The Peninsula Suite was very well appointed. Even Nono, who had always been picky, could find nothing to fault.
But...
That day by the window, Zero had stood right there, closing the curtains and looking at Lu Mingfei.
Later, by the desk, she had helped Lu Mingfei shut down his computer, holding his head in both hands.
She had laid her necklace, earrings, and bracelet on the desk one by one. Lu Mingfei had unclasped the necklace for her himself.
Then...
Nono's eyes stung. She quickly closed them and took a deep breath, banishing her wandering thoughts.
The Peninsula Hotel's housekeeping staff had thoroughly cleaned the suite long ago, but simply standing there, Nono felt traces of Lu Mingfei and Zero everywhere in the room.
"Have some water." Holding three bottles of mineral water, Zero handed one to Nono.
Nono stared blankly at Zero. She had been holding mineral water like this that day, too. Everything that had happened afterward seemed to have started with that act of drinking water.
She unscrewed the cap and drank more than half the bottle in one go.
"Go on, then. What are you planning to play?"
"We've run into a little trouble lately..." Lu Mingfei tried to explain the background to their upcoming operation.
"What, forgot to use protection?" Nono snorted.
"No, don't interrupt..." Lu Mingfei stopped halfway through his sentence, suddenly stunned.
Wait! That day, it seemed, they really had forgotten to use protection!
Lu Mingfei's expression changed drastically. He whipped his head around and looked nervously at Zero.
Zero lowered her head, both hands covering her lower abdomen. There was no telling what she was thinking.
"You two!" Nono shouted in despair. "Have you got no common sense at all?!"
"It was our first time..." Lu Mingfei protested quietly.
"Zero, have