The strange story of Huai'an Inn

Ming Yuandao's people left the Huai'an Inn on the second day. Before leaving, Xiao Yi thanked Zhu Helan repeatedly, and paid a much higher remuneration than the original price.A thick scarf was wrapped around Chong Liu's neck, and he leaned against the counter with his arms folded and watched, but his heart was not at ease.

If Xiao Yi was really instigated by Xu Hanke, wouldn't he have seen the whole process of the shopkeeper's filth burst last night?

In this case... Will there be any hidden dangers if he just leaves like this?

Today Zhu Helan wanted him to rest for a day, but Chong Liu insisted.He used a scarf to hide the remaining scars on his neck so as not to scare the guests.

The near-death experience last night had a great impact on him.After all, for a moment, he did stop breathing.

When death engulfed him like a black cloth, what he felt was not fear.

Instead cold, and nothingness.

Nothing, nothing exists, nothing makes sense.The feeling of being warmed by the sun's rays, the feeling of chewing delicious mustard biscuits between the lips and teeth, the feeling of opening the window to take a breath of fresh air in the morning, the feeling of nodding and saying hello to everyone while walking on the familiar road, and looking at the sweetheart The warmth and throbbing in the chest from time to time...

All of this is over, gone, no more...

That feeling, even thinking about it now, made his hands tremble uncontrollably, and he couldn't even make calculations.

That's why he came out today, because he was afraid of being locked in the house alone, which would remind him of the cold and loneliness that he couldn't escape.

Strangely, he seemed to know this feeling.It was as if he remembered the state he was in before he was born.Not unfamiliar, but increasingly fearful.

The only thing that could comfort him was the dreamlike touch on his lips when he was unconscious.

His eyes moved to Zhu Helan's body, staring at those ruddy lips, slightly lost in thought.Zhu Helan also seemed to feel something, and turned his gaze.Chong Liu hurriedly lowered his eyes, pretending that he hadn't peeked at it.

Zhu Helan's eyes still lingered on him for a while before leaving.

Throughout the day, there was this weird... mutual testing and dodging atmosphere between them.

Xiao Yi and the others left on their front feet, and entered the inn alone with their bags on their backs.As soon as Xiao Shun saw it, he rushed forward and yelled, "Brother Zhu!"

Sure enough, it was Zhu Yi who came back, carrying a heavy load of bacon and pickles in his hands, his face was flushed red with the cold.

"Zhu Yi!!!" Chong Liu also ran out from behind the counter and grabbed Zhu Yi's shoulder, "I thought you were going to come back after celebrating the New Year in your hometown!"

Zhu Yi chuckled, "I haven't been in the hall for a month, my hands are itchy, I can't wait! Come, Shunzi, this whole piece of bacon is yours!"

Zhu Helan also laughed, watching the crowd laughing around Zhu Yi, seeing Chong Liu seem to be happy again, and felt a little relieved.

At this time, Yuanchu came in from the atrium.As soon as Zhu Helan saw him, she greeted him quietly, and went up to the secluded private room on the second floor with him.

"We have to leave soon." Yuanchu's voice was tense, "If it takes longer, I'm afraid that Tailong Town will..."

Zhu Helan nodded, "I still need to make some arrangements in the store, and I can leave the day after tomorrow."

Yuan Chu heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.But as if remembering something on his mind, "Is Guan Chongliu okay with his injury? I think he came out again today?"

Zhu Helan raised his eyebrows, thinking that he really cared about Liu'er?

For some reason, there was a vigilant displeasure.

"He doesn't want to stay in the house alone, it's better to let him see the sunshine outside."

Yuanchu nodded in understanding, as if relieved.

............................................................

After closing that night, Chongliu drove Zhu Yi to pack his luggage, leaving him alone in the lobby to wipe the tables and turn up the stools one by one to clean the floor.

He was bent over and busy with work when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.Chong Liuyi looked back, but saw the shopkeeper holding the raccoon cat towards the counter, put the cat aside, opened the cash box with a key, and opened the account book to write something.

Chong Liu turned his head back, and for some reason, his heart suddenly raised his throat.He pretended to be nonchalant and continued to wipe the table, but his ears were perked up alertly like the raccoon cat.

"The money has been good these two days." Zhu Helan suddenly said casually.

Chong Liu turned over the chair vigorously and muttered, "Yeah, business has been pretty good recently."

"Zhu Yi is back, you can relax a bit."

"No, I can finally be lazy."

I always feel... the dialogue between the two is dry, as if they are avoiding something.

After the shopkeeper finished writing down something, he closed the ledger, then came out from behind the counter, and walked behind Chong Liu who refused to turn around to look at him.

"Liu'er, let me see the wound on your neck."

Chong Liu put down the stool, turned around and smiled indifferently, "It's not serious, it just looks scary."

Zhu Helan didn't wait for him to do anything, and directly reached out to untie his scarf.

The red mark has now started to turn purple, like a ferocious smile.

Zhu Helan frowned, reached out and touched it lightly.Chong Liu trembled, but did not escape.

At this time, there were only the two of them and a raccoon cat in the hall.Such a close distance, such a close movement...

Chongliu felt that his mind was numb.

"Don't be brave, Liu'er. I know you're afraid." Zhu Helan said in a low voice.

Chong Liu took a deep breath, but felt that any pretense seemed meaningless in front of the shopkeeper.He pursed his lips and asked softly, "That water ghost said...it came after me."

Zhu Helan nodded.

"Boss, do you know what it means?"

Zhu Helan thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Chong Liu anxiously brushed the broken hair hanging from his temples, "Will they still come to me?"

"It's hard to say, but I think... those weird-looking Nanyang merchants I saw before, and the footprints you saw on the beach, shouldn't be a coincidence. They... are trying to get close to you."

Chong Liu was upset, and sat on the edge of the table behind him, "I don't know what's going on! Why me? Where are they taking me?"

"Of course I want to take you to the bottom of the sea." Zhu Helan looked at his waiter with complicated emotions, "I'm afraid it was because the filth you released was too strong in the accident with the God of Yellow Clothes, and it was perceived."

"Perceived by water ghosts? But they are in the sea!"

"In the world of filth, the concepts of time and distance are completely different from the world we can see. But... I suspect that this matter is still related to the 'book'."

"Book? A poor book?"

Zhu Helan nodded, "If you want to solve this mystery, I'm afraid you have to meet your master."

When Chong Liu heard the word "master", he knew that the shopkeeper might have guessed the true identity of his master.He was uneasy, not knowing whether to refute.

Zhu Helan saw the uneasiness in his expression, and smiled, "You don't have to worry too much. Before that, I have to go out with Yuanchu to deal with a strange matter. This is what I promised him before."

Chong Liu said, "It's Tailong Town!"

"...He told you?"

"Boss...do you think that I, a disciple of Bai Xiaosheng, won't be able to ask this bit of news?"

Zhu Helan smiled lowly, feeling that Chongliu, who was furious because his professional ability was questioned, became more and more cute.

"Yes, it's there. This time I may be away for a long time, and it will take four or five days to come back. I will ask Song Mingzi to help me take care of the store, lest Xu Hanke or the descendants of water ghosts take advantage of my absence. .”

Chong Liuyi was anxious when he heard that, "You say this...are you planning to take me with you?"

Zhu Helan was stunned.Unexpectedly, after what happened yesterday, would Chong Liu still want to follow?

Can Bai Xiaosheng really disregard their lives in order to find out the secret?

"Liu'er... You should rest in the inn for a while. There will be opportunities in the future, huh?"

Chong Liu refused to accept the persuasion, "My boss, I promise I won't hold you back, you take me there! I want to see those mushrooms that Yuanchu mentioned!"

"...Liu'er..." Zhu Helan paused in embarrassment, struggled for a moment and then said, "I know you are not afraid, but I am."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you." He whispered, with a hint of guilt on his face.

Chong Liuwanwan didn't expect the owner's answer to be like this, and he was speechless for a while, unable to speak.

Zhu Helan shook his head, as if mocking himself, "I thought I could control the filth and possible distortions on your body, but I failed. When the door appeared last time, I suddenly caught Yan Luzhi's situation and the inn was invaded. And this time..."

"Boss, you can't take everything on yourself!" Chongliu said anxiously, "The incident with Yan Luzhi was because I didn't tell you that there was a problem with her handwriting in time. If it weren't for you last night Save me I'm rotten in the sea now!"

"But you shouldn't have been involved in the first place."

"I chose to be involved!" Chong Liu was almost agitated, "Can you stop treating me like a kid who doesn't know anything? I'm the third oldest in our inn!"

Seeing his eagerness, Zhu Helan almost didn't understand, "Is it worth taking such a big risk just to see those mushrooms? If you really want to see them, I'll just bring you one back."

"It's not for those bullshit mushrooms!" Chong Liu went all out, and also forgot the original plan of "keeping it tight", "I just want to follow you! I want to go wherever you go!"

As soon as these words came out, both of them were stunned.Only the cihuamao meowed lazily on the counter.

The atmosphere was stagnant for a while, and no one dared to speak until...

"Ahem, hey, are you guys holding on to your eyes longer than anyone else in the middle of the night?"

The two turned their heads at the same time, only to see Song Mingzi leaning crookedly on the door frame, looking at them both with a smile.

Zhu Helan took a step back, and said nonchalantly, "You came early."

"Hey, I took the risk of being scolded by my senior brother to go down the mountain to see you, and don't thank me?" Song Mingzi Shi Shiran closed the door, went to Chong Liu, flipped a chair and sat down, holding his face and looking like he was watching the show. Emoticon, "What were you guys talking about just now? Leave me alone, keep going!"

Chong Liu rolled his eyes, turned around and went to wash the rags.

Zhu Helan said to Song Mingzi sternly, "Please stay in our inn for a few days and take care of it. Accommodation, food and drink are free, and I will add three hundred Wen to you every day, how about it?"

Song Mingzi's eyes lit up when he heard it, "Is there such a good thing?! Did you mess with something you shouldn't have messed with..." As he spoke, he glanced at Chong Liu.

Chong Liu said angrily, "What are you looking at me for?!"

Song Mingzi smiled and spread his hands, "What's the matter? Can't watch it yet?"

As he spoke, he suddenly raised his nose and sniffed the air.

"Why do you seem to be angry?"

At this moment, Yuanchu also entered the lobby.Song Mingzi jumped up when he saw it, "This is the brat who grabbed the fan that day!"