Pan Ge dragged her weary body to the staircase in the living room, only to find someone suddenly sitting up on the couch.

"Where did you go, my dear?"

"Mom! You scared me!"

Pan Ge patted her chest, her limp body suddenly filled with an extra surge of energy.

As she faced her mother's scrutiny, her mind raced, and she ultimately decided to cover for Han Lie.

"Han Lie got beaten up in his dorm room. I accompanied him to the hospital..."

"What?!"

Zhao Anni sprang up and quickly moved to her daughter's side.

The first thing she smelled wasn't antiseptic, but the unfamiliar scent of shower gel.

She remained composed as she observed her daughter more closely.

"Is he seriously injured? How could he get beaten up in his own dorm room? This is just outrageous..."

"Not too bad."

Pan Ge suddenly remembered that she hadn't actually asked Han Lie what happened, being too preoccupied with... ahem!

Feeling a pang of guilt, she cast her eyes downward.

"Just some bruises on his neck from being choked, and some other superficial injuries, nothing serious. I stayed with him at a hotel for a while afterward. He seemed fine, just incredibly sleepy, so I came back."

"Oh, that's good then..."

Zhao Anni nodded, half-believing the story.

"Hurry up to bed. You can visit little Han during the day, or have him come over. I'll ask your father to inquire about the situation."

"Okay, I'm going to bed then."

Zhao Anni scrutinized her daughter's every step as she ascended the stairs, finally letting out a heavy sigh of relief much later.

She seems normal. No serious issues.

Although she hoped her daughter would soon find a respectable partner, she wasn't ready to see her naive girl so quickly tricked into giving herself to little Han. It wasn't that she had any objections to little Han, nor that her views were particularly traditional or old-fashioned. Rather, she understood deeply that things obtained too easily are seldom cherished.

After much pondering, she summoned driver Lao Liu.

"From today on, you don't need to follow Lao Pan around. Each morning, take the young miss to class, and in the evening, pick her up at the school gate. Wherever she goes, you follow."

Lao Liu's heart skipped a beat, but he respectfully acknowledged the order.

「...」

Han Lie returned to the Sheraton and fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

Pan Ge was really something else; she had thoroughly worn him out. If it weren't for his father-in-law's terrifying presence, Brother Lie wouldn't have put up with this nonsense...

He woke to find the sun already high in the sky.

It was Sunday. Yu Yun sent her usual greetings, Xi Luting continued playing dead, Pan Ge was probably still asleep, and Chen Yanfei still hadn't responded to Han Lie's invitation to have a meal together.

Everything seemed to be stuck in a strange, awkward limbo...

Han Lie cleaned himself up, making sure he looked sharp, then headed straight for the Baohua Marriott.

The lobby manager wasn't the same one who had previously met Han Lie, but when Brother Lie directly expressed his interest in a long-term lease of the presidential suite, her smile was even more fawning than the previous manager's.

Upstairs, it was still Nata who greeted Han Lie.

"Mr. Han, it seems you are very satisfied with our service."

Nata made a small joke, then very thoughtfully swapped Han Lie's Evian for a bottle of Nongfu Spring 50—on his last visit, Han Lie had drunk two bottles of the Nongfu Spring and only half a bottle of Evian.

"Of course, I'm satisfied."

Han Lie replied with a beaming smile, "That's why I can't bear to see an outstanding butler like yourself with nothing to do all day…"

Nata's movements faltered for a fraction of a second, but her smile remained flawless.

"You're joking, Mr. Han. I'm very satisfied with my current job."

What was she thinking?

Han Lie found it quite amusing but did not probe any further.

Soon after, the hotel's general manager arrived, extending his hands warmly toward Han Lie upon meeting him.

"Mr. Han, I am Yang Yihua, the vice-president of Baohua Plaza and also the general manager of Baohua Marriott. I sincerely thank you for your support and patronage of Baohua Marriott!"

Han Lie glanced at his watch—the watch his father-in-law gave him wasn't particularly valuable, but it certainly looked handsome.

"My time is limited, so let's get straight to the point. I want to lease your hotel's presidential suite for a long period. What's your price?"

Han Lie deliberately acted a bit arrogant.

There was no helping it. Being so young, if he wasn't somewhat presumptuous, people tended to look down on him.

Nata and her team had already left the room. Yang Yihua peered at Han Lie through narrowed eyes, his friendly smile belying a keen assessment hidden behind his glasses.

"Mr. Han, may I know how long you plan to rent? The rates vary with the duration of the lease. The monthly rate basically includes a twenty percent discount on top of some additional benefits..."

"I still have three and a half years of university to attend here. Minus the senior year, let's say roughly two and a half to three years."

Damn!

Yang Yihua nearly lost his composure, instinctively adjusting his glasses.

"Mr. Han, do you plan to pay the entire rent upfront?"

Han Lie grew impatient. "At most, I'll pay annually. Do you think I'm foolish? Would I hand you twenty or thirty million all at once?!"

"Yearly payment is also acceptable, no problem at all."

Yang Yihua, with remarkable composure despite the jab, remained very respectful towards Han Lie.

That's how the service industry has always been: dangle enough money, and you call all the shots.

"In that case, I can do you the favor of offering a forty percent discount..."

"Stop right there!"

Han Lie cut him off rudely, his youthful face a mask of indignation, as if he'd been profoundly insulted.

"Are you taking me for an idiot? Before I came, I already inquired with my elders. The presidential suite at your Baohua Marriott has an annual occupancy rate of less than thirty percent. And now that I want an annual lease, this is the measly discount you offer me? Do you have any idea how much the Sheraton across the street is offering me for a year?!"

Sweat began to bead on Yang Yihua's forehead under Han Lie's fierce glare.

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