Chapter 155 You should rest early, we will see you in Shanghai
The corridor of the five-star hotel was carpeted in a thick, dark blue carpet, making footsteps almost silent. A faint fragrance hung in the air. At the end of the corridor, the room numbers shone metallically under the soft light. Tong Zhongyuan paused and tapped his room card against the sensor, receiving a soft beep.
He pressed the door handle and walked in alone. Qin Tian pushed her luggage in despite the resistance of the door.
Tong Zhongyuan took off his coat and threw it on the bed, then opened his suitcase, took out an A4 envelope, and threw it on the bed as well. His voice was tired.
"Inside, see for yourself."
He unbuttoned his collar and walked past Qin Tian who was holding the luggage, and walked into the bathroom, where the sound of water pouring out.
Qin Tian put down his luggage, slowly picked up the envelope from the bed, and took out the paper.
No one was more familiar with those rows of data than she was. Without any need for comparison, Tong Zhongyuan changed all the data and, based on her data, he raised it to a higher level.
Qin Tian put down the paper in confusion. Why had Tong Zhongyuan come to Tokyo with a paper containing altered data? Did he know in advance that the fraud ring would cause trouble for her? If so, why didn't he tell her when he saw her? She lowered her head and sat on the stool at the end of the bed, and the scenes of the day came to her one after another. The kiss when they first met, and the slap she had just given her. She hugged her head on her knees. She knew the reason, and he didn't have time to explain.
The sound of running water continued in the bathroom.
Outside the window, a huge golden Christmas tree stood in the Ginza square. Snowflakes drifted quietly across the night sky, tapping silently against the glass. She remembered that today was Christmas Eve. For Tong Zhongyuan, it should be a day for family reunions.
The sound of running water finally stopped. Qin Tianxia subconsciously stood up and walked to her luggage. It was the only thing in the room that belonged to her.
The bathroom was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of bottles and jars. Every tiny sound piqued her nerves. Finally, the door opened. Tong Zhongyuan emerged, wrapped in a towel. His hair wasn't completely dry yet, and a drop of water dripped down his cheek onto his collarbone.
He walked past Qin Tian, oblivious to her, then walked to the closet door, opened it, took out a bathrobe, and put it on, his back facing her. He picked up the fallen towel and tossed it onto the footstool at the end of the bed. He walked to the bed, glanced at the envelope, and tossed it back onto the suitcase. He lay down on the bed, turned on the reading light, and leaned against the bed frame, picking up his phone and answering emails.
Qin Tian stood there in silence. She knew that tonight, if she didn't speak, Tong Zhongyuan wouldn't say a word to her. Her five finger marks were still imprinted on half of his fair face. The shower hadn't washed away the humiliating handprints, but instead made them more obvious.
Maybe if she turned away she would make him do something, but she didn't want to do that. She shouldn't have hit him indiscriminately.
"I read the paper and the data was altered."
Tong Zhongyuan didn't even raise his head and ignored it.
"I'm sorry. I was too impulsive just now." Qin Tian continued.
Tong Zhongyuan still looked down at his phone, but his fingers didn't move. He only touched the screen lightly when it went dark to light it up again.
"Did you know in advance that they were looking for this paper?"
Tong Zhongyuan put down his phone. She asked a question that made him unable to remain silent any longer.
"I don't know. Just preparing."
"Why did you... think of preparing my thesis?"
Tong Zhongyuan's brows furrowed again. She had never believed him from the beginning to the end, including now. He stood up from the bed, poured himself a glass of water, and looked out the window at the night view.
"You can ask Mingyuan, he knows more than me."
Qin Tian was silent for a moment. It seemed Director Ming also knew that the other party was looking for the second paper. No wonder Director Ming was not surprised to find out that Tong Zhongyuan was in Tokyo. Tong Zhongyuan was still angry and would not say anything if asked again. After so many things happened today, he needed to rest.
She went to the bathroom, grabbed a dry towel, and from the refrigerator, she took a bottle of water and wrapped it in the towel. She put it against her face to test the temperature, then carefully placed it on the table next to Tong Zhongyuan.
"Apply this cold compress to your face. I'm going out first. You should get some rest."
"Where are you going?" Tong Zhongyuan couldn't help but ask.
"I'll go ask the hotel if there are any rooms available. If not, I'll look for a hotel nearby."
Qin Tian pushed his luggage out of the room. With a click, the door locked gently. The sound of the suitcase's wheels gradually faded away.
Tong Zhongyuan put down the cup and picked up the towel, its coolness sinking into his palm. He pressed the towel to his face and collapsed on the bed. He had been angry ever since she entered the room. Her cautious and guarded questions had irritated him, as had the way she huddled in a corner. Now that she was gone, the corner she had stood in was empty. He felt even more irritated.
Regardless of whether or not he had booked a room, Qin Tian would have told him the result, right? She felt very guilty now and would not act rashly again. He flipped through his phone unconsciously, and the minutes passed. He got up from the bed, sat on the sofa with his phone in hand, picked up the envelope from his luggage, and pulled out the paper to read. The phone lit up, and he immediately opened it. It was an email from the UK. When he picked up the paper again, he realized that he hadn't actually read anything, but was just staring at the paper.
He put down his paper, pulled out clean clothes from his suitcase, and was about to put them on when his phone rang. His intuition told him it was Qin Tian. It seemed she had booked a room.
"Hello," Qin Tian's voice came over a slight background noise, "The hotel rooms are all full, I can't book one. Today is Christmas Eve, I don't think any hotels nearby can be booked either. I just thought about it, and you're right. Instead of staying here and causing more trouble, I might as well go back early. You're enough to handle the matter of the Transformation of Heaven's Eyes. I'll send you the contract later. I've asked Director Ming about the overseas account, and he trusts you very much and will authorize you. I'm going to the airport now, so you don't have to come out. I'll take a taxi, it's very safe..."
He froze, gripping the phone. He had never expected that the phone call she'd made after leaving with her luggage would be a complete departure. Was this her considered compromise?
"You're in the lobby now? Don't go away, I'll be right over here."
"No, no, I've already asked the front desk to call a taxi. You don't have to..."
"Qin Tian!" Tong Zhongyuan interrupted her urgently, "Don't get in the car, wait for me! You must wait for me!"
Before Qin Tian could answer, Tong Zhongyuan had already hung up the phone and a series of "beep" sounds were heard.
Qin Tian stared at the beeping microphone and gently put it back. She had thought a lot just now. She knew why Tong Zhongyuan was angry. Her words hurt him more than the slap. He had done so much, but she didn't trust him. Words were pale. That night, no matter how she expressed it, it couldn't heal the wounds. So she wanted to express it with actions. Comply with his wishes, trust him completely, and entrust him with such an important matter as the Transformation of the Heavenly Eye. This was the only thing she could do.
She pushed her luggage into a corner where it wouldn't disturb anyone else. Tong Zhongyuan was probably worried about her going to the airport alone, but there was really no need for him to accompany her. She'd copy the license plate to him later, and after she'd passed security and reported that she was safe, he should be relieved.
After he changed his clothes, it would take at least ten minutes to get from the 8th floor to the lobby by waiting for the elevator. Qin Tian took out her phone, intending to forward the work progress and contracts to him one by one. From the corner of her eye, she saw someone running towards her from the elevator.
She looked up and was stunned.
Tong Zhongyuan's hair was wet and messy, and half his face was stained with red handprints. He was wearing a V-neck sweater, but judging by the collarbone at the collar, he was probably wearing nothing underneath. Furthermore, the sweater was on inside out, with the hem and threads tucked out. He was wearing a pair of home pants that didn't match the sweater at all, and hotel slippers.
He walked a few steps to her side, took her luggage, and pushed it towards the elevator.
"Let's go back to the room first."
"Wait a minute, the car is waiting outside. If anything happens, we can contact each other on the way. I'm leaving for the airport first. If you're late, there will be fewer flights."
Tong Zhongyuan stopped and walked back. He took off her shoulder bag and pushed it with her luggage to the elevator. The elevator arrived, and Tong Zhongyuan walked in, holding the door while she waited.
Qin Tian helplessly grabbed a waiter, said a few words to him, and entered the elevator.
"You really don't have to accompany me to the airport. Taxis and the airport are seamlessly connected. There will be air police at the airport. I will send you the license plate. When you arrive in Shanghai, it's your own place. I will find someone to pick you up, so you don't have to worry." She said softly.
Tong Zhongyuan turned his face away, said nothing, and pursed his lips even tighter.
Seeing his downcast appearance and his face full of resistance, Qin Tian could only keep quiet. It's late, but there are still red-eye flights.
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