For safety, he forced himself to stay awake, chugging a can of energy drink before he finally stopped.
As soon as Ling Yuchen placed the person in his arms into the backseat, Xia Wantang woke up.
She sat in the car, dazed, looking around in confusion.
Ling Yuchen got into the car from the other side and said to her, "Lean on me and get some sleep. We're almost home."
"No, thank you."
Xia Wantang glanced at Han Xiao, who was driving, her face flushing slightly.
She had fallen asleep, so how did she get downstairs?
Ling Yuchen must have carried her down. And now she was supposed to lean on him to sleep. How embarrassing could that be?
Han Xiao did his best to be invisible, driving steadily, as if he hadn't heard the conversation in the back.
Inside, however, he was utterly stunned.
Had he heard correctly?
Xia Wantang had actually refused their President. This was unbelievable.
Ling Yuchen reached out, put his arm around Xia Wantang's shoulders, and pulled her to lie on her side, her head resting on his lap.
He then ruffled her hair and said softly, "Go to sleep, it's still about thirty to forty minutes to Ling Lu Mountain."
Ling Lu Mountain?
Xia Wantang tried to get up from his lap, but Ling Yuchen gently pressed her down.
She could only furrow her brows and ask, "What place is that? Why are we going there?"
Ling Yuchen's deep eyes gazed out at the dark night sky and he said, "The place we're staying is no longer safe. I'll be away all day tomorrow, and I'm worried about you being alone."
Xia Wantang wanted to say there was no danger, but then she remembered the paparazzi staking them out that morning. She immediately swallowed her words.
Ling Yuchen covered her eyes and whispered, "Sleep now, I'll wake you when we arrive."
Her vision suddenly darkened, and Xia Wantang grabbed his hand, trying to pull it away.
Ling Yuchen said helplessly, "Don't fuss, just sleep."
His words sounded so doting, Xia Wantang's heart raced again.
She wanted to sit up but couldn't. Thinking of Han Xiao in the front, she felt it wouldn't be appropriate to struggle too much.
So, she decided to stay put and not move.
Seeing that she had calmed down, Ling Yuchen smiled with satisfaction, gently patting Xia Wantang's back as if he were soothing a child.
Xia Wantang covered her face and closed her eyes, too afraid to move. If they weren't in the car, she would have fled.
Amidst the gentle rocking of the car, whether it was because she was tired or because of Ling Yuchen's gentle pats, Xia Wantang actually fell asleep.
Seeing that she was asleep, Ling Yuchen said to Han Xiao, "Drive slower, and be steady."
"Yes, President." Han Xiao glanced in the rearview mirror. Everything that had happened tonight had shattered his perception.
Who would tell him who the person in the back was?
Where was his cold, emotionless President who kept everyone at a distance?
At this moment, Ling Yuchen was gazing intently at the woman in his arms, his eyes incredibly gentle, a smile on his lips.
He found interacting with this woman to be so relaxing and pleasant; he felt joy every time he was close to her!
He hadn't felt any repulsion when he first saw her, and now she was his woman, his girlfriend.
Then he must pamper her, indulge her, and the highest form of love was to spoil someone like a child.
Just then, the car suddenly jolted twice. In the sway, Xia Wantang stirred, seeming to wake up.
Ling Yuchen quickly patted her back, and Xia Wantang quieted down again.
Han Xiao glanced in the rearview mirror and quickly explained, "It's a speed bump, there was no way to avoid it."
Ling Yuchen didn't even look up, only gazing deeply at the woman in his arms.
Seeing this, Han Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Ling Yuchen said nothing and didn't even look at him, he was still afraid. If he woke up the future Mrs. President, he would surely suffer.
He hadn't seen his President dote on someone like a precious jewel.
In all the years he had been with the President, he had never seen any woman get close to him.
What should have been a forty-minute drive took over an hour.
The car stopped at the entrance of the mountain-top villa garden, and the iron gate slowly opened to the sides, allowing the car to pass through unobstructed.
The entire Ling Lu Mountain was terraced from the foot to the summit.
The higher they went, the fewer villas there were, and the more expensive the land became.
At the summit stood a single, enormous villa, surrounded by lush trees and red walls, covering an incredibly vast area, exuding extreme luxury and extravagance.
From here, it was only a ten-minute walk down to the hot spring resort.
Finally, the car stopped at the villa's entrance.
Ling Yuchen intended to carry the sleeping woman inside, but as soon as he moved, Xia Wantang woke up.
After getting out of the car, she saw a massive villa before her. In front of it was a small garden with many flowers and plants, all meticulously pruned.
Before she could take a closer look, Ling Yuchen put his arm around her and led her inside, saying, "It's cold on the mountain at night, let's go inside!"
Hearing him say that, Xia Wantang felt goosebumps rise on her exposed skin.
The main door was a fingerprint lock. As Ling Yuchen entered the code, he said, "The password is eight eights, remember?"
Xia Wantang, blushing, whispered, "I know, let me go first."
They were so close, her nose filled with his scent and his intense warmth.
The door clicked open. The interior was pitch black; it was so late that the housekeeper had already gone to bed.
Han Xiao went in first and turned on all the lights.
Ling Yuchen also briefly introduced her to the layout of the building.
The building had a total of seven floors. The first floor comprised the living and dining areas, as well as rooms for the housekeeper and cleaning staff.
The second floor housed the bedrooms and his office. Ling Yuchen occupied the master bedroom, and the other rooms were vacant.
The third floor was dedicated to entertainment, such as a private cinema and a gym.
The fourth floor was for guest rooms. Floors five, six, and seven were empty and rarely visited, except by the cleaning staff for occasional tidying.
What he didn't mention was that the other floors were designed to accommodate his parents and grandparents when they visited in the future, as well as space for his future children.
The fifth floor, in particular, had been designed with an indoor amusement park and a swimming pool.
This villa was at least several times larger than the Xia family's, let alone its decoration and furnishings.
As they were talking, a middle-aged woman in her late forties or early fifties, wearing a brown long-sleeved pajama set and a cardigan, walked over.
She had likely heard the noise and came to check.
Her eyes were still heavy with sleep, her hair slightly messy, and faint wrinkles creased her face, though her eyes were large and sharp, and her features were well-defined.
Han Xiao stepped forward to greet her, "Hello, Ouma."
Ouma nodded slightly and said, "You've worked hard. It's so late, you should stay and rest. I'll prepare a room for you later."
She then looked towards the living room, where Ling Yuchen and Xia Wantang were standing.
"Young Master, why are you back so late? Shall I make you a bowl of noodles?" As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Xia Wantang.
Her eyes held a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and disbelief.
Her young master had actually brought a woman home.
Yes, a woman.