My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 51

“Mmm.”

If it weren’t for Ji Rongxue and the others also playing, Xiao Nianyuan would probably only team up with Lian Qiushui in this game.

Ji Rongxue hesitated, as if she wanted to say something. Noticing her expression, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “What’s wrong?”

Even though Ji Rongxue and the others played the game too and they would team up occasionally, Xiao Nianyuan didn’t see anything wrong with playing with Lian Qiushui.

Ji Rongxue shook her head. If Xiao Nianyuan was fine with it, she had no place to object.

Since the whole group decided to stay, Jing Siyan was a little surprised but still prepared accommodations for them.

The hot spring resort had limited rooms, so Jing Siyan asked if two rooms would suffice for the five of them. Xiao Nianyuan frowned, “Only two left?”

Jing Siyan smiled. “Of course not. But the rooms are expensive, and even with the discount I’m giving you, you probably can’t afford more.”

There was no mockery in her tone—just a straightforward statement. Yet the reality she presented was hard to believe. Tan Xialan scoffed confidently, “One room each. No way they’re that expensive.”

But when Jing Siyan quoted the price, Tan Xialan’s bravado faltered. She glanced at Xiao Nianyuan, then at Lian Qiushui, scanning everyone present before asking slowly, “Did I hear that wrong?”

The price Jing Siyan mentioned was beyond what most players could afford, especially those who had been playing since the beta without actively saving in-game currency.

Two rooms were already a steep discount, offered only because of Lian Qiushui’s presence. Any more, and they’d have to sell off one of their own to cover the cost.

“So? Decided how many rooms you want?”

Tan Xialan coughed awkwardly. “Two.”

Two rooms for five people meant one room would have to accommodate three. Since Xiao Nianyuan was close to Lian Qiushui and the other three weren’t, it was natural for Xiao Nianyuan and Lian Qiushui to share one room while the other three squeezed into the other.

But Ji Rongxue, defying expectations, disagreed. “I’ll stay with you guys.”

Tan Xialan blinked. “You’re not staying with—”

Du Xiaotong clapped a hand over her mouth and silently dragged her aside.

“You want to share a room with me?” Lian Qiushui teased deliberately.

Anyone could see Ji Rongxue wanted to room with Xiao Nianyuan, but Lian Qiushui pretended not to notice. If Ji Rongxue stayed with Xiao Nianyuan, where did that leave her?

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t want any tension between her and her friends, nor did she want to argue with Ji Rongxue. She turned back to Jing Siyan. “Are you sure we can’t get more rooms?”

Jing Siyan shrugged. “I’ve already given you a huge discount.”

Ji Rongxue said coolly, “You can stay with us. Nianyuan can have her own room.”

Even if she couldn’t share a room with Xiao Nianyuan, she couldn’t let Lian Qiushui do it either. There was something unsettling about the way Lian Qiushui looked at Xiao Nianyuan—it didn’t seem like the gaze of a friend.

The others didn’t seem to notice, but Ji Rongxue’s instincts warned her that pointing it out would lead to trouble.

“Four people in one room?” Tan Xialan tried to reason with Ji Rongxue. “How about I room with Xiao Nianyuan instead?”

Du Xiaotong cut in, “Stop causing trouble. You’re staying with me.”

Tan Xialan grimaced. “But cramming so many people together means no one’s sleeping well.”

“If you don’t mind, you can stay with me,” Jing Siyan suddenly offered, her eyes fixed on Ji Rongxue as she spoke.

Their gazes locked in the air, Jing Siyan’s expression tinged with curiosity—as if Ji Rongxue had piqued her interest.

“Would this inconvenience you?” Xiao Nianyuan, unaware of the tension between them, suggested proactively, “Otherwise, I can share a room with the boss.”

“I’ll go,” Ji Rongxue quickly changed her mind, knowing Xiao Nianyuan wouldn’t be comfortable sharing a room with a stranger.

Ji Rongxue’s abrupt change of stance left Lian Qiushui stunned, and she looked at Jing Siyan in confusion.

Lian Qiushui didn’t have many friends, and Jing Siyan was one of the few she knew. Based on her understanding of Jing Siyan, she wasn’t the type to be so generous—even if she were, she wouldn’t invite someone else to share her room. Though the rooms were expensive, it wasn’t as if there weren’t any available.

She thought Jing Siyan was joking and was about to call her out when Ji Rongxue agreed. By then, Jing Siyan still hadn’t admitted it was a joke. With a smile, she told Ji Rongxue the room location before leaving first.

Tan Xialan asked worriedly, “Could this be some kind of trap? Why would she be so kind?”

Ji Rongxue, however, remained relaxed. “Lian Qiushui knows her. She wouldn’t harm us.”

The statement carried trust, but Lian Qiushui hesitated. “She wouldn’t harm you, but…”

But she had no idea what had gotten into Jing Siyan. This didn’t seem like the person she knew at all—had she been possessed or something?

“Then I’ll go rest first,” Tan Xialan yawned. If Ji Rongxue didn’t think there was a problem, then there probably wasn’t.

Tan Xialan and Du Xiaotong shared one room, leaving only Xiao Nianyuan and Lian Qiushui to share the other.

At the door of their room, Lian Qiushui muttered, “This isn’t like her at all.”

Seeing her unease, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Are you worried?”

“A little,” Lian Qiushui admitted. “She’s usually very stingy. I had to bargain for ages just to get her to agree to a discount.”

Lian Qiushui had long wanted to bring Xiao Nianyuan to the hot springs, but she didn’t have much money. She only tried to earn some when Xiao Nianyuan was offline.

Her earnings were limited, so she had to negotiate with Jing Siyan for a discount. She had practically worn her lips out pleading before Jing Siyan reluctantly agreed.

The discount was already the biggest favor Jing Siyan had ever given her. If it were just her and Xiao Nianyuan, they could have stayed in a luxurious room. But with Ji Rongxue and the others, they could only afford two standard rooms—nothing more.

Xiao Nianyuan valued Ji Rongxue so much. If anything happened to her, how could Lian Qiushui face Xiao Nianyuan? Naturally, she was worried.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Nianyuan said, “If you think she might do something bad, we can go check on her. If not, then there’s no need to worry so much.”

She left the decision to Lian Qiushui, who pondered seriously before replying, “She wouldn’t harm her, but I can’t guarantee she doesn’t have other intentions.”

Jing Siyan was definitely up to something. Xiao Nianyuan reassured her, “Maybe she just wants to be friends with her.”

In real life, many people wanted to befriend Ji Rongxue. It wasn’t impossible that Jing Siyan had her own reasons for wanting to do the same.

Xiao Nianyuan trusted Lian Qiushui, so she naturally trusted Jing Siyan as well. In the end, it was her reassurance that eased Lian Qiushui’s worries.

The room was more than spacious enough for two. In the center was a small hot spring, adorned with floating petals, looking even more refined than the larger ones.

Having soaked in the large outdoor hot spring for so long, Lian Qiushui initially didn’t want to continue. But upon seeing this particular spring, she couldn’t resist the temptation and asked Xiao Nianyuan, “Do you want to soak some more?”

Xiao Nianyuan, feeling rather tired from soaking, declined, “No need, you go ahead.”

Lian Qiushui happily continued her soak while Xiao Nianyuan yawned drowsily. The bed was already made, so she climbed in. Just as she closed her eyes, Lian Qiushui let out a startled scream, instantly chasing away all drowsiness. Xiao Nianyuan’s eyes flew open as she instinctively moved toward Lian Qiushui.

“What’s wrong?”

Lian Qiushui stared wide-eyed without speaking. Worried something might be wrong, Xiao Nianyuan hurried over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Trembling, Lian Qiushui looked at her blankly and stammered, “There… there seems to be a snake in the water.”