Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Good. Come on over, then—I'll open the door for you," Shu Ya said, a note of delight in her voice.

"No need. I'll come across from here." With that, Yang Ce vaulted over the edge of the balcony and, Spider-Man-like, clambered toward Shu Ya's balcony. In a few swift moves he stood steady before her.

"Ha, you've got some fine skills for sneaking around," Shu Ya laughed.

Yang Xutang nearly lost his footing. With a wry smile he said, "These moves are for killing people. What do they have to do with sneaking around?"

"Busy Valentine's Day, was it?" Shu Ya asked, a hint of mockery in her tone.

"How do you know?" Yang Ce asked in return.

"Just a guess," Shu Ya said. "I'm leaving tomorrow, and the concert here is over."

"Leaving tomorrow?" Yang Jiyan was caught off guard; he had not paid any attention to the concert schedule.

"Yes, Macau tomorrow, then back to the mainland. But not Songjiang this time—we'll arrange that when the time comes." Shu Ya said, "Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. I've been very happy."

Yang Ce had been wondering why Shu Ya insisted on seeking him out for a chat so late at night; it turned out she wanted to say goodbye. For a moment he was lost in reflection, recalling how he and Shu Ya had first met—it had been quite a legendary affair, after all.

And when he thought of that riddle in his heart that had never been solved, Yang Shuoxuan felt a deep regret. Yang Ce had never been able to connect Shu Ya and Su Ya as one and the same person, yet in certain respects the two were astonishingly alike.

After racking his brains to no avail, Yang Shuoxuan could only chalk it up to the world being a vast place full of wonders, and any resemblance a pure coincidence.

"I won't say any farewell words, but if you ever need anything, you can contact me anytime." Yang Ce sighed.

"Heh, so you really do treat me as a good friend," Shu Ya said with a smile.

"It's my honor, really—having a big star for a friend is something to brag about." Yang Shuoxuan laughed. "I'm nowhere near your level. If you mentioned me, I'm sure no one would know who I am."

"Why mention it? Better to keep it in your heart." Shu Ya cared nothing for such things. She took a neatly wrapped little package from the coffee table and handed it to Yang Ce. "A gift for you."

"A Valentine's Day present?" Yang Mo was somewhat surprised. "Don't tell me you have a secret crush on me."

"Maybe I do. What of it?" Shu Ya said with a half-smile. "It's just a parting gift. Open it when you get back."

"All right." Yang Yuting nodded, then said, "I didn't know you were leaving. I'll make it up to you next time."

"It's fine, heh." Shu Ya was indifferent. "There, you'd better head back early—your girlfriend will start to worry."

Yang Ce gave an awkward smile, though what Shu Ya said was true. Sun Jie and the others had probably finished their showers by now. Yang Ce stood up and returned from the balcony to his room.

But Yang Ce had overestimated Sun Jie and Xiao Qing's speed; the two were still not out of the bathroom. Yang Ce even had the wicked thought of whether the two of them were up to some beyond-friendship business in there.

He wanted to use his X-ray vision to take a look, but restrained himself. Peeping at his own women—how tasteless. If he wanted to look, he should do it openly and honestly.

He knocked on the door, and after a moment Sun Jie's voice came: "Who is it? What do you want?"

"Open up, I want to wash too," Yang Ce said casually.

"If you've got what it takes, walk through the wall," Sun Jie answered primly.

Yang Ce scratched his head and looked at the thin door panel and flimsy lock, but in the end could not bring himself to do it. There were attendants not far away; though they would not interfere with whatever he did, it was still a little embarrassing.

Just then, Guo Jianchao called: "Brother Yang, do you want me to have the attendants all withdraw?"

Yang Ce glanced at the attendants in the distance, then at the door before him. His heart itched unbearably, but at last he gritted his teeth and said with a straight face, "All right, I need to rest too. Have them all withdraw."

"Understood, I'll notify them right away. Brother Yang, call me if you need anything," Guo Jianchao said.

Sure enough, before long the attendants' walkie-talkies received an internal message, and after bowing to Yang Ce one after another, they left the top floor.

After they had all gone and some time had passed, Yang Ce cautiously reached for the bathroom door handle. He had barely touched it when the door opened with a click. Yang Ce jumped; his half-extended hand had not yet been withdrawn when he saw Sun Jie and Xiao Qing already changed into their pajamas and stepping out. Xiao Qing was fine, but Sun Jie, seeing Yang Ce's hand suspended in midair, mocked him with a laugh: "Were you thinking of that story about being worse than a beast? Thinking about it is useless anyway—the door was locked just now. Pull all you like, you couldn't have opened it."

Yang Ce awkwardly withdrew his hand and gave a sheepish laugh. "You're done washing?"

"Didn't you want to wash too? So we made room for you," Sun Jie said with a smile.

Yang Lanxu was inwardly disdainful, thinking, as if you don't know I wanted to wash with you two. But matters had come to this point, so Yang Shuoxuan had no choice but to slink into the bathroom, closing the door behind him without locking it—Sun Jie and Xiao Qing probably would not come in, and if they did, so much the better.

Yang Ce had injuries on his body, so he just wiped himself down casually, without soaking in the tub or taking a sauna.

Out of the bathroom, Yang Ce called out twice but got no answer. He looked upstairs and saw that a guest room already had a Do Not Disturb sign hung on it. Yang Jincong smiled; clearly it had been locked from the inside.

Yang Ce wanted to see whether they were asleep, so he used his special ability to look into the room. There was Sun Jie, lying by the door and watching the outside through the peephole. Xiao Qing, meanwhile, sat on the edge of the bed, pursing her lips at Sun Jie's rather comical behavior.

Yang Lanxu found it amusing—so Sun Jie was observing him. So Yang Ce did not even glance at that room again. He went straight to another guest room, entered, and lay spread-eagled on the bed, watching the goings-on in Sun Jie's room out of the corner of his eye.

Sun Jie had thought Yang Ce would sneak up to her door, and then she could give him a fright, but she never expected Yang Ce to go into the room next door.

To be continued.

804. Zhao Ying's Suitor

804. Zhao Ying's Suitor. Sometimes Zhao Ying wished she could make herself uglier, because there were always suitors around her, pestering her until she could hardly breathe. From Jin Gang last year to Zou Ruoguang now, Zhao Ying was endlessly annoyed.

Yet at other times, Zhao Ying wished she were even prettier—when she was with Yan, of course. Because the women around Yang Ce were all simply too beautiful; whether Chen Shutang or Lin Yanhe, both were peerless beauties, and Zhao Ying held no advantage whatsoever before them.

So life was sometimes quite contradictory. But if she could choose, Zhao Ying would still rather be prettier. In fact she was already very pretty; one could not say who was prettier than whom, only that each had her own merits—even Yang Ce thought so.

Zhao Ying had come with her parents to attend this cousin's wedding this time also because of Valentine's Day. She was afraid her mother might again come up with some ingenious scheme to make Yang Ce spend Valentine's Day with her, and that would perhaps make Yang Ce resentful. After all, Yang Ce had other people to accompany; it was impossible for him to spend Valentine's Day with her. So to avoid embarrassment, Zhao Ying simply came with her mother to Jingshan, dodging this Valentine's Day altogether.