“Our previous collaboration on the bonfire festival between our guesthouses was quite successful,” He Liang said. “It really contributed to driving tourism in town.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded.
He Liang had already stood up to leave, but continued rambling on.
“We can definitely keep up this kind of collaboration in the future,” He Liang said. “Working together is the only way everyone makes more money.”
“Boss He makes a lot of sense,” Chen Jian continued nodding, slowly edging toward the side door. Even while trying his best to usher the guest out, he didn’t forget to slide in a talking point: “We feel the same way. We aren’t merely competitors; more importantly, we’re partners…”
These words were lifted straight from Shan Yu’s “essay”: guesthouses in town shouldn’t be locked in simple cutthroat competition; changing the mindset of only chasing immediate gains and becoming partners was the only path to mutual win-win…
“Exactly, exactly!” He Liang nodded, finally reaching the threshold.
Chen Jian pulled the door wide open. The sudden blast of freezing wind slapped He Liang right in the face, prompting him to finally deliver his closing remarks: “We’ll discuss the details over dinner tomorrow.”
“Sounds great,” Chen Jian smiled. “I’ll see you out.”
“No need, no need,” He Liang said. “It’s just a few steps, don’t bother.”
Having sent He Liang off, Chen Jian returned to the ground floor. The staff had already wrapped up their performances and were clustered around the front desk.
“Are you guys having dinner with the inner guesthouses tomorrow?” Chen Erhu asked.
“Yeah,” Chen Jian acknowledged. “Over at Liangye.”
“Then do we host President Liu and Professor Shan for dinner?” Sanbing asked, looking worried. “What if our hospitality falls short?”
“If it falls short, it falls short,” Chen Jian said. “I don’t think they’d care…”
“After all, none of us have seen much of the world, while they frequent high-end establishments,” Lao Wu remarked with a sigh. “No matter how well we do, it probably won’t measure up in their eyes.”
“Don’t go deflating our own morale!” Lao Si bellowed in his coarse voice.
“It’s ‘prestige,'” Chen Erhu corrected.
“Right, our prestige is immense!” Lao Si declared.
“The idiom is ‘praising others’ morale while deflating your own prestige’!” Chen Erhu glared at him.
“Oh.” Lao Si nodded, slamming a fist onto the front desk counter. “So our morale cannot be deflated!”
Chen Erhu fell silent.
“Didn’t you say you were visiting your grandma’s place when you got back? You took today off,” Sanbing said. “Go on home.”
“Dinner’s about to be served,” Lao Si said.
“All for a single meal…” Lao Wu shook his head.
“If you’re not here for the food, why don’t you go home!” Lao Si fired back.
“I’m genuinely not here for the food—I just want to stay at the guesthouse!” Lao Wu retorted.
“You don’t have a cent to your name; where else could you stay if not here!” Lao Si yelled.
“Say one more word!” Lao Wu’s eyes widened with fury.
“One word! One word, one word! Two words, three words!” Lao Si raised his volume right back.
“Good grief.” Hu Pan propped her elbows on the desk, massaging her temples. “I can’t take this.”
“Two idiots debating over mealtime,” Sun Nana commented.
“Take your bickering outside,” Chen Erhu’s voice dropped cold.
Lao Si and Lao Wu immediately turned on their heels and walked out together.
“Did they head upstairs?” Chen Jian glanced around, not seeing Shan Yu’s family anywhere.
“Yeah, went up a little while ago,” Hu Pan nodded. “On a tour. We actually have quite a few things to show off around here—the library, the gym, the viewing terrace, the boss’s office…”
“Oh,” Chen Jian responded.
Everything else was fine.
They’re touring the boss’s office too?
It was only natural; parents would obviously want to see their son’s office.
Liu Wu was even staying in the office bedroom… The bedroom!
Chen Jian felt his pupils constrict violently in that split second.
“I’ll go check on them,” he said, breaking into a brisk march toward the stairs.
“Dinner’s almost ready, let them know they can come down,” Sun Nana called after him.
“Got it,” Chen Jian replied.
He had no idea whether Shan Yu had tidied up the bedroom.
Given Shan Yu’s “if someone has to die, better you than me” personality, it was completely up in the air.
The nightstand, the nightstand, the nightstand…
The boss might genuinely not give a damn, but the store manager certainly did.
It’d be dead Chen Jian, not dead Shan Yu!
Chen Jian bolted up to the fourth floor like a whirlwind. On every landing, he pricked up his ears for any sound, but heard nothing. It wasn’t until he reached the top flight that he suddenly caught Professor Shan’s voice: “This terrace is actually a sunroom…”
Chen Jian slammed the brakes, flattening himself against the wall by the stairwell, straining to listen.
“Works great in cold weather; guests love sunbathing here.” Shan Yu’s voice gradually faded, sounding as if he had stepped out onto the terrace.
After a moment, all their voices drifted outside.
Maintaining a composed pace, Chen Jian unhurriedly took the final step onto the floor and peeked down the hall. Clear. They were all inside the sunroom.
Only then did he break into a frantic sprint straight for Shan Yu’s office.
The office door was ajar as usual.
He pushed it open and dashed straight into the open bedroom.
His very first glance darted to the nightstand—sure enough!
Everything was sitting exactly as it had been left.
He rushed over, yanked open the nightstand drawer, and swept everything on top straight into it with one swift swipe.
He let out a huge breath of relief.
Exiting the bedroom, he pulled the door shut behind him.
Just as he was about to slip out of the office, voices echoed down the hallway.
Is that viewing terrace really that tiny?
Not even enough to keep you occupied for two minutes?
Why are you coming right back out after taking a single lap?
Stepping out now meant bumping straight into them, which would look rather awkward.
What is a store manager doing loitering in the boss’s office for no apparent reason?
More importantly, the boss wasn’t even in here.
Hide? There was barely any space in this office; hiding a full-grown adult was out of the question.
Pretend to feed Erge?
Chen Jian quickly moved in front of Erge’s terrarium, but hesitated just as he reached for the container of mealworms. Voices were clearly audible from the hallway—would he really still be casually standing here feeding a pet when he clearly heard his boss approaching?
Too fake.
Freezing for two seconds, he turned around and marched toward the door. To hell with it.
Why act like a guilty thief while everyone else was laughing?
Why make it so awkward?
Taking two long strides to the door, it was pushed open from the outside, and Shan Yu stepped in.
Chen Jian froze instantly in his tracks.
“Looking for me?” Shan Yu looked visibly surprised, but his tone remained remarkably casual and natural.
“Yeah,” Chen Jian responded, glancing at President Liu walking in right behind him. “Auntie Liu, how was the tour?”
“Very nice,” President Liu smiled. “You’re usually the one managing this place, right? Shan Yu has no idea about most of it; whenever we ask him anything, he hasn’t got a clue.”
“That’s normal,” Chen Jian replied without missing a beat. “When guests ask, he gives the exact same answer.”
President Liu shot Shan Yu an amused look.
Wait—that wasn’t right.
Shouldn’t undercut the boss.
“Though he handles all the big decisions,” Chen Jian quickly added. “The bonfire festival, and the municipal culture and tourism team’s visit—none of it would have happened without him. If it were just us dealing with the other guesthouses stirring up trouble… or collaborating, we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.”
Shan Yu smiled faintly.
“That’s true,” Liu Wu’s mother nodded in agreement. “That sharp scheming and quick mind—he gets every bit of it from his mother.”
“Did you buy another gecko?” President Liu walked over to Erge’s terrarium.
“Chen Jian gave it to me,” Shan Yu said.
“Looks a lot like your old one,” President Liu bent down to look. “Just a bit smaller.”
“Is that the one Xiao Wu managed to raise to death?” Liu Wu’s mother walked over to look as well. “Ah, truly. This one is quite cute too.”
“These two windows give a full view of the front courtyard, don’t they?” Professor Shan stood by the glass, peering downward.
“Yeah, I often stand here and watch,” Shan Yu said.
“Just like your high school homeroom teacher,” Professor Shan remarked.
Shan Yu clicked his tongue.
“Then keep Uncle and Auntie company on their tour, I’ll head down first,” Chen Jian told Shan Yu. “Lunch is ready, come down whenever you’re finished.”
“Let’s all head down together,” Liu Wu’s mother suggested. “We’ve seen pretty much everything. It’s bad manners to keep milling around someone else’s office.”
“Your son isn’t just milling around; he’s sleeping here,” President Liu noted.
“That room is the bedroom, right?” Liu Wu’s mother pointed toward the closed door.
“Right,” Shan Yu answered, casting a glance in that direction, then back toward Chen Jian, a subtle smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
Smirk all you want. Like you have anything to laugh about!
Taking the stairs down, Shan Yu skipped the elevator and walked side-by-side with Chen Jian.
“Do you have any idea what was sitting on your nightstand?” Chen Jian asked in a hushed whisper.
“I know,” Shan Yu said.
“And you still brought people into the office?” Chen Jian glared at him.
“They wouldn’t have gone in,” Shan Yu said.
“You left the door wide open! Who needs to walk in when you can see everything standing right at the threshold?!” Chen Jian hissed.
“Did I leave it open?” Shan Yu pondered for a second. “I could have sworn I shut it.”
“It was open!” Chen Jian whisper-yelled.
Shan Yu burst out laughing, slinging an arm around Chen Jian’s shoulder and giving it a gentle shake: “Ah, and here I thought you were just an extra in the crowd. Thank goodness for our store manager—meticulous to the finest hair.”
“Stop with the flattering brown-nosing,” Chen Jian grumbled.
“Look at you using such refined vocabulary,” Shan Yu teased with a laugh.
Lunch was entirely low-stress: a casual, easygoing meal featuring dumplings, a massive platter of dressed cold vegetables, and sliced braised beef.
With everyone already acquainted, Shan Yu’s family showed zero airs. Hu Pan and Sun Nana were absolute lifesavers—one endlessly chatty, the other effortlessly commanding the room. Add in the motor-mouthed Liu Wu, and Sanbing—who felt compelled to aggressively catch up because Liu Wu was talking too much—and lunch proceeded breezy and relaxed.
After eating, everyone dispersed to their rooms. Liu Wu’s mother had the habit of taking an afternoon nap; even though the hour was late, she still wanted to rest for a bit.
Professor Shan wanted to fish, President Liu wanted to spectate the inevitable blank, and Liu Wu’s father actually wanted to stroll through the village with Chef Chen, having heard him mention that locals sold wild mountain produce.
“Should I accompany Professor Shan while he fishes?” Chen Jian asked.
“Help him scout a fishing spot,” Shan Yu said. “Since I’m the one who ‘doesn’t have a clue,’ after all.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded, then glanced at him. “Are you coming?”
“Duh,” Shan Yu said. “If I don’t go, I’m worried you’ll faint before you even hit the riverbank. My dad is a frail scholar who can barely locate his own shoes; he couldn’t carry you back.”
Chen Jian laughed: “Hardly. I’m completely used to it now.”
“Then I won’t go,” Shan Yu said.
“Don’t fool around,” Chen Jian said. “I can’t take jokes right now.”
Shan Yu laughed for ages.
Chen Jian’s dad took Liu Wu’s father, setting off on Chen Jian’s motorcycle toward the village.
Shan Yu drove the car, taking President Liu and Professor Shan to the river. For fishing, they couldn’t go to the stretch by the barbecue grounds; they had to drive along the levee toward the woods on the far side of the village.
As they neared the spot, Shan Yu’s phone rang.
Lu Yun’s dogs had arrived.
“I’ll go pick them up in a bit,” Shan Yu glanced at Chen Jian in the passenger seat, “and head right back over.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian answered calmly, though he still made a slight attempt to resist: “Do you know the way? If not, I can go pick them up.”
“I know the way,” Shan Yu said.
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
Reaching their destination, everyone got out. To make it a quick turnaround, Shan Yu didn’t even step out of the car, pulling a U-turn on the spot and driving away.
Chen Jian picked up Professor Shan’s tackle bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“I’ll carry it myself,” Professor Shan said.
“It’s fine,” Chen Jian said. “The path is rough.”
“I go down to riverbanks sometimes too…” Before Professor Shan could finish, his foot landed on a rounded stone, slipping slightly. He looked down at his footing: “Alright. Thank you for your trouble.”
“Just up ahead by the edge of the woods,” Chen Jian suppressed a smile. “There’s an eddy pool with plenty of fish. Xiao Dou’er’s grandfather fishes there all the time, and tosses feed in whenever he’s free.”
“The scenery around here really is wonderful,” President Liu looked around. “Did Xiao Chen grow up here?”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded. “Only moved to the city when I started middle school.”
“The other youngsters at the guesthouse are all locals too, right?” President Liu asked.
“Except for the two girls, Chen Erhu, Sanbing, and the rest are all from our village,” Chen Jian smiled.
“None of them thought about heading out to work?” President Liu asked.
Reaching the spot, Chen Jian set the tackle bag down and rolled a large, flat boulder over to the water’s edge for Professor Shan to sit on.
“In my case… circumstances didn’t allow for it,” Chen Jian said, returning to stand beside President Liu. “As for them… if Shan Yu hadn’t come along, they’d probably still be idling around town as petty troublemakers.”
“Is that so?” President Liu nodded thoughtfully.
“Every one of them respects Shan Yu, and only Shan Yu was willing to give them a chance,” Chen Jian said. “Not just them—the other guesthouse bosses further inside respect him too, though a different kind of respect.”
“How so?” President Liu asked with a smile.
“Chen Erhu and his crew admire him,” Chen Jian thought about it. “The other bosses were beaten into submission.”
“Beaten?” President Liu raised an eyebrow.
“Not physically beaten,” Chen Jian clarified hurriedly, gesturing with his hands. “It’s a metaphor.”
Chen Erhu’s crew were the ones who actually got beaten.
“Understood,” President Liu laughed, a note of emotion coloring her voice. “I honestly didn’t expect… he’d build something this solid and respectable out here.”
“Extremely solid,” Chen Jian agreed.
“Did he really never hit anyone?” President Liu asked. “Doesn’t sound like his style.”
Was this something he was allowed to talk about?
Chen Jian glanced at President Liu; she didn’t seem to hold any major issue with Shan Yu fighting.
“Well…” Chen Jian hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “He did.”
“I knew it,” Professor Shan spoke up from his rock, baiting his hook. “With his temper, why bother talking someone down when you can beat them into submission?”
“Beating them into submission is more efficient,” President Liu noted.
Isn’t this taking family bias a bit too far…? It’s street brawling! He landed in the police station and hospital countlessly because of fighting, President Liu.
“Though he doesn’t fight anymore,” Chen Jian added.
“The things he’s dealing with now aren’t problems you can solve with fists anyway,” President Liu smiled. “Different situations call for different methods.”
“Mm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Hush for a moment, both of you,” Professor Shan raised a hand to signal them. “I feel fish coming.”
“If we really stay quiet, you won’t have an excuse when you fail to catch anything,” President Liu said.
“There’s a fish farm owner in the village,” Chen Jian offered. “If you really don’t catch anything, we can buy some from him…”
“Hm?” Professor Shan turned his head to glare at him.
“How did you know about that?” President Liu burst out laughing instantly. “Did Shan Yu tell you?”
“No, what?” Chen Jian was bewildered. “I just meant if you want to eat fresh fish, we can buy it there.”
“Come, let’s walk,” President Liu patted his arm. “Let’s give him some space. Buying fish is something he has to do behind people’s backs.”
Following President Liu about twenty meters away, it finally clicked: “Oh!”
“Catch on now?” President Liu said.
“…Understood.” Chen Jian laughed. “He should be able to catch something here. Even I caught a fish here once, and that was the only time I’ve ever fished in my life…”
“Whatever you do, don’t mention that to him,” President Liu waved a hand with a chuckle.
The two strolled along the dirt trail bordering the levee. President Liu fell silent, and Chen Jian couldn’t immediately come up with a topic.
He was never a man of many words; coming up with small talk was an uphill battle. Around people he didn’t know well, he spent most of his time in silence. The few exchanges with President Liu just now had all been initiated by her.
Now that President Liu wasn’t speaking, he ran out of things to say.
“Xiao Chen,” President Liu finally spoke up again, “Auntie really ought to thank you.”
Chen Jian had no idea how to respond.
“Ah?” he murmured.
President Liu looked back at him, saying nothing more, offering only a gentle smile.
