Fantasy Novel: Paradise Hotel 4
[Three] Princess Maria
7
Night had fallen, and the sky castle of the dark world stood above an endless sea of black mist, solitary and mysterious. Inside the great hall of the palace, everlasting candle flames flickered between massive stone pillars, illuminating the intricate reliefs carved into the walls. Princess Maria sat upright on a sandalwood throne, the hem of her long dress trailing across the floor. Her jet-black hair fell smoothly over her shoulders like silk, and her delicate features looked like a finely carved work of art, yet there was an enigmatic, icy beauty about her.
Before her, the dragon knight stood perfectly straight, his arms crossed over his chest, his steady gaze sweeping over the two men who had just entered the hall.
Huang Lihua and Wilson walked to the center of the great hall, lowered their heads, and performed a formal courtly bow.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Maria gave a slight nod, her eyes shimmering faintly like starlight.
Huang Lihua straightened and said in a deep voice, “Princess, Lin Xiaoyang has arrived at the hotel.”
Upon hearing this, the corners of Maria’s lips curved upward slightly. With an enigmatic smile, she said, “Good. We will proceed according to the original plan. First, take control of Robert and his men stationed at the Hotel du Paradis and use the hotel as our forward command post. Make absolutely sure that Anderson suspects nothing.”
Wilson frowned slightly and asked firmly, “Princess, why don’t we simply eliminate Robert and his men? We will inevitably confront Anderson’s organization sooner or later. Wouldn’t this be a waste of time?”
The dragon knight, who had remained silent until then, spoke in an unhurried voice, deep and powerful. “Eliminating Robert would be easy, but it could attract Anderson’s attention. The princess intends to win Robert over through benevolence and loyalty rather than force, so that he will willingly serve her.”
Wilson thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and said respectfully, “I see. The princess has thought of everything.”
Maria’s gaze slowly swept over everyone before she spoke in a quiet voice. “My undercover agent in Bat City has sent back news. They have found a girl named Xie Huijun. Anderson has kept her by his side.”
Huang Lihua’s pupils contracted slightly, and he blurted out in surprise, “Does that mean that girl is doomed to…”
Maria’s gaze grew deep, as though she could see through the tangled threads of fate. Her tone was calm, yet carried an unmistakable determination. “All of this has been arranged by the god of fate. Otherwise, Lin Xiaoyang and your granddaughter, Huang Minhua, would never be able to meet in the future. Just follow the plan.”
A look of sudden understanding flashed through Huang Lihua’s eyes. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, “I understand, Princess. Then we shall take our leave.”
He and Wilson bowed respectfully once again before turning and walking away. As their footsteps gradually faded into the distance, the great hall once again fell into oppressive silence. Maria remained seated on the throne, gently tapping her fingers against the armrest, a meaningful smile slowly appearing at the corners of her lips.
8
By evening, the sky had grown as still as the surface of a lake, while dusk gradually spread across the glass windows. Lin Xiaoyang stepped into the lakeside lobby on the first floor of the hotel. The air was filled with the faint aroma of coffee and the atmosphere of a place steeped in the passage of time. The wall lamps cast warm yellow light across the room, illuminating the polished mahogany furniture and outlining a figure in one corner of the lobby—Huang Lihua, who was sitting with his head lowered in thought, his fingers lightly tapping on the tabletop as though waiting for something.
Xiaoyang passed by the vending machine, casually picked up two cups of hot coffee, and walked toward him. The lids trembled slightly, releasing wisps of steam.
“Huang Lihua, it’s good to see you again,” Xiaoyang said with a smile as he placed one of the cups of coffee in front of him.
Huang Lihua looked up. There was a complicated expression in his eyes as he accepted the coffee and said quietly, “Thanks.”
Xiaoyang pulled out a chair and sat down. He ran his finger around the rim of his cup before saying, “Last night… I felt as though I had experienced a strange dream.”
Before he could finish speaking, a whisper came from the reception desk. One of the attendants glanced toward them, then immediately leaned over and whispered into the hotel manager Robert’s ear. Robert’s expression changed slightly before he lowered his head and dialed the internal phone.
Huang Lihua took a small sip of coffee and said calmly, yet with an unmistakable warning in his voice, “Little brother, I came here specifically to warn you.”
Xiaoyang frowned slightly, an uneasy premonition rising in his heart. “Warn me about what?”
Huang Lihua did not answer immediately. Instead, he set down his coffee cup and slowly asked, “What’s today’s date?”
Xiaoyang glanced down at his watch. “April 13, Friday.”
Huang Lihua’s fingers trembled slightly. His eyes seemed to sink into the depths of some distant memory as he whispered, “You cannot stay here overnight tonight.”
Xiaoyang froze for a moment, the hand holding his coffee coming to a stop. “Why?”
“Because…” Huang Lihua’s expression suddenly darkened. He abruptly lowered his head and pointed behind Xiaoyang with a trembling finger.
Xiaoyang’s heart suddenly began pounding. He followed the direction of Huang Lihua’s hand and turned around. Four tall, heavily built white men had entered the lobby, all wearing spotless white medical uniforms. One of them was carrying a heavy, long-sleeved white restraint garment—a protective garment used in psychiatric hospitals.
The air instantly seemed to freeze. Xiaoyang’s throat went dry, and he unconsciously tightened his grip around the coffee cup.
Huang Lihua lowered his voice and spoke rapidly. “Do you remember the date written on the painting?”
“I remember… April 13, 1925,” Xiaoyang answered without hesitation.
A shadow appeared in Huang Lihua’s eyes. “That was the night I was killed.”
Xiaoyang’s pupils contracted. “What? You said you were killed? But you’re obviously still alive…”
“There’s no time to explain!” Huang Lihua quickly reached out his hand. “Hurry. Write your name and today’s date in the palm of my hand!”
Xiaoyang’s heartbeat almost drowned out every sound around him, but his instincts told him that this was far stranger than he could have imagined. He clenched his teeth, quickly pulled the fountain pen from his pocket, and wrote a line of words in Huang Lihua’s palm.
Huang Lihua took a deep breath and quickly instructed him, “Now, immediately go to the front desk, check out, and leave before sunset! Whatever you do, do not stay overnight! If you want to see me again, come back tomorrow and find me in the sculpture garden outside the lobby. When you see the words in my palm, you will understand everything.”
“But—”
“Remember! In a moment, pretend you don’t know me. No matter what happens, don’t show any unusual reaction. I won’t hurt you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the four white men had already approached. Three of them quickly moved in and forced Huang Lihua face-down onto the table. A chair toppled over, producing a sharp, grating sound.
“Let go of me!” Huang Lihua struggled angrily, but his hands were quickly twisted behind his back, and the protective garment was swiftly put on him.
One of the burly white men turned toward Xiaoyang and gave him a professional smile before speaking in German. “Entschuldigen Sie, Herr, dieser chinesische Mann ist geistig verwirrt. Wir müssen ihn zurück in die Heilanstalt bringen. Ich hoffe, wir haben Sie nicht gestört.”
“Sorry, sir. This Chinese man is mentally disturbed. We need to take him back to the sanatorium. I hope we haven’t disturbed you.”
Xiaoyang’s heart was pounding violently. Forcing himself to remain calm, he managed to produce a strained smile. “Kein Problem, ihr könnt ruhig weitermachen.”
“No problem. Go ahead.”
His eyes followed the four men as they dragged Huang Lihua away from the lobby. Huang Lihua turned his head, his gaze deep and mysterious, his lips parting slightly as though he still wanted to say something…but he was already being firmly restrained and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Xiaoyang felt a chill spread throughout his body, as though an invisible hand were crawling up the back of his neck and toward his scalp.
He turned and ran back to his room. Trembling, he approached the painting and quickly searched its surface. When his eyes fell upon the lower-left corner, he saw Huang Lihua among the group of gentlemen in the painting.
And Huang Lihua’s eyes…were actually moving slowly.
Fear surged like a tidal wave, sweeping away Xiaoyang’s reason. Trembling, he hurriedly packed his luggage and practically slammed his way out of the room.
In the lobby, Robert watched him walk toward the front desk, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upward.
Xiaoyang paid the bill, checked out, and ran hysterically out of the hotel, heading straight for the parking lot. He threw his luggage onto the passenger seat, trembling as he started the engine, slammed his foot on the accelerator, and sped away from the eerie “Hotel du Paradis” and the forbidden land known as the “Forest of Oblivion.”
When the car drove out of the mahogany forest, he glanced back—
The entire forest had already been swallowed by thick mountain mist, transforming it into a realm of ghosts and darkness.
9
The RV slowly pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant beside the lakeside road. Green trees surrounded the area, the lake was as smooth as a mirror, and occasionally a few water birds skimmed across its surface. Lin Xiaoyang opened the car door and walked toward the restaurant. His steps were somewhat heavy, as though his thoughts were still trapped in a moment from earlier that evening.
Inside the restaurant, the air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and coffee. Warm lights reflected off the wooden tables and chairs, creating a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. Lin Xiaoyang walked up to the counter, ordered a set meal, and then casually chose a seat in the corner.
Just as he took his phone out of his bag to check his email, a light sound of footsteps broke the silence. Wilson appeared at the restaurant entrance, holding a steaming cup of coffee as he casually walked toward Lin Xiaoyang. Wilson was wearing a dark suit, with his tie loosened slightly, giving him an easygoing and unconstrained appearance. He smiled faintly, a hint of amusement and anticipation in his eyes.
“Ravi de vous revoir.”
“It’s good to see you again.”
Wilson sat down without ceremony and placed his coffee on the table in one smooth, natural motion. Lin Xiaoyang looked up, smiled faintly, and put down his phone.
“Pourquoi êtes-vous ici ?”
“Why are you here?”
His deep voice carried a hint of questioning as he unconsciously leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, seeming somewhat guarded.
Wilson looked at him, seemingly unconcerned by Xiaoyang’s wariness.
“Pourquoi avez-vous quitté l’hôtel ?”
“Why did you leave the hotel?”
His expression became more serious, and his tone carried obvious concern.
Rather than answering, Lin Xiaoyang asked a question in return. He fell silent for a moment, his eyes thoughtful, before the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“J’ai rencontré Huang Lihua hier, il sest passé des choses pendant cette période.”
“I met Huang Lihua yesterday. Some things happened during that time.”
His voice was somewhat low, and images of those unpleasant events immediately flashed back through his mind.
Wilson frowned, paused for a moment, then slowly put down his coffee cup. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze becoming sharper.
“What happened? Tell me.”
His body leaned forward a little more, clearly showing how deeply interested he was in what had happened to Lin Xiaoyang.
Lin Xiaoyang sighed, his gaze momentarily distant. He unconsciously rubbed the rim of his cup, as though considering whether he should continue.
“So you speak Chinese.”
He gave a bitter smile, a trace of helplessness flashing through his eyes.
“Huang Lihua ma dit que je devais partir ce soir, sinon j’allais courir un danger. Il ma prévenu juste avant dêtre emmené par les gardes de lhôtel.”
“Huang Lihua told me that I had to leave tonight, because otherwise I might be in danger. He specifically warned me to leave just before the hotel security guards took him away.”
He paused and sighed, his brows tightly furrowed, as though trying to decide what he should say next.
After listening, Wilson’s expression changed slightly. His brows drew together, and a trace of surprise and vigilance appeared in his eyes.
“Waouh ! Je comprends maintenant. L’hôtel n’est pas bon, et les gens à l’intérieur…”
“Wow! I understand now. That hotel is no good, and the people inside…”
He spoke in a low voice, his gaze unconsciously shifting toward the window.
Xiaoyang lowered his head, visibly nervous, and gently clasped his hands together on the table.
“Tu sais quelque chose à propos de cet hôtel ?”
“Do you know anything about that hotel?”
His voice was somewhat urgent, and he stared at Wilson warily.
Wilson took a deep breath and looked up at Lin Xiaoyang. His expression became complicated.
“Je sais quelque chose à propos de cet hôtel. Il pourrait être en danger maintenant.”
“I know something about that hotel. He could be in danger right now.”
He looked directly at Lin Xiaoyang, his eyes filled with a kind of concern that was difficult to put into words.
Lin Xiaoyang’s expression suddenly tightened. His hands curled slightly into fists as he said in a low voice,
“Nous devons l’aider à sortir du danger. Je pense que cet hôtel est très étrange.”
“We have to help him get out of danger. I think there is something very strange about that hotel.”
His tone was firm, and determination shone in his eyes, as though he had already made up his mind.
Wilson gently patted Lin Xiaoyang on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.
“Ne tinquiète pas. Je vais m’occuper de ça.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
His voice was calm, yet carried a convincing strength.
Lin Xiaoyang nodded. Although there was still some anxiety on his face, a trace of trust flickered in his eyes.
They silently looked at each other, and the atmosphere became increasingly quiet and resolute.
