The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 136 Proper arrangements

As the group arrived at the hotel lobby, Shang Yibo, fully covered up with a hat and mask, stood out even more in the crowd. His excellent body proportions, long legs, and fair, smooth neck revealed under the hat made every inch of his skin seem to proclaim, "I am a big star." This unique image attracted the attention of passing guests.

The hotel's general manager, not content with the grand scale of the event, led a team of managers to wait respectfully in front of the hotel's revolving door.

Upon seeing Shang Yibo approaching, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Shang! I am Yu Haiqian, the hotel's general manager. The car is ready for you."

Just as Shang Yibo was about to step through the revolving door, a man in a sharp suit suddenly approached him and greeted him, forcing him to stop. At that moment, the revolving door slowly rotated, obscuring the entrance. Shang Yibo glanced sideways at Yu Haiqian, gave a brief and indifferent "Hmm," and then strode inside once the revolving door returned to the entrance.

Considering that the other party was, after all, the general manager and had a group of entourage, Zhou Yanruo felt that he should give him appropriate respect. Moreover, he had also prepared a vehicle for Shang Yibo, solving his immediate problem.

Zhou Yanruo stepped forward to thank Yu Haiqian: "Mr. Yu, thank you for your arrangements."

Yu Haiqian quickly and modestly replied, "Mr. Zhou, you are too kind. Please forgive us if our hotel has failed to provide adequate service."

Zhou Yanruo smiled slightly, nodded gently, and then stepped into the revolving door.

When Yu Haiqian learned that Zhou Yanruo, the assistant to Chairman Chu of the group, had arrived at the hotel, he immediately realized a problem: if Zhou Yanruo knew about Shang Yibo's intoxication, then Chairman Chu was likely already aware of it as well. Shang Yibo's intoxication at their hotel was a matter of personal privacy, and Yu Haiqian had originally planned to avoid trouble, waiting for Shang Yibo to sober up and leave on his own, then consider it a closed case. But now that Zhou Yanruo had come looking for Shang Yibo, it was clear that the matter could no longer be concealed. Yu Haiqian worried that if he knew but didn't report it, he might incur reprimands from higher-ups.

After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Haiqian decided to report what he had learned that afternoon about Shang Yibo's situation at the hotel to his superior—the Vice President of Operations at Rushang Group. Soon after, he received instructions from the Vice President that a car had been arranged to wait at the hotel entrance, and he was required to provide excellent service. This led to the scene of the General Manager and his staff respectfully seeing him off at the hotel entrance.

A few days later, at lunchtime, the bartender who had served Shang Yibo bumped into the lobby manager on duty that day in the cafeteria. During their conversation, the bartender learned how General Manager Yu had "properly arranged" the matter, and both of them, along with those around them, smiled knowingly. It turned out that the true meaning of "serving with heart, without disturbing" lay in this very act. Everyone exclaimed, "Hehe, we've really learned something this time!"

As Zhou Yanruo stepped out of the hotel, she saw a black, extended Maybach parked under the awning, almost blocking the exit. She didn't see Shang Yibo; he had obviously already gotten into the car.

Ding Jiajia stood beside the car and spoke to Jian Zheng, her tone revealing obvious displeasure: "Mr. Jian, did you come out to see us off on special occasion?" Upon hearing this, Jian Zheng seemed a little flustered and stammered, "Ah, yes, I'm seeing you off from the hotel."

Ding Jiajia's words remained sharp: "This is our territory. Mr. Jian is just a guest of the hotel. Don't get the roles of host and guest wrong." Jian Zheng could only awkwardly smile. Faced with Ding Jiajia's sharp tongue, he was clearly no match for her.

Jian Zheng knew perfectly well that letting the big star Shang Yibo get drunk had indeed caused a lot of trouble for everyone. From Ding Jiajia's perspective, he could understand being blamed and resented.

At this moment, Zhou Yanruo walked over and interrupted their conversation: "What are you still talking about? Jiajia, aren't you getting in the car?" Then, she turned to Jian Zheng and said, "We're leaving now. We'll contact you again when we have the chance."

Jian Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'll contact you again."

As he spoke, he waved to the rear window. Although the window was covered with privacy film and he couldn't see inside the car, he was certain that Shang Yibo had seen his gesture and heard his words.

Watching Jian Zheng leave, Ding Jiajia said to Zhou Yanruo, "Sister Yanruo, I won't go to Zimo Garden. I need to call Brother Can and Sister Qingnan back and tell them about the situation here. Sigh, I don't know how things are going on their end. Brother Can said that this time, with Hongliang Group involved, things are going to be difficult."

Zhou Yanruo said, "Okay, if anything happens on their end, just call me anytime."

Ding Jiajia said, "When Brother Can called this afternoon, I was with Hong Yun. She also knew about this. I think Hong Yun's PR team can handle public opinion. If they join forces with Hongliang Group, the situation won't get out of control."

Zhou Yanruo said, "You should tell Qingnan and the others about this situation. Although it is good to join forces with large groups, we should pay attention to the fact that everyone has different positions and we should prioritize certain things."

Ding Jiajia nodded, "Yes, I understand. Don't worry, I'll call you if anything happens."

The rear window was rolled down a crack, and Shang Yibo said in a deep voice, "How much longer are we going to talk? Should I bring you some tea?"

"We're leaving now." Zhou Yanruo said to Ding Jiajia, then opened the passenger door and got into the car.

During the journey, Shang Yibo borrowed Zhou Yanruo's phone to call Fang Xichen, telling her that they had already set off and that it would take more than an hour to reach Zimo Garden if there was no traffic, and that they should have dinner first and not wait for him.

It was already 9 p.m. when we arrived at Zimo Garden.

After Shang Yibo and Zhou Yanruo entered the house, they changed their shoes in the entryway. Fang Xichen came forward to greet them, followed by Aunt Yan.

Fang Xichen said gently, "Why don't you go to the restaurant and get something to eat first? Your father is having a conference call in his study. You can go to the study to see him after he finishes."

Shang Yibo gently shook his head: "I don't have much of an appetite. I'm going upstairs now. Call me when you're ready to go to the study. Zhou Yanruo, go get something to eat."

Aunt Yan said with concern, "I heard you've been drinking, so I specially made you some sour soup noodles. Eating something will make your stomach feel better."

Faced with Aunt Yan's concern, Shang Yibo couldn't bear to refuse: "Then I'll change my clothes and come downstairs. You guys go to the restaurant first."

Fang Xichen said, "President Zhou, why don't we go to the living room first? I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Sister Yan, why don't you go to the kitchen to prepare? We'll go to the dining room together after Yibo comes down."

Fang Xichen's sudden and formal address of "President Zhou" made Zhou Yanruo feel a little nervous. She followed Fang Xichen to the living room and sat down, where Aunt Yan brought over two cups of hot tea.

Fang Xichen took a sip of tea and said slowly, "President Zhou, I was a little emotional this afternoon and my tone might not have been very good. Please don't take it to heart."

Zhou Yanruo sat up straight and replied awkwardly, "President Fang, you flatter me. Today's incident was mainly my mistake, and I should be the one apologizing to you."

Fang Xichen nodded slightly, then got to the point: "Mr. Jian Zheng, the representative of Singapore Rongchang Capital, is he your friend?"