Chapter 5: The New Office Location

“Wow, this place is so fancy!”

“Wipe your drool, Xiaowei, don’t go dripping all over their floor tiles.”

“Ugh, go to hell, Feng Jianyu!”

…

The next morning, the group strolled into the grand entrance of Junli International Hotel, laughing and chatting. At the entrance stood two tall, handsome bellboys, both estimated to be over 1.85 meters tall. At the lobby doors stood a line of poised GRO (Guest Relations Officer) ladies in black uniforms, short skirts, high heels, white gloves, and earpieces—all smiling warmly and welcoming.

Whenever a guest arrived, a GRO would immediately step forward to assist with luggage, guide them through the hotel layout, and explain the main dining, entertainment, and leisure areas. If a guest had many bags, a concierge would be summoned, pushing a gold-plated luggage cart with a red cushion, delivering the bags directly to the guest’s room.

Everyone in the group, regardless of gender, couldn’t stop praising Junli International for its luxurious design and well-trained staff.

“Hello, sir and madam, do you have a reservation?”

“Oh no, we’re not here to stay,” Xiaowei replied.

“They’re not guests—they’re from Zhenbao Company,” said a middle-aged man in a black suit, smiling as he approached quickly from behind. The GROs immediately bowed and greeted, “Good morning, Director Zhang.”

Director Zhang nodded, then turned to the group. “Hello, everyone.”

Just then, one lively GRO interjected, “Oh! I know now—they’re the ones handling the Tang Iron Exhibition, right? Our hotel’s new partners!”

Director Zhang, seemingly used to this casual atmosphere between ranks, laughed heartily. “Zihan didn’t go through all that training for nothing—she’s always up to date with Junli’s latest developments. You should all learn from her.”

The praised girl beamed with joy, but before the others could tease her, something came through on the walkie-talkies, and several GROs suddenly turned serious and rushed back to the front gate.

Director Zhang reached out to shake hands with the person standing in front—Zhang Wei—but before he could speak, she stuck out her tongue and laughed, “Wrong person! I’m just a freshly confirmed intern. The real person in charge is right here—Curator Sheng. She’s very experienced and a top graduate from A University!”

Director Zhang raised his eyebrows at the mention of “A University,” and Sheng Xia smiled as she stepped forward and shook his hand. “Hello, Director Zhang. Just call me Xiaosheng.”

Director Zhang, instead of casually calling her “Xiaosheng,” greeted her more respectfully with both hands and scrutinized her face slightly as he said, “Hello, hello! Curator Sheng, to be so young and already in charge of such a major event—that’s impressive! By the way, what was your major at A University?”

Sheng Xia was caught off guard by the question. As she hesitated, Director Zhang added smoothly, “Oh, our President Qi is also an A University alumnus. Looks like you might be schoolmates!”

A colleague nearby exclaimed, “So Xiaosheng and President Qi go way back…”

“No, we weren’t in the same major,” Sheng Xia quickly clarified. “I was just an ordinary student at A University. President Qi was one of the campus legends. I knew who he was—but he didn’t know me.”

The topic ended there. Though Director Zhang continued to glance at her from time to time, it wasn’t intrusive—he remained polite and attentive.

He led the Zhenbao team around the hotel. They were all awestruck by the sheer scale and luxury. The lobby alone was as large as three or four regular hotels put together. And the dining areas weren’t just two sections but two entire buildings—one for Chinese cuisine, the other for Western.

“Behind the lobby is a glass corridor that leads to the Bellflower Building, where we house our guests. The corridor is lined with delicate lavender bellflowers, which inspired the building’s name…”

“Apologies, Director Zhang, we’re late!” A man in a hotel uniform came running, drenched in sweat.

Director Zhang looked displeased but remained cordial in front of guests. “Looks like President Wang didn’t have your design team study the employee manual’s ten rules.”

The man wiped his sweat and stuck out his tongue. “My bad, Director Zhang—I’ll pay the fine after work.”

The Zhenbao team had assumed Director Zhang was from the design department, but this exchange revealed otherwise.

As the design team member arrived, Director Zhang bid farewell. Before leaving, he turned to Sheng Xia and said, “Curator Sheng, this glass corridor is the most beautiful spot in our hotel during summer. The purple bellflowers are in full bloom, and it’s also a main thoroughfare for guests. Why not hold the exhibition right here?”

Sheng Xia smiled at the suggestion, but since she couldn’t decide the venue alone, she simply said she’d seriously consider it.

After Director Zhang left, the design team staff relaxed and casually chatted with them. The guy explained that their department manager had been called away on a business trip, and they were left to receive the Zhenbao team. Unfortunately, an intern had mixed up the schedule, leading to the earlier confusion.

Xiaowei couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “So who is Director Zhang, then?”

“He’s the manager of our front office department. Our design manager is President Wang—sorry again for the mix-up.”

“No worries, young people are bound to make mistakes,” said Feng Jianyu with a grin. “But you mentioned paying a fine—what’s that about? Do you get fined for not meeting us on time?”

“Ha, no. Our hotel has a strict rule—no one, not even managers, is allowed to run in the lobby. It could leave a bad impression on guests. Anyone who breaks the rule gets fined.”

The guy led them toward the conference building and suddenly slapped his forehead. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Li Mao. Been at Junli for a year—just call me Xiao Li.”

Sheng Xia listened quietly, still thinking about what the front office manager had said earlier. His gaze had lingered on her just a second too long. There was a familiarity in it, like he knew her—or at least had heard of her.

Qi Youbai’s name surfaced in her mind.

She sighed and warned herself, No way. Why would he mention me to anyone? Don’t flatter yourself, Sheng Xia. Haven’t you fallen into that hole enough times?

The conference building wasn’t connected to the hotel. Li Mao led them through a shortcut via the employee corridor—down to the basement, then back up and out a small door, across a flower-lined stone path, and finally to the building.

The design team was waiting at the entrance. After apologies and quick introductions, someone suggested that since it was almost lunch, they should skip going inside for now and head straight to the cafeteria.

They had already prepared a bright, spacious office for Zhenbao’s team. One of the design team leaders, Guo Zhifei, offered: “Curator Sheng, it looks like you’re carrying a lot of materials. Why not leave them with the security office?”

Some of the materials were confidential for the Tang Iron project. No leaks were allowed before the exhibition, so Sheng Xia refused without hesitation: “It’s just a short walk—no trouble at all. Just let me know where the office is, and you all go ahead and eat.”

Why had they been assigned an office in the first place?

That morning, Wen-jie had told her:
This was a joint decision by Zhenbao and Junli’s upper management. They felt it was inconvenient for the team to keep running back and forth, and staying at Junli would help them better understand the hotel’s culture and environment. This way, the exhibition could be designed to highlight the theme and integrate Junli’s aesthetics.

As the others chatted about the day’s cafeteria menu, Sheng Xia gathered everyone’s documents. Just then, her phone rang. She stepped outside to take the call in private.

“Sheng-jie, what if you can’t find the cafeteria later?” Xiaowei called after her.

“No worries, the hotel’s full of staff,” said Li Mao. Then he turned to shout, “Curator Sheng, just grab any Junli employee and ask—they’ll show you the way!”

“I’ll be fine. You all go ahead,” Sheng Xia replied, waving the files.

It was her brother Sheng Jun calling. He asked if she’d be passing by their usual snack street after work. He was bored at home with bland meals and missed the spicy beef tripe noodles from a dingy little diner.

Sheng Xia scolded him, “With your swollen face and numb tongue, you still want spicy food? Dream on. Mom will kill me if you mess up her herbal treatment again.”

Sheng Jun whined over the phone. Sheng Xia hung up.

Just as she turned, she collided with a young employee rushing by with a cup of coffee. Instinctively, she raised her hand with the documents to protect them. The coffee had no lid—brown liquid splashed right onto her white blouse.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am! I didn’t mean to!” cried the flustered young girl, barely out of college, on the verge of tears.

Sheng Xia couldn’t bear to scold her. She smiled and said it was okay, then let her go.

Now alone, she frowned. The documents were fine—but her white blouse was soaked and partially see-through.

She had to work with Junli staff that afternoon. On her first day, showing up like this was not ideal. But going home to change in this weather? One look at the blazing sun told her she’d pass out before she made it back.

As she fretted, a familiar voice spoke up.

“Miss Sheng, here—take this jacket. You remember me, right? I’m Assistant Wang from President Qi’s office.”

A sleek, tailored gray blazer appeared in front of her—it looked expensive. Sheng Xia hesitated for a moment, then quickly put it on.

Wow, Qi Youbai really is loaded, she thought. Even his assistant casually hands out designer jackets. I better buy a new one for him later—dry-cleaning might ruin it.

“Of course I remember you,” she said while buttoning up.
How could she forget the assistant with the obvious emotions and easy laugh? That day, when Wen-jie complimented her perfume, he had giggled behind Qi Youbai all the way.

“I’m really sorry, Miss Sheng. I saw one of our employees bump into you and mess up your clothes. Please accept my apology on her behalf,” Assistant Wang said once she had finished changing.

Sheng Xia felt a warm flutter in her heart and replied, “It’s alright. She already apologized. I should thank you for bringing the jacket—it was perfect timing.”

“I know a female colleague who keeps spare clothes in the changing room. If you don’t mind, I can grab a clean white shirt for you?”

Sheng Xia’s brows relaxed. This assistant really was kind-hearted. She decided to forgive him for laughing at her last time.

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Assistant Wang.”

“No need to thank me. It was our hotel’s fault anyway…” They chatted while walking.

By the stairs in front of the conference building, a patch of white flowers gave off a subtle, calming scent. Sheng Xia inhaled deeply, enjoying it.

Unseen to her, on the sixth floor of the conference building, behind a large floor-to-ceiling window, stood a man in a matching gray suit. His posture was upright, his face sharp and handsome, with piercing black eyes.

He was watching Sheng Xia below, smiling and chatting with his assistant. As she looked up while climbing the stairs, her eyes met his exactly.

Startled, he instinctively stepped back. When he looked again a few seconds later—she was gone.