I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

After the unlicensed taxi driver fled, the onlookers gradually dispersed. Coach Ma and Tie Nan took two guests in Xiao Song's car, while I took Bai Lu's car. This was definitely a fatal choice, because the three women in the car took turns berating me the whole way. When I didn't fight back, they called me a dead pig who wasn't afraid of boiling water, saying that Coach Ma and Tie Nan were instigated by me.

I was wronged. I also felt that they were too protective of Coach Ma. It was Coach Ma who started cursing on the phone first, and then rushed back to the room to get a baton, looking like he was going to kill the other person. I was at most an accomplice.

After talking all the way, Bai Lu finally softened her tone and said to me, "Michael, since we're opening an inn, we're bound to encounter a lot of conflicts in the future. Xiao Ma and Tie Nan are both impulsive, so you absolutely have to be more rational and composed. I especially dislike your attempts at brotherhood like what happened today. At least one of you three needs to be able to keep things under control… Think about it, if you had really started fighting just now, would we be in any better shape now? It could easily have become a regional conflict. Judging from the accent of that unlicensed taxi driver, he's definitely a local. These days, conflicts between outsiders and locals are so sensitive!"

Before I could even speak, Yang Sisi chimed in, saying, "Sister Bailu, I think you should try to persuade Coach Ma about this... With Michael's character, he's not even as good as Coach Ma or Tie Nan. Didn't you see how skilled he was at wielding the baton? You can tell he wasn't a good person before."

Peach also said, "None of them are good people... I suddenly feel so desperate. These people together are like dry wood meeting a raging fire. Things could really get out of hand."

I finally spotted a loophole and replied, "Look at how you used that phrase. 'Dry wood and raging fire' is used to describe an improper relationship between men and women. It's not appropriate to use it to describe the three of us men, is it?"

"Dry wood and raging fire can also describe high spirits, but that's just your lack of education... Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with the three of you. You just get together and suddenly explode for no reason. Don't you know others are worried about you?" Yang Sisi said, then turned to Bai Lu and said, "Sister Bai Lu, this is a profound lesson. I think we should hire a professional manager to manage the inn. The rest of them are too unprofessional in handling problems."

"I can consider it."

……

Amidst their sarcastic remarks, the car finally returned to the inn, where Instructor Ma and his companion, who had arrived earlier, were waiting for us in the common area. The two guests still seemed shaken; seeing me return, they hurriedly asked, "Boss, is that unlicensed taxi driver really not going to retaliate against us? He was really rude just now!"

I smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry, this is a matter between our inn and your inn; it has nothing to do with you guests."

"But this whole thing started because we took an unlicensed taxi."

Bai Lu took over and replied, "If you're really worried, I'll arrange a hotel for you. It's a four-star hotel with excellent facilities and amenities; the only downside is that it doesn't have a sea view."

"At this point, who cares about the sea view? Personal safety is the top priority."

Bai Lu nodded, then called Xiao Song over and asked him to take the two guests to a hotel in Xiaguan. Before they left, Yang Sisi reminded the two guests to give our inn a good review online.

After the guests left, we felt inexplicably frustrated and felt that the matter had not been fully resolved because it involved the "Zero Point Inn" with its connections, and this unlicensed taxi driver remained a potential problem.

I said to Bailu, "Can you contact the owner of this Zero Point Inn? I think we need to talk to him and see if this unlicensed taxi driver is one of his people. If not, why does he dare to use their inn's name and force tourists to spend money there?"

Bai Lu nodded, then replied, "If only you had thought of that way to handle it! You guys have such bad tempers. You don't understand the implications of things before you jump in headfirst, and that can really lead to disaster!"

"I admit I wasn't calm enough."

Bai Lu then turned to Coach Ma and Tie Nan and asked, "Don't you two have anything to say?"

Tie Nan looked displeased and replied, "Next time we encounter a jerk like that, we'll just play the submissive one, okay?"

"I didn't ask you to act like cowards. Can you calm down a bit? At least don't start thinking about fighting before you've even said a word. You're not helping Xiao Ma, you're hurting him."

Tie Nan lit a cigarette and said nothing more.

Bai Lu then picked up her phone and made a call to someone. It was at this moment that I truly understood who the most valuable person in our inn was, and that success in business isn't just about having ideas and opportunities; sometimes, the depth of interpersonal relationships is even more important.

After finishing one phone call, Bai Lu made another. Judging from the conversation, the second caller was probably the owner of the "Midnight Inn." Bai Lu spoke very politely, and she roughly described what had just happened over the phone. We don't know how the other person responded.

……

A moment later, Bai Lu hung up the phone and said to us, "The person who just answered the phone was Cao Jinbo, the owner of Zero Point Inn. I told him about this, but he didn't admit that it had anything to do with him."

Tie Nan cursed, "That guy's a real bastard. There are thousands of inns in the ancient city, why didn't the unlicensed taxi driver take him to another inn?"

Bai Lu replied, "It's also possible it's true. After all, he doesn't just have the inn as a business; there are quite a few people who rely on him for a living. Maybe it was one of his subordinates who did it."

"Are we just going to let that unlicensed taxi driver who threatened our inn go like this?"

"Cao Jinbo said he sent his men to investigate, and they'll give us some updates in the next few days."

"Alright, then we'll wait for his message."

……

Night deepened again, and I felt I needed to calm down, so I sat down by Erhai Lake once more. This time, I didn't smoke or drink beer; I simply let my mind wander, gazing at the lake bathed in moonlight…

This atmosphere easily reminded me of Ye Zhi, so I sent her a message: "Are you feeling better?"

"There's no problem."

"Stop staying up late. The doctor said your illness was caused by staying up late."

"You're staying up late too, aren't you?"

"I'm fine, I'm in good health... Are you still working?"

"No, I was having a meal with a friend in the old town."

We don't seem to have any specific topics to talk about, which usually leads to a breakdown in the conversation, like right now...

Having not smoked since the beginning, I finally lit a cigarette and started thinking about what topics could keep our conversation going. I admit, I've been passive in our interactions because I'm more concerned about the awkward silences that might ensue...

I wanted to ask her what she had eaten, but feeling it was pointless, I deleted the message. I suddenly disliked this ingratiating way of chatting, so I tossed my phone aside. For the first time, I didn't want to reply to her messages. I lay down on a rock, staring at the empty sky, feeling utterly indifferent.

Five minutes later, she sent me another message: "Sisi said you almost got into a fight with an unlicensed taxi driver today?"

"That's right, they stole our customers and threatened us... We're all hot-blooded young men, of course we can't tolerate it."

"It's best not to be too impulsive."

"You also think we handled it wrong?... If you were in this situation, what would you do?"

"I work at a late-night diner in the old city. If you'd like to come over, we can talk about this in person."

I could hardly believe my eyes; Ye Zhi had actually extended an invitation to me. I checked again to make sure I wasn't mistaken, and I felt a surge of excitement because I wanted to spend time with her; this must be a sign of affection.

On the other hand, is there really a man in this world who can remain unmoved when facing a woman? I don't think so. But having a good impression doesn't mean liking, let alone loving. After all, I am also a man with emotional experience. When dealing with these small emotions, I can be very rational and mature.

For example, no one can tell anymore that I still think of Lu Jia in the dead of night; I think of those irreversible past events, and feel waves of heart-wrenching pain.