Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Four Together

(Next Chapter 19:00)

An hour later, the three of them had already checked into the resort.

After realizing the seriousness of the situation, Xiao Fang knew he had been used by Zhao Yipeng and immediately reported it, placing all the blame on the elusive Zhao Yipeng. The highest-ranking official on duty at the resort was also taken aback by the news.

Due to the New Year's holiday yesterday and today, there weren't many tourists, but starting tomorrow and the following week, the resort would enter its peak period. If rumors spread about the resort intentionally trapping tourists on a cable car amid snow and wind, and the media exposed it, prompting relevant authorities to investigate, close down, and rectify, the short-term losses would be immense, not to mention the impact on its reputation.

Therefore, he didn't have time to reprimand Xiao Fang or Zhao Yipeng; he immediately came over to apologize, arranged for them to check in at the medical room, received medication and a series of remedies to prevent them from getting sick. After confirming they had only suffered from the cold and there weren't more serious problems, they weren't immediately transferred to the hospital. They were also offered a luxury family suite at the resort for rest, along with hot meals and fine wine. Everything was free, and they even sent over VIP cards and discount coupons.

The aim was singular: to hope Li Yan and the others could settle the matter privately without blowing it out of proportion, repeatedly emphasizing it was an accident.

Li Yan didn't intend to extort or litigate against them or expose them. He had no interest in facing the media, nor did any of them want to file complaints with relevant departments. His priority was the safety of Zhang Yurong and Qiao Huanxuan. With the resort official prioritizing their health and arranging compensations and hospitality, he felt reasonably satisfied. Otherwise, had they driven back, the two of them might not have held out another hour.

"I don't need these; you are sincere, thinking of our health first rather than just silencing us. So I won't complain or expose tonight, and we will stay here overnight. Tomorrow, we'll see if there are any health issues. Besides, I generally prefer to handle these things quietly, but someone must be held accountable for this accident. I want Zhao Yipeng and Xiao Fang to be seriously dealt with!" Li Yan refused the discount coupons and VIP cards they offered and demanded the dismissal of Xiao Fang and Zhao Yipeng.

Xiao Fang was not essential, but insisting on dealing with him firmly was necessary for him to bring Zhao Yipeng into it. If he were let off easily, Zhao Yipeng would just suffer a minor setback without facing further repercussions.

For the resort, this demand was not difficult to accept, and the official immediately stated: "Although it was an accident, it was caused by our staff. We will certainly deal with them seriously, and they will be leaving the company tomorrow! We will never tolerate employees with a poor attitude!"

"Then I'll see your treatment results tomorrow before I leave!" Li Yan said indifferently, seemingly doubting him.

"Rest well, and do let me know if you need anything at any time." The official handed over a business card.

As Li Yan went back to his room, he immediately asked, "Where is Zhao Yipeng?"

Someone told him: "In the medical room! His phone was unreachable, and someone just found him unconscious in a drainage ditch at the foot of the mountain, sent to the medical room."

"Find out exactly what happened! Bringing personal grievances into work? If anything fatal had happened, it wouldn't just be an accident but murder! Fire both of them by tomorrow!" Despite maintaining a good demeanor in front of Li Yan to steady the situation, the official showed no patience for those who caused trouble, "All the expenses of the free hospitality for all three tonight will be deducted from the wages of Zhao Yipeng and Xiao Fang, only then let them go!"

At this moment, Xiao Fang was cursing Zhao Yipeng, feeling he was implicated by him; when Zhao Yipeng woke up, he was confused by his situation, awaiting the impending fines and dismissal.

...

Meanwhile, Li Yan returned to the resort-arranged room.

This was a ski resort area, aimed not only at young tourists but also intending to attract affluent and successful individuals. The family suite was intended for a full family vacation, with two bedrooms and a living room. Not knowing a lot about their relationship, the official—seeing they were three people appearing close—opted for a family suite to ensure satisfaction.

When Li Yan returned inside, not only were Zhang Yurong and Qiao Huanxuan already there, but the resort had also sent food and wine, and their items from the storage lockers were retrieved and delivered.

He located his phone and turned it on after leaving it off all day, calling home to reassure his worried parents that due to skiing late, it wasn't safe to drive back, so he would stay overnight, returning in the morning. Li Tang and Wang Suzhen had been worried, unable to reach him by phone; now relieved to hear he'd just lost track of time having fun, slightly scolding him for being out during New Year's Day, but essentially at ease, told them not to rush back, prioritizing safety.

After the call, he surveyed the room, finding both bedrooms empty, the bathroom door closed—it seemed the two who'd gotten over the ordeal were inside taking a bath. He already knew they were unharmed; if they'd been frostbitten, he wouldn't have let Fang and Zhao off lightly!

Only after this busy half-day did Li Yan finally breathe a sigh of relief and have some time to take care of himself. He took off his ski outfit and stretched a bit. Having been active coming down the mountain, he hadn't frozen as stiff as they had sitting in midair. Yet his gloves were torn, and his palms bore marks from the cable use.

He wanted a hot bath too, to warm himself up, but with Qiao Huanxuan and Zhang Yurong both in there, he could only wait. He looked again at the dining cart in the living room, not only containing hot meals and wine but also a large bowl of ginger and brown sugar water, showing considerate thoughtfulness.

He lifted it and took a sip, unsure if it was authentic, but knowing it must be drunk hot to dispel cold. Given their earlier condition, it could be considered internal cold invasion; lacking Chinese Medicine options, they'd been given cold, flu, and anti-inflammatory medication to prevent possible fevers. Traditionally, after rain or cold, ginger syrup is boiled, taken hot to sweat under blankets, as ginger and brown sugar are hot (in temperament) and together dispel cold. Ordinarily, drinking too much could cause an internal heat surplus.

Li Yan went to knock on the bathroom door and called: "There's ginger syrup with the food sent by the kitchen; you should drink it hot before soaking in the bath; hurry and finish up to come out and have it!"

His intentions were pure, simply offering a kind reminder, unaware of the dilemma inside facing the two women!

...

Having come from the medical room, Li Yan accepted their suggestion to stay the night, with the two women entering the room first. Following, the staff retrieved their locker items, and the kitchen sent a food cart. Only after Li Yan sent everyone out to further negotiate, did the women have some private time and space. Negotiations didn't take long, giving them not much more time than Li Yan.

Due to reliance on each other on the cable car and their urgent need, there was no usual shyness; they entered the bathroom together, taking turns using the toilet, washing, and entering the filled bathtub together. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Although the cable car's descent conferred safety, only now did they truly shed the burden and savor the comforting warmth, thoroughly enjoying it without words, soaking in the large bathtub.

Soon, they heard the door open from outside and Li Yan making a call. The two exchanged glances, mindful of Li Yan risking climbing cables and descending for rescue for their safety; caring for them anxiously earlier; now while they bask in comfort, he still handled the hectic errands, filling them with slight guilt.

"Honestly, giving us this kind of room, if it were separate standard rooms, I wouldn't be intruding…" Qiao Huanxuan said awkwardly: "I'll go out first, let him in to wash up with you!"

Seeing her ready to get up, Zhang Yurong responded with a wry smile: "You think he'll agree? If you mention it, he might step aside first."

"Or perhaps go to the sauna…"

The notion silenced them; if Li Yan went to the resort's sauna center, would there be attendants? The resort should theoretically pacify him; could a host be arranged to shut him up? Absolutely not!

Though on the cable car, Zhang Yurong shared with Qiao Huanxuan about her relationship with Li Yan, concerning conjugal matters, out of embarrassment or reserve, she skimmed over, never revealing they hadn't consummated. Thus even if Qiao Huanxuan intended to leave, letting Li Yan enter, Zhang Yurong would find it mortifying to face.

As the two found themselves in a quandary, Li Yan's call to drink ginger syrup intensified their embarrassment. Did he plan to bring it in for them?

"Got it!" Just about to get up for towels, Qiao Huanxuan had an inspiration. The family suite was set for four, with four large bath towels. "We can wrap ourselves and continue soaking, letting him bring in the syrup. Possibly…"

Qiao Huanxuan hesitated but then decided to speak candidly to avoid suspicious intent: "…possibly even him joining in isn't an issue, it's blocked like a pool…" (To be continued, for more, login to www.qidian.com, support the author and original reading!)