85: Chapter 85 Kempinski Hotel

The car turned off the overpass and merged into the traffic of the main city district.

The nights in Jiang City were much livelier than in Lanbei, with shops on both sides of the road brightly lit.

Pedestrians came and went on the sidewalk, and the neon lights flickered past the car window frame by frame.

Su Xiaoxi leaned against the car window, watching it all with sparkling eyes.

"We'll stay at a hotel tonight," Jiang Chen said, holding the steering wheel with one hand. "I'll take you to see houses tomorrow."

Su Xiaoxi nodded obediently. "I'll listen to Brother Chen."

Jiang Chen turned onto Jiangcheng Avenue and drove toward the city center.

The car stopped at the entrance of the Jiang City Kempinski Hotel.

Seeing the brightly lit building, Su Xiaoxi's eyes widened slightly, and she instinctively leaned closer to Jiang Chen.

A bellboy jogged over to open the car door. Jiang Chen got out, tossed the keys to the valet, and went around to the trunk to pull out the luggage.

Su Xiaoxi stood at the hotel entrance, looking up at the building, nervously clutching the hem of her skirt.

"What are you dazing off for? Get in," Jiang Chen said, walking over with the luggage.

Su Xiaoxi snapped back to her senses and jogged to catch up, following closely behind him.

While checking in at the front desk, Jiang Chen requested an executive suite.

Su Xiaoxi stood behind him, listening quietly.

When the room cards were handed over, Jiang Chen turned and gave her one.

"You go up first; I'll be there in a moment."

Su Xiaoxi took the card, nodded, and followed the bellhop toward the elevator.

After taking a few steps, she looked back at him once more before finally entering the elevator with peace of mind.

The room was very spacious; the living room, bedroom, and bathroom were all exquisitely and appropriately furnished.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of Jiang City, with the lights of thousands of homes spreading out beneath her feet.

The bellhop helped her set down the luggage and then left.

Su Xiaoxi pushed her luggage into a corner and went straight into the bathroom.

After traveling all afternoon, she just wanted to take a shower.

As the hot water poured down, she closed her eyes, letting the water flow over every inch of her skin.

Those marks were still there—on her collarbone, on her shoulders—feeling slightly hot under the rush of warm water.

She thought of his hands and his body temperature, and her face turned red again.

After finishing her shower, she sat by the bed wrapped in a bathrobe, her hair still dripping.

The bathrobe was too big; she had to roll up the sleeves twice just to reveal her fingers.

She had only been sitting for a short while when the doorbell rang.

She went to the door and peeked through the peephole.

Jiang Chen was standing outside.

She opened the door.

Jiang Chen glanced at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on her wet hair.

It then fell on the bathrobe that was clearly a size too large; his lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing.

He walked in and sat down on the sofa.

Su Xiaoxi followed and sat down next to him, curled up in a corner of the sofa.

An ordering tablet lay quietly on the coffee table, screen facing up.

Jiang Chen reached out and picked it up, lighting the screen. The hotel's dining menu interface popped up, with clear categories and each dish accompanied by a photo and price.

He flipped through it casually and then looked up at Su Xiaoxi.

"Hungry?"

Su Xiaoxi instinctively shook her head. "No."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her stomach gave an uncooperative growl.

It was a small sound, but exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Su Xiaoxi's face instantly turned bright red, and she lowered her head, wishing she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

She had barely eaten anything since noon; how could she not be hungry?

She was just too embarrassed to say it.

Jiang Chen glanced at her but didn't call her out. His gaze returned to the tablet, his long fingers sliding across the screen.

"I'm a bit hungry," he said casually. "Eat some with me."

Su Xiaoxi looked up, her lips moving as if to say something, but seeing that he was already ordering, she closed her mouth again.

Jiang Chen ordered with a casual air, his fingers tapping and selecting items on the screen.

Su Xiaoxi stole a glance; she didn't recognize most of the dish names, but she could see the prices clearly.

Every single one made her eyelids twitch.

"Brother Chen... will it be too much?" she asked softly.

Jiang Chen ignored her, continued scrolling down, selected two more dishes, and then pressed the order button.

The payment interface popped up; he casually scanned his face, and the payment was successful.

"About twenty minutes."

He put the tablet back on the coffee table, leaned against the sofa, and closed his eyes.

Su Xiaoxi didn't dare ask any more questions and sat obediently, stealing occasional glances at Jiang Chen beside her.

The light fell on his face, highlighting his sharp features; the lines of his brow bone and nose bridge looked as if they had been meticulously carved.

She watched him a bit dazedly until Jiang Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

Their eyes met.

Su Xiaoxi jerked her gaze away as if she'd been electrocuted, her face turning red again as she lowered her head, her fingers twisting together nervously.

The corners of Jiang Chen's mouth curled slightly. He said nothing and closed his eyes again.

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Su Xiaoxi ran to open the door.

A waiter pushed in a dining cart and placed the dishes on the table one by one.

Slow-braised beef short ribs, the sauce thick and glossy, with steam rising along with the aroma of the meat.

Steamed Leopard Coral Grouper, the fish whole and covered with fine shreds of green onion and ginger, releasing a burst of fragrance after being drizzled with hot oil.

Salt and pepper Mantis Shrimp, each one as long as an adult's forearm, the shells fried to a golden crisp and sprinkled with golden minced garlic and red chili bits.

Choy sum in superior broth, lying emerald green in the golden soup.

Finally, a small pot of fried rice, each grain distinct and coated in egg, with a mouth-watering aroma.

Once the dishes were served, the waiter bowed slightly and left.

The dining table was packed, every dish steaming and looking enticing under the lights.

Looking at the table full of food, Su Xiaoxi couldn't help but swallow.

She really was hungry.

Jiang Chen had already picked up his chopsticks.

He picked up a piece of beef, chewed it twice, nodded, and then looked up at her.

"Eat."

Su Xiaoxi gave an "oh," picked up her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and first went for the choy sum closest to her.

The choy sum was very tender, sweet upon entry, with the savory flavor of the broth spreading in her mouth.

After the first bite, her chopsticks couldn't stop.

She took a piece of fish.

The fish was smooth and tender, falling apart with a gentle touch of the chopsticks; it was purely fresh and sweet, delicious even without any seasoning.

Then she took a piece of beef; the meat was so tender it melted with a press of the tongue, the rich sauce coating the meat with a perfect balance of salty and sweet.

She didn't eat fast, but she ate every bite very earnestly.

Seeing that she was finally willing to eat properly, Jiang Chen said nothing and ate his own food unhurriedly.

When the salt and pepper Mantis Shrimp was turned toward Su Xiaoxi, she looked at the giant shrimp, unsure of how to start.

She tried to pick it up with her chopsticks, but the shell was too slippery; she failed several times, and her ears turned red with anxiety.

Jiang Chen glanced at her, put down his chopsticks, reached out to take a shrimp, and peeled the shell in a few quick motions, revealing the snowy white, plump meat, which he then placed on the plate in front of her.

Looking at the clean, peeled shrimp on her plate, Su Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment and looked up at him.

Jiang Chen had already looked back down to continue eating, his expression indifferent, as if he had just done something trivial.

Su Xiaoxi picked up the shrimp meat and put it in her mouth; the meat was firm and springy, and the crispy fried garlic on the outside exploded with savory flavor in her mouth.

As she chewed, her eyes suddenly felt a bit hot.

She quickly lowered her head and blinked hard.

She couldn't cry.

She slowly swallowed the shrimp and took another mouthful of fried rice.

Each grain of rice was distinct, coated in egg, and the aroma of truffles permeated her mouth—a taste she had never experienced before.

"Is it good?" Jiang Chen asked.

Su Xiaoxi nodded vigorously, still chewing her rice, and gave a muffled "mm," her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

Looking at her, the corners of Jiang Chen's mouth involuntarily curled up slightly, though he quickly returned to his indifferent expression.

After eating for a while, Su Xiaoxi's pace slowed down; her stomach felt full, and she relaxed quite a bit.

She put down her chopsticks and said softly, "I'm full."

Jiang Chen glanced at the remaining food on the table, said nothing, and also put down his chopsticks.

Su Xiaoxi instinctively reached out to clear the dishes, wanting to stack the plates.

Jiang Chen glanced at her. "A maid will come to clear them; you don't need to do anything."

Su Xiaoxi gave an "oh," pulled her hand back, and sat obediently.