The moon hung high in the sky, its silver light casting long shadows through the wooden corridors of the inn. The town had been bustling all day, but now, most of its visitors were already drifting into slumber. Most—except for one.
Chunhe had other plans.
With the big mutt left behind in the village, he had all the time and freedom he needed to advance his relationship with Flower Demon. His plan was flawless—poetry under the moonlight, food prepared with his own hands, aged wine, stories woven with wit and charm, and gifts that spoke of both sincerity and extravagance. How could she possibly resist?
But fate, that cruel, conniving bastard, had other ideas.
Because tonight, he was stuck at the inn, and the rooming situation had royally fucked up his plans.
An unforeseen problem had arisen—only three rooms had been booked. Meaning he had to share a room with someone else.
Liu Fan.
A notorious snorer. A sleep-talker. A man who had once hugged a goddamn goat in his sleep, mistaking it for a woman. He even kissed it.
The goat ran away.
That was unacceptable.
How can I share a room with him? What will happen to me?
So, Chunhe devised another plan. A plan involving a bit of stealth, a bit of persuasion, and perhaps a bit of charm. All leading to one destination: Xu Mei's.
Chunhe planned to sweet-talk Xu Mei into sharing a room—and later sneak into the spatial farm. He wanted to be first so he could switch rooms before sleeping in.
He tiptoed through the dimly lit hallway, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards. His hand reached for the door handle, a smug grin playing on his lips—
But he didn't even get the chance to turn it.
He slightly opened the door.
His mouth was drooling.
He looked like a starving wolf.
And in front of him was Hong Xian. He stood like a mountain—so big and wide, Chunhe looked like a puddle shaking.
"Uh... good evening, Hong."
Hong Xian didn't move. He stared straight into Chunhe like a giant.
Xu Mei's voice came from inside. "Father, who is it?"
"No one."
Chunhe cleared his throat. "Actually, I—"
"No one important," Hong Xian corrected, his tone as dry as the fucking desert.
Chunhe took a step back. "Well, I was just passing by, you know, taking a late-night stroll—"
"Why are you here?"
"I'm here to switch rooms. Why else?"
"With who?"
"Xu Mei, of course."
"No."
"My roommate is Liu Fan."
"I help you change roommates."
"Perfect. That means Xu Mei will—"
"Share a room with me."
He looked Chunhe in the eye and said, "Go back to your room."
"But I—"
"Wait, you said you'd help me switch rooms. And who can share a room with Xu Mei if not me?"
"I'm handsome, honest, a gentleman, and I'm her fiancé."
"You refused."
"I did, but—"
"Then who will she share with?"
"She will share the room with her father."
"What? But she's a grown woman—surely she—"
"She's my daughter."
"Yes, but—"
"And I always sit right in front of the door."
Chunhe's expression twisted. "Like a..."
"A guard dog?" Hong Xian raised a brow. "Good. You understand."
Tsk. Annoying old men and their obsession with 'protecting' their daughters.
Initially, he had entertained the idea of simply sneaking out after his roommate fell asleep. But then he learned who his roommate was.
His words were like a hammer to a nail. Chunhe's lips twitched. He considered arguing, sweet-talking, maybe even pulling out a few poetic lines about the moonlit night and a gentleman's yearning for cultured companionship.
But the look in Hong Xian's eyes said one thing: stay here five minutes, and you're dead.
Chunhe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine, fine. I see how it is. Overprotective father, keeping the delicate flower safe from the harsh winds of the world. Very noble of you."
Hong Xian didn't budge.
Chunhe muttered under his breath as he turned on his heel and walked away.
"Guess I'm stuck with Liu Fan."
When he returned to his own room, Liu Fan was already sprawled on the bed, limbs splayed like a starfish. The man's snores rattled the walls, and Chunhe could already hear the occasional murmured nonsense escaping his lips.
Chunhe sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I should've just slept in the barn."
A particularly loud snore made him flinch.
Sighing, he resigned himself to fate and lay down, doing his best to ignore the earthquake happening beside him.
Tomorrow, he would try again.
BUT HE COULDN'T.
So, he took a stroll near the pond and saw a figure singing.
It was like a mermaid's song, guiding him. He looked at a woman—a little tanned, yellow hair, a little like a foreigner.
Her body was totally stacked like an athlete. Fit.
He could see six packs and strong arms.
Something new awakened in Chunhe.
Morning came with a new determination.
But fate was a cruel joke.
His original plan had been crushed before it even started. So, he set his sights on a new target.
Xu Mei.
Or at least, that was the idea.
Until the inn owner's daughter, Ai, completely outplayed him.
What started as a casual conversation turned into a web of invisible traps. Before he knew it, Chunhe found himself cleaning rooms, fetching water from the well, and accompanying Ai to the market. By the time he realized he had been tricked, it was already too late.
Xu Mei, upon noticing this, was a little pissed. She pursed her lips and looked away, pretending not to care, but her eyes betrayed her—taking small peeks at Chunhe whenever he wasn't looking.
And now, as fate would have it, Chunhe was chopping wood for the fire.
Topless.
His body glistened with sweat, each movement showcasing the refined sculpt of his muscles. The sun highlighted his physique in a way that made it look as if the gods themselves had carved his body piece by piece.
A small crowd had gathered at the back of the inn.
Ai rounded the corner, catching sight of him. She froze for a fraction of a second—a brief pause, a widening of her sharp amber eyes—before she immediately composed herself. But Chunhe saw it.
And his smirk grew.
"Miss Ai, if you keep staring like that, I might start thinking you like what you see," he teased.
Ai, unfazed, tilted her head. "Oh? If that's the case, why don't you chop twice as much wood? After all, I wouldn't want to keep you from showing off."
His smirk faltered. Behind her, Xu Mei stifled a laugh.
Chunhe sighed.
He had been outplayed—again.