173: An unexpected surprise

Mother Xu also bowed while wiping her tears: "Boss Wang... you are our family's great benefactor... I... I don't know how to repay you..."

"No need for repayment," Wang Chen stood up. "Xi Yuan is my employee. This is what I should do."

He glanced at the time; it was already past one in the afternoon.

"The matter is settled, so I should be going."

Mother Xu hurriedly said, "Boss Wang, you've helped us so much, you must at least have a meal before leaving! I... I'll make you some home-cooked dishes, please don't mind them being simple..."

Xu Xiyuan also looked at Wang Chen expectantly.

Wang Chen thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Auntie."

Mother Xu happily wiped away her tears: "No trouble at all! Please, have a seat. I'll start cooking right away!"

She pulled Xu Xiyuan into the kitchen.

Wang Chen sat on the sofa and scrolled through his phone for a while.

There were thousands more private messages in the backend.

Some were from admirers, some were seeking a sugar daddy, and others wanted to collaborate.

There were also thank-you messages from the seven young ladies from yesterday's group livestream.

He replied to a few and couldn't be bothered with the rest.

An hour later, the food was served on the table.

Eight dishes and one soup, all home-style cooking, but made with excellent color, aroma, and flavor.

"Boss Wang, please try them. They're all local Tianjin dishes," Mother Xu enthusiastically served Wang Chen.

Wang Chen took a bite; the taste was indeed very good.

"Auntie, your cooking skills are excellent."

"I'm glad you like it!" Mother Xu smiled from ear to ear.

Xu Xiyuan sat next to Wang Chen, stealing glances at him from time to time, her gaze gentle.

The system prompted that Xu Xiyuan's intimacy level had already reached 80.

Wang Chen sensed it but didn't say anything.

After finishing the meal and chatting for a while longer, it was already seven in the evening.

Wang Chen stood up to say goodbye.

Mother Xu and Xu Xiyuan saw him off downstairs.

"Boss Wang, take care on your way," Mother Xu bowed.

"Auntie, please go back inside," Wang Chen said to Xu Xiyuan before getting in the car. "You can take tomorrow off to properly spend time with your mom."

Xu Xiyuan nodded: "Yes, boss."

The motorcade left the residential complex.

In the car, Chen Long reported: "Boss, news came from Xiao Yu. Zhang Hu and his gang have been formally arrested. The evidence is solid; they're definitely getting the death penalty."

"Hmm," Wang Chen leaned back in his seat. "Have someone keep an eye on it."

"Understood."

Returning to the hotel, it was already past nine in the evening.

Wang Chen took a shower, changed into his pajamas, sat on the sofa, and made a video call to Du Ruoxi.

The video connected, and the screen showed Du Ruoxi, Su Yue, Qin Qing, Yang Li, He Li, Xiang Tingting, Liu Yan, Su Xi, Yi Yao... nine faces crowded together.

"Yang Yang!"

"Husband!"

"Brother Chen!"

"Chen Gege!"

A chorus of greetings.

Wang Chen smiled: "Why are you all together?"

"Waiting for your video call!" Yang Li rushed to say. "How did things go?"

"It's all settled," Wang Chen briefly explained what happened.

The women listened, filled with righteous indignation.

"Those human traffickers are despicable! They deserve the death penalty!"

"Is Xi Yuan's sister okay?"

"What about her father and brother? Will they cause trouble again in the future?"

Wang Chen answered them one by one, chatting for over half an hour.

After hanging up, Wang Chen suddenly remembered that Xu Xiyuan was rated by the system as an S-Class Goddess. Reaching an intimacy level of 80 should come with a reward.

He was just about to check the system when his room door was knocked.

*Knock knock knock.*

Wang Chen thought it was Chen Long, so he walked over and casually opened the door.

Standing outside wasn't Chen Long, but Xu Xiyuan.

She had changed her clothes, now wearing a light blue dress with a hemline that just reached her knees, revealing a section of fair calves.

Her hair was also carefully styled, falling over her shoulders. She wore light makeup, looking more refined than usual.

She was also holding two paper bags.

Wang Chen was taken aback: "Xi Yuan? What are you doing here?"

Xu Xiyuan walked in, closed the door, and said somewhat shyly: "Boss, I... I came to report for duty."

"Report for duty? Didn't I tell you to stay home with your mom?"

"Yes," Xu Xiyuan nodded. "The family matters are settled. It didn't feel right for me to just stay at home all the time, so I came over. Captain Chen said... they didn't reserve a room for me, so I'm sharing a room with Shuya for now."

Wang Chen remembered that Chen Long had indeed only booked rooms for Lin Shuya and the other three women.

"Then, what are you..."

Xu Xiyuan raised the paper bags in her hand: "I... I came to thank you."

Wang Chen smiled: "Didn't you thank me already during the day?"

"That was different..." Xu Xiyuan's voice was very soft.

She opened one of the bags and took out a few items: a bottle of red wine, two wine glasses, and a small box of pastries.

"I went out of my way to buy these," she said, head bowed, not daring to meet Wang Chen's eyes. "I wanted to have a drink with you."

Wang Chen raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off with the girl tonight.

But he didn't overthink it and nodded: "Alright, let's have a drink then."

Xu Xiyuan's eyes lit up, and she quickly opened the red wine and poured two glasses.

They clinked glasses.

"Boss, thank you," Xu Xiyuan downed her glass in one gulp.

"Take it slow," Wang Chen advised. "Red wine isn't meant to be drunk like that."

"I... I know," Xu Xiyuan's face was slightly red. "I'm just... a bit nervous."

Wang Chen smiled: "Nervous about what? I'm not going to eat you."

Xu Xiyuan didn't reply. She poured herself another glass and downed it again.

After three consecutive glasses, her face was completely flushed, and her gaze became somewhat dazed.

"Boss..." she put down her glass and suddenly stood up. "I... can I borrow your bathroom to take a shower?"

Wang Chen was stunned: "Doesn't your room have a bathroom?"

"It does... but Shuya is using it," Xu Xiyuan whispered. "She always takes a very long time..."

Wang Chen chuckled: "Just for that? Fine, go ahead."

"Thank you, boss." Xu Xiyuan stood up, bowed to Wang Chen, then picked up the other paper bag and walked into the bathroom.

Wang Chen sat back down on the sofa, planning to scroll through TikTok for a bit and check his reward after Xu Xiyuan finished her shower and left.

Half an hour later, the sound of running water in the bathroom stopped.

After a while longer, the bathroom door opened.

Wang Chen instinctively turned to look.

At that sight, he froze completely.

Xu Xiyuan walked out of the bathroom. What she was wearing... wasn't the dress from earlier, nor was it pajamas.

It was a black lace nightgown.

The nightgown was very short, only reaching the top of her thighs. The lace was sheer, vaguely revealing and outlining her perfect figure.

Her hair fell over her shoulders. Un-dried water droplets slid down her delicate collarbone and disappeared into that alluring cleavage.

Her face was very red, whether from the alcohol earlier or the heat of the shower was unclear.

Wang Chen felt his throat go dry.

This scene... was quite impactful.

He managed to shift his gaze away with difficulty and cleared his throat softly: "You... are wearing that?"

Xu Xiyuan walked over and sat down beside him.

The hotel sofa was very soft. When she sat down, the nightgown rode up a bit more, completely exposing her fair thighs to Wang Chen's view.