Chapter 55: The Young Couple

"Swish..."

The sound of the shower in the bathroom suddenly stopped. A long, sturdy arm reached out from the stall, and after a brief fumble, dragged a bathrobe inside.

Just over ten seconds later, the tall, long-legged man stepped out of the shower.

The plush bathrobe was tied just a few centimeters below his navel, concealing the area that had been capturing Shin Yu-na's undivided attention.

Feeling her gaze lingering near the freshly covered abdominal and groin region, Xia Xing smiled knowingly. He stepped forward and gently stroked the girl's damp hair.

"Why did you take so long to rinse your mouth?"

"Whose fault do you think that is..." The girl looked up at him with a hint of aggrieved cuteness. Brushing her teeth, she supported her slightly aching jaw. "That taste was so weird. Of course I had to wash it out a few more times."

Xia Xing had originally fancied himself capable of remaining as steadfast as Liu Xiahui in the face of temptation, but at twenty-three, he was learning that human impulse is terribly difficult for the conscious mind to control.

While Shin Yu-na's rather restless hands had certainly played a part, Xia Xing knew full well that his own surging desires and hidden preferences were the primary culprits.

With a tinge of guilt, he lowered his head and reached for the hair dryer, intending to dry Shin Yu-na's hair. But just as his hand dipped down toward the storage cabinet, Shin Yu-na, catching his minor movement out of the corner of her eye, gave a little start and stepped back.

At the same time, she instinctively covered her backside.

"What's wrong?" Xia Xing picked up the hair dryer and waved it in front of her. "Once you're done brushing, let me dry your hair for you."

"Oh..." Realizing she had misunderstood Xia Xing, Shin Yu-na nevertheless decided to press on with what she wanted to say. "No more doing things like that whenever you feel like it from now on."

Seeing her pout like a delicate, spoiled young girlfriend while he was still preoccupied with the prospect of drying her hair, Xia Xing didn't grasp the meaning of her words at first. He blankly plugged the cord into the outlet, but the moment his gaze drifted to Shin Yu-na's hands, understanding dawned on him instantly.

"Of course I wouldn't in public..."

"Mhm..." she murmured in response, before a sudden thought struck her. The shy look in her eyes was replaced by a fresh trace of grievance. "I'll let you off easy this time. From now on, you can handle it yourself."

"You still owe me a proper confession. Taking things any further? No way, that's my absolute limit."

"I understand completely." Xia Xing took the mouthwash cup and toothbrush Shin Yu-na had finished with, carefully placing them next to his own set, and picked up a brush to untangle her hair. "As for the formal confession, I'm already preparing it very earnestly."

"Really? Tell me about it?"

The girl's eyes lit up with a pleading sparkle as she unconsciously tugged at the hem of his bathrobe.

"Whoosh..."

The steady stream of hot air from the hair dryer filled the quiet bathroom with a bustling white noise.

"Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you." Taking advantage of the hair dryer's roar, Xia Xing feigned deafness. "Hey, stop pulling on my robe!"

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

***

The property management auntie pushed her glasses up her nose and looked at the exceptionally striking, pleasing-to-the-eye young couple standing before the counter.

In this luxury apartment building located in Yeouido and adjacent to Han River Park, the vast majority of residents were middle-aged people with established careers.

Young residents were already few and far between, let alone a pair as gorgeous as this.

"If you rent it by the month, the price will be significantly higher," the property auntie said, narrowing her eyes with a scrutinizing gaze as she reviewed the real estate documents Xia Xing had provided. "Are you sure you want to rent the parking space on a monthly basis?"

Xia Xing was about to shake his head when Shin Yu-na tugged at his sleeve. The girl stood on tiptoes and leaned in to whisper in his ear:

"If I get busy later on, I might not even show up once every three or four months. Renting it by the year is just a waste."

"Then monthly it is," Xia Xing said, a hint of disappointment coloring his tone as he turned to his girlfriend. "If I miss you, does that mean I'll have to buy a ticket to watch you from the audience?"

"It's not that dramatic. Though if you're willing to pay for a ticket to support me~" Shin Yu-na paused playfully, "I might consider acting as a ticket scalper and scrounging up the best seats to sell to you."

Knowing full well that Shin Yu-na was just teasing, Xia Xing played along with her game, feigning miserliness. "Are you going to mark up the price for me too? Ah, I guess I'd better work hard and earn more money."

The property auntie gave a silent, exasperated sigh, cast a brief glance at the young couple completely immersed in their own private world, and lightly cleared her throat before turning the computer screen around.

"Choose a spot. The yellow ones are your existing spaces, red spaces belong to others, and green ones are available for selection."

Their eyes immediately focused on the parking space selection page, where two yellow spaces separated by some distance caught Shin Yu-na's attention.

"Don't you already have two spaces?"

Those two spaces were used for Xia Xing's regular black BMW X6 and his infrequently driven hybrid McLaren Artura.

The McLaren had been a twentieth birthday gift from Xia Xiahe, but due to production delays, Xia Xing hadn't actually taken delivery until he turned twenty-two...

Moreover, while it was technically a supercar designed to be somewhat practical for daily use, its very nature meant its driving experience, comfort, interior space, and clearance were naturally inferior to the BMW X6.

Turning his head slightly, he explained to his curious girlfriend, "I almost forgot about it myself. That sports car has just been sitting there, barely driven."

"Oh~ a sports car?" Shin Yu-na's interest was instantly piqued. "Take me to see it later!"

Shin Yu-na herself came from an affluent family; the moment she got her driver's license, her parents had bought her a Land Rover of the same model as Shin Ha-ri's.

As for the Tesla Model Y she drove more frequently these days, she had purchased it with the income earned after her debut.

Since her parents drove a Volvo S90 and she rarely encountered sports cars, Shin Yu-na's curiosity was thoroughly aroused.

Just as the two of them were chatting away animatedly, the property auntie's cold, slightly resentful voice cut through:

"First. Choose. A. Parking. Space."

Snapped out of their sweet little bubble by the property auntie, the two exchanged embarrassed laughs. After a brief discussion, they picked the space directly opposite Xia Xing's.

"How about this one? Space C-191."

Shin Yu-na spun the screen back around and began proactively helping Xia Xing gather up the real estate documents the property auntie had just inspected.

"Owner of Tower A, 29th Floor, are you certain you want a monthly rental?" The property auntie operated the computer system with practiced efficiency, but before clicking confirm, she offered one last piece of advice to Xia Xing. "It's so inconvenient this way. You'll have to pay parking fees to your wife every month, and it's much more expensive over the course of a year."

"Wife..."

Both people at the counter froze for a second, then exchanged a tacit glance.

Without a moment's hesitation, Xia Xing pulled out his bank card. "Let's do a yearly rental."

Watching the property auntie insert the bank card into the POS terminal, the girl—finding herself entirely unable to muster up any opposition in her heart—pursed her lips and let out a soft, teasing remark:

"Your money really is too easy to take..."

"Husband~"