This year, luck was on Shen Xi Fan’s side—she wasn’t scheduled for any shifts at the hotel, leaving her free to relax at home and prepare her study abroad applications.
Hotel management, while a stable career, wasn’t something she disliked. In fact, she enjoyed it. She loved standing on the hotel lawn, looking up at the sky. The sunlight gleaming on the glass windows, the diverse faces of guests coming and going—it all brought her a sense of fulfillment. Even when dealing with demanding customers, successfully resolving issues left her feeling satisfied.
Shen Xi Fan had applied to over twenty universities, from prestigious institutions like Cornell and Las Vegas to various campuses of the University of California. As a college student, her dream had been Cornell, but its requirement of three years of hotel management experience pushed her to dive straight into the industry.
Now, however, she prayed for an acceptance letter from Penn State University.
But is this the right choice? she questioned herself.
I’m clearly conflicted about his past. I keep telling myself not to fall too deeply, not to get too involved with He Su Ye, and yet I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve even developed an interest in Chinese medicine because of him.
Her emotional life was a mess—so tangled that even the sharpest mind couldn’t sort it out. She felt lost. What should I do?
* * *
Her study abroad recommendation letter was written by General Manager Cheng. Somehow, the news had leaked, and soon everyone in the hotel’s management team knew about it.
Lin Yi Shen was the first to confront her, his face dark with anger. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you were planning to study abroad?”
At the time, Shen Xi Fan was in the staff cafeteria, enjoying an extra meal. A stray bone from her sweet-and-sour ribs got caught between her teeth, making her wince in pain. “Senior brother, you know now, so it’s not too late!” she said, grimacing.
Sitting down across from her, Lin Yi Shen sighed. “Little junior sister, you’re always so impulsive. You do whatever comes to mind.”
Rubbing her jaw while picking at her ribs, she replied earnestly, “Senior brother, I’m serious about this. Studying abroad is my dream. If I don’t achieve it, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. I promise you, this isn’t some whim—I know what I’m doing!”
Helplessly, he smiled. “I’m not actually mad. You’ve just caught me off guard—your sudden decision really threw me for a loop.”
She finally tore her gaze from the ribs. “Um… Senior Brother, why are you acting troubled?”
Lin Yi Shen stood up, ruffled her hair, and declared decisively, “Little Junior Sister, you really are a magnet for trouble!”
As she finished the ribs and picked up her bowl of mung bean soup, a familiar voice drifted over with playful sarcasm. “Well, well, Shen Xi Fan, leaving us behind to chase your bright future, huh?”
She grinned. “The mung bean soup is delicious. Thank you for your hard work, Manager Xu.”
Xu Xiang Ya, half-jealous and half-regretful, sighed. “Such a high position, and you’re just giving it up. I feel bad for you, honestly.”
Shen Xi Fan shook her head. “Xiang Ya, let me ask you something. When I was promoted to manager of the housekeeping department a year ago, be honest—did you think I deserved it?”
Xu Xiang Ya didn’t hesitate to nod. “Of course not. And it wasn’t just me—plenty of people were waiting to see you fail.”
“Exactly!” Shen Xi Fan squinted her eyes. “Even I didn’t think I deserved it. That’s why I want to learn more, to improve. Right now, hotel management in China is aligning with international standards. Chain hotels are adopting increasingly personalized and guest-focused services. The future of hotel management is in the U.S. and Switzerland, not China.”
After a moment of silence, Xu Xiang Ya asked cautiously, “What’s going on with you and Yan Heng?”
“Huh?” Halfway through sipping her mung bean soup, she nearly choked. “Nothing! Just… the usual.”
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