Huang Ling had the driver drop her off at the intersection one traffic light away from the hotel.
But before she even made it to the company, the rumors had already sprouted wings and were flying all over the hotel.
By the time the story reached Huang Ling's ears, it had already morphed into the two of them having slept together last night and only arriving at work together in the same car this morning.
Huang Ling was so irritated she wanted to contact a lawyer and sue every single colleague at the hotel for defamation and slander—but she was afraid the legal aid assigned to her case would be Liang Wenpei.
Fortunately, the morning was busy enough that Huang Ling barely had a moment to catch her breath, leaving her no time to be angry.
The department managers were scheduled for a morning meeting, but ever since Zhao Bing had returned, those meetings no longer fell to Huang Ling. While the managers were in their meeting, Huang Ling went to inspect the rooms. There weren't many check-outs these past few days, but that was precisely what Huang Ling dreaded most—several tour groups and a government conference were all checking out.
They occupied nearly eighty percent of the rooms, and almost all of them were checking out around the same time.
After Zhao Bing finished his meeting, he called the department together for a brief huddle.
"At this morning's general meeting, the resident manager praised our housekeeping department in front of Junior Manager Lu, saying our hygiene standards have been excellent lately and the entire department's morale has been completely revitalized. Junior Manager Lu has decided to give everyone a five-hundred-yuan bonus. As your supervisor, I feel extremely proud and honored. This also proves that my management during this period has been sound, and that everyone has been cooperating actively." Zhao Bing started clapping himself as he finished speaking.
The moment they heard about the bonus, whatever resentment everyone had been harboring seemed to evaporate instantly, and they all joined in with enthusiastic applause.
Zhao Bing straightened his expression and continued: "But there's a big task ahead. On Wednesday, over a dozen distinguished guests will be checking in. We'll need to assist other departments in setting up the conference room. The attendees are all prominent figures in the domestic financial world, and one of them is even a friend of General Manager Lu. He may come by himself as well, so we must ensure the rooms are spotless and absolutely safe. On Thursday, three tour groups are checking out, with the latest checkout at ten in the morning. In the afternoon, two more tour groups will be checking in, with the earliest arriving at noon. I know it'll be tough, so thank you all for your hard work. That's everything I need to communicate. Deputy Manager Huang and Lu Ming, could you two stay behind? Everyone else, it's getting late—go eat."
Huang Ling and Lu Ming followed Zhao Bing into his office.
Zhao Bing's stern expression from moments ago vanished. He sat down behind his desk and gestured for the two of them to take the seats across from him. "You came in with Junior Manager Lu this morning?"
Huang Ling's expression didn't change at all upon hearing this. With Lu Ming still in the office, she found the question extremely presumptuous.
"General Manager Lu just wanted to learn about the operations of the hotel I previously worked at in England. I have no idea how it got twisted into all these rumors." Huang Ling's answer was watertight.
Zhao Bing gave her a knowing smile. "Junior Manager Lu thinks highly of you. Once I retire, this position will be yours."
Huang Ling was puzzled. Did he call her in here just to say all this nonsense?
"No matter where I am, I'm working for the hotel." Huang Ling spoke with righteous conviction, though inwardly she feared that summer thunderstorms might strike her down for lying through her teeth.
As he spoke, Zhao Bing was doing something on his computer, clicking away with his mouse before rummaging through his desk drawer. "The real reason I called you in is to ask how you feel about my management during this period. Speak freely and don't hold back."
Alarm bells went off in Huang Ling's head. She had a bad feeling about this. If it were purely a discussion about management systems, why would he have called in Lu Ming, who had only just joined?
"The general manager already praised our department. Your management is obviously excellent." Huang Ling played it vague.
Zhao Bing let out a heavy, meaningful sigh. "I understand. The reason this system hasn't shown any problems yet is because we haven't had a concentrated wave of mass check-outs."
Huang Ling raised an eyebrow. He actually knew.
Zhao Bing: "So next Thursday will be a severe test for our housekeeping department."
Huang Ling froze for a moment, then probed cautiously: "So, will the overtime fee standards be relaxed for that period?"
"I never said that." He stared at her for a moment, then pulled something out of his desk drawer and handed it to Lu Ming, who took it and left.
Huang Ling still hadn't figured out what he was up to, and Zhao Bing didn't waste any more words with her—he sent her off as well.
It was utterly baffling.
Being unable to figure it out made Huang Ling uneasy. She feared there was some scheme brewing.
Full of questions, she headed to the restaurant. She'd missed the peak dining hours, so there wasn't much food left.
Huang Ling grabbed two simple dishes and was scanning the dining area when she spotted Pei Wenliang waving at her from across the room.
Sitting across from her was a young woman who looked to be around the same age.
"Sister, why are you only coming to eat now?" Pei Wenliang tidied up the things on the table to make room for Huang Ling's tray.
"Been a bit busy." Huang Ling took a sip of coffee.
Hearing this, a trace of heartache and worry flickered across Pei Wenliang's face. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Huang Ling lowered her voice again: "Is it because of the young Master Lu?"
Huang Ling wasn't at all surprised that the gossip had reached their administrative building. Ever since she returned from abroad, because she'd been headhunted by Lu Yunli, she'd been tagged with the "crown prince's faction" label. She could accept being called his lackey or lapdog, but who on earth thought she'd actually like Lu Yunli?
Recalling the ordeal he'd put her through at that hotel in the UK, she even hoped that one day Lu Yunli would go bankrupt and fall into her hands—she'd make him prepare her a room-temperature slushie drink that wasn't too sweet, wasn't too bitter, had no alcohol but carried the aroma of it, and was both refreshing and mellow.
Huang Ling opened her mouth to curse, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lu Yunli wiping his lips with a tissue as he passed by not far away.
The words died in her throat. She swallowed them back down: "It's all for the hotel's performance."
"Sis, do you like him?"
Huang Ling gave a bitter smile. She didn't dare casually badmouth her boss. She felt that the number of lies she'd told today had already reached the critical threshold of her morality, and let out an awkward dry laugh: "I revere and respect him."
Pei Wenliang, however, remained full of worry. Following Huang Ling's gaze, she only caught a glimpse of a profile before it became a retreating back—the profile had striking, well-defined bone structure, and broad back muscles straining against his shirt.
Although her brother had always been controlling of her since childhood, which once made Pei Wenliang hate and fear him, she had to admit that with normal aesthetic standards, her brother was good-looking. But now, seeing a handsome man who could rival her brother, she inwardly sounded the alarm.
Yet hearing Huang Ling's answer and seeing her expression, Pei Wenliang felt that Huang Ling didn't seem to like this young Master Lu either.
If she didn't like him, then for her brother's sake—and for a life-saving token she could use whenever her brother got fierce with her in the future—Pei Wenliang immediately decided to sacrifice herself for the cause.
Huang Ling watched Pei Wenliang's expression inexplicably shift from full-faced worry to the tragic solemnity of someone marching to their death, and for a moment, she couldn't quite snap back to reality. The girl she'd been eating with had long since finished and stood up to head back to the office for her lunch break, and only then did Pei Wenliang hurriedly rise to follow.
Huang Ling finished her meal shortly after and was just stepping into the elevator to return to her office when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, didn't answer, changed the floor number, and went to the top floor.
The top floor had few suites, and the price of over ten thousand a night didn't even drop below ten thousand in the off-season.
Huang Ling walked to room 9898, raised her hand, and knocked lightly. Before long, the door opened.
Lu Yunli had already changed out of the suit he'd been wearing downstairs. He was in pajamas, holding a glass of whiskey.
He walked back into the room and casually gestured at the shopping bags on the sofa: "Go take a look, my mercenary comrade—like anything?"
Huang Ling didn't stand on ceremony. She walked over and opened them one by one. There were silk scarves, earrings, and a necklace.
And a Patek Philippe ladies' watch fully set with diamonds. There was also a greeting card in the bag.
The moment he saw the card, Lu Yunli's expression changed. He reached out to snatch it, but Huang Ling had already opened it.
It began with the words: Dear MENG.
Huang Ling closed the card, put it back in the bag, took out her phone, and did an image search on the watch. Seeing the price displayed on the screen, she counted it out: "Ten, hundred, thousand, ten-thousand, hundred-thousand, million… four million?"
Huang Ling carefully placed the watch back in its box, afraid she might knock off a diamond and end up having to pay for it.
Since she'd found out anyway, Lu Yunli figured he might as well give up on saving face: "If you don't mind it, take it."
"I don't want it either." Huang Ling shook her head. The earrings and silk scarf bought as matching accessories for quota she could accept without issue—to Lu Yunli, those things were essentially "trash." She'd heard that at the company's annual party, these accessories were used as raffle prizes.
But the watch was different. She didn't like Lu Yunli, so she wouldn't feel like it was leftover scraps being passed to her. It was simply because it was so valuable that accepting it would leave her feeling uneasy.
"Tell me, how am I supposed to keep pursuing her? So annoying. If only she were as mercenary as you." Lu Yunli sighed, then let out a bitter laugh and teased, "How about I pursue you instead?"
"You're still too idle." Huang Ling tore off the flashy packaging from the scarf and earrings, packed them into a hotel bag, and said, "Come work in our housekeeping department. Once you're run off your feet, you won't have time to think about love and romance. I'm off."
Watching her walk to the door of the room without looking back, Lu Yunli called out to stop her: "That answer isn't exactly 'reverence and respect.'"
The person at the door didn't even turn her head.
This week, Huang Ling was destined to be run ragged. After making up the two shifts she'd swapped with Luo Shuang, she felt she'd been drained of all emotion and desire.
Back in the office, seeing Luo Shuang and Lu Ming chatting and laughing together, she could only feel awe. The mere thought of spending her only day off on a date made her vision go dark.
Seeing her looking lifeless, Luo Shuang said, "There's a really good horror movie that just came out. Didn't you want to see it? Want to go after work tonight? There's also a new Sichuan restaurant that just opened at MixC World."
“So tired, can we do it another day?” Huang Ling didn’t feel like moving.
Luo Shuang stole a glance to the side, clasped her hands together in a pleading tone: “I heard Lu Ming say earlier that he also wants to watch this horror movie. You know how tiny my courage is—it’s the size of a sesame seed. Come with me and him.”
“Again?” Huang Ling raised her hands in surrender.
Back in freshman year, it was she who had taken a fancy to Wen Hanchi, and Huang Ling had helped her figure out what to say and accompanied her on the date.
“Please.” Luo Shuang grabbed Huang Ling’s arm and gently shook it. “Pretty please?”
Huang Ling let out a sigh: “You need to ask if he’s okay with me being the third wheel.”
“Fine.” Luo Shuang turned around, sat down in her chair, and gave the desk a light push, gliding herself—chair and all—over to Lu Ming’s side. “I’m bringing Huang Ling along to the movie tonight, okay?”
Huang Ling secretly hoped Lu Ming would refuse, but she watched him nod.
MixC World wasn’t too far from the hotel—a cab ride would only cost a little over ten yuan.
Luo Shuang had bought the movie tickets early and searched for the signature dishes of the Sichuan restaurant. When she found a promotion offering free dessert for collecting likes, she posted on her Moments and asked people to like it.
She was always serious about things like this—just like before she had confirmed her relationship with Wen Hanchi, when she had also eagerly planned out a full itinerary for the amusement park.
She seemed to slip into intimate relationships so easily, something Huang Ling could never do.
Still, being able to love so freely and let go just as easily—Huang Ling envied her for that.
After the last assault incident, this time Liang Wenpei brought the investigating officer along with him.
Once he had the complete information on the john, Liang Wenpei went to the detention center the next day.
Xunchuan’s summers were muggy and hot. Summers after growing up had long lost the beauty of childhood—whether because there was no more summer vacation or because there was more work, he couldn’t tell.
Armed with five pieces of documentation, Liang Wenpei finally met his client.
Underneath the gray-blue striped prison uniform was a bright orange vest.
The first time he’d met her, her makeup had been thick, her lipstick smeared, making her look utterly absurd. Now with her face washed clean, the woman in her fifties showed fine wrinkles. Her tattooed eyeliner and eyebrows had faded slightly. She nervously rubbed her fingers together, the handcuffs on her wrists clinking noisily, gratingly loud in the meeting room.
Liang Wenpei took the documents out of his briefcase: “I’m here today to update you on the latest progress in your case.”
“Lawyer, he… has he woken up?” the woman asked cautiously.
Liang Wenpei shook his head: “No. I went to the hospital yesterday. The doctor said he’s still in a deep coma with no signs of waking. There’s no way to determine when or if he’ll wake up.”
The woman’s entire back instantly hunched over. Her nostrils flared slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes: “What do I do? Do I have to pay with my life?”
Liang Wenpei took out the copies of her statement: “Don’t panic. I’ve reviewed the police’s record of your interrogation. There are several inconsistencies in your testimony. You need to tell me honestly what really happened that day, or else I won’t be able to help you.”
The woman was silent for a moment, wiped her nose with her palm, and took a deep breath before speaking: “Actually… that day wasn’t the first time. He was a regular customer. I thought if I said it was the first time, maybe I’d get a lighter sentence.”
“Whether he was a regular customer or not doesn’t affect the conviction or sentencing at all. The police already found out how many transfer records you two had before.” Liang Wenpei explained calmly and patiently the consequences of inconsistent testimony and repeatedly changing her statement. “So you must tell the truth. The key now is whether you tried to save him in time after the incident, and whether you did anything excessive that caused his coma.”
“That day he came to see me after buying groceries, saying he had about forty-something minutes and could go twice. I took the job, but he finished in just a few minutes. The second time, he couldn’t even get hard. Considering his pride, I poured him a glass of water and gave him an out, asking if he was too tired and saying he could come back another day for a discount. He refused, then pressed himself on top of me, biting and hitting me, making me call him… call him uncle or daddy and stuff. But he still couldn’t perform. I was in so much pain from his biting that I pushed him. He fell to the ground and let out an ‘ouch’—that sound was just flesh hitting the floor, so he definitely didn’t hit his head. When I got up to shower, he stood up and cursed at me a couple of times. But when I came out of the shower, he was lying on the bed with his face all purple. I was terrified, threw on my clothes, and ran. When I got back to the shop, the boss lady saw my face looked off and asked what was wrong. I told her. She said I couldn’t run and had to call the police, so I called the police and an ambulance.”
“No lies?”
The woman shook her head: “Not this time, I swear. If I’m lying, may I die a horrible death.”
Liang Wenpei noted down her words: “Alright. From now on, whether the police come or the prosecutor interrogates you, you must stick to this true account. Don’t add, remove, or change anything on your own.”
Liang Wenpei translated the hospital documents he had obtained that day into plain language for the woman. He told her his defense strategy and taught her how to answer questions during the trial.
He couldn't tell whether she understood, but she nodded along eagerly. Finally, as Liang Wenpei was about to leave, she asked one more question: "Will my boss lady be implicated? I heard from others that she might be sentenced too. I do this kind of work and I have no shame, but my boss lady has been very good to me. When I came to Xunchuan with nothing, she taught me how to wash and cut hair, and took me in to help at the shop. What I did has nothing to do with her."
"She didn't provide the premises, nor did she introduce clients to you. She won't be in trouble." Liang Wenpei reassured her.
Only then did the woman breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good."
When he returned to the law firm, it was just past four o'clock. Today's afternoon tea had a matcha theme.
He hadn't been there when the order was placed, but Chu Ying had specially saved a portion for him. It was placed on his desk, with two layers of napkins underneath to keep the documents from getting dirty.
Liang Wenpei wasn't particularly interested in sweets, so he put the cake back on Chu Ying's desk. "Thanks, you have it."
With that, he took the documents to the professor's office. After briefly discussing the situation with the professor, it was already time to leave.
Quite a few people had chosen to stay and work overtime. Liang Wenpei had mostly finished his work for the day, so he packed up and headed out. Just as he reached the elevator, Wen Hanchi caught up with him.
"Want to grab dinner somewhere tonight?"
"Tired." Liang Wenpei pressed the button for the basement level.
Wen Hanchi wore a look of certain victory. "You're paying."
Liang Wenpei shot him a look reserved for an idiot.
"Want to bet? If I can get you to go out for dinner, then you're paying for tonight's meal." Wen Hanchi said, then mysteriously pulled out his phone and sent Liang Wenpei a screenshot of a social media post. "Going or not?"
It was Luo Shuang's post.
Liang Wenpei didn't think much of it. "You two getting back together?"
"Who do you think she'll go with? Those two are joined at the hip—Luo Shuang will definitely go with Huang Ling." Wen Hanchi said, draping his arm over Liang Wenpei's shoulder. "Let's go?"
He'd been a bit tight on money lately, and he was just worrying about how to make it to the next payday.
Liang Wenpei was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Budget is four hundred."
Because of its excellent tenant mix, MixC World always drew huge crowds. Hitting the evening rush hour, the twelve-kilometer drive took fifty minutes.
Wen Hanchi sat in the passenger seat, watching Liang Wenpei's increasingly impatient profile from the corner of his eye. His fingers tapped rapidly on the steering wheel—he probably wished he were in GTA.
Easy for him to say. "Calm down."
Liang Wenpei was stubborn. "I am calm."
They turned the corner and reached the underground parking entrance. Liang Wenpei pressed the accelerator and cut past a car hugging the wall, startling Wen Hanchi, who grabbed the handle on the door.
Parking spots were scarce, so Liang Wenpei parked in any spot that wouldn't block traffic.
The restaurant was on the fourth floor, and the elevator was stuck on other floors with no telling how long it would take.
They turned onto the escalator, and Wen Hanchi was completely relaxed. He teased Liang Wenpei: "There are still five tables ahead of us. Slow down—even if we get there, we'll just be waiting. Aren't you supposed to be calm? Walk slower."
"Long legs. Can't help it." Liang Wenpei walked ahead without looking back.
Quite a few people were queued outside the Sichuan restaurant. From the escalator, the chairs in the waiting area were all occupied.
Liang Wenpei's pace unconsciously slowed, his gaze involuntarily searching for the figure he hoped to see.
The person in his sight sat on the bench at the far end. Everyone around her was chatting, but she wasn't on her phone—her eyes were closed, as if she had fallen asleep.
The quietest. The most captivating.
His steps unconsciously halted at that moment. A shoulder lightly bumped into him—Wen Hanchi was squinting at the restaurant entrance, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Who's that next to Luo Shuang?"
Hearing Wen Hanchi's words, Liang Wenpei snapped back to reality and looked over.
Not far from Huang Ling, Luo Shuang was chatting with a man.
Luo Shuang tilted her head slightly to look at him, a smile on her face. That look felt familiar to Liang Wenpei—it was the same way she used to look at Wen Hanchi.
He looked at the man again. His appearance was passable, and he seemed younger than the rest of them. After looking longer, he seemed familiar—he thought he'd seen him at the barbecue place that day.
He remembered the surname was Lu.
Liang Wenpei raised an eyebrow slightly. Judging by the way things looked now, it was clear Luo Shuang was closer to him. The heavy weight in his heart finally lifted for the most part, and Liang Wenpei felt much lighter all over.
"Don't know. Maybe he's someone she likes." Liang Wenpei shrugged. "You should calm down too."
What goes around comes around.
"How is that the same?" Wen Hanchi spread his hands. "Look at that guy—small eyes, big mouth, not tall, and looks like he's not light on his feet either. If Da Shun had a stepfather like that, he wouldn't be able to eat. He has to live the good life that a stepfather brings, or else how would he ever hold his head up in front of the other dogs in the future?"
Look at this ugly face of jealousy. Liang Wenpei smiled slightly, returning the favor in kind, and leisurely uttered two words: "Stay calm."
Having said that, he even solemnly patted Wen Hanchi on the shoulder.