sbdcsierra Chapter 18 Lodging
Chapter 18 Lodging
Once inside the car, before she could even fasten her seatbelt, Tang Qianqian slammed on the gas pedal. The car sped to the middle of the intersection, and she quickly swerved to straighten it and sped away.
After fastening his seatbelt, Chao Bufan smirked, thinking to himself: What? Do you really think I'm your bodyguard? Trying to intimidate me?
Chao Bufan couldn't stand this kind of self-righteous girl from the bottom of his heart. Being self-righteous was one thing, but she also had a sour face, as if the whole world owed her money. Did she really think she was the Empress Dowager?
He had intended to "teach her a lesson," but then thought better of it. He gave a cold laugh and simply closed his eyes to doze off. So much had happened to him recently that he was now relaxed and quickly fell asleep.
"Hey, get off the bus."
The car stopped in front of a hotel on the outskirts of the city. Chao Bufan opened his sleepy eyes, thinking they had arrived, so he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Only then did he realize that he was still in the middle of nowhere. He checked the time and saw that it was only 1:30 a.m., so he asked, "You live here?"
"You're the one who lives here!"
Tang Qianqian dragged her suitcase up to Chao Bufan and said irritably, "Didn't you see the word 'hotel' written on it? Are you illiterate?"
Chao Bufan's unintentional remark immediately drew a barrage of scolding, leaving him thoroughly berated. However, he shrugged without getting angry, then glanced up and realized that it really was just a hotel. He cursed inwardly, but sighed aloud, "Sigh! There's nothing I can do. I didn't even graduate from first grade, so of course I don't know many words. How can I compare to a rich young lady like you?"
Tang Qianqian ignored her, just snorted and dragged her luggage toward the hotel.
Actually, this isn't a formal hotel; it's more like a single-story farmhouse, just with a sign that says "hotel" on the outside. Its convenient location is perfect for travelers who have just exited the highway and want to stop and rest for a few hours.
Chao Bufan was rebuffed and felt embarrassed. He shook his head, but still followed behind Tang Qianqian with a nonchalant attitude.
It was 1:30 a.m. The innkeeper, a woman in her early thirties, was still awake, sitting at the counter watching TV on her phone. Two men, around thirty-five years old, were lying on the sofa, fast asleep. Seeing guests enter, the innkeeper quickly turned off her phone and greeted them with a smile: "Welcome! Are you two staying here?"
Tang Qianqian asked, "Madam, do you have any rooms available?"
The proprietress glanced sideways at the door and saw a luxury car parked outside. Her eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, yes, I happen to have a room here that has just been cleaned."
Upon hearing this, Tang Qianqian frowned and then said, "I want two rooms. If you only have one, then forget it."
After saying that, she turned to leave. This time, the landlady panicked and quickly blocked Tang Qianqian's way, smiling broadly as she said, "Miss, we have plenty of empty rooms here! I'll ask them to make room for you. Besides, it's so late, and it's a long walk to the next hotel from here!"
Tang Qianqian didn't think much of it. After all, she was too tired at the moment, and all she needed was a room. So she said, "Then please make room for me in another one!"
The proprietress nodded hurriedly in agreement, then walked to the sofa and kicked each of the two men who were fast asleep hard, yelling at them, "Wake up, get up!"
A man woke up, turned his head, and asked, "What's up? I was sleeping soundly!"
The other man rubbed his eyes, looking equally drowsy, and mumbled, "Boss, can I sleep a little longer? I'm so sleepy!"
"Wake up, everyone! We have guests."
Upon hearing that guests had arrived, the two men immediately perked up and quickly got up. The landlady quickly gave them a wink and then said, "Xu Gang, hurry up and clean room 106. The guests will be staying there later. Xu Meng, take these two guests to room 105 and bring them two bottles of water while you're at it."
Upon hearing this, the two men replied in unison, "Okay."
This is a courtyard-style suburban hotel. Rooms 105 and 106 are right next to each other, separated only by a wall. The rooms are located in the building to the right of the entrance, and there is a vegetable garden behind the rooms.
Tang Qianqian followed behind Xu Gang and Xu Meng, who appeared to be brothers. Chao Bufan followed behind Tang Qianqian, but at this moment, he was secretly overjoyed. From the looks in the landlady's eyes and those of the two brothers, he subconsciously knew this was definitely a shady inn. He was delighted. He had thought that Tang Guoqiang's daughter would be a highly skilled investigator and counter-investigator, but it turned out she was nothing special! He'd take this opportunity to thoroughly expose her arrogant and aloof nature, so he decided he wouldn't act unless absolutely necessary.
After paying, Tang Qianqian arrived at room 105. Accustomed to luxurious villas, she frowned when she saw that the room contained only a bed, a dilapidated wooden table, and a worn-out sofa chair. There was nothing else, not even a bathroom. She regretted her decision and muttered, "If I had known this hotel was like this, I wouldn't have stayed here."
Xu Meng placed two bottles of mineral water on the table, his face beaming, and said politely, "Gentlemen, room 106 next door has been cleaned. You can rest now. Good night!"
Xu Meng walked out of room 105, and Xu Gang also came out of room 106 at the same time. The two exchanged a glance and then left with sinister smiles.
Room 105 was like this, so she guessed Room 106 wouldn't be much better. Tang Qianqian took off her white backpack and tossed it onto the bed. Turning around, she saw Chao Bufan lighting a cigarette. She frowned and said irritably, "Hey, can you not smoke in my room? Go smoke in the next room."
Chao Bufan took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled, before smiling slightly. His tone immediately turned cold as he said, "Tang Qianqian, listen up: First, I didn't call you 'hey'; second, smoking is my freedom. This isn't your home, where I can smoke wherever I want—it's none of your business; third, don't think I want to be with an iceberg. If it weren't for your father's request, I wouldn't bother with you at all. So, you'd better not use your spoiled rich girl attitude on me, because it won't work on me at all, you…understand?"