Chapter 17 – The One in Her Heart
Xiong Kun deliberately ignored Yan An’s question, pretending not to hear it.
Hua Mian added quietly,
“He’ll say something even worse.”
“…Fine,” Xiong Kun finally surrendered, “I’ll take you to another hotel.”
“But I want to stay in this one.” Hua Mian blinked her big eyes, staring at him.
Xiong Kun bent down to coax her with a soft tone,
“The other hotel is also very nice. The owner is even my friend!”
“How about this,” he continued, “we go there first to wash up and settle in, then later come back here to check in properly? To be honest, I’ve always admired Lady Sophia. I want to stay somewhere she has stayed.”
Her amber eyes were filled with pleading innocence.
Xiong Kun sighed. A normal female admiring a beautiful C-rank comforter was only natural.
“…Fine.”
By the time Hua Mian led Chu Fufeng and Yan An to check in under false identities, the afternoon had already arrived.
“Madam, are you hungry?” Yan An asked worriedly. Hua Mian’s face had turned pale, her whole person looking like a frost-stricken flower.
“A little.” Hua Mian replied casually. She was indeed uncomfortable—her chest felt tight, leaving her without much appetite.
Fortunately, Chu Fufeng returned quickly with food in hand. However, the lightness in his steps disappeared once he closed the door behind him.
“Every afternoon, they drag Chi Rui out to hang under the scorching sun, and at night they bring him back here to soak in salt water. They repeat the torture every day.”
After listening, Hua Mian frowned.
“What did Shen Xueji and the others say?”
“They want to rescue Chi Rui,” Chu Fufeng said, clenching his fists, “but they need us to find out exactly where he’s held at night.”
Hua Mian looked exhausted. After resting for an hour, she led the two men downstairs.
This hotel was large. The first floor served meals, much like an ordinary restaurant. Because the food was good—and because Lady Sophia had once stayed here—the business was thriving. Even before dinner time, the place was already packed and lively.
Hua Mian used her homemade cosmetics to apply a fragile, demure “white-flower beauty” makeup look on herself, covering the natural allure of her features. After reshaping the eye makeup, her appearance became gentle and refined—to the point that even Yan An, who knew her well, felt she looked like a stranger.
Then she applied makeup to both Yan An and Chu Fufeng, altering their appearances as much as possible.
“Madam, you’re amazing!” Yan An looked at her with starry-eyed admiration.
Even Chu Fufeng was impressed.
In the interstellar beast world, advanced technology and optimized genetics meant that unattractive faces were rare among beastmen and females. And if one was dissatisfied, cosmetic procedures were easily available. Very few people used traditional makeup—almost no one used makeup to change an entire face.
Hua Mian had originally created these cosmetics just in case. She hadn’t expected them to come in handy so soon.
Chu Fufeng had reserved a table in advance, and they sat down after arriving downstairs.
Not far away, a squad of beastman mercenaries was discussing Chi Rui.
“That dog beastman is really tough. After so much torture, he still hasn’t made a sound.”
“That’s not real torture. They didn’t even use knives. At most, it’s just a small punishment.” One mercenary gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor.
“Who told you they didn’t use knives? I heard his clothes hide cuts all over his body. And every night they soak him in salt water!”
“Tch… seriously?”
“Well, there’s no smoke without fire.”
…
Chu Fufeng grew increasingly silent, his grip on his cup tightening.
Hua Mian lightly tapped his hand with a spoon, and only then did he slowly loosen his grip.
“Don’t panic,” she whispered. “They want Chi Rui alive to use against us. That means he won’t be allowed to die.”
Reassured somewhat, Chu Fufeng and Yan An stood to start gathering information.
Hua Mian’s eyes flickered slightly, and she leisurely walked toward the front counter.
“Hello,” she spoke softly, “may I ask if someone named Cheng Yaojin has checked in here?”
The clerk froze for a moment. The voice was soft, gentle, and when he looked up he met a pair of misty amber eyes—like rain falling from a clear sky, fragile and heart-tugging.
“I’m sorry, miss. We can’t casually reveal guest information.”
“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Hua Mian bit her lip, eyes turning red as if she might cry at any moment.
The clerk panicked—he hadn’t expected this delicate little female to tear up so quickly.
“You could describe him to me,” he said hurriedly. “Maybe I’ve seen him elsewhere.”
“Won’t that delay your work?” Hua Mian clasped her hands nervously over her chest, looking at him like a timid little deer.
The clerk had met dozens—if not hundreds—of females in his life. Yet none had ever stirred such pity and protective instinct in him.
“It’s fine. This is my uncle’s hotel, so sneaking a little time is no problem.”
Hua Mian paused internally.
Oh? So he’s connected. No wonder his work is so sloppy. I thought he was new—but he’s a big fish.
“He’s taller than I am, with bronze-colored skin. His hair is brushed back from his forehead, revealing thick brows… Oh, and there’s a scar at the end of his left brow. And he has a thick beard like a lion’s…”
The more she said, the more perplexed the clerk became—by the time she mentioned the beard, he even took a sip of tea to calm his surprise.
“…May I ask—what is he to you?”
Hua Mian lowered her gaze and smiled shyly.
“He’s… the one I like.”
“…What do you like about him?”
At that moment, the clerk sincerely felt he had encountered a misguided girl—possibly even a victim of deception.
“I like… watching him fight with an axe. He never gives up. He’s brave, fearless, and doesn’t hesitate even when he’s bleeding…”
At once the clerk sat upright. Beastmen always respected warriors.
“I apologize. I was being narrow-minded.”
Hua Mian quickly waved her hands.
“So… have you seen him?”
“No.”
Seeing her about to tear up again, the clerk quickly added,
“But someone that strong is probably in the forest right now helping Lady Sophia’s beast-husband capture the two thieves!”
“Capture thieves? Isn’t that dangerous?” Hua Mian pressed a hand to her chest in alarm.
“No, no,” the clerk reassured her, handing her a warm cup of sweet water. “They won’t get away.”
“…Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re amazing. How do you know so much?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. And that beastman isn’t that frightening. After the ice water treatment, he’s already lost his combat strength.”
“Thank you,” Hua Mian said gratefully.
After finishing her conversation, she gently said goodbye to the reluctant clerk, then lowered her eyes in thought.
First—Chi Rui was definitely being held inside this hotel.
Second—the clerk had confidently said it was ice water, and that Chi Rui had already lost the ability to fight.
Which meant he must have seen it with his own eyes.
And since it was ice water, and he was the owner’s nephew—
There was only one possibility:
He was the one delivering the ice water.
