The two ate a simple meal of congee and side dishes. Unknowingly, over ten hours had passed in the space, and it was already nearly five in the afternoon outside.
After eating, Su Muqing continued to lounge in bed, stubbornly staying put for an hour before getting up. Huo Qiyuan, having taken advantage, resigned himself to serving her.
Although Huo Qiyuan served her meticulously, Su Muqing still found fault with him, looking at him askance.
As another hour passed, Su Muqing reluctantly got up. Her waist truly ached! After sleeping for so long, her legs still trembled as she put them on the floor.
Seeing her difficulty getting out of bed, Huo Qiyuan reached out and carried her to the vanity. Su Muqing sent him to another room to get ready, then changed her clothes and made some subtle alterations to her face, making her less stunning at first glance.
After Su Muqing finished, she opened the door. Huo Qiyuan had also finished tidying up, and in the blink of an eye, they were back in the same room. They knocked on Leng Ren's door, but receiving no response, they went directly to the main hall.
The innkeeper, seeing them descend, greeted them with a smile. "You guests are up! The other guests who came with you went to Old Tu's restaurant half an hour ago."
"Good! Thank you for informing us, innkeeper." As the two prepared to leave, a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Hey, hey, hey… wait for me, wait for me! You guys woke up this late too?" Little Tyrant had just reached the top of the stairs when he saw the two preparing to leave. He quickly grabbed the hem of his robe and trotted over.
His large body jiggled as he ran, causing the wooden stairs to shake with his movements. Seeing that he was still at the inn surprised both of them. "Young Master Qi, why are you still here?"
"Hi! I ate too much at noon and didn't want to run around, so I just took a nap here. Let's go! I wonder what delicious food there is for dinner…" Little Tyrant said, opening his fan and fanning himself as he walked towards the door.
As he walked towards the restaurant, he felt incredibly fortunate. It was a close call! He almost overslept, and missing tonight's meal would have been incredibly frustrating.
He had sent Brother Li back at noon, so no one had woken him up. If the room hadn't become too hot, suffocating him awake, he might have slept until tomorrow morning after eating his fill.
The three didn't walk for long before arriving at the restaurant. It was dinnertime, but the hall was empty. The innkeeper had arranged this specifically. However, even without his arrangement, as long as Young Master Qi was present, others would not dare to come in and eat.
"Our esteemed guests have arrived, please be seated here. The gentlemen are busy in the kitchen, and I estimated you would be arriving soon." The innkeeper was exceptionally attentive, leading them to a partitioned table on the first floor.
This area was shielded on three sides by screens, making it a makeshift private room. Huo Qiyuan and the others didn't stand on ceremony and sat down, lifting their robes. The innkeeper stepped forward to pour tea for the three of them and then stood by to serve.
"Innkeeper, you don't need to be so formal. Please, have a seat! Forgive me for asking, but what is the innkeeper's surname?"
Huo Qiyuan had a good impression of the innkeeper. Not only had he not tried to cheat them, being outsiders, but he had also kindly reminded them to leave in the morning. If it weren't for the fact that this Little Tyrant was quite different from his reputation, the inn might have encountered trouble.
The innkeeper was looking for an opportunity to converse with them and get acquainted, intending to inquire about purchasing the secret recipe. Being invited by Huo Qiyuan made him very happy.
"I wouldn't dare! My surname is Tu, and my given name is Guangyao. If you two esteemed guests don't mind, you can call me Old Tu. That's what the neighbors here call me."
Since they were being polite, Huo Qiyuan naturally wouldn't be impolite. "Innkeeper Tu, because of our circumstances, we've caused you to miss out on business today. If you don't mind, please join us for a meal."
"Esteemed guests, please don't say that. It is a great honor for our restaurant that you have come to my humble establishment. If it weren't for your good fortune, I might never have had the chance to taste such special flavors in my life. To be honest, the skills of those gentlemen at noon today truly amazed me!"
Innkeeper Tu praised them first, and as he continued praising, he tried to steer the conversation towards the taste of the dishes. However, Young Master Qi thwarted his intentions. Seeing the two conversing congenially, he directly broke the atmosphere.
"Save it! If it weren't for me, would you have gotten to eat that stuff? You should be thanking me the most!" Seeing them speaking so politely made Little Tyrant feel uncomfortable all over. These people thanking each other and speaking so formally was rather dull.
The innkeeper's smile became somewhat awkward when he was interrupted by Little Tyrant, but he didn't dare to offend this young master, so he quickly went along with his words.
"Yes, yes, yes! Young Master Qi is right. Today was thanks to you. Thank you, thank you."
Seeing the innkeeper's displeased expression and Little Tyrant's smug look, Su Muqing couldn't help but retort to the little fatty. "I say, you really do put too much faith in your own flattery. The innkeeper was just being polite, and you took it seriously? What's your reputation like in Yong'an Town? Don't you have any self-awareness?"
It wasn't that she wanted to meddle, but after spending some time with him, she realized that this little fatty wasn't as bad as everyone said. Besides being a glutton and a bit arrogant, he wasn't as domineering and oppressive as others described him.
Those incidents that made the common people tremble in fear were likely carried out by his subordinates. Seeing his oblivious demeanor, a kind reminder was for his own good.
When Innkeeper Tu heard Su Muqing's words, he thought, "This is bad! If this Little Tyrant finds out I've spoken ill of him behind his back, what will happen in the future?"
As expected! Little Tyrant understood the implied meaning in Su Muqing's words and immediately became displeased. While he might be a bit gluttonous, he had never bullied anyone. He always paid for his food and had brought much business to Yong'an Town.
"What do you mean? My reputation in Yong'an Town is excellent! Innkeeper Tu, tell him what my reputation is like in Yong'an Town. Am I well-loved by everyone?"
The innkeeper's heart tightened when Little Tyrant singled him out. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve and replied against his will, "Heh… heh… Of course… of course, it is…"
Although he was somewhat displeased with Innkeeper Tu's tone, Little Tyrant didn't notice anything amiss. Instead, he fanned himself and looked at Su Muqing and the others with a haughty expression, as if to say, See! I wasn't lying to you!