Chapter 82: I'll Handle This

When Xia Yu returned to the room, Zhao Sijie had just finished her shower. Her hair was still damp, exuding a sweet fragrance, lending her an air of sensuality.

"You're back. Actually, the room isn't that small. Hurry and take a shower," she said, her tone betraying a hint of nervousness. Perhaps it was the thought of two young people alone together in such an environment, and this time, unlike before, they were both perfectly sober.

As she considered what might happen next, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she urged Xia Yu to hurry to the bathroom.

After a full day of activities, Xia Yu had indeed worked up a sweat. He nodded and stepped into the shower.

When he came out, Zhao Sijie was leaning on the windowsill, gazing out at the night. The tall, graceful lines of her figure were softened by the moonlight, lending her a misty, enchanting beauty.

Xia Yu glanced at her twice, feeling his heart stir. Trying to compose himself, he asked, "What... what are you looking at?"

"The moon," she replied softly. "It's so round tonight. I can't remember the last time I watched the moon in such peace." She turned slightly and beckoned to him, "Come and look, too."

"Alright..."

Xia Yu smiled to himself and walked over. The full moon outside was indeed bright and round, and with the scenic beauty of the resort, it was a picture out of poetry.

"Yu, isn't it beautiful?" the girl beside him asked quietly.

"It is," Xia Yu said, turning toward her. "And so are you."

Their eyes met, and a rush of emotion passed between them. Zhao Sijie's cheeks turned even redder, her gaze lingering on him as if waiting for something.

Almost unconsciously, Xia Yu leaned closer.

But just then, a sudden commotion from outside shattered the moment. Both of them froze in surprise.

"It's so noisy out there. What's going on? Is it my classmates? Should we go take a look?" Zhao Sijie asked, her heart pounding wildly.

"Alright," Xia Yu replied, nodding. They quickly collected themselves and headed out.

As they stepped into the hallway, they stopped in their tracks. All of Zhao Sijie's classmates were gathered outside another room, and amidst the noise, they could just make out Lili's panicked voice:

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to—"

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The two hurried over to find out what had happened.

It turned out that Lili, fooling around with Xiaorong and the others in their room, had accidentally knocked over a vase. Now, a staff member had arrived to negotiate compensation.

"Miss, you really should have been more careful. How could you not see such a large vase?" Fang Yun, who was inside, said with a furrowed brow. "According to hotel policy, you are responsible for compensation. Besides, this vase dates back to the Jiaqing era and can be considered an antique. Our boss paid a high price for it to decorate the luxury suite."

"The market price is 1.7 million yuan. Miss, I know it wasn't intentional, but you still have to compensate us."

"What? 1.7 million!" At this number, everyone was stunned into silence. No one dared to speak on Lili's behalf.

"That... that's outrageous! Who are you trying to scam?!" Lili, on the verge of collapse, shouted, "What antique? Your hotel is clearly trying to extort us! I'm going to report you!"

Fang Yun's expression darkened. "Miss, the rules are clearly posted on the wall. Any damage to valuable items must be compensated at market value. Didn't you see it?"

"If you have any doubts, you can take the vase to a professional for authentication. Does a hotel of our size really need to stoop to such tricks?"

Lili's lips trembled, and she couldn't help but break down in tears, covering her face with her hands.

The hallway fell silent, save for Lili's despairing sobs.

Her close friends Xiaorong and Xiaoqin stood off to the side, at a loss for words, let alone anyone else.

Though she often acted superior in front of Zhao Sijie, the truth was her family was merely well-off, not wealthy. 1.7 million was an enormous sum—she would have to sell her family's house to come up with it. If her parents found out, there would be hell to pay.

"Miss, crying won't help. If you can't pay right now, you should call your family," Fang Yun said. He could tell she wasn't the daughter of a wealthy family. His tone wasn't harsh, but left no room for negotiation.

"I—I can't get that much from home, please, can't you let me off just this once? I'll work for you to pay it off, just please don't call the police or tell my parents," Lili begged through her tears, all dignity forgotten.

"No, it must be paid in full. If you insist on this attitude, I'll have no choice but to call the police," Fang Yun replied firmly.

Desperate, Lili turned to Wang Dong for help. "Wang Dong, please, say something for me! You're so capable, they'll definitely listen to you!"

Wang Dong's face darkened. Capable as he might be, he didn't know the hotel staff, and if it were a small amount, he'd have paid it himself. But over a million? Even he couldn't manage that. With all their classmates watching, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing, but he inwardly cursed Lili for causing trouble.

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"Well... um, sir, my name is Wang Dong," he said helplessly, approaching with his business card and putting on a façade of success, trying to curry favor with Fang Yun.

But Fang Yun was having none of it. He waved away the card and said, "Enough with the pleasantries. Compensation is non-negotiable. If you can't pay, we'll call the police and your family will have to find the money."

Wang Dong's face flushed pale, but dealing with someone in charge of such a large hotel, he dared not offend him.

He tried to negotiate further: "Sir, we're not saying we won't pay, but could you reduce the amount? That's an enormous sum, and my classmate really can't afford it."

"Perhaps she could sign an IOU and pay later?"

Fang Yun laughed coldly. "Are you joking? You look like you've seen the world, yet you talk like a child. This is an antique. The hotel is already being lenient by not demanding double compensation. Do you know what an antique is? It can't be replaced, no matter how much money you have."

Wang Dong was left humiliated in front of all their classmates, his grand image shattered. But Fang Yun's words were unassailable, and he could find no rebuttal, forced to swallow his anger.

Everyone could see now that even Wang Dong was powerless.

"How did things get so out of hand? How could Lili be so careless?" Zhao Sijie fretted by the door. Despite Lili's earlier harsh words, they were all here to have fun together, and she genuinely felt sorry for her.

"It's alright. I'll handle it," Xia Yu said, not wanting to see her so worried, and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

But the others immediately looked at him with scorn and couldn't help but sneer, "Really, now? This is the time for boasting? You say you'll handle it—just how do you plan to do that?"