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墨書 Inktalez
Flying for twelve hours is no easy feat. If you want to know why, just look at the fairy beside him, who has been chattering incessantly in Chen Rui's ear since they boarded the plane, as excited as a girl flying for the first time.
Of course, it was just like that.
Chen Rui had originally planned to take a nap as soon as he got on the plane, but that was thwarted by the fairy's relentless energy. Fortunately, there were only a handful of people in the four seats of Business Class, and Li Xue's excitement didn't disturb anyone else.
After a long period of torment, the fairy finally settled down and fell asleep in his arms. Although it was only 7 PM Beijing time, due to the change in longitude, it was already completely dark outside the airplane window. The large moon cast its light upon her, leaving Chen Rui mesmerized.
At that moment, a cabin crew member pushed a cart down the aisle. Chen Rui placed his index finger against his lips, and the crew member smiled gently in response, asking, "Would you like a blanket?"
Chen Rui nodded, and the crew member immediately retrieved a blanket from the cart and handed it to him.
He gently placed Li Xue on the adjacent seat. The cabin crew member cooperatively adjusted the seat into a reclining position and covered Li Xue with the blanket. With another smile directed at Chen Rui, she asked, "Would you like some fruit or drinks?"
Chen Rui shook his head and smiled lightly.
The cabin crew member walked away with a smile, but a boy had taken the now vacant middle seat in row two and was quietly watching Li Xue.
"Still awake?" Chen Rui teased lightly.
Li Li leaned back in her seat with a wry smile. "What time is it? I'm not her."
Suddenly, Chen Rui noticed that the girl from earlier was sitting next to Li Li, looking at him with a quiet smile.
"You two..."
Chen Rui pointed out that both of them wore matching silver rings on their left middle fingers. Although their shapes differed slightly, they were clearly a pair.
"Shh." Li Li quickly placed her finger against her lips and gestured toward the front row with a faint smile.
The girl behind Li Li was also smiling and playfully tapping him.
Seeing their reactions, Chen Rui confirmed that Li Li had done an excellent job of keeping his secret; even these people were unaware that he had a girlfriend.
Although he didn't understand why Li Li wanted to keep it from them, Chen Rui had no intention of breaking this unspoken agreement. After all, Li Li was his brother-in-law—no, a client. It was essential to maintain the most basic respect for clients and protect their privacy.
Chen Rui smiled lightly at Li Li, who understood and quietly returned to his original seat with his secret girlfriend.
As Chen Rui gazed out at the bright moon, he unknowingly drifted into a dream…
"Hello, passengers. This is your captain speaking. We are about to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport. The flight has begun its descent, so please fasten your seatbelts and cooperate with the cabin crew."
Chen Rui was awakened by the cabin announcement, groggily hearing a gentle voice beside him say, "Are you awake? You slept like a log."
Li Xue's face was right in front of Chen Rui's, her excitement barely contained.
"Did I sleep that long?" Chen Rui shook his head to clear his mind.
"Yes, you slept for quite a while. Did you not sleep at all last night?" Li Xue leaned closer to Chen Rui, her expression skeptical.
"How could that be? I slept for a long time," Chen Rui calculated in his mind: The flight took off at three PM Beijing time, and Li Xue fell asleep shortly after takeoff. He had also dozed off around the same time. By now, he had probably slept for about seven hours; that wasn't too long, was it?
"Look at you! You’ve slept until the sun is shining on your backside. You must have been working too hard," Li Xue teased with a smile.
We're on a plane; can you factor in the time difference? I didn't sleep that long…
Chen Rui complained inwardly but wore a smile on his face, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Li Xue certainly wasn't foolish enough to ignore the time difference, but Chen Rui's current state made her want to tease him a little.
"Ma'am, please fasten your seatbelt," the Cabin Crew said as she approached Li Xue with a light smile.
Li Xue smiled apologetically and obediently sat up to buckle her seatbelt, while Chen Rui cast a grateful glance at the Cabin Crew.
The landing process was quick, and the plane slowly taxied on the airport runway. Once they spotted the guiding vehicle, they followed it off the runway.
After everyone retrieved their luggage from the airport, all eyes unconsciously turned toward Li Li.
Seeing this phenomenon, Chen Rui couldn't help but smile wryly. It seemed that he wasn't the only one unaware of their specific itinerary.
Li Li scratched the back of his head and said with a grin, "Let's find a hotel first to drop off our luggage."
Upon hearing this, Chen Rui broke into a sweat: So you don't know where we're going either? There’s no plan at all? What exactly are we doing out here?
Li Li walked over to the taxi stand, exchanged a few words with two drivers, then handed them two bills and waved to the group.
Everyone quickly placed their luggage in the trunk and got into the car.
"Where to?" Li Xue asked impatiently.
"To a rental car agency," Li Li replied with a smile. "After all, we'll need a car frequently; taking taxis would be too inconvenient. It's better to rent a larger vehicle."
The taxi dropped them off at the nearest rental car agency, and Li Li quickly chose a Mercedes. Everyone promptly got into the car.
As Chen Rui was getting in, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Do you have an American driver's license?"
Li Li was momentarily taken aback, then smiled, "You don't need an American driver's license to rent a car here. I'm not even American."
Chen Rui asked with a grin, "So you just need a Chinese driver's license and a passport?"
"No, there's one more important thing," Li Li said with a playful shake of her head, teasing him.
"What is it?" Chen Rui thought for a moment but couldn't figure out what else was needed. If an American driver's license wasn't required, then having a Chinese driver's license and a passport should be enough.
Li Li chuckled and playfully scolded him, "Money! Silly! Who would rent to you without money?"
Laughter erupted in the car, and Chen Rui felt quite helpless; he really hadn't thought it through completely.
"Of course, besides money, there’s one more thing you might need," Li Li continued. "Some rental companies require you to provide notarization. It’s nothing complicated; you just take your driver's license to a notary and pay a little to have it translated into English. Then they will issue a notarization stating that 'this English translation matches the original.'"
"Alright, alright, stop teasing. Let's hurry up and get out of here. I'm hungry! We need to find a place to stay and then go eat," Li Xue said, looking at Chen Rui with annoyance as she patted Li Li on the shoulder.
Li Li sighed dramatically, "Oh... I haven't even gotten married yet, and you're already turning against me like this. What will happen when I actually get married?"
Her words brought another round of laughter, and Li Xue's face turned red instantly, so she decided not to argue with Li Li anymore.
Li Li took out her phone and dialed a number. Once connected, she spoke in Chinese, "We've arrived in Los Angeles."
"I don't have time to meet you now. When I do, I'll come by. For now, could you help me find a hotel?"
"Yes! It needs to have large suites for seven people."
"Oh, that works too. Where is it?"
“Is it 155 Santa Monica? What’s it called? Ambrose Hotel? Alright, thanks!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come see you when I have time. That’s it, I’m hanging up.” Li Li ended the call, completely ignoring the shouting on the other end.
Li Li turned back and smiled, “Alright, I found the place. It’s not a suite, but we’ve booked the entire fourth floor of the hotel.”
“Okay,” Li Xue replied lightly. “Let’s go then; I’m starving.”
Chen Rui was astounded by the level of extravagance. Although he didn’t know the exact cost of Ambrose Hotel, he was certain that in Santa Monica, a single room would not be less than four digits in Renminbi. Higher-end hotels started at around two thousand, not including taxes. Booking the entire first floor was just over-the-top!
Seriously, can’t they spend their money more wisely?
With a mix of emotions, Chen Rui and the others arrived at Ambrose Hotel located at 155 Street.
The hotel felt like a large villa; even its exterior had a hint of Chinese influence.
Inside, there was a garden with excellent landscaping that gave off a mountain retreat vibe.
As they entered the hotel, a middle-aged woman spotted Li Li and approached with a smile. After exchanging polite greetings, she led them to the fourth floor.
The hotel had four floors in total, and since Chen Rui and his group had booked the top floor, there wouldn’t be any other guests. The elevator required a room card to operate, and the emergency exit on that floor had been locked from the stairway side. Although this violated safety regulations, it ensured that no other guests would accidentally wander onto the fourth floor and disturb them.
Essentially, they could leave their doors open as if they were in one large suite.
The hotel blended various styles harmoniously while still feeling cozy. However, the predominant theme was distinctly Chinese; most decorations and building materials were wooden or composite wood products, evoking an ancient ambiance.
“Alright everyone, go take a shower, grab some food, and then we’ll head to the beach,” Li Li said with a smile.
Not long after autumn began, the temperature had dropped, but it was still hot at noon. The beach was certainly crowded with tourists, but by the afternoon, the temperature would drop too quickly, and due to the rising tide, some water activities would no longer be possible.
The entire fourth floor had one standard double room and a large suite, so everyone finished their showers and gathered in the suite's dining area almost simultaneously.
It was a dining area, but it resembled a stylish conference room. A simple wooden long table and wooden chairs, combined with monochromatic walls, gave off a serious vibe.
The hotel typically did not prepare lunch specifically, but since these guests were VIPs, the hotel hurriedly ordered a meal from outside and delivered it here, fearing that the guests might be displeased.
"It's not good..." Li Xue said with an unhappy expression after taking a bite of the turkey sandwich.
"Just make do; we don't have any ingredients right now. I'll cook dinner later," Li Li said, looking at Li Xue and letting out a helpless sigh.
"Okay!"
"Yeah!"
"This is acceptable!"
This last statement received not only Li Xue's agreement...
Even Chen Rui found it a bit hard to get used to American-style lunches. Just a few sandwiches, burgers, chicken wraps, and two roasted chickens—nowhere near as delicious as the Chinese lunch prepared by Chef Li Li...
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