Xia Qingtian fell onto the bed and fell asleep immediately. Xia Qingyu, however, tossed and turned, her mind preoccupied with the matter.
She wanted to wake Xia Qingtian to ask for clarification, but seeing how soundly she slept, she felt reluctant to disturb her.
After much thought, Xia Qingyu changed her clothes, then carefully closed the door and quickly walked along the corridor to the other side.
Miao Tong and Nie Qingkong were still discussing whether to sleep first or eat breakfast. Seeing Xia Qingyu pass by their door, Nie Qingkong immediately said, "I'm going out for a bit to ask someone."
"Okay, I'll take a quick nap then," Miao Tong thought nothing of it, yawning as she picked up her phone to fiddle with it.
As soon as Nie Qingkong stepped out, he quickly followed Xia Qingyu.
Xia Qingyu looked around by the staircase, seeming hesitant about where to go, before finally heading upstairs.
Nie Qingkong's brows furrowed as he saw Xia Qingyu's direction.
Upstairs, it appeared to be an entire suite, the resting room where Bai Yuqi was staying.
What was Xia Qingyu doing going to Bai Yuqi at this time?
Upon reaching the room door, Xia Qingyu saw a server walking out. Seeing the server, Xia Qingyu also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately stepped forward to ask, "Excuse me, could you tell me if Young Master Bai is awake?"
"Young Master Bai is awake. Is there something Xia Xiaojie needs?" the server asked.
"Please convey this message for me; I have something I'd like to ask Young Master Bai," Xia Qingyu said to the server. "I'll wait here. Thank you for your trouble."
"Alright, please wait a moment," the server replied before pushing the door open again.
Before long, the server opened the door again and made an inviting gesture.
Xia Qingyu nodded in thanks and walked directly into Young Master Bai's room.
After Xia Qingyu entered, the server thoughtfully closed the door tightly before heading off.
Nie Qingkong's brows furrowed, his expression grim, as he watched the door close.
Xia Qingyu, walking into a man's room right after he woke up?
Does she even know what she's doing!
Inside the room, Bai Yuqi, wrapped in a quilt, sat cross-legged on the bed. His golden hair was messy, like a golden retriever that had played all day, lazily yawning and giving Xia Qingyu a tired smile, "Good morning, Sister Qingyu~"
Sister Qingyu?
The appellation made Xia Qingyu a little uncomfortable, but she still smiled faintly and politely said good morning before asking, "Young Master Bai, I wanted to ask you about something."
"Go ahead," Bai Yuqi pulled his neck in, forcing his eyes open a sliver, his tone lazy.
"When we were going to Kyoto, there was a chef on the ship who was familiar with my sister. Is he still here?" Xia Qingyu had hesitated by the stairs earlier, unsure whether to ask Bai Yuqi or go directly to the kitchen to search. However, she hadn't met the chef who had been flirting with her sister. If she found the wrong person, it would be awkward.
Thus, it was more appropriate to ask Bai Yuqi first.
Besides, she had no ill intentions, only wanting to ensure that no extraneous people were taking an interest in her sister.
Upon hearing Xia Qingyu's question, Bai Yuqi instantly became wide awake.
His half-closed eyes snapped open, and his gaze on Xia Qingyu became more scrutinizing, "Did your sister send you to ask?"
"No, my sister went to sleep after watching the sunrise," Xia Qingyu said. "I saw how tired she was and wanted to know if that chef was here. Since my sister likes his cooking, I wanted to trouble him to make a few dishes for her specifically. I'll pay for his service."
"Is that so..." Bai Yuqi propped his chin with one hand and turned his head to the left, looking towards a white jade screen.
Behind it, Gu Yaoyang, dressed in a white bathrobe, was shaking his head slightly, his hair still damp. He looked somewhat disheveled at first glance.
"You're very good to your sister," Bai Yuqi retracted his gaze and said to Xia Qingyu, "But it's a pity. That chef is still in Kyoto; he has work to complete and probably won't be back in Z City for a few more days."
"Is that so? Alright then," Xia Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
It was good that the chef hadn't followed them.
"Then I won't disturb Young Master Bai's rest," Xia Qingyu said, turning to leave. Xia Qingtian hadn't woken up yet, and she needed to check the restaurant for breakfast options, to see if she could bring some food back to the room, in case Xia Qingtian woke up hungry.
"Wait a moment," Bai Yuqi tightened the quilt around himself, got out of bed, and walked directly towards Xia Qingyu, "There's something I'm very curious about."
"What?" Seeing Bai Yuqi walking towards her step by step, Xia Qingyu also retreated step by step, her gaze towards Bai Yuqi filled with a hint of defensiveness.
"Are you afraid of me?" Bai Yuqi noticed Xia Qingyu dodging backward and a playful smile flickered on his lips, "Afraid of what? I don't eat people. I just want to ask you something."
"Whatever Young Master Bai wants to know, just ask directly. There's no need to come over specifically. My hearing hasn't degenerated, and at this distance..." Xia Qingyu took another step back, only to find her back against the door. Her head bumped against the door with a faint thud, which hurt a little, "At this distance, I can still hear."
"Pfft," Bai Yuqi chuckled and stopped walking forward, "I won't tease you anymore. I wanted to ask about your family..."
Before Bai Yuqi could finish speaking, he saw the door behind Xia Qingyu suddenly burst open from the outside, revealing an angry and shocked young face.
"Nie Qingkong?" The door behind Xia Qingyu, against which she was leaning, suddenly opened. She lost her balance and was caught in a slightly cool embrace. Turning her head, Xia Qingyu saw a familiar face.
"Come with me," Nie Qingkong grabbed Xia Qingyu's hand, then glared fiercely at the duvet-wrapped, astonished Bai Yuqi, before directly pulling Xia Qingyu down the stairs.
Watching Xia Qingyu disappear completely, Bai Yuqi murmured the unfinished question, "...Do you have any relatives named Liu..."
He withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and closed the door, pulling the quilt tighter around himself, "Young people these days... read too many novels, playing hero to save the damsel? I wasn't trying to do anything..."
He felt so wronged.
"It's not their fault; you just don't look like a good person," Gu Yaoyang walked out from behind the screen, wiping the water droplets from his hair with a towel draped over his shoulder, and swept his gaze from top to bottom over Bai Yuqi, who was wrapped in only a quilt, looking like a wolf grandmother.
"Don't be so smug. The moment they arrived, you jumped behind the screen. Weren't you the one who looked like you were caught in the act?" Bai Yuqi scoffed, rolling his eyes at Gu Yaoyang, "You're truly my nemesis. Why pretend to be a cook out of the blue?"
"It has nothing to do with you," Gu Yaoyang replied. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "That Nie Qingkong, look into him."