The next day, before dawn had even broken, the inn was already bustling.
The innkeeper stood with his hands on his hips, pointing at the dust on a stool and cursing, “What’s the meaning of this? Do you want our guests to sit down in a pile of dust?”
Before the old hand beside him could say a word, the new waiter, Zhang Shun, hurried over and wiped the stool clean. He even took the opportunity to sweep the floor.
The innkeeper watched, nodding in satisfaction.
These new hires certainly worked quickly, and they didn’t ask for much pay either. The only problem was their eyes—they were always looking at people sideways.
The old hands silently rolled their eyes at Zhang Shun.
These newcomers didn’t understand any of the rules. Before, the old hands could still sneak in a little slacking off, but now Zhang Shun and the others were working so hard that they didn’t even have time to slack!
Zhang Shun worked while pretending to glance casually toward the stairs every now and then. Who he was looking for was anyone’s guess.
Just then, one of the old hands suddenly slammed into his shoulder. The cloth in Zhang Shun’s hand fell to the floor.
Zhang Shun: “…”
At last, a familiar voice came from the stairs.
“Then Miss Ji and Young Master Fu can go to the clinic today.”
“Good. Young Master Xu, you must protect Miss Qin well!”
“Ahem… Of course…”
The moment the group came downstairs, Zhang Shun’s eyes lit up, and he immediately prepared to go over and greet them.
But after he had taken only two steps, another old hand cut him off.
“Would you fine guests like something to eat?” The old hand smiled cheerfully at them, a towel draped over his shoulder.
Xu Ancheng nodded politely. “Four bowls of noodles, and a few steamed buns.”
“Coming right up!”
The moment the old hand left, Zhang Shun tried to edge toward Ji Zhaoxi and the others. Before he could get close, another waiter beat him to it.
“Please have some tea first, honored guests. The noodles will be ready soon.”
Zhang Shun stood where he was, frowning deeply. When had he offended these people?
Ji Zhaoxi took a sip of hot tea and idly wiped down her sword.
This sword had belonged to her father, who had wielded it on the battlefield. It was an impressive weapon.
She noticed Fu Xianyan looking over and proudly showed it off. “You’ve never seen one like it, have you? The finest sword under heaven.”
Fu Xianyan raised an eyebrow. “Impressive.”
Across from them, Qin Qiwu covered her mouth and giggled.
Miss Ji wanted to show that sword off to everyone she met.
The noodles arrived soon. Just as the group was about to start eating, the old hand stood beside them, looking as though he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to begin.
Qin Qiwu looked at him curiously. “What is it, waiter?”
The old hand lowered his voice and stole a glance at Zhang Shun in the distance.
“Do you fine guests know Zhang Shun?”
When he saw the confusion on their faces, his certainty grew.
He whispered, “The man in the corner.”
Ji Zhaoxi was about to follow his gaze when the old hand hurriedly said, “Don’t look! Otherwise, he’ll realize we’re talking about him!”
Ji Zhaoxi quickly turned her gaze away and nodded solemnly.
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi’s grave expression, Fu Xianyan pressed his lips together and put on an equally serious face.
But when he remembered how she had been eating her noodles only to jerk her gaze away in a panic, he lowered his head, his shoulders trembling despite himself.
The old hand collected the teacups while pretending to be casual. “That Zhang Shun is new here. He may look capable, but in truth, he’s full of schemes.”
He coughed. “Yesterday, while you were out, Zhang Shun even tried to sneak into your rooms. Luckily, I stopped him.”
In the distance, Zhang Shun looked over in confusion. Why was that old hand working so slowly? Why had he been standing there for so long?
The old hand began pouring them more tea and continued in a low voice, “Every time you come downstairs, he starts peeking at you from the corner of his eye. You can see the cunning in his gaze.”
“And he and the other newcomers are always huddling together and whispering about something.”
His eyes narrowed. “I suspect…”
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng exchanged a glance, their expressions solemn. In unison, they asked, “Suspect what?”
The old hand lifted his chin. “That Zhang Shun wants to steal your money!”
The air fell silent.
Ji Zhaoxi bit into her bun and said angrily, “How awful!”
Qin Qiwu was silent for a moment before giving the old hand several pieces of broken silver. “Thank you, waiter. If he does anything unusual again, please let us know.”
The old hand’s eyes lit up, and he was delighted. “Of course!”
As he passed Zhang Shun, the old hand tossed the broken silver smugly in his hand and couldn’t resist snorting at him.
Zhang Shun gripped his cloth and frowned deeply.
They couldn’t have discovered something, could they? But that old hand looked so stupid. He probably hadn’t figured anything out…
Xu Ancheng was distracted throughout breakfast. He had to determine whether these people were from the gambling house or the authorities.
They had been here for quite some time, yet the authorities were suspiciously quiet.
After breakfast, the four split into two groups.
Ji Zhaoxi accompanied Fu Xianyan to the clinic, while Xu Ancheng and Qin Qiwu continued searching for clues.
The road to the clinic was extremely lively. Every few steps, Ji Zhaoxi would be drawn toward one of the roadside stalls.
“Place your bets! Place your bets! These two are fierce ones.”
Two crickets were battling furiously in a small basin, while a crowd gathered around them, shouting excitedly.
“Bite him! Bite him!”
“Oh no, lost again!”
After watching for a while, Ji Zhaoxi reached the entrance of a teahouse. The doorway was packed with people, and it was just as lively.
Suddenly, Ji Zhaoxi realized that someone was no longer beside her. Just as she was about to look for him, a sugar painting appeared in front of her.
She took it instinctively and looked at Fu Xianyan. “What is this?”
The sugar painting was crooked and lopsided, so it was impossible to tell what animal it was supposed to be.
“The vendor modeled it after a phoenix,” Fu Xianyan said helplessly.
A phoenix?
Ji Zhaoxi studied the sugar painting in her hand, but she thought it looked more like a chicken.
“Don’t wander off. You’ll get lost,” Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help reminding him.
Fu Xianyan looked down at her. In the sunlight, the top of her head looked a little fluffy.
Ever since he had met Ji Zhaoxi, she seemed to have taken on the role of protector toward everyone around her—protecting Qin Qiwu, protecting Xu Ancheng, protecting him…
The feeling was entirely new to him, but he didn’t dislike it.
Yet whenever he saw her earnest expression, he always felt like laughing. Not mockingly—he simply couldn’t explain what the feeling was.
Young Master Fu tugged on Ji Zhaoxi’s sleeve and squeezed with her through the crowd.
The storyteller sat on the stage, stroking his beard. “That night, beneath a dark and windswept sky…”
Smack!
His folding fan snapped shut, and the crowd immediately fell silent.
“Squire Shen had ventured alone to Blackwind Ridge when he suddenly saw a shadow flash past!”
A child sitting by the window clutched tightly at her mother’s sleeve. Her mother smiled at her and gathered her into her arms. The child poked her head out, frightened yet unwilling to stop listening.
She looked left and right, then suddenly met Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze at the window.
The two stared at each other in silence.
Ji Zhaoxi held out her hand. The child hesitated, then cautiously took the piece of candy from her palm. The next moment, she shyly burrowed back into her mother’s arms.
