Her gaze wandered, trying to avoid the topic: "I don't know. Maybe, but whether he comes or not doesn't really matter to us."
"How can it not matter! If he is here, we need to work even harder. Maybe the time Li Meili gave us a hard time and the crystal ornament incident were all noticed by the third young master. He might clear our names one day!" Zheng Shuhui was serious.
Tao Xinrou didn't say anything out loud but inwardly grumbled: No need for 'might'—he's already cleared them, sis. And the upright official who cleared your name knocked on my door last night because of a leak in the bathroom.
Tao Xinrou couldn't join this conversation and didn't want to. She was afraid of slipping up.
But she still had to face what needed facing, like the leak.
Thinking about the leak, Tao Xinrou's mental alarm went off instantly. Tonight, she had to take the initiative to go fix the water pipe in Fang Rong's room.
Sigh, the president's matters couldn't be taken lightly.
If the pipe couldn't be fixed, she might have to give up her master bedroom.
Sad, wanted to cry.
*
Tao Xinrou found a highly-rated repairman on a local services platform, spending a lot of money to get a five-star review professional.
At eight in the evening, the repairman arrived on time and went into the secondary bedroom to start working. Fang Rong had no choice but to stay in the living room with Tao Xinrou temporarily.
Tao Xinrou was still in her work clothes from before she changed out of her uniform, wrapped up like a panda. Fang Rong, however, had changed into loungewear—a simple gray T-shirt and trousers—looking much more relaxed than during work hours.
On the contrary, Tao Xinrou was very uncomfortable. Her gaze darted around, not knowing where to look.
The two were awkward and unsure of what to do.
Instead, Fang Rong initiated a few topics to chat with Tao Xinrou, but the conversation inevitably turned to that issue.
"Lately, everyone at the hotel seems obsessed with discussing the Ying family's third young master. Have you heard?"
Tao Xinrou immediately adjusted her expression, putting on the attitude of an ordinary gossipy colleague, eyes wide: "What? There's something like that? I didn't know."
"Oh? It's been quite a hot topic lately. I didn't expect you not to care about gossip."
Tao Xinrou's inner thoughts: It's not that I don't want to; I don't dare.
"Um... yes, I think work is the most important. These gossip don't concern me. Besides, even if a senior executive really comes incognito, seeing everyone distracted by rumors and affecting work would be bad anyway. My goal is to work hard, work harder, and contribute to the hotel!"
This was no ordinary chat; it was a heart-to-heart with the boss about planning the future.
She hoped Fang Rong would drop his disguise in the next second, pat her on the shoulder, and say, "Great, I'm very satisfied with you. You'll be department head tomorrow."
Haha, but that was just wishful thinking.
Fang Rong did nothing of the sort. He just looked at her strangely and said, "I didn't expect you to be so dedicated to work. I need to learn from you."
"Mm-hmm, let's work hard together." Tao Xinrou clutched her clothes tightly, feeling her palms sweat profusely.
Seeing that the repairman was still working, Fang Rong stood up: "The repairman should be a while longer. I'll go to the fruit shop downstairs. What would you like to eat?"
Tao Xinrou waved her hand, saying "No need," and Fang Rong finally left.
As soon as he left, Tao Xinrou collapsed like a deflated ball.
This life—guarding against colleagues at work and guarding against roommates after work.
Had her expression management been okay just now? Was her smile sincere enough? Was her tone natural enough? Did she roll her eyes?
Tao Xinrou buried herself in the sofa cushion and let out a muffled wail.
Dear heavens, I just want to live an ordinary life. Did you have to arrange such a hardcore roommate for me?
After her wail, she sat up abruptly, her eyes fixed sharply on the direction of the secondary bedroom. The repairman was still banging around inside, and a warm yellow light shone through the crack in the door.
A golden opportunity!
She tiptoed to the secondary bedroom door, pretended to casually peek in, and asked, "How's the repair going, sir?"
"Almost done. The drain is a bit clogged; just need to clear it a bit more." The repairman didn't look up.
Tao Xinrou hummed in acknowledgment, but her eyes scanned the room's furnishings like a scanner. The bedsheet was dark gray, neatly made. On the desk was a laptop and a thermos. Beside the pillow was a book, whose cover she couldn't quite make out—economics? Philosophy? Something she wouldn't understand anyway.
She wanted to get a closer look, but the repairman suddenly looked up, startling her into quickly retracting her neck and pretending to inspect the ceiling.
No, too obvious. She had to pretend to be lost in thought watching the repairman work.
So, were there any clues in President Ying's room that could expose him? Maybe hidden in a book on the shelf, or in the pencil holder on the desk, or under the bed?
Just then, the door lock clicked.
Tao Xinrou dashed back to the living room at lightning speed, hugging a cushion and curling up in the corner of the sofa, looking calm.
Fang Rong pushed the door open, carrying a bag of fruit.
"Bought some strawberries. Want some? I'll wash them."
"No, no, you're too kind." Tao Xinrou waved her hands repeatedly.
Fang Rong didn't say much. He put the fruit bag down and went to check the progress at the secondary bedroom door. Fortunately, the repairman was already done.
After a few instructions, the repairman left. Tao Xinrou quickly retreated from the president's room and stood respectfully.
"Um... it's fixed. It shouldn't leak anymore. You should rest early. Good night." Tao Xinrou said quickly and tried to slip back to her own room.
"Tao Xinrou." Fang Rong called her.
Tao Xinrou's back stiffened. She slowly turned around: "Anything... else?"
Fang Rong took out his phone, tapped a few times, then looked up at her: "How much was the repair fee? I'll transfer it to you."
So he wanted to split the cost. The president truly separates public and private!
Tao Xinrou immediately shook her head like a rattle drum: "No need, no need. This is a problem with the house itself. It should be covered by us, the landlords."
Fang Rong insisted: "I live here and discovered the issue while using it. I also bear some responsibility. At least half."
"Don't, don't, don't. I absolutely won't accept this money."
...
Thus, the two engaged in a tug-of-war in the living room over a repair fee of just over a hundred yuan, each trying to outdo the other in politeness.
In the end, Tao Xinrou couldn't out-argue Fang Rong and had to compromise by accepting half of the money.
This made her mood even more complicated.
Watching Fang Rong's tall, straight back as he said "Good night" and walked back to the secondary bedroom, Tao Xinrou clutched her phone. The tangled mess in her heart seemed to have gained new threads.
So, what kind of person was he, really?
Able to be calm and authoritative, gentle and caring, and also fuss over a hundred-yuan repair fee...
Which one was the real him? Or... were all of these him?
Author's note:
----------------------
Happy New Year! Wish everyone a prosperous Year of the Horse, immediate success, instant wealth, and quick fortune!
By the way, does anyone know the custom for today, the first day of the lunar year?
I heard it's a day of no work and no knives. But little old me is diligently writing the following plot.
Wah wah wah, since I'm working so hard, can you leave a comment, bookmark, and add to collection in one go? (Puppy eyes)
Randomly sending a little red envelope for comments in this chapter to pass on some New Year luck!