The hotel, built in European宫廷 style, resembled a magnificent and luxurious castle. The manager led them through a long corridor, occasionally introducing the hotel's structure and construction history in English.
Finally, they reached their room, which was not in the front lobby but in a quiet spot on the second floor of the rear courtyard.
An Ruo pushed the man inside. The room was spacious, unlike the decor of domestic hotels—very luxurious, with a复古 European style that felt refreshing.
The bodyguard carried the luggage in. "Young Madam, where should I put these bags?"
"Just leave them here for now; I'll organize them later."
The man was quietly talking with Han Chong nearby. An Ruo glanced at them briefly before turning to attend to her own matters.
She pressed the intercom to ask the service staff to prepare lunch.
It was already two in the afternoon when they arrived in New Zealand. They had only eaten a quick snack on the helicopter because they were in a hurry and hadn't planned to stop midway.
The temperature difference between New Zealand and home was significant. Back home, the New Year had just passed, and spring was clearly emerging, with everything showing signs of revival. Here, the highest temperature was over thirty degrees Celsius—it was already summer.
Fortunately, she had checked the weather in advance and brought enough clothes. Feeling the heat now, she went to the inner room to change into a goose-yellow dress.
The European-style drapes were tied high, with matching tassels on the edges. The light-colored window curtains swayed slowly in the breeze. At that moment, the wind was gentle, and the sunlight was just right.
An Ruo stood by the window, her hands lightly resting on the windowsill. She closed her eyes and felt the warm breeze on her face—it was very comfortable.
The man slightly nodded, and Han Chong acknowledged with a sound before withdrawing to handle matters. He maneuvered his wheelchair over and saw the girl standing by the window, eyes closed, enjoying herself.
Her ink-black long hair was lifted by the gentle wind, her thick lashes curled and upturned. Her plain, clean face, without any makeup, was still indescribably beautiful. With her alluring yet pure aura, if she cast a seductive glance, she could easily capture the hearts of countless men.
Just as Shen Xiaoxing was lost in admiration, a knock on the door broke the atmosphere. Annoyed, he turned his face and saw a waiter pushing a food cart in.
The waiter noticed the man's sinister gaze and quickly lowered his head in fear. "Sir, Madam, this is the lunch you ordered. Please enjoy."
The man's presence was too overwhelming; this place was not suitable for lingering.
An Ruo snapped back to reality and turned to see that the waiter had already left the room. The man, who had somehow finished his conversation with Han Chong, was now sitting in the seat beside her.
She walked over. "Finished with your work?"
The man gave a slight nod.
An Ruo lifted the glass cover on the food cart and placed the food on the table. "You must be hungry. I just ordered lunch. Sit down and eat."
The sudden temperature change made Shen Xiaoxing feel restless and hot. He responded with a sound, then added, "Could Mrs. Shen trouble herself to find me some thin clothes? I'm sweating."
An Ruo immediately put down the utensils and went to the wardrobe to find him a set of spring clothes. She hesitated for a moment. "No shower? Just change directly?"
"Mm."
The man was becoming more agreeable. As long as she was willing to coax him with a few words, everything was easy to negotiate.
An Ruo firmly believed in the man's explanation from that day. It seemed his true temperament wasn't irritable and explosive, but rather a deliberate act for those people.
They had been married for a few months now. Although An Ruo would blush at his teasing words, she remained focused when changing his clothes.
After they finished lunch, the man contacted the local investors for an important business discussion. He instructed her to rest quietly in the room and then left.
An Ruo found it too boring in the room. She had slept for a few hours on the helicopter and now felt no drowsiness at all.
She decided to go out for a stroll. With that thought, she quickly got up from the bed. Feeling sticky from sweat, she went to the bathroom to take a shower, dried her hair, and picked out a small-fragrance-style dress to change into.
Her phone was fully charged. She put it in her bag, closed the door, and walked out of the hotel.
Although the weather was hot, it wasn't scorching enough to make going out unbearable.
The air in New Zealand was excellent. Walking along the复古 and bustling streets, An Ruo saw many handsome men and beautiful women with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Most New Zealand women were descendants of European immigrants, so their genes leaned more European—mostly blonde and blue-eyed, with very tall and sexy figures.
Of course, when they saw An Ruo, a beauty with strong Eastern characteristics, they couldn't help sneaking glances, and some even took the initiative to approach her.
An Ruo introduced herself in fluent English, stated that she was already married, and showed the ring on her finger.
She was a foodie and would stop whenever she passed a street stall selling snacks.
While waiting for the food to be ready, a commotion broke out not far away. A blonde man in a black T-shirt was running desperately ahead.
"Stop!"
Behind him, a man in a suit pushed through the crowd, apologizing to those he bumped into while urgently chasing the blonde man.
"Here you go."
An Ruo took the ice cream handed to her by the vendor and took a satisfied bite. It was cool and refreshing, perfect for beating the heat.
"Thief! Stop!"
The pair of pursuers were getting closer. An Ruo noticed them and, hearing the man behind shouting "thief," instinctively focused on the man in front carrying a black bag...
But before she could react, her shoulder was bumped, and the ice cream in her hand fell to the ground. She stumbled, about to fall.
Frowning, she reached out and grabbed the leg of the man about to run.
The man hadn't expected her to grab his pant leg. He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground.
The man in the suit caught up, pinned down the thief trying to escape, and turned to look at An Ruo, who was slowly getting up.
"Stay still! Don't move!" He slapped the thief beneath him hard, then raised an eyebrow and said in standard English to An Ruo, "Chinese?"
An Ruo brushed off the dust from her clothes and nodded slightly at the sound.
Her knee was burning with pain. She might have hit something sharp when she fell.
Someone in the crowd had called the police. By the time the police arrived, the thief stubbornly denied stealing anything, instead accusing the man in the suit and even claiming An Ruo was his accomplice.
An Ruo didn't understand the foreign rules and regulations. She was inexplicably taken to the police station. The police, seeing she was Asian, checked her ID, took a simple statement, and let her go.
Enduring the pain in her knee, she slowly walked out of the police station and sat on a nearby bench to rest.
What bad luck! She had just arrived abroad and hadn't even been anywhere yet, and she was already taken to the police station as a thief. Could her luck get any worse?
Suddenly, a conversation in English sounded. The man in the suit, who had chased the thief for several blocks, walked out. He seemed familiar with the police station staff, chatting and laughing with them.
His gaze fell on her, and he raised an eyebrow as he approached.
A pair of men's leather shoes entered An Ruo's field of vision. She looked up, and the man was captivated by her stunning and pure beauty.
He felt his heart suddenly beat wildly, disrupting its usual rhythm.
He spoke fluent Chinese and extended his hand to her. "H-Hello."
An Ruo was momentarily stunned but politely shook his hand lightly. "Hello."
"Uh, your knee is injured, right?" The man crouched down to check her leg, but An Ruo stepped back warily.
"It's nothing."
"There's a hospital not far ahead. Let me take you to get it bandaged?"
An Ruo remained cautious. "No need. I'll be fine after resting a bit."
[New character appears, but not the male lead's rival~ Our deeply affectionate male lead's rival is eagerly waiting~]