The package has assigned me way too many objects.

He looked around. The forest was lush and green, with the passage of time and the texture of the tree trunks coexisting. Scattered snowflakes that had not yet melted in the early morning hung on the bushes.

The building of this hot spring inn is exactly the same as the one he entered last night. The biggest difference is that this one is more dilapidated and desolate. The metal bolts on the door are rusted, but they are not inserted, and the door is just ajar.

Chu Yinan pushed open the door and went inside. A smell of dust hit him. The clean and tidy courtyard he remembered was gone. The sound of flowing water from last night seemed to be just an illusion. He didn't go into the inner room; he just walked along the wooden corridor.

"It's the same place I walked through last night, but the garden decorations in the courtyard are covered with cobwebs, and the moss at the bottom of the pond has dried out. It must have been unused for a long time."

But that doesn't make sense. Although I don't remember the details very well because my head was spinning, I remember the earlier events very clearly. This place should have been a brightly lit, quiet and elegant hot spring courtyard.

He didn't believe it and decided to go check the hot spring again. The result was both unexpected and expected. He went over the small wall at the end of the corridor and saw that there was indeed a hot spring room inside, but there was only a dry pool in it.

Maintaining hot springs requires considerable effort. The owners probably only come back occasionally to sweep up fallen leaves to prevent decaying leaves from attracting insects and affecting the environment. The dry pool is relatively clean, but it still has a thick layer of dust accumulated, which is conservatively estimated to be about a month since it was last cleaned. The stones on the shore are weathered and cracked.

If Chu Yinan had leaned against this rock last night, it would have been a miracle if he hadn't gotten half his butt cut open.

He quickly ran back to the guesthouse, rushed upstairs, and sat down in front of the mother and daughter, panting.

"Last night I was seduced by a female monster! She was the kind who talked about eating children two out of three times!"

Bei Yutang and her mother were browsing local food and clothing, and it was rare to see their little rascal so anxious and flustered, even talking nonsense.

But... a female monster? And she eats children?

"Was it a nightmare?" Bei Yutang initially suspected that her younger brother was making fun of them, but then she realized that wasn't the case.

She knew Chu Yinan's personality well; in her memory, even if he was joking, he wouldn't make such an absurd joke.

"I can't really explain it. It happened in the middle of the night last night. I couldn't sleep, so I got up and went out." Chu Yinan paused halfway through her sentence, still trying to catch her breath.

"Sneaking out in the middle of the night?" Yan Liu stared at him. "You just promised us you wouldn't be naughty or mischievous anymore, and you actually sneaked out of the guesthouse last night?"

"No, I just wanted some fresh air. Also, I had some sour wine with dinner last night and couldn't sleep, so I went out. It was very dark then, and I clearly saw the lights on at the hot spring house across the street. The house was clean and elegant, and that's where I met a female yokai wearing a Japanese-style yukata!"

Chu Yinan recounted what had happened last night, and then added:

"I just went to the hot spring resort next door again, but it was dilapidated and looked like no one had been there. But the room I went into last night was exactly the same as that dilapidated one next door!"

Bei Yutang was quite interested in what her younger brother was saying, feeling that it could be used as a starting point for a story. However, objectively speaking, what Chu Yinan mentioned was somewhat absurd.

"If you were truly a female monster who eats children, how come you were sleeping soundly in bed this morning?"

"It must have been a dream. Maybe Xiao Chunan took a quick look at the hot spring resort during the day yesterday, which is why he dreamed about it last night." Yan Liu also thought it was just a dream. "You were all sweaty this morning, so maybe it was because you sweated last night that you felt like you were soaking in a hot spring."

"And Chu Nan drank a few glasses of wine last night." The woman with long black hair pulled Chu Nan over and let him rest his head on her lap.

If he had such a vivid dream last night, his sleep quality was probably not good, which explains why he slept in this morning.

Chu Yinan couldn't quite explain it for a moment, but the feeling was very real, not like a dream. When he fell into the water, he even touched the other person's breasts, and the feel of it was real.

However, after his sister and Aunt Liu said that, he felt that it might really be a dream, because the female monster's feet were so beautiful that they seemed to have a built-in filter. If it wasn't a dream, then those feet would be hard to explain.

"Then tell me, what did the female monster you saw last night look like? Was she like your sister, or like Aunt Liu?" Yan Liu asked curiously. Since it was a dream, the woman who appeared in the dream was probably someone he knew well.

"I've forgotten their faces. I don't have any particular impression of them. They're probably not Aunt Liu or Yu Tang." Chu Yinan shook his head.

"That's true, it was a nightmare after all." Yan Liu felt regretful, but what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Her youngest son dreaming about hot springs, could it be that he subconsciously wanted to soak in hot springs with them?

Yan Liu wasn't particularly enthusiastic about soaking in hot springs, subjectively feeling that it was no different from taking a bath at home. But since Xiao Chunan wanted to soak, she would contact the manager later to have the hot springs filled and put into operation.

"You said at the end that the female monster told you a story? What story was it? Do you remember it?" Bei Yutang found her younger brother's dream increasingly interesting.

Many legends actually have similar prototypes, but they can be used to create a variety of works with different atmospheres.

The ideas that Bei Yutang had previously pondered echoed back at this moment, vaguely resonating with Chu Yinan's dream.

Chapter 107 Catching Up on Sleep

"I've forgotten. It wasn't a particularly interesting story. I only vaguely remember a little bit. That's when I started to feel sleepy." Chu Yinan turned her head over her sister's black-stockinged legs and changed her sleeping position.

"Then tell me what little you know, I'm very curious." The girl reached out and touched her brother's soft chin, her fingertips quickly and lightly teasing his cheek, her technique like that of a professional cat lover.

In fact, Bei Yutang really wants to have a cat, and she often watches videos of cats online. However, she has a lot of allergens, and she needs to be careful during pollen season and at pet stores.

"Then I'll just give you a few key points, and you can fill in the rest yourself when you get back." Chu Yinan still enjoyed his sister's delicate hand, but being so comfortably caressed while thinking would disrupt his train of thought, so he temporarily held onto his sister's hand.

"Long ago, probably during the time of samurai, there lived a fallen noble family in a hot spring inn. They loved raising foxes, and as their fortunes declined, their inn was gradually converted into a tavern to make a living. The nobleman married the most beautiful woman in Minagawa, and later, it is said, a beautiful girl, as alluring as a fox, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, came from the mountains..."

Yan Liu listened silently from the side, thinking to herself that her little boy's dreams were too rich. He dreamed of a vivid hot spring house, met a woman who accompanied him to the hot spring, and now the woman in his dream was telling him a story.

However, from what I've heard so far, whether it's the woman in the dream or the woman appearing in the dream story, they are all relatively old women, not those strange little horses or anything like that. This is probably something that Yan Liu can be comforted by.

"It just so happened that around that time, the nobleman lost a fox he had raised for a long time. The brown fox had black fur on its legs. The girl who came down from the mountain was wearing black stockings. According to the neighbors, the nobleman seemed to have some feelings for the girl, so he let her stay overnight."

???

Both Yan Liu and her daughter Bei Yutang were puzzled. What kind of development was this? In the samurai era, a local girl from the mountains was wearing black stockings and saying that this was not a dream?

"Around this time, the nobleman and his wife had a quarrel and were in a cold war. The neighbors hadn't seen the lady of the house go out for quite some time. The black-silk fox girl came out during the couple's quarrel. She was usually very mysterious and would cover her face with a veil."

Why would such a contradictory plot about a couple's infidelity appear in the little brat's dream? What has he been watching lately? Yan Liu didn't think a child could come up with such a plot with palace intrigue over nothing, and the veil covering his face gave off a deliberately seductive, worldly vibe.

Bei Yutang initially planned to draw inspiration from her younger brother's dream, but after hearing it for a while, she no longer cared. This kind of plot was more difficult to use. Now she was more curious about how far Xiao Chunan's dream could go.

The older sister asked, "After that, the fox girl stole the heart of a nobleman and drove away Minagawa Naka's wife?"

"No, one day later, the knights of the Inquisition heard that the wife had gone missing and came to investigate. They found the wife's body buried in the back mountain of the hot spring house. However, the head of the body had been gnawed by rats and was unrecognizable. The only way to identify the missing wife was by her clothes. Who killed the wife?" Chu Yinan's story ended there because he had forgotten everything else. "Actually, there were some other important details, but I can't remember them."

What the hell? Why would a knight from the Inquisition suddenly appear in a story of monsters and ghosts from the samurai era?

Bei Yutang wondered if Chu Yinan's dream had turned into a scene from "Fast & Furious" where the Buddha was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Jesus, the old man riding a bull, was riding a bull with purple clouds in the east.

"Putting aside those insignificant details, Xiao Chunan's story is actually quite complete in terms of logic and development. It's hard to imagine that you can have such interesting dreams." Bei Yutang pulled her hand out of her brother's embrace and began to stroke his cheek again.

“I vaguely remember some details that I need to fill in the gaps. I talked with the female monster at the hot spring shop until late at night and even helped her find the real culprit.”

"So who is the real culprit? A fox spirit from the mountain, or a male nobleman who likes to play with foxes?" Yan Liu wanted to know the answer, even if the story was a bit far-fetched.

"I guessed it was my missing wife, but I've forgotten a lot of the details, so I can't say why." Chu Yinan felt that he probably judged it by the buttocks at the time.

Even if you lose your face, your ass won't lie.

"Alright." Yan Liu sighed helplessly. Seeing Chu Yinan yawning as her sister touched her, she said gently, "Clear your mind and close your eyes for a while. You went to bed so late last night."

Bei Yutang held her younger brother's head, signaling him to turn over so that Chu Yinan's face was facing her abdomen, making it easier for him to fall asleep without being directly in front of a light source.

Meanwhile, the hand that was stroking Chu Yinan did not stop. Two fingers gently stroked his cheek, as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water. Just by playing with the fine downy hair on his skin, the little guy could sleep very comfortably.

According to Chu Yinan's own experience, it felt a little tingly and itchy, but not uncomfortable at all.

Once he's asleep, even pinching his cheek won't wake him up.

Before long, Chu Yinan fell fast asleep on her sister's lap.

Bei Yutang looked at her mother and said, "Chu Nan's dream was too vivid. Could he have been sleepwalking last night? I remember when I held him this morning, he didn't smell of sweat at all."

"I don't remember, but he said he couldn't sleep. Could it be that he felt like he couldn't sleep in his dreams?" Yan Liu smiled. But sleepwalking is a medical condition. We might have to take him to get checked out later.

"Why can't I have such an interesting dream? The monsters in my dream can even tell stories. But after Chu Nan wakes up, let's go down the mountain together and ask the villagers what's going on with that hot spring house next door."

"Hmm, I think if Xiao Chunan really wasn't dreaming, then maybe he saw a light in the middle of the night, ran to someone's house, chatted with them for a while, and was then sent back. Maybe it was a villager from the mountains?"

“Who knows?” Bei Yutang shrugged and pinched her younger brother’s nose. “Maybe he just wants to see us wearing yukatas and other clothes, so he’s hinting at it indirectly. He really liked the hot spring shop owner in the game script I wrote last time.”

"It seems like that happened. I saw you playing with him back then. Now, go online and see if there are any styles you like. You can buy a set as a souvenir, and you can also make a video call to show off to Heinrich."

Chapter 108 Food

Evening, at a restaurant at the foot of the mountain.

"Why don't you get a higher chair, or add a stool? You seem to be having a hard time eating like this," Bei Yutang kindly suggested.

Chu Yinan wasn't sure if it was a local custom or something else, but the table was on the higher side, while the chairs were quite low. Bei Yutang and Yan Liu didn't think it mattered much, but it had a significant impact on Chu Yinan.

If he sits casually with his back slumped, the only part of his body above the table that would be visible is probably just above his collarbone.

This humiliating situation forced him to awkwardly raise his arms to pick up food, drink soup, and eat rice.

"No, those chairs are for little kids, I don't need them." Chu Yinan was very stubborn on this issue, and no matter how uncomfortable the food was, she would not accept those children's chairs.

After taking a couple of bites of fish floss rice, Bei Yutang took a tissue to wipe her mouth and said, "I'm trying to lose weight and eating less lately. I've had enough. Chu Nan, come here, I want to hug you."

"I still need to eat. Let me have a drone deliver a pillow for you to hug." Chu Yinan casually dismissed his sister, then took a bite of meat. The taste was a bit bland, but he was already used to it.

"I'll feed you the same thing, come here quickly." The older sister moved her chair back a bit, patted her thigh, and her attitude was slightly forceful.

Chu Yinan muttered a couple of words, got down from his seat, climbed onto his sister's black silk legs and sat down. Bei Yutang picked up her chopsticks, put some food on his plate, and fed him.

The dishes she picked out for him were mostly ones he had just tried and found acceptable. Bei Yutang knew that her younger brother was a very picky eater, and that he would show it on his face when he encountered something he particularly disliked. Therefore, Bei Yutang would pay attention to her brother's reactions when he ate and remember what he liked and disliked.

Just now, when she forcefully told him to eat on her lap, it was actually just to give Chu Yinan a way out. She didn't want this stubborn little donkey to eat too uncomfortablely. There was no problem with changing the chair, but he just cared a lot about being treated like a child.

Moreover, Bei Yutang knew that he cared about many details. If he found out that his sister offered to feed him because she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable while eating, then this guy would stubbornly insist on eating by himself.

So just now, Bei Yutang acted as if she was already full and just wanted to feed him since she had nothing else to do. She also had to be a little forceful so that he would obediently come to her.

"Is the food here good? The seafood is all imported from premium overseas regions, and with the traditional cooking methods here, it should be pretty good, right?" Yan Liu asked her two children, she herself was quite satisfied with the meal.

She was even a little curious whether the AI ​​recipes were included here. If they were, she could try making them herself. Tonight's dishes were all very beautifully presented.

"It's good, the meat is very fresh, but I feel like eating too much might lead to overnutrition? It's too nourishing." After feeding her younger brother a few bites, Bei Yutang started eating again herself.

"Where is Xiao Chunan?"

"This tomato soup is alright, it's sour but not too sweet. These shrimp are very bouncy. I bet these dishes must be made by hand. It must be exhausting to cook one meal like this." Chu Yinan rarely commented on ingredients other than lemons and coffee beans, but today was an exception.

Two of the dishes were sweet and sour, and the sweetness wasn't the cloying sweetness of cake or cream, but rather the natural sweetness of the ingredients themselves. The chef's skills were truly remarkable, and it seemed as if they had deliberately catered to his taste.

"Can you accept simple food?" The old woman walked over with a smile. Because there are very few tourists in the scenic area, each person can be considered a rare guest.

"Great! Did Grandma make all these dishes herself? Or did she use some kind of machine?" Chu Yinan asked curiously. If it was the latter, then it would be very convenient for her to eat them at home in the future.

"No, at my age, where would I find the strength to cook such a big meal for you? Besides, the same ingredients and recipes will taste different depending on who makes them. You might not be able to taste this delicious food again next time you come!"

Chu Yinan didn't take these words to heart. He had almost finished eating, and the only thing on his mind was his strange encounter, or rather, his "strange dream," last night.

"Grandma, last night I saw the lights on in that dilapidated hot spring house next door. It's still pretty new inside. I also met a young woman there. Is she from the village?"

“The village is full of old folks, or people who are about to become old folks. You must be dreaming.” The old man’s attitude was calm, and he just smiled helplessly at Chu Yinan’s words. “Besides, that hot spring house has been vacant for a long time. Who would go in and turn on the lights?”

Chu Yinan didn't care whether others believed him or not, because no matter the outcome, it wouldn't affect him in any way.

"Are there foxes in the scenic area? I saw a fox last night."

"Yes, that's true. If you're lucky, you might see those little guys. They're free-range and very familiar with the villagers. Sometimes they even come over for food."