Chapter Sixty-Nine: Come In and Sit for a While

As Chen Hao was in the lobby inquiring about Kestarl, the doorbell to the room where Gu Mengyan and Fan Yirou were staying was also pressed by that tall, slender figure.

From the pool, a beautiful woman suddenly heard the sound of doorbells ringing simultaneously from the rooftop and the rooms below.

“Hm?” Fan Yirou, who had just emerged from the water, heard the doorbell and looked at Gu Mengyan in puzzlement. “Was that the doorbell?”

Gu Mengyan nodded. “I think so!”

“That’s odd!” Fan Yirou said. “Isn’t Chen Hao downstairs? Why hasn’t he gone to open the door yet?”

“Maybe he went out? He said earlier he’d ask Kestarl about fun places after tidying up his luggage,” Gu Mengyan replied.

“Could it be Chen Hao returning?” Fan Yirou wondered. “Doesn’t he have the room keycard himself? He shouldn’t have forgotten it, right?”

Fan Yirou shook her head. “It can’t be Chen Hao. He’s not that careless to forget his key. Maybe it’s someone from the hotel?”

With that, Fan Yirou climbed out of the pool, draped a towel from the rooftop over her shoulders, and answered the intercom. Through the video feed, she saw the person who had rung the bell.

To her surprise, the person outside wasn’t a hotel staff member as she had expected, but rather appeared to be a fellow guest—a tall woman. Her attire, though not expensive, was neat and tasteful, suggesting someone who cared about her appearance. She seemed about the same age as Fan Yirou, perhaps a little older, but Yirou didn’t recognize her and wondered about her purpose.

Fan Yirou answered the intercom politely, “Hello, who is it?”

Through the intercom came a mature female voice, “Hello, I’m staying across from you. I saw someone move in and thought I’d come say hello. I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“Oh, please wait a moment!” Fan Yirou replied, ending the call.

The woman’s action struck Fan Yirou as somewhat odd. This wasn’t like a new neighbor moving in across the hall at home, where a greeting made sense to foster good relations. Here, at a star-rated hotel far from home, neither side would be staying long, so why bother with such formalities?

Moreover, those who could afford the hotel’s top floor were generally wealthy, and such people usually disliked being disturbed. Her behavior might even annoy them!

Fan Yirou shook her head, unable to fathom the reason. Gu Mengyan had overheard their conversation and was equally perplexed, but suggested, “Why don’t we open the door and see? The hotel’s security should be good, and she doesn’t seem like a bad person—just another girl like us! Maybe she’s from a rich family, bored and sneaking out to play alone. But finding it too dull, and since she can stay on the top floor, she must have a special background. Maybe she’s cautious about mingling with others, so when she saw us move in, she took the initiative to reach out and make a friend!”

Gu Mengyan explained her theory to Fan Yirou, who thought it made sense and nodded. “Let’s go! Let’s go down together and see.”

She picked up another towel and draped it over Gu Mengyan’s shoulders, and the two women went downstairs together. When they opened the door, the tall woman was standing there calmly, showing no impatience despite the wait. At the moment the door opened, Gu Mengyan was stunned.

This person… wasn’t she the newly-appointed supervisor from her former company department? When had she come to Kestarl?

No, how could she be here as well?

The other woman, seeing Gu Mengyan, was equally surprised and let out a soft gasp.

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Gu Mengyan, right?” she asked, her expression showing surprise.

Her reaction surprised Gu Mengyan. Although she didn’t know the woman well and had only met her once a few days ago, that meeting left a strong impression—this woman was fierce and formidable, a real powerhouse.

She had stood in the conference room, commanding the situation and scolding all the department employees. When Gu Mengyan and Chen Hao entered, she immediately noticed them and even planned to reprimand them for being late. She had already started, but Chen Hao retorted with a single comment, and Gu Mengyan had felt a surge of satisfaction—resignation was indeed a relief, no need to worry about the boss’s mood, and able to put her in her place.

But fate had brought them together again after only a few days! What surprised Gu Mengyan more was that this woman, the newly-appointed supervisor, was now on vacation? She must be putting on a show at work but was just another slacker behind the scenes!

Or was she using family connections to gain status at the company, riding on power? Gu Mengyan despised those who relied on family influence without effort, especially if they bullied others.

In Gu Mengyan’s eyes, the woman before her fit that mold, so her expression soured and she ignored the attempted greeting.

The other woman noticed Gu Mengyan’s attitude but didn’t seem to mind, instead smiling apologetically. “Perhaps our last meeting was unpleasant, so let me apologize. If I did anything to upset you, please forgive me.”

“Huh?” Fan Yirou was taken aback and asked, “You know each other? Are you here to see Mengyan?”

The woman nodded and then shook her head. “Not quite. We’ve only met once. Before Gu Mengyan resigned, we were technically colleagues—I’m the new supervisor transferred to her department. You can call me Dong Xin.”

“Oh, I see!” Fan Yirou nodded. “What unpleasant experience do you mean?”

Dong Xin explained, “On my first day, I intended to hold a meeting with the department. The meeting started after work hours, but Gu Mengyan hadn’t arrived, which I saw as being late. So when she appeared, I was a bit stern and planned to reprimand her. But unexpectedly, she was actually at the company to resign.”

Fan Yirou knew about that incident. In fact, Gu Mengyan and Chen Hao had been late that day because she herself had made a mess at Chen Hao’s home that morning. If not for her, neither would have been late—or rather, late for resignation.

So Fan Yirou could only mumble awkwardly.

Dong Xin, unaware of the details, continued in an effort to ease relations, “I want to explain that I wasn’t targeting anyone personally—it was a matter of principle. As employees, even if you were resigning, until you officially left, you had to abide by the company rules and face penalties as appropriate.

Of course, after looking into it, I found that you’d never been late or violated any company rules before; that day was a special case. I’m not overly strict, and I understand your situation.

If you’d greeted me privately, I wouldn’t have made things difficult. But that day was different—it was the company, and I was the new supervisor. As the saying goes, a new official burns three fires, I had to establish authority in front of everyone.

If I didn’t show some strength, I’d seem lacking in authority, which would hinder my management of the technical department. So my attitude was harsher than it should have been. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

“Um…” Dong Xin’s polite and sincere apology moved Gu Mengyan, who wasn’t unreasonable. Besides, her words made sense. She and Chen Hao hadn’t officially resigned at the time, so being late was indeed wrong. “So… you came to knock on our door today because…”

Dong Xin saw Fan Yirou’s attitude soften and smiled. “Seeing someone move into the room next door, I thought I’d drop by. It’s so dull here alone, with no one to talk to! Who would have guessed my neighbor would turn out to be a former colleague I only met for a few minutes—what a coincidence!

Now we’re not colleagues, nor in a superior-subordinate relationship, and the misunderstanding is cleared. May I come in and sit for a while?”