After turning off the shower, I saw that the bathtub was almost full. I grabbed a towel, tested the water temperature with my hand, and stepped into the tub.
A faint lavender scent wafted from around the bathtub, almost imperceptible. I knew it was left by Jing Lei. Breathing in the pleasant aroma, I became immersed in the comfortable water temperature, my eyelids growing heavy as sleepiness washed over me.
After days of high-intensity training and a constantly taut nervous system, I relaxed completely. Before long, I drifted off to sleep.
In my dream, I seemed to have arrived in a garden full of flowers, with reds, greens, and purples of every kind. There were peonies, large as bowls and brilliantly colorful, deep red roses, and vast expanses of pink climbing roses. The distant mountains were devoid of trees, covered instead with rolling hills of lavender.
Where was this? None of the places I'd been to in my memory looked like this. It was like a painting. Yes, a painting. I had seen a painting in a country club, four meters long and taller than a person, depicting this very scenery.
But how had I ended up inside a painting? That wasn't right, because paintings could only be looked at; all the flowers and plants were painted. This was different; I could pluck a flower with a casual gesture.
"This is Europe. What you see isn't a painting, it's real."
A voice suddenly spoke from behind me. Startled, I turned around and saw Jing Lei!
"How did we get here? And why does it feel like I'm dreaming?"
"You're not dreaming. We're traveling together. What's wrong with you? Has that head condition flared up again? Don't scare me. This is a foreign country, and it's very troublesome if something goes wrong."
What condition? I just didn't know how I had arrived here, or why I had suddenly seen Jing Lei.
Jing Lei was wearing a long white dress. Against the backdrop of a riot of colorful flowers, she looked like a fairy who had descended from heaven into a sea of blossoms.
I was captivated by the sight and embraced her tightly. Jing Lei buried her head in my chest. In that moment, my heart was completely taken.
I lowered my head, cupped Jing Lei's face, and kissed her red lips.
The kiss lasted for a long, long time, until... I woke up.
I saw that I was indeed holding Jing Lei and kissing her, but we weren't in Europe, and there was no sea of flowers. We were in the bathtub.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quickly asked, "When did you come? I was so sleepy, I must have fallen asleep while soaking."
"I came in and saw your dirty clothes, so I knew you were back."
"Ah, I was hoping to surprise you, but you saw through it."
"Your safe return is the biggest surprise for me. Alright, you've soaked for too long, and the water's gone cold. Get out quickly."
She stood up first, preparing to step out.
I suddenly stood up and hugged her tightly. Her body stiffened, then she gently turned around, and we became entwined like snakes. Da Feng Novel Network
We went from the bathroom to the bedroom, and then tumbled into bed together.
This moment was heaven.
After a very long time, both of us exhausted, we fell into a deep sleep.
I opened my eyes and glanced at the digital clock on the wall, startled. It was already four in the afternoon.
The space beside me was empty; Jing Lei must have gotten up at some point.
My clothes were placed by the bedside. I rolled out of bed and started putting them on.
I had only managed a few bites of the packed breakfast in the morning, and now my stomach was growling.
It made sense. After such strenuous activity later on, the meager fried dough sticks and soy milk had long since been expended.
I got dressed and went out. Jing Lei was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a light blue business suit, her long hair pulled back, complementing her exquisite features and flawless skin. She was a true beauty!
Unexpectedly, another woman was with her. When I pushed the door open, she jumped up abruptly!
I saw Lan Ya in casual wear, a floral long-sleeved shirt on top and slim-fit jeans on the bottom, with a pair of mid-heeled casual shoes. Her face was animated and excited as she walked towards me with her arms outstretched.
She threw her arms around me, completely disregarding Jing Lei watching from the sofa, and planted a kiss on my face.
I patted her back gently, trying to get her to let go, but she paid no attention. After a long while, she finally released me.
I looked at Jing Lei with a blush, but Jing Lei remained calm, smiling at us.
"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."
Jing Lei stood up and pressed a button on the desk. Shortly after, a pure-looking young woman in a business suit knocked and entered.
"Boss."
"Go down to the cafeteria and have them prepare the lunch I ordered and deliver it to my room."
The young woman said, "Yes," bowed, and left.
Lan Ya held my hand tightly, as if afraid I would run away.
Jing Lei looked at Lan Ya and said, "You look so ravenous. Do you want some treatment first?"
Just as I was about to speak, Lan Ya interrupted, "Didn't you hear Hua Zi say he's hungry? I don't want someone who hasn't eaten enough."
"You little vixen! Always jumping at opportunities. If you want to, you can go back to your Da Shi Jie. I don't have space here for you two to frolic."
"Stingy! Your heart is as small as a needle. Fine, we'll go back to Da Shi Jie. We'll leave after we eat. After all, working for you means we need to eat well."
Watching them bicker, I stood up and went to look at the jade cabinet.
Every time I saw these magnificent stones, I couldn't help but marvel at nature's artistry, wondering how such beautiful things could exist in the world.
The greens were as verdant as dew, the purples as ethereal as light, as graceful as water. There was also ice, glass, and so on, making our world colorful and fantastical.
Suddenly, I felt inspired. I turned to the two who were arguing fiercely and said, "It's been a while since we gambled on jade. Let's try our luck tomorrow."
Lan Ya spoke first, "Great! I want to build a small trading center in our garden, and I'm short on funds. Let's gamble on some sky-high priced stones to cover the funding gap."
"You have too big an appetite. A trading center would cost tens of millions. What if you can't find them?"
"With Brother Hua here, how could it be impossible to find them?"
"Since it's a gamble, there's always winning and losing. You're putting too much pressure on me. I'll be careful, but I'll say this first: win or lose, don't take it to heart. We're just doing it for fun."
Jing Lei had been silent. Hearing me say this, she quickly ran over like a young girl, hooked her arm through mine, and said, "I'll try my luck tomorrow too. My eyelids have been twitching lately, so maybe I can really find a piece of imperial green."
Lan Ya flicked Jing Lei's nose and smiled, "Look how happy you are. It's all up to you tomorrow."
Lan Ya was several years younger than Jing Lei, but in life, they were the opposite; Jing Lei was the younger sister, and Lan Ya was the older.
In front of us, Jing Lei was like a little sister.