Buying Local Specialties

A Certain Hotel

Su Cheng stepped out of the bathroom after his shower, drying his damp hair while gazing out the window.

The moment his phone had charged, some wicked woman had called him "hubby."

"OMG, SOS, fam, can you even?" he muttered to himself.

On top of that, he had just gotten in touch with Li Guanqi and learned they were staying in a villa just five kilometers away.

Cornelia, however, had gone radio silent.

No idea what she was up to.

Just as he finished drying his hair and was about to return the towel to the bathroom, he noticed a small card slipped under the door.

Curious, he bent down to pick it up. It read, "Returning Urban Beauty…" and at the bottom, a string of digits—a phone number.

"—xxxxxx."

"Tsk tsk…"

Su Cheng was about to toss it into the trash bin when, unexpectedly, there was a soft knock at the door. His eyes widened in shock. Was this some kind of high-tech, telepathic business card? He hadn’t even called, and yet service was already at his doorstep?

How absurd!

With a mix of bewilderment and caution, Su Cheng carefully opened the door.

To his surprise, it wasn’t some "mysterious card deliverer" but Gu Ruoxue standing there, arms crossed, her icy gaze fixed on the card in his hand.

Startled, he quickly tossed it into the bin and forced an awkward smile. "What’s up?"

Gu Ruoxue had her hair tied up in a neat bun, revealing her delicate oval face and slender, porcelain neck, giving her an effortlessly elegant aura.

"I’m not comfortable going out alone. How about hiring you as my bodyguard?" Her tone was calm, almost indifferent, as if she couldn’t care less whether he agreed or not.

"Sure, just give me a sec."

Su Cheng nodded, then grabbed a face mask, slipped on his shoes and socks, and topped it off with sunglasses and a baseball cap—making sure he wouldn’t be recognized before following Gu Ruoxue out.

Being spotted in his hometown would be disastrous. The hotel room had been booked under Gu Ruoxue’s name, so neither of them had needed to show ID.

……

They arrived at the hotel lobby.

Gu Ruoxue strode forward with confident steps, forcing Su Cheng to trail behind like a shadow. Her striking looks drew stares from everyone in the lobby.

In their elite school, her beauty was already top-tier, but in this rural town? It was like a celestial goddess had descended, captivating every onlooker—even the hotel manager shot Su Cheng an envious glance.

After all, a man and woman checking into a hotel together?

What else could they be but a couple?

Gu Ruoxue ignored the attention, breezing through the lobby and heading straight for the hotel’s souvenir shop.

The shop sold local specialties—homemade liquor, tea, beans, pastries, snacks, and gift sets.

Su Cheng had no clue why Gu Ruoxue wanted to buy this stuff, but as she meticulously examined the shelves, he plopped down on a sofa in the waiting area.

With the late hour, the shop was nearly empty. The murmurs of two clerks chatting in their local dialect filled the air, stirring an unexpected warmth in Su Cheng’s chest.

He glanced around, taking in the rows of shelves packed with knickknacks—small trinkets, local beverages, and regional-brand bottled water.

Meanwhile, Gu Ruoxue stood frozen in front of the pastry section, staring intently at a box of fragrant cakes. Her pink tongue darted out, lightly tracing her cherry-red lips as if savoring a childhood memory. The sheer focus on her face was downright adorable.

After a moment of hesitation, she grabbed a bag and began filling it with the cakes.

But then—she sensed eyes on her.

Their gazes locked.

Gu Ruoxue immediately withdrew her hand, pretending to browse casually while Su Cheng cursed inwardly.

Damn, shouldn’t have looked. Now he’d ruined her moment.

Who knew she could be this tsundere?

He averted his eyes and pulled out his phone.

A few seconds later, Gu Ruoxue peeked at him, confirmed he was distracted, and boldly returned to the cakes, stuffing a generous amount into her bag.

She’d eaten these before, and now, seeing them again, nostalgia had gotten the better of her.

Once satisfied, she moved on, leisurely wandering until she paused at a display of lightweight clay figurines.

"Miss, need any help?" A young woman crafting soft clay dolls greeted her.

"Does this one have licensing rights?"

Gu Ruoxue pointed at a chibi-style figurine—a tiny archer with closed eyes, mid-draw.

The resemblance was unmistakable: it was Su Cheng.

The clerk’s smile widened, though her face was pale, her frail health evident. "Yes, he’s aware and allows it."

Gu Ruoxue’s eyes flickered with interest. Then she noticed—subtle but there—the girl’s right leg was a silicone prosthetic. Realization dawned: this girl must be from the same orphanage as Su Cheng.

Nodding, Gu Ruoxue said softly, "Wrap this one up, please."

"Right away!"

The girl beamed, carefully packing the figurine into a box.

As she worked, she glanced toward Su Cheng’s direction, but the shelves blocked her view. Knowing he preferred to stay incognito, she said nothing more.

Handing the package over, she bowed slightly. "Here you go."

"How much?"

"Fifty yuan."

Gu Ruoxue’s brows rose. That was shockingly cheap—most figurines this detailed sold for at least a hundred. But she didn’t comment, simply paid and left, mixing the doll into her bag with the other purchases.

Su Cheng, lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, spotted her and pocketed his phone. "All done?"

Gu Ruoxue nodded, then ignored him, marching to the checkout counter as if to say, "Don’t hover."

But Su Cheng followed anyway, curious about her choices. Maybe he could have similar items sent to school later.

Gu Ruoxue stiffened, shooting him a glare. "Following me to pay, are you?"

I thought these words would make Su Cheng back off, but unexpectedly, he pretended not to hear them. He tilted his head up, blew at his mask, and acted like he couldn’t care less.

This left Gu Ruoxue at a complete loss. She took a few deep breaths, silently praying that the cashier wouldn’t pull out the clay when ringing up the items—otherwise, she could just imagine the look on Su Cheng’s face.

Although the clay was packaged, the wrapping was a transparent plastic shell, making the shape inside clearly visible.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The moment she placed the bag on the counter, the cashier immediately began pulling out every item inside, weighing them and slapping on price tags.

She couldn’t bear to watch, covering her eyes in dismay.