At some point, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.
Chrysanthemum Douluo walked up to the carriage where Zhao Ling and the others were riding and spoke in a tentative tone:
"Demon Suppression Douluo, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you and Miss Ah Yin to stay in a hotel for the night. I need to take the young lady and the others to meet with His Holiness the Pope.
But rest assured, His Holiness will summon you for an audience tomorrow. What do you think?"
Zhao Ling turned to look at Bibi Dong and asked, "Dong'er, do you think it's better for me to go to Spirit Hall with you now, or wait for tomorrow's summons...?"
Bibi Dong bit her red lip and fell silent. Of course, she hoped Zhao Ling would go to Spirit Hall with her—truthfully, she was feeling very uneasy right now.
However, she was smart. Upon hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo say that Zhao Ling should stay one night and only be summoned the next day, she realized this must have been instructed by her teacher.
So, she couldn't force Zhao Ling to go to Spirit Hall without an official summons from her teacher.
Thinking of this, Bibi Dong finally replied slowly, "Why don't you stay at the hotel for the night first? I'll return and report to Teacher."
Zhao Ling stared into her eyes for over ten seconds before turning to Ah Yin and nodded.
"That's fine too. It's better than barging in unannounced and disturbing the Pope. That would be quite rude."
With that, Zhao Ling bid farewell to Bibi Dong, took Ah Yin's hand, and stepped down from the carriage. Led by Qian Hu, they headed toward a lavishly decorated hotel.
Standing outside the hotel, Zhao Ling saw the four large characters "Rose Hotel" and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Hmm… this hotel name seems familiar. Didn't Tang San and Xiao Wu also stay at a Rose Hotel the first time in the original novel?
Why does Spirit City also have a Rose Hotel? Could it be a chain?
Ah Yin noticed something strange and looked up at Zhao Ling, asking softly, "What's wrong? Something odd?"
Zhao Ling relaxed his brows and pointed at the words "Rose Hotel" as he replied:
"Hmm, I think I've seen a Rose Hotel elsewhere too. I didn't expect there to be one here as well."
At that moment, Qian Hu turned around and chuckled, "The Rose Hotel has branches all over the Douluo Continent. Not just in many cities of the Heaven Dou Empire—there are quite a few in Spirit City and even the Star Luo Empire."
With Qian Hu, an elite of Spirit Hall, helping them, Zhao Ling and Ah Yin easily checked into the Rose Hotel.
And since the two of them were now a couple in name and in fact, they were given a couple's suite.
After securing the room for them, Qian Hu left. Zhao Ling and Ah Yin followed the hotel staff to their room. As soon as the door opened, they were greeted by a strong fragrance of roses.
Looking inside, they saw the whole room decorated in a romantic red theme. All the furniture patterns and the deep red carpet were adorned with rose motifs. There was even a large red heart in the center of the room—an extremely romantic and suggestive ambiance.
Zhao Ling suddenly recalled that this room looked exactly like the one Tang San and Xiao Wu stayed in from the original novel.
And then there was the massive, soft, heart-shaped bed that took up nearly half the room. Just looking at it stirred Zhao Ling's imagination.
He couldn't help but wonder just how comfortable it would be to lie on that bed—especially with someone he loved…
In an atmosphere this seductive, even a moral paragon like Liu Xiahui would probably lose control, let alone someone like Zhao Ling.
Ah Yin sensed danger and turned to the hotel staff, asking in a hesitant tone:
"Um, do you have any single rooms? I'd like to…"
Before she could finish, Zhao Ling quickly covered Ah Yin's red lips with his hand and gave the staff an awkward smile.
"No worries. You can go now. If we need anything, I'll come find you."
The hotel staff, understanding Zhao Ling's intentions—after all, there were few beauties in Spirit City who could rival Miss Ah Yin, perhaps only the Pope's precious disciple—left with a knowing smile.
As soon as the staff was gone, Zhao Ling scooped Ah Yin up in his arms and walked straight toward the heart-shaped bed, ignoring her light struggle…
Inside the Pope's Palace.
Qian Xunji sat solemnly on the throne, with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo respectfully waiting by his side.
Bibi Dong, along with a group of Spirit Hall elites, knelt on one knee with respectful expressions.
"Teacher, our mission to Soto City was a success. The Spirit Battle Team did not disgrace their duty and has returned in triumph."
Qian Xunji swept his eyes over the group, his gaze calm and unreadable, before nodding slightly.
"Hmm. You may all rise. Elder Ju has already reported your performance to me—you've all done very well. Especially you, Dong'er. Your achievements have made me very proud."
With permission granted, Bibi Dong and the other elites stood up and respectfully listened to Qian Xunji's instructions.
His tone was full of praise, and his eyes held a hint of doting affection when he looked at Bibi Dong.
Before, Bibi Dong didn't think there was anything wrong with that look. But ever since reading the contents of the diary, she couldn't help but feel uneasy when her teacher looked at her that way.
She didn't even understand what her teacher was saying. Whatever she heard just went in one ear and out the other. She was afraid that, just like in the diary, her teacher might try something on her.
After more than ten minutes of unease, the other elites left, leaving only Qian Xunji, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and Bibi Dong in the hall.
At that moment, Qian Xunji stood up from his throne. His eyes on Bibi Dong were filled with fatherly affection.
"Dong'er, I heard that during your time in Soto City, you met a man you're quite fond of? That you even threw yourself into his arms? Dong'er, you…"
Though Bibi Dong had mentally prepared for this, she still couldn't stop her body from trembling uncontrollably.
"Te-Teacher, I'm sorry. He was just… too outstanding. I couldn't help being drawn to him. I—I'm so sorry…"
"Oh? Too outstanding? Dong'er, you've never sincerely admired anyone before, and now you're saying someone is so outstanding? That makes me very curious."
"Dong'er, don't be afraid. I'm not some kind of monster. You're all grown up now—almost eighteen. It's normal to have feelings. I'm not blaming you at all."
Seeing Bibi Dong trembling, Qian Xunji was puzzled—was he really that intimidating?
He gently raised his hand and softly patted Bibi Dong's head, like a father stroking his daughter. This gentle gesture gradually eased the fear in Bibi Dong's heart.
"Teacher, you… really don't blame me?" Bibi Dong asked softly, looking stunned.
"Of course not, Dong'er. You've grown up and have your own thoughts. How could I possibly blame you?"
Qian Xunji's gaze remained soft and calm, without the slightest trace of anger, leaving Bibi Dong wondering—why hasn't her teacher turned into a beast like in the diary?