Chapter 39 Angelica Root and Red Date Stewed Pigeon Soup, Slightly Bitter with a Sweet Aftertaste…

A day later, when Bai Yuanzhi went to work at the Bilanting Hotel, she encountered an incident.

The Bilanting Hotel was a five-star establishment,

with the Pine Crane Tower being among its ultra-luxury guest rooms.

The Pine Crane Tower stood twenty-two stories high. The first five floors housed public facilities, while floors six to twelve each had six rooms per floor;

floors thirteen to seventeen had four rooms per floor, floors eighteen to twenty-one had one room per floor, and the twenty-second floor was reserved exclusively for the president of Bilanting.

Bai Yuanzhi usually worked on the ninth floor.

On this day, all the staff except Bai Yuanzhi were temporarily transferred to the nineteenth floor to assist with cleaning duties.

Bai Yuanzhi had only been employed for a short time and had never experienced such a large-scale temporary transfer before.

But A Xi and Xiao Yu had, so they said with worried expressions:

“Hey, it’s not going to be another scene where even the ceiling is sprayed with shit, is it? Otherwise, why would they need to transfer extra staff?”

“It’s so annoying. The richer they are, the wilder they play!”

“It’s us cleaners who suffer. Every time we get transferred, we’re so disgusted we can’t eat properly for a whole month…”

“Stop talking, stop talking. I already feel like vomiting!”

Bai Yuanzhi bit her lower lip. “The one who jumped before, was it—”

A Xi was stunned. “Huh? Jumped? What jump? No, no! Those female celebrities are willing participants! They get a lot of money, why wouldn’t they be willing? It’s us who aren’t willing! No overtime pay and still having to clean up shit… ugh!”

Xiao Yu was also stunned and thought for a long time. “I haven’t heard of any woman unwilling to jump… Wait, Ah Zhi, are you talking about the one from the first half of the year? But that woman probably wasn’t involved in that kind of scene, right?”

Bai Yuanzhi quickly pretended to be curious and asked, “Then what kind of scene was it?”

Xiao Yu said, “That I don’t know. Actually, the floor the girl fell from wasn’t very high. We’re on the ninth floor, so she probably fell from one of the sixth, seventh, or eighth floors. But she didn’t have a check-in record, so it’s likely she went to another floor first and then somehow ended up on the sixth, seventh, or eighth floor before falling…”

“Ah, I don’t know, I don’t know. Before you came, all the service and cleaning staff on the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors were fired. I don’t know the specifics!” Xiao Yu said.

A Xi added, “Luckily we’re on the ninth floor, so we didn’t get fired.”

Xiao Yu said, “What luck! I wish I had been fired. Everyone got four months’ severance pay, that’s over ten thousand!”

Bai Yuanzhi asked again, “Then don’t you know the people who were fired before? Where are they working now? Does being fired by Bilanting affect their future job searches?”

A Xi shook her head directly. “Even if we knew them, it was just a superficial acquaintance. We don’t have their contact information. Once they left, the connection was broken.”

Xiao Yu thought for a moment. “I know a few, but I heard they went to work at hotels in Yau Ma Tei. It probably doesn’t affect their future job searches, right?”

At that moment, Jennifer, also a service staff on the ninth floor, was unhappy that Bai Yuanzhi didn’t need to be transferred. She went to ask Sister Marry, “Sister Marry, why is everyone being transferred except Bai Yuanzhi?”

Sister Marry wore an unpleasant expression and said sarcastically, “Someone in HR is protecting her! Is anyone protecting you?”

Jenny was taken aback, her face flushed red with anger as she glared hatefully at Bai Yuanzhi.

Bai Yuanzhi was also stunned.

She thought to herself: Someone is protecting me?

Her first reaction was—could it be Zhou Weihao protecting her?

But after thinking about it, that didn’t seem likely.

Because Zhou Weihao hadn’t been to Bilanting since the incident.

So, who exactly was protecting her?

Regardless, Bai Yuanzhi was happy to avoid dealing with the “famous scene” that A Xi and Xiao Yu had mentioned.

A few hours later, when A Xi and Xiao Yu returned, everyone looked pale and on the verge of vomiting.

Bai Yuanzhi noticed an indescribable smell on them—a mix of feces, an inexplicable foul odor, strong cleaning agents, air fresheners, and various other intense scents all blended together, making her feel nauseous as well.

So, the workers, looking half-dead, lined up to shower and change clothes.

Bai Yuanzhi pulled A Xi and Xiao Yu aside to ask, “What exactly happened on the 19th floor? Was it a wild party? Who rented the room? Which female celebrities were there?”

Xiao Yu took out some refreshing medicinal oil and rubbed it on her forehead. “How would I know who rented it? And I don’t know which female celebrities were there… There were no guests when we arrived. We were there to clean up the feces… Ugh!”

A Xi added, “Yeah, we’ve only been working on the ninth floor for a while, so we recognize a few guests… But then again, even on the ninth floor, we don’t know who actually booked those rooms. We just recognize them because they’re long-term tenants.”

“As for the female celebrities I mentioned earlier, I only heard about them from others. Whether it was those celebrities this time… who knows?” A Xi said.

Xiao Yu grumbled unhappily, “The attendants responsible for the 19th floor were smart—they all took leave, claiming they were sick or had family matters, and disappeared without a trace! They left this mess for us to deal with. It’s disgusting… Ugh!”

Unable to gather any useful information, Bai Yuanzhi gave up.

A few days later, Bai Yuanzhi received a notice from Anthony that she needed to attend another meeting at the Chen Group.

Anthony told Bai Yuanzhi over the phone, “…Young Master Shuojie happens to be passing by Bilanting Hotel. If you don’t mind, Miss, you can ride with him.”

Bai Yuanzhi thought about it:

It was said that the Chen Family’s villa was also in Banwan.

From Banwan to the Chen Group headquarters, it didn’t seem like the route would pass by Bilanting Hotel!

Well, maybe Chen Shuojie was coming from the hospital… Wait, that didn’t seem to be on the way either?

Hmm, could it be that Chen Shuojie was coming from another residence?

Surely he wouldn’t be making a special trip just to pick her up!

Why worry about it so much?

Riding with Chen Shuojie would be convenient and save her seventy or eighty yuan in taxi fare.

“Alright, thank Young Master Shuojie then. Please also convey my thanks to Mr. Anthony. I’ll wait for him at the west gate of Bilanting Hotel in half an hour,” Bai Yuanzhi said.

After tidying up her tasks, Bai Yuanzhi gathered a stack of documents and hurried to the west gate.

A luxury car was already parked there.

The driver immediately approached upon seeing Bai Yuanzhi. “Good afternoon, Miss! Let me help you with your things!”

After taking the documents from Bai Yuanzhi’s hands, the driver escorted her to the back seat of the car and opened the door for her.

Bai Yuanzhi glanced inside and noticed Chen Shuojie was already seated in the car.

She paid it no mind and got in, but it was only after settling in that she realized something was off.

—The last time she and Chen Shuojie had argued at the Chen Group headquarters was because he had mocked her for dressing too casually.

So this time, she had come fully prepared, wearing a white blouse, a tailored blazer, a knee-length A-line skirt, and high-heeled leather shoes.

But why,

was Chen Shuojie wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and plain white sneakers?!

Bai Yuanzhi glared at Chen Shuojie.

Chen Shuojie had stubbornly refused to look at her at first, but he couldn’t help stealing a glance. He froze for a moment, his face flushing bright red, and quickly turned his head away again.

After a while, Chen Shuojie stole another glance at Bai Yuanzhi.

By then, she had already turned her head away, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

And so, Bai Yuanzhi watched the scenery all the way;

while Chen Shuojie watched Bai Yuanzhi all the way.

Upon arriving at the Chen Group headquarters,

this meeting proceeded without Chen Shen’s attendance. Everyone gathered in a conference room, making the atmosphere appear much more formal than last time.

Without Chen Shen’s presence, the attendees were no longer as reserved as before and raised a variety of questions.

For Bai Yuanzhi, her proposal was more about setting the direction, but she wasn’t familiar with the production and design processes for the film company’s merchandise.

The specific details were all discussed by Anthony’s subordinates.

Although Anthony was also present, he hardly spoke, quietly observing from the sidelines.

This reinforced Bai Yuanzhi’s belief in what Anthony had previously said—that for many matters, contacting his assistant Jimmy would likely be more effective than reaching out to him directly.

Nevertheless, this meeting was still quite meaningful.

Several concrete action items were confirmed, and Jimmy had clearly assigned responsibilities among his team members.

Bai Yuanzhi suggested bringing Qiao Yusheng’s family’s accessory company on board as a partner.

Jimmy agreed without hesitation. “Don’t worry, Miss Bai. Please give my contact information to Mr. Qiao and ask him to get in touch with me. I’ll arrange for him to come and bid when the time comes.”

Bai Yuanzhi thanked Jimmy.

After the meeting concluded,

Bai Yuanzhi prepared to leave.

Chen Shuojie maneuvered his wheelchair over. “Let’s go together.”

Then, with a sour expression, he added, “My dad asked me to take you to dinner.”

Bai Yuanzhi earnestly suggested, “You don’t have to escort me, and you don’t have to take me.”

Chen Shuojie: …

“That’s not an option,” Chen Shuojie said, lowering his gaze to the floor. “Since I promised my dad, I have to follow through.”

Bai Yuanzhi scoffed. “Really? Then your dad must have also asked you to study hard. Did you promise that? Did you follow through?”

Chen Shuojie frowned. “What do you mean I didn’t?”

“Then where’s the apology letter you promised me?” Bai Yuanzhi pressed. “Can’t write it? Don’t want to? Or is it that you simply can’t bring yourself to do it?”

Chen Shuojie grew irritated. “Look at my hands!”

Bai Yuanzhi crossed her arms. “You could also just say it out loud.”

Chen Shuojie glanced around, checking who might be nearby.

Not far away, several Chen Group employees lagging behind with documents in their arms were curiously observing Bai Yuanzhi and Chen Shuojie, having likely overheard most of their conversation, and couldn’t help showing surprised expressions.

Chen Shuojie’s face flushed red as he lowered his voice and said, “I’ll tell you later.”

Bai Yuanzhi: ???

Chen Shuojie maneuvered his wheelchair toward the executive elevator.

Bai Yuanzhi had no choice but to follow him.

Once they were in the car, Bai Yuanzhi immediately fixed her bright, expectant gaze on Chen Shuojie, as if saying, “Why haven’t you apologized to me yet?”

Chen Shuojie, both embarrassed and irritated, first gestured for Bai Yuanzhi to look at the driver, then gritted his teeth and said, “Wait until we get to the private room at the restaurant.”

Bai Yuanzhi really wanted to say: Now you’re worried about the driver being here, but later in the private room, you’ll say your dad is there!

No matter what, Bai Yuanzhi didn’t quite believe that the proud and arrogant Chen Shuojie would actually recite a three-hundred-word apology to her in both Chinese and English…

So, with the mindset of “Let’s see what you’re really up to,” she followed Chen Shuojie to—Jiahong Seafood Restaurant.

“I thought you’d take me to a Western restaurant,” Bai Yuanzhi said in surprise.

Chen Shuojie glanced at her. “Don’t you prefer Chinese food?”

In truth, Bai Yuanzhi had only escaped poverty six months ago and was still at the stage where she’d eat anything and enjoy it.

But if she really had to choose, she did prefer Chinese food—it was easier on the stomach!

So Bai Yuanzhi didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t until they entered the private room that Bai Yuanzhi exclaimed in surprise, “Mr. Chen isn’t here?”

Chen Shuojie’s ears turned slightly red. “He’s busy.”

Then he couldn’t help but ask in return, “Do you really enjoy having meals with him?”

“Of course not!” Bai Yuanzhi retorted.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Bai Yuanzhi fell silent.

Chen Shuojie suppressed a laugh.

Bai Yuanzhi quickly added, “Mr. Chen is so busy; we shouldn’t trouble him with everything.”

Chen Shuojie hummed in agreement and asked Bai Yuanzhi, “You order!”

Without hesitation, Bai Yuanzhi said, “I’ll have a small grouper. The ginger and scallion baked grouper head last time was really good, and I’ll also have a steamed grouper… That’s all for me. You order the rest.”

Chen Shuojie looked at the menu and chuckled. “You really do love fish!”

He called over the waiter, first ordering what Bai Yuanzhi wanted, then added an XO sauce braised sea eel, a plate of lightly blanched Japanese greens, two servings of slow-cooked nourishing soup, and a dessert—butter walnut cookies.

As soon as the waiter left,

Bai Yuanzhi grew a little excited. “Butter walnut cookies! I wonder if the ones here are any good.”

Chen Shuojie asked curiously, “You like the butter walnut cookies here too?”

Bai Yuanzhi shook her head. “I haven’t tried the ones here. A friend brought some to me—he lives in Tsing Yi… Probably brought them from there.”

Chen Shuojie looked puzzled but didn’t say anything.

Bai Yuanzhi asked him, “Alright, we’re in the private room now, and there’s no one else here. You can start apologizing to me.”

Chen Shuojie’s handsome face instantly flushed bright red. “You!”

“Changed your mind?” Bai Yuanzhi raised an eyebrow.

Chen Shuojie stammered, “You—you, you, you—”

He clenched his fists, struggling for a moment before finally saying, “If I apologize to you with three hundred words in both Chinese and English, will you… will you truly forgive me and act as if that incident never happened?”

Bai Yuanzhi sighed, thinking that Chen Shuojie really was the foolish son of a wealthy family.

—What’s the big deal about a three-hundred-word apology in both Chinese and English? The hundred-thousand-dollar check he gave her a few days ago was the real trump card!

Still, as a girl, she had to play her part and act a little haughty!

“Of course not!” Bai Yuanzhi said firmly.

Chen Shuojie’s mouth fell open.

Bai Yuanzhi continued, “You also have to promise me that from now on, you won’t treat me like that again.”

Chen Shuojie hurriedly replied, “I won’t…”

Bai Yuanzhi said seriously, “But I won’t believe you! Your hands and mouth are your own. If your words don’t match your heart, there’s nothing I can do about it, right?”

Chen Shuojie: …

After a long pause, Chen Shuojie said, “Then let me apologize to you first. Forgive me this time. If I ever do it again… you can decide whether to forgive me or not.”

Then, he took a deep breath—

And slowly began reciting his apology.

Now it was Bai Yuanzhi’s turn to be stunned.

She could tell that Chen Shuojie must have prepared the apology letter in advance and memorized it.

Because he would occasionally pause, remember, and then continue reciting slowly.

After finishing the Chinese apology, he started reciting the English version…

To be honest,

Chen Shuojie seemed a bit useless, with a face that looked perpetually weary of the world.

But his English was really fluent, with particularly standard and pleasant pronunciation.

Bai Yuanzhi was astonished.

Finally, Chen Shuojie slowly finished reciting his script.

After a moment, he asked, “Now, Miss Bai Yuanzhi, can you forgive me?”

Bai Yuanzhi snapped back to reality and nodded.

—Of course!

He had given her money, expressed his emotions, and shown genuine sincerity.

If she kept holding onto it, it would be too much.

Besides, he had suffered on her behalf,

and she had even beaten him up that day…

Better to quit while she was ahead!

“Mr. Chen Shuojie, I forgive you. As for that matter in the future…” Bai Yuanzhi thought for a moment and said earnestly, “Or maybe in the future, I might occasionally forget our agreement and bring it up again, but I can assure you, I no longer mind.”

Chen Shuojie finally smiled.

Just then, the waiter began serving the dishes.

Bai Yuanzhi picked up her chopsticks and started eating the ginger-steamed fish head.

Chen Shuojie said, “You should drink the soup before the meal. This soup is angelica and red date stewed with pigeon. I heard it’s especially good for girls.”

Hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi took a sip of the stewed soup.

Cantonese people love stewed soups.

Hong Kong City people, who share the same roots as Guangdong, also adore them.

This angelica and red date stewed pigeon soup had a slightly bitter yet sweet herbal taste, paired with the rich aroma of chicken broth. It was sweet with a hint of bitterness, and the warm soup was especially delicious.

The meal was almost finished when

the waiter finally brought the dessert—butter peach shortbread.

As soon as Bai Yuanzhi saw the butter peach shortbread, she let out a surprised “Ah!”

Chen Shuojie said, “Try it and see if it’s the same as what you’ve had before.”

Then he added, “This butter peach shortbread is a unique creation of Jiahong. The owner of Jiahong also runs a restaurant in Chinatown in the U.S. This butter peach shortbread is their signature dish there, and it was only introduced in Hong Kong City a month ago.”

Before he finished speaking, Bai Yuanzhi picked up a butter peach shortbread, broke off a small piece, and ate it.

A familiar taste completely overwhelmed her.

This was exactly what A Yao had given her to eat before!

The taste was almost identical.

But Chen Shuojie said this butter peach crisp is only available at the American branch and the Hong Kong City branch of Jiahong?

That couldn’t be right,

After all, given A Yao’s financial situation, it was impossible for him to bring her a peach crisp from America, nor could he have gotten one for her from the Hong Kong City branch of Jiahong…

“Is it the same?” Chen Shuojie pressed further.

Bai Yuanzhi was already puzzled,

But she and Chen Shuojie weren’t particularly close,

Her matters with A Yao weren’t suitable to share with Chen Shuojie.

So,

Better to avoid unnecessary trouble!

“Not quite the same,” Bai Yuanzhi replied succinctly.

Chen Shuojie nodded, “I thought so.”

After the meal, Bai Yuanzhi hurried off to night school, and Chen Shuojie maneuvered his wheelchair to escort her there.

However—

Just as Chen Shuojie left the private room, his wheelchair suddenly halted.

Bai Yuanzhi, following behind, couldn’t stop in time and bumped into the back of his wheelchair,

Causing her upper body to lean out of the private room, where she caught sight of two familiar figures—a man and a woman—heading toward the private room diagonally across.

Though she only saw their backs, Bai Yuanzhi recognized them instantly:

The man was none other than Chen Shuojie’s father, Chen Shen!

As for the woman…

She wore a custom-made little dress, with a slightly plump and rounded figure, clearly a flower of wealth and luxury.

For some reason, Bai Yuanzhi felt the woman’s back looked particularly familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before.

Chen Shuojie, blocking her view, suddenly let out a scornful laugh, “Bitch!”

Bai Yuanzhi’s eyes widened in shock.