Chu Zhou swung his arms a bit. Since Qu Yanning didn’t have a driver’s license, he’d done all the driving himself for nearly three hours— it had worn him out.
They had booked a two-bedroom suite, one room per person.
Qu Yanning dragged his luggage into his room to unpack.
The hotel had a European-style decor.
In the center of the room was a large European bed, covered with a fluffy white down comforter that looked as soft as cotton.
The wall to the right had been transformed into a floor-to-ceiling window.
When the curtains were drawn open, a wide view of the ocean could be seen in the distance.
Next to the window sat a couch that looked irresistibly soft.
Xie Qi jumped from Qu Yanning’s shoulder onto the couch, yawning and stretching lazily.
Qu Yanning patted his head. “Go play by yourself for a bit, I’m going to unpack.”
Xie Qi meowed softly and slowly lay down, resting his chin on his front paws, eyes half-closed as he began to nap.
His fluffy tail hung relaxed off the edge of the couch. After the long car ride, he was tired too.
When Qu Yanning finished showering and came out in clean clothes, the cat was already fast asleep on the couch.
A tiny curled-up figure was sunk into the plush cushions.
Sunlight poured in from outside, casting a halo along the edge of his fur.
Qu Yanning tiptoed over and gently poked the round little face with a finger.
Xie Qi, half-asleep, sensed someone approaching.
A moment later, his cheek was prodded.
The familiar scent he liked filled his nose.
Without opening his eyes, he instinctively nuzzled into the finger, rubbing his face against it with a contented purring sound in his throat.
“Lazy little cat,” Qu Yanning scratched under his chin with a finger, “if you don’t get up, I’m leaving you here all by yourself.”
Xie Qi’s ears twitched. Slowly, he opened his eyes, still dazed from sleep.
Qu Yanning pinched his cheek. “Wake up, let’s go out and have some fun.”
Xie Qi shook his head, stretched his body backward in a big lazy stretch.
“Let’s go.” Qu Yanning held out his hand. Xie Qi rubbed against his palm, then climbed up his arm to perch on his shoulder.
In the living room, Chu Zhou had changed into a Bohemian-style long spaghetti-strap dress and was lounging with her legs crossed, munching on sunflower seeds.
She spat out a shell with a “ptoo” and said, “Ready? Let’s take a walk before dinner.”
Qu Yanning nodded and clattered toward the door.
Knowing they were heading to the beach, he’d packed the essentials— beach shorts, a tank top, and flip-flops.
After showering, he changed into the full beach outfit: a white tank top that showed off his slim figure, flashy patterned beach shorts, and a pair of flip-flops. If he weren’t blessed with good looks, this getup would scream “retired grandpa.”
His flip-flops slapped noisily against the hallway floor.
He held the elevator door for Chu Zhou, who tossed him a flying kiss and lifted her skirt daintily as she stepped in.
Inside the elevator, two men shot subtle yet heated glances at her.
Beach makeup doesn’t hold well, so Chu Zhou had gone with a light touch— but her features were naturally striking.
Even with just a bit of brow makeup and lipstick, she looked far more made up than others.
She flicked her hair and subtly leaned away from the man on her right.
After they stepped out, Chu Zhou clicked her tongue and muttered to Qu Yanning, “That guy in the elevator totally wanted to hook up with daddy. Not afraid daddy’ll whip out the big bird and scare him to death.”
“…” That was… a lot to process.
Qu Yanning blinked in silence for a moment, then said, “I didn’t hear you two say anything.”
Chu Zhou giggled, “You’re still too green. You gotta be subtle with these things — that’s what makes it sexy. But that dumbass was too ugly. No amount of sexiness can save that face.”
Qu Yanning: “…”
Qu Yanning stroked the cat and said “alright then,” clearly not understanding their version of “sexy.”
Xie Qi was not pleased with the topic.
He let out a warning meow at Chu Zhou, then patted Qu Yanning’s shoulder, urging him to get moving.
A short walk behind the hotel led to the beach. Tourists were laughing and playing in the sand. The wind swept the waves in rolling layers onto the shore.
Qu Yanning hurried forward, stumbling a little as he ran onto the beach barefoot, kicking off his shoes to splash around in the water.
He laughed as he tried to coax Xie Qi down to play with him.
But Xie Qi eyed the seawater with disdain, his paws clinging tightly to Qu Yanning’s chest, refusing to budge.
Unable to convince him, Qu Yanning sighed, “If you’re not gonna play, go sunbathe with Chu Zhou. Otherwise, you’ll fall into the water later.”
Xie Qi glanced over at Chu Zhou lounging under the parasol with a coconut in her arms, then turned his head away in disdain and climbed a bit higher, firmly settling back onto Qu Yanning’s shoulder.
“Troublemaker,” Qu Yanning patted him and walked a bit farther out.
The cool seawater lapped up to his calves, and the fine sand underfoot shifted with the current, tickling the soles of his feet.
He curled his toes and kicked at the water with extra force.
“Hey, handsome— here all by yourself?” A tall man came sidling up, waggling his eyebrows at Qu Yanning.
“I came with some friends,” Qu Yanning replied with a polite smile, the little dimples at the corners of his cheeks charming and harmless.
The man raised an eyebrow, eyes roaming over him with clear heat. “Wanna go for a swim?”
Qu Yanning, clueless, thought he meant swimming in the ocean.
He glanced out at the vast sea and said, “Sure! Wait for me a second.”
Then he turned and ran back up the beach.
“Why’d you come back up?” Chu Zhou asked, puzzled.
“I’m going for a swim. Can you watch over our good boy for a bit?” Qu Yanning spread a towel over a lounge chair and placed the cat on it.
He warned, not entirely reassured, “I’m going to swim, so you stay here and be good. No running off.”
Then he pulled off his tank top and dashed back toward the water with excitement.
Xie Qi, caught off guard: “…”
Unhappy, he squinted, watching Qu Yanning’s pale figure grow smaller in the distance.
He lifted himself partway up, ears perked, and saw Qu Yanning approach that man again.
The guy clearly had bad intentions. Xie Qi’s little face tightened with displeasure, eyes locked onto Qu Yanning.
The man was still waiting by the shore. When he saw Qu Yanning run back shirtless, his grin widened. His eyes drifted downward, and he said, “Couldn’t wait, huh?”
Qu Yanning nodded, “Yeah, I’ve never swum in the ocean before.”
The man: “…”
He figured Qu Yanning was playing hard to get and smiled even more, motioning for him to get in.
Wearing his flashy beach shorts, Qu Yanning cautiously eased into the water, adjusting to the temperature.
The man stayed close behind him, barely a body’s width apart.
Once he was used to the water, Qu Yanning took a deep breath and dove under in one swift motion, sending a splash that drenched the man from head to toe.
“…” The man twitched the corner of his mouth. “Playing hard to get? I like it.”