135: Chapter 135 Taking Xiao Baihe to a Hotel

Cao Kun took Xiao Baihe to the Yuelan Hot Spring Hotel.

Xiao Baihe looked at the brilliant lights outside the window with a sense of daze.

This was a four-star hotel; its marble exterior shimmered with a cold luster in the night, while warm golden light spilled from within the revolving doors.

"What are we doing... here?" her voice was very soft, laced with uncertainty.

Cao Kun turned off the engine and pulled out the key. "You need a good night's rest. We'll carry out the plan tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."

He spoke candidly, but Xiao Baihe didn't dare to fully believe him.

A strange man taking her to a hotel room late at night and saying he wouldn't do anything?

Even she found those words absurd.

But she had no choice.

For the sake of her daughter's whereabouts, she could only follow Cao Kun into the hotel lobby.

A warm breeze brushed against her face, carrying a faint scent of aromatherapy.

Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow, and their figures were reflected on the polished floor.

The receptionist, dressed in a proper uniform, greeted them with a smile.

"One suite," Cao Kun said, handing over his ID card and Bank card.

"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment."

Xiao Baihe stood to the side, awkwardly tugging at the hem of her worn-out cotton coat.

She felt completely out of place here.

Everyone passing by was dressed glamorously, while she looked like a refugee.

She instinctively lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see her face.

"Xiao Baihe," Cao Kun suddenly called her name.

She looked up.

"Hold your head up." Cao Kun looked into her eyes. "You aren't inferior to anyone."

These words seemed to have a magical effect. Xiao Baihe took a deep breath and slowly straightened her back.

After checking in, the two of them took the elevator upstairs.

The suite was on the eighteenth floor. As soon as they entered, Xiao Baihe was stunned by the sight before her.

The living room was large and carpeted with soft rugs; outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of Zhongzhou.

The sofa was made of genuine leather, and a fruit platter and fresh flowers sat on the coffee table.

Two bedroom doors stood open across from each other, both revealing neat, large beds.

"Go take a bath first." Cao Kun placed the room card on the table. "There's a hot spring tub in the bathroom. Relax a bit; I'll wait for you out here."

Xiao Baihe hesitated for a moment before walking into the master bedroom's bathroom.

The bathroom was larger than the single room she rented.

Various toiletries were arranged next to a massive jacuzzi, and clean bathrobes were folded on the shelf.

She closed the door and leaned against it, her heart pounding wildly.

What exactly did he want to do?

Was it really just to let her rest?

Xiao Baihe gritted her teeth and began to undress.

Since she had already come this far, there was no point in being coy. If Cao Kun really wanted her...

For Xiao Jing's sake, she could accept it.

She stepped into the bathtub, and the warm water washed over her body.

It was indeed very comfortable; her tense nerves slowly began to relax.

How long had it been since she'd had such a proper bath?

In the rental house, she used a communal bathroom where the water fluctuated between hot and cold, and she always had to worry about being peeped at.

She closed her eyes, letting the flow of water massage her aching muscles.

After washing for nearly an hour, Xiao Baihe finally dried herself off.

The bathrobe was white, soft in texture, and carried a faint fragrance. She hesitated for a moment and decided not to wear any underwear.

Anyway... anyway, she probably wouldn't need it.

The mirror was fogged up with steam; she reached out and wiped a patch clear.

The woman in the mirror was pale, but after washing away the dust, the delicateness of her features became apparent.

Her wet black hair clung to her cheeks, and her eyes were slightly swollen from crying, yet she possessed a sort of pitiful, delicate beauty.

She took a deep breath and pushed open the bathroom door.

Cao Kun was sitting on the living room sofa smoking; his phone screen was lit up as if he were looking at something.

Hearing the movement, he looked up.

In that instant, Cao Kun was stunned.

He knew Xiao Baihe was beautiful, but he hadn't expected her to be this beautiful.

The collar of the bathrobe was slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbones and a patch of fair skin.

The belt wasn't tied very tightly, outlining her slender waist.

Her wet hair was draped over her shoulders, and droplets of water trickled down the ends of her hair, disappearing into the depths of the bathrobe.

Her face was plain, without any makeup, yet it had a natural, clear beauty, like a gardenia after the rain.

Cao Kun was no saint.

He was a normal man; with such a beauty standing before him in a bathrobe, it would be a lie to say he didn't have any thoughts.

He could even feel a reaction somewhere in his body.

But he quickly suppressed that impulse.

"Finished washing?" He stubbed out his cigarette, his voice a bit raspy.

Xiao Baihe nodded, her fingers unconsciously twisting the belt of her bathrobe.

She was waiting—waiting for Cao Kun to say something or do something.

However, Cao Kun simply stood up and pointed to the second bedroom. "Go sleep in that room. Get some good rest; we have things to do tomorrow."

Xiao Baihe was stunned.

That was it?

She stood there, a bit at a loss. "You... aren't..."

"Aren't what?" Cao Kun raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I was going to do something to you?"

Xiao Baihe blushed and looked down.

Cao Kun laughed, a trace of helplessness in his smile. "Xiao Baihe, I'm helping you not because I want to sleep with you. If I really wanted to, there are plenty of women who would be willing. There's no need to take advantage of someone in a difficult situation."

He spoke bluntly, even a bit hurtfully, yet Xiao Baihe felt strangely relieved.

"Go to sleep now." Cao Kun waved his hand, sat back down on the sofa, and picked up his phone. "Remember to lock the door."

Xiao Baihe glanced at him and slowly walked toward the second bedroom.

At the doorway, she paused and said softly, "Thank you."

Cao Kun didn't look up. "Mhm."

The door closed.

Listening to the sound of the door locking, Cao Kun gave a bitter smile.

That scene just now had indeed been a test for him.

Xiao Baihe's fragile and beautiful appearance could easily stir a man's desire to protect and possess.

But as he had said.

Although he, Cao Kun, was no paragon of virtue, he didn't want to take advantage of someone's plight.

Cao Kun shook his head, stood up, and went to the bathroom to shower.

...

Inside the second bedroom.

Xiao Baihe lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with her eyes open.

The room was very quiet; the subtle sound of the air conditioner's airflow could be heard.

The bed was soft, the quilt was warm—everything was so comfortable it didn't feel real.

But she couldn't sleep.

The scene from earlier kept replaying in her mind.

The way Cao Kun looked at her, that moment of being stunned by her beauty, and then... then there was nothing else.

He actually let her sleep in a room by herself and even told her to lock the door.

Complex emotions welled up in Xiao Baihe's heart.

On one hand, she was glad that Cao Kun wasn't the type to take advantage of a crisis.

On the other hand, she actually felt a bit... disappointed.

"Am I really no longer attractive?"

As soon as this thought surfaced, she startled herself.

What was she thinking?

Did she actually want Cao Kun to do something to her?

No, that wasn't it.

She was just... she just hadn't been treated like a woman for a very long time.

Xiao Baihe rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

The pillow smelled pleasantly of detergent, completely different from the musty odor in her rental room.

Xiao Baihe was indeed a bit tired.

She closed her eyes and soon drifted into a dreamland.

...

When Xiao Baihe woke up, it was already eight in the morning.

She hadn't slept this late in a long time; back at the rental house, she always got up at six to go look for her daughter before work.

She sat up, looked at her intact bathrobe, and then at the closed bedroom door.

Everything from last night wasn't a dream; Cao Kun really hadn't come in.

She got out of bed and gently opened the door.

In the living room, Cao Kun was already up, sitting on the sofa playing with his phone.

Morning light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding him with a golden edge. He had changed his clothes into a light gray sweater and black casual pants, looking very refreshed.

"Awake?" Cao Kun turned to look at her. "How did you sleep?"

"I... I slept okay." Xiao Baihe was a bit awkward. "You're up so early?"

"I'm used to it." Cao Kun turned off the TV. "Go wash up, then we'll go have breakfast. The hotel has a buffet. After eating, I'll take you somewhere."

Breakfast was in the restaurant on the second floor of the hotel.

It was Xiao Baihe's first time eating at a buffet; looking at the dazzling array of food, she was a bit overwhelmed.

Cao Kun handed her a plate. "Take whatever you want to eat, don't be polite."

She carefully picked out some fruit and bread and served herself a bowl of porridge.

Cao Kun, on the other hand, took a lot—fried eggs, bacon, sausages, and fried noodles—piling his plate high.

The two found a seat by the window and sat down.

The sunlight was wonderful, and through the window, they could see the hotel's courtyard; although the trees were withered in winter, it was elegantly designed.

"Today, I'm going to take you for a makeover," Cao Kun said while eating. "Your current look is too... plain. We need to make those people look at you in a new light."

Xiao Baihe looked down at herself.

She was wearing yesterday's clothes; the red sweater was pilling, and the jeans were faded from washing.

"Makeover?" She didn't quite understand.

"You'll know after we finish eating."

...