Chapter 206: Secrets in the Shadows

Lin Zheng Ran was genuinely innocent this time: “I just found out myself. Who knew I’d hear your mumbling so clearly? And when I take a shower later, I bet you’ll hear that just as well.”

The bathroom sounds were indeed clear; Lily, sitting on the bed, could distinctly hear the water from the shower head splashing over his body.

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Right?”

Lily was flustered by the sounds: “Just stop talking about it!”

From inside, Lin Zheng Ran observed, “I notice there’s no towel in here. Lily, could you grab one for me?”

Lily blinked in surprise: “No towel?”

“Yeah, I didn’t notice earlier. The cleaning aunt must have forgotten it. Just head to the front desk and ask.”

“Okay, got it.”

Lily got out of bed to go, but then remembered something. She glanced at the nightstand and saw it wasn’t there.

It had been in the room last time they stayed.

Did they forget that too? She couldn’t ask Zheng Ran about it. Oh well, she’d just buy it herself.

Blushing, Lily left the room and went downstairs. Instead of getting the towel first, she stepped out of the hotel to find a nearby supermarket.

Sure enough, there was a small one right next door.

She walked in.

This move was spotted by Han Wenwen, hiding in a corner.

The little fox thought, Why is Lily out here alone? What’s she up to?

Lily searched the shelves but couldn’t find it. The female boss, munching on sunflower seeds, asked curiously, “Looking for something? Just tell me.”

Lily felt awkward but stammered, “Do you have any… um, contraceptives?”

The boss picked up on it: “Condoms?”

“Yes.” She looked away in embarrassment.

The boss nodded: “We have them. How many boxes?”

How many? Lily didn’t even know how many were in a box or if it’d be enough. Better get extra.

“Two boxes… no, three, four boxes.”

The boss paused mid-seed-crack, thinking, Young people these days. But this girl is pretty, so I guess it’s understandable.

She handed over four boxes to Lily.

Lily paid quickly, stuffed them in her pocket, and thought, These things are pricey.

She headed back to the hotel.

Han Wenwen saw her return empty-handed and slipped quietly to the supermarket door to ask, “Boss?”

The boss, still snacking on seeds, turned and thought, Today’s customers are all so attractive.

“Yeah? What can I get for you, beautiful?”

Han Wenwen smiled and asked, “What did that person just buy?”

“Just now? What’s it to you?”

Han Wenwen thought for a moment and said with a laugh, “She’s my friend. I saw her and got curious.”

The boss replied knowingly, “Why ask? You can guess where she went after. I shouldn’t say.”

Han Wenwen was sharp in some ways.

From that and the boss’s expression, her fox-like eyes widened as she realized.

Condoms…

Brother Zheng Ran!!

She hurried to message Lin Zheng Ran with a warning!

Downstairs in the hotel, Lily asked the front desk, “Sister, our room doesn’t have a towel. Could I get one?”

The receptionist frowned: “No towel? The cleaning aunt must have forgotten again. Let me find a new one for you.”

She got up, went to the back warehouse, and brought out a fresh one for Lily.

Politely, she added, “Anything else missing? Like shower gel or toiletries? Oh, and if you’re short on condoms, I can give you a few boxes, but it’ll cost extra.”

Lily took the towel and started to shake her head: “Other stuff should be fine.” But then she heard and questioned, “Wait, the room has those?”

“What do you mean? Condoms? Yeah, they’re in the drawer. Didn’t you see?”

Lily felt awkward: “I didn’t check the drawer. But we’re good now.”

She turned to leave with the towel for the second floor, but just then, a car pulled up at the hotel entrance.

A middle-aged couple stepped out, chatting and laughing as they entered.

Lily glanced back curiously, and her eyes widened in shock. She quickly spun around and headed upstairs.

The newcomers were no one else but the male homeroom teacher from her high school Class Three and the female homeroom teacher from Lin Zheng Ran’s Class One.

As Lily left, she peeked back to confirm she wasn’t mistaken.

The pair told the front desk, “A large bed room, just for the night.”

Lily was stunned: “Is this for real? Are our homeroom teachers a couple? I had no idea, and what a coincidence they’re at the same place as us…”

The receptionist handed them the room key: “Your room is 206.”

“Wait, what?” Lily couldn’t believe it: “Next door to us?!”

Lily rushed back to the second-floor room and knocked.

“Zheng Ran, it’s me. Open up, I got the towel.”

She was afraid the teachers would show up and spot her.

From inside, Lin Zheng Ran called, “Coming.”

The door opened, and Lily darted in, finally relaxing—until she saw Lin Zheng Ran covered in soap and dripping wet.

He was in his natural state.

Lily’s eyes involuntarily drifted to a certain sacred spot.

After glimpsing that truth of the world, her face flushed visibly red.

“Ah!”

She whipped around, back to him, covering her face and stumbling over words, her twin tails bouncing: “Zheng Ran, how could you open the door like that? I saw everything!”

Even his…

Lin Zheng Ran took the towel from her hand—it was his only option: “You’re my girlfriend, what’s there to fear? I’m in the shower, so of course I had to open it like this. I don’t have a towel yet.”

With that, Lin Zheng Ran headed back to the bathroom: “I’ll rinse off quick. You go to the bed first.”

Lily felt utterly drained.

She was just too nervous.

Slowly, she sank to the floor, hugging her knees and burying her head, her face hot enough to boil an egg.

Though it was only a flash and the room was dim, Zheng Ran… was like that.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, she heard footsteps in the hallway—two people passing by, heading to the next room and going inside.

Lily let out a shaky breath.

Leaning on the wall, she stood up shakily and made her way to the bed. Remembering the sight, her cheeks burned as she slipped off her shoes.

She took off her socks, stuffed them in her shoes, and tucked the packets she’d bought under the pillow.

Then she crawled under the covers, sitting back against the headboard.

She’d give her clothes to Zheng Ran later—it might look too forward otherwise.

Biting her lip, she hugged her legs and waited quietly.

Soon, Lin Zheng Ran emerged from the bathroom with a towel around him and saw Lily in bed, face flushed and waiting.

She didn’t dare look up.

Lin Zheng Ran walked to the bed, pulled back the covers, and sat down: “Weren’t you going to help me try on clothes? How’d you end up in bed already?”

Lily barely had the energy to argue, feeling him beside her: “Who cares about clothes now, you big idiot. We can deal with that later.”

Seeing how tense she was, Lin Zheng Ran called softly, “Lily.”

Lily trembled, straightened up, and turned to him stiffly.

“Wh-what is it, silly Zheng Ran…”

Lin Zheng Ran gazed into Lily’s eyes and suddenly softened: “Are you nervous?”

Lily clenched her fists: “N-no… I’m not nervous at all.”

Her words came out all wrong.

Lin Zheng Ran reached out, gently stroking her head and playing with her twin tails.

Lily stared straight at him toying with her hair, her body rigid.

Lin Zheng Ran reminded her, “Do you remember that thing you always wanted to do with me? The one we tried so many times but never pulled off?”