Seeing this comment, Qiao Huaiyao paused.
His hand hovered above the phone screen for a long time. Remembering what Bai Jinyan had said before ending the video call, his breath became shallow, and his ears grew warm.
Qiao Huaiyao stopped reading further and scrolled back up to save those photos. Most of them were blurry, likely taken by passersby, but the marketing account posted them together to complete the nine-grid layout.
After saving all the pictures, Qiao Huaiyao lay down, pulled the blanket over himself, and settled in to sleep.
Pre-assembly included roll call and travel time, meaning the actual meeting time at the airport was earlier than expected.
Additionally, some students had multiple suitcases, making the minibus’s trunk insufficient.
The teacher didn’t ask students to return their suitcases but instead found another teacher to transport the extra luggage by car.
After some hassle, they finally boarded the plane.
The teacher guided the accompanying students inside.
Half of the students followed the group, while the other half didn’t.
Once seated, Qiao Huaiyao reclined his seat slightly and, before the flight attendant announced to turn off phones, he sent a message to Bai Jinyan.
In his conversation with Lu Lu, several new photos appeared.
Qiao Huaiyao opened them, revealing a banquet scene, likely part of Bai Jinyan’s work.
The attendees were dressed in high-end, limited-edition outfits.
In contrast, Bai Jinyan’s suit looked understated, but in Lu Lu’s shots, he stood out despite not being in the center.
The first photo showed a neutral expression, while the second had a slight smile.
It seemed Bai Jinyan hadn’t known about the first photo being taken but realized it by the second one, hence the gentle smile intended for Qiao Huaiyao.
Noticing this, Qiao Huaiyao smiled, then left a message for Bai Jinyan.
When prompted to turn off his phone, Qiao Huaiyao sent one last emoji before switching to airplane mode.
Now the countdown began.
In a few hours, he would see Bai Jinyan again.
It’s not a video call on the phone.
After takeoff, Qiu Shufeng pulled the curtains and prepared to rest. He looked up and saw Qiao Huaiyao ahead, browsing for a movie. Suspicious, he asked, “Study god, aren’t you going to sleep for a bit?”
It was early morning in their home country. When the plane landed, it would be around eleven or twelve at night locally. Staying up the whole flight would be tough on the body.
“I slept in the afternoon, so I’m not tired now.” The movies available were all older; no new releases were stored on the plane’s small screens. Qiao Huaiyao didn’t mind and chose a movie starring Bai Jinyan, then put on his headphones.
Qiu Shufeng thought maybe Qiao Huaiyao had overslept during his nap and now wasn’t tired. He’d experienced this before—a normal consequence of oversleeping. So he didn’t press further, covered himself with the blanket provided by the flight attendant, and reclined his seat to sleep.
Wang Zhan yawned. “I skipped my nap today just so I could sleep on the plane.”
It’s normal for the plane to be noisy during the flight. Unless extremely tired, it could be hard to sleep with the noise. So Wang Zhan exhausted himself beforehand and, with little energy left, soon fell asleep after speaking.
Yu Luofan sat and reviewed his notes, not planning to rest.
The first-class cabin was very quiet in the early morning.
Qiao Huaiyao, with his headphones on, occasionally heard the faint rustling of pages due to the low volume. His phone, in airplane mode, sat silently beside him.
As he watched the movie, he occasionally took screenshots, and time flew by—
When the plane landed, it was exactly 11 PM in New York.
The flight had been delayed a bit, making the late arrival even later.
Qiu Shufeng and Wang Zhan were woken by the flight attendant upon landing and were still groggy when they got into the car.
As the car started, Qiu Shufeng, feeling the car’s emblem on the armrest, suddenly realized, “Wait a minute, isn’t this not the school’s arranged car?”
Qiao Huaiyao replied, “Yes, it’s more convenient to go to the hotel together.”
With the same destination, it made sense to go directly. Finding another car after landing would be a hassle.
After having his phone off for hours, Qiao Huaiyao received many messages. He chatted with Bai Jinyan first before handling the others.
But…why hadn’t Bai Jinyan returned to the hotel yet?
Looking at the photos Lu Lu sent, it seemed Bai Jinyan was recording an interview or something similar. Only pictures were sent; there was no mention of when he’d be back.
Having not slept well in the dormitory and staying awake for ten hours straight, Qiao Huaiyao felt quite tired.
At the hotel, Qiu Shufeng went to the front desk to check in.
The hotel butler greeted them warmly, “Young master, this way, please. I’ll take you upstairs.”
“No need.” Qiao Huaiyao took his luggage and walked toward the elevator. “They are my classmates. Please help them check-in and arrange some available rooms.”
The butler nodded, “Yes, young master.”
Qiu Shufeng opened his mouth, surprised. Though he knew Qiao Huaiyao came from a wealthy family, this was the first time he heard someone call him “young master” in person. The previous time was when Principal Zhao mentioned it on the phone while at the ski resort, which wasn’t as shocking.
Qiao Huaiyao said, “Contact me by phone if anything comes up.”
“Got it!” Qiu Shufeng quickly snapped out of it and responded, “Study god, get some good rest.”
Qiao Huaiyao turned and walked into the elevator.
The elevator to the top floor had a private entrance feel, with only one elevator going up, and it wasn’t open to the public.
Even though Qiao Huaiyao came here only a few times a year.
Entering the room, he immediately noticed a suitcase in the corner.
Bai Jinyan’s suitcase was closed.
Everything was clean and tidy, as if no one was staying there.
After the long journey, the plane ride had been exhausting. Qiao Huaiyao grabbed his pajamas and took a shower.
He wanted to refresh himself, hoping to surprise Bai Jinyan when he returned.
But it didn’t seem to work.
After drying his hair, Qiao Huaiyao lay on the bed, planning to doze off and wake up when he heard Bai Jinyan come in.
He sent a message to Lu Lu, asking him to notify him as soon as Bai Jinyan returned to the hotel.
After that, Qiao Huaiyao put his phone down—
Around midnight.
Bai Jinyan entered the hotel and frowned when he saw the elevator stopped at the top floor.
He hadn’t notified housekeeping before leaving.
Once a guest checks in, housekeeping doesn’t clean the room daily without permission and won’t enter the room.
The top floor had even stricter rules than other rooms.
Bai Jinyan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he pressed the button for the top floor with a blank expression.
The password lock seemed the same as when he left, but on closer inspection, there were subtle differences.
Who arranged for this?
Bai Jinyan didn’t dwell on the question. He opened the door and walked in slowly.
His footsteps were muffled by the thick plush carpet. He walked to the bed and reached to lift the blanket. In the dim moonlight, he saw the person on the bed, and his sharp gaze softened, taken aback.
Qiao Huaiyao turned in his sleep, his hand resting outside the blanket, sleeping soundly.
Bai Jinyan was stunned, clearly not expecting to see Qiao Huaiyao there.
Just earlier on the phone—
Thinking of this, Bai Jinyan paused.
Was he on the plane during that time without messages?
Bai Jinyan slowly blinked, looking at the sleeping person. His breathing became shallower, his heart softened inexplicably.
With a smile playing on his lips, he looked at Qiao Huaiyao for a long time, unable to resist leaning down to kiss him.
“Mm.” Qiao Huaiyao groggily opened his eyes, “Brother…”
Instinctively, he tried to push away, but Bai Jinyan gently held his wrist, kissing down from his hand.
Seeing the fatigue on Qiao Huaiyao’s face, Bai Jinyan, though happy, limited himself to just a kiss, softly coaxing, “Good boy, go back to sleep.”