I’m Half a Shanghainese Too

Seeing Han So-yeon walk over, Su Yang thought to himself: 'Damn? I suddenly have a feeling this chick's room isn't going to be right next to mine, is it?'

Just as he was thinking, the last two tourists staying at the Song building had already come up and stood beside them.

Han So-yeon had actually noticed Su Yang on the bus, but she hadn't looked at him much.

Now that she was beside Su Yang, the two exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.

Su Yang was the first to politely greet her: "Annyeonghaseyo."

Hearing Su Yang greet her in Korean, Han So-yeon felt a slight surprise. It wasn't that she was surprised by what he said, but rather that she was surprised that this person knew she was Korean.

"Do you know I'm Korean?"

Su Yang nodded with a smile: "I can tell."

"Really? Your Korean is pretty good too."

At this point, Zhuang Mengli and Ren Lingxi stared at Su Yang like he was some kind of freak.

Although they couldn't understand what was being said, they could tell that Su Yang was speaking the language of kimchi country. Zhuang Mengli asked in confusion: "You know Korean too?"

"Hehe, a little bit."

"Stop pretending. When you say 'a little,' it means you're totally fluent."

"Oh, don't interrupt me. I'm saying hi to someone here." Su Yang shot Zhuang Mengli a sideways glance and continued chatting with Han So-yeon.

"Are you Chinese or Japanese?" Han So-yeon asked curiously.

"Chinese."

"Really? I actually live in China too."

"You live in China?" That was something Su Yang hadn't expected.

Han So-yeon nodded: "Yes, I'm studying at a university in Magic City."

"Oh, I see. Then we're kind of fated to meet. I'm half a local from Magic City too."

Zhuang Mengli could only hate that she couldn't understand Korean, because if she could, she would have definitely given Su Yang a massive eye-roll.

Han So-yeon smiled very demurely and said: "It really is fate."

After they chatted for a minute, no one else was heading their way. The girl in the kimono spoke in less-than-perfect English: "Everyone, please follow me."

"Alright."

The other three groups also followed their respective area attendants toward the back of the lobby.

Because this hotel was very large, any guest checking in would have an attendant lead them to the guest room area. Although it wasn't a top-tier luxury hotel, the attention to detail was still quite good.

The hotel's layout was divided into front and back parts. The parking lot at the entrance along with the building housing the lobby belonged to the reception and dining area.

This building not only served as the lobby for guests to check in but also housed a large combined restaurant and bar.

Behind the lobby was the main guest room area and leisure zone.

In addition to the four guest room zones, there was also a wellness SPA center, a gym, an outdoor swimming pool, and an outdoor natural hot spring.

The rest of the area was surrounded and interspersed with various flowers, plants, and trees, making the whole place feel like a garden.

The four guest room zones were not next to each other but scattered across four directions. Because the hotel's overall footprint was quite large, there was a bit of distance between each zone.

Although there were signs in English, Chinese, and Japanese at every step, having someone guide you on the first stay made it much quicker to find your designated zone.

Everyone followed the attendant to the back of the lobby and then split up.

Meng Wenzhou turned and called out to Su Yang's group: "Message in the group chat when you're ready to head out later."

"Okay, got it!" Someone replied, and everyone headed toward their respective guest room zones.

On Su Yang's side, seven people followed the girl in the pink kimono along a bluestone path lined with lavender.

After passing through the bluestone path, they came to a small trail flanked by maple trees on both sides.

Zhuang Mengli walked beside Su Yang, admiring the scenery along the way: "It's still quite far, huh."

"Yeah, I didn't expect the hotel to be this big. If no one guided us, it would definitely be hard to find."

"True."

A few minutes later, they finally arrived in front of a traditional Japanese-style courtyard.

This courtyard was the guest room zone named Song. The whole courtyard looked spacious and was surrounded by a dense forest.

The attendant led everyone into the courtyard, which had a very wide open space paved with pebbles. In the central area, there were some wooden tables and chairs, along with many flowers and plants. The small environment was quite nice.

The walkways leading to the rooms were made of irregular stone slabs laid over the pebble ground. Overall, it gave a very rustic, traditional Japanese vibe.

At this point, the attendant turned to everyone and smiled: "I'll take you all this far. You can quickly find your rooms based on your room numbers. If needed, I can also walk you to your room doors."

"No need, no need. We'll find them ourselves. Thanks," Su Yang expressed his gratitude.

"You're welcome, sir. Then I'll take my leave now. I hope everyone has a great time and a comfortable stay. If you need anything, feel free to call us using the phone in your room."

"Okay, thanks."

The attendant gave everyone a slight nod and then left the courtyard.

Although Japanese-style courtyards looked somewhat similar to Chinese courtyards, they always gave off a kind of imitation feel.

While both were man-made, Chinese courtyards often gave a sense of masterful craftsmanship, as if they were naturally formed. Japanese courtyards, though nice, tended to feel a bit too deliberate, whether in layout or other aspects. In short, the difference was quite significant.

For example, this current courtyard was big and quite beautiful, but it somehow felt like something was missing.

The buildings in this courtyard were only one story, which was related to Japanese culture—courtyards in Japan were usually built with just one floor.

In contrast, Chinese courtyards were much more complex and grand, with one-story or multi-story buildings depending on the situation.

When it came to traditional architecture, China was still the true original.

"Alright, everyone, let's head to our rooms and rest," Su Yang called out to the girls beside him.

"Let's go, let's go." Zhuang Mengli dragged her suitcase and took the lead.

Ren Lingxi quickly followed: "Mengmeng, what's your room number?"

"0208. Yours?"

"I'm 0105."

"So we're not next to each other."

"That's fine. It's still convenient since we're in the same courtyard."

"Right. Do you need help with your suitcase?" Zhuang Mengli asked.

Because the ground was paved with pebbles, it was difficult to drag suitcases. Ren Lingxi was carrying her large suitcase with both hands, looking a bit strained.

"No need, no need. I can manage it myself."

Just as she said that, Su Yang walked over and took Ren Lingxi's suitcase: "Let me do it."

"Thanks, Su Yang."

"Don't mention it. Come on, let's go to your room first."

Seeing this, Zhuang Mengli deliberately called out: "Hey? You're picking favorites, aren't you? Helping Lingxi but not me? Am I not a girl?"

Su Yang turned and glanced at Zhuang Mengli: "You're as strong as an ox. Do you really need my help?"

"Go to hell!"

Su Yang chuckled, ignored Zhuang Mengli, picked up Ren Lingxi's suitcase, and headed toward one side of the courtyard.

"Damn Su Yang! Just you wait." Zhuang Mengli waved her small fist in indignation, then grabbed her own suitcase and headed toward her room.

At the entrance of Ren Lingxi's room, Su Yang set his suitcase down. "Open the door."

"Coming~" Ren Lingxi pulled out her key card to unlock the door, and Su Yang pushed his suitcase inside.

He looked up and scanned the room, then said with satisfaction, "Not bad, huh."

Ren Lingxi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's pretty spacious."

The room was about forty square meters, featuring a double bed and a tropical-style décor. The overall layout was simple, with white, gray, and yellow as the main colors.

Su Yang placed his suitcase by the door and said, "The room layouts in this courtyard should all be pretty similar."

"Mm-hmm, probably all the same."

"Alright, get some rest. I'm heading back to my room too."

"Okay, see you later~" Ren Lingxi turned and gave Su Yang an adorable smile.

Su Yang turned and walked out, while Ren Lingxi closed the door and began organizing her things.

Su Yang walked to the center of the courtyard, picked up his own suitcase, and found Room 0306.

To his left was Room 05, its door wide open, and Jiali was crouched inside, organizing her luggage.