Chapter 9 Great To See

• Always? Startled, Whitney, along with the other three, simultaneously turned their attention to Shane.
• Shane had already averted his gaze, and his expression didn't show the slightest hint of discomfort. It was as if what he had just said was nothing more than a perfectly normal statement.
• At that point, Sasha asked again, “Should we inform Corbin?”
• Jared stood up and said, “I'll go talk to him and bring back the rest of the money while I'm at it.”
• Jared made a quick trip and returned shortly after, with Corbin following close behind him.
• The supposedly bedridden Corbin was suddenly able to get out of bed.
• Corbin placed the remaining twenty-five Epean currency on the coffee table, his gaze turning toward Whitney. “I heard that Ms. Butler has a way to help us complete the mission.”
• Whitney glanced at him, suddenly smirking. “Not only that, but I can also guarantee your food and shelter. By the way, weren't you sick? There'll be money for your medicine too. If you were to die, there's even enough leftover for your wreath. Excited?”
• What the heck is she saying? The expression on Corbin's face changed drastically.
• However, when he thought about how Whitney was maliciously making fun of him to help him win over the crowd, he forcibly suppressed the anger welling up in his chest and managed to squeeze out a smile. “You sure know how to joke.”
• The comments were filled with praise.
• One typed: That was great to see!
• Another remarked: Strange. Corbin hadn't really done anything, yet why do I find him so irritating? Is it because he comes off as insincere and pretentious?
• A netizen wondered: Does anyone know where Whitney is from? Could it be she's from a rude family?
• Someone commented: This d*mn woman is unexpectedly so enchanting. I wasn't too fond of her initially, but now I'm interested in her!
• “So what's your plan?” Sasha asked cautiously. “Can we really get by with twenty-five Epean currency for two days? Also, how are we supposed to visit the tourist attraction spots today?”
• Whitney casually picked up the hotel brochure from the table.
• Someone noticed Whitney was perusing that brochure last night while discussing the travel plans.
• Whitney pointed to a line in the brochure.
• Everyone else gathered around her.
• It was in Friyxian, so no one could understand.
• Only Shane glanced over, remarking, “The hotel offers free transportation service.”
• Whitney casually slipped the twenty-five Epean currency into her own pocket.
• A commenter typed: Holy sh*t, that is so f*cking funny!
• Another added: Wow, the hotel actually offers complimentary vehicle service.
• Someone pointed out: Am I the only one who noticed Whitney could understand Friyxian?
• In the end, Whitney went straight downstairs, followed by others.
• Whitney approached the front desk, engaging in a smooth Friyxian conversation with the receptionist.
• The receptionist maintained a pleasant smile throughout. After a short while, she had Whitney sign a document and then handed her a set of car keys.
• “For real?” Corbin's brow was furrowed tight enough to trap a fly. Suddenly, he quipped in a sarcastic tone, “To drive in Friyx, you need a Friyxian driver's license. Do any of you have one?”
• Whitney glanced at him. “I have one. Is there anything else?”
• Corbin grimaced.
• Suddenly, Loretta spoke up. “Ms. Butler, I'm hungry.”
• Sasha also hurriedly said, “I'm hungry, too.”
• With a chuckle, Jared asked, “Ms. Butler, you mentioned you got the meal covered.”
• When Whitney turned around, she realized that everyone was staring at her, including Shane.
• Whitney asked, “Make do with a light breakfast. I'll take you out for a good lunch later.” While saying that, she went back to her room and returned with a large bag of biscuits.
• “You said there wasn't any left!” Sasha immediately rushed over and tore open a packet to eat.
• Everyone set off together, with Whitney taking the wheel.
• Observing Shane, who was seated in the passenger seat, Whitney remained silent and continued driving.
• The car was equipped with a navigation system. However, it was in Friyxian, including the automated voice prompts.
• Whitney understood it, so she managed to drive them to the first tourist attraction spot without any hindrance.
• Upon reaching the tourist attraction spot, they first took photos as a memento, and only then did the group proceed further in.
• Around lunchtime, Corbin intentionally asked, “Didn't you promise to treat us to a good meal?”
• Whitney cast an impatient glance at him. “Aren't we already on our way to the restaurant? What, do I have to feed you by the roadside? To be honest, I wouldn't mind. That's how I feed stray dogs, after all.”
• Once again, Corbin found himself on the receiving end of her insult, leaving him extremely frustrated.
• Sasha let out a soft sigh of relief at the sidelines, feeling fortunate that she hadn't spoken out of turn. Otherwise, she would have been the one facing Whitney's harsh words.
• The restaurant was a well-known, large establishment in the local area.
• Corbin sneered, then said, “I've been here before. It's a buffet. The average cost is thirty Epean currency per person. Are you sure this is the place?”
• “You can leave if you're not eating,” Whitney stated bluntly, showing no mercy.
• Corbin huffed, “I'm just worried that someone won't be able to foot the bill later, and we'll all get stuck here.”
• Whitney had already walked in.
• Loretta and the others exchanged glances, and in the end, they decided to follow along inside.
• Most of them ate with trepidation. Only Whitney and Shane remained unaffected.
• Sasha whispered, “Mr. Quimbey, aren't you worried that we won't have the money to pay and will be stuck here?”
• Shane replied, “She said we won't.”
• Naturally, he was referring to Whitney.
• After they finished eating, Sasha cautiously asked, “Should we ask for the bill?”
• Whitney said, “What bill?”
• Everyone's expressions drastically changed.
• Only Shane was calmly sipping his purified water.
• Corbin sneered, “As expected, you don't have enough money. Do you expect the production crew to foot the bill? You can try. Let's see if they'll pay.”
• Before they could even ask, a director following them immediately stepped forward, declaring, “No!”
• Sasha felt as if the world was collapsing around her. “What should we do now?”
• Loretta coughed lightly, turning to look at Whitney. “Whitney?”
• Whitney put down her napkin, raised her hand, and signaled for the waiter.
• The two engaged in a conversation in Friyxian. After a while, Whitney reached into her pocket, pulled out two items, and handed them to the waiter.
• Upon understanding what they were saying, Shane couldn't help but let out another laugh. He set down the glass of water by his lips and shook his head in resignation. This woman, she really is...
• “What are they saying?” Sasha asked anxiously.
• At that moment, the waiter returned, offering a subtle smile as he exchanged a few words with Whitney before taking his leave.
• At that moment, Whitney stood up. “Let's go. We have other sights to visit this afternoon.”
• “We can just leave like that?” Sasha asked incredulously.
• Thus, everyone inexplicably left the restaurant.
• Corbin was dumbstruck. “What have you done?”
• Whitney furrowed her brows, not particularly keen on speaking with Corbin. However, seeing the curiosity on everyone else's faces, she finally spoke up. “The hotel we're staying at has a partnership with this restaurant. If we cut out the discount coupons from the hotel's brochure and provide our keycard details, we can enjoy a free buffet lunch here, excluding any high-priced items. We booked two triple rooms, so we're granted a free lunch for six. Let's move on to the next sightseeing spot quickly. We still need to check out later. It's fifty Epean currency a night, so we can't afford to stay another night.”
• Muddled, everyone followed Whitney to the second sightseeing spot.
• The strategy remained the same as before. Upon reaching the tourist spot, they would latch onto other tour groups.
• On the ride home that afternoon, Sasha asked with concern, “Where are we going to live after checking out?”
• Corbin spoke nonchalantly. “Once we check out, the complimentary lunch and free car service will be gone, right? Actually, the hotel I chose is pretty decent. It comes with so many perks.”
• Whitney sneered, her long eyelashes slightly lowered. “Wow. You surely didn't think that the free car service and lunch were all thanks to you, could you? Surely not, right?”
• Corbin was speechless.
• Shane sat in the passenger seat, his elbow resting on the door handle. He brought his hand up to his lips, unable to suppress a soft chuckle.
• Corbin was feeling upset, though he didn't let it show. Sasha glanced around, finding the atmosphere in the car growing increasingly peculiar.
• They swiftly returned to the hotel.
• Whitney had checked everyone out of the hotel. With their luggage in tow, they all found themselves back to wandering the streets.
• “The car's gone. Where are we supposed to go now?” Sasha asked, shivering in the biting cold wind.
• “Follow me.” Whitney, along with a group of people, went to the subway station.
• She bought tickets for everyone.
• It was the peak of the after-work rush hour, so the subway carriage was filled with people.
• Jared said, “The men should do their best to take care of the women and avoid letting them get hurt.”
• There was no longer any place to sit, so everyone stood separately.
• Jared reached Loretta first. With Loretta holding onto Sasha and Jared shielding them, the surrounding crowd found it difficult to push past them.
• Whitney was standing in a corner across the carriage, gazing upward at the route map displayed above. Suddenly, a faint, cool scent tickled her nose.
• When she turned her head, she saw that Shane had somehow managed to position himself behind her. He was holding onto the handrail next to the subway door, his dark eyes slightly lowered. The angle of his arm and body gave the illusion that he was cradling her in his arms.
• Subconsciously, Whitney wanted to put some distance between them, but she was already in a corner, so there was simply no room for her to move.
• She spoke in a low voice. “Move aside.”
• The train car was filled with a constant buzz of noise, making it hard for Shane to hear. He lowered his gaze to look at her.
• Whitney furrowed her brows. “I told you to—”
• Abruptly, he leaned in. At that moment, his aloof masculine aura became even more pronounced. “What?”