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"What? There's only one room left?" Ning Ruoxue's eyes widened in shock, her face turning bright red upon hearing the innkeeper's words.
"I'm really sorry, but there's nothing I can do. You have to understand that there have been too many merchants coming and going recently. As you can see, there are only three inns in town, and the other two are fully booked. We originally had three rooms available, but they were all reserved before you arrived. So, this is the only room left. You two might have to share it for the night," the Innkeeper explained.
It wasn't easy for the Innkeeper either; he had to greet guests with a smile every day, even when he felt wronged.
"This is unacceptable! A man and a woman sharing a room? How about this: we can pay extra gold coins if you can free up another room for us?" Ning Ruoxue said anxiously, almost on the verge of tears. It was rare for her to come down from the mountain, and who would have thought she would encounter such a situation right away? If she had known, she would have traveled alone; after all, she was familiar with the route to the Northern Frontier.
Ye Feng frowned as well and said, "How about this? We can offer double the gold coins. You could discuss it with the other guests. Most of them are businesspeople and should be understanding. Traveling can be inconvenient at times."
The Innkeeper looked troubled and replied, "Young master, it's not that we don't want to help you; it's just that the guests upstairs are quite formidable characters whom we cannot offend. We truly only have this one room left. The only other option is the stable, but that place is dirty and smelly; you wouldn't want to endure that!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng felt relieved. For him, enduring a bit of hardship wasn't a big deal. Although he carried the title of a young master from the Ye Family, deep down, his essence was different. In his previous life, he had stayed in all sorts of places—barren deserts that were unbearably hot and jungles filled with dense underbrush and humidity where he had left his mark.
He thought it best to take the room himself to spare Ning Ruoxue any embarrassment.
"Miss, you don't need to put the Innkeeper in a difficult position. How about this: we'll give up one of our rooms for you as a favor and to make a friend!"
Just as Ye Feng was contemplating this and Ning Ruoxue was feeling awkward, a voice came from behind them.
They turned around simultaneously to see three young men dressed in white robes. The leader was exceptionally handsome, carrying a long sword on his back and wearing jade ornaments at his waist.
At first glance, they seemed like sons of noble families!
However, Ye Feng sensed that these individuals were not ordinary disciples from wealthy families. The large character for "Flowing" emblazoned on their chests startled him.
Could they be disciples from Flowing Cloud Villa?
Ning Ruoxue listened and carefully examined the man who spoke, smiling as she said, "You are so kind to offer us a room. Is it just to help us out?"
The man laughed heartily and replied, "Not at all! My name is Tie Lin, and I am a disciple of Flowing Cloud Villa. I'm out here for some matters myself. As the saying goes, one relies on friends when going out. Since we have such a connection and you are in a bit of trouble, I will naturally lend a hand. As for anything else, it's truly just that I want to make a friend with you, Miss!"
Ning Ruoxue frowned slightly. Ye Feng noticed this and understood her character; she wouldn't pay much attention to unfamiliar people.
This was due to her personality, but given the current situation, Ye Feng knew that Ning Ruoxue would most likely agree to him!
However, he remained silent. If Ning Ruoxue really accepted their kindness, he wouldn't bother too much; after all, having a room was certainly better than staying in a stable!
"Thank you for your kindness. I can pay you a bit more gold coins; I don't like accepting favors from others without reason!" Ning Ruoxue gritted her teeth and ultimately made up her mind to agree.
Ye Feng found it amusing. This woman, who usually appeared cold and aloof as if she were above worldly matters, couldn't escape the usual patterns when faced with such circumstances.
Did the man look like someone who lacked money? It was clear that he wanted to get to know her better, ideally to take her to bed!
If she agreed now, she might be able to remain indifferent later on—perhaps someone like Zhao Wan could do that—but Ning Ruoxue was not Zhao Wan! Perhaps Ning Ruoxue herself didn't realize how well Ye Feng understood her character.
"We don't need the gold coins; we have enough. If you have the chance, treating us to dinner would be nice since it's getting late. I see you two haven't eaten anything either; we were just planning to grab a bite. What do you think?" the man said.
Ning Ruoxue frowned again and replied, "Alright, but this inn is quite small. When we arrived, we saw a place called Celebrity Residence that seemed nice; why don't we go there instead?"
Ye Feng sighed inwardly; the naive girl was quite easy to deceive. He had thought Ning Ruoxue was very cold, but now it seemed otherwise!
"Then shall this brother join us?" Tie Lin suddenly asked Ye Feng.
Actually, Tie Lin is quite skilled at observing people's hearts. When he came down from upstairs just now, he had already noticed that Ye Feng and Ning Ruoxue were not in a romantic relationship, which is why he approached them directly. Now he is deliberately suggesting that Ye Feng join them, and the meaning is quite clear.
Ning Ruoxue is a woman he has taken a liking to, so Ye Feng had better not interfere!
Regardless of the reason, Ye Feng does not want to provoke them. It's not that he is afraid; it's just that it's better to avoid trouble. Although Ning Ruoxue is nominally his senior sister, there are unresolved feelings between them. Moreover, this is something Ning Ruoxue willingly agreed to, and even if he is reluctant, he cannot say much.
"I think I'll pass; you all go ahead and eat. I don't like being around strangers!" Ye Feng shook his head and said softly.
Ning Ruoxue frowned and glanced at Ye Feng but did not say anything more.
The four of them slowly walked outside the inn!
Once they were out of the inn, Ye Feng smiled at the Innkeeper and said, "Just take me to the stable; I don't like accepting charity from others."
The Innkeeper looked at Ye Feng with surprise, as if seeing a monster. However, slowly, he said nothing more. Since the guest chose this way, what could a mere servant say?
The environment in the stable was really not great; besides the scattered debris everywhere, there was also the stench of horse manure. This was actually normal since the stable was meant for guests to keep their horses, and the inn was usually quite busy and neglected cleaning!
"I've never seen someone like you before—having a guest room but choosing to suffer here!" After bringing Ye Feng to this place, the Innkeeper muttered to himself.
Ye Feng smiled and replied, "What's wrong with that? It doesn't matter where I stay; there's no difference."
The servant turned back to look closely at Ye Feng and then continued, "I can tell you're not an ordinary person; at least your family background seems good. I always thought that children from noble families wouldn't be willing to endure hardship. You're the first one I've met!"
"Actually, for me, having a place to stay is already quite good. You don't understand my experiences! Also, not all children from noble families are like that; what you've seen may not be the truth. The glamorous appearance is just superficial; the inner aspects require careful consideration. Therefore, what you see with your eyes isn't necessarily useful."
Ye Feng suddenly said something like that, and it was unclear why.
Perhaps this statement intrigued the waiter. After laying a blanket on the grass, he hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting down on the other side and said, "I have been an orphan since I was little and have no relatives. The Shopkeeper took me in out of pity and treated me like a son. When I was very young, I envied those who had parents, but I knew that was a luxury for me! You don't know; deep down, I really despise those aristocratic children who look down on others with their high and mighty attitudes. But what can I do? They are born into nobility, and their families are much more powerful than mine. Crushing me is as easy as squashing an ant. Ever since then, I've been cautious, walking on eggshells! When I was young, the Shopkeeper told me to learn to endure. Over the years, I haven't learned much else, but I've certainly mastered the art of patience."
Ye Feng stood beside him, quietly listening to his words. After he finished speaking, he patted his shoulder and said, "Why do you see yourself so lowly? Just like now, you could easily sit on the blanket; why sit beside it?"
"After all, you are the guest; I must consider you first!" He replied with a helpless smile.
Ye Feng grabbed his shoulder and effortlessly lifted him onto the blanket before sitting down himself. With a smile in response to the waiter's surprised gaze, he said, "People are always different; birth does not determine everything. Your future still depends on your own efforts. Let me ask you, do you really plan to spend your whole life as an Innkeeper here?"
The waiter lowered his head in silence. After a long time, he looked up at the setting sun with a sense of melancholy.
"I can tell you're not someone who is willing to be at the mercy of fate; otherwise, you wouldn't have shared so much with me," Ye Feng said as he followed the waiter's gaze towards the sunset. He continued, "Look, even the sun has its moment of setting. Those who seem glorious now—who can guarantee that they won't end up like this sunset one day, fading away?"
"You are a very different person. Well, I need to get back to work; I can't delay any longer or the Shopkeeper will scold me again. By the way, you haven't eaten yet, right? I'll help prepare something for you, but you'll have to pay for it; I can't make that decision."
Ye Feng smiled and waved his hand. "Go ahead with your work; I'll take care of the payment!"
In truth, he knew that the Shopkeeper wasn't as kind as he claimed to treat him like a son; it was merely to preserve his last shred of dignity. Ye Feng chose not to expose that reality.
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