Minglan walked into the hotel lobby and froze.
The place in front of him was way too luxurious.
Minglan couldn't even compare it to anything he knew.
The floor was spotless.
Minglan stopped short and pulled his foot back. The surface was so clean it almost looked see-through.
Minglan froze. Was he even supposed to step on this?
In several parts of the lobby, there were circular benches. A decorative tree stood in the middle of each one.
Minglan didn't think too much about it.
He walked over and sat down.
There were other people inside. Probably students. He wasn't sure, but they all looked young.
He looked at them without meaning to. One by one.
They were all clean and well groomed. Well-dressed. Neat. Almost unsettling.
Compared to them, Minglan looked like a mess.
He didn't need to look at anyone else to know that. His clothes barely looked like a clothes anymore. And he was still missing a shoe.
Si Yalin has taken her leave when she saw a friend that she knows. Now, that he is all alone, Minglan is actually feeling a bit clueless on what to do next.
The confusion on Minglan's face must have been obvious.
A hotel staff member approached him.
"Student candidate, right?" the staff asked politely.
Minglan looked up at the voice and nodded.
"Congratulations on passing the first elimination round," the staff continued. "You are allowed to rest and relax inside the hotel. You have free access to all facilities here."
Hearing that, Minglan felt something stir inside him.
Happy?
Maybe not exactly happy. But relieved, at least.
Didn't this mean he could finally take a proper shower?
Sleep without worrying about mud. Or poison. Or things crawling out of the ground.
After the swamp, that alone felt unreal.
The hotel staff member then led Minglan away from the lobby.
The corridor swallowed the sound of their steps. Minglan didn't like how quiet it was. Everything here felt deliberate.
Too deliberate.
On their way, they passed an elevator area.
The doors slid open, and Minglan stepped inside with the staff. There were already a few people inside. All of them wore black robes. Similar on the outside, but different once you looked closer. The inner lining of their hoods carried different colors. Deep red. Muted blue. A dull green that almost blended into the shadows.
They were talking among themselves.
Low voices. Serious tones.
Minglan couldn't hear what they were saying. Not a single word carried over clearly, as if the elevator itself didn't allow it.
A few of them glanced at him when he entered.
Just a glance.
Nothing more.
Minglan didn't think much of it. He was too tired for that.
The elevator moved smoothly. No shaking. No sound. When the doors opened again, Minglan had to look twice.
Same corridor. Same carpet. Same lights. Same silence. Only after a few seconds he realized it was just an uncanny similarities.
They stopped in front of a door.
The staff handed him a key card. "This is your room."
That was it.
No instructions. No warnings.
The staff left.
Minglan stood there for a second, then opened the door.
The room was… excessive.
Too big for one person.
Minglan stopped near the door, staring at the bed in the center. The sheets were neat. Untouched. Like no one was supposed to mess them up.
A couch. A table. A wardrobe made of dark wood. Everything clean. Everything intact.
Minglan stood there, unsure where to look first.
Then his gaze locked onto the bathroom.
He walked in.
And froze.
The bathroom was spotless. Marble floors. A wide shower area. Warm light reflecting off every surface. No cracks. No stains. No lingering damp smell.
He didn't think anymore after that.
Minglan closed the door and started undressing immediately.
Mud-stained clothes came off one by one. He dropped them straight into a large basket near the shower. It looked like a laundry basket. Probably was.
The last thing he took off was his shoe.
The only one left.
Minglan looked at it, then dropped it into the basket.
I can probably ask for new clothes somewhere, he thought. Or borrow something.
He didn't dwell on it.
Hot water poured down the moment he turned the handle.
Minglan inhaled sharply.
The water was hot. The heat soaked into his skin.
The mud came off faster than he expected. His shoulders eased. His breathing followed. He didn't listen for anything.
It was just water.
And silence.
He stayed under the water longer than he meant to.
When he stepped out, wrapped in a towel, Minglan paused in front of the mirror. He looked cleaner. That was all he could tell. He turned away and walked back into the room, straight to the wardrobe.
He stopped.
Inside, neatly hung, were his clothes.
All of them.
Clean. Pressed. Not a trace of mud left.
Even his shoe.
Not just cleaned. Fixed.
There were two of them now. A proper pair. The worn leather restored, the soles intact. They looked almost new.
Minglan stared at them.
"…wow," he muttered. "Is this some kind of magic?"
He stood there for a long moment, towel still draped over his shoulders, unsure whether to laugh or be afraid.
In the end, he just reached out and touched the fabric.
It was real.
Still in confusion, Minglan put on his clothes. It felt so nice and warm on his skin.
Feeling comfortable about himself, Minglan walked up to the huge window and opens up the curtain. The beautiful night sky that was unfolded before his eyes, surprises him.
It was a day time when he reached the hotel, how could it be a night time now?
When he was lost in his wonder, his eyes catch a small button under the window. Curious as to what it was, Minglan press on it.
The view of the window suddenly changed into a city lights.
Minglan press it again, this time it changed into a day time meadow..
Press it again, this time it's a hunting ground.
Press it again, this time it's an under the sea view.
Press it again, this time it's a face of a very handsome young man, staring straight to him.