898 A Million Times for You 260 (1/2)
Yan Ge explained, ”Guests are usually allowed to choose if they'd like to have a room with anti-theft windows or one without. However, the hotel rooms were almost full when we arrived and there were no longer rooms with anti-theft windows that were available. Since we've already signed an agreement with the hotel, the hotel won't be liable if we fall from the balcony because of our own mistake.”
”Oh, I see.”
Yan Ge was not in the mood to continue chatting with her. Noticing that he was in low spirits, Xin Min returned to her room a short while later.
He then made his way to Fang Erlan's room.
”Are you out of your mind? The ledge was so narrow… we're on the eighth floor, what if you'd fallen to your death…”
”I won't die so easily. Look, I'm fine now, aren't I? Your fiancée will definitely get the wrong idea if she saw us eating together in your room. Although my legs turned to jelly a little when I came out of room 804, I did feel fortunate to have escaped her eyes.”
”What's wrong with having a meal together? She's not that petty.”
Fang Erlan retorted, ”Women are all petty to a certain extent. I know it clearly because I'm a woman myself. If my man were to have a meal with another woman, I'd definitely be peeved and upset even if I know that there's nothing between them. Forget it, I've already made up my mind anyway. Regardless of how you say that I'm going back on my word, I'm not going to give in. Let's avoid seeing each other so often outside of filming and refrain from being in the same room alone, as far as possible.”
”Alright,” he answered coldly before turning around to leave.
Fang Erlan sat by the bed and stared at the ground while her mind went blank.
―
Mei Yangyang arrived at three o'clock in the afternoon.
After hearing Fang Erlan's description of the incident again, Mei Yangyang headed straight to the front desk and said, ”Call your manager here to see me.”
”Did something happen?”
”Of course, why would I be looking for him otherwise? Stop procrastinating and hurry up.”
Noticing the sullen expression on her face, the receptionist immediately called the manager of the hotel.
The manager found Mei Yangyang to be rather familiar-looking, though he could not remember where he had seen her.
”Miss, are you looking for me?” he asked.
”I'm one of Fang Erlan's bosses. I want to watch the surveillance camera footages regarding the incident of the snake found on her bed.”
”I'm sorry, but we discovered that the surveillance cameras were faulty due to the heavy rain when we tried to watch the footage today. Although it had already been repaired in the afternoon, nothing was recorded last night. Hence, we deduced that the snake must have crawled into her room from the balcony. It might not have crawled up from the first floor. Perhaps one of our guests had smuggled the prohibited animal into the hotel and accidentally let it crawl away. We're very sorry about the incident.”
Although the manager was tactful with his words and gave a reasonable explanation, Mei Yangyang clearly did not buy it.
”A malfunction… how could it be so coincidental?” Mei Yangyang remarked,
”That's indeed the case. I'm very sorry.”
Mei Yangyang decided to pursue the matter and demanded, ”Is apologizing all that you're planning to do? Should there be a second time, aren't you just giving the perpetrator another chance? Can you afford to bear the consequences if the snake is poisonous and end up killing someone? I'm not asking that you compensate us in money, but I want you guys to issue a public apology to my artiste on the news.”
”Well…” said the manager, who was stuck in a dilemma because a public apology would definitely tarnish the hotel's reputation.
He continued, ”Miss, I'll report this incident to my boss while you wait patiently for me to return. Will that do?”
”Sure. I'll wait for you on that couch over there. I'm giving you half an hour's time. Also, I feel the need to remind you that the other owner of our artiste company is An Xiaoning,” Mei Yangyang said, smiling.
”Got it.”
Mei Yangyang and Fang Erlan waited on the couch in the lobby of the hotel.
Mei Yangyang instructed, ”As much as possible, limit contact with Yan Ge outside of filming until filming ends. He has a fiancée now. If the paparazzi snaps some photos of you two and spark some false rumors, it's going to be disadvantageous to your reputation. Don't tell me, you've already fallen for him?”