"So that thing really wasn't going to help me?" The man says looking down at his tied hands, feet also bound. He sat in the back of the carriage. Riding slowly and evenly.
"No. It was just using you." Mo Ran answers honestly. Watching the man with his arms crossed. Sitting across from him but angling his body so his legs are stretched out, blocking the exit. Face serious. "It needed the chi of the married woman. He feeds on them and their bodies. How did you know about the secret exits?"
"My grandpa told me about them. He was raised inside the inn. The inn use to be very popular with nobles. They would stay at our inn and eat. It use to house multiple services for them for their convenience and pleasure. Those passages where to help them escape if they were in potential danger. To help get them out safely."
"You work there." Wanning points out. Now remembering his face amongst the workers during the contest. Head resting peacefully on Mo Ran shoulder. Tired and still hungover. The water he had from Shi Mei helped but it wasn't nearly enough. Then he had to help them with the demon. That made him more sick. Lucky he could trust his former disciples to do the job, not that he was any help. Or can help. He can barely stand straight without being dizzy.
"Yeah. I figured I might be able to get the inn back if I worked there. Maybe I'll find something." He looks away. Mo Ran let's out a hum.
"Isn't the inn doing better? It seems really popular. Besides what you did." Mo Ran wonders.
"That's true." The man points out. His grandfather always told stories. It was a good place to rest but it wasn't popular.
"After getting gambled away the man started to advertise the inn as everyone is welcome. Anyone who needed to stay for the night. Your family only ever let the wealthy in. It gained money to keep going but it wasn't as successful as it should be. The family that owns it now opened it to everyone. For common people to get a bite to eat as they travel, or to take a breath. Even for richer couples to get a room. They have enough money to cover their own expenses and more. That's why there was a drinking contest. It was a way to advertise themselves and rub their success in the other inn's faces." Wanning explains.
"You know so much." Mo Ran grins. Wanning tilts his head up to look at Mo Ran.
"I just did my research before we came here." Mo Ran leans down to place a kiss on Wanning forehead, having him look so adorable. So glad he made Xue Meng and Shi Mei sit in the front, leading the carriage. Getting the time to enjoy resting in the back with Wanning.
Shi Mei almost took his spot but he used the excuse of also having been drinking and being drugged. Shi Mei, ever the kind soul believed him and gave in.
"My father..." the man says looking at Wanning intensely. Mo Ran glares, uncrossing his arms to hold Wanning closer to his side. Wanning gives a questioning look to Mo Ran, wondering what the man is doing. "He once told my grandfather to let it go. He use to be so upset about great- grandfather losing the inn. He told grandpa that we would have lost it anyway. It was better this way. Is that true?" he looks at Wanning pleadingly.
"I'm not sure." Wanning shrugs his shoulders. "But from what use to be said about the inn is that it only ever welcomed those wealthier than the common man. Those wealthy customers may have liked it but how often did they ever show up? If your family only ever wanted the wealthy then how much did staying a night cost? Many think the wealthy are loose with their money but in fact are frugal with their money. They are not going to spend money all the time on an expensive inn either. If the inn was doing well... your great-grandfather wouldn't have used it as gambling compensation."
"The fact he gambled it away means it wasn't doing well." Mo Ran adds. The man looks down once again.
"No one sells their golden goose. It's also not very safe to be traveling around. Most don't want to risk it. The inn wasn't getting much to begin with. They must have gotten enough to wait for the next costumer, if there was one." Wanning says.
They sit in silence. Wanning going lax next to Mo Ran. The man finally falling asleep.
"What happens now?" He asks lowly, not wanting to wake the woman up.
"It depends. We can maybe plead your case, tell them you were tricked by a demon, maybe some jail time but it wouldn't be unheard of for a life sentence... or the death sentence." Mo Ran explains not sugar coating it. The man can only sit silently as he lets a breath out. He regrets his decision but there's nothing he could do about it now. He never should have listened to the demon. It tempted him with a wish he so badly wanted. He now has to live with the knowledge he lead multiple woman to their death.
Mo Ran helps Wanning out. Closing the door behind him, leaving the man inside. "Are you sure you don't want to come in with us?" Shi Mei wonders.
"Yeah, it's your mission." Xue Meng points out.
"It's fine. We need to get some more rest. I feel like I'm about to collapse." Mo Ran says with a grin at them. And they really do feel ready to fall over. Especially Wanning. They are hungover, drugged and didn't get enough sleep. Pluss they were fighting. They must be hungry on top of all that.
"Sorry. We must be interrupting your mission." Wanning says leaning heavily on Mo Ran for support. Wanning eyes half closed. He's on his way to falling asleep. He's not even wearing proper clothes.
"You didn't interrupt anything. We were ahead of schedule anyways." Shi Mei says. Xue Meng nodding along.
"Then we'll turn him in then leave ourselves. See you both back at home." Xue Meng says to them, waving at them with a smile. Mo Ran and Wanning wave back at him. Shi Mei gives one last glance at the two then joins Xue Meng.
With them gone Mo Ran turns to Wanning. Without another word he picks the smaller man up, in a princess carry. Wanning is too tired to argue or even be embarrassed. Mo Ran steadily walks them back to the inn. Where Chang Fang is waiting for them. As soon as he sees them he stands up. Rushing to them.
"Is she okay? What about the other two? Is it solved?" He asks. Mo Ran gives him a kind smile.
"It's solved. The great grandchild of the previous owner did it. Under the influence of a demon. There's nothing to worry about anymore." Mo Ran explains as they walk in.
"Is it truly over?" He asks to make sure. Mo Ran nods.
"Yes. And for now we'd like to rest. The person who kidnapped the woman should be in jail. Our friends send him there just now. It was the demon who killed the woman." Mo Ran explains as he walks up the stairs to his room. So close to a bed.
"I see. Thank you and your wife for your help. Will you tell your-" Mo Ran stops the man by slamming the door shut in his face. It's rude but he doesn't care. He's tired. He feels like he got no sleep last night. For now he wants to sleep and never wake up again.
He sets Wanning (who is still wearing his outer robe still) on the bed first. Then he stips down until he's in his inner robes. He scoots Wanning closer to the wall. Safe. Then he spoon his lover. Bringing Wanning's hair to his nose. Smelling that haitang. Glad to have the man in his arms again. He of course was worried but they had a plan. He needed to stick to it. He's was so glad when he found the carriage and that his lover was unharmed. Sick but otherwise okay. Mo Ran can't blame him for being sick with how much he drank.
Mo Ran lets out a breath. The mission is complete so now they can rest without worry or getting woken up.