Chapter 8: Encountering the Real One

Xu Qing believed that even if she had quoted a slightly higher price, Lin Xiao might not have been able to afford it. But now, there was nothing more to be said; Lin Xiao's stay was a settled matter, so it would have to remain as it was.

She truly hadn't expected that such a handsome young man would also be a hopeless romantic. At this thought, Xu Qing's gaze toward Lin Xiao grew somewhat intriguing.

Lin Xiao sensed Xu Qing's eyes upon him and couldn't help but shiver.

"Don't look at me with those lustful eyes—I’m scared!"

Xu Qing rolled her eyes, unable to resist the flicker of lightning in her hand once more.

This time, Lin Xiao saw it clearly, and his astonishment deepened. Lightning abilities were considered rare, not something everyone could awaken. And yet, this young lady before him was a lightning ability user.

A lightning ability user, working as a mere receptionist in an ordinary nursing home? Coupled with the remarkable skills of the elderly doorman, Lin Xiao felt once again that this nursing home was not as simple as it appeared.

Just what kind of place had he come to?

In that moment, Lin Xiao almost regretted his decision—had he stepped into somewhere he ought not to be? Was it still possible to leave now?

Then he remembered the five million he'd already spent; he couldn't let it go to waste. Since he was here, he might as well stay and see what came next.

Xu Qing quickly led Lin Xiao to his room, which was conveniently located on the first floor.

"Master Lin, this is your room. I wonder if you’re satisfied with it."

Xu Qing seemed intent on teasing Lin Xiao, placing extra emphasis on "Master."

Lin Xiao: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)✧

Just like that, he’d been promoted to Master?

"Xu, you’re so considerate—calling me Master already! I’m very satisfied with this place."

Xu Qing was speechless. This fellow really had no shame; he was all too willing to accept the title, and in an instant, she’d gone from being addressed as 'Miss' to simply 'Xu.'

Let it be—so long as he was happy.

Upon entering the room, Lin Xiao found himself thoroughly pleased with the conditions. The decor was luxurious, rivaling that of a five-star hotel.

Though Lin Xiao had never actually stayed in a five-star hotel, he’d seen enough online to know. It was clear there was another resident here, yet to his surprise, the room lacked any hint of an elderly person's scent.

The bedding was folded meticulously, everything in perfect order. Lin Xiao felt reassured; at least for now, there was nothing here to displease him.

"Master Lin, do you have any other questions?"

"Xu, I do have one. As you can see, I arrived in a rush and didn’t bring any belongings. What about clothes and daily necessities?"

"Don't worry—we provide everything you need for daily life. You can rest assured about that."

"Excellent, that puts my mind at ease."

At that moment, Lin Xiao felt that his five million had not been wasted. He wondered what other amenities and meals would be like, but there was no hurry—he’d soon find out.

"Master Lin, now that you’ve seen the room, let me take you to Grandpa Sun’s birthday banquet. I’ll introduce you to the other facilities later."

Lin Xiao had no objections. He was already famished, and crashing the banquet seemed like a great idea.

It was the birthday of this stranger, Grandpa Sun, that had granted him entry; without it, he’d have been blocked by those thugs outside and given a rough time. For that alone, he ought to pay his respects.

"Alright, Xu, lead the way!"

Seeing how naturally Lin Xiao called her 'Xu,' she decided not to argue with him. She simply hoped this young man would still be able to smile later.

Without another word, Xu Qing took Lin Xiao to the nursing home’s dining hall.

The birthday banquet was being held there, and she wanted to offer her own congratulations to Grandpa Sun.

It wasn’t long before they arrived. Upon seeing the size of the dining hall, Lin Xiao was once again stunned—this was no ordinary hall, but more like a star-rated restaurant.

How much had been invested in this nursing home? Suddenly, he felt that five million wasn’t much at all.

Once inside, Lin Xiao was awed anew by the hall’s opulence.

The only thing that surprised him was the lack of staff; since their arrival, he hadn't seen a single attendant.

"Xu, what’s going on? Where are the staff?"

Xu Qing gave Lin Xiao a helpless glance.

"Heh, you think anyone can just come work here? You have no idea how many people vie for a position, but none of them are qualified."

She left it at that, offering no further explanation.

Lin Xiao fell into thought, not believing Xu Qing was joking. He asked no more, resolving to unravel the mysteries of this place himself.

Just as Xu Qing prepared to take Lin Xiao to the birthday banquet, three men and one woman entered from outside. The leader was somewhat advanced in years, holding a gift box.

Xu Qing frowned; there seemed to be an unusually large number of outsiders in the nursing home today.

The group showed no disrespect to Xu Qing despite her youth.

"Hello, my wife and I are here to celebrate my father's birthday. These two are my son and grandson—we’ve already registered."

Xu Qing realized she had been stationed at the front desk today specifically to await this family, but Lin Xiao's arrival had distracted her from the task.

Understanding their identities, she smiled lightly.

"What a coincidence—we’re just about to head over. You can join us."

"Thank you, that’s very kind."

Lin Xiao stayed silent. It was because this family was expected that the doorman had let him in; now he faced those he had used as his excuse, and he felt a bit guilty.

He noticed their curious looks toward him—after all, a plainly dressed young man appearing here was a bit out of place.

As the family sized up Lin Xiao, he studied them in return. Judging by their attire, they were anything but ordinary.

Thinking further, with the fees here, could any resident be ordinary?

The elderly gentleman at the head was at least sixty or seventy, certainly of age to stay here.

The woman must be his wife, well-maintained and appearing no older than fifty. The other two were their son and grandson. Lin Xiao was surprised to see that all three men were muscular, as if from a family of bodybuilders.

The middle-aged man nodded politely at Lin Xiao and then looked away.

But the youth, close in age to Lin Xiao, looked at him with evident provocation.

Lin Xiao was puzzled—wasn’t this their first meeting? Had he somehow offended him?