Endless Fall

81 Habit Is a Scary Thing

“What do you want?”

“Facial mask.”

Pei Zhi opened her shoulder bag and took out a facial mask and mirror. He then asked the stewardess to bring two glasses of fruit juice.

Seeing that her hands were covered in cream, he took out a wet tissue and gently wiped it for her.

It was said that habit was a scary thing.

After interacting with him for so long, Lin Jiao got used to him touching her.

She leaned back. “Uncle, call me in fifteen minutes.” Perhaps it was inconvenient to open her mouth, but her voice became softer.

“Ok.” Pei Zhi glanced at her.

He leaned over slightly and brushed back a few strands of her hair that were covered by a mask. He slowly tucked it behind her ear.

They were close.

Lin Jiao could even feel his breath on her neck.

She looked at him, and a feeling was growing in her heart, but before she could grab it, her thoughts were interrupted by an announcement.

The stewardess informed the passengers that they would land in twenty minutes.

She told them to adjust their seats and open the porthole.

“Jiaojiao, put on your seatbelt first.” Pei Zhi pulled the seatbelt out for her.

Lin Jiao opened the porthole.

She looked out of the window. Her excitement was ignited again upon seeing the lights of the city. When she got out of the plane, she was in high spirits.

The terminal at Charles de Gaulle was complicated. They pushed their suitcases for a while before leaving through gate eleven.

The driver who came to pick them up was a foreigner who lied to Qu Shao that he did not know Chinese.

“Hello, you idiot!” Ven Olle patted Qu Shao’s shoulder and greeted him with a smile in lousy Chinese.

“What did you say?”

“I said you idiot.”

Qu Shao finally understood him this time. “You’re idiot!” He elbowed him and quickly stuffed his luggage into the trunk.

Ven Olle greeted Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao and opened the door to the back seat for them. After getting into the car, he drove towards the city center.

“Uncle, where’s the hotel you booked?” Lin Jiao unscrewed the lid of the lotion and patted it on her face.

“The Champs-Élysées.”

“How far is it from here?”

“Forty-five minutes.” Ven Olle, who understood this question, took the initiative to answer, “Seventy minutes at peak hours.”

“Is there anything delicious nearby?”

“Yes, of course. Green clams from LeCinq, macarons from Ladouree and Pierre Herme are delicious.”

Just listening to it made Lin Jiao salivate.

She looked sideways at Pei Zhi. “Uncle, let’s go buy macarons first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll listen to you.” Pei Zhi’s eyes were filled with love.

He placed the makeup bag between his knees so that whatever she needed, he could take it out immediately. During this process, he even learned a lot about cosmetics.

Not long after she finished putting on her makeup, Ven Olle drove into the Champs-Élysées and braked in front of the hotel.

He helped carry the luggage and followed them to the front desk to settle the paperwork. He then asked Qu Shao, “Have you changed the currency?”

“I have.”

“Just give them 2euros as a tip.”

Qu Shao searched in his bag for a while but did not find the 2 Euros. “The smallest denomination I have here is ten euros.”

“Wait.” Ven Olle gave 2 euros to the receptionist for them.

When they were going upstairs, he used the coins he had to exchange for a 20 euro with Qu Shao. “When you tip, use coins.”

“How much is appropriate?”

“2 or 3 euros.”

Qu Shao calculated how much 3 euros was worth in CNY. “The tip is enough for me to buy a few pancakes.”

“What pancakes?”

“A kind of street food.”

Lin Jiao was speechless as she listened to their conversation..

“We’re here.” The moment the elevator door opened, Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist gently and walked out with Lin Jiao.

Lin Jiao followed Pei Zhi and walked down the extremely artistic corridor.

“Uncle, is my room far from your room?”

“Not far.”

Pei Zhi took the room card from Qu Shao and pressed it against the sensor on the door. “For safety’s sake, we stay together.”

Lin Jiao knew without thinking that it was a big hotel suite.

She had no objections and helped him push the luggage to the living room before looking around at the furnishings.

The living room opposite the entrance was decorated in creamy color. The glass door in front of the curved balcony was slightly open. Not only could one see the street, but they could also see the starry sky without being blocked by buildings.

A breeze blew past the white curtain and lifted it up. At the same time, it swayed the hanging crystal chandelier, making a crisp sound.

Lin Jiao walked to the balcony and leaned against the black railing happily. She turned around and called out to Pei Zhi, “Uncle, help me take two photos.”

Pei Zhi turned on the rear camera.

He didn’t have much experience in taking photos of others. Without finding an angle, he said, “Can I press the button now?”

“Wait, squat half way down first.”

“And?”

“Remember to capture the background.”

Lin Jiao tried to get him to take two photos. Not satisfied with the ones he took, she asked him to take another one. “This time, just take a photo of my upper body.”

“Is this angle alright?”

“No, a bit higher.”

Pei Zhi straightened his knees.

Before he could press the button, he heard her reproachful voice again. “I told you to point the camera a bit higher.”

Pei Zhi had never been so serious, not even when it came to doing business,

Fortunately, he was quick on the uptake. Otherwise, he would have been scolded again. “Take a look to see if it’s ok.”

Lin Jiao took his phone.

She chose a few photos that she was satisfied with and asked him to send them to her. “Uncle, you still need to practice your photography skill.”

“Then will you be my model?”

“I don’t mind.”

Pei Zhi chuckled.

He put his phone back in his pocket. “Now I, your personal photographer, have to go and unpack the luggage. I’ll work for you when we go out.”

“I’ll help you.” Without waiting for him to refuse, Lin Jiao jogged to the luggage.

She took out their coats first and prepared to hang them in the closet so that they wouldn’t wrinkle. “Which room do you want?”

“I’m alright with either.” He let her choose.

Pei Zhi lowered his head to tidy up the remaining clothes. When he touched her lace underwear, he felt like his fingers were scalded.

He stopped his imagination from running wild and handed the clothes to her. “Have you made up your mind?”