Cao Gaoshan's expression shifted slightly. Looking at Li Musheng's utterly unconcerned manner, he privately sighed, "But if things proceed as expected, Your Highness, you are the tallest person in all of Great Li."
Even so, Cao Gaoshan did not dare say this out loud.
He was not in a position to presume above his station and pass judgment on Li Musheng, nor did he have any right to ask Li Musheng to be the one holding up the sky for Great Li.
In Cao Gaoshan's view, if Li Musheng, that tallest person, chose to simply lie down, there was probably no one in the entire world who could make him stand back up.
But at that point Li Musheng noticed Cao Gaoshan's slightly unusual expression, and spoke again to reassure him, "Do not worry. Things have not reached that point yet. There is no need to borrow trouble from the future."
At those words, the big black cat beside him also turned and let out a meow at Cao Gaoshan, then reached out a paw and made a series of gestures in the air toward him.
Cao Gaoshan stared at the cat with a puzzled look.
He watched it for a moment, then looked up at Li Musheng and asked with curiosity, "Your Highness, what is this cat trying to say?"
At those words, Li Musheng raised an eyebrow, glanced at the big black cat, and said with a thoughtful expression, "Looking at it, I think it is trying to get you to give it your room, and in exchange... it will take you under its protection going forward."
At that, the big black cat immediately shrank its head in, not daring to keep gesturing at Cao Gaoshan. It lowered its head in disgruntled resignation and cast Shen Anran a look of reproach.
Clearly it was blaming her for not booking four rooms, discriminating against it as a large and deserving cat.
Shen Anran met the big black cat's gaze and lifted her chin lightly, a touch of schadenfreude in her eyes.
The cat clung to Li Musheng endlessly, stickier than she was. Seeing it put in its place was honestly rather satisfying.
Right at that moment, however, Li Musheng said to the big black cat, "You are staying in my room tonight. Do not wander off. If you get lost, I am not spending time searching for a cat."
At those words, the big black cat's eyes immediately lit up, and it let out a series of happy meows.
It had assumed Li Musheng would definitely have a room to himself, and that it would have to spend the night on a roof beam somewhere.
Finding out it would be sharing Li Musheng's room was genuinely wonderful news, and it even looked over at Shen Anran with a slightly smug tilt of its head.
Shen Anran, seeing this, narrowed her eyes slightly at the cat, then suddenly addressed it, "You may as well sleep in my room. I will be asking His Highness to instruct me in martial cultivation tonight. It may be quite noisy."
At those words, the big black cat paused, then let out a firm and definitive meow, clearly rejecting Shen Anran's offer without hesitation.
Shen Anran said nothing more, and simply went about drinking her tea without any further comment. Whether the cat agreed or not, it was not going to be the cat's call to make.
...
At the same time, Ji Qingcheng had been taken to the back courtyard. After a quick wash down with the water the server had brought, she looked considerably cleaner, no longer the bedraggled figure she had been before.
The server even found himself taken aback for a moment upon seeing Ji Qingcheng's remarkably beautiful face once it had been washed clean.
"With looks like that, why would you choose to live like a beggar? Why not find someone to marry? It would give you someone to rely on."
He then gestured at himself with some self-importance, "Someone like me, for example. I have steady work here at the inn, and I just bought myself a house in Yun City not long ago. With me you would be eating and drinking well."
At those words, Ji Qingcheng immediately shook her head, "That would not work at all."
The server furrowed his brow, "What is wrong with it? Do not worry, I am not picky about a little past hardship."
Ji Qingcheng, however, studied him seriously for a moment and then still shook her head, "The problem is that I am not interested in you."
The server's face went rigid, and then turned hot with offended embarrassment. He glared at Ji Qingcheng and said, "Do not think being good-looking makes you special. Whether that is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen."
With that he gave a cold snort and walked off with a dark expression.
Ji Qingcheng was entirely unaffected by this. If anything, the depths of those dark eyes seemed to hold a layer of ice that never melted.
She picked up her small pack, then made her way to a corner table in the inn's main hall and sat down.
The table held the plain vegetables and white rice the server had brought before. She licked her lips lightly, then began eating with great enthusiasm.
The food was simple, but she showed not the slightest complaint.
She had only eaten through about half of it, however, when a group of people came laughing and talking down from the upper floor, heading straight toward her table.
At the front was a young gentleman with deep-set eyes, dressed in expensive and elaborate robes, with high cheekbones and a gaunt face. On him lingered a cloying smell of perfume and alcohol.
The young man arrived and flopped down into the seat across from Ji Qingcheng without any ceremony, eyes bloodshot and fixed on her without stopping.
"Good. Very good indeed."
The young man could not help licking his lips. His eyes, ringed with dark circles, went wide, and what had been a dull and murky gaze suddenly lit up with intensity as he exclaimed with appreciation, "Goods this fine, this young master has not come across in quite some time."
At those words, Ji Qingcheng swallowed a mouthful of food and looked up at the group assembled at the table.
The server from before was standing at the young man's side in a posture of utmost deference, grinning all over his face.
When he caught Ji Qingcheng's gaze, he looked at her coldly and said, "This is the Wang family's Second Young Master of Yun City. The Second Young Master is fabulously wealthy and of illustrious standing. Master Wang himself is a disciple of the Martial Saint on Yuming Mountain, with martial cultivation beyond measure."
"You said you were not interested in me earlier. Surely you cannot say the same about Young Master Wang?"
The server then turned toward the young man with a sycophantic smile, "I wonder if this woman meets the young master's standards?"
"Meets them? More than meets them!"
Second Young Master Wang burst into laughter, waved a hand, and an elderly servant standing nearby produced a silver ingot and tossed it to the inn server.
The server lunged to catch it, immediately gushing with gratitude, "Thank you for the young master's generosity! Thank you for the young master's generosity!"
"Get out of my sight."
Second Young Master Wang laughed as he waved a dismissive hand, as though shooing away a fly.
"Of course, young master. I will be on my way."
The server stuffed the silver into his sleeve with undisguised delight, cast one last glance at Ji Qingcheng, then bowed out and withdrew.
In his heart was a twinge of regret that Ji Qingcheng had refused him. He had no choice but to sell her out.
And once she fell into Second Young Master Wang's hands, her days were probably numbered.
"You cannot blame me for this. I gave you a choice..."
The server thought this with a cold satisfaction, and went off to stay well away from what was about to unfold.