Chapter 21 Mad Dog Hotel
Lu Qi numbly tossed the ball out.
At first, she genuinely thought Lulu wanted to play fetch with her and make her happy.
However, the ball flew through the air in a half-parabola, just past the apex, when Lulu jumped up and smashed it back to Lu Qi's feet.
Within a two-meter radius of her, there were countless landing points created by the impact of the ball.
He said he'd be her dog, but it was just ordinary beach volleyball—purely showing off his skills and crushing noobs, the kind where she couldn't even touch a single ball.
How could anyone play like this in the early stages of a relationship?
The ball rolled behind Lu Qi. She turned around, and before she could even take a step, Lulu quickly ran over, picked up the ball for her, and handed it to her, not letting her move an inch.
This part, while resembling a dog, is more like a form of mockery.
Even with his good temper, Lu Qi couldn't take it anymore after serving the ball fifty or sixty times in a row.
"I can't take it anymore." She gasped for breath and slammed the ball against Lulu's chest. "My hand hurts from serving."
Lulu caught the ball, full of interest, and wanted to play a couple more rounds.
When Lu Qi said her hand hurt, he massaged it for her.
His hand was icy cold. He immediately dropped the ball, pulled Lu Qi into his arms, and said, "Cold? Let's go back."
Lu Qi grabbed him, looked around, searched without success, and then took out her phone to call Tian Miaoying.
Tian Miaoying dug all the way from the east side of the beach to the west side.
Lu Qi waited for more than ten minutes before she came running over excitedly, carrying a small red bucket. "Sister, look! I'm so amazing!"
Her nose was red from the wind, and her little ponytail swung back and forth like a puppy that had successfully hunted, running back happily.
Lu Qi glanced at the contents of her bucket. "There are so many crabs here!"
“No, no, no,” Tian Miaoying proudly shook her index finger, “It’s not that there are a lot of crabs here, but that I’m a genius at beachcombing. I think I have a talent for hunting.”
"Alright, genius," Lu Qi laughed, "what do you plan to do with your prey?"
"Of course I took it."
"It won't end until tomorrow night. By the time you get home, you probably won't be alive."
"It doesn't matter," Tian Miaoying waved her hand boldly, "We'll see how many of them survive. I dug them up with all my hard work, so even if they all die, I can't let them go."
"Okay, if I survive when I get back, give me a small one, I'll keep it as a pet."
Lulu looked thoughtfully at the bucket of small crabs and asked Lu Qi, "Do you like it?"
Lu Qi picked up a twig and poked at a small bean crab, saying, "It wouldn't be a big loss if it died."
In Lulu's eyes, it was no different from a moving pebble, utterly devoid of any charm.
But this is only from the dog's perspective. He hesitated and asked, "Is it better for a pet to be big or small?"
Without hesitation, Tian Miaoying replied, "Of course, the bigger the better. Everything is better the bigger it is."
Lulu smiled and said, "Yes, the bigger one is better than the smaller one."
Lu Qi poked at it a couple of times and then threw the branch away. "Going back now? For dinner?"
Tian Miaoying nodded vigorously, "Let's eat!"
The three returned to the hotel. The restaurant was located on the first floor, connected to a commercial area.
It's getting late; there's not much food left, and most of the people have left.
The three of them picked through the few remaining buffet dishes, but didn't run into Lü Shi'an and Huang Zhenyi, who had already finished eating and gone home.
"We need to hurry," Lu Qi said casually, grabbing some pasta and instructing Tian Miaoying, who was still picking and choosing. "Class starts in half an hour."
"OK," Tian Miaoying replied, her eyes still darting around, trying to find some good dishes.
Lulu, on the other hand, was quick to grab whatever Lu Qi took; whatever Lu Qi took, she took exactly the same one.
After the two finished choosing, they went to sit by the window. Outside the clean glass window were gardens and fountains, and further away was the sea.
"The environment is really nice." Lu Qi took a bite of the noodles. "The taste is not bad either."
Lulu looked her over. "You like it here?"
Lu Qi sighed, "Nobody dislikes expensive places."
Lulu smiled and said, "I also think the conditions here are a bit better than in the neighborhood."
“How can you compare them?” Lu Qi chuckled. “A two-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood costs five or six thousand a month; a luxury two-bedroom suite here costs five or six thousand a day.”
She wondered if Lulu was hinting at something.
Compared to that old and dilapidated neighborhood, Lulu's temperament is clearly more suited to this place.
The opulent hotel and his light blond hair seemed to share a common thread; he ate with little interest, whether it was takeout or a buffet at a high-end hotel, his expression remained indifferent, showing no difference whatsoever.
Perhaps, he really did grow up in a house like this.
He was implying to her, "Can you get used to this kind of life?"
Lu Qi understood his good intentions, but it had nothing to do with her.
She fell in love with Xiao Lu, but she didn't plan to be with him for long.
Past experience has taught her that she doesn't need to make long-term life plans.
Lu Qi paused in his eating and suddenly stared at the door.
A man with a beer belly walked in, glanced at the empty buffet counter, and went straight to a corner to sit down and order.
Tian Miaoying, who was picking up desserts, also saw it. Startled, she jerked her tongs, and the small cake fell back down with a thud.
Ignoring the ruined shape, Tian Miaoying quickly put the tattered cake into a plate and rushed back to Lu Qi's side.
"Sister Lu, he..."
Lu Qi nodded calmly, "It's him."
"Why is he here too!" Tian Miaoying lowered her voice and quickly turned her head to look at the middle-aged man.
The man sitting in the corner was Zhao Feipeng, who had gone to the police station with them half a month ago.
Lu Qi shook her head and urged softly, "Eat quickly."
She didn't really want to meet him.
“Don’t be afraid, Lu Qi.” Lulu placed her hand on the back of her hand. “I will protect you.”
Tian Miaoying whispered, "I know you can fight, but you still have to pay compensation afterward, right? Let's just avoid it."
Lulu offered no explanation, glancing indifferently at the man in the corner.
Zhao Feipeng lived quite far from Anxin Hospital. That night, it took Lulu nearly two hours to find his place.
This was the first time he had found a true prey for Lu Qi.
He thought she would be happy soon.
Lu Qi and Tian Miaoying didn't want to cause trouble, so they left the restaurant after finishing their meal without having any conflict with the man surnamed Zhao.
The training course was quite interesting.
Professor Meng's teaching style is consistently dry humor; another professor brought two dogs for a live demonstration, which worked very well. She would say a sentence, and the dogs would say a sentence, filling the entire conference room with human voices and dog barks, alternating between the two, so it was never too quiet or too noisy.
Doctors from all over the country came, and Lu Qi met two alumni from the same city.
The organizers specially designated the last two hours of the second afternoon as a salon, allowing doctors to discuss freely.
"It's over so quickly," Tian Miaoying said reluctantly after finishing her last hotel dinner. "I didn't even get to speak to Professor Meng."
“Me too,” Huang Zhenyi sighed. “There are just too many big shots. I can’t keep up with them all.”
Lu Shi'an comforted the two, saying, "These kinds of lectures happen every year, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Okay, this is the last meal. I'm going to eat my way back from this thousand-plus yuan!" Tian Miaoying tugged at her tongs like a defiant fiddler crab.
The five people took their food and found a table to sit down.
While eating, Lü Shi'an asked, "Is everything packed? Did you forget anything?"
"Yes, it's been checked."
"We'll check out in a bit, and I'll drive everyone back." He glanced at Lu Qi and Lulu. "Let's go together, it's on the way anyway."
"No need," Lulu refused outright.
Lu Qi noticed that since they had talked things out yesterday, Lü Shi'an was no longer as ambiguous with her as before.
He was probably glad he wasn't with someone like her, and at the same time, he felt some sympathy for Lulu.
Lu Qi understood that Lü Shi'an liked her largely because of her professional abilities.
He was aiming to settle down and start a family, and couldn't accept a partner who was so irresponsible in relationships.
That's good; she won't have to feel anxious and awkward every time she has to work the night shift anymore.
When Lulu rejected him, Lü Shi'an didn't insist, but simply asked with concern, "Then how are you getting there?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than an announcement suddenly came over the loudspeaker in the restaurant.
After a series of crackling sounds indicating an unstable signal, a sweet yet mechanical female voice appeared:
"Distinguished guests, good morning. This is the control room of the Fivana Hotel."
"We regret to inform you that there are some issues with the hotel grounds and all entrances and exits are currently closed. Please proceed to the front desk immediately, and our staff will arrange a room for you free of charge. Please remain in the hotel until the issues are resolved; we will provide you with necessary food and water."
"Thank you for your cooperation, goodbye."
Everyone in the restaurant stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the broadcast.
The notification was so sudden that it immediately caused dissatisfaction among the guests.
"Are you kidding me? I'm in a hurry to get back!"
"Why close the entrances and exits when the park encounters a malfunction?"
"What nonsense! Let's go ask at the front desk."
Tian Miaoying was confused: "What does this mean?"
Lu Qi shook her head; she didn't understand either.
Lu Shi'an put down his fork. "Let's go check at the front desk first."
After the group left, Huang Zhenyi stuffed a piece of char siu into his mouth and took the remaining egg tarts from the plate with him.
The front desk was already crowded with people.
Lu Shi'an gestured to Lu Qi and Tian Miaoying, "You two wait here, Zhenyi and I will go ask."
Tian Miaoying nodded.
The three stood on the outer circle, watching Lü Shi'an and Huang Zhenyi squeeze into the crowd.
Lu Qi peered out the door, trying to see what had caused the malfunction that required closing the entrance and exit.
Everything seemed normal outside the glass door. She turned her gaze back and it fell on the four greeters at the door.
It was the same four girls she had met when she entered the hotel, all wearing the same uniforms; three of them wore white silk scarves, and one wore an orange silk scarf.
Their smiles remained warm and professional, and they possessed exceptional composure, seemingly oblivious to the noisy hall as they stood calmly at their posts.
As he watched, a strong sense of unease gradually arose, and Lu Qi inexplicably got goosebumps.
She took a half step back, and her back suddenly bumped into something icy cold.
Lu Qi turned around and saw Lulu smiling at her.
She frowned and asked him and Tian Miaoying in a low voice, "Look at those four greeters."
"What's wrong?"
“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Lu Qi shook her head, “I just felt their laughter was a little… creepy?”
Tian Miaoying looked at it carefully for a while, then leaned over and whispered, "It seems a little different from yesterday's, hmm... like a botched plastic surgery, with badly done cheekbones?"
The greeter, wearing an orange scarf, suddenly turned her head, rotated her neck ninety degrees, and smiled at the three of them.
"Hello," she smiled, her eyes dark, the black pupils almost filling her entire eye sockets, "How can I help you?"
She revealed her entire face, and Tian Miaoying froze instantly, her voice trembling as she said, "No need, no need to trouble yourself."
"Okay." The pretty hostess turned her head back ninety degrees.
Tian Miaoying frantically pulled at Lu Qi, desperately shouting with her eyes: There's something wrong, there's definitely something wrong! What human has eyes like that! They're so dark, it's like their eyeballs have been gouged out!
Lu Qi was also a little flustered. She grabbed Tian Miaoying's hand, which was constantly pulling her, and moved closer to Lulu.
Lulu hugged her and stroked the back of her neck. "Don't be afraid, don't be scared."
The crowd surrounding the front desk suddenly erupted into chaos.
How will you compensate us for our losses?!
A man in a suit and tie, carrying a briefcase, pointed at the front desk and angrily said, "I don't care what your reasons are, that's no reason to prevent guests from leaving. This is illegal detention!"
The three receptionists at the front desk patiently replied, "Sir, we will provide you with a room and food free of charge. Please do not leave the park."
"So what if I want to leave?" The man threw his room key at the front desk. "If you don't process my check-out, I'll have to call the police."
"Yes, call the police!" others shouted in agreement. "If you don't check out soon, we'll call the police!"
"How can you people be like this!"
"I stay in dozens of hotels every year, and I've never heard of any malfunction preventing guests from leaving! When I ask you what happened, you don't answer. Aren't you just trying to make people anxious?!"
"Call the police! We're calling the police!"
The crowd was agitated, and the receptionist repeatedly said, "We will provide rooms and food and water free of charge. For your safety, please do not leave the park."
"Damn it." Unable to communicate, the man took out his phone and called the police.
The call was dialed, but no one answered.
"What's wrong?" the person next to him asked.
He checked to make sure he hadn't mistyped the numbers, then dialed again.
Still no one answered.
The man, suspicious, told everyone uncertainly, "No one answered."
"How is that possible?"
"No signal?"
"What signal is needed to call an alarm?"
Someone leaned closer to look at the man's phone screen, muttering in confusion, "I didn't dial the wrong number, what's going on?"
Lu Shi'an hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone and called the police.
He struck twice, and his expression turned serious.
Huang Zhenyi chewed on an egg tart and asked, "What's going on, Brother Lü?"
Lu Shi'an shook his head. By this time, quite a few people had tried to call the police themselves, but not a single cell phone could reach the police.
The atmosphere has changed.
A short, plump woman hurriedly dialed her son's number. She dialed four or five times in a row, but all she got in response was an endless busy signal; there wasn't even a voice announcement.
"This is weird."
"What's going on? Why can't I get through to the police?"
The man carrying the briefcase turned around and shouted to everyone: "Don't panic, everyone. There's a police station just two kilometers outside the park. We'll go there directly to find the police."
His words calmed the crowd, and they immediately responded: "Let's go, let's go straight to the police station!" "At worst, we'll just forgo our deposit and go home for the New Year!"
A dozen or so tenants walked out together. Huang Zhenyi asked Lü Shi'an, "Brother Lü, shall we go too?"
Lu Shi'an nodded. "I have to go."
Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and they have to go back to the city.
The two went to meet up with Lu Qi on the outskirts and briefly explained the situation.
Tian Miaoying clung to Lu Qi's arm, nodding frantically, "Let's go, let's go quickly, I don't feel well."
Outside the glass door, the man in the lead had already opened the car door and gotten in.
He put his briefcase on the passenger seat, looked up, and suddenly noticed a poodle reflected in the rearview mirror.
The brown puppy sat upright in the center of the back seat, its dark, round eyes calmly watching him through the mirror, a green collar around its neck.
"Go away, go away," the man got out of the car, opened the back door, and waved to shoo it away. "Whose dog is this? How did it get on my car?"
The poodle sat in its seat, not moving an inch.
The man lost his patience, reached out and grabbed its collar, pulling it out.
Just as Lu Qi and his group were about to take the elevator to the underground parking garage, they suddenly heard a scream from outside the door.
The extremely ferocious roar was impossible to ignore.
They stopped and turned around, and saw outside the glass door, the man in the suit was bent over, half of his body buried in the car.
He kicked and struggled with his hind legs, his screams were extremely short, stopping abruptly after just one syllable.
His struggles came to an abrupt end, his legs stiffly dragging outside the vehicle, motionless.
"What happened?"
People still in the lobby craned their necks to look, and a woman with exquisite makeup pointed at the greeter at the door and shouted, "Go and see! Maybe she's having some kind of relapse."
The hostess, wearing an orange scarf, turned around and replied with a smile, "Please don't worry, ma'am, this is normal."
“Normal what…” The woman’s words caught in her throat.
Outside the glass door, the frozen man twitched, and his legs slowly straightened.
He slowly climbed his upper body out of the car, and when people saw what he looked like, screams suddenly erupted in the hall.
Lu Qi's eyes widened. The man's neatly tailored suit was stained with blood, and on the lapel was the head of a poodle!
A green collar was partially visible at the junction of the dog's head and the suit collar.
He walked toward the hotel, his movements initially slow and unsteady, but with each step he took, he became more and more skilled.
After a dozen or so steps, he—it seemed to have completely adapted to this body—stretched his feet toward the hotel.
-----------------------
Author's note: There will be a double update of 10,000 words tomorrow, at 23:00.
My next novel will be titled "Seizing".
Similar short stories, a collection of sweet little stories.
Copywriting ↓
Story 1:
Bai Qin was reborn. He learned that he was just a villainous male supporting character in an ABO novel, used to highlight his younger brother Bai Mu's innocence and kindness.
In his previous life, he loved the female lead Cen Wanjin but could not have her, which caused his younger brother to miscarry. In the end, he had his glands removed by the female lead, was expelled from the country, and died tragically in the slums.
Reborn, he will stay away from the cold-blooded female lead and cling to his younger brother's coattails.
No, he loves Wan Jin! He loves her! He would rather die than let that idiot Bai Mu possess her!
The story has only just begun. Today, Wan Jin was framed by her rival and forced into a vulnerable period. It was at this moment that Bai Mu bumped into Wan Jin's arms, and the two began to cross paths.
Bai Qin hurriedly went to the hotel mentioned in the novel.
He was still too late.
Fortunately, Bai Mu will flee in a panic the next day and reappear in front of Wan Jin two years later.
Bai Qin kept watch all night, and when the door was pushed open and Bai Mu, who was in a state of chaos, hurriedly left, she immediately went into the room.
He greedily inhaled the scent of the female Alpha in the room, and his legs went weak as he sat down next to her.
The female alpha woke up from her sleep, opened her eyes groggily, and after a brief moment of surprise, said apologetically to the omega beside the bed, "Last night, it was you..."
"Yes." Bai Qin's breathing was disordered, her cheeks flushed as she leaned forward. "It's me. Please hug me. After being marked, I... have fallen into a dependency phase."
The female alpha was silent for a moment before responding to him.
She hugged him, and despite a slightly awkward confusion, she said, "I'm sorry, I will take responsibility."
——
Story Two
The little white dragon born from the black dragon herd will become the heart that the silver dragons yearn for but cannot obtain.
This prophecy haunted Hai like a nightmare as he grew up.
In his dreams, he saw the beautiful little white dragon repeatedly nestled under the wings of the young black dragon chieftain, and no matter how much he pleaded and begged her to stay, she never looked back at him.
Mukuro was wary of this prophecy and vowed that he would never fall in love with her.
But the parents didn't think so.
On the day his parents arranged for him to meet Jiang, the moment he saw the little white dragon with his own eyes, Hai realized in despair that the prophecy had come true.
His heart pounded uncontrollably for her.
Everything unfolded exactly as the dream had foretold:
He loved her, but no matter how much he tried to keep her, she would always leave him for Black Dragon.
The prophecy foretold that she would become the bride of the Black Dragon Chieftain.
However, the prophecy did not specify who the leader of the Black Dragon clan would be.
"Per, if I kill him, if I become the chieftain of the black dragons, will you love me?"
——
Story Three:
The hero received an inspiration:
The key to justice is right beside you; she cherishes you deeply, but evil also covets her.
Marlene was deeply infatuated with the new Grand Master of the Holy Knights. He had sunny blond hair, handsome features, and an incredibly perfect physique like a plaster statue. If she could spend a night with the new Grand Master, she would do anything!
But everyone knows that the new commander is a righteous idiot whose mind is only focused on training and who has sworn to sacrifice himself for justice.
He was indifferent to women. After the "flower of the empire" secretly flirted with him, she was taken to the training camp—she wanted to enter his heart, so he took her into his iron-blooded army of justice.
Having witnessed the Imperial Flower's wailing and howling as he crawled out of the Holy Knights, Marlene immediately shut her mouth, only secretly admiring his godlike body from a corner.
She wasn't interested in joining the group; she was a superficial woman who liked his appearance, and his face and physique were her motivation for working every day.
However, this secret hobby soon came to an end.
On a sunny workday, the new team leader knocked on her door.
"Miss Marlene, you absolutely must join us!"
"No, no, I won't..."
"I'm willing to do anything as long as you join me."
“I know what you want.” He loosened his collar, revealing a godlike, perfect physique, exuding valor and righteousness. “For the sake of justice, please do not refuse.”
——
My next novel, "Seizing," is available for you to add to your favorites on the author's page!
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