284: Chapter 283: It Really is a Black Shop 284: Chapter 283: It Really is a Black Shop This place claims to be a small hotel, but it’s more apt to say it’s a spacious home converted into one.
Not to mention rundown, it’s also dark and dingy.
At the front desk, a forty-something obese woman was cracking sunflower seeds, idly watching TV, and picking her feet, filling the air with a weird smell, making Liu Shanshan and Song Qingyu exceedingly uncomfortable, daring not to get too close.
Never mind the disgusting sight of the feet-picking woman, her makeup was so heavy she looked like a faded cat.
Especially at night, she was downright ‘scary’.
The most speechless part for Tangyu was that this feet-picking woman was shamelessly watching a titillating adult movie on the computer, so engrossed in it.
Thankfully, she hadn’t turned on the speakers; otherwise, it really would have been “Oh my god.”
Tangyu had been standing there for about ten seconds when the feet-picking woman finished the most intense scene in the movie and then languidly turned her head to look at Tangyu, eyeing him up and down with a somewhat wicked gleam in her eyes.
Seeing this feet-picking woman’s demeanor, Tangyu wondered if she was feeling frisky from the film, perhaps looking to find a man to satisfy her urges.
Feeling her inappropriate gaze, Tangyu scowled, unable to suppress his disgust.
If it weren’t for the fact that there were no other shops for miles around, Tangyu really wanted to just walk away.
Just because he was somewhat handsome, it didn’t mean this feet-picking woman should be eyeing him like this.
Especially her smile, it almost made Tangyu want to vomit.
After seeing beautiful women, this stark contrast might make anyone impotent if it happened too often.
It was utterly toxic.
“Hehehe, handsome, looking for a room?” the feet-picking woman asked with a weird, coquettish tone that made Tangyu’s skin crawl.
Behind him, Liu Shanshan and Song Qingyu also frowned in disgust, really wanting to turn around and leave.
“Yes, a room, please give me two double rooms,” Tangyu said.
“Hehehe, two double rooms, eh?
You’re bringing two beautiful ladies and you want separate rooms?
Don’t be so shy, handsome.
I know how these things go.
Here, it’s totally safe, no police will come knocking, so just take one room.”
The feet-picking woman chuckled, her eyes scanning Liu Shanshan and Song Qingyu, a strange gleam passing through her gaze: “Tsk tsk, handsome, you’re really lucky to bring two such beautiful women.
Hehehe, I’ll even throw in a pack of condoms for free.”
Tangyu’s face turned green.
If he’d had a brick, he would have smashed it right into the feet-picking woman’s face to scare her off properly.
Song Qingyu’s face also was cold.
Even with her level of restraint, she felt a surge of anger.
Liu Shanshan’s face turned red like a ripe apple, ready to burst.
“Two rooms,” Tangyu said coldly.
“Oh, someone’s upset.
Hehehe.
I was just joking.
But, unfortunately, there’s only one double room left, so even if you want two, I can’t help you,” the feet-picking woman said, her gaze still sneakily circling Tangyu as if he was hiding some treasure.
“Only one left?” Tangyu slightly raised his eyebrow.
“Yes, look at this board here.
The scratched-off ones are already occupied.
See, only one left,” the feet-picking woman pointed at a small blackboard on the wall, showing that indeed only one room was available.
Tangyu turned back, seeking confirmation from Song Qingyu, who hesitated for a moment before nodding at Tangyu.
“Fine, just the one room then,” Tangyu said.
At the same time, he was kind of looking forward to it.
Actually, having just one room wasn’t so bad; could this be the fabled ‘help from heaven’?
“Hehehe, I told you to just get one room.
Why be so shy, young man?
It’s only natural, after all.
Alright, I’ll get you set up.
It’s five hundred for the room and five hundred for the deposit, a total of one thousand,” the feet-picking woman said.
“What?” Tangyu and Song Qingyu exclaimed in unison, certain now that this was a rip-off.
Such a rundown place charging five hundred for a night, when fifty would be more fitting.
Five hundred could get you a night in a four-star hotel.
To ask for another five hundred for a deposit was extortion like they hadn’t seen before.
“Are you trying to scam us?
Do you really think we can be bullied that easily?” Song Qingyu said sharply, her eyes flashing dangerously.
The feet-picking woman looked at Song Qingyu, scoffing coldly, completely nonchalant, “Stay or leave, it’s up to you.
This is the price here.
If you don’t stay, others will.
It’s still early, and I have plenty of time to attend to other guests.
You three and I didn’t charge extra.
If not for the handsome guy here, adding a couple of hundred more wouldn’t be too much.
And don’t call it expensive.
There’s a saying, ‘rarity commands value.’ I’m somewhat educated.
Business is free; if you don’t want to stay, you can leave,” the defiant feet-picking woman, hands on hips, exuded a form of rogue arrogance, indicating she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
“Humph, if you hadn’t scattered nails on the road causing our tire to burst, do you think we’d bother with your lousy motel?” Song Qingyu retorted.
The feet-picking woman’s expression instantly turned icy: “Young lady, you can eat whatever you want, but don’t speak carelessly.
We’ve always operated legally.
What does your car’s flat tire have to do with us?
If you’re not staying, leave quickly and don’t hinder my business.
Around here, don’t mess with me.
This isn’t a place where you can throw your weight around.” She was truly confident, fierce, and seemed ready to take on Tangyu and his friends hands down.
Song Qingyu’s personality had always been strong; she was not one to easily submit.
“Alright, Officer Song,” Tangyu said as he glanced at Song Qingyu.
In this desolate wilderness, with the car broken down, there really was nowhere else to stay.
“A thousand dollars, drive on.” Tangyu took out a thousand dollars.
Seeing the money, the expression on the broad-footed auntie’s face finally lightened, changing faster than even the weather in June, and she skillfully took the thousand dollars, counted it, and then said, “Handsome, I’m giving you a room just because of your face today, or else I wouldn’t have rented it out to you at all.
Right, your car broke down on the road, how can that be blamed on me?
Besides, running a hotel in this area isn’t easy, so naturally, the price has to be a bit steep, otherwise, who the hell would come here to suffer?” While saying this, the broad-footed auntie didn’t stop her hands as she wrote a receipt for Tangyu, took out a set of keys and a box of Durex, and put them on the counter, saying, “Room 301, go up yourself.
The keys and condoms are here.
Oh, and here are three bottles of water, free for you guys.”
Seeing that the broad-footed auntie had actually provided a box of condoms, Tangyu was speechless.
Was he that kind of person?
Surely his disguise wasn’t that insufficient, it made no sense.
Taking the items, Tangyu didn’t linger and quickly went up the stairs with Song Qingyu and Liu Shanshan to room 301.
The room was not very clean, the decor was quite ordinary, and the facilities were very basic.
Even Liu Shanshan found it hard to adjust to the environment.
“Shanshan, you were right, it truly is a shady inn, daring to rip us off like this,” Song Qingyu said with a displeased look.
“Let it go, Team Leader Song, with the car broken down, we can’t leave, and we must endure staying here for one uncomfortable night,” Liu Shanshan consoled.
Tangyu closed the room door, which was too flimsy.
Although he locked it, it still felt unsafe.
After closing the door, Tangyu carelessly threw the box of Durex on the table, and both Song Qingyu and Liu Shanshan’s gazes caught sight of it.
Song Qingyu was a bit better, but Liu Shanshan’s face turned red again, and she quickly looked away.
Sharing a room with a box of condoms unavoidably led to some awkward thoughts.
“Tangyu, I’m warning you, behave yourself tonight, if you do anything inappropriate, watch out, I won’t be nice to you.
Shanshan will sleep with me, you sleep on your own bed, thankfully there are two beds so you won’t have to sleep on the floor,” Song Qingyu stared at Tangyu, her tone clear and firm.
Tangyu immediately shook his head and assured, “Of course, of course, don’t you trust me yet?
What inappropriate behavior could I possibly engage in?” Yet internally, he thought, although he couldn’t make a move, just the feeling of sharing a room wasn’t too bad.
“That’s for the best,” Song Qingyu said.
“By the way, are you guys hungry?
We haven’t eaten anything tonight, right?” Tangyu asked.
Liu Shanshan touched her stomach, clearly hungry.
Song Qingyu was also a bit hungry, but she could endure it.
“Seeing you both hungry, they should be able to deliver food here, let me check.” Tangyu found a menu on the table, and indeed, it was outrageously priced, at least five times more expensive than ordinary eateries.
However, they couldn’t just stay hungry.
“Hmm, truly outrageous.
If this were in Donglin City, I’d have had it shut down by now.
I don’t know what the police department in LW County is even doing,” Song Qingyu snorted coldly, feeling indignant.
“Tangyu, maybe just order three covered rice dishes, ordering separate dishes would be inconvenient to eat,” Liu Shanshan suggested.
Even the cheapest covered rice dish was fifty, and the most expensive was over a hundred.
Eventually, after some discussion, Tangyu called the broad-footed auntie downstairs and ordered three bowls of covered rice.
To avoid the awkward atmosphere, Liu Shanshan turned on the television.
Although she didn’t watch it, having the TV noise felt somewhat better.
Song Qingyu stood by the window, staring outside, lost in thought about something.
Liu Shanshan sat on the bed, also appearing somewhat agitated.
Tangyu, however, surveyed the room, feeling like something was off, as if someone was watching.
His gaze swept around and paused briefly above the door in a corner, then moved on.
Tangyu walked to the window; outside, it was pitch dark, unlike the nights in Donglin City which were as bright as day.
Here, the night was truly dark.
Tonight, the moon in the sky was like a sickle, making the night very dark.
The sky full of stars was somewhat uplifting, a sight not visible in Donglin City.
Song Qingyu stared at the star-filled sky, somewhat dazed.
Only when Tangyu joined her did she come back to her senses.
“Team Leader Song, I’m sorry for making you suffer with us,” Tangyu said apologetically.
Song Qingyu glanced at Tangyu and said, “No need to be so polite, this little situation is nothing.
I have a feeling it won’t be peaceful here tonight, let’s be cautious and not fall for their tricks.”
“Right,” Tangyu whispered something into Song Qingyu’s ear, causing her to frown slightly and look back before she turned her gaze back outside.
Sitting on the bed, Liu Shanshan, seeing Tangyu and Song Qingyu whispering by the window, felt a surge of inexplicable jealousy.
For women prone to jealousy, even a small gesture was enough to stir deep feelings.