Chapter 114

The sky was painted in shades of orange as tiny stars began to twinkle against the fading sunlight. The sun slowly descended beyond the horizon.

"Hurry up, everyone! If we don't get there soon, we might miss the special dishes of Wangshu Inn!" Paimon shouted from the front, waving her small hands towards the group behind her.

Hearing Paimon's shout, Lumine and Hiroshi exchanged a glance and quietly picked up their pace.

On the roadside, lanterns were already lit atop the wooden posts, casting a dim orange glow. A gentle breeze carried a light floral fragrance as rows of vibrant Glaze Lilies swayed gently.

Klee dashed across the small wooden bridge at the entrance and looked up in awe at Wangshu Inn, suspended high above the ground. Her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "It's so big!"

Turning around, she hugged Hiroshi's leg, looking up, her eyes filled with excitement. "Brother Hiroshi, are we staying here tonight?"

"Yes, we are." Hiroshi smiled, patting her head. "Do you like it?"

Klee nodded quickly, pointing towards the highest building. "Brother Hiroshi, let's go up there! Klee wants to see it!"

Holding Klee's hand, Hiroshi and Lumine began walking up the wooden steps.

"Welcome, may I ask how many guests?" The scent of food filled the air as the waitress greeted Hiroshi with a bow.

"There are six of us," Hiroshi replied.

The waitress, Verr Goldet, looked curiously at the group behind Hiroshi. "Are you expecting more friends to arrive later?"

"Hey!" Paimon flew up to the waitress's face, looking upset. "Are you not counting me as a person?!"

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Verr quickly apologized, taken aback by the strange little creature.

Bowing gracefully, she welcomed them with a smile. "Welcome to Wangshu Inn. You must be here to stay the night? May I ask which room you would like to book?"

"We want to stay up there!" Klee jumped excitedly, pointing towards the highest level. "Big sister, take us there, please!"

Verr looked over to Hiroshi, who nodded gently. With a smile, Verr said, "This way, please."

Leading them down a hallway, Verr smiled as she explained, noticing the group's curious glances around. "This is where guests usually dine. That entrance over there leads to the upper floors, but recently, due to some issues, the stairs are broken and currently unavailable."

As they stepped onto the finely crafted wooden walkway, Verr pointed towards a platform descending from above. "This is the automatic wooden lift of Wangshu Inn. It will take us directly to the top floor."

Stepping into the lift, Verr beckoned to the group. "Please come in quickly, everyone. We are about to head up. Don't worry, this lift is quite safe."

"Here we go!" Klee hopped into the lift, her eyes darting around in amazement. She waved her small arms toward Hiroshi. "Brother Hiroshi, hurry up! This is so fun!"

Hiroshi and Lumine exchanged amused smiles before stepping inside, followed closely by Noelle and Xiangling.

As the lift started to ascend, gears clanking, Klee and Paimon leaned over the edge, excitedly watching the ground grow farther away.

"Oh wow!!!" Their voices echoed, filled with awe. They looked up to see the top floor approaching, their laughter mixing with the sounds of the moving lift.

"Klee, Paimon, that's dangerous!" Noelle hurried over, gently grabbing the two and pulling them back inside.

Klee and Paimon let out small whimpers, eyes still glued to the retreating view. "Noelle! Let us go!" they both pleaded.

"No way!" Noelle held them tight, leaning closer to Hiroshi as she nervously eyed the height outside. "I can't let you do something that dangerous again!"

Verr, who had initially been startled by Klee and Paimon's antics, looked visibly relieved. She had just been about to step in when Noelle took control of the situation.

A soft thud marked the end of the lift's journey as it came to a gentle stop.

With a welcoming smile, Verr moved to the entrance and said, "We've arrived. Please watch your step as you exit."

Holding Klee and Paimon, Noelle rushed out first. Feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, she let out a relieved breath.

"Noelle, let us down now!" Klee wiggled her legs, looking up at Noelle. "Are you not feeling well, Noelle?"

"I'm fine," Noelle shook her head gently, smiling as she set them down. Squatting down, she pointed towards the railing nearby. "But Klee and Paimon, you must be careful not to go near the edge, okay? It would be very dangerous if you fell."

"Got it, Klee understands!" Klee cheered, looking around at the room with excitement. The house, covered with large branches, and the white clouds around the railing amazed her as she ran through the open door.

Behind the counter, Verr Goldet, the owner of Wangshu Inn, was busy recording the guest ledger. A black-and-white cat by her side watched as Klee darted past and scampered upstairs.

"Meow?" The cat tilted its head as it heard soft footsteps going up, prompting Verr to glance up, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Rising from her seat, Verr welcomed Hiroshi's group, who were being led inside by Verr Huai. "Welcome to Wangshu Inn. I am Verr Goldet, the proprietor here."

Upstairs, Klee ran all the way up two flights of stairs before coming to a stop at the top.

Adjusting her red cap, she looked out from the high platform. The sky was growing darker, and tiny stars began to shine.

A soft breeze drifted by, and white clouds floated below the platform. In the distance, mountains were faintly visible under the moonlight.

"It smells so nice," Klee muttered, sniffing the sweet aroma that hung in the air. She spotted a young boy seated on the platform, holding a bowl of almond tofu. Klee rushed over to him.

Tilting her head, she smiled brightly at the boy, who was none other than Xiao, and asked, "Big brother, can you tell Klee what that is?"

Xiao blinked at the little girl with twinkling eyes, a bit taken aback. "Almond tofu," he replied.

"Oh!" Klee stood up straight, eyeing the plate of almond tofu as she swallowed a little bit of saliva. She then wiped her mouth and waved at Xiao.

"Goodbye, big brother! Klee has to find Brother Hiroshi now!" She called out cheerfully before dashing away.

Watching her disappear down the stairs, Xiao said softly, "What a strange little girl."