"Yes," Tang Zhong nodded.
Then he saw Jiang Weiwei, fuming with anger.
"How can we sleep in one room? Are you suggesting that you, a laborer, should stay with me? No way, absolutely not."
As soon as she spoke, a middle-aged woman overheard and murmured softly, "Since when has the young lady been so particular? Isn't that kind of thing done in one bed? How can you do it without sleeping together!"
"Refund the money," Jiang Weiwei said to the middle-aged woman.
Staying in a hotel was one thing, but staying with a laborer was out of the question. She couldn't let anyone know about what happened today, especially her gossip-loving friends who would laugh at her for months just for staying in a hotel, let alone staying with a laborer!
"No refunds, room 201, here is the key," the middle-aged woman said, not taking her eyes off the TV screen as she handed over the key.
"Refund the money, this is a rip-off." Jiang Weiwei was not giving in.
Little did she know, Tang Zhong took the key from the middle-aged woman in front of Jiang Weiwei and asked, "Where is 201?"
"Up the stairs, the first room," the middle-aged woman replied.
Tang Zhong turned to see a dark, dilapidated escalator.
"Shall we go?" Tang Zhong asked Jiang Weiwei.
"I'm not going," Jiang Weiwei was still furious.
"Oh, then I'll go," Tang Zhong said.
To Jiang Weiwei's complete surprise, Tang Zhong really left without looking back.
"This guy…couldn't he just let me have a room to myself?"
Watching Tang Zhong walk away, Jiang Weiwei stamped her foot in anger. Was this guy an idiot?
She would not go. She would stay right here. She would die before sharing a room with a laborer.
The woman watching TV ignored Jiang Weiwei and continued watching.
Jiang Weiwei had nowhere to go, and even if she had to stand next to the counter all night, she wouldn't go back to the room.
But, curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced at the TV.
The screen was dark, clearly the setting of a horror movie.
Meanwhile, on screen, a murder scene was unfolding.
A middle-aged woman was stabbing her husband to death. Not satisfied, she kneeled on the ground, continuously stabbing his body with a dagger, blood gushing out and staining the entire floor red. Covered in blood, she didn't stop stabbing him until after uncountable thrusts. Then she lifted her head and revealed a ferocious smile.
This scene made Jiang Weiwei's hair stand on end, her forehead breaking out in a cold sweat. When she saw the middle-aged woman in front of the TV turn around and smile at her, it looked just like the woman on the TV.
Frightened, Jiang Weiwei's heartbeat accelerated, and she dared not stay any longer. Without another word, she ran up the stairs.
At the door of room 201.
Just as Tang Zhong reached the door, the unsettled Jiang Weiwei arrived.
"What's wrong, why are you so out of breath from just climbing the stairs?" Tang Zhong asked.
"Why ask so many questions… open the door," Jiang Weiwei said, still shaken. She didn't forget to look back at the staircase, fearful of the middle-aged woman coming up.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed past the stairwell.
"Ah!" Jiang Weiwei screamed, covering her eyes, not daring to look.
"What happened?" Tang Zhong asked.
"Nothing, nothing, just open the door quickly!" Jiang Weiwei hurriedly yelled, not willing to explain why.
"Ah!" Tang Zhong asked no further.
Click, the door opened.
Jiang Weiwei rushed into the room first.
Tang Zhong was taken aback, glanced back at the corridor only to see a piece of clothing on the floor, and frowned, "It's just some clothes that fell down, is it really that scary? I don't understand!"
He then followed her inside and closed the door.
The room was indeed very small, with minimal furnishings including a TV, a bed, a cabinet by the window, and also a bathroom, which was pitifully small.
Even more problematic was the bathroom—it didn't have a door, just a glass cover that blocked very little.
Jiang Weiwei was dumbfounded; she had never stayed in such a small hotel room. How could anyone stay here?
This bed…
Jiang Weiwei pressed down on it with her hand.
Creak, creak.
The bed almost collapsed.
This bed… how could anyone sleep in it?
Jiang Weiwei squatted down to open the cabinet, and a musty smell wafted out, scaring her into quickly shutting it.
This…
This hotel wasn't even worth ten bucks.
Moreso, the fact that the bathroom had no door and was directly facing the bed was the worst part, because she needed to shower, especially after drinking so much.
No door, no door, it was like a curse.
"If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep," Tang Zhong said, barely able to keep his eyes open.
"No, I need to take a shower," Jiang Weiwei hastily replied.
"Go ahead, I'm not looking," Tang Zhong's eyelids were almost too heavy to keep open.
"No, absolutely not." The thought of taking a shower while a man was just outside made Jiang Weiwei feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Then I'm going to sleep," Tang Zhong said.
"No, I paid for this room, I'm telling you to leave now, and you are not allowed in," Jiang Weiwei firmly said as she opened the door.
Just as Tang Zhong was about to get into bed, he was speechless. He was merely tired and could sleep anywhere; he had even slept standing up before. If she wanted him out, then out he would go.
He turned and walked out.
Slam, Jiang Weiwei immediately shut the door, locked it, and still feeling unsafe, pulled on it to make sure it couldn't be opened, only then did she feel somewhat reassured.
She went to the bathroom, checked the water temperature, and prepared to shower.
Even if her period had started, she had to shower.
The smell of alcohol was all over her dress. Jiang Weiwei sniffed it, quickly stripped, and started to shower.
He didn't want to develop anymore.
She thought books said that women stopped developing after turning 18. Apparently, all the books lied.
What is wrong with me?
Better just take a shower.
Just then, she saw a small bug crawling on the floor, heading straight towards her.
Frightened, Jiang Weiwei screamed, grabbing a pillow and aiming it at the bug, too scared to look at it directly.
"You… you stay away," she said.
But the bug kept coming closer and closer.
"Ah!" Jiang Weiwei couldn't hold back anymore, threw the pillow, and opened the door.
Tang Zhong was almost falling asleep outside when he suddenly heard the scream, opened his eyes, and saw Jiang Weiwei.
In that instant, blood streamed from his nose.
Seeing Tang Zhong like a lifeline, Jiang Weiwei cried out, "Bug… bug..."
"Ah… ah," Tang Zhong, spotting Jiang Weiwei, also started to panic.
And seeing her own reaction, Jiang Weiwei also shouted, "Ah… ah."