Above the Vast Sea

Zhou Qiubai listened quietly without answering.

Tong An stood and pushed his chair back into place. "So if Boss made the two of you fight twelve, he must have had his reasons. I can't figure them out, but I won't apologize for him. If you feel wronged, you can curse him a couple of times. Boss wouldn't care anyway."

"I don't feel wronged." Zhou Qiubai set down his teacup, no sign of dejection on his face. "I just think it was a bit expensive."

Tong An froze. "What do you mean?"

"My clothes." Zhou Qiubai pointed at the slashes in his white robe. "Three Silver Soul Coins, you know."

Tong An stared at him, stunned for several breaths, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Just for that line, until you leave Canghai City, your lodging is free."

Zhou Qiubai's eyes lit up at once, shining with a pure radiance, his joy completely undisguised.

He set down his teacup, leaned forward without realizing it, and asked eagerly, "You mean that?"

"I do." Tong An held up three fingers. "The room fees at Listening to the Waves Inn, not a single coin charged. But..."

Of course. There was a but.

"Meals are still charged as usual."

The light in Zhou Qiubai's eyes instantly dimmed by half.

Tong An spread both hands, perfectly justified. "What were you thinking? Not charging for lodging is a favor. Charging for meals is business. I'm not running a charity hall. The two of you eat three meals a day, fish and meat every meal. If I waived all of that, by the end of the month I'd have to go beg for food on Upper Cliff."

This little brat—he clearly had so much money on him, so why was he saving every last scrap day after day?

Keeping