This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Her best friend didn't notice anything amiss and nodded with a smile.

Xia Ning bent down, her fingertips gently stroking the top of her daughter's soft hair:

"Zhixia, stay with Auntie. Mommy will be right back."

After giving her instructions, she stood up and walked towards the elevator where the two figures had disappeared, her posture still elegant and dignified, her steps slightly hurried.

On the other side, Lin Feng and Su Wan walked briskly, holding their breath the entire time, not daring to look back even a moment.

Only when they stepped into the elevator and the doors slowly closed, cutting off all outside sight, did the two finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Still shaken, Su Wan leaned against the carriage wall: "She seems to...have seen us?"

Lin Feng's eyes were deep as he raised his hand to gently tuck her wet, stray hairs behind his ear.

"Just to be on the safe side, let's go back to our room immediately and not go out."

The elevator goes directly to the eighth floor.

The two quickly stepped out of the sedan chair, and Su Wan pulled Lin Feng to the door like a gust of wind.

Lin Feng quickly took out the room card, opened the door, slipped inside, and locked the door behind him in one smooth motion.

Meanwhile, at the elevator entrance.

Xia Ning's gaze fell on the floor display screen, where the number remained at "8".

Without hesitation, she turned and walked toward the fire door in the stairwell.

The moment she pushed open the door, a wisp of extremely faint black mist spread out from her body.

In less than half a minute, the fire door in the stairwell on the eighth floor was gently pushed open a crack.

Xia Ning stepped out, but the corridor was empty.

The dark gray carpet stretched out to both sides, and the light from the wall lamps fell on the velvet surface, casting a series of blurry footprints that extended into the depths of the corridor.

Xia Ning narrowed her eyes, followed the footprints all the way to the door of room 818, and stopped.

She raised her hand and rang the doorbell.

A moment later, a rustling sound came from inside the door, then the lock was turned and the door was pulled inward halfway.

The woman who opened the door startled Xia Ning slightly.

She was a young woman, probably in her early twenties, with skin that was an even bronze color from sun exposure, glowing with a honey-like sheen under the warm light.

She was only wearing a black bikini, with thin straps tied around her waist and behind her neck, revealing her curvaceous figure without any concealment.

Her features had a mixed-race look, with a high nose bridge, slightly sunken eye sockets, and a pair of amber eyes that gave off a lazy yet direct look.

Who are you looking for?

Xia Ning's gaze passed over the woman's shoulder, sweeping across the interior of the room—

On the sofa were a pair of men's beach shorts and a floral shirt, and on the coffee table were two open bottles of beer and a half-eaten plate of fruit.

Further inside, a man was walking out of the suite, shirtless, with only a towel around his waist and a thick silver chain around his neck, the pendant swaying in front of his chest.

He was a burly man with a neat buzz cut and half a cigarette dangling from his mouth. When he saw a dignified woman in a flowing white dress standing at the door, he was momentarily stunned and forgot to brush off the cigarette ash that fell onto his chest.

Xia Ning's gaze swept quickly between the two, and she immediately understood—they had chosen the wrong person.

She smiled and nodded slightly.

"Excuse me, I've got the wrong room."

"I'm sorry to have bothered you."

The bikini-clad woman snorted, tossed out a "Next time, make sure you check the door number carefully," and slammed the door shut.

The moment the door closed, Xia Ning stood still.

The freshest footprints did not lead to the room where the two people had just left, which means they were deliberately avoiding leaving footprints.

This seemingly obvious attempt to conceal something only intensified Xia Ning's suspicions.

She didn't try to knock on any other doors, but instead quickly went downstairs and headed straight to the hotel lobby reception.

Behind the reception desk in the hotel lobby, a young woman was looking down at her phone.

Hearing footsteps, she immediately locked the screen, and when she looked up, her smile was already perfectly poised.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Xia Ning stood at the front of the stage, one hand resting on the smooth marble surface, her tone carrying a hint of urgency:

"Hello, could you please check the guest information for the eighth floor today? I need to speak with someone I know. It's a very important personal matter, so thank you for your help."

The receptionist's smile remained unchanged as she slightly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, hotel check-in records are personal privacy information and we are not authorized to disclose them. We cannot provide you with this information. Thank you for your understanding."

Xia Ning didn't say anything, but took out ten hundred-yuan ghost coins, put them into the brochure, and pushed it onto the table.

"It's really important, please help me. I'll just take a look, I won't make things difficult for you."

The receptionist's gaze lingered on the protruding banknote for a moment, then she pushed it back along with the brochure, still smiling.

"I'm really sorry, but our hotel has strict policies and we simply can't make an exception. Why don't you try contacting that acquaintance directly by phone?"

Xia Ning put the brochure away, her fingertips curling slightly on the paper.

She took a breath, and when she looked up again, her eyes were slightly red, and her eyelashes were wet and stuck together.

"Girl... I won't hide it from you anymore."

She lowered her head and covered half of her face with one hand.

"My husband...he's cheating on me."

"I've only been married to him for two years, and my daughter has just learned to call me 'Mom,' and he... Today I came here based on his location; I knew he was in this building."

"I was desperate, that's why I came to the front desk to ask... We're all women, you can understand how I feel, right?"

Xia Ning's eyes reddened even more, and she raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes:

"After I gave birth to my daughter, my figure didn't recover very well, and he started to complain about me..."

"He said he was working overtime or on business trips, but he was actually with other women..."

"...I just want to know today, which woman is he spending time with, leaving me and the children behind?!"

"I won't make a fuss, I'll just take a look... I'll remember your kindness for the rest of my life for helping me this time."

The receptionist's smile finally relaxed; she pursed her lips, and a hint of hesitation and sympathy appeared in her eyes.

Xia Ning noticed her wavering and added in a low voice:

"...Before leaving the house, my daughter tugged at my clothes and asked where I was going. I told her I was going to pick up my dad and take him home."

She turned her head as she spoke, a slight lump forming in her throat.

"She's especially well-behaved when she lets go, saying 'Mommy, come home early.'"

The receptionist finally sighed, glanced around, and lowered her voice:

"Wait a minute... wait a minute."

She turned around, her fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard. The check-in management system appeared on the screen, scrolling to the eighth floor, where a list of names was displayed.

She tilted the screen to the side, letting Xia Ning lean closer to see:

"All the guests who checked into the eighth floor today are here. Please check if you recognize anyone..."

Xia Ning's gaze locked onto that line almost instantly—

Room 809, occupant: Lin Feng, companion: Su Wan.