Chapter 3

Wen Jingran's long thumb pressed down on the silver knife, and he casually pulled out two tissues and handed them to her, saying nonchalantly: "Unfortunately, he is my brother"

The accommodation at the hot spring resort was conveniently reserved in advance by Wen Jingran

It takes nearly 2 hours to travel from City S to City A on the highway, and after exiting the highway, it takes about another half hour to reach Dongjushan.

City S is located in East China, and the autumn season is long

The person peeling the apple looked up at her and said calmly, "His name is Wen Shaoyuan, and he started from scratch in the hotel service industry"

Faintly, one can hear laughter coming from an unknown source, as well as the announcement of the elevator arriving at the floor

A cup of soy milk made her feel somewhat full

She only opened her eyes in confusion when the bus came to a stop

The hot spring resort is somewhat distant, located near a neighboring city, nestled on the hillside of Dongju Mountain

The pointers on the dashboard gradually began to function, and amidst the mechanical beeping, his somewhat cool voice simultaneously sounded: "There is a blanket in the back."

The floor is somewhat cool, and before she could lose herself in thought for long, a cool breeze rolled in from the window, brushing through the space between her collarbones. Not far away, branches swayed in the wind, dropping a myriad of water droplets onto the ground, along with a scattering of withered yellow leaves.

Fearing that he might wait too long, she symbolically glanced at him twice as she was about to leave, only to see him leisurely raise his arm and lean against the door frame, blocking her path: "There is only this one room, there are no alternatives."

Even the old gentleman often used Wen Jingran as an example when teaching about punctuality.

The air in the lobby of the hall is warm, with sufficient heating

How did she end up attracting him in the first place

Although I am not sleepy, I still close my eyes as scheduled

Do you still remember, as promised, when I first saw this sensational news on an evening financial news program back in the day

As I approached as promised, I happened to see him gently swipe the room card with his two fingers, and with his long fingers gripping the doorknob, he pushed the door open, causing large swathes of bright sunlight to rush out eagerly from the room

It was also at that time that one should have vaguely realized, as expected, that this student, whom Old Master Ying particularly valued, did not appear to be as gentle, refined, and calm as he seemed on the surface

Wen Jingran glanced at Ruoyue, who had been staring out the window since getting into the car, and then lowered his head to fasten his seatbelt

Wen Jingran lowered her head and met her gaze, their eyes calm and serene

She leaned against the back of the chair, holding the soy milk that Wen Jingran had handed her moments ago, which was hot enough to be somewhat scalding to the touch

Wen Jingran is discussing a case and treatment methods with Old Master Ying, his voice low and deep, resembling the sound of a violin

He raised his hand to insert the room card into the slot, slightly tilted his head, and gestured for her to enter the room and take a look

She raised her hand to wipe away a small area and immediately saw the grand and imposing four-dragon column fountain standing at the entrance of the Dongju Mountain Hot Spring Pavilion

That is Wen Jingran's car

The old gentleman nodded knowingly, waved his hand, and signaled as agreed: "Let's go together."

Her temperament is quiet, and she is not good at saying charming words, so she does not enjoy social occasions like this

Wen Jingran is the favored disciple of the old master

Do not mention that she has been alone in City A all these years; even during the holidays when she returned to City S, she stayed with Old Master Ying at Yushan.

She obtained her driver's license while in college, but since the day she received it, she has not touched the steering wheel even once, making her a licensed yet completely unqualified road user.

He was still holding a few room cards in his hand, his gaze lightly swept across her face before turning to Old Master Ying, and he explained in a gentle tone: "There was an error in the reservation process, and the room that was supposed to be arranged for Ruyue has already been occupied. The manager has now provided a few alternatives, and I will take Ruyue to have a look at them first."

As if on cue, I instinctively glanced at the other side of the seat, where several thin blankets were neatly stacked on the cushion, along with some snacks

As she reached out to take the paper as promised, her hand trembled, causing the pineapple juice that she had yet to swallow to choke her, leaving her gasping for breath and her entire face flushed a deep red

As agreed, last night she found the air in the room somewhat stagnant, so she opened half a window. By the time she woke up in the morning to the sound of rainwater falling along the eaves onto the window frame, the floor had already gathered quite a few round droplets, creating a damp scene.

Strangely, it felt as if someone was watching her at that moment, causing her face to flush slightly

Ah? '' should be stunned as expected

However, more renowned than its mystery and targeted openness is the fountain standing at the main entrance

This outrageous behavior caused a stir at the time and attracted considerable attention to the Dongjushan Hot Spring Resort, leading to its instant fame

However, the old gentleman emphasizes exercising whenever he goes out, focusing on low carbon and environmental protection. In the spacious garage at home, there is only one bicycle that is nearly as old as she is

As expected, I glanced at the overcast sky and suddenly realized that winter had begun in City S

Have you really come so early?

Should be somewhat resistant to the agreement

The mere thought of spending two hours in a car with Wen Jingran made her feel as if someone was choking her throat, making it difficult to breathe

He chuckled softly in her awkward state, showing no signs of the guilt and apology that should have followed her fright

As she resolved to reduce her presence as agreed, while accompanying with a smile, Wen Jingran, who had been conversing with the lobby manager, unknowingly approached her from behind.

She stepped barefoot onto the damp floor, just about to close the window

It has been drizzling continuously since early morning until just now, when it finally stopped

She pressed her lips together, softly uttering an "mm" as she lowered her head to bite the straw

After walking for an unknown duration, Wen Jingran finally came to a stop

A few years ago, before the opening of the Dongjushan Hot Spring Club, four dragon-holding stone pillars, which were highly sought after at an auction that evening, were purchased at a high price and placed at the entrance of the hot spring club to welcome guests

As expected, following behind Old Master Ying, I greeted a few elders, listened to their kind inquiries about recent circumstances, and responded with a gentle smile and a few words. Even when teased, I felt no embarrassment, merely smiling gracefully with my lips pressed together.

She huddled in the corner of the sofa with a fruit platter, eating pineapple, and mumbled a comment before she had even swallowed the flesh: "Spending several million to buy a stone pillar to place at the entrance to welcome guests, either a rich second generation or a newly wealthy person."

Just as expected, I bit into a sour pineapple and couldn't help but squint my eyes: "What a coincidence, his surname is also Wen"

The leaves of the street trees on both sides of the road have fallen by nearly half, and the temperature has only just begun to decrease day by day.

Upon thinking of this, I could not help but let out a sigh.

Only when she finally took her time to sit in the back seat did the tension that had been taut since last night seem to ease a little

Throughout his life in medicine, the elder master had numerous students, many of whom were talented. However, only Wen Jingran was his most esteemed disciple.

Upon learning of the itinerary last night as scheduled, I was taken aback for quite some time

It is located on the hillside of Dongju Mountain, not open to the public for profit, and is exclusively for certain celebrities and dignitaries, serving as a highly private and upscale club

Passing through the hall, I then went through an open rosewood archway

At first, it was merely a light slumber as agreed, but later, I unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.

As the smile on her face stiffened, she silently glanced at Wen Jingran beside her, noticing that he had already taken a step forward. After slightly nodding to a few elders as a gesture, she finally turned on her toes and stepped forward to catch up with Wen Jingran

It rained all night long

However, she could not resist but dared not let the old man notice, so she could only comply and pretend to agree cheerfully.

A thin layer of light mist covered the car window

The hot springs in City S are not numerous, and the hot spring resort at Dongjushan is the most unique among the few hot spring establishments available.

His gaze, however, fell upon the strikingly white Land Rover parked in the courtyard below

This ride, evidently, can only belong to Wen Jingran

He draped his removed coat over his arm, seemingly gazing down at something, slightly bending his neck, leaving behind a silhouette that appeared particularly elongated against the sunlight

Gradually, it became somewhat strenuous to keep up, yet unwilling to voice a request for him to slow down, I could only quietly jog a couple of steps when passing the corner, barely maintaining my air of nonchalance.

In addition to Ying Ruyue and Old Master Ying, there were also a few friends of Old Master Ying and several colleagues of Wen Jingran accompanying this trip

This means that she needs to hitch a ride

After a long while, he finally said in a low voice: "I will help you out of this predicament"

His pace seemed to have quickened, as he strolled leisurely yet managed to leave her three to five steps behind

A slight tremor in the vehicle body when starting the engine