Qiao He suddenly turned back to look at the lighthouse, a look of horror appearing in her eyes. Without saying a word, she spun around and ran toward the base of the lighthouse.
She dashed down the stone steps and found that the yacht was still safely moored where they had left it. To verify her suspicion, Qiao He stepped directly onto the yacht. At the very moment she left the lighthouse and stepped onto the deck, she felt the surrounding temperature soar.
She looked at the thermometer in her hand, and her eyes widened instantly. The displayed number jumped to 34°C in an instant. She hopped back onto the stone steps of the lighthouse, and the number on the thermometer changed again, dropping to 29°C.
In other words, there was a full five-degree difference between the lighthouse and the outside world. She involuntarily gaped, completely unable to express the extent of her shock.
The thermometer in her hand was a high-end piece of equipment she had bought at an A-class sea base for two hundred points. it could instantly measure temperatures ranging from 100°C below zero to 100°C above. She had used it for a long time, and it had never failed her.
Qiao He’s mind went blank for a few seconds before she turned back to look at the building standing solitary above the sea. To be able to completely isolate such a large lighthouse from the external temperature—was this Boss really human?
“Qiao He? What are you doing standing there? Why aren’t you getting on the boat?”
Yu Xin had noticed Qiao He long ago. Through the thick tempered glass, he had watched her jumping up and down between the lighthouse and the yacht for no apparent reason, her eyes constantly checking the numbers on a thermometer. Then, after seeing something unknown, she had suddenly frozen in place.
Since the last time he had confessed to Qiao He and been discovered by others, the relationship between the two had become very awkward. Every time he tried to speak to her, Qiao He treated him as if he didn’t exist, even pretending not to see him when they passed each other face-to-face.
Yu Xin watched from inside the cabin for a long while before finally taking a deep breath and stepping outside. Hearing Yu Xin’s voice, Qiao He suddenly snapped out of it. She tucked away her expression, looked over, and stepped onto the yacht.
It was time to make a clean break.
Su Su’s breakfast was simple and boring: a bottle of water and two fist-sized steamed buns were all she had. Her head lay limply on the checkout counter. The only sound in the entire hotel lobby was the constant noise of her chewing.
When will new guests arrive? She was dying for a change of pace every day. Her mouth was completely tasteless, but to fill her stomach, Su Su mechanically stuffed the steamed buns into her mouth.
A moment later, Bai Bai, who had been in the bathroom for a long time, suddenly pushed the door open and walked out looking refreshed. A milky-white towel hung around her neck, and the ends of her hair were still damp.
So refreshing! This is too good!
If the Boss hadn’t been right there, Bai Bai would have wanted to scream at the ceiling. How long had it been since she had such a comfortable, thorough wash? The grime and sweat had been cleaned away, and with her smooth skin no longer constricted, she felt as if she had been reborn.
The clothes she wore were also newly bought, carrying a dry, sun-kissed fragrance. If only the mattresses and pillows in the rooms were also brand new and soft; then, she could lie on them for days without coming down.
“The hotel has added a drying area. You can hang your washed clothes there.”
Su Su had just added a map of the drying area’s location to the bottom of the notice board, but thinking that regular customers might not notice new information, she chose to offer a reminder.
“Really?” Bai Bai turned back, feeling extremely excited. She hadn’t expected the hotel to have a place to dry clothes as well as a place to shower. After thanking Su Su happily, she rushed out the door to hang her laundry.
When she finished and returned, she happened to run into Wang Xianchun at the hotel entrance, who was looking for her.
“Meeting,” Wang Xianchun said with a sour face, turning and walking away without looking back.
“What? What’s going on?” Bai Bai was baffled by Wang Xianchun’s attitude, but since she was part of the yacht crew, she obediently put her things in her room and returned to the boat.
As her foot crossed the stone steps and stepped onto the deck, she instinctively frowned. “Why is it so hot?”
“We’re just waiting for you. Get inside.” Someone called her in before she could figure out what was happening.
Because they needed to live there, the area in the cabin where the sofa used to be was now filled with a row of neatly stacked cabinets. They could store things without interfering with walking, and at night, this was where everyone slept.
When Bai Bai walked in, she noticed that everyone was there except for Liu Zai.
“Where’s Liu Zai?” Bai Bai asked casually.
The atmosphere, which had been relatively normal, instantly became silent and oppressive.
“What happened?”
“Liu Zai is dead.” Yu Xin sat beside her, expressionless.
“What?” Bai Bai was stunned. They had all entered the shop together yesterday; how could…
“An S-class sea monster appeared nearby last night. Unfortunately, Liu Zai was swallowed by it.” Yu Xin stated the facts simply, without a trace of sadness for his companion’s death in his voice.
Wang Xianchun listened to Yu Xin’s words from the side, remaining quiet instead of contradicting him. Neither she nor Yu Xin were stupid; no one would specifically mention the actual circumstances of Liu Zai’s death.
The strangeness of this hotel far exceeded their imagination. In a sea area where an S-class monster had appeared, they hadn’t heard a single sound while staying in their rooms. Even the leader of an A-class sea base wouldn’t be able to stay in a room that could completely block out external interference.
After last night, Yu Xin began to suspect that the hotel Boss might come from an S-class sea base, or even the legendary, only Double-S-class sea base on the planet. Only a place like that could research and build such an incredible structure.
Su Su, unaware that her guests were imagining so much, let out a sneeze for some reason while sitting in her chair. She rubbed her nose and muttered, “Are new guests coming?”
Before the noon checkout time, Qiao He and Bai Bai both returned to tidy their rooms, saying they were checking out. Su Su didn’t react much; guests came and went, and as long as they didn’t cause trouble, it didn’t matter to her who occupied the rooms.
However, Qiao He had paid a week’s rent in advance. Since she was leaving, Su Su prepared to refund it.
“No need, Boss. I’m not checking out of this room. Don’t let anyone else move in either; just keep it for me. I’ll pay another month’s rent.”
Because Qiao He boldly paid a month’s rent directly, Su Su kindly only charged her two hundred and eighty points.
After everyone left, Su Su began to calculate her remaining points. Excluding the drying rack she bought today, she had earned nearly six hundred points through sales and room fees. However, since she had spent most of her previous points, her total balance was now exactly six hundred.