As night deepened, Luo Shu stepped onto the plush carpet of the hotel's 29th floor, pausing before Room 2904. Glancing at the door number, he casually retrieved the keycard from his pocket, musing to himself:
'Come to think of it, this is my first time doing something like this, isn't it?'
Meeting a complete stranger with no emotional connection, rolling around in bed together. To put it bluntly, wasn't this just solicitation?
'Feels like I've fallen a bit...'
Despite the faint guilt prickling his conscience, Luo Shu didn't hesitate to swipe the card.
'Well, I'm already here. Might as well see it through.'
After all, those who chickened out midway were far more despicable than those who committed fully!
With a beep, the door unlocked. The moment Luo Shu pushed it open, he heard frantic rustling inside—someone scrambling to hide something, likely unprepared for his arrival. The sound resembled plastic bags being hastily stuffed.
Stepping past the entryway, his gaze landed on a slender girl with long lavender hair bent over the sofa, hurriedly shoving instant ramen into a bag. Her waist was so narrow he could gauge her excellent figure just from her silhouette.
Yet Luo Shu was utterly baffled. "Sorry, but... who are you?"
"Eh?" The girl froze mid-motion, turning in surprise.
Only then did Luo Shu see her face clearly.
It was undeniably striking—fresh-faced, porcelain skin with a dewy, no-makeup makeup look (though likely meticulously applied). Even without cosmetics, her features were stunning, radiating youthful collagen.
'She looks even younger than her appearance suggests...' Luo Shu noted inwardly, though confusion mounted.
This girl was pretty, but definitely not the Mai Sakurajima he'd imagined.
'Since when did Mai have lavender hair?'
More importantly... His eyes flicked to the star-shaped pupils in her eyes.
'Pretty sure Mai didn't have celestial irises?'
'Even if she were an Uchiha with Mangekyō Sharingan, this would still be the wrong franchise!'
"Um..." The girl who had been put on the spot finally ventured a tentative question as Luo Shu eyed her openly: "Excuse me, are you Mr Luo Shu?"
"That's me. And you are?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow, instinctively moving his hands slightly behind his back as his nerves tensed in that instant.
It might seem laughable, but Luo Shu was genuinely wary of her right now.
Even if the opponent was just an ordinary person, he instinctively remained vigilant against any potential threat.
Demigod powerhouses who looked like young girls definitely existed. While the chances of encountering one were slim, Luo Shu preferred to err on the side of caution rather than end up as a black-and-white photo on a memorial wall.
Yet the girl before him seemed to relax at his response, as if she'd confirmed his identity and received the right answer.
Then, facing Luo Shu directly, the girl smiled and said:
"If you're Mr Luo Shu, then I must be in the right place."
"As for who I am..." She playfully stuck out her tongue in what could only be described as a textbook cute expression: "I'm Ai Hoshino, an idol."
After saying this, the girl who called herself Ai Hoshino scratched her cheek awkwardly and added in a small voice:
"Though I might not be very famous... but I am an idol, right?"
Hearing this unconfident statement and the name Ai Hoshino, Luo Shu's expression turned peculiar:
"You said you're in the right place... does that mean you were actually sent by that bald guy Oko Shinomiya?"
Mai Sakurajima was one thing, but Ai Hoshino? What the hell?
Luo Shu vaguely remembered this being the name of an anime idol who died young, with a mixed reputation, but beyond that, he was more curious about how Mai Sakurajima had become Ai Hoshino.
'Am I being honey-trapped here?'
Ai Hoshino tilted her head in confusion:
"I don't know anyone called Oko Shinomiya... but my manager did say the person who sent me here was working for the Shinomiya family."
At this, Ai cautiously studied Luo Shu and tentatively asked:
"So... are you tonight's client?"
'Girl, that's a rather suggestive way to phrase it...' Luo Shu couldn't help but mentally complain before explaining:
"While your wording is... questionable, if we're talking about being a client, then I suppose I am."
His expression grew even stranger as he continued:
"Though I distinctly remember Oko Shinomiya arranging for a big star called Mai Sakurajima to meet me?"
'Switching people midway - is this some new honey-trap tactic?' Luo Shu grumbled internally.
"Mai Sakurajima? Who's that?"
Ai Hoshino looked puzzled at Luo Shu before adding her own complaint: "So you're saying you were actually tricked into coming here?"
The mismatch between who he expected and who he got made Ai think of bait-and-switch scams.
Under different circumstances, she might have teased Luo Shu about being scammed... if she weren't directly involved in this mess.
Hearing Ai's words, Luo Shu's face twisted.
"They'd actually pull a scam like this?"
"That bald bastard wouldn't dare deceive me..."
Though the problem had occurred, Luo Shu didn't think Oko Shinomiya would have the guts for it... unless he had a death wish.
Faced with Luo Shu's insistence, Ai Hoshino couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile as she clasped her hands behind her back:
"But the one standing here is me, not that Mai Sakurajima you mentioned~"
Having said this, Ai seemed to recall something, playfully knocking her own head:
"Though this isn't exactly something worth celebrating."
In this scenario, she'd rather Luo Shu had encountered the right person – that girl called Mai Sakurajima instead of her.
"Something feels off..." Luo Shu muttered as he retrieved the room key and the folded survey form from his pocket.
After taking them out, he instinctively unfolded the survey – only to find Ai Hoshino's photo and personal information staring back at him.
Things were getting interesting...
Luo Shu narrowed his eyes, his expression turning amused.
If he remembered correctly, this form had contained Mai Sakurajima's records before he came upstairs.
Someone – or something – had swapped the contents of his pocket without him noticing. Now that was intriguing!