Hotel Front Desk.
"Hello, could I book two rooms, please?"
Ye Cheng leaned over the counter, his posture awkward.
"I'm sorry, sir. The hotel is fully booked. There are no available rooms. You might want to try elsewhere," the receptionist apologized, giving Ye Cheng a sympathetic look.
Beside him, Shen Qinghan stood quietly, her expression calm, but the chilling aura around her grew even colder.
It had been nearly half an hour, and it was already past midnight. Yet, they still hadn’t found a place to stay.
This was Great Sea City.
The most economically powerful city in the entire Dragon Nation.
The area where Ye Cheng and Shen Qinghan were standing was the most bustling district in Great Sea City. Hotel rooms here started at four digits—and that was for the most basic accommodations.
Slightly better ones cost five digits, and some even reached six.
Yet, despite these staggering prices, the hotels were packed.
No vacancies whatsoever.
In the past half hour, Ye Cheng had practically walked the entire length of the Bund.
It wasn’t that they hadn’t found any place to stay—just none that met Shen Qinghan’s standards. She refused to settle for anything less than a five-star hotel. Four stars were her absolute limit. No further compromises.
It was driving Ye Cheng insane.
He was tempted to just dump this picky young mistress on the street and sleep right there on the spot.
But the thought of waking up the next morning with a sack over his head and concrete blocks tied to his feet—before being tossed into the Huangpu River—made him quickly reconsider.
The young mistress was his closest comrade!
Betraying her was out of the question!
After his usual routine of disclaimers and reassurances, Ye Cheng prepared to leave with the murderous-looking Shen Qinghan in tow.
[Host, please wait ten minutes for the couple checking out to appear. Spend an unforgettable night with the yakuza princess in their room!]
[Mission Reward: Hint Vouchers x3]
Ye Cheng froze.
His damn system could be used like this?
Predicting the future?
So far, this system had screwed him over plenty of times, but it had never outright lied. Everything it said was true—whether he could actually get the rewards depended on his own skills.
Still, he was curious—what were these "hint vouchers"?
"Young Mistress, let’s rest over there for a bit. Maybe someone will check out soon?"
Ye Cheng led the ice-cold, homicidal Shen Qinghan to a nearby sofa.
They waited silently for fate to intervene.
Less than thirty seconds later, a couple walked into the hotel, arms wrapped around each other.
"Baby, I missed you so much! Tonight, I’m gonna wreck you!"
"Pfft, as if you could handle me!"
The couple passed right by Ye Cheng.
He raised an eyebrow.
…Were these the ones?
The couple disappeared down the hallway, still bantering. Beside him, Shen Qinghan’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Do you enjoy staring at strangers that much?"
Ye Cheng: "…"
Silently, he averted his gaze.
Seven or eight minutes later, the couple’s voices echoed through the lobby again—only this time, their sweet nothings had turned into an argument.
"Baby, my sweet baby, give me another chance! I was just off my game today, a little weak—"
The woman stormed off in her high heels, leaving the man scrambling after her.
"Baby, slow down! Wait for me!"
Seeing the man about to leave, Ye Cheng sprang up from the sofa and intercepted him.
"What the hell do you want?!" The man glared at him. "I’ll beat the crap outta you!"
Ye Cheng: "…"
Since when did the "Hammer King of the Northwest" come to Great Sea City?
Clearing his throat, Ye Cheng put on his most diplomatic tone. "Ahem, handsome, you’re checking out, right?"
Before the man could answer, Ye Cheng pressed on.
"Look, no one’s money grows on trees. How about passing the room on to someone who really needs it?"
The man glanced around. "I don’t see anyone who needs help?"
Ye Cheng: "…"
If you’re not using those eyes, donate them, thanks.
Suppressing his irritation, Ye Cheng continued, "What I mean is—I’m the one who needs help. My girlfriend and I are in a bit of a… urgent situation. You know how it is. We’ll pay full price, no discounts."
After some convincing, the man finally relented.
"Don’t mess with me, or I’ll beat you to a pulp!"
"Of course, of course. See my girlfriend over there? Gorgeous, right? Wanna know how I landed her?"
Ye Cheng wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, leaving the implication hanging.
The man frowned. "How?"
Ye Cheng: "…"
What kind of idiot ruins his own setup?!
Barely restraining the urge to strangle him, Ye Cheng spent the next three minutes "explaining" in excruciating detail.
Finally, the man’s eyes lit up, his lips curling into a grin.
"Don’t mess with me, or I’ll really beat you up!"
I’m about to beat YOU up right now!
Ye Cheng forced a smile. "Naturally. If it doesn’t work, you can hunt me down and beat me senseless!"
At last, the man agreed. Ye Cheng excitedly waved at Shen Qinghan, who was still sitting on the sofa.
"Done! (hand gestures)"
This time, she understood—universal sign language: OK!
A few minutes later…
Hotel hallway.
Beep!
The crisp sound of a keycard echoed through the corridor as Ye Cheng carried the icy-faced yakuza princess into the room.
The moment they stepped inside, Ye Cheng was stunned.
This was a five-digit-a-night room?
Damn, impressive!
Luxurious decor, high-end furnishings, and… wait, was that a—
Hold on. Did something weird just catch his eye?
He took a closer look.
Holy crap, is that a giant rolling pin?! And why does that little square by the entrance look exactly like the disposable gloves in his pocket?!
Ye Cheng was speechless. Behind him, Shen Qinghan wasn’t faring much better, staring blankly at the "welcome gifts" laid out for them.
Click.
Ye Cheng accidentally bumped into a switch.
The bright lights instantly shifted to a sultry pink, accompanied by a slow, seductive melody that made their blood run hot.
Ye Cheng: "…"
Shen Qinghan: "…"