During breakfast, Shen Xi Fan’s father casually asked, “Fan Fan, the guy who walked with you last time—he’s quite handsome. What’s his name?”
Shen’s mother, who was ladling porridge, immediately perked up at the gossip. Her eyes lit up as Shen Xi Fan inwardly panicked. Sure enough, her mother began to prod, “Fan Fan, who was it? Tell your mother!”
Shen Xi Fan, with a fried dough stick in her mouth, mumbled through a full mouth, “Just… a doctor…”
Shen’s mother heard her clearly—or rather, she sharpened her ears to full capacity to catch every detail. She paused, slightly puzzled. Li Jie is handsome? He was certainly distinctive-looking, but by her well-practiced aesthetic judgment, he wouldn’t be described as “handsome.” Assuming this was a matter of different perspectives between men and women, she didn’t realize her husband had been referring to someone else entirely.
Before she could dig further, Shen Xi Fan quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks, grabbed her coat, and said, “I’m off to work. Bye!” She practically sprinted out the door.
Shen’s father laughed heartily. “Our daughter’s growing up. She’s starting to think about men, see? She got all embarrassed!”
Shen’s mother chewed her pickled mustard greens with great satisfaction. “All thanks to me!”
* * *
After the morning meeting, Shen Xi Fan walked out of the conference room with her notebook, heading toward the elevator when Lin Yi Shen called out, “Manager Shen, wait! I need to talk to you.”
Curious but obliging, she walked over. Ding Wei and Xu Xiang Ya also joined in as Lin Yi Shen asked with a smile, “What are the plans for New Year’s?”
Ding Wei sighed, “It’s my turn to be on duty—can’t avoid it. What plans? Throw a party in a suite? A masquerade ball?”
Xu Xiang Ya chimed in, “Your shift doesn’t end until ten, so there’s still time. Just hit up a bar or something. Let’s not plan anything too intense—our old bones can’t take it!”
Shen Xi Fan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by ‘intense activities,’ Xiang Ya? What are you planning?”
Xu Xiang Ya mused, “You know, high-energy, high-effort, high-difficulty stuff. Like clubbing. I’m too old for that kind of thing—can’t keep up with the young ones anymore.”
The others let out an understanding “oh,” with Ding Wei looking especially sheepish. “So that’s what you meant. We all thought otherwise—but it’s not our fault! You were too ambiguous!”
Xu Xiang Ya sighed dramatically, pretending to wipe away tears. “I wish I could have some romantic moonlit moments, but alas, no one’s here to share them with me!”
Before she could finish, Lin Yi Shen and Ding Wei both burst into suppressed laughter. “Xu Xiang Ya, you should really stop talking. Any more, and it’ll sound too suggestive!”
Shen Xi Fan finally caught on and whispered four words into Xu Xiang Ya’s ear. Blushing furiously, Xu Xiang Ya yelled, “You guys are the worst! Cultural scoundrels!”
The four of them, similar in age, were the youngest members of the hotel’s senior management team, and their shared experiences had naturally brought them closer.
Shen Xi Fan and Lin Yi Shen had been university classmates, though they were in different years and majors. Ding Wei, due to family circumstances, had entered the workforce early, making him the most experienced and street-smart among them. Xu Xiang Ya had left her hometown to carve out a life in the city after graduating college.
Shen Xi Fan still remembered her first interview at the hotel. Lin Yi Shen had been sitting casually in the lobby, looking poised yet approachable. She initially thought he was another applicant, only to later hear someone call out, “Manager Lin!” She was surprised to realize he was already part of senior management.
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