Chapter 41: Her Boyfriend Could Crush a Whining Brat with a Single Slap (4)

Because of the passionate exercise not long ago, both his body and the bed were infused with her scent. Eyes closed in bliss, a satisfied smile on his lips, he pulled her entirely into his embrace, holding her as if he were a dragon guarding its treasure.

Bai Yao was still muttering, “The last group of visitors only stayed four or five days before leaving. I’d told them I’d give them souvenirs from the town when they left, but they didn’t let me know when they were going. Was it because they weren’t happy with our town?”

Xue Yan murmured, “Why wouldn’t they be happy?”

Bai Yao didn’t understand it either. “Exactly, why wouldn’t they?”

Everyone in the town was warm and generous. When she and Xue Yan got engaged, everyone came to help and brought gifts. Da Dong gave them a bracelet strung with fangs, said to be a keepsake left by his ancestor after a hunt. Tiao Tiao and her father brought a pair of handcrafted wax figurines—a man and a woman—so lifelike they seemed ready to spring into motion.

The children she taught also brought gifts. Hua Hua, the florist’s daughter, had specially brought a pot of flowers she’d grown herself. The bloom was large and a vivid red, still sitting in their living room.

These presents weren’t valuable in the monetary sense, but their sincerity was priceless. Bai Yao could feel how much heart they put into them. It was easy to imagine that the townsfolk treated visitors with the same warmth and generosity.

There was only one downside: the inconvenient transportation. So, tourists rarely visited twice.

Bai Yao said, “I hope the tourists this time have a good time, and when they return, they’ll tell others about Arctic Town, so more people will come to visit. That way, the townspeople can earn more income.”

Xue Yan disliked how Bai Yao always worried about other things. He reached out and pulled her head into his chest. “Yao Yao, they’ll have fun. Let’s get some sleep.”

Not long after, he received a hard kick on his foot under the covers.

A girl’s angry voice sounded in the room. “You’re going to smother me!”

The night was deep, and without a moon, it felt even eerier.

In the inn, the newly arrived guests all received a text message.

[Welcome to Arctic Town. The locals are honest and kind, the residents warm and hospitable, and the land is blessed—a perfect place for rest and vacation. So that you may have more time to explore, please observe the following from tomorrow onward:

1. Stay in your room after 10 p.m., locking all doors and windows and drawing the curtains. Should there be a room inspection, remain quiet and do not open the door.
2. After midnight, do not communicate with anyone.
3. Do not look through the crack beneath your door out of curiosity.
4. If you hear sounds from the ceiling, do not be alarmed; remain silent.
5. This rule is the same as the third: avoid anyone who cannot see this rule, for that person is a murderer.
6. Most important of all, no matter what happens, do not shout or make noise at night. Do not disturb the sleep of the townspeople.]

In the inn’s lobby, everyone stared at their phones, their expressions tense and uncertain. This was the first time they had encountered something so strange; the cold message radiated a chill both sinister and menacing.

The proprietor of the inn was a young man. Though he wore a friendly smile, the pallor of his face made him unsettling to behold. He greeted them politely, “Welcome, everyone. I am Mr. Shu, the owner of Arctic Inn. You have all traveled far and must be tired. Please follow me to your rooms and rest.”

The ten standing guests all felt a chill deep in their hearts. In just a short time, three among them were already missing.

Those three had tried to escape on the way to the inn. Right before everyone’s eyes, they had burst apart in a gruesome spectacle.

Now, no one dared make a move. They simply followed Mr. Shu upstairs.

When it came time to assign rooms, Yin Huanmian, who had been silent, couldn’t help but speak up. “Can I not stay next door to them?”

She meant Tian Susu and Cha Lan. It was unclear whether the innkeeper knew of their relationship, but the three were placed in adjacent rooms. Yin Huanmian truly couldn’t bear it.

Mr. Shu hadn’t responded yet when Cha Lan pulled at Yin Huanmian and whispered, “Don’t be willful. What if you make them angry?”

Tian Susu could sense Yin Huanmian’s dislike for her. She thought to herself that she hadn’t even voiced her own discontent, but Yin Huanmian was already showing hers. Despite being obviously frightened by Mr. Shu, Tian Susu stepped forward, bit her lip, and mustered her courage to say, “I don’t want to stay so close to her either.”

The delicate girl bit her lips red. Her fear only made her look more adorably stubborn, her round face soft yet determined.

Mr. Shu still didn’t answer.

Tian Susu, feeling aggrieved, could no longer even hear the comforting voice of the system in her mind. She whimpered twice, tears welling up as Mr. Shu’s unsettling gaze frightened her into sobs.

Seeing Tian Susu, delicate as a flower, burst into tears, Cha Lan was suddenly filled with courage. He looked at Mr. Shu as well. “Please, would you rearrange the rooms for us?”

At last, Mr. Shu smiled. “Then you and Miss Tian will stay on the third floor, and Miss Yin can move to the fourth.”

Tian Susu, hiccuping from her tears, tried her best to stifle her sobs. Through blurred eyes, she glanced gratefully at Mr. Shu, offering a smile as fragile as a flower in the rain, sweet and pitiable.

The others couldn’t help but think, No wonder she’s Tian Susu—just a few tears can soften the heart of even a possibly monstrous innkeeper.

Mr. Shu smiled silently.

Yin Huanmian rolled her eyes in secret.

While the others watched the spectacle, Jiang Xun was studying the paintings hanging on the wall. Their vivid colors gave him a sense of unease.

Monday was a workday. No matter how wild the previous night had been, the next morning still required an early rise to prepare for work.

Bai Yao had to call several times before the man, who loved to sleep in, finally dragged himself from bed and got ready. She stuffed a bun into his hand and pulled him out the door.

The town was neither large nor small, and few people drove; even Bai Yao only needed a bicycle to get around.

The neighborhood committee was right beside the inn. The guests had all slept poorly the previous night and gathered early in the lobby to discuss what to do, only to be startled by people passing outside the door.

The beautiful woman they’d seen yesterday now wore her hair in a ponytail. She had on a white blouse and jeans, simple and crisp, with white sneakers on her feet as she steadied herself on her bicycle.

Behind her was a man dressed all in black, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up as if he wished to disappear entirely inside a sack. With one arm wrapped around the girl’s waist, and the other holding the bun, he took a slow bite, chewed it for ages, and then took another.

He then rested his chin on the girl’s shoulder, looking drowsy and so sluggish it seemed he hadn’t woken up at all.