CHAPTER 363: CHAPTER 354: BETTER TO ADVANCE BY RETREATING

The distinctive smell was no small matter, and the earlier crash had spoken for itself; the word "complain" immediately flashed across Bai Long’s mind.

"What happened?" Li Zishen asked indifferently, casually picking up the tie from the sofa.

Upon hearing this, Bai Long immediately shut the door and returned, "It looked like Shen Yiming, and there was a woman with him, probably his wife."

Li Zishen nodded and continued tying his tie, his face showing not a trace of displeasure.

He certainly understood that Shen Yiming was deliberately provoking him. He also knew that as long as Leng Lingxiao was alive, there was no chance for him and Tang Xiaowan.

But in the end, after much thought, he still decided to accept Li Weilian’s suggestion. Rather than taking the risk of assassination and making Tang Xiaowan hate him, he figured it was better to retreat and advance, to be friends, to take things slowly.

"Brother Shen, why don’t we file a complaint?"

Li Zishen shook his head with a smile, "It’s just a small matter, no need."

"But they live just diagonally across from us, and they’re carrying two big durians with no intention of avoiding them, clearly doing it on purpose. And this is supposed to be a seven-star hotel, too shabby!"

"No matter what the rating is, it’s all about making a living, after all... customer is king, right?"

Bai Long was completely baffled after hearing this.

Brother Shen is kind not to complain, but why is he making excuses for them?

Durians shouldn’t appear on this floor!

If this happened in Jin City at Jinyuan Hotel, it would be a lapse in management, a deficiency in service quality, and there would certainly be...

Well, if there are no customer complaints, indeed the staff might turn a blind eye.

And naturally, the management would never know.

Thinking this, Bai Long’s anger faded instantly, and he stepped closer to Li Zishen.

"Brother Shen, have you ever considered... raising the star rating of Jinyuan, or perhaps this time in Chicheng... just build a seven-star hotel?"

"Let’s discuss the land issue first, with Leng Lingxiao around, I’m afraid it will be a bit of a hassle."

Bai Long nodded, "Yes."

With that, Li Zishen headed straight to the bedroom.

In the future, in front of Tang Xiaowan, he had to show as much as possible his maturity and magnanimity as a man, as well as his charming and lively demeanor.

He firmly believed that, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Whatever Leng Lingxiao could give, he, Li Zishen, could give the same.

...

On the other side, after Shen Yiming and Li Ruonan returned to their room, both were at a loss, feeling very surprised by Li Zishen’s reaction.

The two big durians were a waste of money!

Li Ruonan sighed and said with furrowed brows, "You see, Li Zishen’s composure is truly unbelievable. We’ve done what we did, and there’s not a single problem on his end, truly excellent!"

Shen Yiming chuckled coldly and shook his head, "You’re wrong. People like Li Zishen are old foxes; they don’t give up easily."

"Old fox? If he’s an old fox, then Leng Lingxiao is a thousand-year-old fox spirit, hahaha."

"Hey, wife, whose side are you on?"

"Of course, I’m on your side." Li Ruonan saw her husband was getting a bit angry and immediately looked at him with a beaming smile, "Husband, are you saying... Li Zishen is biding his time because he has other plans?"

After pondering for a moment, Shen Yiming raised an eyebrow, "Humph! As if I don’t know him. Absolutely."

Hearing this, Li Ruonan couldn’t help but sigh, "Actually, I think... Li Zishen is quite pitiful. If Tangtang had met him earlier, maybe... But who knows, it’s hard to say."

The two fell into contemplation; indeed, in matters of love, the timing of one’s appearance is very important.

Suddenly, Shen Yiming’s phone rang.

Ding-ling-ling, ding-ling-ling...

Seeing that it was Leng Lingxiao, he immediately answered, "What is it, going to postpone it until tomorrow again?"

Li Ruonan laughed upon hearing this.

She thought her husband was just pretending to ask, considering the couple was so deeply in love, how could they bear to leave home to go out?

But Li Ruonan had misjudged.

Shen Yiming hung up the phone and told her to get ready, they were going out for afternoon tea soon.

"What about the durians?"

"Take the flesh out and bring it along; Ling Xiao and the others love it too. We’ll split it, and it’ll be gone in a few bites."

"I don’t get why you bought so much!"

Shen Yiming raised an eyebrow and said, "Killing two birds with one stone."

Li Ruonan couldn’t be bothered to respond to him, and immediately went to the kitchen to scoop out the durian flesh and pack it into boxes.

Ten minutes later, the two of them left the room.

Who would have known, it’s such a small world, they hadn’t walked two steps before they saw Li Zishen and Bai Long also coming out. At this moment, the best they could do to delay the awkwardness between them was to pretend not to know each other.

Shen Yiming frowned, annoyed as can be.

Yet Li Ruonan, whether deliberately or not, was sizing up the man in front with a powerful presence.

He looks so much more refined than he does online!

So tall, even taller than Leng Lingxiao, must be 185 cm...

Ah, what a pity, such a shame!

Soon, the elevator doors opened, and the four of them entered one by one. However, in this enclosed space, Li Ruonan’s tote bag stood out conspicuously.

It was filled with four big boxes of durian flesh.

Yellow and full, they looked especially plump; biting into one would definitely have that soft, sticky texture.

As the distinctive fragrance of the durian permeated the space, the atmosphere in the elevator fell into dead silence, only broken by the faint sound of the elevator machinery and their breathing.

Li Zishen slightly frowned, his eyes falling on the elevator wall mirror, as he tried hard to control his emotions.

He had always hated durian since he was a child.

Seeing this, Li Ruonan awkwardly flicked her hair and gave a light cough, "Sorry, I’m pregnant, and I’ve been craving strong flavors lately, my apologies."

Li Zishen smiled and shook his head, "No problem, it’s alright, I understand."

Shen Yiming: "..."

Well, look at that, playing the gentleman!

Not staying put in Jin City, traveling all this way, no good intentions!

Humph, truly a sly old fox!

"Darling, are you okay, not too tired? How about we take advantage of the good weather, finish our tea and maybe invite this couple out for a stroll?" Shen Yiming suddenly turned towards his wife and asked tenderly.

He emphasized the words "this couple" with extra force.

Implied meaning: They’re already married, please do not interfere like a third party.

Seeing Li Zishen’s gaze lowered and his face cold, Li Ruonan, trying to smooth over the tension, hurriedly laughed and interjected, "Ah, let’s decide later, the elevator is actually quite steady, though it feels a bit slow, it’d be nice if it were a bit faster."

"Forget it, they’re newlyweds, let’s not be a third wheel, we’ll do our own thing."

Li Ruonan: "..."

If only he could’ve held back a comment.

Bai Long had been staring emotionlessly at the elevator button, anxiously hoping to reach the basement level quickly. But unexpectedly, Shen Yiming kept provoking.

Just as he clenched his fist, preparing to retort, Li Zishen gave him a look.

The message was clear, keep calm and don’t be rash.

Bai Long frowned, suppressing his anger, and thought to himself with icy resolve: Just you wait!

Shen Yiming, on the other hand, wore a smug expression on his face.

The basement level soon arrived, and the four individuals exited the elevator, each preoccupied with their thoughts.

Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line nanny van carrying Tang Xiaowan and Leng Lingxiao was slowly driving up, followed immediately by an unanticipated shout.

"Nannan, Nannan, over here."

Inside the business van, Li Zishen looked over at the sound.

That face he had longed for day and night was still as bright and beautiful, not a hint changed, and that voice that haunted his dreams was just as sweet and soft.

Xiao Wan, you’re here!

Li Zishen greeted her silently in his mind.

Meanwhile, Bai Long in the front passenger’s seat surreptitiously signaled the driver.

And so, the speed of the car gradually slowed.