It's raining heavily.
The sky was like a huge black hole, and the whole street was so quiet that only the sound of rain could be heard. Some inns had lights on, while others were dark. Luo Xiao held the umbrella and listened to the sound of rain hitting his head, as if someone was knocking on it.
She didn't know which inn to stay at.
This is a remote town on the YN border. Although there are ancient cities developing tourism, in today's tourism environment where "ancient cities are everywhere", this place is obviously not competitive and tourists are scarce.
This is also the reason why Luo Xiao chose this place. Quiet and remote. It seems as if a person could stay here forever.
Luo Xiao walked along the long stone street for a while and inadvertently caught a glimpse of the sign of an inn nearby.
"Gradually forget."
An old wooden sign with two simple words on it. The door has a dark green facade, with many green plants placed inside and the lights are winding and dim.
Luo Xiao seemed to be attracted by those two words. He closed his umbrella and stepped into the room.
A shoulder of wet rain.
The furnishings in the inn are also simple, elegant and clean. A foot-wide bridge and fish were built in the courtyard. Greenery is overflowing. A young girl sat behind the bar, playing on her phone. Seeing Luo Xiao coming in, he raised his head and smiled: "Hello."
Luo Xiao: "Hello, is there any room available?"
This is actually a polite question. In a small town like this, with so many inns and it’s not the peak season, there must be a lot of empty rooms.
The girl nodded: "Yes."
"How much per night?"
The girl replied: "Do you want a room with a sea view or not? A room with a sea view is 300 per night, and a room without a sea view is 150."
This place is located on a plateau, and the locals call the inland lake "the sea."
Luo Xiao thought for a moment and asked, "Can the one to see the sea be cheaper?"
Girl: "Minimum 280."
Luo Xiao's face turned slightly red: "Can it be cheaper?"
The girl didn't seem to be good at negotiating, and it was so late at night, and Luo Xiao was a girl with so little luggage, which made the girl feel a little sympathy for her. She said, "Wait a minute, I'll go ask the boss."
Only then did Luo Xiao notice that there was a door behind the bar. There was a light on inside and the faint sound of a TV could be heard.
"Germany! Penalty! It's a penalty..."
Football match.
After a while, the girl came out with a smile on her face: "Our boss is the most talkative. I told him about you, a girl, and he said that the lowest price for a room with a sea view is 220, and the lowest price for a room without a sea view is 120. This is already the lowest price. You won't find such a cheap room with a sea view even if you walk along this whole street. And our inn is well decorated. Do you want to go upstairs and take a look at the rooms?"
Luo Xiao believed that the situation in the room must not be too bad - from the courtyard and the appearance of the inn, she could tell the owner's taste, which was exactly what she liked.
But she was away from home for a long time and had to save every penny. Although she was a little embarrassed, she still pretended to be calm and said, "Little sister, look, it's already past 11 o'clock, and there won't be any other guests staying here. Your room is empty anyway. Let me stay for one night, and I can help you clean up the room myself tomorrow morning. Look, can you... let me stay in a room with a sea view? I'll pay the price of a room without a sea view, 120." She emphasized again, "Anyway, your room is empty tonight, right?"
The girl at the front desk stared at her with wide eyes.
At this moment, a voice came from behind her: "Xiaomei."
It was a deep but clear voice of a young man. The owner of the inn.
Xiaomei hurriedly ran into the inner room again.
After a while, Xiaomei came out with a strange look on her face. She looked at Luo Xiao a few more times and said, "Okay, give me your ID card. Room 201, with a sea view, 120 yuan. Deposit 100." She lowered her voice and said, "The boss agreed. He is so willful."
Luo Xiao couldn't help but laugh and said quickly: "Thank you!"
Xiaomei quickly checked her in and said, "I'll take you upstairs. There will be breakfast from 7 to 9 tomorrow morning. It's made by the boss himself and costs 10 yuan per person. Do you want some?"
Luo Xiao subconsciously said: "Yes."
Xiaomei walked out of the bar and led her to the stairs. Luo Xiao was carrying the only bag he had. When he turned around, he paused for a moment and said loudly to the door, "Thank you."
Inside the house, there was only the sound of the football game, which continued to ring out enthusiastically and quietly.
——
The room was just as Luo Xiao expected, simple yet elegant and clean. There was also a white porcelain vase on the bedside table, with an unknown flower in it, filling the whole room with a vague fragrance.
Luo Xiao has been traveling these days and now he finally has a temporary place to stay. He feels like all the bones in his body are falling apart. She drew aside the curtains and lay down on the bed. It was already dark and the rain had stopped. The sky and the sea were in chaos. There was no starlight, but the clear sound of the tides crashing against the rocks below the inn. As Luo Xiao watched, he felt a deep sense of emotion that slowly permeated his entire chest. This kind of touching feeling, this feeling of being gently soothed as a human being, may only be given by the boundless grandeur and loneliness of nature.
Gradually, she fell asleep peacefully.
——
When I woke up, it was just daybreak. The area around the inn was very quiet, with only the occasional chirping bird flying by. It was extremely cold in the morning. Luo Xiao put on his coat, but it still felt not enough, so he simply put on a sweater, and only then did he feel his body warm up.
Behind the inn is a small forest and a swamp, and beyond the swamp is the endless misty lake. Luo Xiao really wanted to go there for a walk, so he went downstairs alone.
The door of the inn was still closed and there was no one in the courtyard. I don’t know how many guests can come to this remote and secluded little inn in one night. Xiaomei was not seen either. She was probably still sleeping in her room. Luo Xiao walked out of the door on the other side of the courtyard and arrived at the woods.
There was a thin mist.
The soil under my feet was moist and soft, and it sank slightly. The air with the smell of water blows in your face, making you feel relaxed and happy. Luo Xiao did some stretching exercises and then walked slowly along the shoreline.
Birds flew overhead, but she heard the sound of the wind.
Looking up, I saw a man on the grass in the woods not far away.
Young, tall man. At first glance, all you see is his body. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of black slacks. Lean and strong, the muscles in his arms and abdomen are neat and beautiful, like a cover model. I couldn't see the face clearly, just a head of neat short hair.
He was lying on the ground, doing push-ups. One, two, three times... every movement was done with the wind. For a man like this, every inch of his body seemed to contain wild power.
It was the first time that 25-year-old Luo Xiao saw a man with such a good figure. I don't know why, but I was too embarrassed to stare at it for too long. Moreover, it was early in the morning, a man and a woman were alone in the woods, and such a man inexplicably gave her an extremely aggressive sense of presence. She turned around and tried to leave, but her foot stepped on a branch, making a crisp "crackling" sound.
The man seemed to notice it, paused, and raised his head in her direction.
Luo Xiao left quickly.
Luo Xiao didn't slow down until he was completely out of sight. I looked up and around, and found myself at the water's edge again. The surroundings were muddy and the shadows of the trees were swaying.
The originally quiet morning seemed to be no longer peaceful because of the appearance of that man. In fact, Luo Xiao knew in his heart that he was most likely the innkeeper from last night. He loves watching football, is good at speaking, has good taste, and is willful. But Luo Xiao never expected that he would be such a man.
She looked up to determine the direction, roughly estimated the location of the inn, and then walked forward.
The soil beneath her feet gradually became soft and the mist blurred the coastline, but she didn't notice.
After walking for a while, suddenly, someone grabbed her arm tightly. She was so scared that she almost lost her soul. Subconsciously, she struggled hard and wanted to run forward. But the man's arms were like iron clamps, and she couldn't escape at all. Then the next second, she was dunked into a sweaty chest.
She looked up and saw a strange face.
Neat hair and angular face. Eyes like deep pools. There was still a thin layer of sweat on the bridge of his nose. But at this moment, he had put on a white T-shirt, which was very soft, but this did not hinder his muscles and bones, which were still hot through a layer of cloth, and poked Luo Xiao's face. She was very tall, not even as tall as his shoulders.
Luo Xiao had never been hugged so forcefully by a man in her life, and her whole body froze. He lowered his head, looking around with a chill in his eyes.
"What do you want to do?"
"What do you want to do?"
They both said in unison, both of them were stunned.
Luo Xiao roared again: "Let me go!"
Han Tuo looked at her flushed face and finally let go of her hand, but his eyes were fixed on her actions.
"There's a swamp ahead. If you go in, you might not be able to get out." Han Tuo said, "So, what do you want to do? A woman came all the way here alone, and you want to go into this swamp?"
Luo Xiao was stunned for a moment before he realized, he thought he was going to commit suicide?
The wind blew through the branches and the fog dispersed a little. Some sunlight actually fell down. It shone on his tall figure and also on the ends of her soft hair. The two looked at each other quietly for a while, and Luo Xiao said: "Boss, I just... got lost. I thought the inn was in this direction."
Han Tuo looked at her carefully a few more times and found that she did not seem to be lying. He put his hands in his trouser pockets and said calmly: "My inn is not in the direction you think. Follow me."
Luo Xiao followed him quietly.
The weather between the high-altitude mountains and the sea is just weird. It was foggy the moment before, as if a heavy rain was about to come. The next moment the clouds were blown away by the wind, the sky gradually became clear, and the sunlight was as clear as if washed by water.
Luo Xiao raised his head and saw that the man's T-shirt on his back was wet with sweat, outlining the outline of his bones. He looked no more than thirty. What is the reason that makes such a tough man like a wolf run to this remote place to open a gentle and quiet inn called "Gradually Forgetful"?
As she was daydreaming about this, she gradually saw the inn in front of her.
Han Tuo suddenly stopped and said without looking back: "Don't go to the swamp alone in the future. Otherwise, your deposit will be deducted."
It was the first time that Luo Xiao heard an innkeeper use this reason to "threaten" guests.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Han Tuo continued to walk forward slowly. He took big steps, but when he heard the woman's footsteps behind him, he subconsciously slowed down his pace to allow her to follow closely.
After a while, Luo Xiao spoke up: "Don't worry, boss. If I really want to commit suicide one day, I will definitely choose a deserted place and won't cause trouble to anyone. It's even more impossible for me to die in the backyard of someone's inn."
——
When the two of them reached the gate of the courtyard, they immediately parted ways as if by tacit agreement. Luo Xiao turned the corner and went upstairs, whispering, "Thank you."
Han Tuo raised his eyes and glanced at her.
Although this woman was a little weird, she was polite and well-mannered, with fair skin and tender flesh, like a daughter raised in a good family.
Han Tuo turned and walked into the kitchen.
Xiaomei got up not long after, and when she smelled the fragrance from the kitchen, she rushed in. She was a distant relative of Han Tuo and always called him "cousin" in private. I followed him to open an inn just for fun. Who knew that she would end up with a local boyfriend and decided not to leave.
"Brother, what delicious food did you make?" Xiaomei rushed behind him and immediately started to make a fuss when she saw what was on the table. "My boss, why is today's breakfast so rich? Let me count, rice noodles, steamed buns, beef and eggs, and three cold dishes? If I remember correctly, there is one more guest in the inn today, so there are only three of us, right? What's wrong with you? The food is free?"
Han Tuo had already prepared breakfast. He washed his hands, sat down in the old rattan chair next to him, lit a cigarette, and said calmly, "Is it okay if I want to do it?"
Xiaomei blinked and moved closer to him: "Are you interested in that girl from yesterday?"
Han Tuo laughed: "What are you talking about?"
Xiaomei: "Then you promised her yesterday to stay in a sea view room for 120? Last time two men came and bargained down to 200 a night, but you refused? You also said that a stylish and exquisite shop like ours must maintain its prices, and poverty cannot change people, and wealth cannot corrupt people! Why did you make an exception last night?"
Han Tuo was stumped by this question and didn't say anything for a long time.
The smoke between the fingers rose slowly. He leaned back in the hard rattan chair and closed his eyes slightly.
How could I have agreed to that woman's unreasonable request last night?
It was raining so heavily at that time. He was so absorbed in watching the game that the beer bottles beside him fell to the ground.
Then I heard very quiet footsteps outside the door. It was so soft, yet he heard it.
She asked, is there any room left?
At first Han Tuo didn't take it seriously until he heard the sound of her and Xiaomei bargaining. Then he heard her pleading again: "I can clean the room myself tomorrow morning... Let me stay in a room with a sea view. I'll pay the price of a room without a sea view... Anyway, you guys are going to leave it empty anyway..."
Her voice was different from other women's, low, soft and a little hoarse. It seems a little tired, but it is actually very pleasant to the ear, with a bit of humility and a bit of stubbornness.
At this time, Xiaomei had already come to a conclusion: "Humph, it must be because she is pretty. Boss, you are blinded by lust, this is not good, not good!"
Han Tuo smiled and said subconsciously: "No, it's because her voice is nice."
Xiaomei: “Huh?” Think about it, is it really true? At that time, Boss Han had indeed not seen the other person's face.
Xiaomei sighed and said, "Boss, I didn't expect that you, who have always been pure and unselfish, are actually a voice control!"
Han Tuo took a puff of his cigarette. He was originally from BJ, and when he was with people he knew, he would always speak in a greasy tone. He smiled faintly and said, "I can control whatever I want, what's it to you?"
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