Contract Marriage: The Tycoon's Pampered Wife-Chapter 90 - 0: Such troubles, even if more, it doesn’t matter

Ning Guiwan awoke; it was already the next day.

The sunlight filtered through the glass and fell on her face. As consciousness returned, so too did the memories of last night.

After she had said, "I’m bound to be bullied by you sooner or later, might as well be now," she began to undo the buttons before her.

But she was stumped at the very first step.

That tie pin inlaid with a Black Pearl—she had no idea how to remove it.

It wasn’t that her mind didn’t know how; her hands simply wouldn’t cooperate.

Perhaps because her hands had been fumbling at his neck for so long, the man, seemingly out of patience, grasped them. His voice, nearly swept away by the sea breeze, said, "Let’s go back to the room and take it slowly, okay?"

Ning Guiwan was coaxed into nodding. Her legs were truly too weak to walk, so Quan Yu picked her up.

The last moment of her memory was of the man carrying her back into the cabin...

Her hand, moving beneath the blanket, felt the clothes still intact on her body. She felt both relieved and disappointed. It would have been better if it had happened without her awareness...

"Awake?"

A low, cool voice interrupted her reverie.

Ning Guiwan was momentarily startled. She sat up, and the layout that greeted her was similar to her own room—with the same old-fashioned dark grey tones, but with differences.

This room was much larger than hers and Lai Yang’s, and the position of the windows was different too.

Quan Yu was sitting in the sunlight by the window. There was a low, grey wooden table and a grey sofa. Sunlight, fragmented by the window panes, landed on the man’s face, his black shirt, and the small pin at his collar.

He held an open newspaper, and when his eyes met hers, they held a glint; the tips of his eyelashes seemed tinged with gold.

Her coat was hanging on the rack next to Quan Yu’s overcoat—one red, one black—lightly touching.

"Uncomfortable?" Ning Guiwan watched him close the newspaper, place it casually on the low table, and then rise and walk towards her.

He was wearing a pair of light grey cotton slippers that complemented the room’s ambiance, giving off an air of casual ease.

"Have a headache?" Quan Yu bent over, one hand bracing the bed in a posture accommodating her, the other hand resting on her forehead.

As he spoke, Ning Guiwan saw his Adam’s apple bob just above the collar pin.

The Black Pearl on the collar pin gleamed softly.

"Drunk silly?" Her forehead was tapped lightly by the man’s knuckles.

With a slight twinge of pain, Ning Guiwan looked up into his eyes.

In those deep brown, peach-blossom eyes, there was a touch of amusement.

Quan Yu straightened, walked a few steps to the side, and picked up the receiver of the in-room telephone, instructing the room butler to bring breakfast and a hangover-soothing tea.

He spoke American English with a standard, fluent pronunciation. His voice was deep and resonant, lending it a distinctive charm.

After hanging up the phone, he walked back to the window and sat down. "Go freshen up. Eat something in a bit."

Having said that, he picked up the newspaper again and paid Ning Guiwan no further attention.

Ning Guiwan found her shoes on the floor and put them on.

She intended to leave; not returning all night must have made Lai Yang anxious.

But she couldn’t just leave like this; she must look a terrible mess right now.

The bathroom was to the man’s left. Ning Guiwan tidied her hair, walked towards it, and said, "Last night... I didn’t cause any trouble for you, did I, Uncle Yu?"

Quan Yu lifted his head from the newspaper, gave her a fleeting look, and said something unrelated to her question, "What did you call me?"

Ning Guiwan faltered for a moment.

She remembered that just over a month ago, when she had agreed to his proposal, he had said she couldn’t call him Uncle anymore.

"Sorry," Ning Guiwan smiled. "Brother."

She said it quite unreservedly.

More relaxed than the first time.

Quan Yu listened, his expression unchanged. He simply leaned back into the sofa, his fingers tapping a light rhythm as if unconsciously. "Such trouble, even in greater amounts, wouldn’t be a concern."

His words clearly held a teasing tone, yet his expression remained serious. Ning Guiwan could only offer a smile, unsure what else to say.

The bathroom was enormous, complete with a bathtub. Used towels and bath towels hung on a rack. On the black marble vanity sat a razor, an electric toothbrush, and several bottles of personal toiletries—not the kind provided by the cruise ship.

In the laundry basket beneath the vanity was a crumpled mass of black, which, even at a glance, was clearly Quan Yu’s discarded clothes.

Traces of that man were everywhere.

Ning Guiwan stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her reflection.

After the hangover, her complexion was slightly haggard. She hadn’t had time to remove yesterday’s makeup, which had smeared a bit, inadvertently adding a delicate, almost fragile beauty to her features.

Such a face... Sometimes, it was a burden. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

While brushing her teeth, she heard urgent knocking from outside.

Then came the sound of Quan Yu walking to the door, followed by the noise of the door opening and closing—he must have gone out. The room fell silent.

After Ning Guiwan freshened up, she came out to find the room empty.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.

Ning Guiwan tensed immediately, unsure whether to respond. While she hesitated, a voice spoke in English from outside, "Madam, your breakfast has arrived. May I come in?"

Each first-class cabin had a butler. Ning Guiwan’s racing heart finally calmed.

"Come in."

The butler opened the door and stepped aside, allowing a server to enter pushing a food trolley.

Quan Yu had ordered a Chinese breakfast for her: several varieties of porridge and pastries, plus a pot of hangover-soothing tea.

"Please enjoy your meal, Madam," the butler said as he poured her tea, his right forearm held across his abdomen, his left hand behind his back, bowing slightly—the very picture of a well-trained Western butler.

"I’m not..." Ning Guiwan started to clarify her identity but then felt it was unnecessary. Instead, she asked, "Where’s Mr. Quan?"

"He’s in the corridor speaking with a young lady," the butler replied politely.

Ning Guiwan nodded and didn’t press further. Quan Yu’s coat was still on the rack; whoever was looking for him was likely an acquaintance.

She couldn’t help but think of Lai Yang.

The cruise ship was huge, but the first-class area was relatively small. And Quan Yu always had bodyguards trailing him; it would be easy for Lai Yang to find her.

She had been carried back to the room by Quan Yu last night.

Perhaps Lai Yang already knew...

Just as her thoughts were in a tangle, the door was pushed open from outside. The daylight beyond was bright, casting the doorway into relative dimness. Quan Yu’s tall, slender figure appeared in that hazy light.

Behind him followed Lai Yang.

Lai Yang’s hair was a mess. She wore pajama pants and slippers, no makeup, looking as if she had hastily thrown on a jacket before rushing out.

Her complexion wasn’t good either; her eyes were swollen, and her nose was red.

Lai Yang always prided herself on her appearance, ensuring she looked her best whenever she met anyone. She had never been seen in such a state before.

"Lai Yang..." Ning Guiwan put down her teacup and stood up, a sense of urgency washing over her. Brown tea splashed from the cup. She wanted to explain but didn’t know where to start.

She hadn’t returned all night, and now she was found eating breakfast in Quan Yu’s room. It was a situation impossible to explain away.

"You worried me to death..." Lai Yang’s lips trembled. She seemed to be trying to hold back her tears but ultimately failed, crying out, "I thought something had happened to you! You scared me to death..."

Instead of the anticipated accusations, what came was concern. A warmth spread through Ning Guiwan’s heart. She wiped away Lai Yang’s tears, apologizing, "I’m sorry..."

Quan Yu took his coat, slipped on his leather shoes, and went out, leaving the space to the two girls.