In the morning, Chen Jian felt like laughing every time he saw Lao Wu. Fortunately, Lao Wu was in charge of cleaning the courtyard today, constantly sweeping and wiping tables and chairs outside.
Today, there were still many guests. Some tourists who had come just for the bonfire festival checked out, but new ones continued to check in. Thankfully, Aunt Huang had arrived, otherwise there would have been no one to clean the rooms.
“In a while, have Erhu drive to get the bedding back, and by the way, take the ones from these two days to be washed,” Chen Jian instructed Sun Nana at the front desk. “How’s the room situation now?”
“It’s okay. The first and second floors are almost full, and there are still empty rooms on the third and fourth floors. The reservations are also not full yet,” Sun Nana said, one hand on the desk, the other holding a pen. She pointed to the computer screen for him, then twirled a lock of hair from behind her ear with the pen twice before putting it back.
“Has anyone asked about 306?” Chen Jian asked.
Business was good now, and he was most worried about that “haunted house.”
“No,” Sun Nana, who already knew about 306’s situation, said calmly. “Don’t worry.”
Shan Yu came downstairs. Everyone was quite busy at noon. Although lunch was takeout, Chen Jian hadn’t had a chance to bring it upstairs for him. He could ignore the business, but he still had to come down to eat his meal.
As Chen Jian was unpacking the takeout bag, Sanbing came over. “Manager.”
“Hmm?” Chen Jian replied.
“In a while, when Brother Erhu goes to deliver the bedding, have him take Mushroom out for a vaccination by the way,” Sanbing said in a low voice.
“Can he handle it?” Chen Jian asked. “Actually, we don’t need to go to the old town. We can get it done at the veterinary station in the new village… Why did you suddenly think of this?”
“Don’t you know Mushroom bit Shan Yu?” Sanbing said.
What the hell?
Chen Jian looked at Sanbing in shock.
“It bit him on the neck. Fortunately, it didn’t break the skin,” Sanbing added.
Chen Jiali, listen to what you’re saying!
“Mushroom only reaches his calf when he stands up. How could he bite his neck?” Chen Jian said, only then realizing. “Did Shan Yu tell you that?”
“Yes,” Sanbing said. “I guess he was holding Mushroom and teasing him when it happened.”
Very reasonable.
Chen Jian almost wanted to applaud Shan Yu.
“You…” Chen Jian sighed, took the lunch box out of the bag, and walked towards the restaurant. “Alright, I’ll take Mushroom to get his shot when I have time.”
Shan Yu was sitting in a corner of the restaurant, watching the guests eat.
“You go this afternoon,” Chen Jian said, putting the lunch box in front of him.
“Go where? Aren’t I supposed to take you to driving practice?” Shan Yu asked.
“Take Mushroom to get his shot. Weren’t you bitten by Mushroom?” Chen Jian said, glancing at the dog bite mark on the side of his neck.
He had to admire Sanbing. His physique wasn’t great, but his eyesight was quite good. Shan Yu was wearing a shirt specifically today, the collar covering most of the wound, and yet he could still see that small exposed part.
Shan Yu smiled without speaking.
“Mushroom is so young, and he already has to start taking the blame,” Chen Jian sighed.
“Sanbing really…” Shan Yu glanced over there. “If you don’t understand, just ask. The problem will never last overnight.”
“I’ll get you some medicine to apply later,” Chen Jian said. “Why does this wound look worse than last night?”
“If you had bitten through the skin, it wouldn’t have been such a large bruise,” Shan Yu said.
“…I’ll be more careful next time,” Chen Jian said.
Although the shop was busy, Chen Jian didn’t miss a single driving practice session arranged by the instructor. Mainly because his brother didn’t let him miss it. If he was too busy during the day, it would be arranged for the evening.
While everyone was enjoying the bonfire festival, the manager was escorted by the boss’s brother to the driving practice field to learn to drive.
During this time, Chen Jian hadn’t even dreamed of Shan Yu. He had dreamed of Instructor Li twice.
Fortunately, the bonfire festival was only for a few days. After it was over, it probably wouldn’t be so busy.
Originally, Chen Jian felt that although there were many guests these past few days, there had been no major problems overall. There were occasional complaints from guests, but they were all minor and quickly resolved.
Unexpectedly, on the last day of the bonfire festival, a guest came to ask about 306, which he was most worried about.
It wasn’t that someone wanted to stay in that room. The hotel wasn’t full these two days, and the rooms opposite and next to 306 were not occupied. But a guest on the third floor had heard that 306 was a haunted house and was at the front desk asking for an explanation.
“That’s so scary. Who knows if the room we’re staying in is the one where someone died?” a woman said with a look of fear on her face.
“We definitely wouldn’t let a guest stay in that room,” Hu Pan said. “We’ve also thoroughly cleaned the room…”
“It’s still scary,” the woman interrupted her.
“Sister,” Sun Nana said, brushing her hair. “This kind of accident can’t be avoided. Is there any inch of land where no one has died? We don’t rent out that room, and we’ve also invited a master to chant scriptures for salvation. We’ve been reopened for a long time, and guests have come and gone. Everyone has been fine.”
Chen Jian didn’t rush over immediately. He took out his phone and called Shan Yu.
“Give an 80% discount on the room rate for those with complaints, and a free breakfast,” Shan Yu said. “Then take them over to see 306.”
“See what?” Chen Jian was stunned.
“The manager is living in 306,” Shan Yu said.
“…Okay,” Chen Jian bit his lip, hung up the phone, and walked to the front desk.
“We want to change rooms,” the woman said with a frown.
“Of course,” Hu Pan immediately looked at the computer. “Let me see if there are any other empty rooms for you.”
“Changing rooms won’t do,” the woman’s old sister waved her hand. “We have to check out. We’ll go to another B&B and ask.”
That was absolutely not okay. If they went to another B&B and said they had changed because this one was haunted, that was absolutely not okay.
“Sister,” Chen Jian began, “you can either change rooms or stay where you are now. We’ll give you a 30% discount on the room rate, and you can eat for free at our B&B during your stay. This is our compensation to you.”
The manager had unilaterally increased the discount offered by the boss.
The woman didn’t speak, apparently hesitating.
After all, the prices of these few B&Bs were about the same. With the compensation Chen Jian offered, it was much more cost-effective than changing to another place.
“And that room, it’s not empty right now,” Chen Jian said. “I’m living in that room.”
“You?” the woman was stunned.
“Yes, I’m the manager,” Chen Jian said. “I live in 306. If you don’t mind, can I take you to have a look?”
Hu Pan, Sun Nana, and the others all turned their heads to look at him at the same time.
That room had always been empty. One look and the cat would be out of the bag.
Chen Jian nodded at them. You have to trust your boss, who doesn’t care about small things but is reliable in big matters.
“Shall we have a look?” the woman asked her old sister.
“Then let’s have a look? For peace of mind,” the old sister said.
Chen Jian led the two of them towards the elevator.
“Why are you living in that room?” the old sister was a little puzzled.
I’m crazy.
The boss told me to.
My hidden identity is a ghost-catching master.
I’m a pervert.
“I…” Chen Jian’s mind was racing. “I have a lot of yang energy.”
“Oh?” the woman looked at him. “How do you have so much yang energy?”
Chen Jian felt like he was about to sweat. He pretended to press the elevator button, his mind still racing. Fortunately, Grandpa Xiaodou’er sometimes talked about these things.
“My bazi’s day master is strong,” he said. “My birthday is in the summer.”
“Oh…” the woman didn’t know if she understood, but her tone had softened a lot. “Then you rarely get sick, right?”
“I rarely even catch a cold,” Chen Jian smiled.
The elevator opened on the third floor. He led the two women out and saw Shan Yu just turning from the stairs to the fourth floor.
Chen Jian brought the people to the door of 306 and glanced inside as he opened the door.
There were several pieces of clothing hanging on the coat rack in the room, a jacket and pants were thrown on the bed, and there were even two books on the desk, all Shan Yu’s own.
“I’ve been living here for a few months now,” Chen Jian opened the door. “Nothing has happened.”
The two women didn’t dare to enter, just looked inside from the doorway, then exchanged a look.
“If you can accept our solution, I’ll let the front desk know in a bit,” Chen Jian said. “But please, sisters, don’t tell others about the discount…”
“Then… alright,” the woman looked into the room again, then took a step back and sized up Chen Jian. “You do look quite healthy.”
“Yes,” Chen Jian nodded.
After dealing with the two women, Chen Jian went to the warehouse.
“What are you looking for?” Sanbing followed him in. “The man of extreme yang.”
“Don’t we still have a few unused signs?” Chen Jian said. “The kind used on doors.”
“I remember they’re over here,” Sanbing walked towards a storage box in the corner. “What do you need this for?”
“Anything will do. I want to replace the sign on 306,” Chen Jian said.
“How about this one?” Sanbing pulled out a sign. “Engineering Department.”
“Qian Yu must have taken these signs from some hotel back then,” Chen Jian took the sign. “A B&B, and an engineering department… this will do.”
The two women were quite decent. They didn’t mention this matter to any other guests until they checked out.
It’s just that for all three meals a day, no matter where they went, they would come back to the B&B to eat.
“There will definitely be this kind of thing in the future,” Chen Jian said, dragging a chair into Shan Yu’s office.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Didn’t we solve it? If it happens again in the future, we’ll solve it again,” Shan Yu said, looking at the chair in his hand. “What’s this?”
“A swivel chair,” Chen Jian dragged the chair to his desk. “The scientific name is ergonomic chair.”
“What for?” Shan Yu asked.
“To replace your broken chair,” Chen Jian said.
“How much is this one?” Shan Yu asked.
“…Four hundred,” Chen Jian said.
“You’re using a four-hundred-yuan chair to replace my eight-thousand-yuan chair?” Shan Yu grabbed the armrest of the chair. “No deal.”
“I’ll take it to be repaired,” Chen Jian pulled his hand away and tugged at his arm. “Be good.”
“No,” Shan Yu laughed. “Why repair it? Can’t you just replace it with an eight-thousand-yuan one?”
“I can’t afford it,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu stood up helplessly and sat on the four-hundred-yuan chair to try it out.
“How is it?” Chen Jian glanced at him. “I feel that one is more comfortable.”
“It’s not big enough,” Shan Yu said, leaning back in the chair.
“How big are you that it’s not big enough!” Chen Jian said.
“Why do you think the original one broke?” Shan Yu opened his arms. “Why don’t you come up and try?”
Chen Jian looked at him. “The bandage on your hand is off, and you’re getting arrogant, huh?”
“Yeah,” Shan Yu nodded.
Chen Jian walked over, lifted one leg, and knelt between Shan Yu’s legs, his hands on the back of the chair.
As he bent down to kiss Shan Yu, the chair started to slide backwards with his weight. He had to take a step forward with the leg that was on the ground, otherwise he would have done the splits.
But as soon as his leg came forward and he bent down, the chair slid back again. He tried a few times, feeling as if he was pedaling Xiaodou’er’s scooter.
If there wasn’t a wall blocking him, he was afraid he could have pedaled all the way to the river.
Shan Yu laughed uncontrollably. “There’s a brake on the wheels, just step on it. Are you afraid of looking too smart and not fitting in with Lao Wu and the others?”
Chen Jian didn’t speak, just lowered his head and kissed him forcefully on the mouth.
Shut up.
When he returned to the first floor with the eight-thousand-yuan chair, a group of people from the shop were gathered in the coffee shop, discussing how to arrange the team-building activity tonight.
“The shop can’t be empty, right?” Hu Pan looked at Chen Jian. “Who’s staying behind?”
“No one is staying,” Chen Jian said, dragging the chair into the warehouse and putting it away. “Boss Shan said to let the guests know tonight. If they need anything, they can help themselves. If there’s a problem, they can call the manager.”
“Is that okay?” Sanbing was stunned.
“There will be basically no new check-ins at night. It’s just the guests who are already here,” Chen Jian said. “Some have been here for two or three days, and they’re familiar with the place.”
“Quite generous,” Sun Nana said, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Also, Sister Zhao and Aunt Huang asked for leave,” Hu Pan said. “They both want to go home.”
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
“If you don’t pass the test this afternoon, our team-building activity won’t be canceled, will it?” Lao Wu suddenly asked.
“What’s the connection between the two?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“Isn’t the boss celebrating your passing of subject two…” Lao Wu said.
Does a manager passing subject two require the boss to hold a team-building activity for the entire staff to celebrate?
Chen Jian looked at him, speechless for a moment.
Sun Nana couldn’t help but laugh and quickly put down her coffee cup.
“Passing or not won’t affect your fun for the night,” Chen Jian sighed.
“You can basically pass it on the first try,” Sun Nana said.
“Not necessarily,” Lao Wu said. “Brother Erhu took each subject twice.”
“You’re all talk. Your damn brain has been digested,” Chen Erhu cursed.
For this team-building activity, Chen Jian had also borrowed Tang Rui’s car. Excluding Sister Zhao and Aunt Huang who were not participating, there were still eight of them, so they had to be split into two cars.
The scheduled time was five o’clock, which was perfect for after Chen Jian’s test. However, when he went for the test, he and Shan Yu had to take Hu Pan and Sun Nana, who were going shopping in the city.
Shan Yu finished giving instructions to Sanbing and the others, then added, “Remember to feed Mushroom and tie him up. There will be no one at night, and we’re afraid he’ll run around.”
“Don’t worry,” Sanbing waved his hand.
This was the first time Chen Jian had been in Shan Yu’s car with other people. He didn’t say much along the way. Hu Pan and Sun Nana, on the other hand, were chatting lively in the back seat.
After they got off at the entrance of the mall, Chen Jian finally stretched, reached over to Shan Yu, and touched his face.
“You must have been holding it in,” Shan Yu turned his head and kissed his palm.
“Not really,” Chen Jian said. “My mind is full of reverse parking and parallel parking right now…”
“Don’t be nervous. You’ll definitely pass on the first try. It’s not that easy to fail every subject twice like Chen Erhu,” Shan Yu said.
That was true.
Chen Jian was a little nervous when he got into the test car. He even felt his leg on the clutch trembling a little, but once the car started moving, he didn’t feel anything.
The few of them who had been put in the “good group” by the instructor all passed with full marks on the first try.
When they returned to the parking lot, Shan Yu even looked at the time. “That was quick.”
“I’m incredibly strong right now,” Chen Jian said, patting the driver’s side door.
“Hold it in,” Shan Yu said. “This is not a place you can come to yet.”
“…Oh,” Chen Jian turned and went around to the passenger side. “I have all these skills and nowhere to use them.”
Shan Yu looked at him with a smile. “How did passing subject two make you go crazy?”
“Not really,” Chen Jian turned to smile at him. “It’s just that… I never thought I would get a driver’s license one day. I never even thought about it.”
“After you get your license, you can take your dad for a drive,” Shan Yu said.
“Okay,” Chen Jian nodded.
Shan Yu would often remind him not to forget his father, but he himself had never mentioned going home again.
Chen Jian looked at him, wanting to take this opportunity to say something, but he couldn’t think of how to bring it up for a while.
He could only keep looking at Shan Yu, hoping that the mind-reading Shan Yu could figure it out for himself.
Shan Yu glanced at him while waiting for the red light at the intersection. “I know.”
Chen Erhu called. The few of them had already arrived at the restaurant, at least half an hour earlier than the scheduled time.
“This restaurant Shan Yu booked is pretty good,” Chen Erhu said in a low voice over the phone. “It’s that high-end barbecue place on the back street of Sanbing’s school… have you been here before?”
“How could I have been there?” Chen Jian said.
“Me neither,” Chen Erhu said. “We’re waiting at the entrance now.”
“Go on in,” Chen Jian said.
“Give Shan Yu’s name, right?” Chen Erhu asked.
“Yes,” Chen Jian said.
Chen Erhu and his group were quite domineering in the small town, but in the city, they all became simple small-town boys. Chen Jian could even hear the lack of confidence in his tone.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Jian glanced at Shan Yu. “What kind of barbecue place did you book?”
“I don’t know. I looked it up on my phone,” Shan Yu said. “I’m not familiar with this area either.”
“Chen Erhu said it’s very high-end,” Chen Jian said.
“Not really,” Shan Yu said. “It’s just not a food stall.”
“You and Brother Lang and the others used to…” Chen Jian hesitated. “Did you always eat at this kind of place?”
“Not really,” Shan Yu glanced at him. “We don’t even look at places that cost less than ten thousand per person.”
Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
“Actually, what they and I like most is to buy some things and cook at home. I was renting a place at that time, and we usually hung out there,” Shan Yu said. “It’s more comfortable to eat, and it’s not easy to get into a fight after drinking too much…”
So there’s even a reason like that.
Chen Jian smiled. He quite liked listening to Shan Yu casually talk about these past events.
They went back to the mall entrance to pick up Hu Pan and Sun Nana. After walking around for half a day, the two of them had only bought a cup of milk tea each.
“Didn’t you buy anything?” Chen Jian asked.
“Window shopping means just looking,” Sun Nana said, shaking her milk tea cup.
“Have they arrived yet? I’m hungry from all the walking,” Hu Pan touched her stomach.
“They’re already waiting in the private room,” Chen Jian said.
When they got out of the car at the restaurant entrance, Sun Nana said with some emotion, “I used to come here all the time. The food is pretty good.”
“With your reserve ex-husband?” Hu Pan asked.
“Yes,” Sun Nana nodded.
“Then should we…” Shan Yu immediately asked, “go to another place?”
“No need,” Sun Nana curled her lip. “My bland memories with him are not worthy of my avoidance.”
This was indeed a very high-end barbecue place. Although it wasn’t a B&B, Chen Jian had been observing their service ever since he entered the shop.
He was even a little speechless at how dedicated a manager he was.
The four people in the private room had already started eating the side dishes, which were almost half gone.
“This is free,” Sanbing said. “I’ll have them bring another set.”
“I’ll go,” Sun Nana said. “I also need to go wash my hands.”
“Me too, me too,” Hu Pan said. “I’ll go to the restroom to get my bearings.”
Chen Jian took off his coat, then took Shan Yu’s coat and hung them both on the coat rack.
“Boss Shan,” Chen Erhu gestured for Sanbing to pour tea. “This place is quite expensive, isn’t it?”
“Everyone has been tired during this bonfire festival,” Shan Yu said. “It’s only right to treat everyone… have you ordered anything?”
“No,” Sanbing poured tea for the two of them. “Of course you have to order. We don’t know how.”
Shan Yu turned his head, and just as he was about to speak to the waiter who had entered, Hu Pan’s shout came from outside. “Boss Shan—Boss Shan—Chen Jian! Chen Jian!”
Then Hu Pan pushed past the waiter and rushed into the private room.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Jian stood up.
“Nana’s husband!” Hu Pan pointed outside. “He’s in the private room at the very end of the corridor!”
“And then?” Shan Yu asked.
“The two of them ran into each other,” Hu Pan said. “Nana didn’t want to start a fight, so she went into that private room with him!”
“What?” Sanbing also stood up. “Is she going to fight him one-on-one?”
