The next day, when Xu Ke ca downstairs, he bumped into the innkeeper, who was covering his head and yawning, "How did you rest yesterday?" Xu Ke asked.
The innkeeper’s eyes were sowhat swollen from sleep. Hearing Xu Ke’s voice, he struggled to open his eyes, which were almost swollen shut, and looked at Xu Ke with an exceptionally fragile look on his face, "Don’t even ntion it, I drank way too much yesterday. My head feels like it’s going to explode this morning. I really didn’t expect you to handle your alcohol so well. If I knew you could drink that much, I definitely wouldn’t have tried to outdrink you." The innkeeper’s face showed a fearful expression, making him look especially pitiful.
Looking at the other’s miserable appearance, Xu Ke not only felt no sympathy but rather wanted to laugh.
"I didn’t know you couldn’t hold your liquor. I thought you looked like you could drink a lot," Xu Ke said with a grin lacking sincerity.
"That’s too much, your expression. By the way, I didn’t say anything crazy or do anything outrageous after getting drunk, right?" The innkeeper rubbed his temples and cautiously asked.
"What do you an by outrageous?"
"I an, I didn’t forcefully hug you or kiss you randomly, did I?" The innkeeper hesitated and said.
"Haha, no, after you got drunk, you just fell asleep. I saw you were asleep, so I helped you to your room. As for whether you did anything weird in your room, I wouldn’t know." Xu Ke replied.
Hearing Xu Ke’s words and knowing he didn’t embarrass himself in front of others, the innkeeper let out a long breath, "As long as I didn’t embarrass myself outside, it doesn’t matter what I did in the room. No one saw it anyway." The innkeeper said nonchalantly, which made Xu Ke look at him a bit more.
"What are you staring at for? Aren’t you planning to go to work? If you don’t go soon, you’ll be late." The innkeeper glanced at the clock on the wall and urged Xu Ke.
"It’s alright, being a little late doesn’t matter. Do you have anything else to ask? I can leave after you’re done asking." Xu Ke said with a smile.
Realizing Xu Ke was only staying to answer his questions, the innkeeper scratched his face awkwardly, "I’ve asked everything. You should hurry up and leave."
Seeing the innkeeper indeed had no more questions, Xu Ke didn’t linger and left quickly.
Only after Xu Ke’s silhouette completely disappeared did the innkeeper softly say, "Are all Eastern people this gentle?" But since no Eastern person was present, no one answered his question.
Oddly enough, just after Xu Ke left, the people who recently checked into the inn seed to have received so signal as they all started to leave, which made the innkeeper curious and slightly uneasy.
"What’s going on? Why don’t these people co out when Xu Ke is here, but all co out when he leaves? It’s the sa at night too." The innkeeper mumbled to himself while sipping tap water and quietly noted their faces, flipping through the registration log out of boredom.
It’s astounding what he discovered: all these people checked in after Xu Ke. The innkeeper’s breath tightened at this finding, and he kept it in the back of his mind. Outwardly, he acted as casually as usual, but throughout the day, he found himself zoning out, constantly pondering this matter.
As the ti for Xu Ke’s return from work approached, the innkeeper grew increasingly restless.
"Boss, what’s up with you today? You’re constantly zoning out, staring at the clock. Is there sothing special about it? Isn’t it the sa as usual?" A regular patron noticed the innkeeper’s absent-mindedness and asked.
Soone nearby chid in playfully, "You don’t get it. There’s nothing special about the clock itself, but maybe the ti it shows matters. Maybe the boss has a eting with a widow or lover." Another visitor joined in the banter, giving an ambiguous wink to those around, causing a burst of coaxing from the inn.
Still waiting for Xu Ke, the innkeeper rolled his eyes dramatically, "Where’s the woman? You’re all imagining things, thinking I’m like you guys, who think of nothing but won all day."
"Ooh, then tell us what’s keeping your mind occupied besides that," another guest teased, drawing more jeers, clearly not believing the innkeeper and thinking he was showing off.
"I’m waiting for a guest from my inn. I have sothing to discuss with him." The innkeeper answered.
"A man? Boss, since when did you change your preference? Are you interested in your guest now?" The one questioning exaggeratedly covered his backside, seemingly afraid the boss might do sothing inappropriate, making the innkeeper roll his eyes hard.
"Please, give it a rest. Even if I turned to n, I wouldn’t be interested in you. Just look at your muscled and hairy self, like a gorilla. I’d have to be out of my mind to go for you." The innkeeper shuddered, pointing at the person’s excessive body hair and said with a grimace.
In the midst of the lively and teasing atmosphere, Xu Ke walked in from outside. Upon seeing him, the innkeeper finally felt peace in his heart.
"You’re finally back. I’ve been worried about you all day, co here, I need to talk to you." The innkeeper imdiately moved to welco Xu Ke as he returned, pulling him toward the back of the counter, causing another wave of teasing from the earlier crowd.
"Wow, he says there’s nothing, but look at that, the mont he cos back, our boss’s eyes light up and he rushes him to the back. How embarrassing!" Soone stood up, pinched their nose at the boss, and made a face, inciting laughter from the group.
"What’s up with them?" Xu Ke gave the innkeeper a puzzled look, observing the crowd’s reaction.
The innkeeper felt his face warm with the crowd’s teasing and said sternly, "Don’t mind their nonsense. No one here has proper business. I really have sothing serious to discuss with you, sothing that can’t let them hear." His eyes turned serious.
Xu Ke asked nothing further and didn’t resist, following the boss obediently into the area beyond the counter amidst the noisy backdrop.
The innkeeper brought over his registration log, secretly opened it under the counter, glancing at the entrance with so tension, licking his lips nervously, and said, "What I’m about to tell you, don’t be afraid."
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