You're my wife, don't doubt it!

The phrase "looks like there are people here" means that this should be a human settlement, or more precisely, a peri-urban area.

Most of the shops here had their shutters down, and there were no cars on the road, only some unattended vehicles parked on the side of the road.

Xiao Yao, Shen Jie, and Yu Luying looked around and found that only four shops seemed to still have their lights on.

A Lanzhou noodle shop, a Shaxian snack shop, a Hualian supermarket, and a 7 Days Inn.

Seven Days Inn is a chain of hotels.

The signboard is blue, emitting a soft, milky-white glow.

It felt like the gentle call of home.

The three of them persisted in hailing a taxi for another ten minutes in the biting cold wind.

"How about..." Xiao Yao looked at the 7 Days Inn chain hotel.

“Okay.” “No.” Shen Jie and Yu Luying said.

So they stood there for another 5 minutes, until the barking of dogs began to come from all around.

Yu Luying looked frightened and tugged at Shen Jie's sleeve.

The three of them finally stepped into the lobby of the 7 Days Inn.

Xiao Yao originally thought that since it was a chain hotel, all the rooms should be pretty much the same.

He had never stayed in a chain hotel in Shanghai—not counting the Rongfu Hotel where he stayed with Shen Jie last time—but he had once passed by a 7 Days Inn in the city and peeked inside.

That lobby was definitely not like it is now... it was gray and looked quite dilapidated.

"Hello, do you have a reservation?"

Xiao Yao glanced back at the two beautiful young women sitting and talking on the sofa in the lobby, then wearily turned to the 7 Days Inn clerk: "No reservations, are there any rooms available?"

"We currently have double rooms and single rooms available."

"And what's the kind with two beds called?"

"I'm sorry, our standard rooms are full."

"Then... one double room and one single room, shall we?" Xiao Yao decided.

"Okay, let me register your ID cards."

Xiao Yao took out his ID card and reluctantly handed it over.

Last time at Home Inn, I was refused registration because I was under 16 years old. They said I couldn't register alone without a guardian, and Shen Jie complained, "Why are you under 16?"

I remember saying to myself back then, "I'm sorry I'm growing so slowly."

Is history about to repeat itself again?

Xiao Yao could only hope that the seven-day hotel wouldn't be as rigid and strict as Home Inn... Perhaps the suburbs would be more relaxed than the city center, he prayed.

Santa Maria, Santa Maria…

"I'm sorry..." The smiling receptionist returned Xiao Yao's ID card: "Your ID card shows you are under 16 years old. We cannot register you alone without a guardian."

"Ha..." Xiao Yao took his ID card, thinking to himself that the Holy Mother wasn't working at all.

"What's wrong?" Yu Luying came over to see.

“You’re under 16, so you can’t check in.” Xiao Yao looked dejected as he handed his ID card to Yu Luying.

“I knew it. All hotels have the same rules. I think we should just sit in the lobby until dawn. It’ll be light by five o’clock anyway,” Shen Jie said slowly and loudly, leaning back on the sofa.

Yu Luying examined the ID card, her eyes suddenly lighting up: "Hey, look, you'll be 16 tomorrow!"

"I'm sorry, even a day's difference won't work; the system won't process it." The receptionist even turned the computer screen a little closer so Yu Luying could see.

When Xiao Yao heard Yu Luying say that, he looked at the clock behind the receptionist pointing to 11:48 and wondered if today was only June 28th.

Huh? Holy crap? It's June 29th today? I got the date wrong!

Isn't tomorrow just around the corner?!

By the Holy Mother! I am saved! Xiao Yao was overjoyed.

"However, according to regulations, your and her ID cards are also required..." The receptionist looked at Yu Luying and gestured towards Shen Jie on the sofa.

Xiao Yao's face fell again.

If Shen Jie's ID card were valid, she wouldn't be living with me; Yu Luying is even younger than me...

“However,” the receptionist leaned closer mysteriously and lowered her voice, “I didn’t tell you this. Once you’ve registered for your room and gone up, we don’t need to register any visitors.”

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Xiao Yao was very grateful.

Xiao Yao and Yu Luying turned back to the sofa in the lobby and reported the current progress to Shen Jie.

“Okay,” Shen Jie said happily, “Lu Ying and I will sleep in the double bed, and you can sleep in the single room.”

Xiao Yao stretched out his right hand and drew a "?" in the air.

This doesn't seem to be part of my plan.

Shen Jie tilted her head: "Or what do you want to do?"

"Wait a minute," Yu Luying interrupted them weakly, "Can one ID card be used to book two rooms?"

Shen Jie's eyelids drooped.

……

"That won't work," the receptionist said with a smile. "One ID card cannot be used to book two rooms. The specific reasons are as follows: 1. According to the requirements of the public security department, all guests entering the hotel must bring their ID cards to the front desk for registration. The number of ID cards must be registered for each group of guests; 2..."

Yu Luying looked at the clock, which pointed to 12 o'clock, and suddenly turned to Xiao Yao: "Xiao Yao, happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday!" Shen Jie quickly replied.

"Happy birthday!" the receptionist followed up.

"Thank you, thank you." Xiao Yao clasped his hands together and shook them at the two girls and the receptionist, then handed his ID card back to the receptionist: "Give me a spacious double room." Then, he turned to the two girls and said, "I'm going to find an internet cafe to play some games."

"Azure Internet Cafe has recently been closed for rectification due to fire safety issues," the receptionist kindly informed her.

Shen Jie's eyelids drooped again.

After Xiao Yao checked into the room and took the room key, he showed the room number to Shen Jie and then took the elevator upstairs by himself.

Having learned from his previous experience, he knew that he had to insert the room card into the slot after entering the room in order to turn on the power.

Xiao Yao turned on the lights, the air conditioner, and the TV. He changed into slippers, then walked to the French windows and drew back the curtains.

In the pitch-black night, he saw a great river.

This is a river-view property, so it's a good deal.

He looked back at the pristine white and soft bed, then collapsed onto it.

What on earth is going on here? This is so strange.

How am I going to get through tonight?

As Xiao Yao pondered, he watched as the half-open door opened and Yu Luying followed Shen Jie hesitantly into the room.

When you truly love the story you've created, the process of telling it itself is meaningful, and nothing is more important than that. —by Sao Cha

Chapter 108 Rather than being consumed by lust, it's better to...

2023-02-13

"Who told you to get into bed wearing your outer clothes?" As soon as Shen Jie entered the room and saw Xiao Yao lying on the bed, she pounced on him, baring her teeth and claws: "Get off me!"

Before Xiao Yao could be harmed, he rolled off the bed and stood up on the spot.

"Luying, come in!" Shen Jie knelt on one knee on the bed and reached out to wipe the wrinkles on the bed where Xiao Yao had been lying.

Yu Luying was still standing at the door, her hand on the doorframe, one foot sticking out: "Sister... no, you guys sleep, I'll just sit on the sofa in the lobby for a while..."

"Are you kidding me? Xiao Yao, go sleep on the sofa in the lobby!" Shen Jie said, returning to the door and forcibly dragging Yu Luying inside. "With me here, are you afraid he'll bully you?"

“Yes, yes, I’ll go to the lobby, I’ll go to the lobby,” Xiao Yao said, feigning nonchalance.

"I don't want to!" Yu Luying grabbed her left arm with her right hand and took a few steps back.

Xiao Yao was a little confused. Why did he say "I" went to the lobby, but Yu Luying said "she" didn't want to?

Shen Jie clearly didn't really want her husband to sleep in the lobby, because she bent down and took out three pairs of slippers from under the bedside table, unpacked them, and threw one pair at Xiao Yao's feet: "Change your shoes!"

Then, without untying her shoelaces, she casually flung off her canvas shoes and slipped her delicate feet, encased in skin-colored short stockings, into her plastic slippers.

The third pair of slippers was handed to Yu Luying—but the latter, holding the slippers, sat down on the edge of the bed without any intention of changing her shoes.

"Silly girl, change your shoes," Shen Jie urged.

"You, you can't let Xiao Yao sleep in the living room." Yu Luying said this as if it were a condition for her to exchange her shoes.

"Okay, okay, I won't sleep in the lobby," Shen Jie tapped her round little head. "I remember you can add a bed at 7 Days Inn, right? I'll give you an extra thirty yuan for a folding bed."

“No way,” Yu Luying put her right foot on top of her left, and her slender fingers finally began to untie her sneakers. “Strictly speaking, we are both illegally staying in the country. They just turn a blind eye. How can you ask them to add an extra bed?”

"It's okay, it's okay," Xiao Yao said as he watched the beautiful little foot, which had been encased in ice silk socks, being freed from the sneakers. Yu Luying even tugged at the loose thread of the sock to straighten it. "I can sleep on the floor. It's the middle of summer, what difference does it make? And look how warm this carpet is!"

As Xiao Yao spoke, he simply lay down on the spot and stretched out his body.