Chapter 247: Mountain Hot Springs Getaway

Han Wenwen and Heqing exchanged a quick glance, then both turned to Lin Zheng Ran.

Lin Zheng Ran understood what these two were getting at. Even though Heqing had been snacking in the passenger seat the whole ride, he said, “Once we get the room sorted, let’s go explore together.”

The two agreed right away, but Lily stayed quiet.

The three of them shifted their gaze to Lily.

Lily blinked her earlier embarrassed eyes and smiled as she chimed in, “Sure, hehe.”

So Lin Zheng Ran led the trio through the bustling crowd to the most lively hot spring hotel on Lin Mountain.

The hotel was massive, with five floors, and a huge hot spring pool out back.

Legend had it the hot springs had a rich history, over a hundred years old, so the place was simply called the Hundred-Year Old Hot Spring Hotel.

Lin Zheng Ran eyed the sign and muttered, “Talk about straightforward naming.”

Inside on the first floor, a crowd was checking in for rooms.

While waiting in line, Lin Zheng Ran asked the Three Little Ones, “Do you want one room each, or one for the three of you and one for me?”

The three glanced at each other.

In unison, they said, “The second option.”

When it was Lin Zheng Ran’s turn, before he could speak, the clerk announced, “We’re out of single rooms and king-size beds today.”

Lin Zheng Ran paused. “So what’s left? We have four people.”

The cheaper rooms are all taken. We only have the pricier ones left. For four people, there’s a quad room with a bathtub that includes free meals for your stay, but it’s a bit expensive and no discounts right now.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied, “Price isn’t an issue. Can I take a look first?”

“Of course, I’ll have someone show you up.”

Heqing piped up from behind, “How much is it?”

The clerk called over a colleague and answered Heqing, “Two thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight per night.”

Heqing froze. Two thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight and they call that ‘a bit expensive’? That’s straight-up pricey!

Han Wenwen did the math quietly, “Divide by four, and it’s just over seven hundred each.”

Lin Zheng Ran thought it was fine—after all, this was a trip, and rates like this were normal.

A staff member guided them up to the fifth floor.

As they followed Lin Zheng Ran, Heqing suddenly stepped ahead and tugged his sleeve, whispering,

“Lin Zheng Ran, are you really planning to stay here? If we do a week, that’s thousands gone. Maybe find something cheaper? We already spent a lot on the rental car.”

Lin Zheng Ran said offhand, “It’s not that much. Besides, we agreed before the trip to experience the hot springs up here.”

“I know, but I didn’t realize trips cost this much—it’s too extravagant. Feels like we’re not being thrifty at all.”

Seeing how concerned she looked, Lin Zheng Ran pulled out his phone, opened his WeChat balance, and showed it to Heqing.

He added, “This is just a small part of it.”

Heqing peeked curiously.

Her innocent eyes widened at the sight of seven digits: “Ah?! That much?!”

Lin Zheng Ran shrugged. “I’ve been the general manager at Zheng Shi Company for two years, and I don’t spend much usually. This is nothing for us.”

Heqing swallowed hard, stunned.

She blurted out blankly, “I suddenly feel like I might not be good enough for you.”

Lin Zheng Ran sighed and patted her head. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s just… I might never earn this much in my life. It feels like I’m dragging you down.”

Lin Zheng Ran laughed. “Once you’re in university, you’ll probably keep competing in Taekwondo, right? One day, you or your friends might get famous and earn even more than this.”

Heqing looked up at him sweetly. She knew he was trying to cheer her up, but she said, “Then when I have money, you can spend it all. What’s mine is yours, and yours is still yours.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled.

Han Wenwen and Lily trailing behind heard the two whispering up front, but couldn’t make out the words.

It was clearly something affectionate.

They reached the so-called quad room, and the staff opened the door. “Here it is.”

Once inside, the four noticed the layout was unique.

It was like a single room combined with a larger one.

Right away, they saw three single beds arranged separately, and on one side, there was another door.

Opening it revealed the fourth single bed.

So, it was a quad room, but you could think of it as a triple with an extra single attached.

Han Wenwen eyed the setup and thought it seemed tailor-made for their group.

“This layout is pretty clever.”

Lily caught on and nodded. “It’s quite fun.”

Lin Zheng Ran hadn’t expected the quad to be like this.

“We’ll take this room. I’m booking it.”

The staff nodded, thinking these young people had deep pockets. “Alright, please come with me to the front desk to register.”

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “By the way, our luggage is down the mountain, and I don’t see a way to drive up. Any solutions?”

“No problem. We’ll give you a temporary pass so you can drive up that restricted road, drop off your bags, and then take the car back down. Parking isn’t allowed up here.” The staff pointed to the guarded path.

“Thanks.”

After sorting the room, Lin Zheng Ran drove back up, and the four unloaded their luggage into the hotel.

Then they headed out to explore the streets together.

They mingled with the crowd on Snack Street, chatting and laughing, munching on snacks while checking out everything from balloon shooting to ring toss.

The Three Little Ones focused more on joining in the fun than winning.

Games like shooting balloons or tossing rings were tough for most, but Lin Zheng Ran was on another level.

So whenever the girls missed out on prizes, he’d step in with lightning speed to grab what they wanted.

He cleared out the vendor’s stock of unwon prizes.

The three girls clutched their armfuls of toys and plush figures, beaming with joy.

The vendor and passersby stared in amazement—not just at Lin Zheng Ran’s skills, but at how he had three stunning girls by his side.

Han Wenwen, Heqing, and Lily turned heads wherever they went with their striking looks.

With all three clustered around Lin Zheng Ran, onlookers felt a mix of envy and admiration.

They lost track of time and played until past 2 a.m., finally returning to the hotel loaded with memories and crashing into bed.

After a full day of driving and fun, the Three Little Ones were out like lights.

They slept soundly until noon the next day.

Lin Zheng Ran picked up the free lunch delivered by the hotel and asked, “I heard there’s a collection hall here. What’s that about?”

The staff replied, “It’s our manager’s personal collection. You need a separate ticket, and it’s not for kids. It’s full of animal reproduction models.”

Lin Zheng Ran blinked in surprise. “Ah?”

Lily, who had just woken up in bed, overheard and sat up with flushed cheeks. “Ah? Reproduction models?”