Chapter 1

"The National Meteorological Center forecasts that Typhoon Binghu is moving west-northwest at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour, and will strengthen into Typhoon No. 2 during the day, approaching the southern coast of Hainan Island and the western coastal areas of Guangdong Province, and is expected to make landfall on the 14th. We remind all citizens to take precautions, evacuate to sturdy and safe places in advance, and ensure that people stay indoors and vehicles remain on the road..."

With a thud, the paving stone beneath my feet veered, and icy muddy water poured down my legs and into my knees.

Han Shu was forced to stop, but forgot that he was still dragging a 28-inch suitcase with his right hand. As a result, due to inertia, the suitcase wheel hit his ankle hard.

"..."

How unlucky can a person be?

After waiting for 10 hours at the airport to hear that all flights were suspended, I returned to the hotel where I had stayed and found it was already fully booked.

Moreover, all standard single rooms in hotels that could be found on the travel platform were sold out, leaving only luxury options such as executive suites (5888), family suites (6888), and ocean view suites (9888).

Han Shu couldn't afford to stay there, not even for one night, let alone until the typhoon ended.

At this moment, the rain is pouring down, and the coconut trees along the sidewalk are leaning and their branches are dancing wildly, waving their arms like balloon figures at the entrance of a shopping mall, but they still cannot escape the clutches of fate.

Han Shu felt that he was just like this disheveled tree.

No, it's not as good as this tree.

At least it stood side by side with its companion, while she stood on this deserted, unfamiliar street, her short, wet hair looking like it was covered in superglue, her orange short-sleeved shirt dyed like Iron Man's red and gold armor, and looking down—the same color pants clung tightly to her skin, while the fabric at her hips was blown loosely behind her by the wind.

If I hadn't resigned—

If she hadn't quit her job, she wouldn't have argued with her parents. If she hadn't argued, she wouldn't have impulsively run off to Hainan Island for a vacation. If she hadn't come to Hainan Island, she wouldn't have encountered the typhoon, wouldn't be stranded, and wouldn't be struggling to find a place to stay at this time of year…

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Han Shu immediately launched into a serious self-reproach.

You must never regret resigning.

The suitcase rolled along with a clattering sound, and Han Shu continued walking forward step by step. The rain seemed to intensify, as did the wind. She leaned forward to counteract the wind, making her steps increasingly difficult.

The kind person earlier said that if you walk one kilometer straight ahead, turn left, and then walk another kilometer, there's a villa area with several guesthouses. They said the location is a bit out of the way and business isn't good, so there might be some vacancies.

This was all her hope.

As I turned the corner at the intersection, the floodwaters on the road had already submerged the curb. Right there in the water, a sedan, painted a striking volcanic gray, was parked.

Han Shu had liked this car for a long time and originally planned to buy it at the end of the year, but now he's unemployed. No chance.

She looked away, suppressing her envy.

"Bang!!!"

The alarm blared loudly.

Han Shu, who was originally shivering from the cold, was startled and stopped walking, even his shivering stopped.

Turning around in the direction the sound came from, I saw a tree branch as thick as a bowl embedded vertically in the windshield of the car, and the taillights were flashing a blinding red light in sync with the alarm.

Han Shu took off running, forgetting that this would put him in the wind's direction. So, with his body in front and his legs chasing behind, after several thrilling moments, he managed to grab onto the back of the car with his limbs outstretched, thus avoiding the misfortune of falling into a puddle.

"That was close..." she muttered as she crawled to the driver's seat. She wiped the glass several times, but it was still blurry. She had to get as close as possible, pressing her nose against it, before she could finally confirm that there was no one in the curtain of water.

It's good that no one's around.

Look at those white glass cracks that could trigger trypophobia; if someone were in the driver's seat, they might get knocked unconscious.

After feeling sorry for the car owner for three seconds, she was about to leave when she noticed a Crayon Shin-chan parking sign on the right corner of the windshield, so she pressed her nose against it again.

"176XXXX5991...176XXXX5991..."

Han Shu silently recited the instructions, deciding to remind the car owner after settling in. Then, he waded back to the sidewalk, picked up his overturned suitcase, and continued his solitary journey amidst the sirens.

On the eve of the typhoon's landfall, Han Shu for the first time compared rainy days to A4 paper, regarding them as deadly weapons that could kill without leaving a trace.

The rain, carried by the gale, swept in at an extremely slanted angle; some raindrops pelted her body, some grazed her face, and some aimed precisely at her eyes, which were squinted shut...

It hurts terribly.

Thinking back to the car that was just pierced, what if a tree branch had hit her on the head? Would she have survived to see the sun after the typhoon?

Han Shu dared not think any further and gritted her teeth to quicken her pace. Gradually, she began to lose track of whether she had walked one kilometer or ten kilometers, ten minutes or ten hours…

Walking along the road that could now be called a river, on the verge of collapse, she finally saw a blue sign with white lettering that read "Nanwan Police Station, Hailing District." In the alley to the east of the police station was a row of two-story buildings, one of which had a sign that vaguely showed the words "guesthouse."

This is probably the place the kind person was referring to.

Police station, guesthouse.

It's good, and safe.

Hope lies ahead. Turning into the alley, the wind seemed to lessen, and Han Shu followed his instincts, starting to run like the wind, and frantically pressing the doorbell with the speed of a quiz buzzer.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

The torrential rain blurred her vision, but her heart pounded as eagerly as the doorbell, hoping for a response. Then the sound of raindrops pattering on the umbrella crossed the courtyard wall, and footsteps approached.

Someone is coming.

Han Shu held his breath and waited. The security door opened from the inside, revealing a gap about the width of a person.

My vision was filled with a sea of ​​black: a black umbrella, black clothes, black pants, and an excessively pale face. Although I couldn't make out the features, the extremely tall stature clearly indicated that it was a man.

Han Shu tried her best to open her almond-shaped eyes wide and forced a harmless smile, "Hello, I'd like to check in."

From childhood to adulthood, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, men and women all praised Han Shu for her cute appearance, round face, round eyes, and smiling eyes that made people's hearts melt. She used to scoff at this, thinking they overlooked the strong inner strength beneath her soft and cute exterior.

But now, in this life-or-death situation, she's willing to use her looks as an advantage. If the place is full, the landlord might take pity on her pitiful state and offer her a corner to sleep on the floor.

The man took a half step forward, raised his hand and knocked on the door. His clear, cold voice sounded even more indifferent amidst the rumbling wind, "Do you meet the check-in requirements?"

What are the check-in requirements?

She had only heard about the job requirements.

Han Shu felt that being partially blind would hinder communication, so she let go of the suitcase and rubbed her eyes vigorously. She had some dry eye syndrome, and after being exposed to the wind for so long, her eyes felt extremely sore and dry, so she blinked for a while in a sheltered spot.

The world has finally returned to sharpened mode from Gaussian blur.

The first thing she noticed was the sign on the guesthouse door.

——Mr. Problem's B&B.

The second time she looked, she saw Mr. Problem's face.

—What a handsome face that can make you forget the pain in your ankle, the sticky wet clothes, and the bad weather all at once.

She couldn't help but glance at him a third time because of his damn good looks.

Beneath her medium-length bangs were striking eyebrows, their bone structure well-defined yet not overly sharp, exuding both refinement and strength. A pair of frameless glasses perched on her high nose bridge, her dark eyes half-closed, conveying a sense of languor and refinement.

The man pursed his thin lips, seemingly displeased, and raised his hand to knock on the door again.

Han Shu quickly abandoned his admiring thoughts of the beautiful scenery and followed the direction, discovering a white board hanging under the eaves. Washed by the rain, each character had long, black tails, but it was still barely legible.

Two lines of large characters were prominently displayed above—

Check-in conditions today:

Married women over 25 years old with children, but experiencing marital discord.

Han Shu: ?

What kind of check-in conditions are these?

The man raised his hand and pushed up his glasses, half of his handsome face falling into shadow. "Are you an adult?"

"...Thank you for the compliment, but I'm 25 years old." Han Shu didn't understand, but her determination was like that of someone about to join the Party. "I'm married with children, and my marriage is strained. I meet the requirements!"

That's strange.

She hadn't even held a man's hand since graduating from kindergarten, so how could she have a husband and a child?

But she realized that the landlord was an oddball; he only allowed people to move in if they met some strange or unusual conditions. At that moment, her only need was a ceiling to shelter her from the wind and rain, and the proximity to the police station would also ensure her safety.

In conclusion: What does lying count for? Nothing at all!

Han Shu flashed her usual sweet and innocent smile again, waiting for Mr. Question's reply, and secretly praying that he wouldn't ask for things like a marriage certificate, wedding photos, or the child's birth certificate.

After a brief silence, the man spoke again, his attitude still distant, "Please answer the first question. Given a bullet, would you choose to kill your cheating husband or his mistress?"

Han Shu replied without hesitation, "Have them stand in a row, head to head, biu!"

She brought her right index and middle fingers together, pointed them at her temple, made a "biu" sound while raising the muzzle of the gun, and tilted her head to the left.

What was supposed to be a playful gesture to ease the tension turned into a blank expression on the man's face; he even slowly raised an eyebrow.

Han Shu reluctantly withdrew his hand, his eyes darting around, and cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness.

Help! ! !

What if the landlord thinks she's mentally unstable and refuses her entry?!

If time could rewind three seconds, she would definitely give a different answer, such as saying that murder is wrong and that it should be resolved through legal channels.

Huh? Why is he smiling?

The man's previously icy brows relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his thin lips.

The black iron gate creaked open, and he made a gesture with his palm facing upwards.

"Welcome. Please."