Chapter 4: Today, I Want to Try This

The next evening, as dusk was just beginning to settle.

Xu Anhao stood at the hotel entrance, clutching her phone, her fingers repeatedly tracing the message Lu Shiyan had sent on the screen.

“Go first, get the room card from the front desk.”

When she entered the hotel lobby, the warm yellow glow of the crystal lamp made her dizzy.

She approached the front desk, her voice soft and delicate: “Hello, I’m here to pick up the room card reserved by Mr. Lu.”

The front desk staff looked up and assessed her, pausing briefly on her plain features before smiling and handing over a black room card:

“Miss Xu, right? Mr. Lu specifically instructed that you can take it directly.”

She took the room card and turned toward the room.

Entering the room, the door clicked shut, blocking out the noise from outside.

Xu Anhao set down her bag and first walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to glance outside.

Beyond the window was the city’s nightscape, neon lights flickering, but she had no mind to appreciate it, only thinking about waiting for Lu Shiyan to arrive quickly and receive the one million due for today.

She went to the bathroom and ran warm water. The showerhead emitted a faint “splashing” sound, and she set the water temperature slightly higher than usual, afraid she might feel cold from nervousness.

After washing up and putting on the hotel bathrobe, Xu Anhao checked her reflection in the frosted glass of the bathroom, adjusted the collar, and then gently pushed the bathroom door open to step out.

The room was silent, with only the faint sound of air coming from the air conditioning vent.

She sat by the bed, picked up her phone to check the time 7:30.

He usually arrived around this time.

She placed the phone on her lap, her fingers occasionally tapping the screen, afraid of missing his message.

After waiting for about half an hour, she stood up and paced a couple of steps, then went to sit by the sofa, picking up the remote control to aimlessly change channels.

The TV volume was turned very low; she wasn’t really listening, but her ears remained alert to any sound at the door, afraid of missing the turn of the doorknob.

The clock hands slowly moved to 9 o’clock, then to 10 o’clock. The neon lights outside the window gradually dimmed, and the traffic on the road decreased.

Xu Anhao’s phone remained silent, and her heart sank bit by bit.

Was he not coming? What about today’s one million…

She picked up her phone, wanting to send a message to ask, but feared appearing too pushy. She typed and deleted in the input box, eventually setting it down again.

It wasn’t until after 11 o’clock that her phone suddenly vibrated with a “buzz.” She almost immediately grabbed it, her fingertips trembling.

Lu Shiyan’s message popped up on the screen, just one short sentence: “Something came up tonight, can’t make it. No need to wait for me, be good.”

The words “can’t make it” felt like small stones, leaving an empty space in her heart.

She stared at the screen for a long while before slowly sitting on the carpet, leaning against the leg of the sofa.

It wasn’t anger she felt, but anxiety.

Without tonight’s one million, her mother’s surgery fees would have to wait another day. The ICU costs were rising daily, and she was afraid she couldn’t afford to wait.

She placed the phone on her knees, reached out to touch the bag on the bedside table inside lay three neatly folded checks, totaling three million.

Xu Anhao whispered to the empty room, “It’s okay, it’s just for tonight. Tomorrow… tomorrow he will definitely come.”

The night grew deeper, and the neon lights outside dimmed further.

Xu Anhao curled up on the carpet until drowsiness washed over her. Then, clutching her phone, she moved to the bed and lay down to sleep.

The next day, as dawn was just breaking, Xu Anhao was awakened by a warm touch on her cheek.

It wasn’t the softness of the quilt, but a breathing kiss, like a feather brushing past, soft and fluffy, wrapped in the familiar fir fragrance.

Xu Anhao’s eyes snapped open, her mind still hazy from waking. As her vision focused, she first met Lu Shiyan’s smiling gaze.

He was lying beside her, the warmth of their skin contact instantly jolting her awake.

Xu Anhao’s cheeks flushed crimson, and she instinctively tried to shrink into the blankets.

Lu Shiyan’s arm still rested against her waist, his fingertips gently stroking the skin there, his eyes carrying traces of lingering drowsiness.

He smiled tenderly, his voice husky from sleep: “Awake?”

Xu Anhao’s heart raced wildly, her breathing growing uneven.

She didn’t dare meet his eyes, her gaze falling on the faint mole at his collarbone, while her mind wandered to last night’s anxious waiting and her mother’s ICU expenses.

She had to get that fourth one million today, or the surgery fees would be delayed another day.

Hesitating for two seconds, Xu Anhao finally spoke first: “D-do you want to?”
But Lu Shiyan froze momentarily, then chuckled softly, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

Unlike usual, he didn’t move closer. Instead, he pointed toward her lower body beneath the covers, the amusement in his eyes deepening slightly: “Not in the mood for that today.”

Xu Anhao was stunned, her mind going blank.

Before she could react, Lu Shiyan’s finger gently tapped her lips, his fingertip warm as it brushed her lower lip.

His tone carried a hint of suggestive seriousness: “Want to try using this today.”

Xu Anhao’s face instantly burned, flushing from her ears down to her neck, her breathing growing ragged.

She had never imagined such a request. Though she disliked their previous transactions, they had followed a set pattern.

But today, Lu Shiyan’s words shattered all familiar rhythms.

Lu Shiyan seemed to notice her hesitation, his fingers gently stroking her hair as his voice softened further: “Don’t be afraid, if you don’t want to…”

“I-I can.” Xu Anhao suddenly interrupted him, her voice trembling slightly.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed herself up.

Lu Shiyan watched her movements without speaking, merely releasing the hand pressed against the back of her neck. His eyes still held a smile, but now carried a barely noticeable anticipation.

Xu Anhao bit her lower lip, gradually shifting to his side, knees sinking into the soft mattress as she carefully settled onto his lap.

The moment their skin touched again, her body stiffened slightly.

Her fingers instinctively gripped his arm, her fingertips tracing the faint muscle lines there.

She didn’t dare look up, her lashes lowered, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, breathing in the increasingly distinct fir fragrance from him.

After hesitating for two seconds, she slowly lowered her head, her nose first touching his skin with slightly cool breath before gently pressing against him, beginning to clumsily suckle.

Her movements were light, tentative with inexperience, afraid she might displease him with her lack of skill.

Lu Shiyan’s breathing gradually deepened, his fingertips gently stroking her hair.

He didn’t speak, only occasionally letting out a soft “mm,” as if responding to her actions.

After an unknown length of time, Lu Shiyan gently pressed her shoulder, his voice still rough with lingering huskiness: “Enough.”

Xu Anhao immediately stopped, hurriedly raising her head, not daring to look at him. She just lowered her head to wipe the corner of her mouth, her fingers still trembling slightly.

Lu Shiyan didn’t say much. He stood up, took the shirt nearby, and casually slipped it on.
Then he pulled a checkbook from his suit’s inner pocket. The soft scratching sound of pen tip against paper was particularly distinct in the quiet room.

He tore off the check and handed it to Xu Anhao, his tone returning to its usual flatness: “Take it.”

Xu Anhao accepted the check. The moment her fingertips touched the paper, the weight in her heart finally lifted.

One million. The fourth payment. Another step closer to her mother’s surgery fees.

Not daring to linger, she clutched the check, quickly stood up, and grabbed the clothes by the bed, hastily putting them on.

She didn’t even notice she had put the clothes on inside out. When she realized, she frantically took them off and put them back on properly, her movements rushed as if fleeing.

Lu Shiyan watched from the side without a word, but the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened, his eyes curving into crescents.

Watching her flustered state, his eyes were filled with indulgent amusement.

After getting dressed, Xu Anhao snatched her bag from the bedside table without daring to look at Lu Shiyan.

She mumbled “I’m leaving” and turned to rush toward the door.

She nearly bumped into the doorframe while opening the door, hurriedly steadied herself, and stumbled out, not even daring to close the door properly.

Only when the footsteps outside gradually faded did Lu Shiyan let out a low chuckle, his voice brimming with unconcealed delight.