Chapter 24: The New Guest.
The next morning, Lu Yusheng was awakened by the sound of rain.
She glanced out the window and realized that the rain was unusually heavy, unlike the light drizzle commonly seen in Jiangnan.
Although he had already left behind his status as an early bird, Lu Yusheng, driven by his passion for his current entrepreneurial life, struggled to get up even on a rainy day when sleeping in was perfectly acceptable.
As you descend the stairs from the second floor, the sound of water droplets hitting the ground becomes increasingly clear.
When she opened the shop door, she couldn't help but click her tongue.
The rain was so heavy that she wanted to call out to Er Yuehong to come and beg for medicine.
Large raindrops pounded like bullets into the small puddles that had already formed on the ground. Lu Yusheng stepped out onto the eaves and gently reached out to catch them.
Even though the raindrops hitting her hand didn't feel as loud as when they fell, the sensation was still very clear.
This is clearly not good weather for traveling. Is it possible that random guests will appear?
With a glimmer of hope, she quickly tidied herself up and then squatted behind the bar to wait.
The system seemed to have just woken up as well, and looking at the empty shop from her perspective, it unconsciously sighed, "Do you really have a talent for business?"
Since it wasn't a real person, it said whatever came to mind without any hesitation, which made Lu Yusheng feel a little uncomfortable.
She scoffed, "What are you talking about! You watch me, I'll stop the next person who walks through this door, whether they're a person or a ghost."
As they were talking, they saw Hua Manlou slowly walking down from upstairs.
Although he is blind, his daily life is no different from that of an ordinary person. His movements are neither hurried nor slow, yet there is no sense of disjointedness.
Similarly, he also has his own way of telling time, but he is inevitably affected by such a sudden downpour.
Of course, compared to these minor effects, the shock to our understanding yesterday was clearly the real culprit.
During the day, things were fine; Lu Yusheng would chat with him and interrupt, so he didn't investigate further.
But when he fell asleep at night, the various outrageous stories he had heard during the day would unconsciously float into Hua Manlou's mind.
Sound has a greater impact than reading text and is easier to remember, especially for someone like him whose life was originally quite 'ordinary'.
How did a young lady from a high-ranking official's family, who had killed countless people yet remained innocent and carefree, become both the top assassin and a princess who had been separated from her family for generations, eventually join a cultivation sect and fall into a tragic love affair with the most handsome man in the Three Realms, the holy son of the demon race?
He tried to figure out the logic behind it, but it was clearly not easy.
The moment Lu Yusheng saw him, she glanced at the time. Even though she had deliberately gotten up early today, Hua Manlou was still about ten minutes later than usual when he came down.
"Good morning," she greeted him proactively.
Hua Manlou responded politely. Seeing the other person's slightly tired expression, she suddenly remembered the exhilarating novel they had listened to together after dinner the day before.
She had only clicked on it because she was afraid he would be bored, but unexpectedly, she herself became curious and the two of them listened to the whole thing together.
From the perspective of some traditional "contemporary people," that content might be a bit ahead of its time.
Just as she was about to offer some words of comfort, she caught a glimpse of a handsome, scholarly-looking man walking in.
Although the young scholar was dressed plainly, he exuded an air of nobility. Not only was he handsome, but his eyes were also full of smiles, making people feel close to him at first glance.
Before Dai Luyu could speak, the young man cupped his hands and said very politely, "I am traveling and have come here. The road is slippery due to the rain and it is really inconvenient to walk. May I trouble you for a while and borrow this place to take shelter from the rain?"
His appearance naturally evokes a favorable impression, and since Lu Yusheng opened the door to do business, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
So he immediately agreed and invited the person in.
The scholar thanked him and entered. However, he had been delayed by the rain and was now soaked to the bone. His wet footprints were barely visible on the clean floor, but fortunately, they were not very clear on the marble floor, otherwise he would have been in a very embarrassing situation.
Seeing the other person's soaked clothes, Lu Yusheng quickly invited him to sit down first, while he ran back upstairs to find a clean towel.
While she was away, Duan Yu sat in his chair and subconsciously looked around at his surroundings.
I didn't observe carefully when it was raining, but I vaguely remember that this building didn't look like a private residence from the outside. Now that I see there are many tables and chairs here, as well as the bar where Lu Yusheng was sitting earlier, the various furnishings are somewhat similar to an inn.
If it really is an inn, perhaps I can stay here for one night.
As Duan Yu was thinking this, he noticed another young man in the room out of the corner of his eye.
The young man was handsome and had a gentle demeanor. He was currently serving himself a tea set. Although he seemed to be behaving normally at first glance, the man had a strange feeling that there was something about him that was hard to explain.
Just then, the person seemed to notice his gaze lingering on him, turned around and nodded.
It was this very moment that made him discover the anomaly.
Although the other person acted normally, their eyes were somewhat lifeless, suggesting they might be blind.
Such a fine young man, Duan Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of regret in his eyes.
Just as he was feeling distressed, Lu Yusheng came down with a pure white towel.
"Quickly dry yourself off, be careful not to catch a cold."
"Thank you, young lady, thank you, young lady." Duan Yu thanked her repeatedly and accepted the towel, carefully wiping the water off his body. He didn't have any internal energy to protect him, so it was only right that he was cautious.
While he was wiping, Lu Yusheng poured him a cup of hot tea from the teapot and placed it in front of him.
As Duan Yu wrung out the soaking towel, he politely asked the two men, "Is this an inn?"
Although he saw Lu Yusheng and Hua Manlou there when he arrived, judging from the girl's natural hospitality, she must be the true owner of this place.
Sure enough, before the man could react, the girl replied with a conflicted expression, "No... this is an internet cafe."
Just as Lu Yusheng had guessed, the other person's expression gradually turned puzzled when they heard the word "internet cafe".
This was rather difficult to explain clearly, so she didn't elaborate further and instead asked, "Does the young master need a room at an inn?"
Duan Yu also successfully shifted his attention because of her question.
Actually, it's still early. If you're in a hurry, you can wait for the rain to stop before you leave.
However, he had no burdens while traveling through the mountains and rivers, and the innkeeper had treated him so politely. Moreover, this place was sparsely populated and probably didn't have much business. So he thought he would stay for one night and give the innkeeper more money to express his gratitude.
But since this wasn't an inn, he decided not to bother them any longer and promptly dismissed their question.
Lu Yusheng, however, did not want to give up easily and instinctively began to solicit business: "What kind of games does the young master like to play?"
Guests are always welcome.
Duan Yu was taken aback when he heard this, seemingly not understanding why he was suddenly asked this question.
Hua Manlou was also drinking tea without saying a word. The water in the pot was hot boiled water that Lu Yusheng had filled for him from the water dispenser, and the tea leaves were brought by his servant a couple of days ago. The combination of the two made for a unique flavor.
"What game is the girl referring to?"
Duan Yu's mind flashed through words like Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and Touhu (pitch-pot), but he inexplicably felt that this was not the answer she wanted, so he finally took the initiative to ask.
"It's just... what I like to do to pass the time."
Lu Yusheng observed that he was dressed like a scholar and pondered what kind of entertainment this kind of person would be interested in. After thinking for a while, an idea suddenly popped into his head, and he immediately asked, "Does the young master know how to play Go?"
"Of course, you also know chess, young lady?" Duan Yu was somewhat surprised, but also delighted.
He was born into the royal family of Dali, and his father was the Prince of Zhennan. He received the best education from a young age, so he was naturally very proficient in chess and painting.
Hearing her mention her area of expertise immediately piqued his interest.
No, not at all.
Lu Yusheng was a little embarrassed: "I've only ever heard of things like 'brilliant move,' 'ordinary move,' and 'a master of Go'..."
“But—” she paused, then continued, “I have an opponent here whom you absolutely cannot beat.”
Upon hearing this, Duan Yu subconsciously looked at the other person present and said with a hint of suspicion, "Could it be that the young lady is referring to this gentleman? But he isn't..."
Fearing he might offend the other person, he kept his words brief and to the point.
Unexpectedly, Lu Yusheng was the first to panic: "Hey, you!"
But she quickly realized that she had misspoke, and apologized to Hua Manlou, then coughed lightly and turned her head back to Duan Yu.
"I'm not talking about Young Master Hua, of course. To be precise, the opponent I'm introducing to you can't even be called a human being."
Upon hearing this, Duan Yu's doubts deepened: "Could it be some kind of ancient incomplete puzzle?"
If the player who left behind this chessboard is no longer alive, then it would be in accordance with her statement that "one cannot be called a person."
Unexpectedly, Lu Yusheng shook his head once again.
"It's not some kind of endgame puzzle; it's like playing against a real person in real time. If I had to name it... it should be 'algorithm'."
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