48 Chapter 47 – splendid” Rice with Pickled Vegetables and Pork 6 (2/2)
”I'm okay,” he smiled. ”I'm used to going to sleep late or mixing up my days and nights.”
She exhaled quietly. ”I get my inspiration at night to do stuff, too, so I'm wide awake right now. But if I don't sleep, I'll be really tired when we arrive tomorrow morning…”
”If you're tired, you can sleep.” Mo Qingcheng's voice got lower. ”It's a holiday and time for rest anyway. If you're tired, sleep. When you wake up, we can go play for a bit. We don't need to follow the guide's plans.”
She gave an ”mm.”
All of a sudden, from behind them, Feng Ya Song's voice was heard. ”Something's not right, eh. You two were the ones who arranged this holiday. You're not really going to stay inside your room the whole time to sleep when you're tired and 'play' when you're awake… and ignore us, are you?”
...
It was the same thing that they had just said, but how come when Feng Ya Song repeated it, it sounded so… discreetly suggestive?
Sure enough, any words embellished by the voice of a professional would immediately be changed…
”Do you want to play with us?” Toupai's voice shifted, and he tossed the question back to him.
”... No, not at all…” Feng Ya Song continued wearing his sleep mask… and slept…
Such ordinary words, but how come when the two of them spoke them… they became so suggestive?
Sure enough, any words embellished by the voice of professionals would immediately be changed…
Gu Sheng continued to close her eyes.
She could not sleep so she could only close her eyes to rest up.
Once in a while, she could feel him shift or turn a page of the book.
Not long after, he turned off the overhead light above her. She felt a weight on her. He had covered her with a blanket the flight attendant had brought over.
And so, she suffered like this all the way to the island hotel. Gu Sheng and Geng Xiaoxing were staying together, and Toupai and Jue Mei naturally were also sharing a room. With an expression on their faces that said, ”You guys are obviously 'covering your ears while stealing a bell[1]' [a futile cover-up for an action that is plainly obvious],” everyone went into their own rooms, planning to make up some sleep with an afternoon nap and then head out together to the beach for a walk.
Gu Sheng and Geng Xiaoxing's room was next door to Toupai's. The hotel they were staying in was right on the white sand beach, and only that stretch of fine white sand and a row of bars separated the hotel's front entrance and the ocean.
Just seeing the ocean so close caused the tiredness from the late-night flight that had been several hours long and the exhaustion from the two-hour long brutal trip from the airport to the hotel to completely disappear.
Toupai had booked all ocean-view rooms.
Their rooms on the fourth and fifth floors all shared an open balcony, perfect for people travelling on vacation together.
Once they stepped into their room, Geng Xiaoxing drew the curtains shut and immediately began changing from her winter clothes into summer ones. ”I brought two sets of bathing suits. One is a bikini while the other one is more reserved… Which should I wear? …”
Gu Sheng only changed into a dress. ”... Two sets?”
”Yeah. I didn't know what everyone else was going to wear… This won't do. I've been covered in sweat since we got off the plane. I'm going to go bathe first.” Geng Xiaoxing hugged her clothes and anxiously dashed into the washroom.
Gu Sheng had just pulled up the zipper on the side of her dress when there was a knock on the balcony door.
She pulled open the curtain. Toupai was standing there on the other side of the glass door wearing a black pair of beach shorts and a dark blue short-sleeved shirt. His outline nearly obscured the entire background scenery of turquoise ocean waters and blue sky. He was wearing a blue baseball cap, and in the faint shadow cast by the cap, his eyes seemed even more beautiful.
She was about to open her mouth to speak when she saw him bend over and, from underneath the glass door, stuff her a note.
Puzzled, she picked it up.
On the paper was a drawing of a girl wearing a big, straw sunhat. A simple, quick sketch but very cute.
photo-2
On the bottom was a row of words: Very hot out. The less you wear, the better. But your straw sunhat is a must.
The less you wear, the better…
When she looked up again, Mo Qingcheng was already motioning for her to stay quiet and then his two fingers made a ”let's go” gesture.
Slip out quietly?
Gu Sheng was somewhat perplexed but still very cooperatively picked up her room card and huge straw hat and, amid the sound of water coming from Geng Xiaoxing's shower, snuck quietly out of the room. Even when she had slipped into the elevator and then stepped out of the hotel, she still felt as if she was sneaking out to have a romantic rendezvous.
It happened to be raining heavily outside.
”We didn't bring an umbrella. What should we do?” Gu Sheng gazed at the rain somewhat hesitantly.
”No worries. These types of islands can rain several times a day. The sun will soon be out.”
The two of them, each carrying their own sandals, walked barefoot past an outdoor bar… Sure enough, less than five minutes later, the rain turned into scorching sunshine so that even the sand dried out quickly and, beneath the blazing sun, became soft and scalding hot.
She treaded unevenly on the sand for a little while, happy from just doing this.
”Happy?”
She nodded. ”Very, very.”
The burning hot sand warmed the soles of her feet. An extremely comfortable feeling.
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Sunshine, beach, and Toupai beside her… She used her foot to step lightly on the top of his foot. He stopped. Holding down her straw hat with one hand, she tilted her face upwards, and in that moment where he lowered his head to look at her, she gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips.
He gazed down at her, a smile spreading across his face.
Hastily, she used her straw hat to block the view of her face and then pointed at the ocean in the distance. ”The guide said we'll be going out on the water to fish soon.”
Toupai replied with a quiet ”mm.” It was very gentle and easily went into the depths of her heart…
Whew! ”Eating tofu[2]” [hitting on someone] in broad daylight does indeed require an extremely strong heart...
All around them, there were people coming and going. How come, just now, she hadn't noticed there were so many people?! …
[1]掩耳盗铃. A Chinese idiom that means that you are not able to deceive anyone else and can only deceive yourself with your actions, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Everyone is implying that they ”know” the room arrangements with Gu Sheng/Geng Xiaoxing and Toupai/Jue Mei are just a cover-up for the fact that the occupants of the two rooms are likely going to do a little switcheroo later.
[2]吃豆腐 'chi dou fu.' Taking advantage or liberties with someone by touching, kissing, etc, usually without their explicit permission.