When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 228: Time to Stimulate Her

After bathing, she did not sleep as soundly as Lin Yan; instead, she always found herself in a half-awake, half-dazed state, tossing and turning without being able to fall into a deep sleep.

The competition had been neatly concluded, and she should have relaxed, but in the dead of night, just as she managed to fall asleep, her mind was suddenly flooded with various images.

One moment it was Xie Anyu’s words, the next it was Lu Chen’s gloomy face.

She even dreamt of the time when she was studying in Yunzhong, during a mobilization meeting where Principal Lu, dressed in formal attire, went up on stage to deliver a speech.

Some things, no matter how Jiang Shuyao tried to ignore them, always lingered in the depths of her heart; she couldn’t help but feel affected.

After all, he had been such a vivid presence, suddenly gone overnight; to say it was not unsettling would be a lie.

Life is unpredictable, and all of Principal Lu’s past glories ultimately came to naught at the moment he crossed the line of integrity, fading away with his weakening heartbeat into the dust.

The bloody lessons of the predecessors should be a warning to the successors; some principles, one hopes, Lu Chen would understand sooner rather than later.

The next morning, when Jiang Shuyao woke up, she found the adjacent bed empty.

Her alarm bells went off, and she suddenly flipped out of bed.

After quickly washing up, she grabbed her phone and ran upstairs, knocking on the first room by the staircase. Seeing her anxious face, Jiang Xubai rubbed his eyes and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Where’s Pei Yan?"

"He’s still sleeping."

Jiang Xubai moved aside, allowing the room’s interior to be seen at a glance. Jiang Shuyao slowly withdrew her gaze, muttering quizzically, "Wasn’t he supposed to meet someone for a meal?"

"Oh, the meal time was changed to noon," Jiang Xubai reminded her from the side.

She was skeptical, "Pei Yan told you?"

"No, Lin Yan came by earlier. She said she was busy in the morning, saw that Pei Yan was still asleep, and left a lunch address for me to pass on."

"Let me see the address."

Jiang Xubai went back into the room and fetched a piece of paper from under the TV cabinet, handing it over.

Jiang Shuyao frowned at the address for a while, finding it somewhat complicated, and took a photo with her phone.

What a bizarre place, it sounded so convoluted.

She glanced inside the room again, then thought better of it; he had been too tired the previous days, better let him sleep.

Before leaving, Jiang Shuyao cautioned Jiang Xubai, "Don’t tell him I was here."

"Okay."

As the door closed, Jiang Xubai turned to look towards the bathroom and asked, "How about that? Not bad acting, right?"

"Barely."

Tsk.

Jiang Xubai shook his head, "I think you’re being unfair to the boss’s wife."

Creakingly, the bathroom door opened, and Pei Yan emerged with his hair still wet.

He wore a clean shirt, drying his hair while lighting a cigarette.

In the wafting smoke, Pei Yan leaned against the window sill, looking casual, speaking to Jiang Xubai, or perhaps just to himself,

"...Been single too long, it’s time to stir things up a bit."

*

Upon returning, Jiang Shuyao immediately started bustling about. She opened her suitcase and laid out her clothes on the bed, one by one from left to right, all casual wear.

This won’t do, she thought. When she left, she hadn’t thought much about it, believing it better to dress plainly for the competition.

But now that it really mattered, reflecting on her attire over the past few days, she found it utterly bland.

Shuyao pondered for a moment, imagining Lin Yan, immaculately made up, having lunch with Pei Yan.

The deeper she thought, the less calm she became and the less she wanted to tolerate it.

She slowly exhaled and picked up her phone to glance at it.

It was now nine o’clock, and there was still time.

Shuyao’s thoughts cleared up instantly, and she packed her charger, bank cards, and a few other essential items before leaving the hotel and hailing a taxi to the largest shopping mall nearby.

Following the signs, she headed straight to the women’s clothing section on the third floor.

Her goal clear in mind, Shuyao exited the elevator and walked directly to a store named ’L&C’.

The style of the store resembled the dress that Pei Yan had given her before.

Being together for so long, although he rarely had opinions on her usual attire, through many details, it was clear that Young Master Pei’s taste tended towards the ladylike, with a hint of femininity.

At least for now, plain and simple was not to his liking.

Eventually, Shuyao chose an off-the-shoulder dress, revealing demure shoulders with a black slim-fit design inside, and a layer of matching tulle cut from the waistline outside, exquisitely beautiful. The hem flared out slightly, and the short black dress inside and a pair of long legs were subtly visible.

While trying it on, the salesperson stood by, stunned, claiming the dress seemed tailor-made for her.

Shuyao was well-proportioned and could easily shop for clothes. Even a simple T-shirt and shorts would catch people’s attention instantly because of her unique presence.

"Miss, why not pick a pair of shoes as well?"

The salesperson suggested with a smile.

In the mirror, the reflection was elegantly poised, except the sneakers on her feet were somewhat incongruent.

Shuyao was not accustomed to wearing high heels, but after much deliberation, she couldn’t find any flat shoes that matched the dress she was wearing.

She pursed her lips, internally conflicted until she finally succumbed to the insanity of a cliché love.

If she had known, she would have brought the outfit Pei Yan had previously given her; it would have been so much more convenient and spared her the current dilemma.

After buying the shoes, time had slipped away; holding the shopping bag containing her old clothes, Shuyao did not return to the hotel but instead ordered a taxi on her phone, ready to invade the restaurant where Lin Yan and Pei Yan were meeting.

Upon seeing the distance displayed on the map, she immediately lost her composure.

Why meet for lunch in such a remote place? What was that woman up to?

This further cemented Shuyao’s decision for the day.

The journey was far too long, even more absurd than she had expected.

Nearly an hour later, Shuyao, sitting in the back seat, nearly dozed off.

When she finally reached the destination, looking up at the blistering sun, the words "Hot Spring Resort" deeply stung her eyes.

A hot spring!

Shuyao felt dizzy, whether from the sun or from anger.

From her perspective, Lin Yan had barely any association with being schemingly meticulous. Judging by Lin Yan’s personality, perhaps a more straightforward approach would have been more convincing.

Such tacky tricks were not something most people would come up with.

Once inside, she didn’t check the photos on her phone but directly gave Pei Yan’s name.

Led by the staff, through the intricate pavilions and towers, along the cloisters, they took her to a very private hot spring room.

By this point, she could almost conclude that everything was someone’s doing.

The resort was a natural summer retreat; the hot spring pool was shrouded in mist, with humidity and temperature creating a completely different ambiance from the outside.

Shuyao didn’t change her clothes but placed her shopping bag and purse in a storage locker in the changing room.

Upon entering, she took off her high heels and walked barefoot toward the hot spring pool.