After coming downstairs, Ling and Er Xi noticed that it was one of the customers seriously reprimanding one of the servants. Things like this had been frequent in recent days since the influx of young teenagers trooping in to Weixen kept rising.
"You are the madam, good thing you are here," the customer reprimanding the servant said as he saw Er Xi, Ling, and Yan walk down. He was a teenager, either fifteen or sixteen, handsome looking and had this air of superiority around him. Beside him was a very cute girl with fair skin that no man would like to stop looking at. The teenage boy's name was Li Baoxing and the female with him was Bai Qiu Qui.
"What sort of servant do you guys keep here? Is that how the top inn in Weixen is run?" The teenager Li Baoxing immediately turned at Er Xi.
"We are sorry for our inability and our servant's clumsiness. Please, can you pardon us this once?" Er Xi said, bowing her head.
"Pardon? Just like that?" Baoxing said, raising his voice.
"What do you want us to do to make it up to you?" Er Xi said, reading in between the lines of the teenager's last words.
"The servant should grovel at my feet, then kowtow three times," Baoxing said.
Hearing this, Er Xi's expression turned bad, but then she knew what it feels like running a business. To her, letting a servant do something like this just to please the customer is not inconceivable. She can sacrifice a lot just for her young master little inn the empire.
Er Xi turned to look at the servant, who immediately understood the look and came forward. "Sorry," Er Xi said to the servant.
"I understand, ma'am," the servant said as he fell on his knees to grovel at Baoxing's feet.
"Stand up," Ling said, not knowing what the servant did, but thinking this is too much. He really hates people being oppressed or anything similar.
"And who are you?" Baoxing, who heard Ling order the servant to stand up, immediately asked the servant who kneeled.
"It doesn't matter. I just think him groveling at your feet and kowtowing is too much. He spilled drink on her dress by mistake. If you are not okay with being compensated with monetary terms, then you might as well spill the drink back on him," Ling said as he helped the servant back to his feet. He had used the bit of time being downstairs to ask what happened. According to the information he got, which he couldn't say if it was right, another teenager standing just away from the two tripped the servant into spilling drink on the girl. Well, even if the info was wrong, it is not like he cares. Groveling and kowtowing is just too much.
Baoxing, seeing Ling help the servant up, looked at Er Xi. To him, Er Xi is the madam and has the final say.
"Sorry, young sir. He is my young master, the inn owner. His decision is infinite," Er Xi said, no matter who you are, she totally doesn't give a damn when it is Ling's orders.
Hearing her, Baoxing was seemingly shocked. Even Bai Qui Qui got a different look in her eyes. In Baoxing case, he was surprised someone as young as Ling owned such an inn. He couldn't help imagining he must have come from a big family he wouldn't like to find trouble with. As for Qui Qui, she just thinks this is interesting. Her family might not be that great in the Bai Tribe, but at least they don't lose out to many either.
"Since you are the inn owner, I will give you face. We should leave the case settled. I doubt Qui Qui is the type that likes making issues out of small things," Baoxing said. He had actually been trying to impress Qui Qui, but now he just thought it won't be a great option going against whoever Ling's family is. Who would have told him it was Ling all alone?
Yan actually felt like laughing but covered her mouth to stop the laughter. She could guess a little of what is happening. "He is really a good person," Yan said as she looked at Ling. She had actually been noticing how good Ling mostly treats others. While looking at Ling, for the first time, the image of the boy from years back seems to overlap with the current. The servant that stood up back from the floor was like her, and the young master that has come right that time was like Ling. She tried pushing away the thought, but then the image overlapped more and more.What if I have stayed ten months with him just being before me without me recognizing him? No, it can't be real. I have not seen him with the neck pendant. I would have spotted the neck pendant. Yeah, it is possible he decided to stop wearing it, but then the neck pendant seems like a family heirloom. He should have been keeping it close enough for me to see," Yan said. She was totally not following what was happening anymore but now totally looking at Ling.
"Thank you for giving me face. You will always be welcome to Lan inn and also sorry for the drink spill, Miss," Ling said, trying to round up everything.
"Okay," Qui Qui said.
"Sure, sure," Baoxing said. He totally has changed from his actions. He is now humbled of the fact of a teenager not older than him owning so much.
"Aunty Er Xi, now that everything is settled, I will be going out," Ling said.
"Okay, young master," Er Xi said. She is proud of moments like these.
"Can I follow you?" Yan, who has snapped back to her senses immediately, said. She hasn't paid attention to Ling or watched him much, but with what she noticed now, she might as well pay close attention to know if it is him. She barely has two months remaining before she will leave.
"Okay," Ling said. He totally thinks nothing of it. He knew of Er Xi's hard work to match him up with Yan, but he has never cared. Even though he has always tried to act right and behave like he is never worried, he has always had a lot in his head.
Outside the inn, Ling continued walking around. It has become a habit. One reason he likes walking out is to feel closer with the world situation and familiarize himself with human nature. He has used five years in Weixen now to watch humans.
Seeing they were totally directionless after being out for a long time, Yan, who has been taking her time to see if she will see the pendant, finally spoke up.
"Wait, so all these days you have been going out in the last ten months is just for aimless strolling?" Yan said.
"It is not, but you can say that too," Ling said as he kept walking.
"Hmmmm, why do you always come out?" Yan asked.
"I want to see humans, see their struggles, see the rise and fall. It is really fun watching as a bystander. It is really fun seeing how feeble they are, how ruthless they can be, and a lot more," Ling said with a bright smile.
Hearing this, Yan immediately saw him in a new light. Even though he was putting on a bright smile, Yan could still notice the large burden that seems to be in his heart with every word.
"You know I always thought you are living the best life," Yan said.
"You do," Ling said, still trying to maintain his smile. He has really been forcing a lot down to look cheerful since, according to Er Xi, it was what his father asked for before his death.
"You are broken," Yan said.
"Guess my act is not perfect then. I should act better. Thanks for pointing that out," Ling said while still maintaining his smile.
"Why do you have to bear all the pain alone? You know you got Aunty Er Xi," Yan said.
"Aunty Er Xi? She has a lot to worry about. You know it was never easy for her. If I can't do the least of looking cheerful, she might break down," Ling said, nothing but the truth.
"I am not business-inclined and can't help her run the inn. I don't have any scheming talent to help her against opposition either. I only have my looking cheerful talent, which you have helped me notice is not even perfect," Ling continued.
"Being good is a talent too. You are good," Yan said.
"Who does being good help?" Ling said before bursting into wild laughter.
"Me, it helped me. You know somewhere down that street I was being beaten some years back. A boy came and stopped them. To him it might be a little act but it means the whole world to me. Actually, that was the first time Someone who wasn't my mom treated me better," Yan said.
Hearing that, Ling could only say "Oh." Maybe he had such a memory. He turned to look at Yan as a smile appeared on his face. Was this the girl from years back? It was really good to see that she survived and is now doing better. "The dude must have been a good person," Ling said.
Hearing him, Yan felt a bit down. She had brought that up to probe if Ling was the guy, but then Ling's answer had not helped with anything.
"Let's head back," Ling said as he started going back.
"I might not be able to ever find him," Er Xi said within herself, feeling a bit sad as she followed Ling.