabbed the handrail and hurried up a few more steps.

"Mr. Su, which room was it on the second floor again?"

Xu Yan asked, looking back at him.

Su Jue pressed his lips together and started walking again. "It’s Room 209 on the second floor. To the left, further down the hall."

He seemed reliable and sharp. After a one-second glance at the numbering on the doors, he already knew exactly where the room was.

While Xu Yan was still feeling dizzy from their close contact, Su Jue had already forged ahead, found the room, and opened the door. Seeing a glass window facing the street, he went over and slid open the green-paned window, pulling the curtains aside as well.

"Let’s air it out first. The room is reasonably clean, but the thermos is empty. You’ll have to go get hot water yourself. This room doesn’t have a private bathroom; you’ll need to take a washbasin to the public restroom and sinks around the corner to the right."

Xu Yan walked in, blushing, and listened to his rambling. He had managed to cover everything she needed to know for her one-night stay.

"Mm, I understand." The more Xu Yan looked at him, the more pleased she was.

She knew plenty of men from good backgrounds. After all, her parents were both cadres in a dual-income household, and the employee compound where she lived was full of boys her age who had grown up with her.

But in her eyes, while their circumstances were better than Su Jue’s, their abilities were far weaker.

Never mind that someone from a rural background like Su Jue getting into university proved his intelligence was not an issue; he could also earn his own money to completely cover his educational expenses.

And then there was his meticulous nature. Aside from his unwillingness to date her, his every action pleased her greatly.

"I’ve brought back the hot water for you. Are you going to go wash up?"

Su Jue put down the thermos, said this to Xu Yan, and prepared to leave.

"Let me walk you downstairs, then." Xu Yan was a little reluctant to see him go, but she knew that in a guesthouse, an unmarried man and woman couldn’t stay in a room together for long.

"No need. You go about your business and get some rest. I’m a grown man; I don’t need to be escorted." Su Jue insisted she not see him off. With those words, he turned and left, heading downstairs.

Xu Yan quickly ran back into the room and leaned against the window. After a moment, she saw Su Jue’s figure emerge from the guesthouse as expected.

She watched his retreating back, the corners of her mouth turning up uncontrollably.

Unexpectedly, Su Jue suddenly turned and looked back up.

Xu Yan: "..."

Startled, she was about to hide behind the curtain.

But Su Jue’s voice drifted up from below. "Remember to close the window and the curtains when you sleep tonight. I’ll come get you first thing in the morning."

Hearing this, Xu Yan’s heart pounded. She couldn’t help but blink a few times and nod obediently. "Mhm, okay."

Su Jue noted that the men in several other rooms, having heard him, were no longer paying attention to Xu Yan’s window. He was reasonably satisfied.

When Su Jue returned to the courtyard, Aunt Zhao was still busy roasting chestnuts.

However, she was just about finished roasting the batch that Su Wan planned to give to the neighbors.

"You saw her off?"

"Yeah, I took her to the guesthouse. I have to go out and sell chestnuts early tomorrow morning. Auntie, could I trouble you to tell Wanwan that Ms. Xu Yan has arrived?"

"Sure." Aunt Zhao nodded. Seeing him still loading chestnuts into the wok, she asked, "Ajue, are you going to roast more?"

"Yeah. I’ll roast them and spread them in baskets, then take them by tricycle to sell tomorrow. It’s less trouble than pushing the whole wok setup to the movie theater," Su Jue said.

"I’ll help you, then."

"It’s okay, Aunt Zhao. You should go get some rest. You have to take care of Wanwan tomorrow morning. I can finish this myself, and I’ll still have time for a nap in the afternoon."

As the sound of roasting chestnuts filled the air, night fell.

When Su Wan woke up, it was already eight in the morning.

She had slept for a full twelve hours and felt completely refreshed.

Hearing a familiar voice outside, Su Wan quickly got out of bed and got ready.

"Yanyan? What are you doing here?"

When Xu Yan saw her, she couldn’t help but pout. "Wanwan, you’re finally awake! I came last night, but you were already asleep and I didn’t want to disturb you, so I went back to rest and came to find you this morning."

"Where did you stay last night?" Su Wan asked, hurrying forward.

Xu Yan pulled her down to sit on a chair.

Aunt Zhao went to get Su Wan’s breakfast.

"At the guesthouse. Your third brother took me there."

"Third Brother?" Su Wan’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Xu Yan’s expression.

"Um, did my third brother say anything to you?"

Su Wan hadn’t forgotten what her third brother had said. She watched Xu Yan cautiously.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yan huffed lightly. "He doesn’t keep his word. He clearly said he’d come pick me up this morning, but I was starving and he still hadn’t shown up, so I had to go downstairs and buy my own breakfast."

"I even bought him fried dough sticks and soy milk! I waited forever, but in the end, I had to come find you myself. Then Aunt Zhao told me he left at six in the morning to sell chestnuts. He never planned on coming to get me at all!"