I caught a Pokémon

"Don't take too long." He gently hugged Zhu Lan, put his mouth to her ear, and smelled her intoxicating fragrance. "Ya Mi just sent a message asking when we're going back. If you delay too long, it will only make people more suspicious."

He left those words behind, kissed Zhu Lan on the cheek, and left the room.

The door lock made a soft click, and as the door closed, the footsteps outside faded into the distance until they disappeared completely.

For a moment, only Zhu Lan was left in the room.

She stood there, listening as everything fell silent.

Then she slowly sat back on the edge of the bed, supporting herself with her hands on the edge, and let out a long breath.

The bed and the floor were a mess, all signs of the recent battle, but Zhu Lan had no time to clean up.

The sun was already setting outside the window, and I believe it won't be long before dusk.

She sat for a while longer until the soreness in her legs subsided before standing up again. She checked her clothes and hair one last time to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything before pushing open the door.

The corridor was deserted.

As she entered the elevator, she watched the numbers on the screen jump down one by one, trying her best to keep her expression normal.

She also believed she could do it.

Hmm... it's as simple as drinking water or eating.

Ding.

As the elevator doors opened again, the lobby unfolded before us.

She lowered her head, trying not to look at anyone, and walked steadily toward the door.

Then she heard it.

"...It's true, it's the one in room 9106."

It was the receptionist's voice, hushed to the utmost, but the lobby was so quiet that every word was eerily clear.

And room 9106…

Before entering the room, Zhu Lan took a special look; it was the very room she and Xia You had just shared…

The receptionist continued with a laugh, "I noticed that blonde woman when she went in more than two hours ago. She had such a good presence; she was clearly not an ordinary person."

"And then what happened?" a new voice asked.

"And guess what? I had just finished checking in another guest and was going back to the workroom to get something when I passed by over there—" The receptionist lowered her voice even further, with barely suppressed laughter, "that scream couldn't be contained even by the door!!"

"real or fake?!"

"Why would I lie to you? The way she was calling out..." The other person seemed to be choosing her words carefully, "How should I put it, she was quite uninhibited, and that man was really something else."

Zhu Lan's steps faltered in place.

Blood rushed from the soles of my feet all the way to the top of my head.

She didn't turn around, nor did she dare to.

The voice continued: "You didn't see it, the man left first, looking refreshed. Look, he hadn't been gone long."

"Then this woman..."

Zhu Lan suddenly sensed that someone was looking at her.

Her body reacted before her mind could react—she took a step, accelerated, and fled.

"Miss!"

But at that very moment, she heard a call from behind.

Zhu Lan didn't stop, neither because she didn't want to, nor because she dared not stop.

"Madam, please wait—are you the guest from 9106?"

Zhu Lan froze. Now that she had been recognized, she could only slowly turn around.

The receptionist was a young girl who was trying her best to maintain a professional smile, but there was a certain excessive curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Are you checking out? If so, please give me your room key so I can refund your deposit. The gentleman who left earlier didn't refund it and said you would handle it."

Damn it…

Zhu Lan wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Xia You actually entrusted this kind of thing to me!

She just looked at the girl, and the girl looked back at her.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Zhu Lan reluctantly walked to the bar, trying to appear as normal as possible: "Sorry, my room key is in the room, I forgot to bring it out."

"So you're sure you want to check out?" The girl nodded, clearly having encountered this situation many times before, still wearing a professional smile. "No problem, we'll have someone go get it. Please wait here for a moment, and I'll refund your deposit right away."

"Thank you."

Zhu Lan heard herself speak, her voice hoarse and unlike her own.

But she immediately realized something!

Send someone to your room to fetch it!

The bed isn't made yet!!

If someone goes inside, wouldn't everyone see everything?!

Thinking of this, she suddenly stammered, wanting to say that she had forgotten something in the room and could go get it herself.

But before she could even speak, the receptionist had already finished communicating with the staff member in charge of the floor via walkie-talkie.

At this point, Zhu Lan was truly heartbroken.

finished...

It's really over...

His lifelong reputation...

In a daze, Zhu Lan didn't know how long she had been standing there until the girl placed a few banknotes in her hand, which brought her back to her senses.

"Welcome to visit us again."

There will never be a next time!

She would never again visit this hotel, or any hotel in the same chain or with the same name!

Absolutely not!!

After leaving the hotel, Zhu Lan stood blankly on the street, not knowing where to go or what to do.

It was rush hour, the streets were bustling with traffic and people coming and going. Standing there, she seemed out of place among them.

Of course, this doesn't mean I regret having a relationship with Xia You, it's just...

My mind is a bit of a mess.

She originally wanted to feel the mountain breeze to calm herself down and reorganize her thoughts, but for some reason, she ended up walking into a coffee shop.

"A black coffee." She walked to the bar, ordered a coffee, and immediately added, "The most bitter one, please."

Chapter 1356 Woman Becomes Woman

As night fell, Cynthia finally stood outside the Pokémon Center in Fuyuki City.

But she didn't go in immediately.

Through the glass door, she could see the warm yellow light in the hall, and several figures sitting together. She could vaguely make out that it was Xia You and her group, as well as... Cattleya.

After all, they had just been locked in a passionate embrace, and she was extremely familiar with that figure; how could she possibly be mistaken?

She lowered her head and subconsciously pulled her collar up a little more.

Although she had mentally prepared herself several times, she still hesitated when the time came.

This is quite different from her usual style of doing things.

But there was no other way. After all, the situation she was facing was obviously different from usual. Since it was the first time she had to deal with it, she naturally needed to be cautious.

She stood outside the door for a full three minutes before finally taking a deep breath, pushing open the door to the Pokémon Center, and heading straight into the lobby.

Because she deliberately lowered her aura, her entry did not attract much attention. Only a few trainers sitting at the door glanced at her subconsciously, but they only saw a slender back and long blonde hair.

As she approached Xia You and her group, she was spotted by the sharp-eyed Xiao Guang.

"Sister Zhulan! You're finally here! Over here!!"

Fortunately, this isn't Sinnoh, so people aren't that sensitive to the name Cyndaquil and don't know its meaning. Otherwise, if Hikari were to shout it like that, it would definitely cause a sensation.

Even so, when Yami, Makomo, and Cattleya looked over and she felt the scrutiny in their eyes, she still instinctively felt a little uncomfortable.

Especially after meeting Xia You's ambiguous smile, she couldn't help but wonder if he had already told others about this.

Does everyone know about this now?

Is he the only one who's been kept in the dark?

But he... probably wouldn't do that, right?

Doing this will only highlight his abilities and will not bring him any other benefits.

It can only be said that her anxiety and insecurity precisely demonstrate how important Xia You is to her, while his possession of her seems too casual. The contrast between the two makes her think more deeply.

But things clearly didn't go as she thought.

Yami was the first to stand up, pulled out a chair, and invited Zhulan to sit down.

"I've been waiting for you for ages. Haven't you had dinner yet?"

Zhu Lan looked at Ya Mi gratefully, feeling a surge of emotion.

No matter what, Yami is the gentlest person, and the one who would never make fun of her no matter what happens!

Of all the people, she was probably the only one who wouldn't have any other thoughts after learning that she had also become Xia You's woman.

that is…

Zhu Lan glanced at Xia You sitting to the side and hesitated, wondering if she should sit there.

At this critical juncture, if the two of them were to get too close, it would surely arouse more suspicion, wouldn't it?

This made her hesitate for a moment.

But she immediately realized what was going on.

Now is not the time to think about such things!

If she didn't want to attract attention, she could just act like usual, and normally... she was obviously not afraid of such close contact with Xia You!

With that in mind, she sat down casually before the others noticed anything amiss.

Of course, he didn't forget to nod to Yami as a way of thanking her.

"I just had coffee and a sandwich outside, so I'm not hungry yet."

However, as soon as she sat down, she felt several pairs of eyes on her face.

This made her feel a little guilty, but she still tried to remain calm and asked, "What's wrong? Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

Xiao Guang looked Zhu Lan up and down, and asked in surprise, "Sister Zhu Lan, did you just get a facial? Or did you use some skincare products? You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you... Your skin is so good, it's like it's glowing!"

Xiao Guang wasn't the only one with this question.

Makomo had the same question.

This was her first time meeting Cynthia, but she had a deep impression of the Sinnoh champion and naturally remembered what Cynthia looked like before. But now... she looks so radiant!

Not to mention them, even Cattleya looked at Orchid with a strange expression.

It wasn't like this when we parted at noon. How come it looks slightly different after you went out with Xia You?

like...

Of the group, only Yami seemed to have discerned something from Zhulan's expression.

After all, when a woman transforms from a young woman into a mature woman, she loses not only her naivety and that important thing, but also her temperament and charm.

This is why some experienced people can tell whether a woman is "battle-hardened" or "budding" just by looking at her face and figure.

Undoubtedly, the bamboo orchid is currently in the state of a bud just beginning to bloom, something any experienced person could clearly see.