Chapter 588 - 381: Tokyo Trip (10)
Jiangg Yao’s little mind couldn’t process such complex emotions. In the end, it all boiled down to a single thought—’Whatever happens, I’m not going back.’
"Then you can go back by yourself. Just leave me here," she said stubbornly, her voice dropping to a whisper as she stopped walking.
"Alright, I’ve done what I can. Since you insist on staying here," Chen Yuan said, prying her hand away, "I’ll be on my way, then?"
Jiangg Yao didn’t say a word, merely staring into his eyes while her fingers unconsciously fiddled with the corner of her shirt.
He watched as the rims of Yaoyao’s eyes reddened in the blink of an eye.
"Go on, I don’t need you... Waaah..."
"Could you try not to sound so pathetic when you’re saying something so resolute?"
"All you know how to do is make me angry! I was finally starting to cheer up a little... Waaah... You damn Young Master! I’m ignoring you from now on! Waaah..."
Chen Yuan couldn’t hold back his amusement for another second. He pulled Jiangg Yao into an embrace, her soft, fragrant body instantly enveloped by his broad frame.
"There, there. How could I possibly leave you here? Since you don’t want to go back, I’ll stay here with you tonight... Ningning won’t know! She won’t see! We’re going to have some time to ourselves," he said, coaxing her like a child.
"Why do you make it sound like we’re having an affair? I’m your actual girlfriend, you know..." Jiangg Yao said between tears and laughter, a hint of playful resentment on her delicate cheeks.
"Alright. Are you ready for our Tokyo adventure, then?" Chen Yuan asked gently, tilting his head.
"Ready for what?"
"To check into the most luxurious and beautiful hotel in all of Tokyo, of course."
Chen Yuan gave a loud SNAP of his fingers. A moment later, a Maybach suddenly pulled out from around the street corner, its headlights illuminating him from a distance.
The seven or eight men in suits appeared as well, walking over and bowing deeply.
The man in the lead, Inoue, bent at the waist and spoke in stilted Chinese. "Young Master, Young Madam. Welcome to Tokyo. This humble one has failed to greet you properly. I hope you can forgive my poor reception."
"To the hotel," Chen Yuan said with a wave of his hand.
"Yes, sir!"
The men hurried over, vying to take their luggage and open the car door. Elegant music drifted from the quiet interior, and the pleasant fragrance of a sea salt cologne washed over them.
This display, like something out of a magic show, left Jiangg Yao a bit stunned. She was still trying to process everything even after settling into the car, her large, sparkling eyes sizing up the men in suits.
She hadn’t known Mrs. Jiang had a branch in Tokyo, too. Her confusion was now even greater than when she had first seen Chen Yuan.
The moment the Maybach’s engine purred to life, two more luxury cars pulled out from the corner, following close behind at a distance of half a car length. Upon entering the intersection ahead, two cars moved forward to take the lead, forming an escort around the central vehicle.
A small box filled with fresh, chilled fruit had been placed on the little tray table in front of Jiangg Yao.
She glanced all around before her gaze finally settled on Chen Yuan.
"Who are all these people?"
"Just some subordinates."
"Young Master... after all this time... you really are a *young master*..."
Girls have a genuine fondness for these kinds of luxurious but ultimately useless things. In that instant, Jiangg Yao truly felt like a princess beside her prince, just as she had dreamed as a little girl. The magical, mysterious experience made her eyes light up, her foul mood vanishing without a trace.
「At the hotel.」
Jiangg Yao’s frequent gasps of amazement were incredibly gratifying to Chen Yuan. He leaned back to rest in a corner of the sofa, watching her pace all around the suite.
"Oh my God! This suite is huge! This bed could fit ten of me! A dining room! A sky garden?! Is this... a swimming pool?"
More than fifty stories up, an open-air swimming pool was set outside. Brilliant lights illuminated the shimmering surface of the water, which had no visible edge, giving a direct view of the Tokyo Tower standing tall and magnificent against the night sky.
It was an absolutely mesmerizing sight.
Best of all, the pool was heated. Wisps of steam floated upward from the water, making it look like a celestial paradise.
"As long as you’re happy," Chen Yuan said. He was actually quite tired, having not rested all day, but he forced himself to match Jiangg Yao’s energy.
"You’re incredible, Young Master! I love you so much!"
Jiangg Yao took a running leap and dove into Chen Yuan’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and peppering his cheeks with kisses.
It had been over a month since they’d been this intimate, after all.
Chen Yuan instantly felt re-energized, a dopey grin spreading across his face.
But what he was really looking forward to was the fact that Ningning wasn’t here. He and Jiangg Yao, alone together on such a beautiful night... It would be a true crime against his long-distance journey if *something* didn’t happen.
At that thought, a few wicked ideas began to bubble up in his mind.
"Just a kiss on the cheek isn’t going to cut it. That’s not sincere enough."
"You jerk..." Jiangg Yao glanced at him, her cheeks flushed. A second later, she gave him a quick, light peck on the edge of his lips.
The touch of her soft lips was fleeting, leaving him craving more.
And how could Jiangg Yao not be happy? Chen Yuan coming all this way proved that she was in his heart, that he truly cared for her.
This was all she wanted.
"I’m going to take a dip, Young Master. It’d be a crime to waste such a big pool and this amazing view."
"Then go on."
"You should come with me~ I’ll be lonely all by myself. We came all this way, and I want you by my side."
"Oh, so *now* you want my company? Back in Lanjing, you wouldn’t even spare me a smile. Quite the turnaround, isn’t it, My Lady Yaoyao?"
"Oh, come on. That was then, this is now..." she murmured, her voice full of sweet persuasion.
In her current mood, Jiangg Yao could have forgiven the entire world, so she certainly didn’t care about their cold war back in Lanjing. Besides, she had already gotten what she wanted. Chen Yuan was here by her side—belonging only to her, not to her sister.
That was enough.
"No way. We should keep our distance. Our dear Yaoyao is a person of high principles, after all. If we go to the pool, wouldn’t that mean I’d see you in a swimsuit? How could I? That’s a little... suggestive."
Chen Yuan deliberately used a smug, teasing tone, making Jiangg Yao’s eyes narrow.
However, she wasn’t Jiangg Ning.
When it came to handling Chen Yuan, Yaoyao had her own methods.
"Then you can look all you want~" She wrapped her arms around Chen Yuan’s neck and deliberately blew a hot breath against his ear, murmuring softly, "Don’t you want to look? You can look at whatever you like... Just for tonight. If you don’t look now, you won’t get another chance~"
With that, she let go of Chen Yuan. Her laughter chimed like silver bells as she ran off to find a swimsuit.
The sight of her skipping figure was utterly captivating.
After hearing her words, Chen Yuan felt his mouth go dry and his entire body heat up.
...
In the pleasantly warm water of the pool, Chen Yuan leaned comfortably against the edge, his arms spread wide. He let out a sigh of contentment as the heated water soaked his body, easing the soreness in his muscles.
Jiangg Yao played in the center of the pool, her toes just touching the bottom. Her movements sent ripples spreading across the water’s surface.
In the distance, the Tokyo Tower stood like a titan against the night sky. Its lights were so brilliant and dazzling it seemed to have gathered all the splendor of the heavens onto its frame. Compared to the tower, the bustling nightscape of Tokyo seemed to pale slightly, even though its myriad lights, like countless fireflies, were still beautiful and cast a soft glow as if veiled in layers of golden gossamer.
"So, can you tell me now? Young Master, how did you know I was in Tokyo? When I saw you earlier, I was so shocked I nearly died. It was like you just dropped out of the sky... Hey, do you know what I mean?" Jiangg Yao asked, scooting closer. Her curiosity was palpable, and the hair at her temples was damp with droplets of water.
Chen Yuan smiled.
He couldn’t possibly sell out Wan. He’d anticipated Jiangg Yao’s question and had already prepared a story that mixed truth with lies.
"I peeked at your phone, that’s how I knew you were coming to Tokyo. As it happens, your flight was right when I had to go to Linzhou for an inauguration ceremony. The moment it ended, I rushed straight here without even stopping to eat. I’d only been at the hotel for a few minutes, searching for you, when I saw you sitting there all by yourself."
"So you arranged for this hotel and everything beforehand? But how did you predict I wouldn’t be able to get a room? That’s incredible."
"I didn’t. My original plan was to make sure you were safe and then head back. Who knew you’d be so silly," Chen Yuan said, reaching out to poke her forehead. "I saw you, and I guess my heart went soft, so I revealed myself."
"Well, I didn’t expect the driver to drop me off at the wrong place and make me miss my check-in time..." Jiangg Yao muttered with a pout.
"That’s not what you should be explaining. Tell me. Why did you come to Tokyo without telling me?"
Chen Yuan’s gaze was locked on Jiangg Yao, as if he needed to hear the answer from her own lips.
"Because..."
Jiangg Yao was about to blurt out the reason when, a second later, she puffed out her cheeks and shot Chen Yuan a dissatisfied glare.
"I’m not telling you," she declared, immediately trying to swim away from him.
Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp. He instantly wrapped an arm around Jiangg Yao’s waist and pulled her back.
They were already in the hotel; where could she possibly run to now? Besides, with Ningning not around, it was the perfect time to get some honest answers.