Chapter 326: Whispers in the Desert Night

They arrived at the hotel in Dunhuang that evening, already past ten o’clock.

The temperature in the Great Northwest dropped sharply at night, making everyone feel the chill, so they all added layers of clothing.

The director’s team had an assistant handling logistics, who had already set up a simple midnight snack in the restaurant.

Everyone had skipped dinner, only grabbing a dry bread at the airport, so they were starving by the time they entered the restaurant.

In the Great Northwest, meals mostly featured beef and mutton, and that’s what the restaurant had prepared.

It was all things like mutton soup noodles, stewed mutton in a pot, and large plates of chicken…

Xie Bingran didn’t dare eat those, so the restaurant had arranged lighter fare for the athletes: steamed fish, chicken, and plain white steamed buns that looked a bit bland.

Xu Chen scooped a small plate of stewed mutton and a bowl of plain congee, then sat with Bing Ge and Coach Cheng.

He Da Chang, Liu Wenqin, and Paul Bao Junsen sat together, chatting casually.

These three had already noticed that ‘Teacher Xu’ and Xie Bingran were close friends.

No wonder Xie Bingran specifically chose East Morning Star Advertising as their partner, and no wonder Xu Chen had said he’d meet her in person over the weekend.

He Da Chang turned to Sun Aimi in the corner and couldn’t help saying:

“Your boss Xu Chen is really tight with Xie Bingran, huh?”

Sun Aimi adjusted her round-framed glasses, deciding what was safe to share, and replied:

“Our President Xu and Bing Ge were high school classmates!”

He Da Chang nodded: “Ah, that explains it.”

Liu Wenqin paused, then asked:

“I heard you and President Xu call Xie Bingran ‘Bing Ge.’ Where did that nickname come from?”

Sun Aimi had visited Tiancheng during National Day and met Bing Ge’s group of friends; she’d also heard Fang Jun and Wu Yue talk about Bing Ge’s past…

But those stories didn’t seem right to share with these bosses.

She blinked her round eyes and said:

“Because Bing Ge is so cool and handsome, not like a typical girl at all, so we all call her Bing Ge!”

Paul Bao Junsen nodded and said in his thick Hong Kong accent:

“Calling her ‘Bing Ge’ suits her better. Let’s all use that from now on!”

After the meal.

Cheng Hong and Xie Bingran headed back to rest, while the rest of the director’s team, BBDO, East Morning Star Advertising team, along with He Da Chang and Yan Chuan from the client side, gathered for a quick meeting.

They mainly went over tomorrow’s shooting schedule, confirming and assigning tasks briefly.

Tomorrow they needed to head to the desert for a sunrise shoot, so they’d have to get up early.

With a large group and lots of equipment, and taking off-road routes, the vehicles were all arranged through Jeep’s local dealers—off-road cars only.

Besides a brand-new Wrangler and a brand-new Grand Cherokee as shooting vehicles, there were three more Grand Cherokees, two Prados, and a pickup truck for transporting people, gear, and emergency supplies.

Xu Chen made a small request:

“Can I drive one of the Grand Cherokees?”

He thought for a moment and added, “You can put Bing Ge and Coach Cheng in my car.”

Director Paul Bao Junsen glanced at Xu Chen, hesitating a bit:

“Teacher Xu, the roads are really tough with lots of mountain passes and ridges.”

“Maybe we should leave it to the professional drivers?”

Xu Chen pondered how to explain, then smiled and said:

“I’ve driven the entire Ganqing Great Ring Road loop before.”

“And I’ve crossed the Tengger Desert through the Five Lakes area…”

“No need to worry too much.”

“If you’re not comfortable, just have a driver ride shotgun and take over on tricky sections.”

“Mainly, staring at the vast Northwest wilderness, I can’t help but feel the urge to hit the trails!”

What Xu Chen mentioned came from his past life experiences.

In his thirties, he was an off-road enthusiast and even joined one of China’s well-known adventure driving teams.

But off-roading burned through money fast, and as an ordinary worker, Xu Chen could only afford one trip a year for the thrill.

He Da Chang perked up with interest: “I didn’t realize Teacher Xu, so young, has already tackled the Great Ring Road?!”

Unlike Paul Bao Junsen and Liu Wenqin, this Andy was a mainland local, so he knew that in this era, anyone driving off-road adventures in China likely had some serious resources.

Seeing how young Xu Chen was and that he’d done the Great Ring Road and crossed the Tengger Desert, it was clear besides running his own ad company, his family background must be solid…

Director Paul Bao Junsen laughed and said:

“Alright, we’ll assign President Xu a Grand Cherokee, but keep you in the middle of the convoy.”

“Safety first, after all.”

Xu Chen smiled: “Thanks, Director!”

As the short meeting wrapped up, two dark-skinned men in assault jackets walked into the restaurant.

The director introduced them: “This is our stunt driver, Zhou Yong. He’ll handle the more dangerous driving shots tomorrow…”

“And this is our local guide, Yang Lei. For the entire trip and any unexpected issues, don’t act on your own—follow Yang Lei’s instructions.”

Everyone greeted Zhou Yong and Yang Lei politely.

Although Director Paul Bao Junsen was from Hong Kong, his arrangements for shooting in the Great Northwest were spot-on and reliable.

Paul Bao Junsen smiled and said: “We’ll depart at 6 a.m. sharp tomorrow—no delays.”

“Thanks for the hard work, everyone!”

Back in his room, Xu Chen felt quite tired.

He missed his little rich lady and thought about sending her a message, wondering if she was in her own room or sharing with Coach Cheng.

As soon as he picked up his phone, he saw she’d already sent a message.

“506”.

Xu Chen smiled happily, grabbed two clean outfits, and quietly slipped out.

Room 506.

Xu Chen didn’t knock; instead, he sent Xie Bingran a message.

In no time, the door opened from inside, revealing Xie Bingran’s face with a pursed smile.

She’d just showered, wearing a loose white bathrobe, her short hair still damp and messy.

Xu Chen sidestepped in.

“Did you eat enough tonight?” Xu Chen asked with a smile.

“Mm-hmm.”

Xu Chen rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a yellow apple as if by magic.

Xie Bingran smiled and took it.

“I bought you a set of assault gear, but since you have shooting outfits for the next couple days, you probably won’t need it.”

As he spoke, he pulled the set from Shanghai out of his bag.

Xie Bingran took it:

“I’ll wear it when I get back.”

Xu Chen really wanted to hug her, but seeing her fresh out of the shower, clean and fragrant, he felt a bit unworthy.

“I’m going to rinse off,” Xu Chen said with a smile.

“Okay, then come blow-dry my hair when you’re done…”

Xu Chen’s shower was quick, taking just a few minutes.

Or maybe it was because he was eager…

He dried off and slipped into a bathrobe.

Xie Bingran walked in, stood in front of the mirror, and handed him the hair dryer.

Xu Chen couldn’t hold back; he dropped the dryer and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

He pressed his face close to her neck and breathed in deeply.

Xie Bingran turned, her face shy…

Their faces close, they could hear each other’s breathing.

Noses nearly touching, hesitant yet inviting.

Their lips brushed lightly, then pulled away instinctively…

In that moment, they couldn’t suppress the urge and kissed deeply.

They didn’t know how long the kiss lasted before their lips parted, faces still pressed together, breathing heavily.

Xu Chen whispered:

“I don’t dare kiss you anymore.”

“Why?”

“If I keep going, I feel like I’ll cross a line…”

Xie Bingran’s eyes burned with intensity as she leaned in and kissed his lips lightly.

She turned and picked up the hair dryer:

“Help me…”

Xu Chen sighed, fighting his urges, and dutifully started drying her hair.

From the mirror, Xie Bingran watched Xu Chen, blinking her big eyes gently.

“Why are you standing so far away?” Xie Bingran said softly.

Xu Chen glanced down at the curve under her loose bathrobe.

“I…”

He stopped short.

Xie Bingran seemed not to understand and stepped back, trying to lean into him.

When she felt something, she quickly pulled away, face flushing.

Then, through the mirror, she shot him a playful glare.

Xu Chen, still holding the dryer, said helplessly:

“This… I can’t fully control it.”

The Great Northwest was incredibly dry.

Even with a humidifier running in the room, they could feel the lack of moisture in their noses and throats.

Xu Chen filled the bathtub halfway with hot water and left the bathroom door open.

With only the bathroom light on, they slipped under the covers.

“Get some sleep quick; we have to be up before five tomorrow,” Xu Chen said, stroking Xie Bingran’s face with eyes full of affection and indulgence.

Xie Bingran murmured agreement but kept her big eyes open, reluctant to close them.

They gazed at each other for a while until she couldn’t resist and pressed her soft lips to his again…

In the dim light.

They held each other, kissing until a wave of heat built up.

Lips parting, lingering in the warmth.

Xu Chen listened to her breathing and whispered:

“You’re really tempting me to do something I shouldn’t…”

Xie Bingran bit her lip and said:

“Not yet…”

Xu Chen sighed softly: “Oh…”

Xie Bingran wrapped her arms around him, noticing he kept his lower body away.

Realizing what it meant, she smiled shyly with pursed lips.

Xu Chen stared at her, gently touching her cheek.

“You’re such a tease, doing this on purpose.”

“Just to torment me…”

Xie Bingran seemed to get a mischievous idea and suddenly reached down.

She gave a light squeeze…

Xu Chen’s eyes narrowed, nearly letting out a sound.

“Don’t play around; I might lose control completely.”

Xie Bingran pulled her hand back, her face turning bright red.

She let out a soft huff and buried her head in his chest.

Xu Chen breathed in the sweet scent of her hair and said quietly:

“If I really lose it, what would you do?”

“Try it and find out—if you dare.”

Xu Chen sighed: “I really want to…”

He suddenly gasped.

Because her hand had playfully squeezed again.