Chapter 315: Nijo Castle
It's said that earthquakes in Sakura Motomu occur frequently, with perceptible tremors happening over a thousand times a year. This meant earthquakes were as common as three meals a day to the locals.
Although Yang Chen was no stranger to earthquakes, most of the guests in the inn were experiencing this for the first time. Suddenly, screams of women and children echoed throughout, and the sound of footsteps running and scrambling filled the corridors.
Yang Chen held Liu Mingyu close, reassuring her not to be afraid as he guided her to a corner of the room.
"This is just a typical earthquake. The seismic-resistant structures in Sakura Motomu are very good. Unless it's a major earthquake, there shouldn't be any serious consequences," Yang Chen explained calmly.
Being embraced by him, Liu Mingyu felt the warmth of his chest and gradually calmed down. She realized that despite the shaking of the room, they were not in immediate danger, which relieved her greatly.
With flushed cheeks, Liu Mingyu exclaimed nervously, "Oh no! Hongyan must have woken up. She's alone in her room. What if she starts looking for me? And if I leave your room, surely many people will see me."
"Eh," Yang Chen chuckled. "Let me go out with you later. We'll go to each person's room and check on everyone to see if anyone's injured. That way, we'll have an excuse for why we were together."
Liu Mingyu reluctantly agreed, realizing it was probably the best course of action. As she thought about these things, the earthquake continued, but with Yang Chen's reassurance, the tremors didn't seem as alarming.
As Yang Chen predicted, the earthquake didn't last long. The room's furnishings were undamaged, and soon everything returned to calm.
Many embarrassed guests hurried back to their rooms in the hallway.
When Yang Chen and Liu Mingyu walked out together, Liu Mingyu appeared composed. After all, she worked in public relations and had a knack for concealing her emotions.
Approaching the nearest companion's room, they found the lights off. Liu Mingyu knocked on the door, but after a while, there was no response.
"Could they have run outside?" Liu Mingyu frowned and asked.
Yang Chen shrugged, and they moved on to the next room.
To their surprise, the second room was also empty. This was starting to seem odd.
Arriving at the door of Zhang Cai and another female colleague's room, Yang Chen and Liu Mingyu noticed that the light inside was on.
Liu Mingyu knocked on the door, and they heard Zhang Cai's timid voice from inside, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Zhang Cai. Are you both okay?" Liu Mingyu asked.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing Zhang Cai's round face, now pale with nervousness. She called out anxiously, "Mingyu Jie," noticing Yang Chen inside without much surprise.
Upon seeing Zhang Cai looking startled, Liu Mingyu quickly asked, "Are you okay? You look a bit pale." Zhang Cai shook her head and hesitated to open the door fully. "I'm fine, Mingyu Jie, you should go rest."
The urgency in Zhang Cai's voice suggested she wanted Liu Mingyu to leave quickly. Sensing something amiss, Liu Mingyu frowned and pressed, "Is something being kept from me? Why won't you open the door properly?"
Blushing, Zhang Cai hurriedly defended herself, "It's nothing, Mingyu Jie, I'm just tired and want to rest."
"Just now there was an earthquake, and you're not usually this quiet. There must be something you're hiding from me," Liu Mingyu persisted, advancing to forcefully open the door despite Zhang Cai's attempts to stop her.
To their surprise, upon opening the door, Liu Mingyu and Yang Chen saw several hostesses sitting on Zhang Cai's tatami mat. All of them were in the hotel's sleepwear, gathered around with snacks, beverages, and fruits strewn about.
But that wasn't the most shocking part. The television in the room was on, its volume barely audible, showing explicit scenes from the Sakura Midnight Adult Channel!
Liu Mingyu's face instantly flushed crimson, while Zhang Cai and the other hostesses awkwardly looked down. Yang Chen chuckled, understanding why they couldn't be found earlier—they were watching a special program together.
During the day, when Zhang Cai asked about the purpose of the vending machine, they unanimously agreed not to watch. Yet here they were, sneaking a watch together late at night, clearly enjoying themselves with heaps of snacks consumed.
The reason they didn't invite Liu Mingyu and Zhao Hongyan was probably due to Liu Mingyu's ministerial status. Despite their sisterly bond, it wouldn't be appropriate to involve a superior in such activities. Moreover, Liu Mingyu, as the eldest among the group of women, typically refrained from such discussions.
Since Liu Mingyu wasn't informed, it was obvious that Zhao Hongyan, who shared the room with Liu Mingyu, couldn't be notified either. Yang Chen, being a man, certainly wouldn't tell anyone.
Seeing all her sisters lowering their heads, faces flushed with embarrassment, Liu Mingyu couldn't help but laugh and cry at the situation. Finally, she patted Zhang Cai on the shoulder and said, "I'm amazed by you! You've made it seem like some underground intelligence operation. I thought something serious had happened! You almost scared me to death!"
"Sorry, Mingyu Jie, next time I'll definitely let you know. Oh, would you like to join us now?" Zhang Cai immediately tried to appease her. "It's really cheap, only 1000 yen for the whole night!"
"Who said I'm blaming you for this?" Liu Mingyu glared at Zhang Cai indignantly, then turned to the hostesses and said, "You all carry on watching, just don't act like thieves."
With that said, she turned to Yang Chen and said, "Let's go check on Hongyan."
Yang Chen scratched his nose and gave Zhang Cai a thumbs-up before following Liu Mingyu to her room.
The night ended like a farce. Early the next morning, everyone silently boarded the bus and headed to their next destination, Nagoya. However, Yang Chen couldn't shake off the feeling that Zhao Hongyan was occasionally giving him strange looks, making him wonder if she had noticed something about him and Liu Mingyu last night. Yet, Yang Chen couldn't bring himself to ask, nor was he particularly concerned.
Tour guide Kawanako, who looked plain but spoke with a peculiar tone in her Chinese, diligently narrated about the local customs and scenery of Sakura during the journey. However, her stories lacked allure, and within an hour of driving, all the women had fallen asleep in the bus.
The itinerary for the following days was packed. After a day in Nagoya, they proceeded to Kyoto. Designed by Sakura in imitation of ancient Chang'an during the scorching summer, Kyoto boasted numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and historical landmarks, warranting an extended stay.
After visiting the famous Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) on the first day, Yang Chen spent the next morning shopping with the group of women. The second day's itinerary eased his mind somewhat as they visited Saiho-ji (Kokedera) Temple and its gardens, followed by the renowned Nijo Castle in the afternoon.
Given the extensive touring, Kawanako suggested a quaint tea house for a break when she noticed the group was getting weary. Naturally, the women, who had been longing to rest their legs, gladly agreed.
After entering a traditional Japanese-style tea house, everyone sat down, chatting leisurely while sipping on their green tea, enjoying a relaxed atmosphere.
Kawanako ordered snacks and tea for everyone and then carried the tea to the driver who had been accompanying them. This sparked gossip among a few nosy colleagues, speculating whether Kawanako had a romantic involvement with the older driver. Yang Chen sat near the doorway, overhearing their chatter and couldn't help but sigh inwardly—women were indeed quite talkative.
Just as Yang Chen finished his third cup of tea and was about to close his eyes for a brief rest, a familiar figure, whose image had lingered in his mind over the past few days, reappeared in his sight!
He saw a woman in a sky-blue dress with long, flowing black hair casually crossing a crosswalk two blocks away from the tea house.
In an instant, Yang Chen was sure he wasn't mistaken! As he watched the figure, which stirred up his emotions once more, vanish into an alleyway, Yang Chen didn't hesitate. Ignoring the surprised gazes of the women around him, he swiftly darted out of the tea house!
The streets around Nijo Castle weren't crowded, and the layout wasn't complex. Yang Chen was confident he wouldn't let that figure escape again!
Liu Mingyu and the others shouted after Yang Chen as he dashed off, but in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared into the alley ahead, leaving no trace behind.