Silence!
Dead silence!
A full minute passed before Yang Fei broke the silence that loomed between them, his large eyes staring into her smaller ones.
"Sister Xueyi, why aren't you wearing clothes? Aren't you cold?" he asked in surprise.
"Ah, you bastard, get out..."
Lin Xueyi suddenly realized what was happening and let out a sharp scream.
She instinctively hurled the towel in her hand straight at his serious-looking face.
This damned guy, he saw everything and could still pretend it was nothing?
The thought that her perfect body was fully exposed to this guy made Lin Xueyi feel like vomiting blood.
Her cheeks were burning hot, scorching up to the roots of her ears.
Yang Fei casually caught the towel in his hand and neatly hung it up.
Seeing Lin Xueyi's crimson cheeks and her agitated state, about to cry, he chuckled, stepped out of the bathroom, and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
From outside the bathroom, Yang Fei's voice came through, "Sorry, Sister Xueyi, I didn't do it on purpose, hehe… you really are too beautiful, cough cough…"
"Scram!"
Lin Xueyi gritted her teeth and harshly rebuked him. The usually gentle and elegant Lin Xueyi felt incredibly frustrated in that instant.
Outside the bathroom, Yang Fei smiled wryly and shook his head, wanting to say something to comfort Sister Xueyi but covered his mouth instead.
Bright blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and the back of his hand.
"Damn it, right now, I'm just a useless wreck, even shooting a coin could injure my internal organs, nowhere near a tenth of my strength at my peak."
"Damn it, I'm such a loser, how can I avenge my brothers like this?"
Yang Fei slowly released his mouth, looking at the fresh blood on his palm, his expression extremely grim.
"Yang Fei, get out here now."
Three to five minutes later, Lin Xueyi, now dressed, stormed up to the terrace wielding a rolling pin.
The thought of how this guy had unabashedly seen her naked filled Lin Xueyi with murder.
She had seen shameless, but never someone this shameless.
Yang Fei hid in his room, letting Sister Xueyi's rolling pin bang on the windows and doors as he stubbornly muttered, "A real man won't come out if he says he won't."
"You rogue, I'm going to teach you a lesson today."
Lin Xueyi fervently pounded on the windows and doors, her usually gentle and graceful face now full of murderous intent.
"Thanks for the compliment, Sister, being a qualified rogue is my lifelong pursuit, but right now, I'm still not there yet."
Inside the room, Yang Fei exchanged banter with Lin Xueyi, his tone playful and teasing.
"You're not rogue enough? You… you're driving me crazy."
Facing this thick-skinned, unyielding guy, Lin Xueyi was completely out of options.
She was not an unreasonable person, aware that ignorance is not a fault, but she felt incredibly stifled, her frustration having nowhere to go.
"You… just wait, if you dare, don't step out of the house."
Lin Xueyi, furious, dropped her rolling pin and prepared to descend the stairs, fuming.
Arguing with this thick-skinned jerk was simply masochistic.
"Sister Xueyi…"
Just at that moment, Yang Fei opened the door.
He still had a casual look on his face, his palm holding an old jewelry box, "I just went out and bought you a little gift, see if you like it?"
Lin Xueyi was stunned, held back, and finally let go of the rolling pin in her hand, subconsciously taking the jewelry box from his hands.
Warmth surged in her heart, but she said bluntly, "Your salary hasn't been paid yet, don't waste money. Eh, what's this?"
As she spoke, she took out the items from the jewelry box, revealing a crystal-clear bracelet.
Each bead of the bracelet was about the size of a little finger, and what was rare was that each bead was generally perfectly round, sparkling like water, bathing in a faint halo of light.
Lin Xueyi's expression became somber; she wasn't too knowledgeable about jewelry, but she knew this item must be quite valuable.
Before she could say anything, Yang Fei lazily said, "I skipped work today, afraid you'd scold me. Just happened to be on Fude Street, picked this up at a random antique roadside stall."
"You know I don't have much money either. If you don't mind, keep it for fun."
Lin Xueyi instantly felt relieved, slipping the bracelet onto her wrist and feeling a cool sensation that refreshed her skin, making her quite fond of it.
She smiled charmingly, "Okay, I appreciate the sentiment. This is the first time a man has given me a gift, am I pitiful?"
Yang Fei's lazy smile suddenly became incredibly warm, "Sister Xueyi couldn't be bothered with those frivolous suitors, how could you be pitiful? I'm here to keep you company."
"Sister Xueyi, was I wrong just now?"
Lin Xueyi looked into his clear eyes, seeing no impurities or indecency, and felt moved.
An unexplainable joy welled up inside her, "It's good that you realize your mistake. By the way, the police are looking for you, what will you do?"
Yang Fei chuckled nonchalantly, "No worries, it was just a fight, no one was severely injured or killed, in a few days this will all blow over."
"But, people like Ma Liu won't be rising from their hospital beds for ten or eight days."
"There shouldn't be anything going on these next couple of days at the hotel, Sister Xueyi, I'd like to ask for some time off."
As he spoke, his expression grew a bit odd, his lips pursed, his eyes not even glancing at Lin Xueyi.
Lin Xueyi was somewhat surprised, "Where are you planning to go?"
Yang Fei just sighed, but said nothing.
Seeing such a hassle-free guy looking so burdened was rare, so Lin Xueyi changed the topic, "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Go to Li Hong's place later, draw out five thousand yuan, and make it quick."
She pondered for a moment, then continued, "I'll contact Police Chief Zhang Shide at the station, let's just let this matter slide."
Yang Fei nodded, "Thanks, sister."
What neither Yang Fei nor Lin Xueyi had anticipated was that the issue with Ma Liu was far from over, but rather, the troubles for Lanting Hotel had just begun.
After Yang Fei left, Lin Xueyi stepped out.
She pulled some strings to get a hold of Police Chief Zhang Shide of the University Town Police Station, hoping he could cut Yang Fei some slack.
After all, from a legal standpoint, Yang Fei's actions could at most be considered excessive self-defense.
Importantly, the punks he beat up mostly suffered minor injuries and did not result in severe consequences.
Even Ma Liu, who was involved in the accident, only ended up with a broken leg.
Owing to running a hotel, Lin Xueyi was familiar with the character and behavior of Police Chief Zhang Shide.
This former military police officer was tough, fair, and straightforward.
His straightforward nature meant that despite his many years in the modest position of police chief, he hadn't managed to get promoted.
Knowing his nature, Lin Xueyi had prepared herself for rejection, but it was a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures.
Shortly after Yang Fei and Lin Xueyi left, trouble came knocking at the Lanting Hotel.