On the way from the airport to the hotel, Qian Meng was very much awake. Not only was she awake, but she was practically clawing at the car windows, not wanting to miss one second of the breathtaking scenery around her.

  "This is beautiful," she said, gazing out of the window like a bewitched woman.

  "It is. There will be plenty of time for seeing the island tomorrow, in broad daylight."

  "I'm enticed to just give up on going to the hotel and just sleeping on the roadside," Qian Meng breathed.

  "Wait until you see the hotel," Mo Qingchen whispered conspiratorially. "Speaking of it. We are here."

  Qian Meng looked at the scenery, stunned. There were huts looming over the water, the lighting underneath making everything so pretty that she couldn't breathe for a second.

  "We have the biggest and the farthest huts all to ourselves. You can sunbathe, jump into the ocean, eat on a boat. Whatever you want." He took her hand and helped her out of the car.

  When they checked in at the front desk, she was surprised to find that Mo Qingchen spoke to the staff with complete ease.

  He conversed with the woman on the other side of the counter, typing away on a computer. He was polite to her despite her smiles and giggles. The woman reached over to hand him the keys to their room.

  Mo Qingchen tucked the room keys into his pocket and then gently placed his hand against Qian Meng's lower back, turning her around with him.

  "Come," he said softly as he guided her in the direction of the walkway under the open sky and above the waters.

  "The luggage has already been taken to the rooms?" Qian Meng enquired.

  "Yeah. The room has been set up. No one will bother us for the next few days."

  As they walked towards the room, Qian Meng became nervous. This was the first time she would be alone with him as his wife. She wondered if the interactions between them would be any different than before. Would he look at her differently? Would he expect her to treat him differently?

  As she thought about the factors that would be different between them, her mind turned to sex. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about it. They had done pretty much everything apart from the final act.

  Qian Meng gasped as they walked into the last leg of the walk. She could see the expansive 'hut,' Mo Qingchen had spoken off. It was more like a small one-storeyed villa… the length of it large enough to house ten or more people.

  "After you, my bride," he whispered, gesturing to the door he had just opened.

  She froze when she strode inside.

  The decoration was rustic but elegant. The immaculate wooden furniture and decoration worked well with the materials used to build the hut and the water outside. As she walked through the living area, she entered a small opening. It was an area with an open sky and you could sit at the very edge and enjoy the water.

  Qian Meng wanted to cry.

  "Do you like it?" Mo Qingchen asked, following her as she made her way around the heavenly rooms.

  "It's perfect," she replied, stopping and standing still in the bedroom.

  "Good," he said softly, giving her a small smile.

  "It doesn't feel foreign. It's beautiful and homey. I want to live here forever," she breathed. The idea came to her and she had to shake it out of her head.

  "We can come here for a vacation any time you want," he told her.? "I'll allow you to drool on me for half a day on the flight to see you happy." She turned to him, her eyes wide.

  "Have you stayed here before?" she asked.

  He shook his head. "No. I looked through the photos on the internet. It seemed fitting to your taste than the other more 'luxurious' resorts. It's more casual but also elegant."

  "You know me better than I thought," she praised.

  "The luggage is all in here," he responded, gesturing to their bags sitting in the corner of the bedroom. "If you wanted to change clothes or freshen up."

  "Please," she groaned. She eagerly opened and dug into her suitcase. "A shower sounds amazing right now."

  "Still starving?" he asked, slipping off his shoes and neatly putting them up against the wall.

  "Yes, I think I can feel my stomach eating away at itself."

  Mo Qingchen laughed lightly. He went to retrieve the intercom.? "I'll ask them to deliver the food while you are in the shower. I can't have my wife's organs disintegrate on the first day of our marriage," he teased.

  "You're the best," Qian Meng hummed.

  "Do you want anything in specific?" he asked once again.

  "I have no idea about the cuisine here. Get me something nice and simple. Nothing too fancy or away from the original dishes, okay? I want to taste authenticity first!"

  He perked up. "A woman after my heart! Yes. Good and traditional food is good. I'll order enough to fill you up." He told her with a hint of danger in his voice.

  "Perfect." Qian Meng smiled as she pulled her toiletry bag out of her suitcase.

  "I had them put some champagne on ice in the kitchen. Would you like anything else to drink?"

  "There's a kitchen here?" she asked, confused.

  "There is. Not that we will be using it to cook," he shrugged. Qian Meng stared at him for a solid second before shaking her head.

  "Champagne is fine," she said over her shoulder as she carried her toiletries with her to the bathroom. "I won't be long," she added.

  Qian Meng really didn't mean to be long in the bathroom. She had every intention of showering quickly and being out before her food arrived at the room.

  However, it didn't really work out that way.

  Subconsciously, she was afraid to leave that bathroom.