Find a Warm Place, Just for Us (Bonus Update)

"You knew all along, didn't you!"

"Wuwu... you knew from the very beginning!"

"You've been teasing me, playing with me... admit it, yes or no!"

"..."

Small, feeble fists pounded against Lin Yu's back and waist.

As if that wasn't enough,

she pulled them back and started hammering his chest wildly.

The rainstorm of tiny punches couldn't exactly be called painful—more like completely ineffective.

Even so,

Lin Yu pretended to be in agony, gritting his teeth and groaning:

"Oww... ugh..."

"I'm dead, dead, dead... totally finished."

Only then did Chi Qingshui stop, her delicate hands retreating behind her back as she stood before Lin Yu with her head lowered.

Just a minute ago,

her only thought had been to bring Lin Yu back no matter what.

But now, after revealing her true identity,

she hadn't given a single thought to how this relationship would unfold.

The only certainty was

the overwhelming peace in her heart at this moment.

Especially when she realized Lin Yu had known all along that "Sinking Dream Listening to Rain" was her—it filled her with... hundreds of times more relief.

It proved one thing:

Everything Lin Yu had said and done regarding Lv Rou

was just an act to make her reveal herself.

He hadn't actually imagined a "lover" into existence in real life.

Lin Yu leaned closer, gently wiping the tears from Chi Qingshui's eyes:

"If we're talking about playing games, Qingshui, you're the real master."

"A single WeChat alt account fooled me for over a year."

Chi Qingshui's pupils trembled: "!!!"

"I—I wasn't fooling you..."

"It's just that I..."

At this point,

Chi Qingshui couldn't bear the thought of Lin Yu doubting her feelings.

Maybe at first, it really had just been curiosity driving her to reach out.

But... wasn't that how most couples' relationships started?

Only in the past few days

had Chi Qingshui fully realized:

It wasn't that Lin Yu couldn't live without her—she was the one who couldn't live without him now.

"Hold off on the explanations. Let me think about how to punish you first."

Lin Yu rested his chin on one hand, as if racking his brain for ideas.

Chi Qingshui stayed silent, head still bowed.

From Lin Yu's perspective,

she had known his identity all along while pretending to be his cold, tsundere classmate.

So being punished now... was only fair.

"The rain's so heavy today—the roads are practically flooded."

"Taking a cab back doesn't seem very safe right now."

"Got it! Your punishment is..."

"Let's find somewhere warm to rest for a while?"

"Just the two of us."

"Only us!"

Chi Qingshui: "!!!"

This conversation...

This request...

It felt... exactly like her dream?

Had she somehow dreamed a "prophetic dream" last night?

For a moment,

Chi Qingshui couldn't tell whether she was awake or still dreaming.

Acting on impulse,

she pinched her own cheek.

"Ouch...!"

It hurt!

Not a dream.

An outsider might not understand her actions,

but Lin Yu knew exactly what she was thinking.

He quickly added:

"Hey hey hey, self-harm doesn't count as punishment!"

Chi Qingshui bit her lip and whispered, almost inaudibly:

"Where exactly is this 'only us' place?"

Lin Yu smirked.

Internally, he felt immensely grateful.

Thankfully, in his girlfriend's dream last night, he'd maintained a positive, wholesome image—no wild misbehavior.

That subconscious priming was paying off now,

making the usually cautious honor student less guarded than usual.

......

The underground parking lot of Wanda Plaza was massive.

A security gate connected directly to the neighboring Century Grand Hotel.

Given the steep prices of high-star hotels,

apart from business travelers and tourists,

locals rarely chose such places for... private meetings.

Lin Yu and Chi Qingshui descended to the parking level,

walking slowly through the dim space, their closeness palpable.

When alone, they held hands intimately;

when passing someone who might be a fellow student, they'd separate and walk side by side.

They might as well have been the leads in a teen romance film, stealing secret touches on campus.

The thrill of secrecy gave Lin Yu a rush of youthful exhilaration.

Inside the hotel,

it was Lin Yu who handled the check-in, presenting his ID at the front desk.

Chi Qingshui stood nervously far away, unable to even meet the receptionist's eyes.

They'd agreed—just staying for a short while.

Once the rain stopped, they'd take a cab home together.

Unfortunately,

Chi Qingshui didn't know:

This downpour would last well into the night.

There would be no natural end to the rain—only their own decision to leave.

The elevator carried them up to the sixth floor.

Chi Qingshui clung anxiously to Lin Yu's hand, her voice uneasy:

"Over five hundred? The cheapest room is really over five hundred?"

"We're only staying an hour or two—there's no need to spend so much."

"Lin Yu, let's get a refund?"

"We could just sit at KFC for a while, couldn't... couldn't we?"

The more she learned about the room's cost,

the more restless she became.

KFC might not offer privacy,

but at least they could sit together for hours for just a few dozen yuan.

She knew Lin Yu had earned substantial royalties from his writing,

but she hated the thought of wasting his hard-earned money.

In reality,

five hundred was just the tip of the iceberg.

The actual price of this luxury suite exceeded fifteen hundred.

If Chi Qingshui knew the real cost,

she'd probably snatch the key card and beg for a refund herself.

"Hotel rooms can't be refunded once booked."

"If you're uncomfortable here, we don't have to stay. We can go to KFC downstairs instead."

"Let's return the key."

With that,

Lin Yu made a show of turning to leave.

"Wait!"

"Five hundred yuan though..."

Chi Qingshui immediately grabbed his arm.

Leaving without even entering would be a complete waste of money!

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yu said:

"Qingshui, this was your own decision to stay."

Chi Qingshui: "..."

......

"Beep."

The key card unlocked the door.

They stepped inside one after the other.

Before them,

the understated luxury of gray-and-white decor drew a soft gasp from Chi Qingshui.

Nothing like the dingy motel from her dream—this looked like a setting straight out of a high-end fashion spread.

Paired with the gloomy rain outside, the atmosphere was... dangerously romantic.

"Expensive hotels really are different—even the TV is huge."

"Lin Yu, what do you like to wa—AH!!"

Before she could finish,

Lin Yu swept her up in a sudden bridal carry.

Caught off guard, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, terrified of falling.

When she regained her bearings,

the intimacy of their position and the heat in Lin Yu's gaze left her breathless.

"Lin Yu, you... what are you doing? I thought we were just resting..."

Chi Qingshui asked, her eyes fluttering nervously.

Lin Yu stared unblinking at her lips:

"You call me 'Lin Yu' in public because others are around."

"But now it's just us—still using that name?"

"You never called me that when we chatted privately."

Chi Qingshui: "!!!"

......

(Bonus chapter delivered! More to come tomorrow—will polish the writing carefully to pass Shenhe's standards in one go.)