"Alright, I've said what I needed to say, you can leave now. Don't come back if there's nothing, and preferably don't come back even if there is." Xu Ke began to see them off, but no one was upset; in fact, some could barely restrain the smiles on their faces.
When the hotel doors opened, Xu Ke didn't speak to stop them or even block them, and these people scampered off like birds returning to the forest, even the bully who had been in pain earlier fled quickly.
It wasn't until all the small-time hooligans left the hotel that Xu Ke felt he could finally believe this catastrophe was truly behind him. The innkeeper and his wife hugged each other, while Alice was sandwiched in the embrace of her parents. They held Alice tightly, as if fearing their daughter might disappear if their grip wasn't firm enough.
Alice understood her parents' feelings, so even though their embrace was uncomfortable, she didn't express it. Instead, she patiently consoled her anxious parents.
