My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Li Lizhi remained silent for a while.

"Father, why...why are you asking this?"

Li Shimin did not answer, but just looked at her with a deep gaze, like a bottomless pool of water.

Li Lizhi felt uneasy under his gaze.

She tried to look away, but found herself unable to move, and could only brace herself to meet that gaze.

Her face slowly turned red.

"Ah Ye..."

Li Lizhi's voice lowered, becoming as soft as a mosquito's hum.

"Daughter...daughter doesn't know what you're talking about..."

Li Shimin remained silent.

He just kept watching her, watching her face grow increasingly red, watching her evasive eyes, watching her subtle, barely concealed movements—

Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips repeatedly.

Got it!

This girl is really smitten.

Over there, Li Lizhi finally couldn't withstand that gaze and lowered her head, staring at her toes.

Little Sizi looked up at her father and then at her older sister, completely bewildered as to what had happened.

She tugged at Li Lizhi's sleeve and asked in a childish voice.

"Sister, why is your face so red again? Do you have a fever again?"

Li Lizhi wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground, and in the end, she could only give her a fierce look to signal her to stop talking.

Li Shimin took a deep breath.

"Beautiful".

His voice softened, no longer as deep as before.

"Raise your head and look at me."

Li Lizhi hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were a little red, whether from embarrassment or anxiety, she couldn't tell; her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if they were holding something in them.

Looking into those eyes, Li Shimin felt a surge of complex emotions welling up inside him again.

He recalled the first time he met Chen Mo.

The young man showed no respect for "Old Li," saying and doing whatever he pleased.

and after?

Later, he helped Chengqian with his illness, helped Guanyinbi with her health, helped them obtain things from this place, cooked porridge for his father, drove them to the hospital, and patiently served the whole family, young and old.

What's in it for?

Li Shimin was unaware of this.

All he knew was that when Li Yuan said he was not bad, his thought was—

Perhaps, I don't want anything in return.

"Father?"

Li Lizhi's voice pulled him back to reality.

Li Shimin looked at her, looked into his daughter's eyes, and suddenly smiled.

The smile was light and faint, carrying an indescribable meaning.

"It's nothing."

He said.

"I was just asking."

Li Lizhi was stunned, unsure whether to believe it or not.

Li Shimin had already turned around and walked forward.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again and said without turning his head.

"From now on, keep a closer eye on Manager Chen."

He paused for a moment.

"Don't let him be led astray by your older brother. You two should decide your own affairs!"

Li Lizhi was stunned.

By the time she realized what was happening, Li Shimin was already far away.

Little Sizi tugged at her sleeve.

"Sister, what did Father just say?"

Li Lizhi watched the departing figure, her heart pounding.

She did not answer her sister's question.

She just kept thinking about that sentence in her mind—

"Keep a close eye on Manager Chen."

What does that mean?

Did Aye tacitly approve of something?

Or was it just something he said offhand?

Her face turned red again.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already dark.

Li Shimin told Li Lizhi and Sizi to go back to their rooms first, while he went to the main hall.

Chen Mo was sitting behind the counter, writing and drawing in a notebook.

Hearing the door open, he looked up, saw it was Li Shimin, put down his pen, and smiled.

"You're back? How's Grandpa doing?"

Li Shimin nodded.

"good."

Chen Mo nodded and pondered for a moment.

"Old Li, it's almost Chinese New Year here. Would you like to get together sometime?"

"Chinese New Year? So soon?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback.

Chen Mo smiled when he saw his expression.

"Judging from your appearance, you've been so busy you've forgotten. In a few days, it will be New Year's Eve."

Li Shimin remained silent.

Lunar New Year's eve.

In Chang'an, a grand banquet was held for all officials on New Year's Eve.

The Taiji Hall was filled with banquets, and the music played all night long. He drank and stayed up all night with the civil and military officials, watching songs and dances, enjoying fireworks, and listening to the same old New Year's greetings.

He was all too familiar with that scene.

It's become so familiar that I'm almost numb to it.

But this year's Lunar New Year's Eve seems a little different.

Chen Mo continued.

"I was thinking that since the old man is still in the hospital, we can't let him spend the New Year alone, can we? I'll prepare a New Year's Eve dinner and invite Lao Zhu, Lao Liu, and Zheng Ge'er over."

"Let's get together and have a nice meal."

He raised his head, looked at Li Shimin, and smiled.

"So? Are you coming or not?"

Li Shimin looked at him and remained silent for a while.

He suddenly remembered what his father had said earlier that day.

"Old Li?"

Seeing that he didn't react for a while, Chen Mo called out again, somewhat puzzled.

Li Shimin came to his senses.

"it is good."

He said.

Chen Mo's eyes lit up.

"Alright! It's a deal then! I'll prepare plenty of good food and a few bottles of good wine. I'll talk to Lao Liu and the others about it later!"

"The more people, the better; the New Year should be lively and festive."

"Let's not talk about that now."

Li Shimin remained silent for a while, then walked over and sat down next to Chen Mo.

After a while,

What do you think of Li Zhi?

Chen Mo's words came to an abrupt halt.

He turned his head and looked at Li Shimin, somewhat unsure if he had misheard.

"Old Li?"

Li Shimin remained silent.

He just looked at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo felt a little uneasy under his gaze.

"That...Lizhi, her?"

He gave a dry laugh.

"She's very nice, well-mannered, gentle, and dignified. She also takes good care of us..."

"You know that's not what I'm asking."

Li Shimin interrupted him.

Chen Mo's smile froze on his face.

The room fell silent.

Chen Mo opened his mouth, then closed it again, remaining silent for a long while before slowly speaking.

"Old Li, that's a question you asked... I'm a little unsure how to respond."

Li Shimin remained silent.

"She's a good girl."

He said the voice was slow, as if he was thinking as he spoke.

"She's well-educated, gentle, and dignified—I've already mentioned those qualities. There's more... She's very thoughtful and kind to people, not in a condescending way, but genuinely kind. There's a reason why Xiao Sizi is so attached to her."

He paused.

"besides……"

He paused again.

Li Shimin waited.

Chen Mo suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with helplessness:

"Also, her cooking is really bad."

Li Shimin: ...

Li Shimin nodded, his face showing agreement.

"But it's not the kind of bad taste that she's unaware of," Chen Mo quickly added. "She knows she can't do it well, and she wants to learn, but she probably needs some time to settle down."

After he finished speaking, he remained silent for a while.

Then he turned his head and looked at Li Shimin.

"Old Li, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Li Shimin looked at him, but did not answer. Instead, he asked a question.

What do you think?

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

Then he lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Li Shimin waited so long that he thought he wouldn't answer.

He heard Chen Mo speak, his voice very soft.

"I have no idea."

"have no idea?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow.

"have no idea."

Chen Mo repeated it.

"She's a good girl, that's true. But those... those other things..."

He sighed and suddenly spoke.

"Old Li,"

"I run an inn. My biggest wish in this life is to run this little shop well and live a simple, ordinary life."

"Your whole family... you and Lao Liu and Lao Zhu were all an accident, a huge accident."

"It's my luck to have met you all."

He paused.

"But luck is luck, and there are some things I dare not even think about."

Li Shimin remained silent.

He looked at Chen Mo, at his complex face.

So this kid looks like this too.

Li Shimin recalled his daughter's flushed face that day, her evasive eyes, and her subtle, undisguised movements.

He suddenly felt that some things were really different now.

"Chen Mo."

When Li Shimin spoke, his voice was softer than before.

Chen Mo raised his head.

Li Shimin looked at him.

"Do you genuinely not know, or are you afraid to know?"

Chen Mo was stunned.

He did not answer.

After a long time,

He finally spoke, his voice very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"Old Li, I can't answer your question."

Li Shimin remained silent.

Chen Mo continued.

"If I say I don't know, you definitely won't believe me. But if I say I do know... I don't even know what I do know, right?"

He turned his head and looked at Li Shimin.

"If you have anything to say, just say it."

Li Shimin looked at him, at that face that held a mixture of composure and trepidation.

He suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, so faint that it was almost invisible.

"I don't have much to say."

Li Shimin stood up and patted the hem of his robe.

"Just asking casually."

Chen Mo was stunned.

Li Shimin had already turned around and was heading towards the stairs.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again and said something without turning his head.

"Make good preparations for New Year's Eve."

He paused for a moment.

"Don't disappoint me."

After saying that, he went upstairs, and his footsteps gradually disappeared at the end of the stairs.

Chen Mo sat there, staring blankly at the disappearing figure for a long time.

Then he lowered his head and whispered something.

The voice was too soft for anyone to hear.

Only he himself knows.