Xi Quan did not stay long at the welcome dinner. At the City Guard gathering, he merely showed his face, exchanged greetings, and got acquainted with Lou Xiu. The real friendship was to be established privately.
He soon left again, and the proprietress Yin Xu personally saw him off.
This time, as Xi Quan descended the stairs, he was expressionless and did not directly look at Shi Chun's group, though he did catch them out of the corner of his eye.
After seeing off the guests, Yin Xu stood outside with a fading smile, then returned inside without directly looking at Shi Chun's group; her peripheral vision caught a group focusing on her, causing her lips to curve into a smile, approving of her own charm as she softly flipped her hair.
The welcome dinner lasted long into the night with eating, drinking, and merrymaking until the City Guard folks finally dispersed, carrying the scent of alcohol.
