Chapter 85: Reunion at the Hotel

From the airport to the hotel, and then to carrying the suitcase into the hotel room, the whole process went smoothly and ordinarily, without any unexpected incidents. It was as if the lady staying next door really just didn’t want to waste anything.

And Lin Hexi really did believe it just like that.

In fact, to be fair, it wasn’t entirely without surprises.

After entering the room and once again seeing the hotel’s name on the table, Lin Hexi finally remembered that this hotel was owned by Zhou Xuan’s family, and he had once attended an event in this hotel’s banquet hall.

A mix of emotions surged within Lin Hexi.

Although Zhou Xuan wouldn’t come to inspect his family’s hotel for no reason, and You Chong, being a local, didn’t need to stay at a hotel, Lin Hexi still removed the watch he was wearing on his left hand and carefully stored it in his suitcase.

At the moment he took off the watch, he glanced at the normally ticking hands on the dial. He couldn’t quite explain whether, for the small chance of running into You Chong at the hotel, he was trying to avoid it or secretly hoping for it.

On the night of checking into the hotel, Lin Hexi encountered a minor issue and went downstairs twice to the front desk to resolve it in person.

The issue wasn’t anything major. During his first trip downstairs, the receptionist had gently reminded him that if he encountered any more problems, he could simply call the front desk, and a staff member would come upstairs to assist.

However, the second time, Lin Hexi still chose to go downstairs himself.

While waiting for the front desk to handle the matter, he stood there silently, his face showing a clear sense of distraction.

Occasionally, footsteps—some near, some far—would echo from behind him, and each time, he instinctively turned to look, only to calm himself and turn back again.

After this happened several times, even the receptionist noticed and couldn’t help but ask, “Sir, are you waiting for someone?”

Lin Hexi’s expression stiffened slightly, a faint discomfort rising within him from feeling seen through, but he quickly composed himself, shook his head, and replied, “I’m not waiting for anyone.”

That night, after finishing his conversation with the receptionist, Lin Hexi returned to his room and didn’t go downstairs again.

Having not slept well on the plane, Lin Hexi slept until lunchtime the next day.

After going downstairs to the restaurant for lunch, Lin Hexi went to a nearby service center to get a domestic SIM card.

As he entered, he considered asking the staff if it was possible to retrieve the phone number he had three years ago. When he was informed that a number is reclaimed if not paid for within a certain period, Lin Hexi gave up the idea of getting his old number back.

During the entire process of handling the request, when referring to the SIM card being issued, the staff also mentioned it as a “new number.”

Assuming the staff could access his records based on his ID, Lin Hexi didn’t pay much attention.

After receiving the new SIM card, on a whim, Lin Hexi decided to call his old number.

There was no “number not in service” message when he dialed, but the phone rang for a long time without being answered. It seemed that the number had been recycled and reassigned to someone else.

As Lin Hexi walked back along the street, he made another call to a Chinese friend he had met in the U.S.

The friend picked up and was delighted to hear that Lin Hexi had returned to the country. After confirming how long he would be staying, the friend said, “I had some business in a neighboring city last week. I’ll call you out for a get-together once I get back in a few days.”

Lin Hexi agreed and, after hanging up, dismissed the idea of going for a casual stroll. Under the autumn afternoon sun, he leisurely made his way back to the hotel.

Just as he stepped into the hotel lobby, the elevator doors happened to open, and someone entered the elevator.

Lin Hexi called out from a distance and quickened his pace, running over and successfully entering the elevator. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the person beside him withdrawing their finger from the elevator buttons and instinctively said, “Thank you.”

Then he heard the person ask, “Which floor?”

Realizing the question was in English, Lin Hexi looked up in surprise. When he saw the deep-set, sharp features of a Western man, he responded in English as well, “Eighteenth floor, thank you.”

The man, dressed in a suit with a mature appearance, stepped back and smiled, “What a coincidence, we’re on the same floor.”

Lin Hexi returned a slight smile and turned his gaze to the elevator’s display showing the rising floor numbers, saying nothing further.

The man seemed intent on striking up a conversation and sincerely complimented, “Your English is quite good.”

Lin Hexi turned his head at the remark, with a response on the tip of his tongue, but before he could speak, something unexpected happened.

A violent jolt shook the elevator, and without any warning, it came to a sudden stop. The cabin lights abruptly went out, leaving only the red numbers on the display glowing in the darkness.

Lin Hexi looked up and saw that the elevator had stopped at the fifteenth floor, but the doors remained tightly shut.

The foreign guest’s voice rose sharply in alarm, “What just happened?”

Lin Hexi turned on the flashlight on his phone, reached out to press the emergency help button in the elevator, and then retreated to the relatively safe corner of the cabin. He remained calm as he said, “The elevator has malfunctioned.”

The foreign guest cursed in frustration, clearly in no mood to do anything else.

The two of them waited in silence in the darkness for help to arrive.

Meanwhile, at a traffic light just five minutes from the hotel, You Chong put on his Bluetooth headset during the brief wait for the light to turn green and answered a call.

Although the person on the other end of the call couldn’t be heard by Zhou Xuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, he could see a subtle change in You Chong’s expression.

“How long of a leave did they take?” The traffic light ahead seemed to lose its significance as You Chong appeared distracted. “Did you find the flight time?”

The person on the other end seemed to give an unsatisfactory response.

You Chong frowned and, before hanging up, said, “Send it to me once you find it.”

As the light turned green, Zhou Xuan, full of curiosity, reminded him and asked, “Whose flight are you checking?”

You Chong didn’t respond.

Zhou Xuan didn’t press further and instead changed the topic, “What kind of foreign client is so important? You even have to personally go pick them up?”

“They are important, but not to the extent that I need to personally greet them,” You Chong explained. “Originally, someone else was arranged to go. But my mom called and asked me to pick something up from the hotel, so I figured I’d pick them up on the way.”

Zhou Xuan looked surprised. “Your mom came back? Why is she staying at my family’s hotel?”

“She left again this morning,” You Chong replied.

Zhou Xuan was left speechless.

Five minutes later, the two got out of the car in front of the Zhou family’s hotel. You Chong tossed the keys to the doorman, and he and Zhou Xuan walked toward the entrance.

Having received early notice that the heir of the Zhou family was coming to inspect, the hotel’s senior management had gathered in the lobby, waiting for them.

As soon as they entered, Zhou Xuan noticed the unmistakable tension on the faces of the staff, despite their attempts to conceal it.

Perplexed, Zhou Xuan asked, “Didn’t you already get notified in advance? What are you all so nervous about?”

The senior management began to sweat, and no one dared to respond.

You Chong, accustomed to dealing with his company’s subordinates, had already sensed something was off. With a calm expression, he asked, “Did something unexpected happen?”

It was only then that Zhou Xuan noticed that not everyone who was supposed to greet him was present in the lobby.

His face darkened as his gaze fell on the highest-ranking staff member in the group. “What went wrong? Was a guest injured?”

The staff member didn’t dare hide anything and quickly responded, “The elevator malfunctioned. The repair team is already on it, but two guests are trapped inside.”

Instead of rushing upstairs, Zhou Xuan turned to look at You Chong.

You Chong hung up the unanswered call and walked over to ask, “Is there a foreign guest trapped in the elevator?”

The person who had responded earlier was momentarily stunned, “Yes.”

You Chong briefly described the foreign guest’s appearance, and the senior manager nodded in a daze.

Zhou Xuan, realizing the situation, raised an eyebrow and looked at You Chong, “Looks like your luck’s not so good. You’ll have to go up with me.”

The elevator had stopped at the fifteenth floor, so You Chong and Zhou Xuan waited outside the elevator on the fifteenth floor.

During this time, hotel staff stood outside the elevator, asking the trapped guests about their condition, and indeed, the foreign guest’s voice could be heard from within.

As the elevator doors remained stubbornly closed, someone outside suggested calling the fire department for help. Just as Zhou Xuan was about to nod in agreement, the repair team’s efforts finally paid off, and the tightly shut doors began to slowly open.

The cabin was still shrouded in darkness, but the light from outside the elevator softly spilled in, faintly revealing the silhouettes of two figures standing inside.

Hotel staff used an emergency light to illuminate the gap between the cabin and the doors, reaching out to assist the two guests standing inside the elevator.

The first to emerge was the foreign guest. When he looked up and saw You Chong standing by the elevator doors, he grabbed You Chong’s hand as if he’d just been saved from a disaster, quickly recounting his ordeal in a rush of words.

You Chong nodded, reassuringly patting the man’s shoulder, and gestured for him to move forward.

The foreign guest finally came to his senses, released You Chong’s hand, and walked ahead.

You Chong, still standing by the door, was about to lower the hand that had been grasped mid-air when he started to follow. 

Just then, in the dim light, another slender and graceful hand reached out, loosely resting in his.

You Chong was momentarily stunned. Did this person mistake him for one of the hotel staff?

Not minding that the other person had gotten the wrong idea, he gently helped the trapped guest out of the elevator with a light tug of his hand.

The person holding his hand was suddenly bathed in bright light.

You Chong was about to let go.

Suddenly emerging from the darkness into the strong light, Lin Hexi, feeling overwhelmed by the brightness, instinctively closed his eyes. Before he could open them, words of thanks escaped his lips: “Thank you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, instead of letting go, the hand holding his tightened instinctively.

You Chong’s breath momentarily hitched, and his heart pounded violently within his chest. He lifted his gaze and stared intently at the person before him, with emotions surging in the depths of his dark eyes.

Suddenly, a wave of fear washed over him.