99: I didn't say you can't touch it.

The high-speed train slowly came to a stop, and Yu Heng opened his eyes.

He sat up straight and stretched his slightly stiff neck.

"Are we there?" His voice was still husky from just waking up.

"Mm." Qin Lu responded, her shoulders feeling a bit stiff and sore.

Yu Heng got up quickly and held out his hand to her: "Let's go."

Qin Lu gave him her hand; he grasped it and pulled her up.

She realized she was starting to get used to this kind of contact.

Yu Heng today was different from before; he wasn't as aggressive, making her feel gentle and secure instead.

Following the flow of people out of the carriage, Yu Heng glanced at the sign and led her toward the taxi waiting area.

The line wasn't long, and they were quickly next.

Yu Heng opened the back door, let Qin Lu get in first, and then followed her, telling the driver: "Master, please go to the Ji Hotel near the Workers' Stadium."

The driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror and responded, "Alrighty."

Qin Lu's hand was held by Yu Heng, resting on his lap.

His thumb unconsciously rubbed the back of her hand while his gaze was fixed outside the window, seemingly checking the route.

The car stopped at the hotel entrance. Yu Heng paid the fare, got out, and walked around to the other side to open the door for Qin Lu.

Walking into the lobby, the heating rushed toward them, and the lights were a little dazzling.

A young girl was sitting at the front desk, looking down at her phone.

Yu Heng walked over and tapped his finger on the counter.

The girl looked up, showing a professional smile: "Hello, do you have a reservation?"

"No," Yu Heng said. "Do you have any rooms available now?"

"Yes, we do." The girl operated the computer. "Would you like a twin room or a King room?"

"King."

Qin Lu stood half a step away from him, originally intending to ask for two rooms or a twin room.

But she felt that would be a bit pretentious—was a twin room really more respectable?

It was just self-deception. They had already slept together; why worry about sharing a King room?

"Alright, please show me both of your IDs."

Yu Heng pulled his wallet from his pocket, took out his ID, handed it over, and then turned his head to look at Qin Lu.

Qin Lu pursed her lips and took her ID out of her clutch bag.

The girl took them and scanned them for registration.

Although the attendant's expression and tone were professional, Qin Lu felt there was speculation and scrutiny in her eyes.

An older woman and a younger man checking into a King room late at night—the story practically wrote itself.

"Your room is on the 12th floor, 1207. Here is the room card. The elevator is over there." The girl handed back the IDs and the room card. "Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you." Yu Heng took them, turned, wrapped his arm around Qin Lu's waist, and led her toward the elevator.

This intimate contact in a public setting gave her a strange feeling.

Before, it was at home, in the office; even that night at home when she came multiple times, it was all within a private space.

Since this afternoon, they had been openly intimate like this without concealment.

Checking into a room so brazenly, even if no one knew, still gave her a peculiar feeling inside.

This feeling was like an adrenaline rush.

She even wondered if she would have the energy left to watch the ball game tomorrow after tonight.

The elevator began to ascend. Qin Lu stared at the floor display; the numbers were jumping.

"Nervous?" Yu Heng suddenly asked.

Qin Lu snapped back to reality and shot him a glance: "No."

"Then relax a little," Yu Heng turned his head to look at her. "You're not telling me this is your first time staying in a hotel?"

"What else?" Qin Lu subconsciously relaxed her shoulders. "Why would I come to a place like this otherwise?"

Yu Heng walked ahead with the room card, and Qin Lu followed.

The corridor was covered with dark carpet, muffling their footsteps.

He swiped the card to open the door and casually inserted the card to turn on the power.

The room lights came on, revealing a standard King room layout.

Throwing his backpack onto the chair by the window, he turned to look at Qin Lu.

She was still standing by the door, hand gripping the knob, not stepping inside.

"Why are you standing there?" Yu Heng walked over, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind them.

As the lock clicked shut, Qin Lu finally felt she had fully entered the room.

"Ah..." She walked to the bed and sat down. The mattress was moderately firm and quite comfortable to sit on.

Yu Heng walked to the window, pulled back the curtain, and took a look.

Outside was the night view of Capital City. In the distance, the outline of the Workers' Stadium was visible, lit up.

"Not bad, the view is good," he said, pulling the curtain shut. "The height of the tatami is just right too."

Qin Lu understood the implication of his words and couldn't help but purse her lips.

The room quieted down. She felt her throat was dry. Seeing two bottles of mineral water on the table, she twisted one open and took small sips.

Yu Heng sat down next to her; the mattress dipped slightly. She turned her head and looked at Yu Heng, and Yu Heng looked back at her.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Qin Lu looked away first, stood up, and walked toward the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said.

"Mm," Yu Heng replied.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. After a while, the door opened, and Qin Lu walked out, wearing the hotel's white bathrobe, her hair wrapped in a towel, and steam still on her face.

She walked to the bed and glanced at Yu Heng: "Aren't you going to shower?"

"I am." Yu Heng climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

As he passed Qin Lu, he stopped, lowered his head, sniffed her neck, and said, "Wait for me."

Qin Lu's ears felt a little hot. She pushed him away: "Hurry up and shower."

Listening to the sound of water starting up again in the bathroom, she felt inexplicably nervous, even though she had already experienced this once.

She walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, drying her hair with the towel. As she rubbed, her movements slowed.

She looked at the King bed. Tonight, she would sleep on it, with Yu Heng. She tossed the towel aside, lay down, and pulled the quilt up to her chest.

She stared at the ceiling, her mind a mess, thinking about Qin Ya, and the things her parents had said on the phone this afternoon.

The more she thought, the more restless she became. She rolled onto her side, facing the bathroom.

After a moment, the door opened, and Yu Heng walked out, wearing only a bath towel.

He tossed his towel onto the chair, walked to the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down.

The mattress dipped slightly on his side. They lay side-by-side, separated by a gap.

After a moment, Yu Heng spoke first.

"Relax," he whispered. "I won't touch you tonight."

Qin Lu was stunned.

"Just sleep well tonight," Yu Heng said. "We have a ball game tomorrow, and you need to save your energy for yelling."

Qin Lu looked at him, slightly disbelieving: "Really?"

"Really." Yu Heng turned to look at her. "I keep my promises."

Qin Lu felt relieved, but at the same time, was she a little disappointed?

Yu Heng closed his eyes: "Sleep."

Qin Lu lay flat too, staring at the ceiling.

After a few minutes, she quietly asked, "Yu Heng."

"Hmm?"

"Can you sleep?"

"I can sleep."

"But I can't sleep," Qin Lu said.

Yu Heng opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her: "Then let's chat."

"About what?"

"About..." Yu Heng wasn't sure what to talk about. "About your past."

"What about my past?"

"When was the first time you and your husband...?"

Qin Lu's body stiffened slightly.

"Why are you asking that?" she said.

"Curiosity," Yu Heng said. "Is that forbidden?"

Qin Lu avoided his gaze: "After the marriage, on the night of the wedding."

So traditional?

"What was your frequency then?"

"Why do you keep asking about this..."

"Tell me!"

"After we got married, we had Qin Ya, so maybe once every three to five months... After Qin Ya grew up, maybe once every year or two..."

Yu Heng suddenly realized he had been stereotypical, like most people, assuming that with Qin Lu's figure and dressing style, she would be very open and have high needs.

He thought he had won her over because she was lonely after her marriage fell apart, but had she actually always been rather cold?

Yu Heng suddenly reached out and pulled her into his embrace. The sense of conquest was stronger than before.

Qin Lu's body stiffened, and she tried to break free.

"Don't move," Yu Heng said. "Just a hug."

Qin Lu stopped moving.

"Yu Heng," Qin Lu whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You said you wouldn't touch me tonight."

"Mm," Yu Heng said. "I won't touch you. Just hugging."

Yu Heng was very hot, and something was changing.

"Yu Heng!" Qin Lu's voice changed pitch.

"What's wrong?" Yu Heng's voice sounded innocent. "I said I wouldn't touch you, but I didn't say you couldn't touch it."

...

She felt she might have been tricked.

"You little scoundrel..."