Eye of Insight

Dinner lasted nearly two and a half hours. The waiter outside had leaned against the wall, yawning countless times. When he finally heard the call for the check, he let out a deep sigh of relief as if he had been granted amnesty.

It was only when he saw the bill that Ethan realized the prices at the five-star hotel weren't as high as he had expected—certainly nowhere near those of Elysian Feast. Five dishes and a soup totaled just 800 dollars, which was still less than the price of a single plate of chicken butts there. Of course, that dish was named Peony Grandeur.

After dinner, it was only natural to return to their rooms for rest. However, Ethan noticed that Eliza's pace had slowed considerably—nothing like the light steps she had when they arrived. Assuming she was just feeling bloated from the meal, his eyes unconsciously flickered toward her stomach.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he glanced over, Eliza slowed down even more, as if she was afraid of stepping on an ant. Even her gaze became evasive.

At the door to their room, it was Eliza's turn to feel anxious. Though she didn't dislike Ethan, their relationship so far had only been marked by a fateful, accidental kiss. She admitted she had developed a bit of fondness for this young man, but it hadn't blossomed into love—it was more about dependence.

Ethan had already swiped the keycard and stepped inside. Seeing Eliza still hesitating by the door, he chuckled and said, "What? Planning to stand out there all night?"

Only then did Eliza lower her head and shuffle into the room. She was far less carefree than before. Being alone in a room with a man… If he suddenly lost control, his virginity wouldn't be intact for long.

She once heard a girlfriend say: During the day, men are professors. At night, they turn into beasts…

Lost in thought, Eliza sat silently on the couch. She had already noticed that this suite had only one bed. Even if she took the initiative to sleep on the couch, it wouldn't be completely safe—after all, this guy had thought about making a move before.

Just then, Ethan emerged from the bedroom, carrying a spare air-conditioning blanket. He yawned at the dazed Eliza and said, "Hey, what are you overthinking? Go sleep in the room—I'll take the couch tonight."

Hearing Ethan's impatient tone, Eliza let out a long breath, her worried expression vanishing instantly. She shot him a grateful look before quickly retreating into the bedroom.

Click!

The door closed. Ethan was surprised to notice that the moment she stepped inside, her movements became light again.

The next morning, a sudden ringtone pulled Ethan out of his dreams. Stretching lazily, he grabbed his phone and answered.

"Dude, get up! Breakfast at the usual spot."

Grant's loud voice blasted through the speaker before he immediately hung up. The vibration left Ethan's ears buzzing. Quickly, he got up from the couch and knocked on the bedroom door.

"Hey, girlfriend, time to wake up."

Hearing a response from inside, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

By the time Ethan finished washing up, Eliza groggily walked into the bathroom. The two exchanged a brief smile.

Ethan pointed at her wrinkled dress. "Hurry up. Later, we'll find time to buy you some new clothes."

Eliza nodded sleepily before stepping into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, the two of them walked downstairs hand in hand.

When they stepped into Private Room No. 8, Grant—who was in the middle of drinking millet porridge—suddenly dropped his spoon into his bowl.

"Damn! You little—" Cough, cough!

Grant pointed at Ethan, choking on his porridge. The blockage made him cough uncontrollably.

Dexter, sitting beside him, quickly handed over a cup of warm soy milk. Grant gulped it down, finally able to breathe again.

Ethan quickly sat down, giving Grant a few pats on the back. "Bro, don't get too worked up, alright? If something happens to you, at least tell me your bank card password first."

Grant rolled his eyes. "You bastard… Alright, introduce her properly."

Even a seasoned flirt like Grant was caught off guard by Eliza's beauty. His experience told him she was a high-difficulty, top-tier type. This dumb kid really hit the jackpot.

Ethan grinned and waved Eliza over. "Baby, come say hi."

Eliza walked up gracefully and sat beside Ethan, smiling at Grant. In a sweet voice, she said, "Hi, I'm Ethan's girlfriend, Eliza. You can just call me Eli."

Grant grinned. "Grant. Ethan's big bro. So, how did you two meet?"

Eliza's smile brightened. "On yesterday's flight to Kunming—Ethan and I sat in the same row."

Ethan, right on cue, pushed a bowl of slightly cooled millet porridge in front of her. "Here, have some porridge—it's already a bit cold."

Grant gave Ethan a thumbs-up and, in a voice only they could hear, muttered, "Now I finally get what they mean by 'a good cabbage being eaten by a pig.'"

Ethan grabbed a piece of Lijiang sticky rice cake, took a bite, and feigned anger. "Are you calling me a pig?!"

Grant smirked. "You said it yourself, not me. I'm just making an observation."

Ethan quickly swallowed the sticky rice cake and laughed at himself. "At least I'm an ambitious and educated pig."

Grant chuckled and smacked Ethan hard on the back. "With the way you eat, even pigs would be ashamed."

Ethan, who was gulping down porridge, got smacked so hard that he ended up spraying it everywhere.

Seeing Ethan make a mess of himself, Grant felt even more pleased. He laughed and said, "Haha! You choked me earlier, and now you shot yourself in the foot…"

Porridge splattered onto Ethan's face. Eliza, ever considerate, handed him a napkin.

Amidst the playful banter, breakfast came to a lively end.

Dexter personally drove them to Tengchong County, with Ethan and Grant chatting non-stop the entire way, filling the journey with laughter.