Ten minutes later, Tyler was clumsily halfway through registering a guest when the front desk phone started vibrating. Bzzzt.
He picked it up. A moment later, his expression became subtle. He stammered to Vic:
"Bo... Boss, the Siren lady said... said the drain in her room is a little clogged. She specifically asked for me to go... go take a look."
Before Vic could even react, Tyler bolted like a startled rabbit. Looking at his retreating figure, he seemed... suspiciously eager.
Vic, still holding a half-filled registration card, stared in the direction Tyler had vanished. He smacked his lips unconsciously and muttered:
"Tsk... since when is fixing a drain such an... uplifting activity?"
His subtle expression and muttering didn't escape his two girlfriends, who were always keeping an eye on him.
A soft, warm hand quietly landed on his waist. Fingertips pinched gently but with a clear warning.
"Hmm? Vic..."
Enid's eyes narrowed slightly. She leaned close to his ear, her voice sweet as honey but laced with danger.
"That look just now... are you envious of Tyler?"
At the same time, a cold pressure front arrived from the other side.
Wednesday had put down her pen at some point. Arms crossed, she side-eyed him. Her pale face was expressionless, but the chill in her eyes was sub-zero.
She didn't speak, but her silent gaze was more oppressive than any interrogation.
Vic felt a chill down his spine. The dual stares from left and right made his scalp tingle.
Crap! I got carried away!
Vic's eyes darted around, his reaction speed inhumanly fast!
He immediately dropped what he was holding, turned around, and grabbed both Enid's and Wednesday's hands, holding them tightly in his palms. He plastered on a brilliantly bright, almost dopey smile of pride and spoke loudly, as if afraid the people around him couldn't hear:
"Envious of him? Are you kidding me!"
First, he planted a loud smooch on the back of Enid's hand, looking at her with deep affection: "My Enid is gentle and considerate, the sweetest little wolf in the universe!"
Then he quickly turned to Wednesday and kissed the back of her cold hand just as forcefully, his tone exaggerated: "My Wednesday is smart and cool, the most badass dark queen in the world!"
Finally, he held both their hands to his chest, looking left and right with a smug satisfaction that screamed 'I won at life,' and announced loudly:
"If we're talking envy, Tyler must be envious of me! At best, he's fixing some plumbing for a lady. But me?"
He puffed out his chest. If he had a tail, it would be wagging at the ceiling.
"I have two of the best, most beautiful, most amazing girlfriends in the world at the same time! How can he compare? He should be red-eyed with jealousy!"
This smooth, unhesitating stream of praise and "logical comparison" acted like a fire extinguisher, instantly dousing the sparks of jealousy Enid and Wednesday had just felt.
Enid burst into laughter, blushing pink. She playfully punched him lightly: "Smooth talker! Who's yours..."
But the smile in her eyes and the way she squeezed his hand back betrayed her good mood.
Wednesday remained cold on the surface, but the frost in her eyes had melted away, replaced by a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of a smile.
She huffed lightly, pulled her hand back, picked up her pen, and said flatly:
"Glib. If you do not get back to work, the line will stretch out the door."
Though her tone was disdainful, she clearly wasn't pursuing the matter further.
Vic breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing he had wittily survived another "crisis."
He chuckled and dove back into work with renewed vigor, as if the guy envying Tyler a moment ago wasn't him at all.
Mavis watched the scene from not far away, shook her head with a smile, and went back to her own tasks.
---
The rush hour finally passed, and the front desk quieted down temporarily.
As Mavis organized the counter, she covertly watched Vic, Enid, and Wednesday, who were whispering and laughing together nearby.
Seeing her little brother hugging left and right, looking like a happy idiot, a mischievous glint flashed in Mavis's eyes. A "brilliant" idea surfaced.
She suddenly stopped what she was doing, slapped her forehead lightly, and put on a very convincing expression of mixed surprise and annoyance. Her voice was just loud enough for the trio to hear:
"Oh no! Look at my memory! I was so busy I got confused!"
Vic, Enid, and Wednesday all turned to look at her.
Mavis met their gazes with a face full of sincerity and self-blame:
"I was so focused on arranging the guests that I forgot the most important thing! I haven't prepared separate rooms for Wednesday and Enid yet! What do we do? All the vacant rooms for tonight are booked!"
Vic blinked, not fully processing it yet.
Mavis didn't give him time to think. She immediately switched to a bright, "problem-solving" smile, looking between Vic and the two girls, and suggested casually:
"Since you guys share a dorm room at school anyway, you must be used to it! How about this—Wednesday and Enid, could you endure a little hardship tonight and squeeze in with Vic? His bed is big enough, it should be fine!"
After speaking, she winked at Vic, giving him a look that said: 'This is as far as your big sis can help you.'
Vic paused for a second, then a huge, unhidden smile of pure joy exploded on his face. He nodded like a bobblehead:
"Yes, yes, yes! That's a great arrangement! No hardship at all! Totally fine!"
He excitedly grabbed Enid with one hand and Wednesday with the other, impatiently pulling them toward his room, chattering happily:
"Let's go, let's go! I'll show you my room! I cleaned it up really well!"
Enid and Wednesday exchanged a look. Regarding the arrangement of sharing a room itself, they didn't really have any objections since they were used to it at school.
So, they let Vic pull them along toward his room.
Watching the three of them leave side-by-side, Mavis crossed her arms. A smug, "mission accomplished" smirk appeared on her face as she muttered to herself:
"Silly little brother... Big sis created the perfect opportunity for you... When you figure it out later, you better thank me properly..."
---
On the other side, Vic kicked open his bedroom door with high spirits and stepped aside to let his girlfriends enter first.
"Come in, come in! This is my room! Not bad, right?"
Enid walked in first, her eyes habitually scanning the room layout—
Then, her gaze fixed on the... spacious, single large bed in the center of the room.
Her cheeks instantly flushed a distinct shade of red. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting around nervously, muttering:
"Just... just one bed..."
That meant... tonight, they would be... three people... sleeping together?
Vic clearly wasn't overthinking it. Like a happy dog, he bounded over to the bed in a few steps.
He turned around, plopped down on the edge, and slapped the soft mattress vigorously—whap, whap, whap—his face radiating pure enthusiasm and the desire to share:
"Yup! Just this one bed! It's super comfy! I specifically asked Mavis to switch it to an ultra-soft mattress for me!"
He looked up at Enid, who was hesitating at the door, and Wednesday, who walked in calmly, and issued a generous invitation:
"If you don't believe me, come up and try it! It's awesome!"
Seeing Vic's open, honest demeanor—completely devoid of impure thoughts, just genuinely sharing a good thing—Enid blushed even harder, the pink spreading to her ears.
This idiot... does he have any idea what inviting girls to "come up to the bed and try it" implies?!
In contrast, Wednesday's reaction was much calmer.
She swept her gaze over the bed, her face showing no shyness or awkwardness, as if it were just another ordinary piece of furniture.
She walked straight to the bedside, sat down naturally, and even pressed the mattress with her hand to test the elasticity. She gave an objective review:
"Hmm. Indeed acceptable. Moderate elasticity, sufficient support."
Seeing Wednesday approve, Vic beamed as if he had received the highest praise.
He leaned in close to Wednesday, almost right in her face, looking like a puppy waiting for a treat.
"Right? Right? I told you it was comfy!"
He completely failed to notice that behind him, the blush on Enid's face had spread to her neck, and her heart rate had inexplicably sped up.
The atmosphere in the room, because of one bed and Vic's innocent enthusiasm, became a little... subtle.