The Heroine Is Truly a Good Person

Chapter 24: The Heroine Is Truly a Good Person

Suddenly, she reached out and slapped her thigh hard.

"Slap!"

The sound, like thunder and lightning, startled Cheng Yun. He looked up and asked blankly, "What are you doing? Practicing... practicing some technique?"

"I wanted to see if I was dreaming. I heard that if you slap yourself in a dream, it doesn't hurt." Heroine Yin lowered her head. "It hurts. Looks like I'm not dreaming..."

"What are you doing?"

"Don't you have nights in your world?" Heroine Yin retorted.

"Of course, we have nights. See that tall girl over there? She's already gone upstairs to sleep! I'll be going to sleep after I get off work at two in the morning."

"Then they..."

"It's only a little past eight," Cheng Yun said, glancing at his phone. "The real nightlife hasn't even started yet! Usually, going to bed at nine or ten is pretty normal. The real nightlife only begins after midnight."

Heroine Yin nodded, understanding little.

There was no curfew in this world, and naturally, no martial world wanderers strolling around with swords at night. People could move around freely at night, just like during the day, going wherever they pleased.

At this moment, Cheng Yun smiled and said, "If you want to see the night view, you can go up to the roof. Just keep going up the stairs, and you can see quite far from the rooftop."

"Really?" Heroine Yin was eager to try.

"Yeah, go ahead," Cheng Yun said, looking down.

Heroine Yin indeed went to the rooftop to see the night view, leaving Cheng Yun alone and bored at the front desk, listening to music to pass the time.

The front desk job was very easy and very boring. Ninety percent of the time, he just had to sit there, but for a long time. Fortunately, Cheng Yun had spent a few hundred yuan on Taobao for two ergonomic chairs, so sitting was quite comfortable, and his back and neck didn't hurt.

Around ten in the evening, Cheng Yan returned.

Her face was still calm, with no expression. Of course, she hadn't been drinking. She walked straight to the counter and sat down, not saying a word, seemingly waiting for Cheng Yun to start his parental-style questioning.

Cheng Yun cooperated. "You're back?"

"..."

"Was the appreciation banquet for your teacher smooth?"

"It was okay," Cheng Yan said. "The teachers talked too much, and the classmates were too childish. Other than that, it was fine."

"You call others childish, but aren't you just a kid too?" Cheng Yun curled his lips.

"..."

"They must have been surprised and confused that you chose Yida!" Cheng Yun changed his tone.

"No," Cheng Yan glanced at him lightly, a smile appearing at the corner of her lips. "They all knew my parents had just died, and I told them I had a brother who was mentally disabled and couldn't take care of himself, so I couldn't go to school too far away. They quickly understood and kept telling me how hard it must be for me and praising me for being sensible."

"Damn it!"

"What did you say?" Cheng Yan's eyes turned cold.

"No, no, no," Cheng Yun waved his hands repeatedly. "What else happened? I bet quite a few male classmates confessed to you, right?"

"Nothing like that," Cheng Yan glanced at him calmly.

"How could that be!"

"Only one," Cheng Yan hesitated for a moment, then said calmly, "Many people had confessed to me before, and I rejected them all directly. Only one, who was thick-skinned and drunk, pestered me to be his girlfriend."

"Then what did you do? Didn't the teachers intervene?" Cheng Yun frowned immediately. "You didn't agree, did you?"

"Cheng Yun, has your brain been eaten by zombies!" Cheng Yan glared at him with disdain.

"Don't change the subject!"

"Teachers? Why would teachers intervene with a drunken boy confessing at the final graduation party? Of course, I handled it myself!"

"How did you handle it?"

"Simple! One slap, pa, and he woke up, and he stopped pestering me!"

"Mighty and domineering!" Cheng Yun applauded.

"Are you done asking?" Cheng Yan glanced at him indifferently. "If you're done, I'm going upstairs to sleep. Is the room tight today?"

"It's okay, a little tighter than the past two days."

Cheng Yan took out her room card and walked upstairs. "Then tomorrow, let's still put the deluxe suite up for booking. If someone books it, I'll sleep on the sofa in your living room with a blanket tomorrow night."

"...Alright," Cheng Yun said, raising his voice slightly. "If you have time tomorrow, remember to come find me. I've decided to start renovating those dormitory rooms. Let's discuss the decoration style or something."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Yan's figure disappeared around the corner. She didn't give any response.

For Cheng Yan, if she didn't make a sound when Cheng Yun discussed something with her, it meant she had agreed.

Cheng Yun worked his shift until two in the morning, cycling through the daily recommendations on NetEase Cloud Music several times. He even meditated intermittently for two hours. By this time, Heroine Yin was still on the rooftop and hadn't come down.

Cheng Yun turned off the door and equipment, then turned off the front desk lights before heading upstairs.

He first went to check the node space before going up to the rooftop. He saw Heroine Yin sitting sideways on the railing, one foot on the railing and the other dangling, hugging her knees and staring blankly down below.

Her silhouette on the rooftop seemed to exude boundless loneliness, especially in contrast to the brightly lit city skyline.

"What are you doing?" Cheng Yun walked over and asked.

"I... I lost track of time. Are you closed already? I think I heard the iron gate downstairs closing." Heroine Yin's tone was hesitant, and she looked at him, "Did you come to get me?"

"I came to see you." Cheng Yun smiled, sat down on the concrete railing, and looked down. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm?"

"The Old Mage came up once before. He asked me a lot of things and told me a lot of things too." Heroine Yin turned her head to continue staring at the city's night view. "He said your world also went through an era like ours. I was just wondering, if our world were to pass many, many years from now, would it also become like this?"

"Like what?"

"Where the common people can live and work in peace, and also seek freedom. The world would lay down its arms and let the horses graze in peace."

Cheng Yun suddenly laughed. "It will. It definitely will. But actually, you'll gradually learn that our world isn't peaceful either. Wars still happen in places we can't see. We enjoy the light because there are always people standing at the edge of the abyss, using their bodies to shield us from the darkness."

Heroine Yin fell silent abruptly.

Her world was filled with darkness everywhere. Were there people resolutely standing at the edge of the abyss? It was a pity that she and many others in the martial world wandered in that darkness, resorting to any means for fame, profit, or survival, with no one choosing to step forward.

Even in the end, all she wanted was to escape.

Heroine Yin let out a long sigh, then asked, "Is there a definite result now, Station Master? How long will I likely be staying in your world?"

"I just went to check." Cheng Yun frowned. "You seem to have arrived at eight in the morning, and it's now two in the morning. Calculating it as 18 hours, or 3/4 of a day, you might have to..."

"At least half a year!" He gave a very vague answer, as it was truly impossible to be more precise.

"That's good. I can enjoy your world a bit more." Heroine Yin smiled, then cupped her hands towards Cheng Yun. "Then, I'll be counting on you for your care during this time, Station Master."

"Mm." Cheng Yun looked a bit embarrassed. "Actually, I came up to find you because I also have something I need your help with. I've been a bit hesitant to ask."

"Please speak freely, Station Master!" Heroine Yin slightly raised her chin to look at him. "I, Yin Dan, said it myself, I'll be your friend! Our words in the martial world are worth a lot!"

"Then I'll say it?"

"Dilly-dallying, like a woman! ...Are you not considering me a friend?"

"No, no." Cheng Yun sized her up and hesitated. "I just wanted to ask how you cultivated all your skills. If it's convenient, could you possibly... teach me a bit?"

"Huh?" Heroine Yin was taken aback. "Station Master, your methods are so miraculous, I can't even run away with a wave of your hand. You still want to learn my skills?"

"Well, I can't just use my methods casually. This... having more skills never hurts!" Cheng Yun rubbed his hands.

"Well said, 'having more skills never hurts.' I see." Heroine Yin fell into thought, as if she had already forgotten the grand promise she had just made. She then showed a hint of difficulty. "Um, Station Master, as you know, some of my skills were taught by my parents when I was young, some by my uncle, and some I learned through various means after venturing into the martial world. Many of them cannot be passed on."

"So it's a no-go then!" Cheng Yun's face was full of disappointment.

"No, no, no!" Heroine Yin waved her hands repeatedly. "Actually, if you... if you could add six hundred coins to my monthly pay... Ah, if you think that's too much, five hundred coins would be enough! I'd be very willing to try teaching you some miscellaneous martial arts."

"Miscellaneous martial arts?" Cheng Yun frowned. "The martial arts taught to you by your parents and uncle cannot be passed on?"

"No!" Heroine Yin was surprised. "The martial arts taught to me by my parents and uncle are miscellaneous martial arts!"

"Alright." Cheng Yun gritted his teeth, feeling a pang of pain. "Then it's decided. I'll add five hundred coins to your monthly pay!"

In this day and age, a single session with a fitness coach cost several hundred yuan, and hiring a personal trainer would cost at least several thousand a month. For such a petite and busty heroine to only cost five hundred yuan a month, Cheng Yun felt...

Well, market price!

"Wait, I haven't agreed yet!" Heroine Yin quickly said. "First, I'm not sure if you can learn. Because people in your world seem so weak, it might not work."

"If it doesn't work... then... add more money!"

Heroine Yin blinked at him, looking for a long time before making a decision. She nodded with a serious expression. "Mm!"

In the end, she couldn't resist the temptation of money!

"I'll do my best anyway!" she said, pausing before adding, "Don't worry, if it doesn't work, I'll refund you!"

"Thank you, Heroine!" Cheng Yun quickly cupped his hands.

The heroine is truly a principled and good person! She's trustworthy and righteous, and most importantly, simple and easy to fool.