140. The Inn
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The lodging conditions in this inn were a significant improvement over the one Lin Nan stayed at last time.
The furniture didn’t look ancient, hardly a speck of dust in sight, and the room was about twenty square meters with a wall-mounted TV that actually turned on!
Next to the gigantic double bed was a round glass table adorned with cheap tea bags, flanked by two wicker chairs for that rustic touch.
The window faced the street, but as long as it was shut tight, the outside noise was practically non-existent. The soundproofing wasn’t half bad.
However, Lin Nan had no time to appreciate her accommodations tonight. She stepped inside, dropped her things, and stood there awkwardly with a face full of embarrassment, unsure of what to do next.
Li Na followed Lin Nan into the room and immediately flopped onto the bed, propping herself up on her elbows, swinging her legs and scrolling through her phone like she owned the place.
After a few painfully awkward minutes, Lin Nan realized that Li Na seemed to have completely forgotten about her.
With a long sigh, Lin Nan turned and shuffled into the bathroom.
Inside, she sent Chen Yao her room number and leaned against the tiled wall, drowning in existential dread.
How was she going to make it through the night?
Lin Nan had entertained thoughts of yuri before, but Li Na was an obvious wildcard. In Lin Nan’s eyes, yuri with other girls was all about cuddles and kisses, but with Li Na? Who knew? There could be surprises under that skirt…
Just as Lin Nan was spiraling into despair, she heard faint footsteps in the hallway that jolted her to attention.
It’s Chen Yao!
Lin Nan felt a wave of relief wash over her, but just then, Li Na called out from the bed, “What are you doing in the bathroom? Come out and play with me!”
Play?
Lin Nan physically recoiled, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
You can dodge the first day, but can’t escape the fifteenth! It looked like Li Na was ready to pounce.
Could it wait until nighttime?
Since she was already the prey on Li Na’s chopping block, there was no escaping it. Lin Nan steeled herself and trudged out of the bathroom, head down, turning beet red as she slowly approached the bed.
Li Na reached out, grabbing Lin Nan’s hand and transmitting a static-like electric jolt through her body. This left Lin Nan feeling all soft and tingly, and before she knew it, she was compliant as she plopped down on the bed, eyes shut tight.
If she really wanted to play a crazy game, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
“I’m playing Sun Shangxiang! You play Cai Wenji! Let’s wipe the floor with them in the bot lane!”
“Huh?”
Just as Lin Nan had her eyes closed, prepared to meet her doom, she snapped them open in bewilderment at the sight of Li Na happily crossed-legged next to her, engrossed in her phone.
She didn’t dare say much and quickly pulled out her phone to open Honor of Kings.
She hadn’t been reading any lewd stuff lately—why was her mind suddenly in the gutter?
“You’re so good at League of Legends, you must be at least decent at Honor of Kings!”
Lin Nan’s face was a map of embarrassment as she shook her head furiously, “I don’t play much, it’s just average.”
Usually, she only played it during class breaks with a couple of roommates, and if she had access to a computer in the dorm, why would she be playing a mobile game?
It wasn’t even six o’clock yet, and the two of them were already entrenched in some serious gaming action.
However, despite Lin Nan being a Diamond player in League of Legends and even claiming a school championship, her lack of experience in Honor of Kings left her floundering; she didn’t even recognize all the characters’ skills. But with their magical prowess, neither was a mere mortal.
After a straight five matches, they emerged victorious every time, but Lin Nan was starting to feel mentally drained, her head spinning.
“Earthlings are so weak.” Li Na shot her a sideways glance, “Is this all you’ve got?”
Well, yeah! Compared to someone like Li Na who could move mountains in another world, Lin Nan felt like a total noob.
“Should I head downstairs to grab us some dinner?” Li Na asked, stretching like a cat, her head slightly tilted in Lin Nan’s direction. “What do you want to eat?”
Li Na looked surprisingly cute in that moment…
It was hard to deny that, despite being a bit of a weirdo, she had a sweet and attractive face. If she didn’t have ulterior motives, Lin Nan could totally see them becoming good friends.
“Maybe noodles?”
She was still cringing inside about her earlier daydreams.
“Then let’s eat and hit the hay right after!” Li Na suddenly chuckled, poking Lin Nan’s chin with her finger, lifting her drooping head and teasing in a CEO voice, “Make sure to wash up before I come back!”
Lin Nan froze, hastily swatting away her finger. This time, Li Na had basically spelled it out for her; her mind immediately took off flying into inappropriate territories.
Oh no.
Watching Li Na leave the room, Lin Nan quickly texted Chen Yao: “She seems like she really wants to do something!”
“I’m right next door. If anything happens, scream, and I’ll be there in a flash,” Chen Yao replied, an anxious edge in his words.
“Do you think you’ll make it…?”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t even locked the door. Give me ten seconds, I’ll kick the door down!”
Despite the reassurance, Lin Nan felt tense and restless. Bracing herself, she stepped into the bathroom for a hasty shower before getting dressed and crawling into bed.
Wait! Pretend to be asleep!
If she’s asleep, there’s no way Li Na could wake her up, right?
An idea sparked! Lin Nan turned onto her side, closed her eyes, and focused on keeping her breathing even.
Time dragged on, each second felt like an eternity. She thought she could hear every tick of the clock echoing in her ears; this felt like a torturous countdown.
And just as she planned to pretend to sleep, she inevitably dozed off.
Li Na unlocked the door with her room card, carrying two bags of takeout dinner. She paused at the doorway, glancing at Lin Nan, who was already snoring away, and let out a resigned sigh.
“Just like Lilith when she was a kid, falling asleep anywhere and everywhere!”
Shaking her head, she set the dinner down on the glass table and gazed at Lin Nan’s peaceful face with her chin resting on one hand.
“The more I look, the more you resemble Lilith…” she murmured, catching a whiff of the delicious aroma wafting through the room. “I just wanted to collect a bit of Lilith’s magic for a task, and here I am with my mind full of H!”
With the window shut and air conditioning running, the magic Lin Nan unconsciously radiated was being contained within the room.
Li Na opened a takeout box, munching away while observing Lin Nan’s sleeping face.
Just a few minutes into her observation, Lin Nan’s nose twitched, her eyes fluttered open, and she whined like a little kitten, “Hungry~”
“Beef ramen! You’ve got all the beef you can handle,” Li Na said, popping open another container. “Come on, get up and eat, or you’ll be tossing and turning all night!”
Lin Nan’s stomach betrayed her, growling loudly though she had just grabbed a snack on the street. But since she’d only had a slice of bread for lunch to save some cash, the enticing smell had her drooling.
Groggy but eager, Lin Nan swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stumbled right onto the floor. Dazed, she looked down at her legs, pain creeping into her voice, “What’s wrong with me… Am I about to kick the bucket?!”
“Your foot just fell asleep,” Li Na explained.
