"What makes you think I can't?" Lin Xi pouted.
The town wasn't large, and the hotel was close by, situated right on the street. Most of the rooms were brightly lit, as it was only a little past nine in the evening. Tourists, not burdened by the exertion of climbing mountains, wouldn't be sleeping this early. Shabiya's people led us directly to a suite on the third floor, not the top floor. It did indeed have three beds, but two were singles.
The Eagle Demon saw that five people would have a difficult time sleeping comfortably and quietly said to me, "Boss, I'll go hunt and sleep outside."
"Alright, then be careful. There are quite a few demonic beasts around. Don't fight with your own kind," I cautioned.
The Eagle Demon nodded and left, wrapped in his down jacket.
Four people remained. Lin Xi, as the one who booked the room, took a single bed for herself. The Whale God was in a state of perpetual drowsiness; I had to help her upstairs. It wouldn't be good to put her on the double bed, so I gave her a single bed. I realized then that the Whale God wasn't just a creature of the night; she simply loved sleeping.
That left me and a groggy Chen Ke. She rubbed her eyes and said, "I'll sleep on the sofa."
"No need. You take the bed; I don't need it," I replied. The so-called sofa was actually a large armchair; even if Meng Meng curled up on it, it would still be cramped.
"Okay, I'll leave you some space. If you're really sleepy, come up and sleep. Goodnight!" Chen Ke shrugged off her down jacket and sprawled on the bed. Within a minute, little snores started to emerge.
I checked on the Whale God, took off her shoes and socks, and covered her with the blanket. Lin Xi, on the other bed in the same room, was lying down, playing with her phone. They had both just showered and didn't need to wash up. As for brushing their teeth, I must admit, the water from Tianchi was so pure and clean that rinsing with it was even more effective than brushing. My mouth still carried a faint, sweet, mint-like fragrance. Of course, it might just be my imagination; this sweetness didn't come from the Tianchi water, but from the Whale God's lips.
Just as I was about to turn off the lights in their room, Lin Xi called out to me and handed me her phone, "Hey, someone's looking for you."
"Who is it?" I asked.
"My sister."
Lin Chi? I walked over and took the phone. Lin Xi turned over, lay on her side on the pillow, and pulled up the blanket. "Too sleepy. You guys chat; I'm going to sleep."
"Okay, goodnight." I turned off the room lights, left the door ajar, and returned to my own room. I sat on the sofa, looking at the WeChat chat interface between Lin Chi and Lin Xi.
I was hesitant to use my own phone; I kept it switched off most of the time, fearing detection by the Mohe. However, Lin Xi's phone was secure. Firstly, she was someone from Shabiya, and her phone should have system protection. Secondly, Longyue had met Lin Xi today and knew I wasn't "by her side" (I was in disguise), so she wouldn't suspect Lin Xi.
Lin Chi's last message asked: "Sister, is he with you?"
It seemed Lin Chi didn't know that Lin Xi and I were working together.
I slightly opened the window to a crack, lit a cigarette, and replied, "Yes."
Lin Chi: "Hehe, I knew it! How is he? Does he know his true identity?"
Me: "Identity?"
What identity? Ah, I understood.
Before Lin Chi could reply, I sent another message: "Reincarnation of Bai Ze? He knows."
As if I didn't know? All the major factions already knew, they just hadn't told me!
Although I wasn't, they all believed I was.
Lin Xi then asked: "So what was his reaction? Is he resisting this identity?"
Me: "He's fine. He even seems quite happy, thinking he's become so impressive!"
Lin Chi sent an ellipsis and then a voice message.
I played it. It was her stern voice: "You're not my sister."
I took a selfie and sent it to Lin Chi. She immediately asked, "Who are you! Why do you have my sister's phone!"
I was still in disguise, a low-profile version of Gu Tianle, so Lin Chi didn't recognize me.
I decided to tease Lin Chi and sent a voice message: "Little Chi, I think you can call me brother-in-law."