The next day, Li Xuan took Li Yu back to Guangxi. Jian Suiying arrived the day after with her younger brother.
Li Xuan had Li Yu and his secretary pick them up, arranging for them to stay at the government guesthouse. It met three-star standards. The facilities were a bit dated but exceptionally clean.
In truth, Jian Suiying was deliberately provoking Li Yu. She relished seeing him seethe in frustration, unable to vent his anger.
Jian Lin quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Bro, this room's fine. We're just passing through on business. Why don't I go buy you a new set of sheets and blankets?"
Though Jian Suiying had his faults, he wasn't that pretentious. He gave a noncommittal grunt. "No need... Little Li, I'm hungry."
Li Yu said coldly, "The restaurant is on the first floor. I'll take you guys to eat. My brother has something to do tonight, but he'll treat you to dinner tomorrow.
. For tonight, we'll make do here. Would you agree, Ms. Jian?"
Jian Suiying raised an eyebrow. "No. I won't eat here." He glanced at Li Yu and smiled with a hint of challenge.
"What local specialties are there? I want to try something authentic."
Li Yu replied stiffly, "This is my first time here too. I don't know."
Jian Suilin quickly interjected, "Ask the driver from earlier—he's local. Since we've got nothing else today, Li Yu, let's just wander around. Treat it like a little tour."
Li Yu's jaw muscles twitched slightly as he forced his voice to soften for Xiao Linzi: "Alright then. I'll join you guys for a walk."
Jian Suiying didn't really care where they went. He just wanted to go against Li Yu—it made him feel good. He casually agreed, "Sure, sounds fun. Let's go to the beach for barbecue."
Li Yu called for a car, and the three of them drove to Silver Beach.
The sun was about to set, and the beach was bustling with people everywhere.
"Wow, it's pretty lively here," Jian Suiying said, rubbing her stomach. "Let's grab something to eat first."
Though he'd impulsively suggested beachside barbecue, the sight of the visibly unsanitary grills made him
hesitation.
Li Yu and Jian Suilin, however, didn't think twice. They picked a stall with a crowd and headed over. Jian Suying had no choice but to sit down and watch.
Jian Suilin asked his brother, "Bro, what do you want to eat? Want something to drink?" "What do they have here... You pick. I'll have some beer."
"Alright, then sit tight for a moment. Li Yu, let's go order some food."
Li Yu got up and followed him.
Jian Suiying propped his chin up, watching the people coming and going with a hint of boredom. He was thinking about what activities to arrange for tonight.
. He'd finally managed to get together with Li Yu again—he couldn't just do nothing. That wouldn't be like him. Lost in thought, he heard a cautious female voice above him: "Hello?"
Jian Suiying turned to see two girls, around eighteen or nineteen, looking at him with equal parts anticipation and trepidation.
"Huh? What is it?"
The girl asked nervously, "Are you alone?"
Oh, they were hitting on him. Jian Suiying shook his head. "No."
The two girls froze, staring blankly at Jian Suilin. "Huh?"
Jian Suilin set the beer he was holding on the table while looking at the girl. "It probably crawled into your clothes.
about this big." He made a circle with his free hand, about the size of a silver dollar.
The girl turned pale with fright, nervously spinning in place while repeatedly asking, "Where? Where?" Finally, both of them screamed and ran toward the restroom.
Li Yu frowned and glanced at Jian Suilin, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Jian Suilin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see anything." His eyesight was perfectly fine.
Just as he reached for another sip, Jian Suilin gently clasped the bottle. "Bro, your stomach's too empty right now. Eat something first
before drinking more." He slowly pushed the bottle toward the table, watching Jian Suiying's expression. This time, Jian Suiying complied without protest.
His mind was elsewhere entirely.
Li Yu watched Jian Suilin's attentive and considerate manner with a pang of jealousy, his expression darkening.
What could be more depressing and infuriating than seeing the person you care about lavishing attention on someone you despise?
?
Soon their orders arrived, filling the table with steaming dishes whose enticing aromas made their mouths water.
.
The entire spread of grilled delicacies vanished in no time. Seven or eight empty beer bottles stood upright on the table. Jian Suiying leaned back lazily
reclined against the chair, squinting at the sea with an expression of pure relaxation. Jian Suilin suggested, "Shall we take a walk along the beach?"
Jian Suiying stretched lazily, "Sure, let's move around a bit."
The three of them strolled leisurely along the beach. Jian Suiying had considered going for a swim, but decided it wouldn't feel right right after eating
too comfortable, so she gave up the idea.
The other two sat down too. By then, the sky had darkened, shedding the day's heat. A gentle sea breeze blew
across the sand. Lying down and closing his eyes, he savored this rare moment of leisurely comfort.
He didn't know how long he'd been dozing before waking again. Sleeping directly on the beach felt cool at first, but after a while, the chill set in.
distant crowd.
He turned his head slightly and found Li Yu lying right beside him, arms crossed behind her head as a pillow, her eyes closed
breathing evenly, while Xiao Linzi was nowhere to be seen.
Li Yu's hair brushed lightly against his forehead, his sharp features softened by the moonlight. His full lips glowed with a captivating sheen, tempting one to taste them.
After watching for an unknown length of time, Jian Suiying shifted slightly, slowly drawing closer to Li Yu, yearning to taste the
the taste of those lips.
Li Yu showed no reaction, his breathing steady and unbroken.
Just as Jian Suiying felt he hadn't gotten his fill and was hoping for more, a voice tinged with coldness rang out above him, "Brother..."
The voice startled Jian Suiying so much he nearly jumped. He snapped his head up to find Jian Suilin staring at them with an icy expression and eyes full of disbelief.
His brain felt like it had been electrocuted. Combining this with all of Jian Suiying's past lecherous behavior, he instantly understood what was going on.
.
He shoved Jian Suying away almost instantly, leaping to his feet and calling out nervously: "Suilin."
Jian Suilin trembled all over, seemingly struggling to suppress something. He lowered his head, refusing to let anyone see his expression.
Jian Suilin, flustered and angry, snapped, "What are you staring at? Get out of here!" As soon as he finished, Jian Suilin turned and ran.
Li Yu glared at Jian Suiying with a look that could kill, too furious to speak. Jian Suiying met his gaze, his expression daring him to do something about it.
Li Yu shot him a vicious glare before turning to chase after Jian Suilin.
Watching their receding figures, Jian Suiying leapt to his feet. He took two quick strides toward them, then
stopped abruptly. Finally, he stomped his feet fiercely, kicking up a cloud of sand.
In the end, Jian Suiying hailed a taxi back himself. Thankfully, he still remembered the hotel's name.
Back in his room, he stripped off his clothes, shaking sand onto the floor. He stripped completely naked and stepped into the shower.
Afterward, he sat on the bed and tackled the work at hand. Strangely, he felt wide awake now, his mind unusually clear.
. Though his eyes were fixed on the laptop screen, the words on it were impossible to process. His mind was completely occupied by what had just happened.
Truthfully, if Li Yu weren't so resistant to him, and they could just get along, that would be fine. He certainly wasn't afraid of what Xiao Linzi thought
The thought alone gave him a headache. Jian Suiying couldn't help but sigh.
He must have sat there for hours. Glancing at the time, it was already past one o'clock. He shut down his computer and tossed it aside, ready to sleep.
He shouted angrily, "Who is it?"
Li Yu's deep voice came from outside the door, "Me."
Jian Suiying blinked in the darkness, weighing the pros and cons. She concluded that opening the door now would likely lead to a bloody scene.
But not opening it would make her look scared of him. Damn it, like I'd be scared of you, you little punk!
Jian Suiying leapt from the bed and abruptly flung the door open.
The door barely swung open before his chest took a fierce collision. Before he could even utter a cry, Li Yu shoved him hard to the ground.
The impact sent stars dancing before his eyes.
Jian Suiying cursed, "Li Yu, you fucking want a beating?" He tried to scramble to his feet. But Li Yu kicked him hard in the shoulder, sending him crashing back down.
Jian Suiying was furious. He watched as Li Yu kicked the door shut, plunging the room into thick darkness.