Are You Allergic To Romance? - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Spending the Night

And so, Xie Mianzhi sat quietly on the back of the scooter, cradling the gray-feathered duck, watching the road lit only by the tiny electric vehicle.

She hadn’t realized this dark, quiet seaside road was so long. Fortunately, someone was with her; otherwise, driving here late at night would have been terrifying. In fact, she hadn’t seen a single car passing by all this time.

Xie Mianzhi looked at the woman’s back, filled with curiosity. The woman was just a girl; weren’t her parents worried about her coming home so late?

Judging by her thin clothes, she didn’t seem to mind the cold either.

Thinking this, Xie Mianzhi couldn’t help but reach out, lightly touching the corner of Jing Yuan’s coat to feel how thin the material was.

Jing Yuan immediately turned her head to look at her.

“Um… your jacket is pretty cool,” Xie Mianzhi struggled to come up with an explanation, thinking, Does this person have eyes in the back of her head? She’s so sensitive.

Well, she did admit that Jing Yuan’s style was cool and sharp.

Pretty cool?

Jing Yuan listened, frowning slightly. Was this Miss Xie saying her clothes were cool? She couldn’t recall anyone ever saying that to her.

Was that a compliment or an insult? Jing Yuan wasn’t sure, but she tried to think the best of the human in front of her. It should count as praise, right?

The scooter rode on for a while, and Jing Yuan debated for a while, too. Then she finally stopped and said, “Thank you.”

Xie Mianzhi looked at the woman with an expression of seeing an ancient artifact. Her reaction time was ridiculously slow.

“Uh, you’re welcome.”

A subtle, polite, and awkward atmosphere filled the space between them.

…

They finally arrived at the entrance of Jìsōng Hotel.

This was the only five-star resort hotel in Mìsōng Town, recently invested in and constructed to attract tourists. It was the preferred choice for any notable person staying in the area.

The security guard at the entrance instinctively stopped them, seeing them arrive on a small electric scooter.

Only luxury cars entered and exited here.

“Huh? Are you two…”

The guard immediately blocked their entry, looking at the two women arriving so late, one of whom was even holding a… duck?!

“What, is there a written rule that this vehicle can’t enter?” Xie Mianzhi, sitting in the back, smiled as she counter-questioned the security guard.

“That… that’s not what I meant, of course.” The guard was slightly intimidated by the woman in the back who was staring at him with raised eyebrows. Her tone made it clear she was not to be trifled with. “You just need a reservation…”

“I have a reservation at this hotel,” Xie Mianzhi interjected before he could finish.

No one could withstand being stared down by this elegantly dressed woman. The security guard finally forced a smile, welcomed them, and stepped aside to let them ride in.

Throughout, Jing Yuan didn’t say a word, acting as a perfectly competent scooter driver, taking Xie Mianzhi wherever she pointed.

They finally reached the lobby entrance. A staff member with a professional smile guided the woman in the high-end silk dress, who was carrying a large gray-headed duck.

“Why don’t you come inside and wait? It’s warm in there. I’ll pay you once I’ve checked in,” Xie Mianzhi suggested after entering the lobby, turning to motion for Jing Yuan to join her. It was quite cold outside.

Jing Yuan had intended to get paid by Miss Xie, ensure the ducks were taken by her, and then leave, especially since the little creatures seemed to genuinely like Miss Xie.

But since the woman invited her in and the lobby staff were also looking at her, she felt too awkward to refuse. She followed her into the hotel lobby and quietly sat down on a sofa in a corner to wait.

Xie Mianzhi walked straight to the front desk, gave her reservation details, and stroked Yuanbao in her arms. The little creature was indeed very well-behaved.

“Miss Xie, hello. The deluxe sea-view suite you reserved had a check-in time of 5 PM tonight. However, as you can see, it is now 9:30 PM, and we were unable to reach you despite multiple phone calls. This room has since been occupied by another guest, as our hotel has very few sea-view suites…” The front desk staff apologized profusely to Xie Mianzhi.

“I reserved and paid for it. Are you saying I can’t stay now?” Xie Mianzhi was taken aback. She had traveled all this way, only to find she couldn’t stay because her check-in time had lapsed.

“Hello, the funds have been returned to your original payment method and are expected to arrive within two business days, so please don’t worry. Miss Xie, we still have a Deluxe Presidential Suite. Can we offer you this instead? It’s also very comfortable!” The hotel manager would never dare offend a high-level client. She immediately thought of a solution and offered a room comparable to the sea-view suite.

Xie Mianzhi didn’t want to argue and chose the alternative. Since her phone was broken, she couldn’t be contacted, so she had no choice. She took out her black card from her wallet and handed it over.

The manager accepted it respectfully. Truthfully, it was her first time seeing a card like this—a black gold card, an unlimited spending card owned only by the wealthiest individuals.

She dared not delay and began entering the information. Strangely, no matter how many times she tried, it failed to process.

Xie Mianzhi watched the front desk staff struggle for a long time without success, tapping her fingers unconsciously on the counter.

“I apologize, Miss Xie, but your card… is not going through.”

Xie Mianzhi was puzzled. This card had never failed her. Why wouldn’t it work today?

She frowned, took out another card from her bag, and handed it over.

The result was the same: this one also failed to process.

After trying several cards, all unsuccessfully, Xie Mianzhi realized that her family’s elders had taken measures and frozen all her cards.

Her grandmother certainly had the power to do that.

But these are all my own funds.

How frustrating.

“Miss Xie, about this…” the hotel manager hesitated, clearly seeing that the female guest was in a terrible mood.

“…”

Xie Mianzhi was silent. She knew her dear elders wanted to force her to talk—to discuss the so-called family marriage alliance. What the hell.

She glanced at Jing Yuan sitting on the sofa in the distance, then looked down at her wallet. Poor her, she only had five hundred in cash. The cheapest room at this hotel was over a thousand. She should have brought more cash.

She probably had some in the car, but it was abandoned halfway up the mountain.

FUCK.

Xie Mianzhi couldn’t help but curse under her breath.

After multiple failed attempts to process her cards, Xie Mianzhi’s face was utterly grim.

“Miss Xie, perhaps…”

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Mianzhi retrieved her last card, smiled at the hotel manager, and informed her that she would not be needing a room tonight.

She then strode on her high heels toward the lobby entrance. As she passed Jing Yuan, she forced an awkward smile and said, “Let’s go outside first.”

Jing Yuan looked at her, asked no questions, and followed her out.

The two walked to the entrance. Xie Mianzhi walked ahead, truly needing an outlet for her damned frustration. She had confidently promised this kind person that she would pay a hefty fee for the ride and for the ducks.

Unfortunately, all her cards were now frozen.

Xie Mianzhi set Yuanbao down and lit a slender cigarette from her wallet. The smoke curled around her refined face.

“Jing Yuan, would five hundred yuan cover your travel fee?” Xie Mianzhi turned her head, looking at the kind woman who had brought her here.

Jing Yuan looked up at her quizzically: “?”

Instinctively, she knew the other person had more to say.

“Including spending the night at your place, would that be enough?”