Chapter 49 Living Together

Chapter 49: Sharing a Room

"Hmph, as if he'd dare!"

If Bu Qiran dared to turn his room into a walk-in closet, then Yan Zhoubai would dare to install an altar for the Three Pure Ones in Bu Qiran’s room. Who was more afraid?

Turn it into a walk-in closet? To hang those little skirts some girl left him? Not a chance!

Xiao Chuaner: "You wouldn't dare!"

Xiao Chuaner: "If you dare turn my room into a walk-in closet, I'll redecorate your room in a Taoist temple style and install an altar for the Three Pure Ones!"

183 Innocent College Guy: "Then go ahead, I don't care."

Xiao Chuaner: "Watch me blow you to smithereens.gif"

Xiao Chuaner: "Here's a big smack for you.gif"

Yan Zhoubai had never before felt that his hobby of collecting all sorts of bizarre memes was so useful. If Bu Qiran wanted to continue their online spat, he could drown him in memes.

Although most of the memes he collected were of the cute and cuddly variety, which at first glance didn't seem very potent, a closer look at the accompanying text would reveal that the memes truly said it all.

Yan Zhoubai felt a surge of annoyance when he saw Bu Qiran’s nickname, just as he did when he saw Bu Qiran himself. What "innocent college guy"? Hadn't he not even started university yet? Was he being ironic, or serious?

However, he still remembered seeing skirts in Bu Qiran’s room the last time he was dragged there. Perhaps this guy really did use such a nickname to flirt with girls all day. He disapproved. What a scoundrel!

The car soon arrived at the hotel. As they were about to alight, Zhan Jiayu noticed Yan Zhoubai intently replying to messages. He wondered what the Yan family had said to him to make his expression so serious while responding.

"Let's go, we've arrived at the hotel," Zhan Jiayu gently reminded him.

Yan Zhoubai seemed to snap out of a trance, quickly putting away his phone, not bothering to check how Bu Qiran had reacted to his memes.

After getting out of the car, Yan Zhoubai stuck close to Zhan Jiayu. This was his first time in Jiang City, a place unfamiliar to him. Both the geography and local customs of Jiang City were vastly different from those of Jing City. He hadn't felt it strongly immediately after leaving the airport because they got into the car right away, but now that they were at the hotel, Yan Zhoubai could truly feel the sense of unfamiliarity.

It was his first time traveling alone to an unfamiliar place, and on top of that, he now had a language barrier, which made him feel even more insecure. Only by staying close to Zhan Jiayu did he feel safe.

Zhan Jiayu was tall with long legs and always prioritized efficiency, so his walking pace was never slow. Just a few steps after getting out of the car, he had already left Yan Zhoubai behind.

When he went for a stroll on Nantian Street that morning, he naturally carried his trusty, unchanging white crossbody bag, which contained his talismans and other miscellaneous personal items.

He absolutely had to carry the talismans with him, not only because they were given to him by his master but also because, after being shocked by Ji Yangwen and the others’ outrageous antics, he deeply realized that while indiscriminate use of talismans wasn't encouraged, it was sometimes necessary to make certain shameless people suffer a bit and experience the whims of fate.

Yan Zhoubai jogged to catch up with Zhan Jiayu, his small white cloth bag swinging back and forth at his side with each movement.

Chen Chu was the last to alight. Watching Young Master Yan jogging ahead, chasing after someone with a small white bag bouncing behind him, he felt a sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of a scene from a cartoon his kindergarten-aged nephew watched last week: the five-year-old protagonist, with his crossbody bag, running to school because he was late, the person running ahead, the bag chasing behind.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Zhan Jiayu realized he had walked too fast and deliberately slowed down, waiting for Yan Zhoubai to catch up.

After catching up, Yan Zhoubai smoothed his hair and then walked happily beside Zhan Jiayu.

This was the most luxurious hotel in Jiang City. Yan Zhoubai knew of this chain, which had locations nationwide, but he had never stayed at one before. When he traveled as a child, the hotels they stayed at were mostly those that had partnerships with the Yan Group.

Chen Chu handled the check-in and then handed the room card to Zhan Jiayu. Yan Zhoubai waited for his own room card but found that none was forthcoming. He looked at Zhan Jiayu.

Zhan Jiayu, who usually understood Yan Zhoubai with just a glance, seemed either disconnected or deliberately oblivious this time, and didn't immediately respond to Yan Zhoubai.

Yan Zhoubai pointed at the room card in Zhan Jiayu’s hand, silently asking where his own card was.

Only then did Zhan Jiayu seem to have a sudden realization. He explained, "Since the trip was rather sudden and the hotel was booked last minute, there's only one presidential suite left. So, you'll have to make do and share a room with me."

Yan Zhoubai was a bit puzzled. If there was only one presidential suite left, they didn't have to stay in it. Zhan Jiayu could have the suite; he himself could take a regular room. Surely there weren't *no* ordinary rooms available?

"What about other room types?" Yan Zhoubai typed this sentence into his notes app.

"They're all full. There are no extra rooms available now."

A qualified assistant must understand the boss’s intentions. Chen Chu, standing behind Zhan Jiayu, saw the content on Yan Zhoubai’s phone screen and immediately stepped forward to explain.

He knew perfectly well whether the hotel was truly full. Even if it were full, he could make arrangements if the boss requested it, but the boss hadn't made any such request. He understood exactly what the boss was planning.

Young Master Yan was definitely no match for his boss—as innocent as a little white rabbit.

After hearing that the rooms were full, Yan Zhoubai felt a bit disappointed but didn't go to the front desk to verify. First, he felt Assistant Chen had no reason to lie to him, and second, he knew this hotel was very popular, so it was normal for it to be fully booked.

Yan Zhoubai lowered his head and typed another message, this time specifically showing it to both Zhan Jiayu and Assistant Chen: "Then can I share a room with Assistant Chen? Would it be inappropriate to stay with you?"

Yan Zhoubai meant that, as a villainous big shot, it was normal for Zhan Jiayu to stay in the presidential suite. How could he, as the big shot’s subordinate, share the presidential suite with him? He had never heard of a big shot having to share a presidential suite with a subordinate because the hotel was full—it just didn’t sound like something a big shot would do.

"No, no, that won't work. My room is a king room, so it's not very convenient. Besides, I have terrible sleeping habits. Young Master, you'd better share the presidential suite with the boss. It's much more spacious."

Heaven knows Chen Chu felt like the sky was falling when Yan Zhoubai suggested sharing a room with him. He used the fastest speed of his life to refuse the offer and provide a reasonable explanation before his boss could turn around and glare at him with murderous intent.

This was the whole point! If Young Master Yan really ended up sharing a room with him tonight, he probably wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun.

It had to be said that after years of working for Zhan Jiayu, Chen Chu had a very precise grasp of Zhan Jiayu’s thoughts. When Zhan Jiayu saw the message on Yan Zhoubai’s phone screen, his internal reaction was exactly as Chen Chu had anticipated.

He wondered what Chen Chu had done to attract Yan Zhoubai’s attention and whether this assistant was still necessary. Perhaps he should be replaced tomorrow. But these thoughts flashed through his mind quickly, as he had no time to deal with Chen Chu at the moment.

"He's right. Besides, given your current condition, it's not convenient. Do you think he understands you better than I do?" Zhan Jiayu’s face showed no signs of anger; instead, he spoke very calmly.

Chen Chu, watching from the side, grew even more nervous. Was this a case of suppressing anger now only to settle scores later?

Yan Zhoubai thought for a moment and finally nodded, agreeing to share the presidential suite with Zhan Jiayu.

"Haha, buddy, we've taken another step forward. We're actually sharing a room with the villainous big shot now. Given his personality, if he doesn't mind this, he must really value you as a subordinate," the system said.

"Really?"

Yan Zhoubai felt something was a bit off, but he couldn't quite figure it out. He decided to trust the system. After all, the system wasn't wrong, and it surely had his best interests at heart.

Jiang City was coastal, so seafood was abundant here. Yan Zhoubai wasn't exactly a seafood enthusiast. Although seafood often appeared on the Yan family’s dining table, he didn't eat much of it, mainly because it was troublesome—he wasn't good at shelling it.

But the seafood in Jiang City was incredibly fresh, and the preparation methods were completely different from those in Jing City, preserving the original flavor of the seafood. It was simply delicious. Most importantly, the seafood feast provided by this five-star luxury hotel was already prepared, so he didn't have to shell anything himself. Yan Zhoubai couldn't help but eat a lot.

After finishing, he realized he had overeaten. Zhan Jiayu suggested taking a walk along the river to aid digestion, as the hotel was located on the banks of the Qin River, the most famous river in Jiang City. Jiang City was named after the Qin River, which flowed through the city and emptied into the sea. The Qin River was one of the city’s attractions, known for its dazzling lights and bustling atmosphere at night, making it a famous spot for photos.

But Yan Zhoubai had eaten so much that he felt lazy and declined Zhan Jiayu’s suggestion, following him back to the room instead.

The presidential suite was indeed spacious. Yan Zhoubai felt Assistant Chen hadn't been wrong—the sofa in the living room was large enough for him to sleep on, and it looked comfortable, no worse than a bed. Feeling uncomfortably full, he headed straight for the sofa and lay down.

Zhan Jiayu smiled, his eyes curving slightly, as he watched Yan Zhoubai head straight for the sofa and lie down. He recalled how, when they first met, Yan Zhoubai had been afraid of him but pretended to be calm. Now, he could lie on the sofa without any restraint in front of him.

Zhan Jiayu walked over and sat down beside Yan Zhoubai, placing a hand on Yan Zhoubai’s stomach. Smiling, he said, "You really ate a lot tonight. Your stomach is bulging. Want me to help rub it?"

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Author’s note: Xiao Chuaner: I'm full, I ate too much, my stomach is bulging.

Someone: So cute. [dog head]