Chapter 78: Returning to the Golden Hotel

On his way to the Golden Hotel, Chen Yuyi couldn’t help but think of Zuo Qianhui. Ever since that incident, they hadn’t seen each other again; he hadn’t sought her out, nor had she contacted him. In truth, he’d worried for some time that what happened might have left her with some psychological burden, but it was only after Zuo Hongshan sent word several times to assure him that all was well that he finally set his mind at ease.

After that, even Zuo Hongshan had seldom reached out, and of course, Chen Yuyi wouldn’t take the initiative to contact him either. Still, he was well aware that Zuo Hongshan had done quite a bit for him behind the scenes; otherwise, a crowd of people would have come looking for him long ago.

Now, returning to the Golden Hotel once more, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion, and even found it a bit amusing recalling how he’d once worked here as a top-tier waiter.

As he stepped through the hotel’s grand entrance, a striking woman strode past him in high heels, sheer black stockings revealing slender calves, yet her figure mostly concealed beneath an oversized trench coat. The sunglasses she wore were so large they covered most of her face, leaving only a pointed chin and a small cherry-red mouth exposed.

Chen Yuyi only glanced at her, not paying much attention. Yet suddenly, he sensed a strange aura clinging to the woman—not emanating from her, but likely from an accessory she wore.

Having begun to cultivate his spiritual energy, Chen Yuyi’s senses were now far keener than before. The strength of his spiritual sea was gradually increasing, and though he was still far from mastering any mystical abilities, the power of the Law was already beginning to evolve within him.

Thus, anything touched by magic was now plain as day to him. The object on the woman was clearly enchanted.

Such items were commonly referred to as “magical artifacts,” though, as the Flood Dragon King had once explained to him, this term was used loosely among ordinary folk. True magical artifacts—known as “treasure implements”—were forged by practitioners with profound mastery of the mystical arts and came in various grades and ranks. To those who cultivated, the so-called magical artifacts of the mundane world were just the most elementary of such implements.

Even so, these were not to be compared with the so-called “magical artifacts” of ordinary people. Those were little more than trinkets imbued with a trace of power, giving them some unusual properties. Real magical implements, however, could move at their master’s command, fly through the air or burrow through the earth, unleash tremendous power, and were beyond the comprehension of most.

As for the most advanced treasure implements, the Flood Dragon King hadn’t elaborated, and Chen Yuyi hadn’t inquired further. That was a realm he could not yet imagine—one he would only reach with true prowess.

By now, the woman had already moved on, and Chen Yuyi thought no more of it.

At that moment, the hotel’s general manager happened to pass by the same woman, staring after her in confusion and muttering repeatedly, “How can she look so much like her? So much like her…”

When he finally snapped out of it and spotted Chen Yuyi, he was momentarily stunned.

Then, breaking into a beaming smile, he hurried over. “Mr. Chen! It’s been so long since you visited us—I thought you’d forgotten about our hotel!”

Chen Yuyi smiled lightly. “Well, here I am. But today I’m not here as a waiter—I’m a guest this time.”

The general manager bent at the waist, speaking with utmost respect. “You are always a guest here, sir. That waiter position was just a nominal arrangement by Miss Zuo for your convenience, nothing more.”

Hearing him mention Zuo Qianhui, Chen Yuyi couldn’t help but ask, “Has your Miss Zuo been by the hotel lately?”

The general manager looked surprised. “Don’t you know, Mr. Chen? Miss Zuo has gone abroad!”

“What?” Chen Yuyi was a little taken aback.

The assistant manager, having observed Chen Yuyi for a while, finally spoke. “So you didn’t know, Mr. Chen? Miss Zuo didn’t tell you she was leaving the country?”

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yuyi smiled faintly. “Perhaps she had her reasons, maybe she didn’t want to trouble me, so she kept it to herself.”

The general manager nodded thoughtfully. “Miss Zuo is always so considerate of you, sir.”

Then something seemed to occur to him. “Ah, Mr. Chen, which private room are your friends in? Let me show you the way!”

“No need, I’ll go myself. I know my way around here.”

“Oh, no, I insist on walking you over myself! It’s been ages since you last came—please, let me show off a bit in front of you,” the general manager said, even reaching as if to take Chen Yuyi by the hand.

Chen Yuyi gave a helpless smile. “The Rose Room.”

“Oh? Do you know the lady who came in just now with those enormous sunglasses? She seemed to be heading to the Rose Room as well.” The general manager’s curiosity was piqued.

That made Chen Yuyi pause—could that woman be an old friend of Shen Zhujun? But even so, he didn’t know her, so he replied, “No, I don’t.”

“She really does look just like Su Feifei!” the general manager murmured.

The name Su Feifei would be familiar to anyone, young or old. She was one of the fastest rising stars in recent years, on the verge of becoming a leading lady, with a legion of fans.

Chen Yuyi touched his nose, surprised to learn that his wife had celebrity friends. Then again, it wasn’t so unusual—the Shen family had once been one of the most distinguished. Had Shen Zhujun chosen to pursue a career as a star, she’d likely be famous by now herself.

As the general manager pushed open the doors to the Rose Room, Chen Yuyi finally appeared before Shen Zhujun’s circle of childhood friends.

First to greet him was Zhao Lan, with a teasing smile at her lips: “At last, you’re here, Sir-in-law Chen!”

Amid the group, there was indeed a woman with oversized sunglasses reminiscent of Su Feifei, easily identifiable by her distinctive eyewear.

She had taken off the oversized trench coat, revealing a beige, form-fitting knit sweater that accentuated her curvaceous figure and slender waist, her bearing strikingly elegant.

She wore little in the way of jewelry, just a simple jade bracelet on her fair wrist, giving her a modest air that set her apart from the usual celebrities.

But now, Chen Yuyi was certain—she was Su Feifei.

Among the group, aside from the women, there were also several men, presumably husbands or boyfriends.

Shen Zhujun rose to her feet. “Come, let me introduce you all—this is my husband, Chen Yuyi!”

She hardly needed to say it. Zhao Lan’s earlier remark had already made it clear, and now all eyes were appraising Chen Yuyi with open curiosity. With the introduction complete, the group became even more lively, some even making jokes.

“Zhujun, your husband seems quite the catch! He’s really handsome—later you must tell us what tricks he used to win over such a lady as yourself.”

“Yes, Zhujun! No wonder you got married in secret—if we’d seen him first, we might have tried to steal him away ourselves!” some of the single women teased, their banter rather bold.

Although Chen Yuyi wore an ordinary suit, he exuded a natural charm—his handsomeness was innate, no matter how you looked at him.

It was only natural for women to be drawn to good-looking men, just as men were to beautiful women. Shen Zhujun took the teasing in stride, though inwardly she sighed—this man truly seemed sent by fate to torment her, for his beauty was simply unreasonable.

“I imagine our brother Chen here didn’t just rely on his looks—he must have put in a lot of effort to win Zhujun’s heart. Our Zhujun is not easily impressed—he must have worked hard, and that’s truly admirable!” one of the men chimed in with a laugh.

Only Zhao Lan, though a little dazzled by Chen Yuyi’s good looks, kept her knowing smile. She’d already heard he was a live-in son-in-law, a mere bargain no matter how handsome. So she remained silent, letting the others heap their praises.

Chen Yuyi just smiled and took a seat beside Shen Zhujun. Everyone likes to be complimented; he was no exception.

Shen Zhujun, too, smiled and leaned in closer to him. “Well, you’ve met him now—are you all satisfied?”

Everyone nodded. “Very satisfied! You two are a perfect match—later you must drink a few more glasses with us.”

With that, Shen Zhujun waved to call for the food.

The gathering had been organized by Zhao Lan, and since everyone had come together for her sake, Shen Zhujun felt it wouldn’t be right to let Zhao Lan play host.

Once the food and wine had been served, the lively atmosphere seemed to put everyone at ease. Su Feifei had now taken off her sunglasses, and in an instant, a stunningly beautiful face was revealed to all. Her gaze also fell upon Chen Yuyi…