Shen Jingwei’s lips curved upward in a smile as he responded to Lang Yuxuan’s taunting words.
"I don’t know. Have you procured the map?"
Lang Yuxuan furrowed his brows in confusion.
"There is a map?" He asked.
"There has to be," Shen Jingwei’s smile grew wider, bordering on a mocking sneer. "Otherwise, you are in a huge trouble."
"I was just at the entrance. A couple was saying that it was their third ti in the hot spring but they were still unable to find the Eternal Love Pool."
He then leaned closer to Lang Yuxuan, his words almost affectionate, "If I were you, I would hurry. Otherwise, you might go to bed with empty stomach tonight."
Lang Yuxuan sucked in a deep breath. Fuming, he proceeded to drag Yan Renzhong toward the hot springs.
"Senior Yan, co! We need to find the Eternal Love Pool at all costs!"
As Yan Renzhong walked past Shen Jingwei, they locked gazes for a split second.
Shen Jingwei waved at the cara and headed upstairs.
The Chrysanthemum room was now empty. Uncle Huang and Auntie Bai probably went downstairs long before Lang Yuxuan and Yan Renzhong to avoid the cara crew.
Shen Jingwei sat on his mattress and pondered.
Now he was no longer in the mood for a soak.
But did he want to go to sleep without taking a bath? No.
Shen Jingwei groaned.
Decisions, decisions...
Knock, knock, knock...
Shen Jingwei craned his neck toward the door.
"Enter."
Lin Ruoye poked her head through the door.
"Senior Shen, you are here. May I please take a bathrobe?"
"Sure, but... why?"
Lin Ruoye stepped into the room.
"Oh, it’s like this... Senior Feng just ca by and wanted a bathrobe to take to the hot spring. I gave him mine, so now I am here to take his."
Oh.
Did his rejection sting Feng Jietang so much that he did not even have the face to look at Shen Jingwei anymore?
"Jietang, is he..."
Shen Jingwei smacked his own face.
"Never mind," he said.
Lin Ruoye hugged a bathrobe to her chest and gave Shen Jingwei a pitiful look.
"Senior Shen, umm... Are you alright?"
Shen Jingwei peeled his hand off his face.
"Do you know about it?"
Lin Ruoye bit into her lower lip awkwardly.
"I... Yes, Senior Shen, I know so part of it."
Shen Jingwei sighed. He leaned against the adjacent wall and comnted, "You two sure are close."
Lin Ruoye approached him and knelt at the end of Shen Jingwei’s mattress.
"Senior Shen, umm... I haven’t known Senior Feng for a long ti, but for as long as I know him, he has always been a genuinely sweet and caring person."
"... I know."
"He might be dumb and insensible sotis, but he has always been honest about his feelings. I just..."
Lin Ruoye took a deep breath.
"I think that he would make a wonderful boyfriend."
"..."
"To you," Lin Ruoye added before Shen Jingwei mistook her words for sothing else.
"I know what kind of person he is," Shen Jingwei slowly said. "Under any other circumstances, I would consider myself extrely lucky. But not in my current one."
"Oh..."
For so reason, Lin Ruoye almost looked as crestfallen as Feng Jietang.
"Senior Shen, I like you a lot. And I like Senior Feng a lot too. I hope that you two will find happiness eventually."
Shen Jingwei smiled.
"I am already happy," he quipped. "I wish him the greatest love in the entire world."
Lin Ruoye nodded apprehensively.
"Yeah..." She slowly muttered. "So... Shall we go grab so soap and shampoo together, Senior Shen? Let’s go to the hot spring together."
"Sure."
Shen Jingwei pushed his lazy self off the mattress.
"Let’s go."
On their way to the hot spring, they ca across iyin.
"Esteed guests!" She bowed her head respectfully. "May I know what ti you plan to have dinner? I already booked a private dining room for all of you!"
"Uhh..."
Lin Ruoye and Shen Jingwei looked at each other.
"Everyone is in the hot spring right now, so I guess, in an hour or two?" Lin Ruoye said.
"You can ask the first person who erge from the hot spring," Shen Jingwei told iyin. "He or she should more or less be starving, so keep the food warm and ready to serve."
iyin bead at Shen Jingwei.
"Yes, Sir!"
She saluted him before scurrying away.
With two wooden basins filled with their chosen bathing anities, Shen Jingwei and Lin Ruoye entered the hot spring.
They were among the last guests who entered the hot spring. Most of them -- so were there for several hours already -- had already given up on their conquest to find Eternal Love Pool.
It was customary to take a bath before soaking into hot water.
The bathing area for won and n were separate, thus Lin Ruoye and Shen Jingwei went their own way not long after.
When Shen Jingwei finished taking his bath, he was no longer able to find Lin Ruoye.
Soft wisps of steam swirled from the nearest pool. It happened to be empty. Shen Jingwei carefully dipped a toe inside before slowly lowering himself into the hot water.
It was especially refreshing to soak inside the pool after a cold water bath.
As he leaned against the stone edge of the pool, he watched people swimming here and there with zealous determination.
A particular couple swam past him several tis.
After the third ti, the young woman began to complain.
"Seriously??" She slapped the water surface with her hand, sending a splash toward her boyfriend. "Why do we land at the Lonely Heart Pool again and again???"
Shen Jingwei almost choked on his spit.
Only then did he notice the wooden post, standing discreetly in a corner of the pool, labeled "Lonely Heart Pool".
Right.
Now he understood why no one wanted to soak in here.
Shen Jingwei waded across the water, intent on finding a pool with better na to soak in.
He was just eyeing the second wooden post, labeled "Broken Heart Pool" when he heard a high-pitched scream nearby.
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