Chapter 91
Chapter 91
“What are you doing?” A cool male voice sounded behind Cheng Miao. She turned as a fluffy black cat brushed past her head and leaped onto the Nordic-style Front Desk.
Cheng Miao beamed. “Do you remember me?”
Qiudong stared coldly. “Of course. Most people don’t have the nerve to kiss me.”
Everyone else fell silent.
Cheng Miao scratched her head in embarrassment. “Ahem. Well, we’ve come to stay here. This is a greeting gift.”
Qiudong gave the premium canned food an indescribable look. For some reason, the refusal on the tip of his tongue turned into stiff acceptance. “Fine. Leave it there.”
Cheng Miao brightened, practically wagging an invisible tail as she leaned closer. “What room types do you have?”
Qiudong tucked his paws beneath himself and lay on the counter. A price list appeared as a projection on the snow-white wall behind him.
standard room: 1,000 Travel Coins per night
Triple room: 1,500 Travel Coins per night
Deluxe four-person suite: 2,500 Travel Coins per night
Ten percent off stays of three nights.
Cats were lazy and arrogant, and Qiudong avoided speaking whenever possible. His temperament meant the hotel received few guests.
Most people did not dare probe a Front Desk attendant for information anyway. Once they heard this one was a temperamental cat, very few chose to stay.
“Could we get another discount if we book the suite for five nights?” After discussing it, Cheng Miao leaned toward Qiudong again. He flicked his tail, initially intending to ignore her. But when he met her bright eyes, his heart inexplicably softened. “Twenty percent off.”
Qiudong regretted the words the moment he spoke. He turned around and presented his back to Cheng Miao.
Cheng Miao thought nothing of it. A kitten was supposed to have a temper.
They paid. The team was wealthy now and saw no reason to quibble over the room fee.
“Qianqian, we earned enough in the last instance to afford one night at a Hotel! Those people were right. Hotel-level Inns really are wonderful. We’ll rest today and enter another instance tomorrow.”
A gentle female voice answered, “I’d like to walk around outside. It’s been so long since I’ve seen this many people. But we don’t have any extra money…”
“It’s all right.” The man laughed, his voice indulgent. “We can look around. If you see something you like, remember it. We’ll come back when we’ve earned enough.”
Hearing the familiar voices nearby, Cheng Miao and Qi Jiajia looked over in surprise.
A gentle, beautiful woman had linked arms with a man whose slightly long hair was tied into a small ponytail. The affectionate couple emerged from the elevator together.
When the woman saw Cheng Miao at the Front Desk, she covered her mouth with a cry. Cheng Miao smiled and waved. “It’s been a long time!”
Tong Qian released Bai Jiang’s arm and hurried over to Cheng Miao.
After several instances apart, Tong Qian had become much more vivacious. The shyness of a newcomer had faded, replaced by poise and confidence.
Bai Jiang followed with a broad smile. His initial gloom and arrogance had been wrapped in the sweetness of romance, lending him a warm glow.
“It’s been a long time. I didn’t expect you two to actually form a team.” Bai Jiang had personally witnessed Qi Jiajia’s vicious and obsessive side. Even after so long, the memory still made him nervous.
Unexpectedly, Qi Jiajia did not snap at him. She greeted them casually and initiated a conversation with Tong Qian. “I didn’t expect you to advance so quickly either.”
Tong Qian looked flattered, her face glowing with a gentle smile. “We’ve cleared many instances. Ah Jiang and I barely rested. We kept entering one after another until we finally saved enough to visit a Hotel-level Inn.”
Time flowed differently in every instance. With so many winding paths, there was no guarantee old friends would ever meet again.
Cheng Miao only hoped everyone remained well.
“Let’s have dinner together tonight to celebrate.” Noticing Bai Jiang and Tong Qian’s embarrassment, Cheng Miao thoughtfully reframed the invitation. “We haven’t cleared that many instances. We’ll treat you in exchange for your experience.”
Knowing Cheng Miao was trying to spare their feelings, the couple stopped protesting and happily accepted.
Cheng Miao’s team had just left an instance and needed rest. After agreeing on a dinner time, Bai Jiang and Tong Qian did not keep them chatting.
Cheng Miao’s group took the room card dispensed after automatic registration at the Front Desk. Qiudong was already asleep on the counter, his pointed ears twitching occasionally.
Cheng Miao could not bear to disturb the sleeping kitten. She placed the toy fish she had bought earlier beside him, hoping it would be the first thing he saw upon waking.
The group entered the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The doors slowly closed.
Qiudong opened his eyes. His ice-blue, jewel-like gaze flashed with an unreadable light.
“Let’s see, Room 606. That’s a nice number!”
Lin Zhu opened the door and inserted the room card to turn on the power. The sudden leap in Inn quality astonished them all.
It was an enormous suite. The entrance opened into a living room with a huge sofa, a large-screen television, and snacks and drinks arranged on the coffee table.
A small balcony off the living room held two lounge chairs and two swings, offering a view across the entire city.
The city was not large, but it looked prosperous enough.
Each of the four bedrooms had a private bathroom with a flushing toilet, a shower providing hot water twenty-four hours a day, and a small bathtub.
Every room had a six-foot bed dressed in premium bedding, as well as a tablet. Cheng Miao tested one and found that it could access the internet. It could only search for information within the Survival Inn’s world, of course, but it could stream shows across time and space.
Cheng Miao fell into deep thought as she watched a television adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber filmed centuries ago.
A small bookcase on the nightstand was packed with classic literature.
The entire suite featured wabi-sabi decor in shades of off-white and gray, creating an atmosphere both luxurious and relaxed.
A handwritten note lay in the entryway, its strokes bold and free: All items have been replaced and sanitized. Guests may use them with confidence.
The finest Grand Hotels in the real world had already adopted technology like this, guaranteeing absolute cleanliness.
Even in reality, however, few people could afford such technology. Cheng Miao had never expected to enjoy it here.
The lantern instance had exhausted everyone. To avoid making even the slightest sound, they had barely slept for several nights.
After claiming their rooms, they closed their doors and rested.
The soundproofing was excellent, and the bedside system could play music. Cheng Miao selected white noise, set an alarm for dinner, and surrendered to sleep.
When she woke again, five hours had passed. The rest had restored everyone’s spirits considerably.
As they waited at the Front Desk for Tong Qian and Bai Jiang, Qi Jiajia complained that she needed several new outfits or she would start to stink.
They had spent the afternoon catching up on sleep. Fortunately, nothing physical carried out of an instance, so they were not actually dirty. They remained as fresh as they had been after showering at Brother Parrot’s Guesthouse before entering. The feeling of grime was purely psychological.
“Miaomiao, where are we eating?” Tong Qian liked Cheng Miao very much and moved to her side as soon as she stepped out of the elevator.
Bai Jiang carefully watched Qi Jiajia’s expression, afraid Tong Qian might provoke her. To his surprise, the girl merely pursed her lips and stood to one side without expression.
Everyone had grown during their time apart, Bai Jiang thought.
“We’re going to Authentic Old-Style Hot Pot.” Cheng Miao licked her lips. “I looked it up on the tablet. It’s the most authentic hot pot restaurant in Starry City!”