124: Christmas Eve (Bonus Chapter)

Half an hour later—

Getting back into the car, Ye Cheng buckled her seatbelt and finally couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jiang Ye.

"So—"

She turned her head, drawing out her words. "Where exactly was the face-slapping? What was the point of that crooked smirk of yours?"

While starting the car, Jiang Ye tried to save face.

"Didn't I tell you? I called for backup! Officer An's family background is definitely something else. Look at Liu Fangli's attitude afterward, it was like..."

"Yeah, yeah, he was scared out of his wits."

Ye Cheng interrupted him irritably, counting on her fingers. "But they were so smug before, mocking and belittling us, leaving us feeling so stifled! And what happened? This 'face-slapping' wasn't satisfying at all; it left us hanging. If you ask me, we should have just started cursing them out earlier. It might have been ugly, but at least it would've been cathartic!"

The more she spoke, the more she felt they had lost out. She rubbed her chin and concluded, "Student Jiang Ye, after my expert appraisal, you are simply not cut out for the subtle Face-slapping style! Next time something like this happens, leave it to me. I'll make sure they're cursed into oblivion. That's what I call a real vent!"

Jiang Ye clicked his tongue, gripping the steering wheel. He felt a bit odd too.

Indeed, he had acted cool, yet it felt like he hadn't.

The other party was terrified, but it had nothing to do with him directly. There were no follow-up apologies, admiration, or groveling sessions.

He could only say that the 'Emergency Contact' item lived up to its name with its ridiculous effectiveness, but it was limited to 'solving the trouble' itself. If he wanted to use it to experience the thrill of having a maxed-out Protagonist Aura and domineering presence, he was dreaming.

However... recalling the sight of An Zhengjun forcibly dragging his younger brother away, a big question mark formed in his mind.

Officer An's family background seemed exceptionally powerful.

Even if he really had an uncle in the Municipal Bureau, it shouldn't have scared a seasoned corporate executive like Liu Fangli to that extent, right?

Forget it, it had nothing to do with him anyway. He stopped thinking about it.

There were more important things at hand!

Jiang Ye turned to look at Ye Cheng, who was still rambling indignantly in the passenger seat. He cleared his throat and asked as if casually:

"Fine, fine, I'll listen to you next time. You handle the offense, and I'll be your hype man! So... *cough*, Cheng Cheng, where are we going now?"

Ye Cheng was immersed in her reflection on the 'failed' flex. Hearing this, her expression instantly froze.

Her eyes darted around, and she cast a quick glance at Jiang Ye out of the corner of her eye. A visible blush began to spread across her face, reaching all the way to her ears.

"Um... I'll send you the location..."

Ye Cheng shifted uncomfortably, coughed into her fist, and then slowly pulled out her phone. She unlocked it and tapped on WeChat a few times.

Before hitting send, she suddenly turned her head, put on a stern face, and warned him in a "I'm serious, I'm not joking" tone:

"Starting now! You! Are not allowed to speak! Not a single word! Do you hear me?"

Jiang Ye saw her looking fierce but inwardly trembling, trying to act calm. He was instantly amused.

This girl was definitely looking for a place to deliver on the "Christmas Eve gift"!

Was she afraid he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut on the way, making her jump out of the car in embarrassment with his smooth talk?

Tsk, she was quite cute.

He quickly put on his "most obedient" expression, nodded vigorously, and raised his hand to swear, "Don't worry! I promise! I won't say anything stupid! I swear!"

Seeing his solemn promise, Ye Cheng gave a light huff and then tapped the screen firmly, sending the location.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Ye's phone dinged, receiving a location pin.

He picked up his phone with great anticipation. At first, he was delighted—it really was a hotel!

But after seeing the hotel's name and location, his eyelid twitched. He instinctively opened his mouth, a "Holy—" nearly escaping.

Ye Cheng, who had been staring at his reaction, immediately narrowed her eyes when she saw him open his mouth. She raised a finger and reiterated fiercely:

"No talking! Or else! I'm getting out of the car and going back to school right now!"

Jiang Ye looked at her nervous and slightly embarrassed expression, then at the location on the screen that seemed to radiate his mother's "authority," and made an instant decision.

Damn!

So what if it's the Conrad? He couldn't let the cooked duck fly away now!

Even if he was unlucky enough to run into his mom, at most it would be a bit awkward. He'd just explain!

Two consenting adults getting a room on Christmas Eve—what's wrong with that?

As long as I'm not embarrassed, they're the ones who'll be embarrassed!

Jiang Ye nodded decisively, set the navigation, and floored the gas, heading straight for the Conrad Hotel located on the other side of the city center.

————

Twenty minutes later, in the lobby of the Conrad Hotel.

Ye Cheng had put back on her thick down jacket and jeans. Carrying her backpack and pulling Jiang Ye along, she walked toward the front desk with slightly unsteady steps.

"Hello, I made a reservation this morning under the name Ye. The last four digits of my phone number are 0562."

The receptionist checked the computer and responded with a smile:

"Certainly, Miss Ye. You've reserved a Deluxe King Room for one night. Could you and this gentleman please provide your IDs for registration?"

The words "King Room" seemed to have a magical effect, making Ye Cheng's ears turn a deeper shade of red.

As if suddenly remembering something, she turned to look at Jiang Ye, whose expression was already smug beyond belief, and said in a "I just realized a big problem" tone:

"Huh? I forgot to tell you beforehand. Do... do you happen to have your ID with you? Oh, if you didn't bring it, then never mind. I... I suddenly feel a bit hungry. How about we go..."

Before she could finish, Jiang Ye slapped his ID onto the front desk with lightning speed.

"Miss, here's the ID! Please hurry, we're... *cough*, in a bit of a rush."

Seeing the shy girl and the eager boy, the receptionist smiled knowingly and took the ID.

"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment, I'll process it for you right away."

"..."

Ye Cheng glanced at Jiang Ye's smug "Didn't expect that, did you? I was prepared!" look and gave an annoyed huff. She slowly pulled her ID out of her bag and handed it over, her heart pounding like a drum.