My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

That night, Li Lizhi lay on her bed in the hotel, Li Shimin's words from that afternoon echoing in her mind.

"I know you have some thoughts on your mind, but you are engaged."

"You are a princess of the Tang Dynasty, of noble birth, enjoying the support of all the people. Therefore, you must shoulder the responsibilities of a princess. Marriage is no ordinary matter. It concerns the national system and the stability of the court. It is not just your business alone. You must not act impulsively or have any improper thoughts."

Although she had already told herself not to think about it, Li Lizhi couldn't help but toss and turn, even waking up Xiao Sizi next to her.

Little Sizi opened his sleepy eyes and rubbed them.

"Sister, can't you sleep?"

"Would you like Sizi to sing for you?"

Upon hearing Xiao Sizi's voice, Li Lizhi quickly turned to the side, her heart aching. Suppressing her surging emotions, she gently patted Sizi's back.

"No, Sister wasn't having trouble sleeping. It was Sister's fault for waking Sizi up, wasn't it?"

Little Sizi shook his head, nuzzled his head against her chest, reached out his chubby little hand to touch Li Lizhi's cheek, and whispered something in a low voice.

"My sister is unhappy. Si Zi knows that."

Then, without waiting for Li Lizhi's reply, Xiao Sizi began to hum a tune to herself.

"The Moon Goddess hangs in the sky."

"Following the pattern on my older sister's bed."

"Sister, go to sleep quickly!"

"In my dream, there was candy and sheep."

This was a tune that Empress Zhangsun would occasionally hum when coaxing them to sleep, which Xiao Sizi remembered in bits and pieces.

The singing was intermittent, and some of the words were even unclear.

As Li Lizhi listened to these words, she felt increasingly distressed.

Before long, Xiao Sizi's voice grew weaker and weaker until it became even breathing.

Instead of getting Li Lizhi to sleep, she fell asleep on her own.

Li Lizhi turned her head and gently kissed Sizi on the forehead.

Sizi murmured.

"Wow! Bright teeth! Give me some more little fungus!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi's expression remained unreadable.

She slowly got up, looked at the bright light outside, and felt as if something was gripping her heart, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Knowing she couldn't sleep and afraid of waking Xiao Sizi, she finally got dressed and left the room.

Stepping out of the room, Li Lizhi noticed that the lights downstairs were still on.

"Is Manager Chen still awake?"

Li Lizhi walked down the stairs slowly and quietly.

Sure enough, in the corner of the hotel lobby on the first floor near the window, a warm yellow floor lamp was lit, outlining Chen Mo's silhouette sitting alone on the sofa.

He stared at the computer screen, occasionally tapping the keyboard. A glass of water, emitting faint steam, sat on the small table beside him. His figure appeared somewhat lonely in the quiet light.

Hearing a slight creak on the stairs, Chen Mo turned around and saw Li Lizhi. A hint of surprise flashed across his face, but he quickly put on his usual smile.

"Still not resting so late? Did Sizi bother you, or... is something on your mind?"

Chen Mo's gaze lingered for a moment on her slightly reddened eyes and pale face, but he didn't say anything.

Li Lizhi walked to the sofa opposite him and sat down, placing her hands on her knees and curling them up slightly.

Instead of answering his question directly, she asked him in a low voice.

"Shopkeeper Chen didn't sleep either, did he?"

"I?"

Chen Mo shrugged, picked up his water glass, and took a sip.

"I'm used to it. It's still early for me, and... I have a lot of things to do."

"What can I do for you, Manager Chen?"

Li Lizhi asked curiously.

"We need to settle the score!"

Chen Mo complained.

"You have no idea, you all use gold and silver jewelry. I need to find a way to exchange them for RMB. Besides that, I also need to buy this and that... There's a ton of stuff to do!"

Li Lizhi pursed her lips and revealed a rare faint smile.

"So... Manager Chen, have you calculated it all? How much money... does our family owe you?"

Chen Mo chuckled and took out his phone.

"Let me calculate! Hospital fees, medical expenses, nutritional meals, accommodation fees, errand fees, plus compensation for my emotional distress..."

Chen Mo pondered for a moment.

"It's a huge sum of money anyway; even emptying half of your dad's private coffers wouldn't be enough!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi's face immediately showed worry.

"Did this cause you any trouble, Manager Chen?"

Chen Mo felt a little embarrassed looking at her worried expression.

"No, we did give them quite a bit before, didn't we?"

Chen Mo's face was sincere.

"Besides, seeing a historically renowned virtuous empress turn the tide, seeing Gao Ming finally relax and smile, and seeing Xiao Sizi jumping around and calling me 'brother'—that's already worth it!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi smiled slightly, but her smile always carried a hint of bitterness.

Chen Mo looked at her and stood up.

"Let's go... I can't sleep anyway, shall we go for a walk?"

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi glanced upstairs and hesitated.

"Don't worry, I won't go far. I'll just wander around the neighborhood. I happen to know a night market nearby that I can check out."

Upon hearing this, Li Lizhi pursed her lips.

"……good"

The two walked out of the hotel one after the other.

Autumn has arrived, and the heat of summer is gradually being replaced by the coolness of autumn.

The night breeze grew cooler, carrying the chill of late autumn.

Li Lizhi subconsciously hunched her shoulders slightly, hugged her arms and rubbed them together, then breathed on her hands to warm them.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her shoulder and was slightly startled.

Li Lizhi looked up and met Chen Mo's gaze.

"Wear it. It's windy at night. You ancient people are delicate. Don't catch a cold."

Chen Mo spoke in a relaxed tone, even with a hint of teasing.

"If you get sick, your parents and your brother will probably tear down this little hotel of mine, won't they?"

That's what he said, but when he draped his coat over her shoulders, the restraint he showed in avoiding too much contact, and the faint scent lingering on his clothes, still made Li Lizhi's heart skip a beat.

This warmth came too suddenly and too directly, completely different from the subtle and distant care she was familiar with in the palace.

It was rough, yet like a warm current, instantly dispelling the surrounding chill, and seemingly melting a crack in the frost that had formed in her heart because of the engagement.

Li Lizhi instinctively wanted to refuse, to say "this is against etiquette," but the words stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only gently pull the coat that still held his body heat tighter and mumble a low murmur.

"……Thanks."

The sound was so faint it was almost blown away by the wind.