Chapter 342: A Big Secret
"You guys seriously… don't have any normal single rooms?"
Staring at the heart-shaped bed scattered with rose petals and various toys that would trigger a 404 error if described in detail, Qi Han's expression grew increasingly odd.
He finally remembered why the name Rose Hotel had sounded so familiar.
'Wasn't this the place where Dai Mubai showed up with a pair of twins and got taught a lesson in morality by Tang San?'
He hadn't expected it to still be in business after five thousand years, let alone to have opened branches this far out.
Impressive. Seriously impressive.
"Sir, all of our rooms are like this," the young attendant said, giving Qi Han a look all men understood. "Also, I can tell you're single. There's a bar nearby—Nightfall Bar—with many beautiful, single ladies. You could meet someone and have a wonderful evening~"
"No thanks."
In his past life, Qi Han had never been fond of such chaotic places. In this life, he certainly wasn't going to waste the precious first time of this new body here.
A boy's gotta know how to protect himself when he's out in the world.
Without another word, he picked up Pururu, grabbed the quietly waiting Zhui Yun, and turned to leave the Rose Hotel.
Qi Han realized he'd made a huge miscalculation.
Originally, he thought it didn't matter where he stayed—as long as the bed was good enough to crash on, that'd do. But now, he decided he had a new requirement:
No more of those ridiculous toys.
He wasn't a child. What kind of normal person actually played with those?
Fortunately, there were plenty of hotels nearby. Not long after leaving the Rose Hotel, Qi Han spotted another place: the Flower Lane Hotel.
It sat at the entrance of a small alley, both sides of which were lined with various fresh flowers. The place gave off a delicate, refreshing vibe with a stylish decor that immediately caught Qi Han's eye.
He couldn't resist going in for a look.
"Do you guys have any single rooms?" he casually asked as soon as he stepped into the lobby.
"Yes, yes we do!" A young woman in a modest gingham dress stood up nervously from the front desk. She glanced at Qi Han. "We've got single rooms. How long will you be staying?"
"Just one night."
"Alright," she nodded, a hint of a smile appearing on her face as she started looking for the room keys. Then she suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up again.
"Um… we don't have a stable for your Blood Red Unicorn, but if you don't mind, there's an empty storage room in the backyard. I can lay down some dry hay to make it comfortable for your unicorn."
Right, where Zhui Yun would sleep—definitely something to think about.
"Wait a moment, I'll ask it."
Qi Han turned around and communicated with Zhui Yun for a bit. Soon enough, Zhui Yun gently touched its horn to Qi Han's forehead, telling him it didn't mind.
'As long as Zhui Yun's okay with it…'
Qi Han let out a breath of relief.
Technically, he could've had Ru Yi send Zhui Yun back into the little world inside the system. But the unicorn had a lively personality and was excited to visit such a bustling place—it didn't want to go back just yet, and Qi Han was fine with that.
"It doesn't mind. You can show me the room now," Qi Han said, smiling at the girl.
The girl tilted her head, confused as to how Qi Han was able to communicate with a spirit beast, then cast a curious glance at Zhui Yun before turning and heading upstairs. "Please follow me."
Following her to the second floor, Qi Han was soon shown to his room. After taking a look around, he smiled with genuine satisfaction.
'Now this was more like it.'
The room was simple and cozy—not very large, but not cramped either. It had everything one would need. Small, but complete.
It was a good room. Qi Han genuinely liked it.
"I'll take it. How much for one night?"
"Five copper coins, sir."
"No need for change." Qi Han handed her a silver coin. "Keep the rest as payment for Zhui Yun's lodging."
The girl accepted the money, stunned. It took her a while to realize that "Zhui Yun" referred to the Blood Red Unicorn outside.
"Thank you, sir."
Clearly, letting a spirit beast stay one night in a storage room wasn't worth that much money. The girl gave Qi Han a grateful look. "My name is Elaine. If you need anything or run into any issues during your stay, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"Alright."
"Then I'll take your Blood Red Unicorn to the storage room now," Elaine offered, but she quickly seemed a little worried.
She had heard that these kinds of spirit beasts didn't have the best tempers… what if it suddenly got angry and attacked her?
Noticing her concern, Qi Han smiled gently. "Thanks for the help. Zhui Yun is very well-behaved—you don't need to worry."
Really?
Elaine was half-skeptical as she returned to the ground floor and cautiously approached the unicorn named Zhui Yun.
Zhui Yun simply gave her a glance—no other reaction.
That eased her nerves a bit. She gently took the reins and spoke softly, "Good Zhui Yun, your master asked me to take you to rest, okay?"
She gave the reins a slight tug. Seeing that Zhui Yun obediently followed her, her face lit up with a hint of delight.
'It's so well-behaved! It's even better than Uncle Watson's Red Blood Foal next door!'
…
"Heave-ho!" Elaine, using her petite frame, lugged a big bundle of hay into the storage room. After spreading out a thick, fluffy layer of dry hay, she stepped back and grinned with satisfaction. "Zhui Yun, look! Your bed is ready!"
Zhui Yun walked forward, bent his legs, and lowered his belly onto the hay. After feeling its softness, a distinctly human-like satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
'Not bad. Quite comfy.'
Elaine didn't notice the intelligent gleam in Zhui Yun's eyes. She kept talking to herself. "I won't lock the door, okay? If you want to go out, just press the door handle down—like this." She demonstrated by pressing the handle.
But soon she burst into laughter and gave her forehead a light slap. "Oh right—I forgot. You don't understand what I'm saying… huh?!"
Zhui Yun raised a hoof and, just like she showed, pressed down the handle and opened the door with ease.
After doing all this, he slowly lowered his head in front of the stunned Elaine and gently touched her forehead with his horn.
"Thank you for the hay. I like it very much."
…Eh?
EH?!
Click
As the storage room door softly closed behind her, Elaine stood there, face frozen in disbelief.
Why… can a Blood Red Unicorn talk?
Even after she returned to the front desk, her mind was still filled with question marks.
Just then, a slightly chubby middle-aged man walked into Flower Lane Hotel carrying a basket. He looked at Elaine's dazed expression and scratched his head in confusion.
"Elaine, I brought you the pumpkin cakes your Aunt Sona made… huh? What's wrong?"
"Uncle Watson…" Elaine's eyes gradually regained focus. "I just discovered a huge secret!"
"…Huh?"
…
"Watson! Did you deliver those pumpkin cakes to Elaine?"
"Yep, I did." Watson glanced at his wife, who was busy with chores, then suddenly asked, "Didn't your brother buy a Blood Red Unicorn a few days ago?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh, I'm just stepping out for a bit." Watson turned around and left the house, heading toward his brother-in-law's home.
Touching foreheads with a Blood Red Unicorn's horn allows you to communicate with it!
He couldn't wait to try it for himself.
<+>
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