Chapter 31 Honeymoon Horror
[Wesley Meng] Hello, Attorney Li, Dr. Jiang and I are planning to drive to Tianjin during the Qingming Festival holiday. It's bound to incur expenses, so I wanted to let you know in advance.
[Li Yingxuan] Why are you having a honeymoon after a fake marriage? Find an excuse to refuse immediately. Don't agree to travel alone with a gay man. It's very dangerous.
[Wesley Meng] But road trip is my suggestion.
[Li Yingxuan]…
[Li Yingxuan] Forget about the expenses. The key is to take safety measures and remember that all the tricks gay men use are just to get you into bed.
[Wesley Meng] No, he knows I’m straight and he won’t sleep with me.
[Li Yingxuan]…
[Li Yingxuan] My career was ruined by you who refused to listen.
Meng Weishen felt that he had ruined a divorce lawyer's career without doing anything. It was so strange. He sat up straight in the passenger seat, wondering if there were any other questions he wanted to ask the lawyer, but Jiang Ranxu interrupted his train of thought.
"We're almost on the Tianjin-Beijing Expressway. Close the windows."
Meng Weishen closed the window, the wind died down, and everything in the carriage was still. Only Jiang Ranxu's hair swayed slightly, a slight movement that required intense concentration to be noticed.
"Stop chatting with others." Jiang Ranxu clearly didn't turn his head to look over, and he didn't know how he noticed he was chatting. "Help me navigate to the location of the seaside resort. The live broadcast room sent you an address, right?"
So for the second half of the journey, Meng Weishen acted as a navigation assistant and had no time to chat with the lawyer.
The situation in Tianjin is very complicated, and Deputy Station Master Yu of Tianjin Station had already warned everyone about it. As the vehicles left Beijing and exited the highway, the road conditions became complicated.
The straight, straight roads remained in the imperial capital, replaced by the dense, short, and dense urban streets of Tianjin. They circled three times around a twisted overpass, only to have the navigation system issue a sharp error message. On a seemingly smooth, straight road, they encountered eight traffic lights, each lasting only twenty seconds, nearly resulting in red light penalties and fines. On a busy downtown highway with a 50km/h speed limit, they strayed into a taxi race and were met with numerous aggressive honking warnings.
After the filming of their Tianjin adventure, the two finally reached a smooth coastal highway. Without traffic lights or racing cars, the driver finally had full control over his speed.
Meng Weishen removed the entire car window, letting a cool, damp sea breeze drift freely through the cabin, carrying a hint of salt. He searched for the direction the breeze was taking, only to see the shimmering ocean fill the window frame. Tianjin's sea, often criticized for its lack of natural beaches and silt accumulation, was often lacking in scenic beauty. However, at this moment, the sunset painted the surface a vibrant hue, and with the circling seagulls as a decorative element, the silted sea seemed sweet and alluring.
The sea gradually swallowed up the sunset glow, and the car also moved away from the downtown area. The surroundings sank into the silent twilight, and only the occasional mocking cry of seagulls could be heard.
The atmosphere in the car had completely relaxed. By the time Jiang Ranxu realized that the road ahead was becoming increasingly desolate, with no decent street lights, they had already missed the opportunity to turn around.
Jiang Ranxu asked Meng Weishen to check the navigation position again to make sure they were not in the wrong direction. They were only two or three kilometers away from their destination, so they decided to get there first.
The navigation system indicated that we had arrived at our destination, but the scenery ahead was chilling.
The so-called "luxury seaside resort" was just a lonely, old, small house. It looked like a hotel, but without a single light on, it must have been abandoned.
"This is……"
Meng Weishen got out of the car and approached the small house hidden in the darkness. He saw that the wall paint was peeling and the withered creeper vines had not been cleaned for a long time. What's worse, the door at the entrance had been dismantled, leaving a blank black hole leading to the pitch blackness inside.
This place looks more like a creeper's grave than a resort.
"Meng Weishen, don't go too far, get back to the car."
At this time, Jiang Ranxu grabbed him from behind and quickly brought him back to the car.
Meng Weishen knew that he had been deceived by the live broadcast room. Adhering to the principle that everyone is responsible for their own mistakes, he quickly promised Jiang Ranxu that he would solve the problem.
He zoomed in several times, took a few photos of the abandoned building in front of him, and sent them to the live broadcast room asking for an explanation.
[Live Broadcast Room] We are transferring you to manual service...
[Customer Service Xiaomei] Hello, I have an explanation. We made a mistake with the resort address. This did happen, and we're very sorry. We'd like to offer a 5 yuan compensation. Is that okay with you? I'm really sorry. We made a mistake, and we do recognize it. Is that okay with you?
Jiang Ranxu took him out of the passenger seat and took over the driving. He occupied the passenger seat and took his phone, so he could fight with the live broadcast customer service on his behalf.
Jiang Ran preface: Are you kidding me? My father is eighty years old and was diagnosed with cancer last year. He's never seen the ocean in his life. This is my last chance to travel with him. You ruined my father's last trip. I will hate you for decades to come.
Jiang Ranxu: You must compensate for 600 yuan in transportation fees, 800 yuan in accommodation fees, 5,000 yuan in medical expenses, and 8,000 yuan in mental damages. Otherwise, I will post your live broadcast room on Xiaodidu and Weibo, and report you to the Municipal Supervision Bureau for false advertising.
The customer service finally showed a positive attitude to solve the problem and sent a new address of a seaside homestay.
Although the seaside resort had been downgraded to a beachfront B&B, it was still better than having nowhere to go. Meng Weishen had learned his lesson and checked the information on a niche review site beforehand. The B&B address was correct, and the photos showed a small, detached house with a courtyard, which seemed quite peaceful and cozy. The two then drove to the new address.
It was almost dawn when they arrived at the B&B. There was only a dim night light left on in the courtyard. The light swayed in the sea breeze and looked like it could go out at any time.
Fortunately, the courtyard is not deserted. There is a front desk reception, a tram charging station, and a wifi signal.
The receptionist squinted between them, his narrowed eyes lingering between them as he asked, "Which room are you two staying in? King or double?"
Meng Weishen thought he had a good sense of social propriety and quickly replied, "A double bed will do, and it would be best if the room has a view of the sea."
"The room at the end of the corridor on the second floor."
The old man handed me a room card.
The building had no elevator, so one had to climb the stairs to the second floor. Meng Weishen, with only a backpack the size of his luggage, had the upper hand at the moment. Jiang Ranxu, struggling much more than him, fell behind him, carrying a suitcase half his height.
Meng Weishen offered to help. But for some reason, Jiang Ranxu seemed downcast again and coldly rejected his offer. He wisely kept quiet.
The double room indeed had a superb view. A full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows faced the sea. The inky blue sea had fallen into a deep sleep, its waves fading into the inky darkness. The harbor in the distance, however, was bustling with activity, unloading cargo, a shimmering cascade of light resembling clusters of hydrangeas.
"Wait a minute."
Just as Meng Weishen was about to reach out to open the window, Jiang Ranxu stopped him and unfolded the giant suitcase, beginning to display its wares: travel-sized shampoo and shower gel, disposable toiletries bags, disposable bed sheets, portable electric mugs, folding hangers, alcohol wipes, disinfectant spray...
Jiang Ranxu picked out the bottle of disinfectant spray and sprayed the windows thoroughly inside and out, ensuring that all the bacteria were reunited in the underworld. He then sprayed the bedside table and desk. Spraying alone was not enough, so he wiped it with alcohol wipes.
Meng Weishen had already witnessed Jiang Ranxu's neatness, and now the smell of disinfectant made him feel even more dizzy. He wanted to suggest that Jiang Ranxu buy a bottle of men's 13-in-1 detergent, which could be used for shampooing, bathing, rinsing mouth, cleaning toilets, and clearing soup base, so that he wouldn't have to carry such a heavy bag.
Jiang Ranxu also noticed his surprise and found an excuse for him to avoid the conversation: "Go take a shower first, and leave the room to me to clean up."
Meng Weishen finished washing up with Jiang Ranxu's toiletries bag. The bed was already covered with clean sheets, which were so smooth without a single wrinkle, causing him to feel guilty when he lay down.
The room was filled with a faint smell of evaporated alcohol, and he seemed to be sleeping in a dental clinic by the sea.
He had experienced so many bizarre things during the half-day drive that he felt tired both physically and mentally. As soon as the reading light went out, Meng Weishen fell into a deep sleep.
In my sleep, I could faintly hear a series of dull clicks outside the door. Perhaps a woman in high heels was walking up to the second floor. The footsteps came from far away and gradually approached the end of the corridor where the room was located.
She was crying. It was a very quiet sob, but because the distance was so close that it seemed to be right next to her ear, Meng Weishen could still hear it clearly.
She seemed to be standing just outside the door...
Meng Weishen suddenly woke up.
In his blurred vision, he only saw a figure standing at the head of his bed, and he didn't know how long he had been standing there.
"Jiang Ranxu?" Meng Weishen called out vaguely.
The figure resembling Jiang Ranxu responded softly and asked, "Are you scared?"
"What are you afraid of?"
"If you're scared, I can sleep with you."
"No, this bed is too narrow. We have to drive to downtown Tianjin tomorrow, so get some sleep."
Since the other party is Jiang Ranxu, there is nothing to be afraid of. Meng Weishen turned over and sleepiness came over him again.
The figure remained motionless. It froze beside his bed for a long moment before gradually retreating back into the darkness.
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