thousand words

Chapter 14 Suburban Inn

Before it was completely dark, Ah Quan hung up the red lantern.Under the dark blue night, the red wind lantern is the road sign of returning home, guiding those children who lost their way in the dark to find their way back.

Although it has become Ah Quan's habit to hang up lights every night, the proprietress specially told him to hang up the lights earlier in the past few days, so as to attract travelers to stay.

Since the curfew started three days ago, the business of the inn has been particularly good.Those scholars who came to Beijing in a hurry to catch the exam would not be able to enter the city because of the curfew at night, so they could only stay in the inn outside the city, and would not enter Beijing until the city gate opened the next morning.

After hanging up the lamp, Ah Quan trotted back to the inn. He had to wipe all the tables on the first floor before it was completely dark, otherwise he would be scolded again.

Ah Quan hummed a little tune but didn't delay in his work. He busily wiped the last table. Seeing the spotless tables and chairs in the hall, Ah Quan felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

"Ah...it's finally finished!" Ah Quan stretched his waist and let out a long breath of relief.

The sound of footsteps came from behind, and Ah Quan was overjoyed—there was finally a guest, and it seemed that he could get more money this month.

There were two guests, a middle-aged man and a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.The man looks ordinary and mediocre, with a wide forehead and square nose, black face and thick eyebrows, and only one pair of shining eyes.He is dressed in brown silk, his black hair is half tied with a jade crown, and he wears white brocade boots.This attire is obviously not under a thousand pieces of gold at first glance, but his matching looks nondescript and very eye-catching.On the other hand, the young man next to him was dressed in a black brocade narrow-sleeve suit, with deep and handsome features and an extraordinary imposing manner.

Ah Quan was also used to seeing all kinds of travelers, so he was stunned for a moment, then greeted him with a smile and said, "Are the two guest officials top-notch or staying in the hotel?"

The middle-aged man squinted at him and said with a sneer: "It's been a while, you say I should be a top grader or live in a hotel." The voice was rough and thick, and it looked like he was used to scolding servants on weekdays.

Ah Quan was displeased, but a businessman must not lose his face in front of the guests, so he continued to smile graciously: "If we stay in the hotel, we only have a small-scale room left, I don't know the two of you..."

Seeing the clothes they were wearing, Ah Quan guessed that they were probably businessmen from a wealthy family, so they must not be used to living in a rough room like that of a local name.Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man agreed without any hesitation: "Okay, you can clean it up for us."

Ah Quan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "All the rooms here have been cleaned, the two guest officers come directly with me."

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged man said: "Clean it again, and I will watch from the side." Finally, he looked at the boy beside him with a doting smile in his eyes: "My son is sensitive, I'm afraid he won't be able to sleep. Comfortable."

The corner of the boy's mouth twitched inadvertently.

After Ah Quan settled the two guests, he was already tired and sweating profusely. He had never encountered such a tricky guest in his long time as a waiter in the shop. He said that the bed was damp and needed to be replaced, and the tea set was dirty and needed to be used again. The boiling water was scalded before being served, and at the end he said he was hungry, and ordered a few refreshments whose names he had never heard of... It really made him terribly tired.

Ah Quan wiped the sweat from his brow, fell down on the armchair and was about to take a sip of water, but two more customers came to the store before he could catch his breath.

Ah Quan looked up and was stunned for the first time.The person standing at the door is so beautiful, even more beautiful than the girl who washes the yarn by the Weiyang Lake that he has been thinking about day and night.It's a pity that he didn't dare to take a second look. The man in black standing next to the man had too dark eyes, and Ah Quan's heart was chilled just by the look in his eyes, and he hesitated to go forward.

"I want a room in a Tianzi brand." The man in black said directly, with an involuntary domineering tone.

Ah Quan shuddered all over and quickly apologized with a smile: "You two are really sorry, the store doesn't have a Tianzihao room anymore."

The face of the man in black instantly sank, his face was clearly handsome but his eyes added a bit of murderous aura.

"Give them a room."

Ah Quan was scratching his head and recalling the ways he had accumulated over the years to deal with tricky guests, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.Looking back, it was the proprietress who came out of the cabinet with a pipe in her mouth.

Ah Quan leaned over and said Nuo Nuo: "But that room is reserved for distinguished guests..."

The proprietress interrupted him and said lightly: "They are distinguished guests."

As soon as Ah Quan heard this, he nodded and bowed his head, repeatedly apologizing: "The two honored guests are here, and the younger one does not know what to offend..."

The man in black was noncommittal, staring at the proprietress coldly and stopped talking.And the beauty next to her took a look at the proprietress and showed a smile, he walked up and nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "Long time no see, Lichou."

Sorrow?So the proprietress is called Lichou... This is the first time he has heard of the proprietress's name.

Ah Quan wanted to apologize again, but the proprietress waved her hand and signaled him to clean up the room, Ah Quan had to bow and leave, and finally couldn't help but look back at the beauty, unexpectedly at this glance, he found that the beauty turned out to be a man.

A man is a man, after all, he is a beauty.

"Lichou, how have you been all these years?" After Ah Quan left, the man asked like this, the voice that seemed to be an ordinary exchange of greetings was indifferent and calm without a trace of turmoil.

The proprietress has long been used to the jokes and laughter in the business world, but the proprietress who always smiles like a flower suddenly stopped smiling at this time.She stared at the person in front of her, and there was a little sadness in those beautiful phoenix eyes, which finally turned into a wry smile at the corner of her mouth.She said: "I never thought I would see you again in my lifetime..." She smiled wryly as if she was laughing at herself and also as if she was mocking the past, and finally she lightly uttered three words from her red lips, mixed with love and hate in the past, and people today. No:

"Shen Qinglian."

On the second floor, in a room with a local name.

Standing in front of the mirror, the man in brown clothes slowly tore off the mask on his face while soaking in the hot water that Xiao Er had just brought, revealing a handsome face.This face is very different from the one just now. It is not enough to say that it is the beauty of the country, but the smirk hanging on the corner of the mouth makes this beauty greatly discounted... The only one who can have such a face and smirk is Qian Yuhan Who else?

Qian Yuhan stretched his waist and let out a long sigh: "Ah——I can finally take a breath of fresh air. It's really uncomfortable to be stuffed by this piece of skin. Hey! Would you like to eat something, although these things are not as good as those in Chuuxue Pavilion, But it’s okay to fill your stomach... Hey, did you listen to me? Hey!"

Baili Mingyan ignored the clamor of the people behind him, staring at the only bed in the room in a daze.

"Hey! Are you stupid?" Qian Yuhan couldn't bear it any longer, walked forward and sat down on the bed, looked up at Baili Mingyan who was in a daze, and shook his hand in front of him.

"Hey—are you deaf?!" Qian Yuhan patted Baili Mingyan's face.

Baili Mingyan opened his hand impatiently and frowned, "Why is there only one bed here?"

Qian Yuhan was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Didn't you know that there is always only one bed in a room of a local name? Besides, what's wrong with father and son sleeping on the same bed?"

Baili Mingyan said: "Who is father and son with you." He could hear Baili Mingyan trying to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Well, it's not father and son. Is there a problem with master and apprentice sharing the same bed?" Qian Yuhan smiled innocently, as if everyone was a family, so he was polite.

Baili Mingyan looked at the narrow wooden couch with green tents, turned his head and glanced at Qian Yuhan beside him, and some images flashed in his mind.Then he shook his head violently, threw those inexplicable thoughts out of his mind, turned around while holding his forehead, and walked out the door.Qian Yuhan quickly stopped in front of him and said, "What are you doing?"

Baili Mingyan turned his head and said coldly: "Of course it is another room."

Qian Yuhan said: "If you want to reveal your identity, go ahead." Then he moved out of the way.

Baili Mingyan turned to look at him and said, "How can I reveal my identity if I open another room?"

Qian Yuhan clasped his arms around his chest, with his usual composure on his face: "Just now you and I have admitted that we are father and son in front of outsiders, and now going out to open another room will definitely attract suspicion, besides, I have removed the mask. Seeing that there will be troubles again. Do you still want to investigate the case, and what does it matter if two men sleep in the same bed, what are you making troubles about?"

What he said made sense and reason, but Baili Mingyan still frowned and refused to turn back stubbornly, but he couldn't take another step, because Qian Yuhan held his arm firmly.

"Go back and sit down!" Qian Yuhan's tone had cooled down when he spoke again.

The arm held by Qian Yuhan could feel his slightly cool body temperature even through his clothes, but Baili Mingyan felt like a fire was burning in his heart.After a long time, he finally relaxed his stiff body.

Sensing his compromise, Qian Yuhan slowed down and said, "Go to sleep alone, I'll take a nap on the table, and in the middle of the night we'll go to the room where the crime happened." He tugged Baili Mingyan: "Hurry up sleep."

Qian Yuhan walked over to turn off the light, dragged Baili Mingyan to the bed and said, "Take off your clothes and sleep, I took the opportunity to check him when he cleaned the room just now, and there is nothing abnormal. Besides, I am here too, there should be no one else. Dare to poison again..."

Qian Yuhan babbled, but Baili Mingyan didn't speak from the beginning to the end.He stared at Qian Yuhan obsessively, as if he wanted to take advantage of the darkness to take a good look at the man he hadn't dared to look at during the day.

The night was dark and moonless, and he couldn't see his appearance clearly in the darkness, but a strange feeling slowly rose in his heart, and he couldn't help but picture his appearance in his mind: jade crown with hair, white clothes, flowing eyes, thin Lips slightly raised... Every stroke and every painting is thrilling and stirs his heart.

His eyebrows, his eyes, his lips... Suddenly recalling the touch of those lips, at this moment, there is an urge to taste them again.

"What are you looking at?" Qian Yuhan asked softly as if feeling the burning gaze.

Baili Mingyan's heart was shocked, he suddenly came back to his senses, and immediately felt ashamed and angry at the thoughts in his mind just now, but fortunately, the darkness helped him cover his flushed face.

"No...nothing..." He panicked.

"Then go to bed quickly." After saying that, Qian Yuhan got up and walked to the table, propped his head and closed his eyes.

Baili Mingyan fell asleep alone, looking sideways at the silhouette in the dark.The two sides were silent, but Baili Mingyan couldn't help but said: "You should come and sleep..."

After a while of silence, Qian Yuhan smiled lightly, and was about to get up and walk over when he suddenly heard a strange noise in the room, and in the next second, he rushed towards Baili Mingyan.At the same time he touched Baili Mingyan, Baili Mingyan suddenly felt empty, and then fell down together with Qian Yuhan who had just grabbed his lapel.