The rain was still drizzling outside the window. Although Dali doesn't really have a winter, the cold after it rains makes you want to put on a thick coat. So I subconsciously tucked my coat in and looked at Ye Zhi sincerely, hoping she could help me with this.

Ye Zhi didn't rush to give me an answer. She simply asked me, "Are you confident about what you did at Jiulongju this time?"

"Yes, but time is tight... Many students are already on winter break, and some of them from well-off families choose to travel during the Spring Festival. I just strolled around the ancient city, and the number of people is significantly higher than before... I think this is a sign that the tourism market is about to explode... So, I need to prepare to open for business as soon as possible."

"Well, how do you attract customers? I don't think it's an easy task."

I smiled and replied, "Don't forget, we used to run a seaside inn. Although it was demolished, I haven't completely given up on its online operations... For example, I've been updating content on Weibo and WeChat official accounts, so our followers haven't lost any attention... In the past few days, I've received private messages from my Weibo and WeChat followers asking if it's possible to book rooms during the Spring Festival. Everyone seems to agree that as long as they have a comfortable place to stay, whether it's a sea view or not isn't important, because the boom in Dali's tourism market last year put them under a lot of pressure... So I'm confident that with the customer base we've built up, we can fill up the rooms at Jiulongju..." I paused slightly and added, "If all else fails, there are always booking apps like Ctrip and MayiRent... As long as the overall tourism market doesn't have any problems, I'll be fine here!"

Ye Zhi nodded and said, "It seems you've really made ample preparations this time... However, I'm wondering... After Dali becomes so commercialized, is it still the Dali you originally envisioned?"

"I'm not sure if this is the Dali I've been looking for... but it's definitely the Dali you're hoping to see."

"I don't quite understand what you mean by that."

"Think about the projects your group has invested in Longkan... The people who least want the Dali tourism market to cool down are you people who are at the top of the food chain."

Ye Zhi was a little embarrassed, and after a moment of silence, she replied, "I also really want to differentiate Dali from other places, but as things stand..."

I picked up where Ye Zhi left off, and continued, "Like the other places you've invested in, it's just a way to make money, right?"

Ye Zhi neither denied nor confirmed it.

...

Ye Zhi agreed to give me some advice on the interior design of the temporary inn, so after finishing the rest of our drinks, we left the bar together... The rain hadn't stopped, and neither of us had brought an umbrella. Not wanting her to catch a cold, I took off my jacket and let her hold it over her head.

In the pouring rain, I looked back at our silhouettes under the streetlights. They seemed almost identical, but my steps were always behind hers. I thought, if I held her hand, or hugged her, our steps would probably be in sync.

But I'm just thinking about it. Actually doing it would make me blush and my heart race!

...

After wandering around the ancient city for a long time, I finally brought Ye Zhi back to Jiulongju. The commercial street was as deserted and dark as ever. Even with the flashlight on my phone, it took my eyes a while to adjust to the darkness.

It wasn't until we entered the room and turned on the lights that we truly escaped the ever-present chill.

Ye Zhi sat on my bed, and I poured her a glass of hot water. Then I said to her, "The other shops and the one I'm living in now have the exact same layout. Right now, there's only a bed in there, and no other decorations, so I feel it's too empty... I still have a little budget on hand, so I want to get something to decorate it."

"Without a sufficient budget, it's difficult to achieve the desired effect with this kind of small two-story suite."

"What is this 'sufficient budget' you're referring to?"

Ye Zhi looked at me and replied, "The budget I mentioned is definitely beyond your means, so I suggest you keep it simple to avoid spending money and ending up with a messy, incongruous result."

After Ye Zhi finished speaking, she stood up from the bedside and walked around the room. She placed her hand on an old-fashioned television set and said to me, "Is this television set a decoration?"

"I bought this from a guy who repairs appliances while I was strolling around the old town the other day. With the antenna installed, it can receive Kunming TV... I'm currently using it to watch a TV series, so it's not really a decoration."

Ye Zhi looked at me with a bit of disbelief...

"I like black and white TVs. Although the colors are a bit monotonous, they're simple, aren't they?"

Ye Zhi shook her head: "You're just nostalgic... But using this old-fashioned TV as a decoration is quite nice, especially suitable for rooms that haven't been renovated. Because the tone is old, people won't have too high expectations. It's a pretty clever way to decorate."

“I’ve learned something… I’ll go get a few more TVs like these and make a retro-themed room.”

"It's best to avoid this style of interior design."

"Why?"

Ye Zhi replied, "The retro style isn't really suitable for hotels and guesthouses. It's more commonly used in coffee shops because coffee shops sell a sense of nostalgia, while hotels sell the quality and style of accommodation... I imagine the rooms you're selling aren't cheap per night, are they?"

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