Chapter 8: Intruder
by LhaoziLu Weiran’s gaze subtly traveled from top to bottom as she silently assessed him.
Hmm… Not a bad physique.
He was certainly easy on the eyes.
But!
That was absolutely no excuse for trespassing into her private quarters and disturbing her sleep.
Besides, so what if he had abs? She had abs too! And a toned waistline!
Lu Weiran grumbled inwardly.
“It’s not even daylight yet. What do you want?” She raised her eyes and asked in an even tone.
Water dripped from the tips of his ink-black hair, falling over his eyes.
Pei Chiye simply brushed the damp strands away from his forehead, revealing his smooth, well-shaped brow.
“Boss, is the bathroom plumbing connected to the drinking-water supply by mistake? The clean water just keeps pouring out.”
The water was so pure that it was practically drinking-water quality.
Wouldn’t the inn go bankrupt if it used water like that for showers?
It wasn’t that Pei Chiye had never bathed with clean water before. He was simply worried about Lu Weiran’s business.
Water was the most precious resource of all.
Not only had she saved his life twice, but he also didn’t want to see this air-conditioned inn in the middle of the desert go out of business.
Lu Weiran paused.
Only then did she realize that taking a shower with a large amount of clean water was probably no small luxury in this scorching desert.
Given how harsh the conditions were here, she couldn’t really blame him for making such a fuss and waking her up.
“No, the pipes aren’t connected incorrectly. You can shower as much as you like while you’re staying here. Stay in there for as long as you want.”
Suddenly, a classic line popped into Lu Weiran’s head: Landlady, there’s no more water!
The corners of her lips curled into an amused smile.
“Don’t worry. The inn has plenty, plenty… more than enough water. You won’t suddenly run out halfway through your shower.”
“Now go back and finish bathing.”
Although Pei Chiye maintained a calm expression as he was dismissed, his mind was in turmoil.
For just 50 points, he could enjoy a comfortable shower with clean water.
Pei Chiye was certain plenty of people would be willing to pay for that. Not every ability-user team had a water-type ability user. Even ordinary people living in the bases could afford it if they were willing to grit their teeth and spend a little.
And on top of that, the inn had air conditioning from the old world, allowing guests to adjust the temperature to whatever felt most comfortable.
It was practically paradise.
After finishing his shower, Pei Chiye sprawled lazily across the soft bed. A pleasant drowsiness washed over him. He slowly closed his eyes, his body and mind more relaxed than they had been in a long time. The cool breeze from the air conditioner brushed gently against his skin.
Meanwhile, Lu Weiran, who had been woken up, found herself unable to fall asleep again.
She treasured this second chance at life far too much to take unnecessary risks.
Although the inn currently had only one guest, she absolutely refused to step outside until she had enough means to protect herself.
Now that she had some points, she opened the holographic interface, rubbing her hands together as she prepared to choose breakfast.
Instant noodles cost 8 points, sandwiches 4 points, bread 4 points, and milk 6 points. Other options included Eight-Treasure Porridge, biscuits, chocolate, and more.
Lu Weiran: “…”
At a glance, the menu looked so dry, so meager, and so utterly unappetizing.
She was already missing freshly steamed soup dumplings, crystal dumplings, milk tea, fried chicken, mapo tofu, spicy crawfish, hot pot…
Ahem. She was getting carried away.
Back in the modern world, before her resurrection, Lu Weiran’s favorite thing had been enjoying hot pot and ice-cold milk tea with her teammates in the middle of summer, all while relaxing in the blissful coolness of an air-conditioned room.
Lu Weiran let out a wistful sigh.
What kind of lousy menu is this?!
She wondered whether upgrading the shop and obtaining a business license would also unlock an upgraded menu.
In the end, Lu Weiran ordered herself a sandwich and some milk, along with an extra-large serving of ham sausages for Mushroom. The total came to just 9 points.
As the shopkeeper, she enjoyed wholesale prices—half the regular cost.
She also stocked up on five buckets of instant noodles and five cartons of milk for 19 points, intending to put them on sale in the inn’s dining area.
After all, instant noodles had a long shelf life, and the milk could be kept fresh in the dining area’s refrigerator.
She decided to test the waters first and see how things went.
[Total Points: 222]
Lu Weiran put the milk in the refrigerator. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving outside the lobby’s glass window.
She was so startled that she nearly dropped the milk in her hand.
What was moving out there?
She immediately took a bite of her sandwich, hooked the long wooden stick she’d used to rescue Pei Chiye with the top of her foot, and grabbed it. Her expression turned wary as she approached the window, taking slow, cautious steps.
Just beyond the window—
A gigantic golden snake suddenly appeared. Its scales were nearly the same color as the surrounding desert, and its body was as thick as the combined waists of two grown men.
Lu Weiran stared at it.
For three whole seconds, neither moved.
She could sense a dangerous aura radiating from the creature.
In an instant, her pupils contracted, her hair stood on end, and her heart nearly jumped into her throat.
She had never seen a snake this enormous before!
The next moment, the golden giant snake looked away first, seemingly unaware of Lu Weiran’s existence.
It was prowling around the inn, as though searching for something.
Lu Weiran: “…?”
What was going on?
Could it… not see her?
Or the inn?
Then what exactly was it looking for?!
Lu Weiran relaxed. She even had time to take another bite of her sandwich as she watched the creature’s every move.
That was when she noticed faint traces of blood on the sand where the giant snake was circling.
It was the blood that had dripped onto the sand when she’d helped Pei Chiye back to the inn.
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
The golden giant snake had followed the scent of blood here.
Which meant…
In the snake’s eyes, Hope Inn was invisible. The inn could conceal its presence!
Lu Weiran was delighted by this discovery.
She had suddenly appeared in the desert and inexplicably come back to life as an innkeeper. Everything was still unfamiliar to her. She hadn’t even been given an instruction manual for the shop, nor were there any rules restricting her actions. Although she enjoyed an extraordinary degree of freedom, she had to figure out how everything worked on her own.
If her theory was correct…
Hope Inn was essentially a safe haven in the desert. Both she and her guests would enjoy a much greater degree of protection.
After all, Hope Inn’s location was fixed.
Take the golden giant snake outside, for example. If it could detect the presence of humans inside the inn and ambush guests as they entered or left…
Just thinking about it sent a chill down her spine.
After all, Lu Weiran had opened an inn in the desert. She hadn’t come here to become a sitting duck!
By the time she finished her sandwich, the golden giant snake, which had been prowling around for some time, seemed ready to leave.
But just as it turned around—
Its enormous tail suddenly swept across the inn’s outer wall with a loud smack!
[Warning! Warning! Warning! Shield Energy: 100%. Hostile intent detected. Hope Inn is under attack. Locating intruder…]
A series of urgent beeping alarms rang in her ears.
Lu Weiran opened the holographic interface.
A pale-blue, semicircular protective shield suddenly appeared, perfectly enclosing Hope Inn at the very center of the desert map.
An energy bar above the shield displayed 100%.
On the map, just outside the inn, a red marker appeared. It was as bright as a fresh red mole, and its position perfectly overlapped with that of the golden giant snake.
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