ABSML Chapter 34: Staying Together

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The room Chen Zhan was staying in was already luxurious by his standards.

But compared to the suite in front of him, it looked like a tiny, shabby single room.

Near the window, a painting easel stood with an unfinished seascape on it.

The young man wasn’t completely making things up—he had actually been painting before dinner.

Now, with his back to Chen Zhan, his eyes darted around as he frantically searched for an excuse. After several seconds, the best he could come up with was, “Having someone watch makes me uncomfortable.”

Such a flimsy excuse wouldn’t hold up for a painter.

Taking a deep breath, he discreetly glanced at Yin Ronglan, hoping for a better idea.

Unfortunately, the latter’s attention was entirely on Chen Zhan, and he failed to notice the silent plea for help.

Was Chen Zhan staying just to ensure his friend didn’t get taken advantage of? Or had he already noticed something off?

Yet, Chen Zhan’s expression remained neutral. Even Yin Ronglan—who was usually sharp in reading people—couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

As if sensing someone watching him, Chen Zhan took out his phone and casually sat down. “I’ll just read some comments. Don’t mind me.”

The young man reluctantly picked up his brush and pointed to a spot with decent lighting. Yin Ronglan cooperated, moving into position.

Then, inspiration struck.

He adjusted the easel and had Yin Ronglan lean against the window. “Just take off your shirt, that’s enough.”

One thing he hadn’t lied about—Yin Ronglan’s physique really was exceptional, the kind only an artist could truly capture.

Letting his creativity flow, he swiftly sketched out a mermaid figure, replacing Yin Ronglan’s long legs with a fishtail.

Since Yin Ronglan’s hair was already longer than most men’s, the transformation into a mermaid didn’t seem out of place.

Feeling like he had dodged a bullet, the young man eagerly showed the final piece to Chen Zhan.

“What do you think?”

The mermaid stood by the window, with the deep blue sea as the backdrop—mysterious and elegant.

“It’s nice,” Chen Zhan remarked. “But the eyes should be sharper.”

Yin Ronglan’s aura was more suited for a jiao ren—a mythological Chinese mer-creature known for its fierce yet captivating presence.

T/N: Jiao ren- The Chinese mermaid. In addition to their beautiful appearance, jiaoren are also outstanding craftspeople.

Now that the painting was done, they needed a new plan.

Then, as if sent by fate, a knock on the door broke the silence.

A stern voice followed: “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me before eating?”

The door opened to reveal an older man—the same one they had met at dinner the other day.

The young man’s father.

Taking in the scene before him, the man’s expression didn’t change.

“You’re painting?”

The young man nodded dryly.

The older man’s gaze swept over Yin Ronglan before he calmly said, “Remember to settle the payment for hiring a model.”

After speaking, he turned away, pausing slightly to add, “Your Uncle Zhao is here as well. Come down and greet him later.”

Yin Ronglan had thought he was already adaptable enough, but it turned out the truly formidable ones were right here.

Shivering slightly, the young man sighed, “Truly, a man's words are nothing but deception.”

As the commotion subsided, Yin Ronglan buttoned up his shirt and left the room with Chen Zhan.

The hallway was lined with thick carpets, so quiet that even their footsteps couldn’t be heard.

Yin Ronglan let out a soft sigh—some things, it seemed, were truly unavoidable. His connection with the founder of Fenghe Group was nothing significant; he had come here simply for the auction items.

Just as he was contemplating how to start a conversation, Chen Zhan spoke first. “I heard the night market in Zhehai City is quite lively. Want to take a stroll?”

A little hesitant about how lightly this matter was being brushed aside, Yin Ronglan thought for a moment before nodding.

At night, the city resembled a grand light show. In Zhehai, as long as you were in the city center, you would see countless tourists.

The most famous street wasn’t far from their hotel and typically stayed open until four or five in the morning.

At the street’s end was a scenic spot known as the Lookout Tower. It was a modern structure, not architecturally related to a true watchtower, but because it offered a sweeping view of the city's nightscape, it was very popular.

Yin Ronglan went ahead and bought two tickets.

The Lookout Tower was packed with people. Many tourists were taking pictures, and vendors moved about selling trinkets.

Chen Zhan had encountered many bizarre situations, but while others were stopped by street vendors, he was approached by someone dressed oddly.

The person clicked their tongue and shook their head at him. “Lighting beacons to tease feudal lords—you must have been a disastrous temptress in your past life. If you want to avoid…”

Chen Zhan interrupted, “Your fortune-telling isn’t accurate. I’m afraid of heights—standing on a beacon tower would only make my legs go weak.”

“……”

After the person left, Yin Ronglan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yet you didn’t mention your fear of heights when we went hiking?”

Chen Zhan replied, “Even timid people watch horror movies—for the thrill.”

As he spoke, he pointed to a spot ahead.

A group of girls was chatting and laughing together. One of them walked quickly to the railing, looked down, and immediately recoiled like lightning. “No way, I’m afraid of heights.”

But moments later, she stepped forward again, leaned out to peek, then pulled back—repeating the cycle.

Yin Ronglan fell silent.

Chen Zhan had only worn a hat when they went out. The girl afraid of heights happened to catch sight of him and recognized him. Thankfully, she was decent enough not to scream outright. Instead, she approached and observed him carefully before saying, “It really is you.”

Chen Zhan gestured for her to keep quiet.

Good-looking people always had some advantages. The girl didn’t cause a scene but suppressed her excitement and said, “I’m one of your readers. I’ve read your new book and even sent several rewards.”

Chen Zhan smiled. “Thank you for your support.”

“Using fortune-telling to sow discord between couples—what a brilliant idea.” The girl sighed. “I must say… you’re quite ruthless!”

Chen Zhan continued smiling.

The girl asked, “Could you sign an autograph for me?”

Chen Zhan nodded.

She rummaged through her bag, only to realize she hadn’t brought paper or a pen.

Chen Zhan offered, “If you don’t mind, I can sign on your phone.”

Looking confused, the girl handed him her phone.

Chen Zhan pulled up the handwriting input method and quickly signed his name. However, the result was nothing but a neatly squared-off Song typeface.

The girl took the phone, momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re really something else.”

Seeing that her companions were about to come over, Chen Zhan raised his eyebrows at Yin Ronglan, and the two walked toward another area.

The scenery here wasn’t as spectacular, so fewer tourists lingered. Finding a spacious spot, Chen Zhan sighed, “I actually have normal fans.”

Compared to the obsessed stalker he had encountered recently, this was much better.

Yin Ronglan spoke in a flat tone, but his words carried an undeniable certainty: “You’ll go even further in the future.”

Sometimes, a little defiance within reasonable limits was a talent in itself.

“I’ll take that as a good omen.” The night breeze cooled Chen Zhan’s restlessness. “Honestly, I was a bit nervous about releasing my new story today.”

Yin Ronglan was amused. “Nervous?”

“I was afraid readers would say it wasn’t as good as my last work,” Chen Zhan admitted with a smile. “But judging by the comments, most people still enjoy it.”

Yin Ronglan’s eyelids twitched slightly, and he offered a polite remark, “You’re overthinking.”

He had skimmed through it himself—unsurprisingly, it was excellent.

Like any other tourists, they took some photos as souvenirs before wandering back onto the street. Along the way, Chen Zhan asked where Yin Ronglan planned to stay for the night.

Yin Ronglan had a place to stay but didn’t dare return, so he said, “I’m heading back to Y City.”

Chen Zhan asked, “What time is your train?”

Yin Ronglan replied, “The day after tomorrow.” Before the loophole in his answer could be pointed out, he quickly added, “Originally, I agreed to model for two days, so I booked my ticket accordingly.”

Chen Zhan thought about the painting that had been completed effortlessly. “You could try rescheduling.”

Yin Ronglan gave a slight nod.

Still uneasy, Chen Zhan checked on his phone. “It seems there are no nighttime trains to Y City.”

Yin Ronglan remained calm. “That’s fine. I can sleep at the train station—it’s convenient for departure.”

“……”

    [System: Poverty alleviation efforts are insufficient.]

Ever since Chen Zhan had been caught skipping work last time, the system had changed from its usual silence, occasionally speaking up as if to prove it was still on duty.

Chen Zhan wasn’t about to watch him descend into such hardship. “You can stay with me.”

Yin Ronglan didn’t want to return to the hotel—too many people, and if someone recognized him as ‘President Yin,’ things could get complicated.

But Chen Zhan was particularly firm on certain matters and stated bluntly, “If I pay for you to stay in an ordinary hotel while I’m in a luxury suite, I’d feel guilty. I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep well for at least three nights.”

Pressing his lips together, he added, "But booking an additional luxury suite would be too expensive. I wouldn't be able to sleep or eat in peace for a whole month."

After listening to this thorough and well-reasoned argument, Yin Ronglan couldn't help but turn his head and chuckle softly.

Under such a "warm invitation," he ultimately chose to return to the hotel with Chen Zhan.

At the entrance, he found an excuse: "I'm going to buy some things; I'll come up to find you later."

Chen Zhan nodded and told him the room number.

Yin Ronglan went up ten minutes later, carrying some food.

While eating the late-night snack delivered to his door, Chen Zhan took the opportunity to type away, the rhythmic sounds of the keyboard becoming the only noise in the room.

Yin Ronglan remained quiet, silently sitting on the side playing on his phone. After some time, when Chen Zhan got up to fetch some water, he glanced over and was surprised to see that Yin Ronglan was playing a game—one that he himself had developed.

"You could try using the 'Poison-Only' character," Chen Zhan suggested. "There was an update recently, adding a few more endings."

Yin Ronglan had been determined to unlock the exclusive "brotherhood combo attack" route in the game, but he kept failing. Now, with the game's writer sitting right in front of him, he wanted to ask for a guide several times but held back, fearing he'd be looked down upon.

He was already seen as poor—if his intelligence and luck were also deemed subpar, what would he have left to strengthen their relationship?

After several more attempts, it was well past midnight when Yin Ronglan finally achieved the ending he wanted. He took a screenshot and set it as his wallpaper.

Because he had stayed up too late playing, he didn't wake up early as usual the next day and even had a slight headache.

Chen Zhan poured a glass of warm water and placed it on the table, advising, "You can sleep a little longer. I'm heading to the restaurant—let me know if you want me to bring you anything."

Yin Ronglan, resting his arm on the bed, turned his face slightly and replied, "Seafood noodles."

Even for breakfast, a five-star hotel didn’t cut corners, offering an array of gourmet dishes like a display of merchandise.

Chen Zhan picked out a few simple items for himself and finished eating before packing up the seafood noodles and waiting for the elevator.

As he glanced at the button for the 10th floor, a memory from the previous night surfaced in his mind.

Two minutes later, Chen Zhan appeared in the hotel lobby.

The front desk receptionist immediately straightened up upon seeing a guest approach. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Scratching his head with a troubled expression, Chen Zhan said, "I found a wallet with some identification and cash inside." After a brief pause, he looked straight at her. "Could you check if there's a Mr. Yin staying on the tenth floor?"

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