“Let’s go with this one, the reviews look pretty good.”
The two of them stopped in front of a hotel. The building was a minimalist white box, without any unnecessary decorations.
A massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall stretched from top to bottom, reflecting drifting clouds and the street scene outside.
The only splash of color was the striking red cube-shaped lightbox at the entrance, with just the word “HOTEL” printed in black letters.
The metallic automatic doors slid open soundlessly, revealing a cool, gray-toned reception area inside.
It was clean and crisp, exactly like the photos.
“Is it… though? Isn’t it a bit too plain? You don’t need to save money for your big sister.”
Lin Mowei couldn’t say she liked or disliked the hotel’s style.
She just felt that, since this was her first time staying out with her little brother, maybe it should be a bit more luxurious, to create a memorable experience.
Lin Yu smiled, “No need, Sis. This is fine. The reviews say the beds here are really comfortable, and the space is well laid out. Plus, for this price, it’s a great deal.”
Lin Mowei pouted and muttered under her breath, “I told you, you don’t need to save money for me. Your sister’s not short on cash.”
As soon as she finished, she suddenly caught the key word in her brother’s sentence. Her eyes lit up. “The bed… is really comfortable?”
Lin Yu was still scrolling on his phone, completely missing the hint in his sister’s words.
“Yeah, most of the comments are about the bed. I’m honestly curious how comfortable it can be. Let’s go.”
With that, he took the lead and stepped inside.
After entering, Lin Mowei suddenly said, “Xiaoyu, you must be tired after walking so long. Go have a seat over there, I’ll go get the room.”
She didn’t wait for Lin Yu’s response and walked straight to the reception desk.
Lin Yu was glad for the peace, but as soon as he sat down, an odd feeling struck him—a sense that something unlikely, but seemingly inevitable, was about to happen.
Sure enough, when he saw his sister return, looking embarrassed yet barely able to hide her delight, his premonition came true.
“Well, Xiaoyu, there’s only one room left. Looks like we’ll have to squeeze in together tonight.”
“……”
Lin Yu’s mouth twitched. He didn’t even have the energy to complain.
Still, he decided to make a final attempt, but the receptionist explained that, thanks to the festival, all of District One’s hotels were packed.
There really was only one room left, and if they’d been any later, even that would have been gone.
While Lin Yu looked helplessly at his triumphant sister, he failed to notice the receptionist behind him giving Lin Mowei an envious thumbs up—maybe meaning…
“This kid’s really smooth.”
Of course, Lin Yu had no idea he’d been set up by his sister. All he could do was marvel at how “coincidental” this was. But how would they sleep tonight?
Thinking about how clingy his sister had been recently, he had a hunch he wouldn’t be getting any rest at all.
This was a bit much…
They followed the room number to their door, and, unsurprisingly, there was only one bed.
At that moment, Lin Yu finally understood why most of the reviews mentioned the bed’s comfort.
“This bed… is huge.”
The bed took up almost half the room.
Lin Mowei nodded in satisfaction. “It really is. So big, it feels like you could do anything on it and not fall off.”
“…?” What exactly are you planning to do?
Lin Yu couldn’t help glancing over at his sister.
Lin Mowei looked back at him, as if asking a perfectly innocent question, “What’s wrong, Xiaoyu?”
Lin Yu averted his gaze. “Nothing. With a bed this big, it’s perfect. We can each have our own side.”
“That’s right~” Lin Mowei agreed cheerfully.
Lin Yu scratched his head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his sister was acting weird, but couldn’t put his finger on why.
It was just like that saying about how the light is darkest under the lamp—if it had been someone else, Lin Yu would’ve immediately realized it was deliberate.
But when it came to his own sister, because of their sibling bond, he couldn’t imagine anything beyond that.
All he thought was that his sister seemed… a bit too fond of being close to him.
Of course, it was the kind of closeness between family members, nothing more.
After putting their things away, the two of them decided to head out for a stroll.
A centennial festival—such an occasion was rare.
The bustling scene was exactly as expected: drums thundered, firecrackers danced, red banners fluttered, and crowds surged like tides.
If Lin Mowei hadn’t been clutching Lin Yu’s hand tightly, he would’ve lost track of where he’d been swept off to.
“Xiaoyu, hold on to your sister. If we get separated, I’ll be so worried,” Lin Mowei whispered in his ear. Maybe it was the festive atmosphere, but her breath felt especially warm against his ear.
“Mm, okay…”
Pressed close to his sister, feeling the softness through their thin clothes, Lin Yu felt himself getting hot too—especially after her whisper, his ears began to burn.
Seeing her brother so shy yet trying hard to endure it, Lin Mowei couldn’t help swallowing a few times.
Ah… I really want to hurry back, I really want to get on that bed…
At last, they squeezed through the densest crowd and arrived at the wide festival plaza.
It was still lively here, but there was also a hint of solemnity.
All around, giant light screens played a loop of the city’s development—from a single fortress, to five; from desperately defending against Rift Beasts, to launching organized offensives and reclaiming lost ground in recent years.
Research into Rift Beasts, research into that spatial rift—it had never stopped.
8 PM.
After the sun had fully set, the buildings around them lit up, and spotlights atop the roofs slowly converged on a central stage.
Brother and sister, snacks in hand, turned their attention that way.
“It’s starting,” Lin Mowei said, her eyes shining faintly with admiration.
Lin Yu knew who she meant, but still played dumb: “Who?”
“The Chief of Extermination for all five City Nests…”
She hadn’t finished, when a rich voice with a clear feminine timbre rang out.
“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the centennial celebration of City Nest. I’m Chief of Extermination Lan Lan, and I’ll be hosting tonight’s festivities.”
As the voice faded, a figure appeared center stage.
It was a tall, commanding woman, looking to be in her thirties, with crisp silver hair cut short.
Her striking features were softened by a hint of gentleness. Amber eyes swept the crowd with the authority of one used to command.
She wore a sharply tailored navy uniform; the insignia on her epaulets marked her rank.
A faint scar crossed her left brow, disappearing into her hairline.
The moment she appeared, just by standing there, she quieted the entire plaza.
Lin Yu glanced at his sister. He knew her goal was this very Chief.
Not the position, but the person.
That would’ve been entirely true in the past, but now… not completely.
Lin Mowei looked at Lan Lan a few more times, then suddenly turned to ask, “Xiaoyu, do you think Chief Lan is cool?”
Lin Yu assumed his sister wanted his approval and, as always, nodded. “Yeah, she’s really cool.”
He didn’t notice that, when she heard those words, Lin Mowei’s pupils dilated slightly.
So cool…
Since Xiaoyu likes that, I must reach that position, too.
So, where’s Teacher Qin?
I remember she and Chief Lan are friends. If I could get her to put in a good word…
But just as she was searching for Qin Wuyue, that very voice rang out from behind them.
“Mowei, Xiaoyu, what are you two doing here?”