20: Chapter 20 Go take a shower

Zhang Qi pushed the door open, the night breeze carrying the distinct stench of sewage from the old residential complex.

He took out his phone and scanned the payment code the driver held out.

"WeChat payment, 58 yuan."

The crisp, synthesized electronic voice rang out in the quiet car.

A familiar system prompt immediately surfaced in his mind.

[Ding! Host's personal expenditure of 58 yuan detected, meeting cashback criteria.]

[Double cashback triggered, 116 yuan transferred to the host's savings card ending in 9527.]

[Current cumulative expenditure: 542,344 yuan.]

The phone in his pocket vibrated.

Zhang Qi lowered his head to glance at the text message that popped up on the screen.

"Your savings card account ending in 9527 has received 116.00 RMB, current balance 604,009.50 RMB."

Watching the steadily rising balance, the corners of Zhang Qi's mouth curled up as he walked into the old, dilapidated building where even the streetlights were mostly broken.

He walked upstairs, familiar with the route, the stairwell plastered with small advertisements for drain cleaning and locksmith services.

Standing before that peeling security door, Zhang Qi took out his keys and unlocked it.

The house was quiet.

The living room lights were off, with only a sliver of bright yellow light spilling from under the master bedroom door.

Zhang Qi didn't even change his shoes, walking straight inside in his thirty-thousand-yuan Berluti leather shoes.

He pushed open the master bedroom door.

His vision was instantly filled with the scene on the bed.

Sun Yiyao was lying on the bed playing with her phone.

The woman had clearly taken a shower; her hair was casually tied back, with a few damp strands clinging to her fair neck.

She was wearing only a set of black lace lingerie.

Large expanses of dazzling, snow-white skin were exposed to the air, glowing with a delicate luster under the bedroom's incandescent light.

Her two long, shapely legs were kicked up in mid-air, her tender feet swaying lazily to the rhythm of the short videos on her phone.

Because of her prone position, that stunning fullness was pressed into a deep cleavage, the black lace edges unable to contain the burgeoning temptation.

This visually striking scene caused a surge of illicit desire to instantly flare up in Zhang Qi's body, which had just consumed some alcohol.

Hearing the door open, Sun Yiyao turned over abruptly like a startled rabbit.

When she saw it was Zhang Qi standing at the door, an incredibly bright smile immediately bloomed on her charming face.

"Brother Qi, you're back!"

Her voice was soft and sweet, tinged with a natural, coquettish charm and sycophancy.

Zhang Qi raised an eyebrow.

She had changed how she addressed him quite quickly.

Last night, it had been "Brother Zhang Qi" every other word, terrified that calling him too intimately would displease her cousin Sun Qianwen.

Now that her cousin had moved out and the two of them had crossed that line, the title had been streamlined to just "Brother Qi".

A woman's intuitive mastery of such matters was truly breathtaking.

Zhang Qi let his gaze sweep unreservedly over her seductive body.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he forcibly suppressed the urge to take her right there.

The soundproofing in this dilapidated rental was terrible; the bed frame squeaked at the slightest movement.

With over six hundred thousand in his account, there was no need to shortchange himself in a place like this.

"Pack your things, come with me," Zhang Qi said in a flat tone.

Sun Yiyao was stunned.

She pulled the air-conditioning quilt over her chest, her watery peach-blossom eyes full of confusion.

"Go out? Where are we going in the middle of the night?"

Zhang Qi looked at her and spat out two words.

"Get a room."

As soon as those two words came out, Sun Yiyao's cheeks flushed red to the roots of her ears.

She bit her rosy lower lip, her expression becoming extremely conflicted.

Logically, that absurd transaction from last night was already over.

She had traded her twenty-two years of innocence for that bottle of 26,000-yuan romanée-conti.

Money and goods exchanged, neither owing the other anything.

She had laid in bed all day and really should have put on her clothes and left.

But she hadn't.

Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Zhang Qi sitting on the sofa last night, paying 58,000 with a scan without blinking an eye, played on a loop in her mind.

That was 58,000.

In this materialistic Shenzhen, a man who could spend money so nonchalantly was definitely the top-tier resource she could ever hope to encounter in her life.

She couldn't bear to leave.

Now, hearing Zhang Qi say they were going to get a room, the little bit of reserve and shame in her heart instantly crumbled in the face of such immense, tangible benefit.

"Oh... okay, wait a second."

Sun Yiyao didn't dare to look into Zhang Qi's eyes; she lowered her head, threw off the quilt, and scrambled to get dressed.

She put on a tight white camisole, layered a thin knit cardigan over it, and wore slim-fit jeans on her lower half.

Although she was covered up more thoroughly, it still couldn't hide her provocative, curvaceous figure.

Picking up her small bag, Sun Yiyao followed behind Zhang Qi out of the rental like a docile, mistreated little thing.

The two walked to the road at the entrance of the complex.

It was late at night, and there were no pedestrians on the road.

Zhang Qi reached out and hailed a ride-hailing car with its "vacant" light on.

He opened the back door, and they sat inside side-by-side.

"Driver, take us to the St. Regis Hotel."

After stating the destination, Zhang Qi leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes to rest.

The space in the car was cramped, and the shadows of the streetlights flickered across their faces.

Sun Yiyao sat beside him, a faint, high-end woody scent drifting into her nostrils.

She turned her head, and by the light of the streetlamps outside, her gaze fell quietly on the man beside her.

At this sight, her heartbeat skipped a beat.

Last night, Zhang Qi had still been wearing that washed-out, collar-deformed T-shirt from an online store, looking just like an ordinary salaryman crushed by life.

But now, Zhang Qi was like a completely different person.

The dark blue casual suit he wore had a crisp fabric and a cut that perfectly fit his broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted physique.

Although there was no obvious logo, Sun Yiyao worked in the wine industry and had dealt with many wealthy people; she could tell at a glance that the clothes were definitely expensive.

She looked down further.

At the wrist where Zhang Qi's hand rested casually on his knee, the sleeve was slightly pulled back, revealing a rugged-looking blue-dial watch.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas.

Sun Yiyao gasped.

She had seen this model on the wrist of a major client; it cost at least over two hundred thousand.

And that meticulously styled hair, those leather shoes with extremely refined burnishing craftsmanship.

This entire outfit from head to toe couldn't cost less than several hundred thousand.

Sun Yiyao gripped her small bag tightly, her palms sweating.

She was now completely convinced.

Zhang Qi had definitely struck it rich.

The tens of thousands spent last night was definitely not an impulsive act, nor was it some life savings accumulated over many years.

The man simply didn't treat money as money.

Thinking of this, a strong sense of absurdity welled up in Sun Yiyao's heart.

Her cousin Sun Qianwen, that blind fool, had actually dumped such a god of wealth, thinking he was a pauper.

It was the biggest joke in the world.

But immediately after, an even stronger sense of conflict and ambition began to sprout wildly in her heart.

She had already had a substantial relationship with Zhang Qi, giving away her most precious thing.

If she could take this opportunity to become his girlfriend, her destiny would be completely changed.

However, standing between them was that cousin, Sun Qianwen.

Although they had broken up, if she really got together with her ex-brother-in-law and word got back to their hometown, her reputation would be ruined.

Sun Yiyao gritted her teeth, a battle raging in her mind.

The ride-hailing car stopped steadily in front of the golden, magnificent entrance of the St. Regis Hotel.

The doorman, very perceptive, ran over to open the door.

Zhang Qi scanned the code to pay the fare.

[Ding! Host's personal expenditure of 45 yuan detected, meeting cashback criteria.]

[Double cashback triggered, 90 yuan transferred to the host's savings card ending in 9527.]

[Current cumulative expenditure: 542,389 yuan.]

The phone vibrated.

"Your savings card account ending in 9527 has received 90.00 RMB, current balance 604,099.50 RMB."

Zhang Qi put away his phone and led Sun Yiyao into the hotel's opulent lobby.

The crystal chandelier emitted a dazzling radiance, and the air was permeated with the scent of high-end fragrance.

Sun Yiyao stepped on the soft, thick carpet, feeling as if she were in a dream.

She had only ever dared to look through the glass when passing by such top-tier hotels.

"Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?" the pretty girl in uniform at the front desk asked with a smile.

"No reservation. Open the best suite you have," Zhang Qi said, handing over his ID card.

"Certainly, sir. We currently have one panoramic executive suite available with an excellent view. The price is 11,888 yuan per night. How many nights would you like to stay?"

"Let's start with two nights."

"Very well, that will be 23,776 yuan for two nights. How would you like to pay?"

"Scan the code."

Zhang Qi brought up the payment code, his movements very skilled.

Beep.

Payment successful.

[Ding! Host's personal expenditure of 23,776 yuan detected, meeting cashback criteria.]

[Double cashback triggered, 47,552 yuan transferred to the host's savings card ending in 9527.]

[Current cumulative expenditure: 566,165 yuan.]

The phone vibrated again.

"Your savings card account ending in 9527 has received 47,552.00 RMB, current balance 651,651.50 RMB."

Sun Yiyao, standing to the side, clearly heard the price announced by the front desk.

Over twenty-three thousand.

Just to sleep for two nights.

This amount of money was enough for her to pay a year's rent in that dilapidated urban village.

She looked at Zhang Qi's calm, expressionless face, feeling her heart pounding wildly in her chest, the speed of her blood flow increasing.

Taking the room card, the two took the elevator directly to the top floor.

Swiping the card to push open the suite door.

Sun Yiyao was completely shocked by the luxury before her eyes.

The ultra-large space of over two hundred square meters; outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the bustling night view of all of Shenzhen was in full view.

The living room was furnished with Italian imported leather sofas, and the bar in the dining area was set with welcome fruits and champagne.

The large bed in the bedroom looked twice as big as the one in the rental, the bedding glowing with a silk-like luster.

Even though she hadn't seen much of the world, she could feel the scent of money permeating the air.

Sun Yiyao stood awkwardly at the entryway, her hands clutching the straps of her bag tightly, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Zhang Qi took off his Zegna casual suit jacket and threw it casually on the sofa.

He tugged at his collar and turned to look at Sun Yiyao, who was still stunned at the door.

His gaze fell on her charming face, which was slightly flushed with nervousness.

"Go wash up," Zhang Qi said, pointing to the spacious and bright bathroom nearby.

Sun Yiyao's body trembled slightly.

She bit her lower lip, looked up at Zhang Qi, and a light of determination flashed in her watery peach-blossom eyes.

"Mm."

She didn't say any unnecessary nonsense and responded obediently.

Then, she put down her bag and walked into the bathroom, her long, straight, shapely legs moving compliantly.

The frosted glass door closed.

Not long after, the sound of splashing water came from inside.