The young gallants from the five imperial tombs gathered east of the golden market, their silver saddles and white steeds riding through the vernal breeze. Chapter 128: Journey to the Treasure Island (1)

On the morning of March 3rd, the group rose early and quickly assembled at the entrance of the snack street. At that time, there were few direct flights from China to Sawan, so they first had to travel to the airport in Songyu.

"Damn it, where are we going to park the car? We can't just leave it at the airport; it’ll cost hundreds in parking fees for a week!" Fang Yu nearly teared up at the thought of the exorbitant parking costs.

"Hell, you’re so rich now, why do you care about a few hundred?" Cheng Chen lit a cigarette, looking at him with disdain.

"You don't know anything. This is what we call 'riding a bicycle to a bar'—save where you should, and spend where you must!"

Shortly after, Shen Molan’s pink Z4 pulled up. When the topic was raised, the heiress tossed her long hair with total indifference. "That’s easy. Just park it downstairs at my father’s company. There are plenty of spots."

"Tsk, what a wealthy heiress. Zhao Bin, what do you think?" Fang Yu asked with a grin, nudging Zhao Bin beside him.

"What does that have to do with me? I don't even have a car!" Zhao Bin rolled his eyes.

Aside from the three young women, Zhao Bin and Lu Zhen did not bring partners for this trip. Zhang Yan still needed to work at the Xianlin milk tea shop, and besides, there was no guarantee that Zhao Bin and Lu Zhen wouldn't cause some sort of friction if they traveled together.

By 1:00 PM, the group arrived at the airport on the outskirts of Songyu. Shen Molan was the first to complain. "Fang Yu, what’s wrong with you? Putting me in economy class?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Miss, flight tickets are expensive, you know. There are a lot of us."

In 2006, airfare was not something the average person could easily afford. There were no such things as discount tickets back then, and a one-way flight to Sawan started at 3,000 yuan.

"Pfft. Someone who can afford a 640 and you're still being this petty? I’m not sitting in economy. Senior, let’s go; we’ll upgrade ourselves." Shen Molan tossed her wavy hair and pulled the other two girls away.

It must be said, the heiress was truly wealthy. Before long, Shen Molan and the others returned with business class tickets, leaving the four young men to stare at each other in silence.

"Damn it, they live that high-class life, while we’re stuck in economy," Cheng Chen grumbled, looking at his ticket.

"Cut it out. I didn't make you take a cruise ship, so be grateful."

Although Xia Churan and Li Jing were reluctant to be separated from their beaus, since Shen Molan was paying, they had no choice but to head to business class with a trace of hesitation.

Fortunately, the flight to Sawan only took about two hours. By 4:00 PM, as they emerged from Taoyuan Airport, the men rushed to the smoking area like refugees, puffing away greedily.

"Damn, once I’m rich, I’m buying a private jet. I felt suffocated the whole way," Fang Yu complained as he lit a cigarette.

"You could always sit on Baozi’s family’s private jet, ha-ha!" Cheng Chen joked from the side.

Leaving the airport, the group split into two taxis heading toward downtown Taoyuan. Since online booking wasn't well-developed in 2006, Fang Yu and his friends hadn't reserved a hotel in advance.

About half an hour later, the taxis pulled up in front of a decent-looking hotel. Fang Yu was the first to get out and exchange some local currency at a nearby bank before leading the group inside.

"Heh heh, Fang Yu, I’m going to be in the same room as Li Jing," Cheng Chen whispered, creeping up with a sly look in his eyes.

He paused for a moment before nodding. The young couple had finally reached this stage; he had no right to interfere. "Fine, I got it."

Fang Yu then looked at the others behind him. "How about this: Miss Shen and Churan share a room, and Lu Zhen and Zhao Bin share one?"

To his surprise, Shen Molan’s brows furrowed. "I never share a bed with anyone. I’m getting my own room. Sorry, Senior."

Xia Churan didn't mind. "Hee hee, it’s fine. I’ll just stay with Fang Yu."

That remark made him wave his hands frantically. "I don't like sharing a bed either. I’ll just pay for an extra room for you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Bin chimed in. "I don't want to share a bed either. Lu Zhen snores too loudly; it’s annoying as hell."

The group’s bickering gave him a headache. Seeing the discussion dragging on, the receptionist tapped the counter impatiently. "Sir, have you decided? Please hurry; there are others waiting in line."

Fang Yu had to suppress his irritation and nod. "How much is a room per night?"

"Standard room is 4,800, deluxe king is 3,600," the receptionist said, looking at the computer with indifference.

He gasped. This wasn't even a top-tier five-star hotel. The local currency in Sawan was about 1 to 5 compared to the domestic currency, meaning a standard room cost over 900 yuan!

This price point put Fang Yu in a tight spot. Aside from Shen Molan, who had her own money, he was responsible for everyone else. "Alright, give me two deluxe king rooms and one standard room." He swallowed hard and pulled a small stack of bills from his wallet.

As for Shen Molan, there was no need to worry. The heiress was quite lavish; she slapped a supplementary card belonging to her father onto the counter. "Give me a suite."

Fang Yu turned back and forced an awkward smile at the group. "Well, everyone, just make do. The rooms here are too expensive. Zhao Bin, you’ll have to squeeze in with Lu Zhen; it’s eight or nine hundred a night."

Zhao Bin, likely shocked by the price, mumbled something and nodded reluctantly. "Oh, whatever."

After paying, they took their key cards and boarded the elevator. Once the door opened, Fang Yu could only watch helplessly as Xia Churan moved in naturally, as he didn't have much money left and a king room was cheaper than a standard one.

"Hee hee, it’s so pretty here!" The girl happily pulled back the curtains, admiring the view from the floor-to-ceiling window.

Taoyuan was a coastal city, and the city center was only about 15 kilometers from the beach. Although it was early March, the weather was much warmer than inland.

Watching the girl’s graceful figure, Fang Yu felt his throat tighten. He managed to restrain his wandering hands, coughed a few times, and said, "Alright, look later. We didn't come here just to play."

Xia Churan pouted, closed the curtains, and sat down beside him, looking at him with a smile. "I want to hear a story tonight, and you can’t run away this time."

"You only know Cinderella. Anyway, I’m going to change my clothes." He quickly changed the subject.

"No way, I’m using the bathroom first. No peeking!" The girl blushed and slammed the bathroom door before he could react.

Soon, the sound of splashing water echoed from inside. Fang Yu tried hard to steady his mind, refusing to imagine the scene within. If he caused trouble here in Sawan, he could practically say goodbye to his "white moonlight" back home.

But it would have been better if Xia Churan hadn't showered; the sweet fragrance that filled the room after she finished was driving him mad. Fang Yu had no choice but to retreat into the bathroom and take two freezing cold showers before he could finally calm down.