MTLNOVEL Chapter 484: Chapter 484
Although the island boasts beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate,
the tourism business on Xiaomajia Island has entered a slow season under the summer sun.
Despite the proximity to the sea, which makes the mornings and evenings more bearable, the daytime heat is still exhausting. Employees spend most of their days indoors, enjoying the air conditioning, eating fruit to cool off, and occasionally indulging in an afternoon tea break in the restaurant to recharge.
As the summer went on,
the employees of Jasmine Hotel not only avoided the suffering of the scorching heat but also grew plump and fair-skinned from their time indoors.
Even Ruikeya gained a few pounds, with a noticeable layer of fat appearing on his chin.
When Chen Jianhai saw the radiant Ruikeya, a faint trace of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"Boss, let me explain."
"I'm actually suffering from stress-induced weight gain."
Ruikeya casually pushed the fruit plate and snack tray behind him, sighing with a look of sincerity.
"I don't believe a word of it!"
Chen Jianhai rolled his eyes, swatting Ruikeya aside, and picked up a large red Surinam cherry from the fruit plate, popping it into his mouth.
*Crunch.*
The sweet and tangy juice burst in his mouth.
The cherry seemed to have been frozen, with a thin layer of ice clinging to it,
giving it the texture of a fruit sorbet.
With one bite, the heat and frustration from the journey seemed to be extinguished.
So refreshing~
Chen Jianhai stretched his legs out, holding the frozen cherry, enjoying the cool sea breeze and gazing at the azure ocean. The spirit of the "lazy fish" had once again possessed him.
All he wanted to do now was sit there, doing nothing, and stare at the sea.
While he was lost in thought,
Ruikeya beside him grew increasingly anxious.
What does this mean?
Is his silence a sign of displeasure or anger?
Did I do something wrong? Is he waiting for me to confess?
But his expression doesn't seem like it!
In an instant,
countless thoughts raced through Ruikeya's mind. He pondered and speculated but couldn't figure it out. Finally, after much deliberation, he mustered the courage to ask:
"Boss, I also brewed a pot of jasmine tea. Would you like to try it?"
Chen Jianhai's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Bring it over!"
Ruikeya immediately brightened. "Right away, sir!"
...
*Splash, splash~*
The sound of tea being poured filled the air.
Under the blue sky, beside the coconut trees and gentle waves,
Chen Jianhai and Ruikeya sat lazily on either side, each holding a teacup.
"This place is really the best."
Chen Jianhai took a sip of the jasmine tea and sighed contentedly.
The hot tea warmed his stomach, making him break into a sweat, and he felt completely refreshed.
In terms of hotel size, luxury, and land area, Lion Lake Castle Hotel far surpassed the small Jasmine Hotel.
But given the different styles and main attractions,
Lion Lake Castle Hotel, located next to the Magic Century Theme Park and featuring an indoor amusement park, had a lively and bustling atmosphere.
In contrast, the small Jasmine Hotel remained quiet and peaceful, offering a true sense of relaxation and vacation.
"Boss, we haven't been slacking off. Aside from our breaks, we've been working diligently."
After much deliberation, Ruikeya finally spoke up.
"I know."
Chen Jianhai leaned his head back against the chair and replied.
He might act like a lazy fish, but he wasn't actually stupid.
In fact, from the moment he entered the small Jasmine Hotel, he had already observed everything carefully.
The hotel's garden was neatly trimmed, with lush flowers and grass. The swimming pool water was crystal clear, the lobby was bright and clean, and every part of the building was well-maintained.
Although the employees had visibly gained weight, they all looked energetic and cheerful, with relaxed smiles on their faces. The warm and welcoming atmosphere of the hotel was incredibly comforting.
"You've managed the small island hotel very well. You've worked hard these past few months," Chen Jianhai said softly. "Any news from the sanatorium recently?"
Ruikeya: "The sanatorium sent a message earlier. Their director might come to the island in a few days for an inspection. Once the inspection is successful, we can sign the contract."
A few more days...
Does that mean he'll have to keep shuttling between Zaomen and Nanjiang?
He had originally planned to resolve all three matters during this trip, but now it seemed he would have to adjust to their schedule.
Chen Jianhai suddenly felt a bit helpless.
For the first time in his life, he felt that owning too many hotels might not be such a good thing.
If his hotels continued to expand, wouldn't he have to travel all over the country for business trips?!
The thought of such a future made the lazy Boss Chen feel like crying.
Just as Chen Jianhai was feeling utterly frustrated,
Ruikeya added salt to the wound with a piercing question:
"Boss, didn't you meet up with Sister Xiaofan this time?"
"No," Chen Jianhai replied irritably, sipping his jasmine tea. "When I returned to Langai Hotel, she was at the Coconut Umbrella Hotel Industry Association submitting materials. We didn't cross paths."
Ruikeya: ??? "You didn't wait for her and just came straight to the island?"
"No," Chen Jianhai said matter-of-factly. "The Zaomen hotel has just opened, and everything is still unstable. I can't be away for too long. Once I finish handling things in Nanjiang, I'll have to rush back."
Ruikeya: ...
If you were really that busy, how could you sit here like a lazy fish all afternoon???
It's clearly just an excuse.
Chen Jianhai irritably set his teacup down on the table.
Truth be told, he missed Xiaofan too,
but when he left Nanjiang last time, her question, "Can't you take me with you?" had really broken his defenses.
He just felt so helpless!!!
He really wanted to take Xiaofan with him, but he currently didn't have anyone suitable to manage Langai Hotel.
If they met this time and she asked him the same question again, he truly wouldn't know how to answer.
Rather than having to harden his heart and refuse her again, it was better to avoid the situation for now and meet her only after finding a solution.
While Chen Jianhai was lazily sipping tea on Xiaomajia Island,
a post titled *"Heaven and Hell... Our Two-Day, Two-Night Experience at Magic Century Theme Park and Lion Lake Castle Hotel"* quietly went viral online.
...
On Friday night, after finally getting her baby to sleep, the exhausted mother Wang Wanwan finally had time to take out her phone, log into QILIQILI, and watch some videos to relax.
Since moving to Zaomen, Xu Yong had rarely returned home before 1 a.m.
He left early and returned late every day.
Although this "widowed-style" marriage wasn't very happy,
thinking that her husband was working hard for their small family, Wang Wanwan bravely learned to grow up, striving to take good care of herself and the baby so that Xu Yong wouldn't be distracted.
"Lion Lake Castle Hotel? Isn't that the new hotel Boss Chen opened in Zaomen?"
As soon as Wang Wanwan opened the video website, she saw a video labeled "Hot" pinned at the top of the page.
When Chen Jianhai's Lion Lake Castle Hotel held its opening ceremony, both she and Xu Yong had received invitations.
However, because their baby was sick, the couple had been busy accompanying the child in the hospital and regrettably missed the event.
Now, seeing her old friend's hotel featured in a video, she eagerly clicked on it.
Since Huadu and Xiaoxiao already had a stable fan base, and with the Magic Century Theme Park currently being a hot topic, the video immediately garnered widespread attention upon its release!
"Friendly reminder: This video does not contain any form of comparison, advertising, or bias. It is purely a vlog from a passerby's perspective, with all footage sourced from live-stream clips."
"This video is an edited vlog. For the full version, please refer to the complete live-stream video. The link is in the pinned comment."
"Recommend using headphones for the best viewing experience."
As soon as the video started, a large, eye-catching "Friendly Reminder" appeared on the screen.
"This reminder is so strange," Wang Wanwan thought curiously as she scrolled down, only to find that the video was divided into two parts: P1 and P2.
P1 was a recorded vlog of their virtual tour of Magic Century Theme Park and Lion Lake Castle Hotel.
Similar to the live-stream format,
the P1 video was split into two sections, showing the two bloggers' experiences at the theme park and the hotel simultaneously.
P2, however, simply had four words: "Room 1703."
Opening the comments section, she saw:
"Run from P2!"
"P2 is high-intensity. Those with weak hearts, beware."
"Warning: P2 is horror-themed. Proceed with caution."
...
"What's up with P2?"
Wang Wanwan's curiosity was piqued by the comments flooding about P2.
P2 was a nearly 30-minute video.
As soon as she opened it, Wang Wanwan was startled by the dense layer of comments covering the screen.
"This episode is terrifying."
"Skip to 00:58."
"Comment shield activated."
"Can't find it during the day, can't escape it at night."
"Entering the realm of unsolved mysteries."
...
In the video, Huadu and Xiaoxiao sat in front of the camera in their pajamas, waving to the screen.
"Hello, I'm Huadu."
"Hello, I'm Xiaoxiao~"
"Right now, we're in Room 1703, the so-called 'haunted room' at Lion Lake Castle Hotel in Zaomen."
"Recently, there's been a lot of online buzz about this room, and we were lucky enough to book it. Tonight, we'll be live-streaming our immersive experience of staying in Room 1703."
"That's all for the introduction. We're going to turn off the lights and sleep now. Goodnight~"
As the word "goodnight" echoed, the comments section exploded with warnings like "High-intensity ahead" and "It's not too late to leave now."
With a *click*, the lights went out, and under the infrared camera,
the entire screen turned black and white.
Huadu and Xiaoxiao lay flat on either side of the large bed.
Though the scene was normal, for some reason, in this black-and-white setting,
Wang Wanwan couldn't help but feel that the two looked like paper figures guarding a corpse waiting for burial.
Though the scene was ordinary, it carried an indescribable sense of eeriness.
Since P2 was edited from live-stream footage, the date, time, and recording duration were displayed in the top-left corner.
This objective timeline prevented any suspicion of the video being tampered with or spliced.
At 22:06, as shown on the screen,
the calm video suddenly flickered violently, accompanied by faint, sharp static noises.
Huadu, who had been sound asleep, suddenly jerked his left leg as if having a cramp.
At the same time, Xiaoxiao on the right raised her left arm and swung it violently, as if both were resisting something.
"Is that it?" Wang Wanwan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
As a seasoned horror movie enthusiast, she had seen countless ghost films and mockumentaries. This level of scare couldn't pique her interest.
"Warning, high-intensity ahead!"
"Comment shield activated!"
"I'll protect you!!!"
Suddenly,
a flood of colorful comments filled the screen.
Huadu, who had been lying with his eyes closed, suddenly sat upright, turned his head, and slowly leaned toward Xiaoxiao.
"What is he doing?!"
"Is he sleepwalking?"
Wang Wanwan was startled by the scene, her eyes glued to the screen.
By 22:18,
Huadu's upper body was bent at nearly a 40-degree angle.
His head hung low, his chin resting on his chest, forming almost a 90-degree angle with his body. His face was directly facing Xiaoxiao, as if he was watching her sleep.
Wang Wanwan felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Just watching it made her neck ache, and she instinctively reached up to touch it.
She wanted to close the video,
but her innate curiosity and desire for thrill kept pulling her in, making her eager to know what would happen next.
At that moment,
Xiaoxiao, who had been lying quietly in bed, suddenly grinned and let out a soft, eerie giggle.
Apart from the static noise, there was no other sound in the video.
When the sudden laughter rang out,
Wang Wanwan's scalp tingled. If she hadn't been afraid of waking the baby, she would have screamed.
"Holy crap!"
"Damn damn damn!"
"I almost threw my phone."
"My legs went numb. I was wearing headphones, and it felt like a cold breeze shot up my back."
The comments section exploded.
Huadu staring at someone while they slept was already terrifying enough.
But Xiaoxiao, instead of waking up, started giggling? This was beyond bizarre!
And then things got even weirder.
After her eerie giggle, Xiaoxiao began clawing at her neck unconsciously, as if someone was tightening a rope around it.
Meanwhile, Huadu's head sank lower and lower,
until their noses were almost touching.
For fans of the "Huadu-Xiaoxiao" pairing, this scene would have been a dream come true, a gift from the streamers.
But in this eerie atmosphere,
no one was shipping them. Instead, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Suddenly,
a sharp static noise pierced through the video.
Huadu and Xiaoxiao both opened their eyes as if someone had slapped them awake.
Though their reactions weren't clear in the video,
in the dead of night, two faces almost touching was enough to evoke primal fear.
"Ah!!!"
A piercing scream echoed.
The two then turned on the lights, jumped out of bed without even putting on their shoes, and fled the room.
Due to the camera angle, the video didn't show where they ran, but based on the sound of the door opening, they had likely escaped the room.
The screen showed a chaotic scene.
Apart from the twisted and messy bedsheets indicating that two people had been lying there, there was no other sign of life.