CSGM - Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Staying Over for a Night
Before coming inside, Chu Xi glanced around and happened to spot a paparazzi with a smudged face hiding in a trash can.
—The paparazzi were getting more competitive by the day. To get a scoop, they'd even do something like curl their entire body into a trash can.
Sister Zhen's assistants weren't nearly as competitive or extreme, nor was their eyesight very good, so of course, they hadn't spotted the man.
Just outside the wall of the Yinglong Hotel, there were two key light sources.
One was a public streetlight, and the other was the bright illuminating sign of a food stall across the street.
Chu Xi held her pocket mirror against the glass. By angling it just right, she used the light from the food stall's sign and the public streetlight to capture a reflection of the trash can.
It wasn't a perfectly clear image, but its advantage was that the paparazzi was currently off guard. Since he hadn't seen anyone emerge from the hotel, his face was exposed in the trash can's opening, his gaze fixed forward.
Chu Xi pointed to the slightly distorted reflection for Sister Zhen to see, a confident smirk playing on her lips.
When the assistant saw it, his eyes widened in shock!
Never mind how Chu Xi had even discovered the paparazzi in the first place-he had never seen someone identified in this manner before!
She had found the paparazzi hiding in the trash can outside while still inside the hotel!
The paparazzi shifted slightly in the reflection; he surely had no idea he'd already been discovered!
No, it was impossible for him to know!
Because Chu Xi hadn't made a sound or even gone near him-she had exposed him using only a mirror!
Refraction and reflection could be used like this?
This must be the legendary-Master math, physics, and chemistry, and you can travel the world without fear!
Sister Zhen's assistant had heard his teachers preach that for years in middle and high school, but this was the first time he had ever seen the saying put into practice, embodied by Chu Xi!
His teachers hadn't been lying, but people who could actually master it to this degree were just too rare!
A flash of surprise crossed Sister Zhen's eyes. She immediately turned her head and ordered her assistant in a low voice, "Go take care of it."
"Yes, yes." The assistant immediately hurried out.
A moment later, the reflection in the mirror showed three people surrounding the trash can. A burly, broad-shouldered man lifted the can with one hand, and the terrified paparazzi was chased away.
Sister Zhen looked up and asked Chu Xi, "Are there any more?"
Chu Xi shook her head. "That's all of them."
A hint of satisfaction crossed Sister Zhen's eyes, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly. As if bestowing her admiration, she said, "You're very clever," before departing with a composed air.
After she left, Chu Xi let out a "tsk" into the air.
So pretentious. How boring.
If it weren't for Ren Zhi, she wouldn't have bothered saying a single word to warn Sister Zhen.
Chu Xi turned around and saw Ren Zhi. Her eyes were misty and her face was flushed a faint red. Chu Xi's reflection was mirrored in her pupils, and a lovely smile graced her lips. Her expression, too, held a hint of admiration.
Chu Xi's heart instantly bloomed with joy.
She raised an eyebrow. "I made it in time, right?"
"Mhm." Ren Zhi's soft laugh was like a feather tickling her ear.
"Let's get our bags."
After returning to the private room, Chu Xi came out, slung her bag over her shoulder, and draped her own coat over Ren Zhi. She patted her on the shoulder and said:
"That Xiao Ju of yours isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Next time a situation like this comes up, you should call me."
Once they were in the car, Ren Zhi replied with a smile.
"Besides Xiao Ju, I also have Xiao He, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Tao... You don't need to worry."
Chu Xi: "..."
Is she raising flowers?
Meanwhile, Xiao Ju, who was driving, looked completely baffled. "Huh? Sister Zhi, what are you two talking about?"
Ren Zhi was a bit weary, so Chu Xi answered for her. "It's nothing. Let's just get her home."
Xiao Ju: "Oh..."
Sister Zhi said she and Chu Xi are friends. I absolutely must not overthink this!
Just friends!
Just the kind of close bestie who walks you to your door and helps you upstairs, that's all. TvT.
Xiao Ju silently watched the two of them walk into the building, not daring to make a peep.
Ren Zhi hadn't drunk as much as last time, but she still seemed a bit groggy. Chu Xi stood at the doorway and glanced around. Surprisingly, no one else was home.
After changing into her slippers, Ren Zhi smiled. "I've troubled you again tonight. Thank you. You can head back now. Take a taxi; I'll reimburse you for the fare."
Chu Xi stood at the doorway, hesitating, not moving an inch.
A sense of curiosity bubbled up from her subconscious, like an instinctive, genetic reaction. It was mysterious and difficult to explain, but she suddenly had a strong desire to explore Ren Zhi's home.
What did the living room look like? How was the kitchen laid out? Did the bathroom have a shower or a large bathtub? What was the style of the balcony's decor? Was there a study? What color was the four-piece bedding set on the bed...?
Countless curiosities suddenly began to stir restlessly within her.
It was like a cat or dog arriving at a new home, needing to immediately ascertain the state of its new territory.
It was also like getting a new piece of clothing and being eager to try it on to see how it looked.
In short, an irrepressible sense of novelty and a desire for exploration had sprouted in Chu Xi's heart, growing wild in an instant.
Ren Zhi looked baffled, her eyes meeting Chu Xi's with a questioning gaze.
Chu Xi said, "I haven't been back to my apartment in so long that I ended the lease. Mind if I crash here for a night?"
She made her request, and Ren Zhi readily agreed. "Sure. You should have said so sooner. Come on in."
Chu Xi had already proven herself to be a loyal friend. Never mind one night; staying for several would have been fine.
Chu Xi chuckled, closed the door, and found herself a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet. A little unsteadily, Ren Zhi said to her, "I'm going to take a shower. Um... find a bedroom you like and get some rest."
Chu Xi casually reminded her, "Be careful then. Don't slip and fall in the bathroom or anything."
Ren Zhi: "..."
Thanks. Great advice. Not ominous at all.
Ren Zhi's home was a large, single-story apartment. Chu Xi scanned the room, estimating it to be around four hundred square meters. The balcony outside was like a small flower garden with a table and chairs set in the middle, creating a cozy, Chinese-style pastoral atmosphere.
The television in the living room looked like it was rarely used, but a housekeeper kept the place tidy, so everything was spotless at a glance. The remote control, however, hadn't been cleaned as thoroughly, and there was a bit of dust between the buttons. Chu Xi casually grabbed a tissue and wiped it clean.
The kitchen was spacious, with the cupboards, dish cabinets, and wine cabinet all arranged in an orderly fashion. The cookware and tableware were beautiful and homey.
But the refrigerator was completely empty, which deducted a hundred points from the "lived-in" feel.
In addition, the apartment had a study and a fitness room. There were only two bedrooms, a master and a secondary one. The distinction was obvious, as the master bedroom had an adjoining walk-in closet.
And... Ren Zhi had told her to pick a room she liked?
Well, that would obviously be the master bedroom!
She figured Ren Zhi probably hadn't been home in several months herself. The bed in the guest room wasn't even made up with sheets, a fact Ren Zhi hadn't seemed to notice.
Chu Xi found it a little funny. Was Ren Zhi not even familiar with her own home?
When Ren Zhi came out of the shower, she found Chu Xi still standing in the living room, waiting for her. Her head was still a bit fuzzy, so she could only look over in suspicion, unable to figure out what Chu Xi was up to.
"I haven't showered yet. I was afraid I'd get your bed dirty, so I'm going now." Chu Xi held up a pair of soft satin pajamas and grinned. "You have a lot of pajamas. I'm borrowing a set."
With that, she dashed into the bathroom, leaving Ren Zhi still too slow on the uptake to react.
It wasn't until she was leaning against the headboard reading a document a little while later that Ren Zhi suddenly realized something-
Her bed?
Did Chu Xi mean she was going to sleep here?
She quickly slipped on her shoes and hurried over to the guest room to take a look-
Oh. There was nothing on the bed.
Ren Zhi pressed her temples, walked back, and sat down on her bed again.
When Chu Xi returned wearing her pajamas, her skin was so clear and soft it looked like a white zongzi freshly unwrapped from its green leaves. A lock of jet-black hair clung to the nape of her neck, making her slender neck appear even more translucent and porcelain-white. A fine mist of water clung to the tips of her hair and settled on her skin. The lines of her neck and collarbones had become more fluid and defined after six months at the training camp. She looked lean but not frail, exuding a fresh and sharp energy.
—Chu Xi herself was quite satisfied with her appearance. She'd look even better, she thought, if she didn't button up the pajamas.
But Ren Zhi merely gave her a casual glance in the middle of reading her documents and pointed to the adjacent walk-in closet. "There's a comforter in the bottom of the cabinet at the very back. Go get it for yourself."
Chu Xi hopped onto the bed, tucking her feet under Ren Zhi's comforter in a flash. "No need. It's no trouble. We can just make do."
She saw that Ren Zhi's comforter was quite large, covering nearly the entire bed. If they could share one, why bother getting another?
Ren Zhi shifted slightly to the side and glanced at her.
"You..."
"What about me? Have you never shared a bed with a friend before?" Chu Xi asked, looking at her quizzically.
Not since she'd become an adult, she hadn't.
But she just smiled and said nothing more.
This is just how Chu Xi is, she thought. Might as well let her be.
Chu Xi watched as Ren Zhi stared blankly at the signature page of the agreement in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.
Her gaze was clearly unfocused, yet she continued to stare at that spot.
She nudged Ren Zhi with her elbow. "What are you thinking about? You've been lost in thought for a while."
"Aren't you a psychology major? Take a guess," Ren Zhi replied casually, her voice light and airy.
You could tell the alcohol was getting to her.
Because-
Chu Xi had told her this before, and now she had to repeat it. "I'm not a psychology major. And besides, who could possibly guess what you're thinking...?"
She mumbled the last part.
Ren Zhi sighed, pulling her gaze away from the black text on the white paper.
"The contract isn't settled yet."
Leaning against the headboard with her head propped on her elbow, Chu Xi said with a grin, "There are things even you can't handle?"
Smack. Ren Zhi lightly tapped her on the face with the stack of papers.
Chu Xi rubbed her cheek, muttering under her breath, "Just a joke..."
She looked at the signature line. "Didn't someone already sign? Who else needs to?"
Ren Zhi said, "I've settled with one company, but there's still one more. The big boss of Hong Gang still won't agree to partner with us. I get the feeling that his subordinate, Boss Zhang, is willing to sign, but the big boss didn't budge tonight. It was close..."
"What's the big boss's name?" Chu Xi asked.
"Dong Zhenggang."
Chu Xi searched the name on Baidu, and a Baidu Baike page popped up. She pointed to the profile picture. "This guy?"
Ren Zhi glanced over. "Mhm."
"Oh..." Chu Xi rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Before long, Ren Zhi put the documents aside and turned on her side to sleep.
The moonlight was blocked by the window, but the soft, faint glow from a light strip spilled onto the side of the bed.
Chu Xi snapped out of a long and distant train of thought.
"I have to say, being this ambitious must be exhausting. You can't keep drinking every day. Did you have any milk before bed?"
She finished her one-sided questioning and, receiving no answer, looked down to find that Ren Zhi had already fallen asleep.
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