Chapter 22

12:00 PM (2)

Her hair was lifted briefly, then fell back to her neck and shoulders as Deng Yun withdrew his hand.

Facing Deng Yun, Xu Muzi always found herself easily drawn back into an old, familiar feeling.

Was this her problem, or was it Deng Yun’s?

Xu Muzi looked at Deng Yun, as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Voices came from the stairwell, and from the sound, it was Xing Pengjie asking, “Hasn’t Xu Muzi come down yet?”

Xixia responded, “Not yet.”

“Oh, so are you heading to the second floor now? If you see Xu Muzi, tell her I’m waiting in the dining room to have lunch with her… Actually, never mind, I’ll go myself and check if she went to the laundry room to get her clothes.”

Xu Muzi felt a bit awkward, glanced back at Deng Yun, and then walked toward the staircase.

Sure enough, on her way down, she encountered Xixia and Xing Pengjie.

Xing Pengjie, still full of the excitement from mushroom picking, said as soon as he saw her, “I thought you went to get your clothes. I was just about to go look for you.”

Xu Muzi replied, “I’ll have lunch first; I’ll grab them afterward.”

Xing Pengjie immediately followed her downstairs. “That works. They’ve already started eating, and if we don’t hurry, all the good food will be gone. Xixia, we’re going to eat. You keep doing your thing!”

It felt like a ferocious beast was prowling behind her.

Xu Muzi kept her neck stiff, resisting the urge to look back. When she reached the last few steps on the first floor, she raised a hand to smooth down her long hair in an attempt to appear natural.
—-
In the common area, music played. She descended the stairs to the last notes of one song, and as she entered the dining area, the opening chords of the next song played.

The songs were all from the eponymous album by the band Smoke After. The music tugged at her, drawing her back to a heartbeat that spanned over the years.

Was this trip meant to clear her mind or just to stir up more emotions?

Her mind spun with conflicting thoughts. It was all Deng Yun’s fault—he declined the little get-together for a drink, yet chose to drink red wine alone in his room. And why did his lips look so alluring afterward, making it impossible for her to speak to him properly?

Xu Muzi even thought of her relatives back home who showed their truest selves after drinking.

Could this be hereditary?

Could it be that she was one of those people who, after a drink or two, had the urge to kiss everyone around?

“Hey, Xu Muzi, how about these two seats?”

Xu Muzi replied, “Sure,” while patting her forehead, trying to keep her thoughts in check.

During lunch, the local mushroom expert Xixia mentioned arrived despite the rain. After carefully inspecting the mushrooms they had collected, he confirmed that they were of a delicious variety, suitable for making soups and stir-fried mushroom dishes, but they wouldn’t be ready until dinner.

Xing Pengjie and the other guys crowded around the expert, talking about the local beer.

The expert chuckled, explaining that while the beer was known to be quite strong, the locals were used to it. However, tourists often remarked on its potency, even giving it the nickname “One Bottle Down.”

The expert then turned to Xixia. “I got a call from your boss. He’s not up on the mountain, is he?”

Xixia, seemingly lost in thought, hesitated before replying, “No, he’s not.”

Xu Muzi didn’t join in the conversation and instead ate her meal slowly, listening occasionally.

The dishes were to her taste, especially the ones with black pepper. She always enjoyed that flavor, and it usually made her eat a bit more.

Today, though, she had recently had some wine, and even though she took a hangover remedy and worked off some energy picking mushrooms, she still wasn’t feeling very hungry, eating only about half of her usual amount.
—-
After lunch, some people went back to their rooms to nap, saying they’d go mushroom picking again if the rain let up.

Xu Muzi didn’t go upstairs, deciding instead to spend some time playing with the stray cats.

Xing Pengjie lingered nearby, seeming preoccupied and occasionally starting small talk with her.

Near the sofa was a row of small wooden bookshelves filled with various books. Between them were tiny potted succulents and mini resin ornaments.

That corner was filled with many items, some of which looked old, creating a cozy, retro “maximalist” vibe.

Xu Muzi had thought before that this place felt less like an inn and more like the home of a neat, gentle relative.

One guest had been sitting on the sofa for a while, and Xu Muzi remembered that the guest had been there even before they left.

It was nearly one in the afternoon.

The guest, looking sleepy, rubbed their eyes and yawned, holding up a book. “Xixia, can we take the books here back to our rooms to read?”

Xu Muzi glanced over—

It was a book called Soulstealers, with small text beneath the title referencing some kind of witchcraft panic.

She hadn’t read it or heard of it, assuming it was a mythological encyclopedia like The Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Xixia said they could.

But she put down what she was doing and, with a smile, jokingly said, “Just make sure to return it before you check out. And please try not to read while eating or drinking. These books are old ones from the boss’s family, so please handle them carefully.”

The guest patted their chest, reassuring her, “No worries. I’m a book lover myself. Not a single page is folded in my own books, and I’ll be extra careful with yours.”

Xixia smiled. “That’s wonderful; thank you!”

In just half an hour, the inn’s boss was mentioned multiple times.

Xing Pengjie picked up a small figurine from the shelf, examined it curiously, and asked, “This kind of ornament… My grandma had a few similar ones when I was little. If this isn’t intentionally made to look old, it must have some real age. Xixia, how old is your inn’s boss?”

Xu Muzi had tied her hair up with a simple hair tie to keep it out of the way while eating.

Her skin was fair, and the faintly purplish mosquito bite behind her ear stood out.

Xixia glanced at the side of Xu Muzi’s ear and, thinking of something, her face suddenly turned bright red.

She fanned her face a little with her hand, “Our boss is about your age.”

Xing Pengjie exclaimed, “Only in his twenties?”

Xixia, cheeks still flushed, nodded. “Yes.”

Xing Pengjie looked around, taking in the place. “Your boss must be pretty well-off, then.”

Someone chimed in, “Probably, considering how large this place is, with such quality furnishings, the initial investment must have been substantial.”

In this rainy weather, with no new guests arriving, work at the inn became leisurely. Xia Xia found time to play with the stray cats and chat with everyone.

However, Xia Xia denied Xing Pengjie and the others’ assumptions. She explained that the inn owner’s family had been in business but lost a lot of money due to issues with their investments.

Back then, the owner had been a research candidate at a top university in China, but the family’s debt left little time for research, so he shifted his focus to starting a business with friends instead.

“So, this inn is your boss’s entrepreneurial success, right?” someone asked.

Xia Xia shook her head. “No, not this inn. Our boss co-founded a software company—I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard it was a big deal, and it helped him pay off his family’s debts.”

Meanwhile, the stray cats had warmed up to Xu Muzi, even climbing onto her lap. She was happily petting one when another guest commented:

“Wow, no wonder this place is so much nicer than other inns, and the food and amenities are all better too. Turns out there’s some solid backing here. Businesses run by wealthy people are always on another level.”

Xia Xia looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself, finally saying, “It’s not just about having money.”

Xu Muzi’s family had gone through their own ups and downs, climbing out of hardship. She understood the unpredictability of business and knew that the inn’s success was likely thanks to more than just money.

After all, even star-rated hotels backed by large corporations sometimes ended up closing despite substantial financial support.

As Xu Muzi sat, a kitten climbed onto her shoulder, pawing at her hair. She gently moved it down, carefully bringing out some pinecones she’d found outside and laid them on the table as playthings.

At first, the cats were disinterested, probably from seeing so many similar things outside. But then a calico cat fixated its gaze on the table.

Xu Muzi noticed and, smiling softly, asked, “Do you like it? Want to play?”

The cat didn’t respond to her question but continued staring intensely. When Xu Muzi reached to pick up a pinecone, she realized the cat was watching not the pinecone, but a small, black insect wriggling out of it.

Startled, Xu Muzi quickly hugged the calico and leaned away, only to accidentally bump into Xing Pengjie, who was sitting nearby.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot you were there,” she said, looking up to see that he was already a bit flustered.

Xing Pengjie had been hoping for some time alone with Xu Muzi, searching for the right moment to talk. With her attention finally away from the cats, he said, “Uh, Xu Muzi, how about we sit over there?” He pointed to a table and chairs by the inn’s front desk, where Xu Muzi had first met Deng Yun at 3 a.m.

She understood what Xing Pengjie was trying to say. Relieved, she thought it best to clear things up sooner rather than later.

Despite her tendency toward introspection, she no longer found it hard to talk things over with people, especially since her family’s hardships had matured her.

Except when it came to…

She set the kitten down on the sofa and was about to take a step when she noticed Deng Yun.

So, he was here, after all. Leaning back in the armchair, absorbed in his phone with an unreadable expression.

How long had he been here? He was as silent as a cat, arriving without making a sound.

Xu Muzi paused but stayed silent, following Xing Pengjie to a quieter corner of the lobby.

Just then, Xia Xia called out in a hurry, “Miss Xu!”

Xu Muzi turned around.

Xia Xia, still blushing, asked her, “The vet might take the cats back to the clinic for a checkup soon. Do you… do you want to give them names?”

Surprised, Xu Muzi nodded. “Sure, I’ll go say a few words. I’ll be right back.”