Exposed!

Chapter 45: Exposed!

July 7th. Another bright, sunny day, evident from the clear blue sky this morning.

At 2:30 PM, the harsh sunlight outside felt like it was scorching the earth. Cheng Yun sat at the front desk, enjoying the air conditioning, unwilling to leave for even a moment. Time trickled away in this drowsy state.

Anju Hotel required guests to check out by 2 PM on their departure day, so there was a particularly large number of people checking out after noon. Heroine Yin was busy checking rooms, cleaning, replacing what needed replacing and adding what needed adding. She was already drenched in sweat. After finishing her work, she went straight down to the front desk, fanning herself with her hand while grabbing a tissue to wipe the sweat from her cheeks. She poured herself a glass of water before plopping onto the sofa to enjoy the air conditioning.

"I'm dying of heat, dying of heat! I thought your Upper Realm wouldn't be this hot!"

"...This isn't the Upper Realm."

"Oh, right. Your Upper Realm should be pretty hot too. Otherwise, why would that person have been so tanned that day!"

"..."

Cheng Yun really didn't want to talk to someone like Heroine Yin, who had explosive combat power but lacked in intelligence. He continued to rest his chin on his hand, watching TV and dozing.

But before long, Heroine Yin approached him again.

Cheng Yun looked up to see Heroine Yin's eager gaze fixed on his computer screen.

"Station Master, what are you watching?"

"..." Cheng Yun was helpless. "My Own Swords and Bows."

"Martial world? Is that the Jianghu?" Heroine Yin's eyes lit up. She quickly squeezed in front of the reception desk. "I want to watch too!"

However, after watching for a short while, she found this kind of 'martial world' devoid of any swordplay or bloodshed to be rather boring. Apart from a magical skill called 'Sunflower Acupuncture Hand,' there was nothing else to pique her interest. Her initial enthusiasm gradually waned.

Soon, both of them were resting their chins on their hands, eyes half-closed, staring at the screen.

The midday break in the height of summer was a cool stream in the sweltering heat, leisurely to the point of being almost boring.

Before long, Heroine Yin yawned in disappointment and went upstairs to rest, muttering, "Boring, boring. I'd rather go up and watch the evening news..."

Around 4 PM, Heroine Yin, having slept and sweated again, came downstairs. This time, however, she clutched a five-yuan bill in her hand. The bill was crumpled, with faint traces of sweat on it.

Heroine Yin hovered at the top of the stairs for a long time, looking hesitant and nervous. Her gaze was fixed on the refrigerator behind the front desk. After a long while, she gritted her teeth and walked down.

Slap! She placed the bill on the front desk.

"Station Master, I want a can of Sprite!"

Cheng Yun, who had been dozing with his eyes half-closed, was startled by the loud noise. He froze, his drowsiness completely gone. He quickly paused the TV and looked up at Heroine Yin. "What did you say?"

Heroine Yin's gaze flickered. She tiptoed forward and pushed the crumpled five-yuan bill towards him, trying to smooth it out. "I... I want a can of Sprite."

"You want a can of Sprite?"

"Yes, is that okay?" Heroine Yin asked, looking a little guilty. "A really cold one."

"Of course, it's just buying Sprite!" Cheng Yun yawned, got up, walked over, and opened the refrigerator door. He searched for a moment and grabbed a can of Sprite.

Heroine Yin immediately relaxed, her eyes fixed on his hand and the can of Sprite.

However, she noticed Cheng Yun made no further move.

This made her heart leap into her throat again.

"Wait a minute!" Cheng Yun turned around, frowning and looking at Heroine Yin strangely. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I... no... where am I?" Heroine Yin was so nervous she could barely speak.

"Is it because this is the first time you're buying something in our world? If so, you'll get used to it after a few more times," Cheng Yun mumbled.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's it!"

"A can of Sprite is three yuan. I still need to give you two yuan in change," Cheng Yun said, taking the can of Sprite out. Just as he was about to hand it to Heroine Yin, he paused again, feeling that something was slightly off.

"Hey? Station Master?" Heroine Yin called out, her eyes fixed on the Sprite in Cheng Yun's hand.

"Oh, oh!" Cheng Yun handed her the Sprite, patting his head. He was still too groggy from just waking up.

Hiss!

Heroine Yin pulled the tab and took a small sip, feeling immense happiness and satisfaction.

Cheng Yun opened the drawer behind the counter, took out two yuan, and just as he was about to hand it to Heroine Yin, he froze again.

Heroine Yin, who had reached out to take the money, saw him pause and lightning-fast retracted her hand, staring at him blankly.

Cheng Yun looked at the money in his hand and finally realized what was wrong--

"Where did you get the money?"

"Ah... ah?" Heroine Yin's mouth hung slightly open.

"I remember you shouldn't have any money," Cheng Yun said, his expression becoming serious. He paused before continuing, "You didn't do anything illegal or immoral, did you?"

"This is... I borrowed it from that young lady. I promised to pay her back when I get my wages!" Even though she had practiced this sentence many times upstairs, Heroine Yin couldn't help but feel nervous, her voice trembling slightly.

"Is that so?" Cheng Yun looked at her expression, his face filled with suspicion.

"Yes, yes." Heroine Yin nodded quickly.

"I'll ask Yu Dian!" Cheng Yun's words turned Heroine Yin ashen. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating.

Cheng Yun, with a serious and focused attitude, walked back to the front desk, sat down at the computer, and typed furiously, sending a QQ message to Yu Dian. The young girl Yu Dian replied almost instantly, sending several messages in a row. Her typing speed was incredibly fast--

"No!"

"Is there a problem?"

"Ah, right, Sister Yin Dan also bought a can of soda from me late last night. I think it was Sprite."

"She bought several cans the night before too."

"I told her it would be more cost-effective to buy bottled and larger sizes, but she refused!"

Cheng Yun paused, then looked at Heroine Yin, who was cowering like a startled kitten, and sighed. He waved her over. "Come in and see for yourself!"

Heroine Yin's steps were stiff as she walked to the counter, as if she were stepping onto an execution ground. She swallowed, then peeked at the computer screen. It took her a while to find what she was supposed to be looking at.

Instantly, her face was a mask of 'It's over, it's over!'

Cheng Yun cleared his throat and calmly looked at the heroine. "Speak. Where did your money come from!"

Heroine Yin mumbled, unable to speak.

"Confess!" Cheng Yun's expression suddenly turned stern. "Did you go out and rob passersby in the dead of night!"

At his words, Heroine Yin's expression soured as if she had eaten a fly. She turned her head away and said, in a tone that suggested she felt insulted, "I, Yin Dan, would never do such petty thievery!"

"Then where did you get the money?" Cheng Yun narrowed his eyes.

"I…"

Before Heroine Yin could speak, Cheng Yun suddenly thought of something and his expression cleared in realization. "Oh! I remember! Was it that day? At the police station? From that Black guy's belongings?"

"Mm-hmm!" Heroine Yin nodded honestly.

"You should have said so earlier! You wasted my breath!" Cheng Yun sighed in relief. "That Black guy was unforgivable. It's better you took his money than robbed pedestrians!"

"Yes, yes." Heroine Yin also breathed a sigh of relief. She swiftly snatched the two yuan from Cheng Yun's hand and turned to go back upstairs to continue watching the evening news. But then she heard Cheng Yun say—

"Hand over those few thousand yuan!"

"Huh?" Heroine Yin was stunned.

"What 'huh'? That's stolen money, of course, it has to be handed over to the public! Are you planning to keep it for yourself?" Cheng Yun said. "This is a socialist country under the rule of law. How can we accept ill-gotten gains!"

"I'll… I'll give you half!"

"Half what! Do I look like that kind of person?"

"Okay! But, but there aren't even a few thousand yuan! That Black guy was talking nonsense!"

"Is that so?" Cheng Yun frowned. He seemed to recall Heroine Yin muttering something that day.

"Then how much is there?" he asked.

"There's…" Heroine Yin hesitated, then held up one finger. "Ten yuan."

"Is that so? Take it out and let me see!" Cheng Yun tilted his head slightly, glancing at her.

"Oh."

Heroine Yin reached into her pocket and fumbled around, blinking repeatedly. After a long while, she pulled out a bill.

A twenty.

The atmosphere became awkward.

The two of them looked at each other in silence.

Her eyes conveyed, Station Master, I didn't do a good job this time, can I try again? while Cheng Yun's gaze was cold, a clear and decisive refusal!

After a long silence, Heroine Yin grew more nervous.

It was then that Cheng Yun finally reached out. "Give it here!"

Heroine Yin weakly placed the money in his hand, her face filled with heartache and reluctance, much like a tenant in the old society handing over rent.

"How much more is there!"

"Th-thirty." Heroine Yin hesitantly held up three fingers. "There's thirty yuan left in total."

Cheng Yun pocketed the twenty yuan and then extended his hand again, his gaze fixed on the pocket of Heroine Yin's shorts.

Heroine Yin immediately understood. She reached into another pocket and fumbled for a moment, but the pocket was a bit tight. It took her considerable effort to pull her hand out.

As she did, she accidentally pulled out not only the few dozen yuan she was holding but also quite a few other bills, which scattered on the floor.

Cheng Yun looked down. There were five-yuan, ten-yuan, twenty-yuan bills, and a fifty-yuan bill.

"……"

"……"

Both of them fell silent.

Heroine Yin reacted faster, quickly squatting down to pick up all the money from the floor. She placed it all on the counter and said, "Here, Station Master, it's all for you."

Cheng Yun smirked, glanced at the money on the table, then pointed to Heroine Yin's pocket. "I think I saw a red one peeking out from there."

Heroine Yin looked down and immediately panicked, shoving her hand into her pocket and shaking her head. "No, no, that's my… my underwear."

"You have red underwear?" Cheng Yun blinked in surprise.

"Yes, I do," Heroine Yin nodded seriously.

"Where did you get it?"

"I bought it."

"Didn't I take you to buy your clothes?"

"You did buy them."

"Did I buy you red underwear?" Cheng Yun twitched the corner of his mouth. "Nonsense, utter nonsense!"

"Yes, you did," Heroine Yin continued to nod seriously.

"You're still talking nonsense to me!" Cheng Yun couldn't hold back anymore, raising his voice. "Taking stolen money is a crime! Hand it over honestly!"

"..."

Heroine Yin gritted her teeth tightly and handed over the hundred-yuan bill. Then, she pulled out another hundred from another pouch, another hundred from her butt pouch, and two hundred hidden in her shoe...

Finally, she took Cheng Yun back to her room and found another hundred hidden under the bedsheet.

A total of over seven hundred yuan.

Cheng Yun collected all the money. At the same time, he was quite satisfied with Heroine Yin's serious and honest attitude.