Song Ni had told Tan Zheng her plan was to rush over tomorrow. But she couldn't wait. For one thing, after spending so much time together, she found it unbearable to be apart for even two days. For another, she wanted to see Tan Zheng in his element as a coach before the competition. The flight was only an hour. Tan Zheng was staying at a specially arranged hotel, while Song Ni booked one nearby. It was already eleven at night when she arrived. After changing, Vivian went downstairs to look for men, while Song Ni, having washed up, pondered whether to tell Tan Zheng. A message alert chimed. It was the man she was thinking of. Tan Zheng had learned to be more considerate, starting to ask about her well-being, and chatting about trivial things with Song Ni before bed. All of which Song Ni had taught him. Song Ni directly initiated a video call. Tan Zheng had just finished showering, his upper body bare, a towel wrapped around his lower half. He was drying his hair, his phone somewhere out of frame, the camera pointed at his firm waist, perfect abs, and that dragon tattoo. Song Ni's mouth instantly felt dry. She made a decision.
"Do you have to get up early tomorrow to prepare for the competition?" Tan Zheng said, wiping his hair a few times before picking up his phone and pointing it at his face.
"It's fine, no need to be too early. It's their competition, not mine."
"Hmph, you say that, but aren't you still worried about them?"
Tan Zheng chuckled, not refuting her. He noticed the background behind Song Ni and frowned. "You're at a hotel?"
Song Ni blinked. "Yep."
"Why didn't you come home?"
"It's cold and lonely without you there, so I didn't want to go back."
Tan Zheng was amused by Song Ni's words. "Is the hotel not cold and lonely?"
Song Ni just smiled mysteriously. The doorbell rang; it was room service. She had ordered a bottle of wine. Tan Zheng heard French and his brow twitched. "Where are you?"
Song Ni just smiled and remained silent, leisurely opening the wine bottle, pouring two glasses, and then, under Tan Zheng's darkening gaze, slowly revealing the hotel's hand towel to the camera. When the man saw the inscription, he sat up abruptly. "You're here?"
Song Ni propped her chin on one hand, raising her wine glass towards the man on the screen. "Sir, would you care to have a drink with me?"
Tan Zheng hung up the phone directly. Song Ni looked at the phone screen, suddenly a little nervous. She stood on the balcony, holding her wine glass, gazing at the night, playing the simplest game. Her heart was a little restless. How could the doorbell ring only after she counted to thirty? Song Ni turned, holding her wine glass and went back into the room. When she opened the door, she found Tan Zheng standing there in a bathrobe. "... " No wonder he came so quickly. Song Ni placed the wine in his hand, her own hands resting on the belt of his robe.
"How did the hotel let you in looking like that?"
Tan Zheng lowered his head, burying it in Song Ni's shoulder and neck, rubbing gently a few times. "No one stopped me."
Song Ni chuckled and dodged a few times, reaching out to pull the belt and guiding Tan Zheng into the room. Because of their fumbling, wine spilled on both of them. Song Ni burst into laughter. "Hold it steady."
Tan Zheng glanced at the remaining wine in the cup, snorted, and drank it in one gulp. Then, he cupped Song Ni's face and kissed her directly. At first, Song Ni kept her teeth clenched tightly, not wanting to yield so easily to Tan Zheng. But they were too familiar with each other. Tan Zheng merely raised his hand and caressed behind Song Ni's ear, and Song Ni couldn't hold on any longer. She couldn't help but laugh and try to dodge back. The wine liquid trickled down her lips, seeping into her collar. Song Ni had specifically changed into a slip dress. White. The spilled wine dyed the white dress red, turning it into the color Tan Zheng liked the most. The wine stuck uncomfortably to her skin, so Song Ni pushed Tan Zheng back step by step, until they finally retreated to the bathroom. Tan Zheng sensed Song Ni's subtle desire to take the lead. So he let Song Ni push him until she pinned him in the bathtub. Song Ni brought the bottle of wine in from outside, then sat on his lap. "Coach Tan, leaving your hotel in the middle of the night, isn't that a bit irresponsible?"
Tan Zheng took the wine, poured a glass, and then brought it to Song Ni's lips. "I'm the boss, not a coach." The boss can go wherever they want, whenever they want. Song Ni noticed the deep desire in Tan Zheng's eyes and her heart skipped a beat. They had been so busy with competition matters lately, they hadn't even... "When does the competition start?"
"Don't worry about it." With that, Tan Zheng set the wine glass aside, directly reached out and embraced Song Ni, tilting his head up and kissing her.
...
Song Ni was woken by Tan Zheng's kiss. Last night had been quite wild, and Song Ni's eyelids were heavy. She reached out and patted his face, mumbling, "Let me sleep a little longer."
Tan Zheng smiled and kissed her nose. "Didn't you say you wanted to cheer for Sheng Jiang and the others? If we don't go soon, it'll be too late." Hearing this, Song Ni forced her eyes open. Her hands, legs, and back ached. And the culprit was smiling broadly. Song Ni angrily opened her mouth and bit him, then patted his shoulder with her hand, complaining softly, "I told you I didn't want to, and you still went on. It's all your fault."
Tan Zheng reached out and grabbed Song Ni's hand, admitting fault. "Mmm, it's my fault." Song Ni was long accustomed to Tan Zheng's pattern of causing trouble and then admitting fault, only to repeat the behavior next time. "You only say it." As she spoke, Song Ni sat up, her face a picture of someone who hadn't slept enough, glaring at Tan Zheng. Tan Zheng leaned in to hug Song Ni, but she pushed him away. "I was wrong, baby, I was really wrong."
Song Ni snorted. "Then will you change?"
Tan Zheng: ...
"... I will." Song Ni didn't quite believe him. Tan Zheng knew Song Ni wouldn't believe him. "I've already picked out an outfit for you, take a look?" Song Ni glanced at it. Now Tan Zheng would even proactively suggest matching couple outfits. "You think you can appease me with these things?"
Tan Zheng leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Are you any happier now?"
"A little."
"Then I did the right thing."
"My back still hurts." Tan Zheng reached out and massaged her for a while until Song Ni felt much more comfortable. Then they changed and got ready to head to the competition venue. Song Ni didn't have time to put on makeup. Fortunately, her clothes today were sporty. She wore a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap, which gave her a decent appearance. As they walked hand in hand, Sheng Jiang and the others had already changed and were ready. Huan Yuan still had eyes that lit up whenever he saw Tan Zheng, showing no pre-competition nervousness. As for Sheng Jiang, after Song Ni's encouragement, he was no longer as tense. Instead, he exuded a confidence that if he didn't win the championship this time, he would win it later.
"Brother Tan, you came to pick up Sister Ni so early? No wonder no one responded when I called you at the hotel for so long."
Song Ni: ...