Chapter 30
During the peak season for summer tourism, the inns in Daiwa Town were in high demand, and as soon as two rooms were vacated, they were immediately booked again.
The new guests arrived the next afternoon—a young couple. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. Not only did they make a perfect match, but they also exuded an air of affluence.
At that moment, Wen Yuan was sitting with his legs crossed, messaging Lu Yao to come pick up the fresh mugwort he had just gathered from the mountain. When he saw the new guests arrive, he quickly uncrossed his legs and stood up straight.
“Welcome! Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes,” the man handed over their IDs.
“Great! Just a moment!” Wen Yuan quickly typed on the keyboard, checking the information on the IDs, then returned them. “Alright, please follow me. I’ll show you to your rooms.”
The woman had been looking at Wen Yuan with curiosity since earlier, and now she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Boss, you’re quite interesting.”
Wen Yuan grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
The woman smiled even more happily.
“Sorry, I wanted to ask,” as they walked up to the second floor, the man, who had been smiling but silent until now, suddenly spoke. “Is there an inn owner named Lu in this town?”
“Yes,” Wen Yuan replied without hesitation. “There’s only one person named Lu in this town—Brother Lu. His inn is at the end of the street. You’d need to walk a bit further to get there. Are you planning to stay at Brother Lu’s place? But he’s fully booked right now.”
“No,” the man said with a warm smile. “Just that, a friend of mine is staying there.”
“Oh, I see. It’s likely that you’re friends with someone who planned to vacation together. No problem, the town is small. You can always meet and gather with them outside of sleeping hours; it’s just a few steps away.”
Wen Yuan opened a room door. “Here’s one room, and the adjacent room ahead. They’ve been cleaned after the previous guests checked out. Please feel free to settle in, and let me know if you need anything or have any questions.”
The man said, “Alright, thank you.”
The woman added, “Thanks.”
“No need to thank me, it’s my pleasure,” Wen Yuan said with a smile, waving his hand. “I’ll head downstairs now. You two have had a long journey, so rest well.”
After going downstairs, Wen Yuan pulled out his phone to send a message to Lu Yao. Before he could finish typing, he saw that Lu Yao was already heading inside.
“It’s so early to harvest; don’t let them wilt,” Lu Yao was referring to the mugwort.
“It’s fine; just sprinkle some water on them. If they wilt, they wilt. The scent won’t dissipate, as long as the intention is there.”
Wen Yuan walked with Lu Yao to the backyard. “By the way, two new guests just arrived. They asked about you.”
Lu Yao picked up the bundled mugwort. “What did they ask about?”
Wen Yuan said, “They asked if a friend of theirs was staying at your place. I recall several of your guests are college students. They look quite young, so I guess they might be their classmates.”
He only cared whether it was related to Lu Yao or not. Lu Yao collected a few bundles and prepared to leave. “Do you need to pick up the realgar wine yourself, or should I find time to bring it over for you?”
“Hmm… I’ll go myself. I have some free time now.”
Wen Yuan cheerfully followed Lu Yao outside. “Great, I’ll see what Aunt Zhang is cooking tonight. It’s always healthier to join in.”
The next morning, Lu Yao got up early, watered the flowers in the garden methodically, then opened the inn’s main door, fed the fish, swept the floor, and after finishing all the chores, he went back to the counter to open his laptop and handle emails.
When someone knocked on the door politely, Lu Yao stood up and said, “Coming,” then looked up after pressing the Enter key.
The unexpected guests made Lu Yao’s fingers, still on the keyboard, tap absentmindedly, and his expression shifted slightly.
Cheng Xiwu stepped inside with Su Hui, who was arm-in-arm with him. They were on vacation in the mountains but were still dressed exquisitely and appropriately, to the point of being considered quite elegant. While they looked good, they seemed out of place in the rustic atmosphere of Daiwa Town.
“Hello,” Cheng Xiwu greeted first. He wasn’t overly familiar or distant but was polite and friendly.
“Are you Mr. Lu? I’m Cheng Xiwu, and this is my fiancée, Su Hui. We should have met a couple of days ago.”
“Lu Yao,” Lu Yao introduced himself courteously before asking, “Mr. Cheng, is there something you need?”
Cheng Xiwu nodded. “Yu Le is staying here, right?”
He was still holding his fiancée’s hand in his arm, yet addressed a man of similar age with an exaggerated sense of intimacy, which felt somewhat discordant and deliberate.
Su Hui, however, seemed oblivious to this.
Lu Yao’s brows furrowed slightly, perhaps his previous impression of Mr. Cheng was off. Seeing him on video two days ago and now appearing directly in person, it seemed there was more to the situation than just Yu Le’s one-sided affection.
At least, something didn’t seem right.
Lu Yao calmly closed his laptop and replied with a neutral tone, “Yes, he is staying here.”
Cheng Xiwu smiled. “It seems I’m in luck, not at the wrong place. He should still be asleep. Where is his room? I’ll go see him and wake him up.”
Lu Yao glanced at his fiancée.
“You—”
“Senior?” Yu Le’s surprised voice came from the door to the backyard, interrupting Lu Yao’s intended words.
“How did you end up here?”
Well, there was no need for him to go upstairs to call Yu Le.
“Yu Le,” Cheng Xiwu’s smile transformed from polite to genuinely warm and radiant upon seeing Yu Le.
“I thought you might still be asleep. I was about to go up and find you. I’m on vacation, and it’s too hot in Xuan City, so I came here to escape the heat.”
Lu Yao expressionlessly withdrew his gaze from Cheng Xiwu and texted Wen Yuan.
Lu Yao: [Mistake. They’re not students from Xuan University.]
Wen Yuan: [Huh???]
Wen Yuan: [Oh, oh, you’re talking about the new guests, right? They aren’t? I thought they looked like they were, but how do you know they aren’t? Did they really come to find you?]
Lu Yao: [.]
Wen Yuan: [??? What’s with the period?]
Lu Yao: [Next time during the peak season, remember to screen the guests. Don’t let those who shouldn’t stay.]
Wen Yuan: […Huh?]
I was exaggerating, and now I realize I wasn’t even close.
Su Hui smiled, “Oh no, this is genuine emotion and reciprocity~”
The atmosphere between Yu Le and Su Hui was unusually harmonious for their first meeting. Cheng Xiwu couldn’t help but furrow his brows, trying to detect even a hint of forced composure on Yu Le’s face, but he failed to find any.
Aunt Zhang brought out a dish that was full of color, aroma, and taste, filling the kitchen with a delightful fragrance. However, Cheng Xiwu suddenly lost his appetite.
Yu Le asked, “How long are you planning to stay this time? Are you going to spend the whole summer here?”
Su Hui replied, “I would like to, but Xiwu’s annual leave isn’t that long. We’ll probably stay for at most half a month before we head back.”
She had only arrived the afternoon before and had stayed just one night, but she had already fallen in love with the town, which even the wind carried the scent of wildflowers. If possible, she really wanted to see what the town was like in the autumn, and also in the winter.
Yu Le said, “Well, Xiwu is a busy person, always working and spending time in the office. I’m surprised he managed to take some time off to come here.”
Su Hui added, “That’s right. When I went to the office the other day, he suddenly asked if I wanted to take a trip to the mountains. I was surprised by his sudden whim—”
“Are there other places nearby to visit besides the town?” Cheng Xiwu suddenly asked.
Yu Le nodded, “Yes, there’s a Mountain God Temple on the mountain. The path from the entrance to the temple is paved with blue stones. It’s clean and easy to walk, and also shaded, making it perfect for a walk. The weather is sunny these days, so Xiwu, you can take your wife there for a stroll.”
Cheng Xiwu asked, “Mountain God Temple, have you been there?”
Yu Le replied, “Yes, Boss Lu took me there before.”
He suddenly remembered something and murmured to himself, “Wait, he never gave me the leaves he collected last time. He didn’t throw them away, did he…”
Cheng Xiwu heard this and lowered his eyes, putting down his chopsticks.
Su Hui seemed very interested. “It sounds quite interesting. Xiwu, how about we go for a visit after dinner?”
Cheng Xiwu didn’t answer immediately but looked at Yu Le. “Yu Le, are you free later?”
Yu Le asked, “You don’t mean you want me to be your guide, do you?”
Cheng Xiwu smiled, “Is that your way of refusing?”
“Forget it, forget it.”
Yu Le quickly waved his hands and said with a smile, “Really, you’re a couple out for a relaxing time. I’m just a third wheel. Don’t worry, the path up the mountain only leads to the temple. There’s no need for a guide; it should take about half an hour. You can take your time. The scenery along the way is quite beautiful.”
With Yu Le’s response, Cheng Xiwu couldn’t insist further, and since there was no reasonable excuse to stay, he and Su Hui left after breakfast.
Aunt Zhang went home after clearing their dishes, and Yu Le, unsure of what to do next, stayed in his seat, pulling out his phone to browse the latest news.
“What’s wrong, feeling down?” Lu Yao came over with a bundle of herbs, moving around the stove to organize things.
Yu Le looked up in confusion, “Huh? Why would I be down?” Then he suddenly realized, “Oh right, I almost forgot you know my senior. You saw him that night.”
Lu Yao replied with a soft “Hmm” while organizing the shelves.
Talking about a crush was somewhat embarrassing. Yu Le looked at Lu Yao’s back and said, “Do you believe me when I say I’m not upset at all?”
Lu Yao glanced back at him, with a slightly raised tone, “Not upset at all?”
“Really, not at all,” Yu Le emphasized sincerely. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even thought about it.”
Lu Yao’s gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds before casually retracting, “So, what do you think now?”
“How do I put it… I’m not sure,” Yu Le said as he put down his phone.
Perhaps because Lu Yao had already known everything through misunderstandings and had seen Yu Le at his most embarrassing moment, or perhaps it was Lu Yao’s inherent ability to provide a strong sense of trust and security.
When talking about these things with Lu Yao, aside from a bit of embarrassment, Yu Le had no reservations and shared his inner thoughts and feelings openly.
He said, “I always thought I would find it hard to accept seeing him with another girl. But today, I realized that’s not the case.”
“Yes, I was happy when he came, but it was more about the joy of meeting an old friend in a foreign place rather than being overjoyed or jealous of Su Hui. I just think they’re a good match, and they look great together.”
“Hey Lu Yao, you know,” he suddenly reminisced with a smile, “back in the day, especially when I was abroad, I always looked forward to seeing him, having meals together, or going to the library. It didn’t have to be anything special, just spending time together made me feel really good.”
Lu Yao asked, “And now?”
His tone was casual, but he placed the wine jug down very gently, as if afraid that any noise would drown out Yu Le’s words.
“Not anymore, at least not today.”
Yu Le said, “He just asked me to go up the mountain with them, but I didn’t go. It didn’t seem meaningful. I’d rather stay at the inn and be with Da Huang and Shui Cai.”
“Lu Yao,” he called out, his voice carrying an unexpected lightness. “I think I’m no longer looking forward to doing anything with him.”
A light-hearted mood can easily affect others, even making them empathize.
“Mm,” Lu Yao said with a smile, placing a bundle of mugwort securely on the shelf. “That’s good.”
Yu Le’s gaze followed Lu Yao’s hand to the bundle of green plants, his curiosity piqued. “What is this?”
“Mugwort,” Lu Yao answered.
Yu Le got up to take a closer look. “Isn’t this chrysanthemum? I’ve seen it when eating hotpot.”
Lu Yao replied, “Chrysanthemum is a vegetable, while mugwort is a Chinese herb. They’re different, especially in their smell.”
Yu Le tried to sniff it, but it was hung too high. He had to make do by pulling Lu Yao’s hand closer to his nose. “Okay, it’s that smell. I’ve smelled it on a small pillow my mom made. So, this is how it looks when it’s still a plant.”
Lu Yao saw the cute twitching of his nose and couldn’t help but lightly tap his fingers before quickly withdrawing them. “Yes, mugwort is cold in nature. It can regulate qi and blood, remove dampness, and warm the body. It’s good to have some mugwort-based products at home.”
Yu Le had vaguely heard of this, and said “Oh” in acknowledgment. “But why hang it in the kitchen and not the bedroom?”
“Because the Dragon Boat Festival is coming.”
Lu Yao turned and placed a small jar of realgar wine in Yu Le’s arms, with a gentle smile.
“Yu Le, do you prefer sweet or savory rice dumplings?”
