Deep in the bamboo forest stood a vast compound spanning tens of thousands of square meters. Built entirely of wood and bamboo, it resembled an ancient architectural estate. This was Chu Lian and her companions' lodging in Neon—the renowned luxury destination, the "Wafuu Inn."
The entire inn was designed in traditional Neon architectural style, yet subtle details revealed touches of elegant Huaxia influence, perfectly blending the two aesthetics into one.
Of course, in this modern age, even such archaic-looking buildings couldn't function without modern amenities. In truth, it was a fully modernized inn wearing the guise of antiquity.
With equipment and facilities on par with a five-star hotel—and the added uniqueness of its style—the comfort it provided surpassed most modern luxury hotels.
The compound's main hall was a towering wooden structure over a dozen stories tall, serving as the core of the inn and occupying nearly half of its area. Inside, every kind of entertainment and leisure service imaginable was available. Since its establishment, the inn's booking rate had consistently remained above 90%. During peak seasons, reservations could be delayed by over ten days.
In truth, the "Wafuu Inn" belonged to the Zhao family. However, for stability, they had traded 49% of its shares with several major corporations in Tokyo. This way, while retaining absolute control, they also ensured a safeguard—few would risk offending multiple powerful families by targeting the inn.
"All of this comes from the information Zhao Ziming provided. It looks pretty thorough. Here's a map of the inn too, with all the fun spots marked," Chu Lian said as she walked behind a butler in a tailcoat, pointing at data on her sleek "black-tech" computer.
"Big Sis, since this is a Wafuu-style inn, there must be hot springs, right? Chu Chu really wants to try them. Can we go together later?" Chu Chu's words echoed the very thought in everyone's mind. Back in Huaxia, although the "Qingping Grand Hotel" had indoor hot springs, the artificial kind could never compare to natural ones. The feeling was entirely different.
Unfortunately, none of the destinations on their domestic trip had been famous for hot springs. Now that they were in Neon, the land of hot springs, missing the chance would be a waste.
"Mm. According to him, this site was chosen specifically because it naturally abounds with hot springs. The water quality is excellent and supposedly beneficial to the body. I'm a little skeptical about that, but since others claim so, let's just believe it."
At that, Chu Lian smiled faintly. "After all, we came here to soak in the springs. As long as the water itself is fine, if they say it's good for us, then it's good for us. It's not like we're planning to live in them forever, right?"
Hearing her words, Inori lifted her delicate hand to her lips, a faint blush blooming on her exquisite face. She hadn't expected normally serious Chu Lian to say something so playful.
Meanwhile, Li Xiu'er tugged at Chu Chu's sleeve, her eyes wide with surprise and hesitation. In a low voice she asked, "Chu Chu, since when did Chu Lian become so cheeky? It feels like she really doesn't like that Zhao Ziming. Otherwise, she wouldn't talk like that."
"Hmph. That awful guy only used liking Ayase as an excuse to get close to Big Sis. I don't like him either. If not for the fact that he sponsored this whole trip, I would've already said something." At the mention of Zhao Ziming, Chu Chu immediately thought of Ayase, who had been missing for some time now. Her mood soured at once, her tone turning sharp with anger.
Part of it was her genuine dislike of Zhao Ziming's behavior. But more than that, it was because thinking of Ayase—the rival who was even harder to deal with than Inori—made it impossible to stay in a good mood.
"Besides, it's not that Big Sis has turned bad, it's just that she's become more open, not as restrained as before. That's a good thing, Xiu'er." Putting aside the two people who annoyed her, Chu Chu felt only joy when she thought of Chu Lian's change.
"Is that so? Looks like I was overthinking…" Li Xiu'er let go of her sleeve, lowered her head, and seemed lost in thought.
Meanwhile, while Chu Lian and Inori were laughing and talking, and Chu Chu and Li Xiu'er whispered to each other, the butler walking ahead stopped, made a polite gesture, and pointed to a wooden door. With a respectful bow, he said in Japanese: "Ladies, your classmates are inside. Please open the door and enter."
"Thank you. You may leave now. If we need anything, we'll call for you." Chu Lian nodded, waved her hand to dismiss the young attendant, then put away her "high-tech" computer. Standing before the wooden door, she looked at the white paper-covered panel, her hand hovering in midair for a moment before she finally lowered it and pushed the door open.
"You're here?" Class 1's students were seated around a ten-meter-long table, eating. At the head sat Ning Zhiyuan, who looked up when the bell on the door chimed and saw the group who had arrived late.
Chu Lian scratched the back of her head, momentarily embarrassed, but Inori gave her hand a little tug and gestured toward the empty seats, signaling her to sit down first before saying anything else.
On the long table, twenty students sat on each side, but one seat on one side was left empty, and four seats on the other. It was obvious the single empty seat belonged to Zhang Feng, who had withdrawn from the trip, and the other four seats were for Chu Lian's group.
So she nodded at Ning Zhiyuan, then walked over to the seat next to Cai Ya and sat down. Only then did she speak: "Sorry, we were delayed. But it's resolved now, no problem."
"I heard you brought back an injured girl? Is she alright? Do you know what happened? Should we call the police?" Ning Zhiyuan's voice carried easily across the short distance between them.
"Mm, I've already placed her in our rooms and asked a few skilled attendants to look after her. Her injuries are serious, as if cut by some kind of blade. I don't know who would do something so cruel to such a cute girl." Beneath the table, Chu Lian's two hands were clasped around Inori's and Cai Ya's small hands.
Cai Ya had planned to pull away, but when she noticed the gentle way Chu Lian held Inori's hand, the strength in her resistance faded. Still, in this public setting she worried about being seen, so she turned her head and shot Chu Lian a sharp glare, warning her not to go too far.
Chu Lian gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, but made no other move. Instead, she let go, lifted her teacup, took a sip, then continued: "Her condition is poor. The wound had been bleeding for too long, and she wasted energy by moving around earlier. Now she's suffering from blood loss. It'll take time for her to recover."
Cai Ya felt a pang of disappointment when Chu Lian let go so quickly, as if she didn't really care. But no sooner had she thought this than Chu Lian set down her teacup and once again took her trembling hand in a gentle hold.
Her eyes, however, drifted toward Chu Lian's and Inori's still tightly interlaced fingers. In her heart, she thought: So Inori is the one she truly relies on. Is the cultivation world really so mysterious? I can't help but yearn for it… and for her.
Such were the thoughts of a girl's sensitive heart, sharpened by her growing feelings for Chu Lian. If not for the rooftop embrace at the recording studio, perhaps she would never have thought this way. But now, she valued Chu Lian more and more.
"Her situation is unusual. Reporting to the police may not be appropriate, so we discussed it and decided to take her in for now. Once she recovers, we can ask her what she wants." Chu Lian's words were sincere. Taking in one more person wasn't a great burden for them. Even if this girl was powerful, they weren't worried.
From their encounters so far, they already knew the coldness and killing intent on her face were only a mask, a way to protect the fragile, kind heart within. Because reality was too cruel, the girl disguised herself so she wouldn't lose her way. That was understandable.
"Will she bring danger to us?" Under normal circumstances, Ning Zhiyuan would never have asked such a thing. But after what had happened on the first day, she couldn't help but worry. She was asking now as a teacher responsible for her students' safety, even if she knew it wasn't ideal.
"No. She's a good girl. Unless someone hurts her first, she won't attack anyone." Chu Lian had lived through much in her past life. She understood Ning Zhiyuan wasn't speaking from suspicion, but from duty. So she didn't take offense.
Inori, Chu Chu, and Li Xiu'er, however, all frowned slightly. Compared to Chu Lian, who had seen far more, they were still too young. They couldn't fully understand. But Ning Zhiyuan's doubt toward the white-haired girl still made them uncomfortable. Even Inori, who knew a bit more, felt the same.
Chu Lian squeezed Inori's small hand and turned to smile at the girls, soothing their unease. After all, they were still eating breakfast. It wouldn't do for things to turn sour.
Seeing their expressions, Ning Zhiyuan also realized this wasn't the right time. So she said instead: "Let's eat first. Only after a good meal will we have the strength to deal with other matters."
"Teacher is right. Let's eat." Having just finished a fight, Chu Lian didn't stand on ceremony. She pulled her hands back from the two girls' grasp, picked up her chopsticks and bowl, and started eating.
The others followed suit. Aside from their group of four and Cai Ya, the rest of the students had already begun their meal. No matter how mysterious the white-haired girl seemed, hungry students found food far more compelling.
Halfway through the meal, Chu Lian suddenly received a message from Tina, who was watching over Kurosaki Satsuki. The white-haired girl had woken up…