Chapter 71 - The Crux of the Matter

th Li An.Because they were unfamiliar with each other's bodies, Yan Luoxi’s movements were a little slow. As she moved, one of her hands roamed over Li An's face, his lips, and his chest. Their lower...Chapter 71: The Root of the Problem

Lian was so heartbroken that he kept thinking about Yan Luoxi but dared not easily go back to find her.

Lian was capricious and had a bad temper, yet from a young age, he was cunning and smarter than anyone else. He knew early on that he might regret it or feel sad, but more importantly, he understood where the root of his recurring problems with Yan Luoxi lay.

Zhou Guangtao was an indelible shadow in his heart. This man was arrogant and self-important; his concern for Zhou Guangtao exceeded even his own imagination. Even if Yan Luoxi had told him that nothing happened between her and Zhou Guangtao, the past when they were in love would be etched deeply into his heart.

Or perhaps a long time ago, there was an irreparable rift between himself and Yan Luoxi, one caused by how important Zhou Guangtao was to her and their shared childhood. These memories grew with time, becoming an invisible wound in his heart that continued to deepen due to various conflicts and contradictions recently.

Perhaps he should have asked Yan Luoxi for clarity on the day of returning, but she had so many things related to Zhou Guangtao—how could everything be explained clearly Even if it were possible, how could words compete against all the mocking and speculating gazes around them

Lian knew that the root of his problems with Yan Luoxi was a lack of trust between them, or rather, his own distrust toward her.

No matter how deep his feelings and love were, without trust to protect it, it would be like an unarmed baby crawling into battle—getting wounded all over was the best possible outcome; he might end up dead and in pieces.

He knew that his attitude of abruptly breaking up with Yan Luoxi back then was somewhat inappropriate, and ignoring her afterward was even worse. But at the time, he really dared not look back at Yan Luoxi, fearing that if he softened his heart again, everything would be for nothing as they returned to being close once more, only to repeat history all over again—would it have any meaning

In such a dark and gloomy night, Li An thought about everything he had shared with Yan Luoxi in the past. He realized that their greatest sorrow was due to their different backgrounds and differing perspectives on matters, which may have caused a rift between them from the very first moment they met.

Then came Zhou Guangtao, sowing seeds of unpredictable consequences at the start of their relationship.

Li An painfully reminisced about the past, but he dared not easily go back as he feared repeating his mistakes.

All these complex emotions intertwined and surged repeatedly within Li An's heart. The most tragic thing was that he couldn't find any words to describe this feeling or a solution; all he felt was chest pain and a head about to explode.

Yan Luoxi got off the train in Qingdao, where it was drizzling. It seemed endless, reminding her of the day she first arrived at the small town, making her think of Shao Junhe.

Why am I thinking about him He doesn't even care if I'm unhappy.

Yan Luoxi shook her head and looked up at the bustling station. This city was completely unfamiliar to her; she knew no one here. Taking a deep breath, she used her bag to cover her head, dragged her luggage, and went across the street to hail a taxi.

In such a tourist city, hailing a cab on a clear day is already difficult, let alone under these weather conditions. As soon as Yan Luoxi stepped onto the roadside, a taxi stopped right in front of her; she was so excited that she almost leaped up.

"Miss, get into the car quickly before you catch a cold from the rain," the driver said with a smile, leaning forward to talk to her.

"Sir, are you reincarnated as Lei Feng" Yan Luoxi cheerfully got in the car and wiped her face with a tissue.

The driver turned around and smiled, sizing her up with his eyes.

"Driver, which hotel near the city center is clean, safe, and not too expensive" Yan Luoxi knew this question was a bit challenging, so she kept smiling at the driver.

"How about the Four Seasons Hotel It's clean, hygienic, and not overly pricey." The driver answered quickly.

"Is there still an available single standard room now Would it be cheaper" The Four Seasons Hotel wasn't a small place. Worried she might run around for nothing, Yan Luoxi asked hesitantly.

"Don’t worry, there definitely will be." The driver answered confidently, then added as if he remembered something: "I know someone there. If you can’t book a room, I’ll go find someone to help. Maybe we could get some discount."

"Thank you, Driver. You’re such a nice person." Yan Luoxi praised him sweetly in her heart, thinking that the driver was being so enthusiastic might be because Four Seasons Hotel had given him some benefits.

But then she thought again; if the hotel relied solely on referrals to make money, it would have already closed down long ago.

Gazing out at the rainy cityscape, Yan Luoxi pondered quietly. She wasn’t afraid of them robbing her in broad daylight. If the price was too high or the environment suspicious when she arrived there, she wouldn't stay.

Amidst Yan Luoxi's confusion, they soon reached Four Seasons Hotel. The hotel’s facilities and environment were top-notch—clean, spacious, elegant decor, proper management, strict security, and courteous staff in the lobby.

Finding nothing suspicious, Yan Luoxi was quite fond of this place and planned to stay temporarily if it weren’t too expensive.

She didn't use the driver to convey her message; instead, she walked over to the reception desk and asked for the price of a single standard room.

"Miss, could I see your ID please" The young lady at the counter looked up with a friendly smile at Yan Luoxi.

"ID They want my ID now," said Yan Luoxi, slightly puzzled but still handed over her identification.

The young lady carefully examined Yan Luoxi's ID and then looked at her face. Her smile widened even further. "Miss, you're very lucky today! Our hotel is celebrating its anniversary with a discount promotion; the single standard room you reserved can be booked for forty percent off."

"How much will it cost" Yan Luoxi wasn't concerned about discounts and directly asked for the price.

"After the discount, it's 188 yuan," replied the young lady.

"188 yuan." Yan Luoxi frowned slightly.

In reality, at such a hotel, this was already an extremely cheap price. However, Yan Luoxi still felt that it was somewhat expensive. She wasn't the extravagant little tiger girl who used to follow Young Master Li anymore; she now had no job and no support, so every penny needed to be spent carefully...

Seeing Yan Luoxi hesitate, the receptionist quickly added enthusiastically, "The accommodation fee includes breakfast daily, drinks delivered in the morning, snacks served in the afternoon..."

"Alright, you don't need to explain further. I'll stay here for five nights then; book it for me." With a decisive wave of her little arm, Yan Luoxi agreed readily.iage Why didn't you let us old sisters share in the good news"Gu Yuehui had been staring at Yan Luoxi's pretty flushed face all along, but he only noticed her slightly rounded belly under her loose dr...