```
On the way back to the inn, the attendant was chatting with Xiao Xiao, on and off.
"Ha, there sure are a lot of people in the city, huh?"
"The buildings are really tall."
"Watch your step!"
"Little girl, you sure can walk."
Some clumsiness, coupled with the awkwardness, only served to show sincerity.
Finally, Xiao Xiao replied, "Thank you, you're pretty good at walking too."
"Ha, ha!" the attendant happily said, "I've never strolled down the street with a girl as pretty as you before. No, I've never strolled down the street with a girl at all..."
"We're not strolling, we're heading back to the inn."
"I've never gone back to an inn with a girl either!"
"..."
Xiao Xiao, carrying a bolt of fabric, kept her head down and watched the road, no longer speaking.
The attendant had no choice but to look left and right, pretending as if nothing was wrong and that the atmosphere wasn't awkward.
...
