The Rose Hotel

"Only one room left?" Lin Ye raised an eyebrow. Was this one of those hotels where there was always only one room left?

This was... great. He really liked it.

The clerk behind the counter coughed. "Well, you know how it is. It's the start of the school term, so it's only natural that more people need a place to stay. It's not just us; the other hotels are in the same situation."

After a pause, he added, "But don't worry. Our rooms are very spacious and fully equipped. Four people can stay in one without any problem."

As he spoke, he gave Lin Ye a knowing look.

"I see." Lin Ye pretended to look troubled, but was actually sneaking a glance at Snow Empress to see how she would react.

Snow Empress's expression remained unchanged. She had been in human society for seven years, but her understanding was still limited. She didn't know the tricks of the trade.

Ice Empress and Xiao Wu were no different.

Of course, Lin Ye wasn't paying attention to Ice Empress and Xiao Wu. If anything, he thought they were a bit of a nuisance.

If it wouldn't have been inappropriate, and he hadn't worried his intentions would be too obvious, he would have sent them to another hotel.

Never mind. At worst, he'd make them sleep on the floor.

"Fine, we'll take this room."

Lin Ye took out a small pouch of Gold Soul Coins and handed it to the clerk. "We'll stay for five days. This is the room fee. You can keep whatever's left as a tip."

The clerk immediately beamed. Wasn't this exactly what he'd been hoping for?

"Here's your key. Please take it. Just let me know if you need anything."

After taking the key, Lin Ye led the three girls upstairs, under the clerk's envious gaze.

His room was on the top floor, and the sign on the door read Pink Tenderness.

The other door signs were just as flamboyant. Blue Enchantress, Yellow Sincerity, White Innocence, Green Parting, Red Ocean, and so on.

He opened the door and stepped into the living room.

The room was huge. The living room alone covered more than fifty square meters.

Aside from the furniture, the entire room was decorated in girlish pink: a pink carpet patterned with roses, pink walls.

At the center of the living room was a heart made of more than a thousand pink roses.

A ribbon hung across the heart, with a line written on it: "One thousand and one—you are my one and only."

The whole room was filled with a pleasant floral scent, creating a perfectly romantic atmosphere.

Lin Ye gave it one more glance before heading straight for the bedroom.

Perhaps men and women simply had different tastes. Lin Ye wasn't especially interested in flowers, even when they were imbued with romantic meaning.

The bedroom was even pinker. A huge pink bed took up nearly half the room, and it, too, was heart-shaped.

Lin Ye's verdict was: Not bad. He couldn't say it was all that great, but it was certainly something new.

Xiao Wu was different. She let out a cheer, leaped onto the bed, and threw herself onto it, rolling around excitedly.

Well... all he could say was that men and women had different values.

Ice Empress wasn't interested in any of that. She just looked at Lin Ye with pleading eyes. "Let's go out for a walk. We can see if there's anything good to eat, too."

Lin Ye smiled. "The food's the main reason, isn't it? I know you. Go by yourself. I can't be bothered to go out. Bring me something to eat when you get back."

Ice Empress didn't move. She just kept looking at Lin Ye with those pleading eyes.

"What's wrong? Weren't you going out?" Lin Ye asked.

Ice Empress held out her hand. "Give me some money."

Lin Ye grumbled, "Come on, I've never skimped on food or anything else for you all these years. Do you really have to be so stingy?"

Even so, he took out a pouch of Gold Soul Coins and handed it to Ice Empress.

He was used to it by now. This woman was a little miser—she only ever took, never gave. She was a real penny-pincher.

"Hehe, well, you've got money." Ice Empress happily stuffed Little Money into her pocket and turned to leave.

"Wait for me, I'm coming too."

Lin Qiu'er trotted after her, followed by Xiao Wu.

In the blink of an eye, only Snow Empress and Lin Ye were left in the room.

That was when Lin Ye revealed a sly grin, pleased with how his scheme had worked out.

Heh heh heh. The walking distractions were all gone. Now it was just him and Snow Empress, alone together.

He took a box from the Dragon Pattern Jade Pendant and handed it to Snow Empress. "Sister Xue Nu, I had someone make these clothes for you. See what you think."

Snow Empress accepted it casually. Lin Ye had bought her plenty of clothes over the years, so she was used to it.

When she opened it, she found a kind of garment she had never seen before.

In Snow Empress's hands was a qipao.

A qipao featured a standing collar, a fitted waist, and slits along the hem. These details allowed it to showcase a woman's curves while still appearing dignified and graceful.

The qipao drew inspiration from ancient Chinese clothing, but had been innovated and refined over time. It had a classical charm without losing its modern sense of style.

A woman wearing a qipao could display just the right amount of poise and elegance no matter the occasion. That was the charm of the qipao.

Before it was worn, it was hard to see all that in the garment. At least, that was how Snow Empress saw it at the moment.

Her gaze lingered on the slit in the hem. As she imagined herself wearing it, her expression turned hesitant, and a faint blush spread across her face.

Lin Ye smiled. "Sister Xue Nu, isn't it beautiful? I designed it myself. Try it on. I want to see how it looks on you."

Seeing how eager Lin Ye looked, and remembering that he had designed it especially for her, Snow Empress felt even more conflicted.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with a piece of clothing.

It was just that, as Lin Ye grew older, she had noticed that the way he looked at her had gradually changed. His gaze had become possessive and full of desire.

She wasn't a fool. How could she not know what that kind of look meant?

"Sister Xue Nu, go try it on." As he spoke, Lin Ye pushed the hesitant Snow Empress into the bathroom. Once he was outside, he considerately closed the door behind her.

Only after he stepped back outside did he realize something.

Wait, she could have changed in the bedroom. Why had he told Sister Xue Nu to change in the bathroom...?

He really shouldn't watch so many Japanese films. He'd actually let the plot lead him astray for a moment.

As he lay on the bed waiting for Snow Empress to change, Lin Ye suddenly thought of taking Ah Yin outside to get some sunlight.

So he took the flowerpot containing Ah Yin out of the Dragon Pattern Jade Pendant and placed it on the balcony.

Six years had passed. Compared to when she'd first been in the cave, Ah Yin had grown quite a bit.

Lin Ye reached out to touch a blade of grass, but the Blue Silver Grass leaned away, refusing to let him touch it.

"Tsk. She's hopelessly lovestruck. No saving her."

After making that comment, Lin Ye left Ah Yin alone.

As for helping Ah Yin recover her cultivation, forget it. It was hard work for no reward. He'd only done that to get under Tang Hao's skin; he had no particular interest in someone else's wife.

It was just fine to keep Ah Yin as a potted plant like this. There was no need to change anything.

With a click, the bathroom door opened, and Snow Empress emerged, looking bashful.