Chapter 97: Chapter 95: Mermaid

As pleased as Gao Yuan was with himself, he still took Li Mengqing’s feelings into account.

He knew about their little conspiracy and Li Mengqing’s hidden feelings for him.

He didn’t pin her to the wall the moment they walked in, nor did he pounce on her impatiently.

A man and a woman on a date, alone together—that spoke volumes.

The outcome was something they both tacitly understood.

So, at a time like this, the most important thing to do was set the mood.

Build up the atmosphere, subtly spark the other person’s desire, and let things progress naturally.

Simply put, the key was not to talk about sex.

Instead, every word and every action should be part of the build-up, constantly pushing the boundaries and flirting with the edge of intimacy.

It was the classic principle of boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

Of course, this strategy had a prerequisite.

The other person had to respond, giving him something to play off of.

Otherwise, it would be like casting pearls before swine, and he might even end up sleeping alone.

So, after entering the room, Gao Yuan put some distance between himself and Li Mengqing. He nonchalantly set down the things he’d brought while monitoring the changes in her thoughts.

"How come there’s only one bed!"

Just as he expected, Li Mengqing voiced the question, but her tone was remarkably calm, lacking any hint of accusation.

"You’re staying here by yourself, so of course there’s only one bed!"

Gao Yuan replied matter-of-factly.

He completely understood her intentions. With this one sentence, he could instantly turn the tables and seize the initiative.

He was emphasizing that Li Mengqing would be staying alone tonight, which gave her some breathing room but also created a sense of urgency.

After all, she and Lin Wanyu had a plan. If Gao Yuan didn’t stay the night, wouldn’t their scheme fall through?

’Gao Yuan is leaving tonight? I knew I shouldn’t have asked that.’

’If he leaves, I’ll have to stay in this huge room all by myself. Wanyu will probably complain about me again.’

Li Mengqing felt a wave of frustration.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on the red wine atop the TV console, and she had an idea.

’If he drinks, he can’t drive!’

Hearing Li Mengqing’s inner thoughts, Gao Yuan was ecstatic.

His objective was achieved.

Not only would he have a perfectly logical reason to stay the night, but Li Mengqing herself would be the one to suggest drinking.

It couldn’t have been more perfect.

"Let’s get changed."

"We’ll have dinner, then go straight to the hot spring."

Gao Yuan glanced at the time. It was almost five.

The meal he’d ordered when booking the room would be delivered soon. By the time they finished eating, it would be dark—the perfect time for a hot spring soak. Perfect!

"We have to change now?"

Li Mengqing was a little baffled when Gao Yuan told her to get changed.

’Shouldn’t we eat first, then come back to change before going to the hot spring?’

Seeing the look on her face, Gao Yuan explained, "We have a private spring, and there’s no changing room there."

"You don’t want people to see you walking around in your swimsuit, do you?"

This time, Gao Yuan was being deliberately mischievous.

The supreme suite actually had its own private hot spring pool, but Li Mengqing hadn’t noticed it when they came in.

Furthermore, the meal could be delivered right to their room. He just wanted Li Mengqing to dine with him in her swimsuit, a way to slowly chip away at her shyness.

Li Mengqing shooed Gao Yuan out into the living room. He didn’t mind. He changed into his swim trunks and slipped on one of the hotel’s bathrobes.

While he was waiting for Li Mengqing to change, the hotel delivered the meal he had ordered.

Gao Yuan didn’t have the server bring it in. He took the food himself and arranged it on the table.

If Li Mengqing walked out right then, wouldn’t that be a major loss?

After dawdling for a while, Li Mengqing finally emerged, having changed into her swimsuit.

Gao Yuan heard footsteps, and when he looked up, he found he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

It was a bikini!

Li Mengqing had once again pushed past her own boundaries.

The pale yellow bikini she wore was incredibly alluring.

Though Li Mengqing had a cool and aloof exterior, her figure was every bit as good as Lin Wanyu’s—something he had already discovered that afternoon.

But the swimsuit she’d worn earlier that afternoon had been far too conservative; it did nothing to show off how hot her body was.

Especially since she frequently worked out and danced, her body was completely toned, without a hint of fat. You could even see the definition of her abs.

"We’re eating in the room?"

When Li Mengqing saw the food on the table next to Gao Yuan, she instantly realized he had been teasing her.

She turned to go change out of her swimsuit.

But Gao Yuan wasn’t about to let her get away. Dining in their swimwear was the whole point.

He strode forward, grabbed her hand, and placed his other hand on her back, steering her toward the dining table.

"Hurry and eat. We’ll go to the hot spring after, and I still have to go home tonight!"

Gao Yuan once again played his trump card: the threat of going home.

His goal was to distract her from fussing over eating in her swimsuit.

The two of them sat down and began to eat.

After just a few bites, Li Mengqing silently stood up and went to open the bottle of red wine.

Gao Yuan pretended not to notice, lowering his head and digging into his food.

It was a rare treat to see Li Mengqing trying to be sly. If he were to look over now, he’d just be spoiling the fun.

Before long, Li Mengqing returned, holding the wine bottle in one hand and two stemmed glasses in the other.

She coolly poured red wine into both glasses, handed one to Gao Yuan, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hospitality, Handsome Gao!"

Gao Yuan took the glass without a second thought, clinked it against hers, and drank.

It wasn’t until he was nearly full that Gao Yuan slapped his forehead and exclaimed.

"Oh, no! I forgot I have to drive later!"

Li Mengqing secretly hid a smile. She was thrilled to see his sudden look of realization.

The feeling of a successful scheme was just too good!

"We can just call a designated driver. Come on, cheers!"

Li Mengqing raised her glass again. She was determined to make Gao Yuan stay the night.

Even if nothing happened, it would be enough if Gao Yuan simply woke up the next morning to find they had slept together.

’Besides, there’s always the future.’

Her every thought was transmitted directly into Gao Yuan’s mind.

’Heh. She wants me to restrain myself? She’s dreaming.’

There was no way Gao Yuan was going to let her have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Before, he hadn’t been sure, but now he understood everything perfectly. Once you boarded this pirate ship, there was no getting off!

Besides, Lin Wanyu had gone to great lengths to create this opportunity for them. How could Gao Yuan possibly let her painstaking efforts go to waste?

Once the bottle of wine was finished, they had also eaten most of the food.

Gao Yuan shrugged off his bathrobe, took Li Mengqing by the hand, and led her toward a partition on the west side of the room.

When Li Mengqing saw the hot spring pool before them, filled with floating rose petals, she let out a soft hmph.

"Go get the fruit and the other bottle of red wine."

She ordered Gao Yuan, then slowly stepped into the pool.

The pool was situated right next to a floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the city’s neon lights were already glowing. Soaking in a hot spring in such an environment was true bliss.

When Gao Yuan returned with a fruit platter and the red wine, he happened to see Li Mengqing leaning on the edge of the pool, gazing at the view outside.

Her exposed back and the flash of yellow undulating in the water made her look just like a mermaid.

He didn’t want to break the serene moment. He quietly set the items down by the edge of the pool, then stood up and dimmed the room’s lights.

This made the lights outside seem brighter, while the lights inside cast a soft, warm glow.

Gao Yuan descended into the pool one step at a time, but Li Mengqing didn’t turn around.

From the way her feet fidgeted in the water, Gao Yuan could tell her emotions were in turmoil.

He slowly drew near and leaned beside her, also gazing out at the scenery.

"If only we could stay in this moment forever,"

Gao Yuan heard her emotional sigh, but his focus was on the thoughts she was transmitting to him.

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