Chapter 144 Birthday
The eleventh day of the third lunar month is Lin Qingyu’s birthday. This day fell on a weekday and they still had classes. The only time they could celebrate was at night. Jiang Xing spent a lot of money to book a suite in a hot spring hotel. He arranged for a candlelit dinner, birthday cake, massage chairs, the works.
Jiang Xing originally wanted to skip afternoon classes to bring Lin Qingyu there earlier but Lin Qingyu insisted on not skipping any class. The most he’d skip was evening self-study. So when the two arrived at the hotel, it was already long after nightfall.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Xing stretched his arms then turned to ask, “Qingyu, are you tired after driving for so long?”
Lin Qingyu said calmly, “Even if I am, there’s nothing to be done about it. Hurry up and get your driver’s license when you turn 18 that way I won’t get tired.”
“You can’t blame me for that.” Jiang Xing said, “Then let’s have dinner first and then have a soak in the hot spring?”
Lin Qingyu nodded. “Okay.”
The candlelit dinner was exquisite and very romantic but to Lin Qingyu, who was once the Empress of a country, there was nothing impressive about it. It was more the male high school student’s smile under the candlelight that made him happy.
The male high schooler even gave him a bouquet of roses. It wasn’t any rare variety and it was only a small one, but each one was in full bloom. Each had obviously been carefully selected.
“I’m sorry it’s not the expensive kind. I bought it with money I earned myself.” Jiang Xing said, “It didn’t come from the living expenses my father gave me nor from the proceeds of the fund my mother left me—I earned it through the labor of my own two hands.”
The labor of his own two hands?
Lin Qingyu asked curiously, “How did you earn it?”
Jiang Xing slowly said, “By sticking screen protectors.”
Lin Qingyu: “…”
“I set up a stall under the bridge and put on 20 pieces of screen protectors for customers to get this bouquet of roses. My hands are sore.” Jiang Xing looked at Lin Qingyu expectantly, “Do you like it, Baobei?”
Lin Qingyu lowered his eyes and smiled. He said softly, “Baobei likes it very much.”
The selling point of this hotel was its natural hot spring. The water was pure natural hot spring water that bubbled from deep underground. It was known as the “Thousand Year Holy Bath”. Lin Qingyu couldn’t tell if it was the “holy bath” but surrounded as it was by a bamboo forest, misty and serene, with a lack of many modern facilities, it had the feel of the Dayu.
Jiang Xing had been the one to choose this hotel. Lin Qingyu didn’t know if this was the reason why he’d chosen it.
The two changed into swimming trunks and went downstairs with bathrobes on. Jiang Xing’s phone rang suddenly. Seeing the caller ID, he said, depressed, “It’s the class advisor.”
Lin Qingyu: “…”
Jiang Xing sighed. “She must be calling to ask me why I skipped class. And why I dragged along our class representative who’s both good in character and academics to skip class together.”
“Go and deal with her.” Lin Qingyu said, “I’ll wait for you by the hot spring.”
While Jiang Xing was confronting the class advisor, Lin Qingyu approached the hotel staff and asked, “Is it possible to reserve the hot spring?”
The staff said, “It is possible but there will be an additional fee.”
“You don’t need to worry about this small amount of money,” Lin Qingyu said, “My husband has plenty of money.”
The staff smiled and said, “Alright.”
The Emperor of the Dayu, who’d been reprimanded by the class advisor, arrived at the hot spring bath to see his Empress already having a soak. Jiang Xing took off his bathrobe and put it aside. “Qingyu, I’m here.”
Lin Qingyu asked suspiciously, “Why are you still wearing your swimming trunks?”
“I want to soak in the hot spring, Baobei.” Jiang Xing had an ominous premonition, “Aren’t you wearing yours?”
Lin Qingyu said, “In modern times, you don’t need to wear clothes when soaking in the hot springs.”
“Who said that?”
“You did.” The memory was fresh in Lin Qingyu’s mind. “You said it when we were in the Dayu.”
Jiang Xing was momentarily at a loss for words. He remembered that he had indeed lied to Lin Qingyu about that, saying that modern people don’t wear clothes when they go to the hot springs.
Jiang Xing’s expression changed slightly and he said, voice trembling, “Then, are you wearing yours?”
“Of course not”
Jiang Xing sucked in a breath of cold air and the frantically looked around. “Did anyone see you?”
“A man and a woman were sharing the pool with me just now.”
Jiang Xing wished he could slap himself. He stammered out, “Qingyu, you, you…you stay in the water and don’t move. I’ll get you a pair of swimming trunks right away.”
Lin Qingyu finally couldn’t hold back anymore and he chuckled softly. “You’re so gullible.”
Jiang Xing was momentarily dazed and then realized what had happened. “I was tricked.”
Lin Qingyu raised his eyebrows. “Have you forgotten? I’m one to hold grudges.”
Jiang Xing choked and said, “You hold grudges even against your husband!?”
“I do.”
…All right. Jiang Xing jumped into the hot spring. Water splashed everywhere, “Then allow Zhen to see whether the Empress really is wearing clothes.”
Lin Qingyu didn’t try to dodge and allowed Jiang Xing approach him, saying, “I’ve wasted money, Laogong.”
“Hm?”
“I reserved the hot spring and it cost a lot of money.” Lin Qingyu said, “I’m afraid you’ll be sticking protective screens for 20 years to earn that much money.”
Jiang Xing was momentarily stunned. He then raised his lips in a smile, “I’d be happy to do so.”
Lin Qingyu looked on as the male high schooler lowered his head towards him.
Moonlight reflected on the pool’s surface.
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