Chapter 40 "I already have a female companion..."

Lin Chaoyue has never run this fast in her entire life.

This damn little hotel is worse than a haunted house.

It was the first time she had ever seen a flying cockroach that was longer than her little finger.

She had been sitting in a chair since she entered the room, but she got tired after a while.

I figured that sitting like this all the time wasn't a solution.

After spending a lot of time mentally preparing myself, I moved to the bedside.

The person had just sat down.

Something suddenly flashed past her feet under the bed and then climbed up the wall above the bed.

Lin Chaoyue looked over, and unexpectedly, she and the giant flying cockroach made eye contact.

The hairs on her body stood on end in an instant; she barely managed to keep her balance as she ran away at lightning speed with her things in her arms.

As I ran out in a panic, I bumped into a wall, and the room lights went out.

But she couldn't care less about all that.

I ran down the stairs to the first floor, then decisively slammed my hand on the table: "I want to check out!"

"Check out?" The landlady at the front desk, a cigarette dangling from her lips, seemed unfazed. "Checking out is possible, but getting a refund is not."

Lin Chaoyue was already frightened and somewhat stressed. Hearing the landlady say that, her voice rose eight octaves: "Why! Your guest rooms are so dirty and messy, with bugs flying everywhere, and the bathroom is leaking. Why won't you refund my money?"

"It's just an insect, just step on it and kill it. It's not a rat, what's there to be afraid of?"

The proprietress was puffing out smoke, and the cheap secondhand smoke made Lin Chaoyue's eyes hurt.

Lin Chaoyue became even angrier: "You make it sound so easy. It's not like I'm crawling in your bedroom. I don't care, you'd better check out right now, or I'll call the police!"

It was as if they had heard a ridiculous joke.

The landlady scoffed and flicked her cigarette ash onto the ground: "Fine, then call the police. If you're so picky, why are you staying here?"

"See that street over there? It's all five-star hotels." The landlady said sarcastically, "If you don't like them, go stay there. Are you too poor to afford them? No way, no way."

"You're so picky even though you don't have money. Take it or leave it."

The money wasn't refunded.

They also suffered a personal attack.

Lin Chaoyue was so angry that her face turned bright red.

Actually, the cost of three nights' room wasn't much. In the past, she would have just accepted the loss to avoid the hassle.

But today she seemed to have lost her mind, and was determined not to swallow her anger.

Lin Chaoyue took a deep breath and silently repeated "I am a lawyer, I am a lawyer..." five times in her mind, and then adopted the posture she usually used to "deal with" Pei Shuwen.

Before speaking, he even cleared his throat with great seriousness.

“This is a civil dispute, so calling the police isn’t my first choice. If you don’t refund the money, I will first call the fire department to report your fire safety issues, and then call the consumer protection association to report your violation of consumers’ legitimate right to a refund.”

"And you just collected the room fee using your personal account and didn't issue me an invoice. I guess you've evaded a lot of taxes..."

"Stop." The landlady's face darkened instantly, and her tone lost its previous arrogance: "Are you here to stay, or to cause trouble?"

Lin Chaoyue stated confidently, "I'm just protecting my legal rights."

Lin Chaoyue took out her phone: "Are you going to refund the money or not?"

The landlady didn't expect this young girl to be such a tough nut to crack: "You've already checked into the room, so if you don't refund today's room, I can only refund the next two days' rooms."

In fact, this result exceeded Lin Chaoyue's expectations.

But Pei Shuwen's words from last night, "maximize profits," kept swirling in her head like a demon.

How can you maximize profits by only refunding for two days?

A real woman, if she wants to return something, will return all the money for three days.

Lin Chaoyue resolutely refused: "No, I checked out because of your hygiene conditions. You have to refund me for the three days' worth of money, otherwise I won't leave."

Lin Chaoyue discovered that she had quite a bit of potential to throw a tantrum; she had complained about the dirty chairs in the small hotel when she was upstairs.

I don't mind it anymore.

I casually moved a stool to the lobby (which was actually just a small open space in front of the shabby sofa), plopped down, and then dialed a number.

"Mayor's hotline, 1234*; Consumer Association complaint hotline, 1231*..."

"Stop, stop, stop! We'll refund you within three days."

"Are you sure?" Lin Chaoyue had prepared for a protracted battle, but she didn't expect the other side to compromise so easily.

"The money's been transferred to you, now get out of here."

As the proprietress transferred the money, she muttered, "It's just a bug, what's with the fuss? Does she think she's the Princess and the Pea?"

"Never mind me being a princess, give me my money back!"

The proprietress looked at Lin Chaoyue as if she were a plague carrier, and promptly refunded her money.

Lin Chaoyue felt refreshed immediately after receiving the transfer.

My steps were lighter when I went out.

So much so that when she looked up and saw Pei Shuwen, she didn't even have time to be surprised or stop in her tracks, and walked up to him in just a few steps.

Lin Chaoyue: Why haven't you left yet?

Pei Shuwen: "Where are you planning to stay tonight?"

Lin Chaoyue was so overwhelmed by her small victory that she almost forgot she had nowhere to stay tonight after checking out of her hotel.

Pei Shuwen's calculations were indeed accurate.

It seems they were deliberately waiting here to see her make a fool of herself.

Lin Chaoyue stubbornly insisted, "I live here."

Pei Shuwen crossed his arms and looked her over: "So, what are you planning to do?"

Lin Chaoyue casually made up a story: "I just suddenly remembered that my suitcase is still with you. I went to get it, and I'll return it after I get it."

As for how to handle the situation later, Lin Chaoyue hadn't thought about it at all.

We can't afford to fall behind.

Pei Shuwen didn't expose her.

"Your suitcase is in my room, let's go get it together."

"oh."

The shoebox and tote bag in his hand were returned to Pei Shuwen's hands.

Lin Chaoyue followed behind Pei Shuwen, silently planning where she would go next.

She does have friends in Yuntai.

But they all live in suburban villas, which are too far away.

There really aren't any other hotels nearby besides this haunted hotel. Are we really going to have to take a taxi for two hours to find Xiao Lai and the others?

That's too far.

If all else fails, how about we come back to stay later?

This hotel is open for business, so it's unlikely that every room has bugs. It's just that I had a really bad day with the landlady, and I don't know if she'll let me book a new room.

As she was thinking this, another dark shadow flashed before Lin Chaoyue's eyes.

The rustling sound, and that same chill, this time it shot straight up my spine to the top of my head.

Lin Chaoyue swallowed hard, quickly catching up with Pei Shuwen, her voice trembling as she asked, "What was that sound?"

"mouse."

"There really are rats here, even though this is the city center!" She thought the proprietress was just saying it casually.

Could it be that the hotel also has them?

Imagining a mouse appearing in the room, she tensed up and held her breath, instinctively grabbing Pei Shuwen's forearm.

Pei Shuwen glanced down, but didn't shake her off: "There are many old houses here that are waiting to be demolished."

"I... I'll go with you."

Pei Shuwen switched to holding the tote bag in her left hand, making it easier for her to grip it: "The hygiene of a star-rated hotel is still guaranteed?"

"Alright, you don't need to say anything more. I'll stay with you tonight."

Those who understand the times are wise.

Compared to being exploited by Pei Shuwen and losing face in front of him, she felt that rats were more terrifying.

After going around in circles.

Ten minutes later, Lin Chaoyue sat on the luxurious sofa in the Grand Hyatt Presidential Suite.

Right next to her are floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views. The hotel is situated on the central axis of Yuntai's most bustling street, and she can simply lean against it to overlook the city's stunning night view.

Lilies, sprayed with water, sat on the coffee table, their delicate fragrance refreshing and delightful.

Even the small room Pei Shuwen gave her had its own office and study.

It's incredibly comfortable.

She must have lost her mind. Why would she leave such a comfortable place to suffer?

Pei Shuwen brought her in and then ignored her.

He was always busy with something, which Lin Chaoyue was used to.

She took a bubble bath, changed into her pajamas, and enjoyed watching her favorite dramas on the big bed. She even used Pei Shuwen's name to order a catering service and waited for the late-night snack to be delivered.

Lin Chaoyue was so sleepy watching TV that she dozed off several times before she heard the doorbell ring.

She only ate a few cookies all night before boarding the plane.

I was starving.

Lin Chaoyue got out of bed, slipped on her hotel slippers, and rushed to open the door.

"Dinner's in...who are you looking for?"

Instead of the expected food truck, a middle-aged bald man was waiting outside.

However, aside from his baldness, his other clothing and appearance were impeccable, with his tie neatly tied in front of his chest.

They looked like they were either getting ready for a date or going to give a work report.

But this is just a report?

Lin Chaoyue was more inclined to believe that he was the former and that he had come to the wrong room.

Zhu Qian was surprised to find a strange woman opening the door, and immediately took a step back to check the door number.

The room number is correct.

Who is this person in front of me?

"Hello, I am Zhu Qian, the deputy general manager of Mu's Construction. May I ask if Attorney Pei is staying in this suite?"

"Looking for Pei Shuwen? At this hour?"

It's already 1 a.m.

Zhu Qian took out an invitation: "Lawyer Pei said he hasn't gone to sleep yet. I've come to deliver an invitation to tomorrow night's banquet. Are you Lawyer Pei's... female assistant?"

Zhu Qian has been on a mission these past two days.

Seeing a woman in Pei Shuwen's room, he instinctively felt that his boss's plan was going to fall through, so he immediately started probing for information.

Is it a male assistant or a female assistant?

Lin Chaoyue didn't respond at all, not because she was wary, but simply because she was too hungry to talk to anyone.

“I’ll call him, you can talk to him yourself.”

Lin Chaoyue knocked on the door.

Pei Shuwen came out of the room.

"Mr. Zhu, you've worked hard, coming all this way so late." Pei Shuwen walked to the door and accepted the invitation.

Zhu Qian: "It's no trouble at all. I'm truly sorry about what happened during the day. Our CEO, Mr. Mu, also feels very apologetic and says he'll personally apologize to you tonight."

"Mr. Mu, you're too kind."

No need to be polite, he has another important matter to discuss with me at this time.

But Pei Shuwen didn't seem to intend to invite him in.

Pei Shuwen: "Is there anything else, Mr. Zhu?"

Yes, and it was quite abrupt.

Zhu Qian was a little nervous, but he steeled himself and said, "Our CEO Mu would like to invite you to be his date at the banquet tomorrow night. I wonder if Lawyer Pei..."

"I already have a girlfriend, so it's not very convenient."

Female companion? Who?

she?

Lin Chaoyue belatedly realized that the 'female companion' Pei Shuwen was referring to was herself.

She nodded indifferently.

It's not like it's the first time. It sounds like that President Mu is a woman, so he's probably using her as a shield.

But Zhu Qian's gaze towards Lin Chaoyue changed, carrying a hint of surprise, a hint of inquiry, and some disbelief that Pei Shuwen would so 'openly' bring his female companion along.

Lin Chaoyue's eyelids twitched, realizing that something was wrong.

Could this person really think she's Pei Shuwen's kind of 'female companion'?