Rose Hotel!

The Balak Kingdom lay south of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering Fasno Province.

Though it was called a kingdom, its territory was only three-quarters the size of Fasno Province.

Balak was subordinate to the Heaven Dou Empire and was one of the empire's four great kingdoms.

Balak's king, Kundela, was the cousin of Xue Ye, the current Lord of the country of the Heaven Dou Empire.

To the south, the Balak Kingdom directly bordered the Star Luo Empire. Therefore, among the Heaven Dou Empire's four great kingdoms, the Balak Kingdom possessed the strongest military strength.

Suotuo City was the second-largest city within the Balak Kingdom.

It was just past noon. The blazing sun scorched the earth as three newcomers entered through Suotuo City's west gate.

The bluestone road outside Suotuo City's west gate had been baked scorching hot. The guards beneath the gate wiped the sweat from their brows, their gazes casually sweeping over the three people who had just entered, only to pause involuntarily.

The young man walking at the front stood tall and straight. He wore a simple Moon White Robe, yet it could not conceal the calmness between his brows.

At his side walked a young girl of around eleven or twelve. Her jet-black hair fell over her shoulders, with two small pearl flowers pinned among the strands.

Behind them followed a woman in a purple cheongsam, who looked to be just over twenty.

The fabric of her cheongsam was smooth as satin, tightly outlining her exquisite, curvaceous figure.

A section of her fair calf showed through the slit, swaying gently with each step. Every movement carried an indescribable charm.

The faint purple dragon-shaped mark that flickered in and out of view on her forehead glimmered under the sunlight.

Paired with those purple eyes that seemed to hold autumn waters, it gave her an aura that was both alluring and distant.

The three were Su Yu, Ning Rongrong, and Zi Ji, who had left the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Brother Su Yu, it's so hot here. It's much stuffier than the Star Dou Forest."

Ning Rongrong rubbed herself against Su Yu's arms, her little hand tugging at his lapel to fan herself.

"When will we reach Shrek Academy?"

"Soon. Once we enter the city, we can ask for directions."

Su Yu wiped the thin sheen of sweat from the tip of her nose, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding streets.

Suotuo City was indeed bustling. Street vendors' cries rose and fell one after another.

A crowd had gathered around the ice cream stall, while the air carried a mixture of food aromas and dust.

"Older brother, I want ice cream!"

Ning Rongrong tugged at Su Yu's sleeve and shook it, her eyes fixed intently on the ice cream stall in the distance.

White, chilly vapor drifted from it, and the wooden sign bore four red characters: "Osmanthus Ice Cream." The sight made her swallow.

"Alright, I'll buy you some."

Su Yu laughed, rubbing her hair, which had grown a little hot from the sun.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

Ning Rongrong immediately nodded and obediently sat on a bamboo stool at the tea stall, watching Su Yu walk toward the ice cream stand.

Zi Ji stood behind her, her gaze inconspicuously sweeping over their surroundings like a dedicated guard.

Before long, Su Yu returned carrying three small porcelain bowls. They contained tender white ice cream sprinkled with finely chopped osmanthus flowers, wisps of cold vapor rising from them.

"Eat quickly, before it melts."

He handed one bowl to Ning Rongrong, then another to Zi Ji.

Ning Rongrong impatiently scooped up a spoonful and put it into her mouth. The cool, sweet taste instantly drove away the heat, while the faint fragrance of osmanthus spread across her tongue. She narrowed her eyes in bliss.

"Wow, it's so delicious! It's even better than the Honey Water Ice from the sect!"

Zi Ji looked at the ice cream in her bowl, hesitated for a moment, then finally took a bite.

The icy sensation slid down her throat, making her pause slightly—human food was more refined than she had imagined.

Su Yu took a spoonful himself. Seeing Ning Rongrong's face filled with satisfaction as she ate, the corners of his mouth could not help curving upward.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell upon the bit of ice cream on the tip of her nose, like a tiny diamond fragment, giving her an adorably childish look.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to snatch it from you."

He took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth.

Ning Rongrong gave a muffled response, but the spoon in her hand never stopped moving.

Zi Ji quietly ate her ice cream. Her gaze occasionally passed over the pedestrians on the street before quickly returning to the two of them, and a rare trace of peace appeared in her purple eyes.

After finishing a bowl of ice cream, most of the summer heat had faded.

Ning Rongrong patted her little belly and pulled Su Yu to his feet.

"Older brother, let's hurry to Shrek Academy!"

"Don't rush. Every academy has its own enrollment period. We've already traveled for so many days, so let's find somewhere to rest first."

"That's true. We haven't had a proper night's sleep these past few days. Older brother, let's go to that hotel!"

Ning Rongrong pointed at a hotel nearby.

Su Yu followed the direction of her finger and saw that the entire hotel was Rose Red.

Its three stories rose one above another, and the glazed roof tiles reflected a gentle luster beneath the sunlight.

The carved decorations along its edges outlined arcs like Petals. From afar, it truly resembled a massive rose in full bloom, especially eye-catching among the surrounding drab buildings.

"Rose Hotel?" Su Yu read the gilded words above the entrance and smiled. "That's quite an unusual name."

"This one, this one!" Ning Rongrong pulled him forward, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Look how pretty the color is. It must be more comfortable than those dreary inns!"

Zi Ji followed behind them and looked up at the hotel. Humans really were impressive—they could even build a hotel that looked like a flower.

As soon as they reached the entrance, an attendant dressed in a Rose Red uniform warmly came forward.

"Welcome, honored guests! Are you staying the night or dining? We have excellent rooms, and freshly baked Rose Crisp as well!"

"We're staying. Three superior rooms," Su Yu said.

The attendant's eyes lit up, and he was about to lead the way when Ning Rongrong tugged at Su Yu's sleeve and said quietly,

"Older brother, I'm a little scared to sleep alone. Can we stay in adjoining rooms?"

Su Yu nodded helplessly. "Then two adjoining superior rooms, plus one next door."

"Certainly!"

While registering, Su Yu and the other two examined the hotel lobby's layout.

It truly deserved to be called the Rose Hotel. The lobby was decorated in a riot of color, with tapestries bearing Rose Pattern hanging on the walls.

A faint floral fragrance drifted through the air, lending the place a genuinely romantic atmosphere.

Ning Rongrong looked around curiously at the passing guests and whispered to Su Yu,

"Older brother, this hotel is quite pretty. I can't believe they decorated the lobby with so many flowers."

Just then, a boy and a girl walked in.

The boy was plainly dressed and appeared to be twelve or thirteen years old. He stood around one meter seventy tall and wore a neat Light Blue Tunic.

Around his waist was a belt inlaid with Twenty-Four Jade Stones, while his half-long black hair barely reached his shoulders.

Though he was not particularly handsome, he gave people a feeling that he was easy to approach.

If the boy appeared peaceful and ordinary, then the girl beside him was anything but ordinary.

Her long black hair was braided into a neat scorpion braid, the tip of which hung past her calves.

She was half a head taller than the boy. Her upper body was clad in a Pink Undergarment that tightly wrapped her figure, which had already begun to develop.