Chapter 146 A Once-a-Month Opportunity
It was late at night.
Ning Shuyin was hiding behind the fire escape door on the top floor of the hotel, her eyes fixed on the elevator lobby diagonally opposite.
"Why aren't they here yet? Are they stuck on a puzzle? With their intelligence, that shouldn't be the case." She glanced at the time display on her personal terminal.
Half a day has passed since Su Qianqian obtained the first puzzle.
Logically speaking, they should have already cleared the last stop.
"No, I have to see how far they've progressed." She thought to herself, and was about to turn around and go downstairs when the elevator across the street suddenly dinged.
They've arrived! Though late, they've come.
Ning Shuyin quickly shrank behind the fire door, only peeking out a little bit of her head, looking out expectantly.
It wasn't Gu Lei and Su Qianqian who stepped out of the elevator.
The newcomer was a handsome young man, dressed in a dark gray fitted suit, with his signature high ponytail at the back of his head.
It's Zhou Zhiheng!
Ning Shuyin: "..."
She watched helplessly as Zhou Zhiheng strolled leisurely towards the double doors of VIP001, as if surveying his own territory.
He took something out of his pocket and swiped it lightly on the access control.
"Beep!"
The door opened.
He actually opened the surprise room she had carefully prepared for her friend.
Ning Shuyin was filled with questions.
How did he get here? How did he get the room key? He's taken the room, what about Qianqian and Gulei? Wouldn't her ultimate move have been for nothing?
She immediately pulled up Su Qianqian's contact information on her personal computer and sent out a communication request. She needed to immediately determine which part of the plan had gone wrong, where Qianqian and Gu Lei were stuck, and whether there was any way to salvage the situation.
However, neither Qianqian nor Gulei could be contacted.
Ning Shuyin felt uneasy.
It's definitely not normal that we can't get in touch with them; the most likely explanation is that someone has sabotaged the process.
The most suspicious person right now is Zhou Zhiheng, who has taken over her room.
Was he deliberately trying to sabotage her plans? Ning Shuyin decided to go find him and get to the bottom of it.
At this very moment, inside suite VIP001.
Zhou Zhiheng looked around the living room, which exuded an antique and luxurious feel.
Exquisite chandelier-like carvings hang from the ceiling. Deep red velvet curtains are half-open, and diamond-patterned glass windows face the hotel's rooftop garden.
A gold-framed mirror hung above the fireplace, reflecting his handsome face.
His eyes fell on the red and white patterned woven carpet. On the coffee table covered with a gold embroidered tablecloth, there was an octagonal box.
Judging from the style of the box, it can be determined that it is not a decoration for this suite.
Found it!
He strolled over to the table, picked up the box, and opened it.
On the inner lining of the box lid is a line of delicate handwriting: "When everything is back in place, my heart will resonate for you."
His gaze swept over the inside of the box.
This is a classic mechanical music box. However, the internal components such as springs, clockwork, gears, and sound tube are all missing.
"Ha, what a little trick."
Zhou Zhiheng's keen eyes immediately spotted a piece of disassembled metal damping plate lying quietly at the entrance of the spiral staircase leading to the second floor of the suite.
“I know where you’re taking me without even thinking.” He stepped forward and bent down to pick up the small parts.
As I walked up the stairs, I picked up various small parts such as combs and gears.
Until he reached the foot of the ridiculously large bed in the bedroom, he picked up the last accessory with his fingertips—a key for winding up the clockwork.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Zhou Zhiheng quickly finished assembling the parts.
Finally, with a click, the key is wound up and put back in place.
A smile played on his lips as he wound up the clockwork. He wanted to see what this final, hidden surprise would be.
The fingertips loosened.
The music box began its tinkling performance, a string of romantic notes echoing in the space.
The room lights slowly dimmed.
The surrounding walls were dappled with starlight. Zhou Zhiheng followed the light source and discovered that it was a voice-controlled projector mounted on the bedside table.
The music box stopped playing, and the bedroom stereo started playing romantic jazz. The music drowned out the very soft sound of a door opening downstairs.
Zhou Zhiheng sat on the edge of the bed and suddenly felt a coolness on his forehead.
He reached out and touched it; it was a bright red rose petal with a faint fragrance.
He looked up and saw a hidden compartment attached to the ceiling. At that moment, a large number of fiery red petals fell from the sky, scattering like rain.
"Hmph, is that all?" He sat calmly amidst the rain of petals.
But suddenly, he sensed something was wrong. Something that was clearly not a flower petal floated down from above his head.
He instinctively reached out and caught it.
"Zhou Zhiheng! What exactly are you..." The half-open bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, and Ning Shuyin walked in quickly.
But the sight before her made her stop speaking.
Zhou Zhiheng was sitting at the foot of the large bed in the bedroom, his head and face drenched by a grand and romantic rain of flower petals.
He tilted his head slightly, his light purple eyes appearing clear and dreamy in the light.
Crimson petals fell on his black hair, his shoulders, his long legs...
One petal even landed squarely on his pale pink lips. The vibrant red made his skin appear even whiter and more like jade.
If it weren't for this scene, Ning Shuyin would have thought he was a stunningly beautiful elf who had accidentally fallen to earth and was trapped by a rain of roses.
But the beautiful illusion was shattered the next second.
Zhou Zhiheng was using two fingers to disdainfully pinch a pink and white lace maid outfit.
This made Ning Shuyin feel like she couldn't catch her breath.
Zhou Zhiheng slightly raised his purple eyes and looked at Ning Shuyin, whose expression was quite interesting.
He frowned, somewhat unaccustomed to the old-fashioned glasses she wore.
He blew away the petal from the corner of his lips, then shook the semi-transparent fabric between his fingers.
"So this is the final surprise of the game?" he teased her. "Ning Shuyin, you really have unique taste."
"You!" Ning Shuyin snapped back to reality, her face contorted with rage. She snatched the garment from his fingers.
She meticulously planned and climbed up and down for more than two hours, and the ultimate move of her CP (couple) support was actually triggered by him.
"Why are you here? Where are Su Qianqian and Professor Gu Lei?" she questioned.
“Them?” Zhou Zhiheng shrugged. “How would I know? I just happened to find some interesting little puzzles at my hotel, played around with them for a bit, and then I ended up here.”
Ning Shuyin said with a resentful look, "These were prepared for my best friends. Do you know how much effort I put into making them have an unforgettable night? I flipped through poetry collections, disassembled parts, and calculated the time. Now you've ruined it all."
"Destruction?" Zhou Zhiheng stood up, and his height of 188 cm immediately made Ning Shuyin feel a sense of pressure.
Zhou Zhiheng looked down at her and found that her updo actually looked quite nice.
He was blunt: "Don't forget our contract. As your creditor, I have the right to inspect your movements once a month. I am exercising my legal rights now."
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