Luo Xiao heard the sound of hawking. She opened the window and saw a middle-aged woman carrying a load on her shoulder walking slowly in the alley behind the inn.

On the shoulder pole, the green melons, yellow vegetables and red fruits seemed to still be scented with rain, and looked very fresh and tender.

Luo Xiao suddenly felt like eating, so he took the money and ran downstairs. The back door of the inn was tied with wood, and Luo Xiao opened it easily, just in time to see the woman park her load outside the door.

The woman was about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. At first glance, she was quite pretty, but she was wearing very simple clothes, her skin was not good, and she looked tired, so she did not look pretty.

The woman was also startled when she saw Luo Xiao.

Luo Xiao smiled: "Are these... for sale?"

The woman hurriedly said, "Sell, sell."

Luo Xiao leaned against the door and started picking. She had no use for the vegetables, and she didn't like peaches either. Finally, she picked out a few cucumbers that looked particularly crisp and tender and put them aside.

There was the sound of someone's leisurely yet steady footsteps behind him, followed by a deep voice: "Sister Zhao, are you here?" There was a faint warm masculine scent passing behind Luo Xiao.

Luo Xiao stiffened slightly.

Han Tuo had already stood by the other door, folded his arms, and looked at her: "Are you here to buy something?"

Luo Xiao: "Yeah."

He said calmly: "Pick it, it's mine."

Luo Xiao immediately said, "No, thanks." She took money out of her pocket. At this time, Han Tuo had already bent down and started picking up things from the shoulder pole. Sister Zhao seemed to be very familiar with him, and a smile appeared on her face: "Don't be picky, the dishes sent to your inn are all the best from my family."

Han Tuo also smiled and asked, "How much?"

Luo Xiao then realized that Sister Zhao had come to deliver food to the inn.

"55." Sister Zhao replied.

Han Tuo glanced at Luo Xiao, then picked up the largest and greenest cucumber from the carrying pole, took a bite, and asked, "Where did you pick?"

Luo Xiao looked at the cucumber in his hand: "...You ate it."

Han Tuo was stunned, took a look at the melon in his hand, and suddenly smiled.

He looked quite cold and gloomy early in the morning, but when he smiled, his black eyebrows were curved, and there was a faint luster under his nose. His eyes seemed to be able to speak, so bright that Luo Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

She turned away, avoiding his gaze.

Han Tuo had already taken several large bags of vegetables from Sister Zhao, and then patted Luo Xiao on the back: "Go in." Sister Zhao had also packed the remaining cucumbers in a bag, and Han Tuo threw them into Luo Xiao's arms.

"Thank you, thank you." Luo Xiao said hurriedly.

"You're welcome." Han Tuo walked straight to the kitchen and said without looking back, "Even if you only paid for the non-sea view room, I still made some money. The wool comes from the sheep."

Luo Xiao looked at his back, and after a while, smiled.

——

Luo Xiao did not have breakfast in the inn. She ate a cucumber and felt full and had no appetite. But when she passed the front desk on her way out and told Xiaomei that she would not have breakfast, Xiaomei's expression looked a little strange.

This ancient city is actually very small, with only a few streets in total. It is said to be the birthplace of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. However, the tourism industry has not been very prosperous recently. Luo Xiao wandered around the street for a while and found that half of the shops were closed.

But the ancient city is still an ancient city. After hundreds of years, vicissitudes and silence have returned. When Luo Xiao climbed up the small city wall alone and looked down at the entire old city, as well as the green mountains and rivers in the distance, he actually felt the urge to settle down here.

But as luck would have it, Han Tuo's image suddenly popped up in my mind again. A handsome and unruly face, a cold and tough figure.

Luo Xiao shook his head to dispel these inexplicable images in his mind.

After going down the city tower and walking for a while, you have to go through another city gate to get back to the inn. As clouds gathered in the sky, it looked like it was going to rain again.

She took a few quick steps and suddenly saw a man in a white vest and camouflage trousers sitting at the city gate, playing chess with an old man. Isn't it Han Tuo?

Luo Xiao walked past him silently.

"Why do I see you everywhere?" Han Tuo said calmly without raising his head. He spoke with a genuine BJ accent and a hint of sarcasm, so Luo Xiao knew where he came from.

But Luo Xiao thought - shouldn't she be the one saying this? How come I keep running into this man everywhere?

Han Tuo dropped a piece from his hand and looked up at her. Luo Xiao noticed that his fingers were very long and his joints were rough.

"The ancient city is so small. You guard the city gate. No one can escape your eyes." Luo Xiao replied.

Han Tuo didn't expect that she would reply to him in such a neither soft nor hard way. Instead of being angry, he smiled and said, "Oh."

Luo Xiao didn't expect that he would just say "Oh" like that. Somehow, she felt a little uncomfortable as she was standing and he was sitting on the ground, facing each other like this. So he lowered his head and walked away.

After walking a few steps, I heard his voice behind me: "Stop it, the rain is about to fall."

Then came the sound of someone getting up.

The roads in the small town are very narrow. There are people leading horses in front, and other tourists stopping. Luo Xiaoan walked quietly, listening to the unhurried footsteps behind him.

They walked in the same direction, one in front and one behind, at a distance of three or five meters.

Suddenly, Luo Xiao stopped.

In the middle of the road ahead, there was a big black dog lying across the road. Almost half a person's height, it was looking at her with its tongue hanging out and breathing hotly.

There are many people who keep dogs in this small town, but someone's dog was not tied up and ran into the middle of the road.

Some tourists took a detour, while other locals walked past the dog without a care. Luo Xiao clenched his fists quietly and stood still. He felt his legs go weak and he couldn't move at all.

"Are you afraid of dogs?" A light voice sounded behind him.

Luo Xiao: “A little bit.”

He smiled again, glanced at her, then looked at the dog lazily, and said, "Let's go."

Luo Xiao's action was completely a conditioned reflex - in the past, whenever she encountered a vicious dog on the road, she would snuggle up to her classmates like this - she leaned closely beside him, almost keeping the same pace as him, and walked forward with him.

Han Tuo noticed her nervousness and slowed down his pace slightly so that she could keep up. Raindrops fell from the sky and landed on the arms of the two men. The arms are barely touching. Only then did Han Tuo realize that her skin was extremely cold and her arms were very soft. It was in stark contrast to his hot, rough skin.

Han Tuo raised his head and looked ahead.

After finally "walking past" the dog, Luo Xiao almost immediately bounced away from him, keeping a distance of at least one meter.

"Thank you." She said with a slight blush.

Han Tuo smiled again and said, "What is there to thank me for? After all, you are only a little afraid of dogs."

Luo Xiao: “…”

In a blink of an eye, they arrived at the inn. They entered the door, one went upstairs, and the other went to the front desk, and then they parted again.

——

The clock is gradually pointing to 12 o'clock.

Luo Xiao sat in the room alone for a long time, looking at the luggage that he had hardly unpacked last night. Then he stood up, walked to the window and opened it slightly.

The yard was very quiet, and two other guests had moved in. But there are not many people here now, and Xiaomei can be vaguely seen sitting behind the front desk. Han Tuo was sitting on the porch opposite with his eyes closed, as if he was taking a nap.

The rain was still falling, although not heavy. But clouds continued to gather in the sky and heavy rain was about to come.

There are some dangers in life that are imperceptible.

Some are dangerous, but they are born with a sense of fate. Any woman can sense it when he appears.

Heavy rain is coming.

Luo Xiao looked at the courtyard again and decided to leave.

She went downstairs quietly, carrying her only bag, and walked to the front desk. When Xiaomei heard her say that she wanted to check out, she was a little hesitant and even stole a glance at the boss who was not far behind her.

Han Tuo was quiet the whole time, and seemed to be sleeping very soundly.

"You're not staying?" Xiaomei said, "Look, it's going to rain soon, why don't you leave later? You can leave your luggage at the front desk, it's okay."

Luo Xiao smiled: "Thank you, but no thanks."

"oh."

After settling the bill, Luo Xiao turned and left. She opened her only black umbrella, and the raindrops fell on the umbrella and at her feet. The moment she stepped out of the inn, she turned around.

On the porch, he put his hands behind his head and looked at her quietly.

His eyes were as deep as water.

Luo Xiao finally smiled at him gently, turned and left.

——

But the development of world affairs is always beyond people's expectations.

Perhaps, this really is something called "fate" at work.

Luo Xiao didn't expect it to rain so heavily.

The clouds were so big that they covered the whole sky and the streets were hazy. Apart from her, there was no one else. It was so dark that the day seemed as dark as dusk.

She held an umbrella, but it was no use. My backpack was completely wet and most of my body was wet as well. She wiped the water off her face and continued walking forward, trying to find the next inn where she could stay temporarily.

But now she realized that there were not so many inns in this small town. Many are closed and some are under renovation. Some people knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered, perhaps because the rain was too loud.

She then found two inns, but the ordinary rooms cost 200 yuan, not to mention the sea view rooms, which made her look like she was taking advantage of the situation. There are also cheaper ones, priced at 120 per room, but the sanitary conditions are really bad. Luo Xiao has been a person with mysophobia since she was a child. Even though she is now wandering outside, she really can't live in the room with a gray bed. What's more, the particularly attentive smile of the innkeeper made her retreat instead.

I don’t know how long I had been wandering outside, but before I knew it, I was back at the door of “Jianwang”.

It was raining so heavily that even Jianwang’s door was closed. The sky and the earth had become dim, and the rain soaked Luo Xiao's entire body. She held an umbrella and stood outside the Jianwang door. She suddenly felt lonely and sad.

It turned out that she was always on the road alone and she had nowhere to go.

The rain, with a chill, attacked her whole body. She stood with an umbrella in the rain, but she felt like she was standing in a lonely and helpless valley.

With a creaky sound, someone opened the door.

Luo Xiao raised his head and saw a hazy mist in front of him.

Han Tuo was still looking the same, leaning against the door, with his hands folded, looking at her quietly.

Luo Xiao looked at him without saying anything.

He suddenly smiled very gently and said, "We have a discount for old customers on rainy days. You can stay in a sea view room for the same price - it's raining so hard anyway, so the room won't be empty anyway."

Luo Xiao stood there, looking at him through the rain, without moving.

"Do you always take in homeless people like this?" she asked slowly.

He was silent for a few seconds and replied calmly: "No, this is the first time."

The rain fell beside the two of them.

Luo Xiao lowered his head and wiped the water off his face again. But he had already turned and walked into the yard, with the door open behind him.

"I'll cook you a delicious meal tonight to drive away the cold. Come in... Luo Xiao."

Luo Xiao seemed to be possessed at this moment. Although he knew it was wrong, he still walked towards the door of "Jianwang", put away his umbrella, stepped into the door, and followed him.

——

Same room, same price. Luo Xiao paid the rent for 10 days in one lump sum, and Xiaomei gave her a 10% discount. Seeing her come back, Xiaomei didn't seem surprised at all and didn't say much. So Luo Xiao thought that she must have been told by Han Tuo in advance not to embarrass herself.

Somehow, Luo Xiao felt this way.

He is such a gentle and kind person at heart.

Finally, in the evening, the rain stopped. The sky seemed a little brighter than before, but there was still neither the sun nor the moon to be seen. The lights in the yard were on, and the leaves were green after the rain. Looking up, one felt warm and peaceful.

Luo Xiao was sitting in the room on the second floor reading a book, but he could smell the pungent smell coming from the kitchen. There was also Xiaomei's voice shouting and screaming: "Oh my God, boss! What are you cooking today? It's so spicy!"

Even Luo Xiao was choked and coughed twice. I read the book for half an hour but didn't turn a few pages.

When it got dark, she heard Han Tuo's voice from the window: "Xiaomei, ask her to come down for dinner."

Luo Xiao walked down without waiting for anyone to call him. There was actually a table full of dishes in the yard. Luo Xiao was stunned when he saw the dishes: boiled pork slices, spicy hot pot, fried pork with chili peppers... It was all red, with only a plate of green vegetables and a plate of eggs, and no chili peppers.

No wonder I was so choked just now.

At this time, Han Tuo had already walked out with three bowls of rice, followed by Xiaomei who was jumping around behind him.

"Oh my god! Boss, are you going to have a big killing today? Why are you cooking it so spicy?" Xiaomei stuck out her tongue.

It was chilly at night, so Han Tuo put on a thin jacket and zipped it up, which made him look cool and upright. He glanced at Xiaomei and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Eat it if you want."

Xiaomei whimpered and sat down obediently.

He looked at Luo Xiao again: "Are you coming down to eat too? 10 yuan per person."

Luo Xiao smiled and replied: "Yeah, okay."

Xiaomei rolled her eyes.

The three of them sat down.

However, the atmosphere was more lively and cheerful than Luo Xiao had imagined. Xiaomei took out two bottles of local yogurt from the refrigerator and drank and ate them with Luo Xiao. He also talked about interesting things about the ancient city, with witty remarks that made Luo Xiao laugh frequently. Han Tuo dragged over half a box of beer and drank it slowly by himself. When he was happy, he would either make a few remarks to Xiaomei or criticize Luo Xiao. His casual, distant and unruly look was the most handsome scenery in the night.

Luo Xiao didn't dare to look at him for long.

She picked up the chopsticks and picked up another handful of eggs and vegetables.

As soon as I put it in the bowl, I suddenly felt two clear eyes looking at me.

She raised her eyes and met Han Tuo's. He looked at her inquiringly.

In an instant, Luo Xiao didn't know why, but he suddenly understood, as if he had been enlightened.

I'll cook you a delicious meal tonight to drive away the cold.

Boiled meat, stir-fried pork with peppers, spicy hot pot...

Boss, why are you cooking it so spicy today?

…

Her ID card shows her native place as HN Xiangxi.

It is said that this is a place where everyone loves spicy food.

…

Luo Xiao held the chopsticks tightly, and suddenly felt a little stuffy in his chest.

Their eyes still met, and the smile on her lips remained unchanged.

But he didn't know.

The ID card...is fake.

Luo Xiao was silent for a moment, smiled at him, and then picked up a piece of boiled pork slices with chopsticks and put it in the bowl.

After a while, I ordered spicy hotpot and stir-fried pork with peppers...

He was drinking, but he kept looking at her vaguely.

Luo Xiao's tears came out and her face quickly turned red. She pulled out a piece of paper, wiped her tears, picked up the yogurt and drank it all in one gulp. He looked up and saw Han Tuo and Xiaomei were staring at him.

She forced a smile and said, "It's delicious. It's just that I've been away from home for too long, so I'm not used to eating spicy food. But I like it very much."

She wanted to take another bite of the chili pepper, but Han Tuo said in a deep voice: "Xiaomei, give her a bowl of rice."

Luo Xiao was stunned. Xiaomei had already brought a bowl of clean rice over swiftly, replacing the red rice in her bowl that was soaked in chili peppers, and advised her: "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you can't eat spicy food? Are you afraid of offending our boss? It's okay, he doesn't care about his reputation..."

"You're the only one who talks too much!" Han Tuo stared at her and said, "Go, get another bottle of yogurt."

Xiaomei left, and they were the only two left in the courtyard. Han Tuo suddenly whispered, "What are you so angry about?"

Even though they had only known each other for two days, he seemed like the one who could read her mind.

Luo Xiao held back her tears, looked up at him and smiled: "No, I really, really like to eat."

Han Tuo then stopped talking. After a while, he drank the glass of wine in one gulp, looked at the clouds in the sky and smiled.

When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Luo Xiao and Xiao Mei went back to their rooms to sleep. Han Tuo was still in the courtyard, drinking slowly. When he raised his head, he could see a soft light that was always on in front of Luo Xiao's window.

In fact, he discovered it last night. The light in her room was on all night.

Are you afraid of the dark?

Also afraid of dogs.

Afraid of spicy food.

I was afraid of having any entanglement with this man I met by chance. But he walked back.

Being alone and hiding one's hometown only makes it more obvious.

It turned out that he really took in a homeless girl.

Where do guests come from?

Where are you going next?