Chapter 24 Lemon Herb Pan-Fried Beef Ribs and Cheese…

Ever since learning that Bai Yuanzhi had become a wealthy man’s contractual girlfriend, Ming Jiayao had been deeply unhappy.

He tried hard to digest his emotions on his own.

But he was still extremely depressed.

So he called Zhou Weihao, asking him to come over and keep him company for a few drinks… of cola.

By the time Zhou Weihao arrived, it was already past eight in the evening.

The luxurious apartment was filled with the aroma of food.

Upon closer inspection, it smelled like a rich seafood broth simmering.

“Wow, I’m just starving,” Zhou Weihao said with a laugh.

Ming Jiayao gave a slight smirk and instructed the butler to bring two more bowls of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles.

Just like that, Ming Jiayao and Zhou Weihao each received a steaming, incredibly delicious bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles.

Zhou Weihao was ravenous and in no time at all, he had completely finished the entire bowl of wonton noodles, soup and all.

“Wow, did you hire a Michelin chef from somewhere? The skill is this good?” Zhou Weihao let out a satisfied sigh.

Without looking up, Ming Jiayao said, “Is it good?”

“Delicious! I’ve never had such tasty wonton noodles before!”

Ming Jiayao scoffed, “How could it not be good? For one bowl of soup, they used a whole three-pound lobster and five one-pound African Black Gold Abalones! They also used several Two-Headed Runny Yolk Abalones…”

Zhou Weihao’s eyes widened, then he turned and told the butler, “Please bring another bowl. This time I’ll definitely eat slowly and savor it carefully!”

The butler took away the bowls and chopsticks and went to add more wontons.

Zhou Weihao asked Ming Jiayao, “With such delicious wonton noodles, what could possibly be making you unhappy?”

Seeing Ming Jiayao looking deeply troubled, as if unwilling to speak.

So Zhou Weihao guessed, “Has your mom gone crazy again?”

Ming Jiayao grunted in affirmation.

—Xu Wenrui had recently done several foolish things again, including but not limited to once more hiring someone to poison Ming Jiayao, paying off a prostitute with a sexually transmitted disease to pose as an innocent young girl to get close to Ming Jiayao, and persuading Old Master Ming to revoke Ming Jiayao’s inheritance rights, etc…

However, Ming Jiayao wasn’t upset because of this.

So Zhou Weihao guessed again, “Has your dad… found a few more mistresses?”

Ming Jiayao let out a cold laugh.

—Yes, indeed, his father Ming Zhixuan was constantly looking for mistresses, probably hoping to have more children.

But what Ming Zhixuan didn’t know was that Xu Wenrui, to ensure her position as Mrs. Ming remained unshakable, had long ago drugged him! Ming Zhixuan had lost his fertility a very long time ago.

It was just that Ming Zhixuan didn’t believe it; he thought it was Xu Wenrui who couldn’t bear children, so he kept taking mistresses, hoping to have a few more kids.

But, Ming Jiayao wasn’t upset because of this useless father either.

After all, a long time ago, he had already given up hope on this useless father.

Zhou Weihao guessed twice in a row but still couldn’t spark Ming Jiayao’s desire to confide, so he had to continue guessing, “…It couldn’t be that your grandpa is watching your dad and mom bully you, not only not helping you but actually becoming their accomplice, could it?”

Ming Jiayao let out a long sigh.

—His grandfather Ming Jingxing had an extremely strong desire for control. Just as Zhou Weihao said, Ming Jingxing was very pleased to see Ming Zhixuan and Xu Wenrui “chase after” Ming Jiayao.

Therefore, when Xu Wenrui went to persuade the old master, hoping he would revoke Ming Jiayao’s inheritance rights, the old master even treated Xu Wenrui kindly, adopting a meaningful attitude that suggested, “What you say makes a lot of sense, and I will seriously consider it.”

This further fueled Xu Wenrui’s ruthlessness!

However, Ming Jiayao wasn’t particularly sad or angry.

After all, he had long seen through this family.

Zhou Weihao guessed three times in a row but still couldn’t figure it out, leaving him quite astonished.

At this point, he had no idea what to do next.

Zhou Weihao thought for a moment and felt that if his buddy knew how miserable he was, he might feel a bit better.

So, Zhou Weihao spoke up again, “A Yao, do you know… about me and Duoluoxi… Ah, I really don’t know where to start.”

As soon as Ming Jiayao heard it was about matters of the heart, he immediately perked up his ears.

Zhou Weihao said with a bitter smile, “I proposed to Duoluoxi.”

Ming Jiayao was taken aback and quickly asked, “Did Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou bless you two?”

Zhou Weihao fell silent for a moment before replying, “It hasn’t even reached the point where their blessing matters… because Duoluoxi refused.”

Ming Jiayao: ???

Zhou Weihao sighed, “She said she doesn’t care about status.”

Ming Jiayao: !!!

Why does that sound… so familiar?!

The last time Zhou Weihao met his buddy, they didn’t have much time to talk in detail.

Now it was different.

Zhou Weihao rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhausted, and said, “For her, I chose to stand against the whole world! I even set aside the parents who gave me life and raised me… I just wanted to give her a home, to give her a status. But I never imagined that she would… refuse it!”

“A Yao, tell me, why would she do that?” Zhou Weihao asked.

Ming Jiayao blurted out, “Is she only after your money? Not you as a person?”

Zhou Weihao laughed, “How could that be? Duoluoxi and I have been together for ten years, I know her well… ten years! I’m not so foolish that I can’t even tell if she loves me or not!”

Ming Jiayao’s second reaction was, “Since she genuinely likes you, and you’re supporting her unconditionally, there’s no reason for her to avoid it. Could it be that she has some unavoidable hardship that prevents her from marrying you?”

The previous remark could be considered a slip of the tongue.

This time, Ming Jiayao was much more tactful.

Zhou Weihao frowned and pressed further, “Then what kind of hardship could it be?”

Ming Jiayao stared at Zhou Weihao for a long time, “For example, does she already have a boyfriend or a husband? Or maybe… she even has children already?”

Zhou Weihao laughed heartily, “How could that be! When we got together, she was only eighteen…”

Ming Jiayao, “Some girls from certain places marry and have children very early, Brother Hao. Haven’t you investigated her hometown?”

At this, Zhou Weihao couldn’t laugh anymore.

“I believe in Duoluoxi,” Zhou Weihao said, somewhat agitated, “…I believe she only feels that our social statuses are unequal, which is why she said something against her true feelings.”

“She’s just too kind-hearted and thinks too little of herself, believing that if I married her, others would laugh at me.”

Subconsciously, Zhou Weihao was unwilling to analyze the possibility Ming Jiayao had blurted out.

He preferred to believe his own speculation.

So Zhou Weihao hurriedly spoke up, “So A Yao, do you understand now where the problem lies between me and Duoluoxi?”

“It really lies with Duoluoxi!”

“She’s introverted, sensitive, and has low self-esteem. She lacks confidence…”

“Actually, even if she stays as she is now, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her.”

“But if she’s too insecure… then I hope she can become a bit more sunny and confident.”

“You know what, A Yao, I’ve already thought of a way to solve this! That is—I found a friend to act out a scenario with me. I think with that friend’s stimulation, Duoluoxi will soon be completely transformed!” Zhou Weihao said eagerly.

Ming Jiayao felt like he understood,

and yet he didn’t quite understand.

Most importantly, this matter… seemed to highly overlap with what he had heard from Bai Yuanzhi?!

“How do you and your friend plan to stimulate Duoluoxi?” Ming Jiayao asked.

Zhou Weihao said, “My friend is a very good girl. Like Duoluoxi, she doesn’t have much money and doesn’t have family support either. But she’s very confident, bold, and has strong execution.”

“I don’t mean to change Duoluoxi, of course. I just hope Duoluoxi can see more of those girls who are at rock bottom but still climbing hard.”

“I don’t have any other demands of Duoluoxi. I just hope she… can at least stand up bravely for me and stand by my side.” Zhou Weihao said word by word.

Ming Jiayao stared straight at Zhou Weihao and asked, “Who is your friend… what’s her name?”

As for this point, Zhou Weihao didn’t avoid it. “She’s my colleague, named Bai Yuanzhi.”

Ming Jiayao’s mouth fell open.

He never expected the situation to take such a dramatic turn.

—The girl he secretly admired had actually become his brother’s contractual girlfriend?

At this moment, Ming Jiayao’s feelings were complicated.

What made him relieved was that both Ah Zhi and Zhou Weihao were open and honest, not hiding anything from him.

Even more relieving was that Zhou Weihao loved someone else.

But Ming Jiayao was also uneasy.

Zhou Weihao was much older than him, a young, handsome, and charming nobleman. Plus, he had a gentle temper and no bad habits. Apart from insisting on dating a maid, he had no black marks so far, so Zhou Weihao had always been on the minds of many socialites;

But he, Ming Jiayao, was still a young boy who hadn’t fully grown up…

What if Ah Zhi just liked mature and steady men like Zhou Weihao?

So, Ming Jiayao tried to find out Zhou Weihao’s thoughts about Bai Yuanzhi from his mouth, “Brother Hao, what about this friend of yours…”

Zhou Weihao replied, “She’s a very good person.”

“How exactly is she good?” Ming Jiayao asked again.

As soon as he asked this, Ming Jiayao regretted it.

Of course, he knew how good Ah Zhi was, so why let others think she was good too?

What if Zhou Weihao thought more and more about how good Ah Zhi was…

What should he do then!

And Ming Jiayao’s question had already stunned Zhou Weihao.

He opened his mouth wide, stunned for a long time before saying, “Ah Zhi and Duoluoxi are completely different people.”

“Duoluoxi is like warm water; being with her is very comfortable.”

“Ah Zhi is like the midday sun, full of vitality, but sometimes… to be honest, watching her makes me feel quite tired.”

“Duoluoxi is better, she doesn’t put any pressure on me.”

As he spoke, Zhou Weihao tried once more to evaluate Bai Yuanzhi. “Anyway, Ah Zhi is a very good person… well, she’s quite straightforward and down-to-earth.”

Ming Jiayao wanted to laugh.

Because—

Zhou Weihao racking his brains to comment on Bai Yuanzhi perfectly illustrated how a well-mannered young gentleman, when trying not to hurt anyone, would painstakingly come up with compliments.

He knew it wasn’t that Zhou Weihao couldn’t see Ah Zhi’s good qualities,

but rather that in Zhou Weihao’s heart, Duoluoxi was the best woman, which was why he kept bringing her up in every sentence.

So, no matter how good Ah Zhi was, Zhou Weihao couldn’t feel it…

Ming Jiayao finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“Brother Hao, what do you plan to do then?” Ming Jiayao asked.

Zhou Weihao replied honestly, “Ah Zhi and I have already had some preliminary discussions. I hope to proceed in three steps. The first step is to solidify the ‘ambiguity’ between Ah Zhi and me. This has already shown some results—Duoluoxi’s cousin Marry should already know, and I believe Duoluoxi will find out soon too.”

As he spoke, Zhou Weihao sighed. “Actually, I’m quite looking forward to seeing Duoluoxi’s reaction… Based on my understanding of her, she’ll cry, she’ll be very upset, and most likely she’ll cry and want to break up with me.”

“As long as she comes to talk to me, I’ll tell her that Ah Zhi and I are completely innocent. Then I’ll encourage her to do what she wants, just like Ah Zhi is steadily working toward her dreams…”

Ming Jiayao asked again, “What about the second step?”

Zhou Weihao answered, “The second step… in a few days, Xu’s Enterprise will hold its annual gala, and I’ve already received an invitation. Duoluoxi doesn’t like attending such events with me, so I’ve decided to take Ah Zhi instead.”

“Think about it—once I bring Ah Zhi, everyone in our circle… will know, and my family will know too.”

“I’ve already discussed it with Ah Zhi. If my family contacts her, she’ll put on a bit of a performance…”

Ming Jiayao quickly asked, “How do you want her to perform?”

Zhou Weihao paused for a moment but didn’t hide it from Ming Jiayao. “I hope Ah Zhi can leave a not-so-good impression on my family, at least make them feel that she’s not as good as Duoluoxi… Only then will my family settle for the second best and think it’s better to let me be with Duoluoxi…”

Ming Jiayao frowned. “What price will Ah Zhi have to pay?”

Zhou Weihao said, “It’s still unclear for now…”

Ming Jiayao added, “At the very least, her reputation will suffer.”

Zhou Weihao sighed. “Probably so!”

Seeing Ming Jiayao’s expression darken,

Zhou Weihao couldn’t help but defend himself. “I’ve already discussed this with Ah Zhi beforehand, and she agreed. After all, I’m paying her a hundred thousand for this!”

As he spoke, Zhou Weihao looked at Ming Jiayao curiously. “A Yao, do you know Bai Yuanzhi too? Otherwise, why are you so concerned about her?”

Ming Jiayao was startled!

He didn’t dare admit it.

“No, no, I don’t know her…” Ming Jiayao quickly said. “I just think, why would any girl agree to such a terrible idea you came up with?”

Zhou Weihao felt utterly humiliated but still tried to salvage his dignity. “Just wait until you also have a girlfriend who doesn’t want to get married or care about status—then you’ll understand!”

Ming Jiayao originally wanted to retort, “You’re talking nonsense,” but upon careful thought, with a family like his—a perverted grandfather, an incompetent father, and a malicious mother—it was quite possible Ah Zhi wouldn’t even look at him! Even if Ah Zhi could reluctantly accept him, he couldn’t let her follow him and be hunted down by his own mother every day! For a moment, Ming Jiayao was overwhelmed with worry.

Zhou Weihao continued trying to restore his image. “Besides, Ah Zhi has already taken that money and bought a building!” After some thought, he felt that as long as he shifted the topic to Bai Yuanzhi, he could cover up the embarrassment of “giving terrible advice.” So, Zhou Weihao started talking about Bai Yuanzhi. “I’ve really never seen a girl act so decisively! Honestly, you know how strong-willed my mom is. But I think Ah Zhi is even more strong-willed than her…”

“And today, Ah Zhi told me she also wants to start a company!” Zhou Weihao began to complain.

Ming Jiayao was more than willing to listen to anything about Bai Yuanzhi. Immediately, his eyes lit up, and he played along like a straight man in a comedy duo. “What? She bought a building yesterday and wants to start a company today?” Ming Jiayao was overjoyed!—Ah Zhi really was a woman of action!

Zhou Weihao nodded. “Yeah, actually, I know that when she brought this up with me, she probably hoped I could help her. I refused because, after all, the only thing we agreed on was the 100,000 yuan, and I kept my promise and gave it to her.”

“But I also don’t want to get too involved with her… Think about it: Duoluoxi and I have been together for ten years. I wanted to give her a building, but she refused. I even offered to put my company under her name, and she still refused… If Duoluoxi found out that I gave Ah Zhi a building and a company not long after meeting her, it might backfire on my relationship with Duoluoxi.”

“So, even though I trust Ah Zhi’s character and I’m willing to help her, there are some things you just can’t do. That’s the bottom line,” Zhou Weihao explained.

Ming Jiayao nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes, Brother Hao, you make perfect sense!” He thought for a moment. “If Ah Zhi really wants a company… I think I can help her!” Ming Jiayao really wanted to say that, although he couldn’t directly give Bai Yuanzhi 200,000 yuan to start a company, he could give her one. He wasn’t of age yet and didn’t have any businesses in his name, but under Ah Wu and Ah Jiu’s names, there were about a dozen companies of various sizes. He could have one of the smaller companies go through bankruptcy liquidation and then let Ah Zhi buy it through an auction. That way, Ah Zhi wouldn’t need to spend 200,000 yuan to own a company!

The more Ming Jiayao thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed—until he heard Zhou Weihao’s question. “A Yao, what are you talking about?”

“You… you want to help Ah Zhi?” Zhou Weihao asked in surprise. “Why would you help her? Do you know her?”

Ming Jiayao let out an “ah” and quickly denied it. “No, I don’t know her! I… I-I-I… I just think that since she’s your friend, she’s my friend too, hahaha… right, Brother Hao?” Ming Jiayao blurted out nonsense.

Zhou Weihao waved his hand. “No need! I’ve already helped her solve the problem.”

Ming Jiayao couldn’t help but ask again, “It’s already resolved? But didn’t you just say you wouldn’t give her money to start a company?”

Zhou Weihao found it amusing. “She’s just an eighteen-year-old girl who’s only been in Hong Kong City for three months. Buying property is already a fantasy. If she successfully started a company on top of that, in my opinion, it might not be good for her. But yes, the matter has indeed been resolved, and she’s very satisfied with the outcome…”

As he spoke, Zhou Weihao explained the agreement he had reached with Bai Yuanzhi.

Ming Jiayao suddenly understood.

But what followed was still Ming Jiayao’s deep contemplation.

He had to admit—

In the matter of “Bai Yuanzhi wanting to start a company,” Zhou Weihao’s approach was the best.

Yes, Ah Zhi’s idea wasn’t wrong, but she’s only just arrived in Hong Kong City and hasn’t even established herself yet! It’s only because she met someone as good-natured as Mrs. Xu that she got a small order… But ultimately, it’s also because Mrs. Xu didn’t care much about the amount of that order. If it were some major, significant order, Mrs. Xu wouldn’t dare place it with Ah Zhi.

But Zhou Weihao is a young master from the upper circles, and his trading company is quite reputable. With Zhou Weihao’s endorsement, others would feel a sense of trust when placing orders with Ah Zhi.

Zhou Weihao and Ming Jiayao chatted until late at night.

Ming Jiayao finally understood that the relationship between Zhou Weihao and Ah Zhi was purely professional, so he let down his guard.

As for Zhou Weihao, it was because he could talk freely with his brother, allowing his long-suppressed emotions to finally pour out…

In any case, it wasn’t until the two of them finished every last drop of the pot of Dried Lobster and Fresh Abalone Soup that Ming Jiayao had prepared that Zhou Weihao finally said goodbye and went home.

This time—

When Zhou Weihao pushed open his front door again, everything had returned to how it was before:

The house was lit with warm lights, everything was clean and tidy, steaming hot food was laid out on the dining table, and Duoluoxi was sitting properly on the sofa.

Seeing Zhou Weihao return,

Duoluoxi quickly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

She hurried over, humbling herself, and knelt on the floor to help Zhou Weihao change into his slippers.

Zhou Weihao avoided her and changed them himself.

Duoluoxi froze for several seconds, as if turned to stone.

It wasn’t until Zhou Weihao walked away

that she reached out to support herself against the nearby cabinet and slowly stood up.

Zhou Weihao glanced at the food on the table… it was still Western cuisine. The main course was Lemon Herb Pan-Fried Beef Ribs, the staple was Cheese and Ham Baked Macaroni, accompanied by Cinnamon Pumpkin Puff Pastry Soup, along with a salad and a glass of sweet white wine as an aperitif.

For some reason,

what came to Zhou Weihao’s mind was the incredibly fresh seafood soup Ming Jiayao had treated him to, the Roast Goose Fourth Uncle had invited him to eat, and even the Lai Fun (Rice Noodles) Bai Yuanzhi had shared with him.

At this moment, he really didn’t want to eat Western food.

He didn’t even want to look at it!

Zhou Weihao sighed softly and turned toward the bedroom.

“Ahao,” Duoluoxi’s hoarse voice came from behind him. “It’s so late, you must be hungry, right? Won’t you eat something?”

“No, I’m full from eating at A Yao’s place,” Zhou Weihao said. “I’m going to take a shower.”

He went straight to the bathroom.

—The bathtub in the bathroom was already filled with hot water at just the right temperature. Beside it were a long-handled bath brush, bath salts, and even a magazine with a very recent date. On the nearby shelf, neatly folded pajamas were placed properly.

Zhou Weihao stared at the bathroom for a long time, feeling inexplicably irritable deep down.

He roughly stripped off his clothes and tossed them on the floor before stepping into the bathtub.

After finishing his bath, he returned to the bedroom.

Duoluoxi was already sitting by the bed, lost in thought.

She gazed at him with a sorrowful look, tears welling up in her eyes.

But he averted his gaze and got into bed to sleep.

Duoluoxi’s tears began to fall, one by one.

= =

 

Early the next morning, Bai Yuanzhi arrived at the Pine Crane Tower of Bilanting Hotel right on time at 7:50, as usual.

This time, Sister Marry didn’t give Bai Yuanzhi a hard time.

She didn’t even gather everyone for a lecture like before.

This left everyone feeling a bit uneasy.

Xiao Yu kept glancing back at the corridor every now and then while working, wondering when Sister Marry would come to cause trouble;

A Xi was restless, jumping at the slightest sound or movement…

Bai Yuanzhi, however, paid no mind to it.

She simply focused on her tasks, working efficiently and diligently.

Until—

A Xi rushed over with a warning, “Oh no, oh no, Sister Marry is here!”

Soon, everyone looked as if disaster was about to strike.

Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t help but smile.

“Bai Yuanzhi!” Sister Marry’s voice rang out.

Bai Yuanzhi turned and saw Sister Marry standing there.

And—

Beside Sister Marry stood a middle-aged woman draped entirely in high-end designer wear and luxury brands.

The woman had short hair that reached her ears, adorned with a pearl hairpin, a pearl necklace around her neck, and a pearl bracelet on her wrist;

She wore a light purple high-end suit dress, sparkling high heels on her feet, and carried a brand-new designer handbag;

She stared quietly at Bai Yuanzhi, saying nothing, yet her entire demeanor screamed “I am the rightful wife”…

Bai Yuanzhi recognized her at once—this woman was Duoluoxi!

However, despite Duoluoxi’s deliberate efforts to dress up, she didn’t appear particularly elegant or beautiful.

Perhaps it was because Duoluoxi had neglected her figure, appearance, and hair over the years,

So she had gained weight in middle age, with a thick waist;

So her skin was dark and rough, and despite wearing makeup, it looked cakey and patchy;

So her short hair appeared somewhat greasy and unstyled…

She truly looked like… a servant who had stolen her mistress’s fine clothes.

Sister Marry spoke to Bai Yuanzhi with an air of arrogance, “…Come here for a moment.”

Bai Yuanzhi responded with a polite smile, “But Sister Marry, I’m working right now! If you’re asking me to come over, is it for work-related matters or for your personal affairs?”

Before Sister Marry could even wipe the smug look off her face, she was trembling with anger at Bai Yuanzhi’s words!

She turned to Duoluoxi and said furiously, “Duoluoxi, look at her! Just look at her! She’s infuriating…”

Duoluoxi stared at Bai Yuanzhi for a moment before speaking politely, “Hello, Miss Bai, I am Duoluoxi. I apologize for the interruption, but I would like to speak with you.”

The moment the name “Duoluoxi” was uttered—

All the workers present gasped in unison.

Everyone looked at Bai Yuanzhi with concern.

But Bai Yuanzhi turned her gaze to Sister Marry, who was standing nearby.

Sister Marry was looking at Bai Yuanzhi triumphantly, her face clearly expressing the sentiment, “You’re finished.”

Bai Yuanzhi pretended not to recognize Duoluoxi.

She also spoke politely to Duoluoxi, “Hello, ma’am. I am currently on duty and can only serve our guests. Are you a guest staying at Pine Crane Tower?”

Duoluoxi hesitated for a moment before replying, “No.”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled and said, “Then I’m very sorry, but you may have to wait until noon when I get off work before I have time to discuss matters with you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Yuanzhi let out an “ah” and apologized to Duoluoxi again, “I’m very sorry, ma’am. I suddenly remembered that I have plans with a friend after work later, so I probably won’t have time to talk with you. I truly apologize.”

Duoluoxi’s face instantly turned pale with anger.

Sister Marry was nearly furious, “Bai Yuanzhi! Do you really not know who Duoluoxi is, or are you just pretending?”

The coworkers wanted to watch this intense confrontation but were also afraid of getting caught up in it.

Everyone kept their heads down, pretending to be busy with their tasks, while perking up their ears to listen closely.

Bai Yuanzhi replied to Sister Marry, “Sister Marry, I’ve only been working here for three days. Is not knowing this Duoluoxi lady some kind of unforgivable crime?”

“If you think Duoluoxi is an important guest, then please introduce her, Sister Marry?” Bai Yuanzhi said with an innocent expression.

Sister Marry glared fiercely at Bai Yuanzhi with a look that said, “Just wait and see how you’ll suffer later.”

“Then today, I’ll make sure you understand before you meet your end!” Sister Marry said, “Our Duoluoxi is…”

Duoluoxi stopped Sister Marry, “In my opinion, Miss Bai is right. I am not currently a guest at Bilanting, so it’s only natural that Miss Bai has no time to attend to me.”

Sister Marry probably didn’t expect Duoluoxi to back down at the last moment and was momentarily speechless. She then glared at Duoluoxi with a look of exasperation.

Duoluoxi gently said to Bai Yuanzhi, “Then, Miss Bai, we’ll see each other later.”

After saying that, she pulled Marry away with her.

Bai Yuanzhi blinked, wondering how they would meet later.

She soon found out.

Because—

Duoluoxi paid to book a room at Songhe Tower.

Sister Marry came over to find Bai Yuanzhi with her chin held high, “Well, hurry up and go. Duoluoxi is waiting for you in Room 3 on the seventeenth floor.”

Bai Yuanzhi looked surprised, “But Sister Marry, I’m a cleaner responsible for the ninth-floor guest rooms. The seventeenth-floor rooms aren’t under my care.”

Sister Marry was almost furious, “You!!!”

Bai Yuanzhi imitated Duoluoxi’s earlier manner, politely smiled at Sister Marry, and pushed her cleaning cart away.

This left Sister Marry standing there, panting heavily in anger.

However, Bai Yuanzhi soon received an official transfer order issued by Sister Marry—she had temporarily reassigned Bai Yuanzhi to the seventeenth floor.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t mind.

After all, she had long prepared herself mentally to face Duoluoxi alone.

To be honest, the fact that Duoluoxi had waited until now to come find her was already beyond Bai Yuanzhi’s expectations.

Bai Yuanzhi obediently pushed her cleaning cart and took the internal elevator to the seventeenth floor.

“Ding—”

The seventeenth floor arrived.

Bai Yuanzhi pushed her cleaning cart out of the elevator.

However, the room numbering order on the seventeenth floor seemed different from that on the ninth floor.

Bai Yuanzhi pushed her cart around but couldn’t find Room 3.

Just as she was feeling lost,

a door suddenly opened from the inside, and a young man walked out of the room.

Bai Yuanzhi instinctively glanced at the sign beside the door—

Strangely enough,

The marker was not a room number, but a metal plaque engraved with a three-leaf plant complete with its roots.

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t think too much about it. Following the hotel regulations, she immediately pushed the cleaning cart to the side of the corridor, then stood against the wall beside the cart, crossing her hands over her abdomen, eyes fixed downward with a standard smile, and greeted the young man, “…Good morning, sir.”

The young man walked slowly toward Bai Yuanzhi. “You look a bit unfamiliar.”

“Yes, sir, I’m a new service staff member,” Bai Yuanzhi replied politely.

The young man stared at Bai Yuanzhi for a moment and asked, “Oh? Is that so?”

“What’s your name?” he asked again.

Bai Yuanzhi answered, “Hello, sir, my name is Ke Linger.”

This was also a rule of the Songhe Hotel.

All service staff were called Winnie,

and all cleaning staff were called Ke Linger.

Clearly, this young man was a long-term resident of the Songhe Hotel.

He knew the rules.

“I mean, what’s your real name?”

Bai Yuanzhi had no choice but to reply, “Sir, my surname is Bai. You can call me Xiao Bai.”

“Your surname is Bai?” The young man seemed surprised.

Bai Yuanzhi also felt a bit puzzled, thinking to herself, why can’t my surname be Bai?

The situation was too strange, so Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t help but look up and glance at the young man.

—He was quite handsome, of average height, and dressed well.

But his skin was pale, his chin too sharp, and he had puffy eyes, giving an inexplicable impression… as if he had indulged too much.

When she looked up, the young man also got a clear view of Bai Yuanzhi’s face.

He stared blankly at her, not moving for a long time.

Bai Yuanzhi had no choice but to lower her head again.

After a moment, the young man asked her, “The cleaning for the rooms on this floor is already done, so why are you here… exactly?”

Bai Yuanzhi felt extremely uneasy.

—This young man seemed very familiar with the situation at the Songhe Hotel, and he also appeared particularly alert. He even… seemed to suspect Bai Yuanzhi’s identity?!

For some reason, a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on Bai Yuanzhi’s back.

Fortunately, Bai Yuanzhi had forced Sister Marry to issue a formal transfer order to make things difficult for her.

So Bai Yuanzhi said loudly, “Sir, I was temporarily transferred to the seventeenth floor to serve Room Three.”

The young man nodded but continued to stare at Bai Yuanzhi with icy, arrow-like eyes. “So, you weren’t originally on this floor?”

Bai Yuanzhi replied, “No.”

“Which floor were you on before?”

Bai Yuanzhi’s unease grew stronger, but her identity wasn’t fake, so why pretend?

“Sir, I was originally a cleaner on the ninth floor.”

“Ninth floor, Xiao Bai,” the young man murmured, pointing in a direction. “Room Three is over there.”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

She remained standing in place.

This was the hotel rule: one must wait until the distinguished guest leaves before moving.

The young man stared at Bai Yuanzhi for a while longer before turning to leave.

Bai Yuanzhi also watched his retreating figure for a moment.

—Why was this person’s presence so overwhelming?!

Bai Yuanzhi didn’t have much time to think about who this young man was,

because,

at some point, Duoluoxi had already opened the door to Room Three and was standing at the entrance, looking at Bai Yuanzhi, and politely called out, “Miss Bai.”

Bai Yuanzhi adjusted her expression and offered Duoluoxi a slight smile.