Chapter 446 - 392: What’s Wrong with Sleeping Together?
Chapter 446: Chapter 392: What’s Wrong with Sleeping Together?
The Little Fairy Bird’s legs were too long. Gu Ning had to jog just to keep up with his pace, and she was still holding onto Cook.
Although Cook was the tallest and sturdiest of their group of Beastmen, he often just trailed blankly behind her.
Gu Ning didn’t know why Philinos was suddenly angry. He was usually so cold and distant, a man of few words. He was the type to leave others alone as long as they left him alone.
’Is it because he disliked the Beastman attendant’s aggressive sales pitch?’
’Even though it was her first time encountering this particular service, she’d dealt with plenty of similar sales pitches. All you had to do was say no. There was no need to get angry, much less physical.’
Gu Ning glanced back. The attendant was still following them. Even after being shoved so rudely by Philinos, he still wore a pleasant expression.
"Young lady... Young lady."
After they’d walked a little further, the attendant called out from behind them. Gu Ning turned around again. The attendant had stopped in his tracks, and Lanuo was standing there with him, watching them.
"Young lady!" the attendant called, his voice a little louder. "You’ve walked past it."
Philinos froze and took a slow, deep breath.
Gu Ning glanced at the Little Fairy Bird’s expression. Knowing how thin-skinned he was, she pulled her hand from his grasp, then grabbed his wrist and gave it a little tug.
Philinos lowered his eyes. After a brief pause, he let her lead him back.
Pulling one man with each hand, Gu Ning followed the attendant’s directions. She led Philinos and Cook to her reserved room and opened the door with the keycard.
Before she could even ask where the other room was, Philinos and Lanuo followed them inside.
Cook let out a low growl and blocked the doorway, preventing the two from advancing any further.
"Move it, puppy. I’m going to take a shower," Lanuo said.
’After Philinos’s scathing remarks, even the familiar scent of disinfectant seemed pungent, and my whole body just feels... grimy.’
’If anyone else had said that to me, I wouldn’t have given a damn. In fact, they’d be lucky to keep their teeth. But...’
Lanuo’s gaze swept past Gu Ning to the Birdman. He wore a crisp, tailored blue and white Combat Suit. The off-white shawl-like jacket looked simple, but its subtle dark pattern shimmered faintly in the light. The craftsmanship—and price—were clearly extraordinary. The lapel pin was even set with a gemstone. Even the band tying his hair sparkled.
’And he’d just been in a fight, yet his hair was still absolutely perfect.’
’That vain Birdman. He must have secretly fixed himself up.’
’Compared to... me...’
Lanuo looked down at his own clothes. He couldn’t remember if he’d bought them last year, the year before, or even the year before that. They probably hadn’t cost more than five hundred. Ever since graduating, he’d spent all his time either cooped up in a lab or in his office writing reports. He didn’t even own a house, just a dorm room assigned by his department, and he spent most of his days in a department-issued white coat.
He didn’t need a mirror to know how pathetic he looked right now; he’d already checked on the ride over.
The contrast was just brutal.
"Hurry up and move, puppy."
Lanuo didn’t want to be anywhere near this bird. He’d never been so conscious of his own appearance before.
He grew up in the Upper District and had spent most of his life there. He’d seen every kind of beast imaginable, but this bird... this bird really got under his skin.
Cook didn’t budge. "Woof."
Gu Ning poked her head out from behind the "puppy." "I booked two rooms."
As she spoke, the attendant, who hadn’t left yet, chimed in, "The room for you two is two doors down."
His tone was much colder than when he’d been speaking to Gu Ning.
Lanuo turned to the Birdman. "What are you still doing here?"
Philinos’s lips parted as if to speak, but he paused and just looked at Gu Ning instead.
He didn’t say a word, just kept staring at her.
Gu Ning: "..."
"Doctor Lanuo," Gu Ning said to him. "You can have the other room to yourself. It’ll be more spacious that way."
’Between these two Beastmen, she definitely trusted Philinos more.’
Hearing her trying to get rid of him, Lanuo didn’t bother arguing. "Alex told me I had to watch you," he said. "That I couldn’t let you out of my sight for a single second."
"Oh... in that case..." Gu Ning looked at Philinos.
’She’d asked the Little Fairy Bird earlier if two rooms were okay, which meant he wanted a room to himself.’
Philinos was silent for a few seconds. "Did he also order you to find a ’sleep-along service’ for Ning?"
The moment he said that, Lanuo’s heart wasn’t the only one that skipped a beat; Gu Ning broke into a nervous sweat.
"I was just curious!" Gu Ning explained hastily. ’If the Little Fairy Bird casually mentions this to Alex, Barto will find out too, and then I’ll really be in for it.’
Lanuo had put up with this bird for the entire trip. Hearing the threat in his tone, he sneered, "What’s wrong with it? She’s in heat. Is there a problem with her finding a couple of good-looking guys to take care of her biological needs? She doesn’t want you. Are you going to stop her from wanting someone else?"
"Doctor Lanuo, it’s getting late," Gu Ning said, stepping forward to push him. "You should get some rest."
’If this goes on,’ she thought, ’the Little Fairy Bird is going to pick a real fight with him.’
"Oh, the young lady is in heat?" the attendant outside exclaimed in feigned surprise. "If you don’t have a mate with you, then you’ll have an even greater need for..."
Before he could finish, Philinos shoved both him and Lanuo out the door and slammed it shut with a BANG!
A small pamphlet fluttered to the floor.
Gu Ning glanced at it. ’The attendant must have slipped it in just now.’
As Philinos turned back around, Gu Ning looked up at the ceiling, pretending she hadn’t seen a thing.
"Open this door!"
Lanuo was pounding on the door.
Gu Ning stood frozen for a moment, then decided to pretend she was deaf.
’Anyway, I paid for two rooms. It would be a waste not to use them.’
’Besides, Philinos is standing guard by the door like a statue. Those two clearly don’t get along. I can’t let him in, or I’ll just have to worry about them arguing or even coming to blows.’
Philinos didn’t look like he was in a good mood either.
As if realizing they weren’t going to open up, Lanuo stopped knocking after a while.
Silence fell, and Gu Ning let out a sigh of relief. She took Cook’s hand and began to look around the room.
The room was very spacious, decorated in the distinct style of the 12th District. The color scheme was full of oranges, yellows, and reds, making it look warm and bright—a significant improvement over her place in Zone 15.
Gu Ning’s gaze swept past the ridiculously large bed and landed on the massive floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end of the room. Through the glass, she could see a private yard with a steaming hot spring.
Excited, Gu Ning ran over and slid open the glass door.
Seeing the beautiful yard and hot spring, Gu Ning knew her three thousand Beast Coins hadn’t been wasted.
"Do you like it?"
Philinos had come up behind her at some point.
Gu Ning nodded, remarking, "Three thousand. It’s so cheap."
She didn’t know the prices in the 12th District, but this was the Central District. Plus, three thousand was for two rooms for two days. This price was clearly a significant discount.
Philinos said, "That’s the price for you."
Hearing this, Gu Ning tore her gaze away from the yard and looked at him, confused.
Philinos: "The price for males is ten times higher. During peak season, it’s twice as much again."
"Ten times?!" Gu Ning did a quick calculation. "So if you were paying, it would be... fifteen thousand for one room."
"If it’s twice as much again during peak season, that would be thirty thousand a day... That’s so expensive. But this room is definitely worth the price."
"It’s sixty thousand," Philinos said.
Gu Ning: "?" ’How did he get that number? I’m sure I did the math right, didn’t I?’
Philinos said, "The three thousand was for the other room."
Wait a minute.
Gu Ning was getting confused. She was sure she hadn’t miscalculated or misheard the Beastman attendant. She held up a hand to stop him. "I paid three thousand." ’Whether they gave me a ten-fold discount or only charged for one room, the numbers still don’t add up.’
"Is it because it’s the off-season? A discount?" Gu Ning suggested.
’If the hotel gave me an extra discount, that would explain it.’
Philinos looked at her. "This *is* the peak season."
Gu Ning said, surprised, "But the attendant who brought us here said it was the off-season."
Philinos: "Winter is the resting season for Beastmen. Many of them choose to vacation in the 12th District."
Gu Ning: "Then, why did he say..."
"I booked it in advance," Philinos said.