The Female CEO Falls in Love with Me

Out of nowhere, Zhang Yurong's sudden words made Li Yan's heart skip a beat. He quickly looked over and saw her staring coldly at him.

"Ha... ha... what are you talking about... Honey, you're in another suite." Li Yan laughed it off, trying to cover up.

"With the leisure, sauna, and nightclub departments combined, there are hundreds of women here for you. You could stay here for a year and have someone new to play with every day!" Zhang Yurong sneered.

"Did you see it on the corridor cameras?" Since she already knew and had spoken up, Li Yan, after his awkwardness, decided to be straightforward.

"Have you ever felt empty, lonely, or cold? In a situation like this, I can be scared and fear death too! So what if a massage girl came up to sell her services, maybe to enjoy a bit before dying? Because of you, I was just chatting to kill time and relieve stress, but I can swear I didn't do anything with her last night. If you don't believe me, you can check if there are any traces left!"

While saying this, Li Yan looked calm, with the demeanor of a gentleman with nothing to hide. Inwardly, he thought, honestly, I'm telling the truth here.

Seeing Li Yan dare to speak so openly, Zhang Yurong felt a bit embarrassed but somewhat believed him. However, she was still upset — she had risked others' suspicions to bring him up last night, and came straight up to tell him the news as soon as she heard it. What more did he want? Find strangers to relieve loneliness?

"Hmph! No need to explain to me! It's not my business if you have the guts to find a few others to play with."

"Alright then, you said it! This is great, I'm seeking pleasure with official permission now!" Li Yan clapped excitedly in celebration.

Zhang Yurong sneered repeatedly, lowering her head to eat in big bites without looking at his annoying face.

"Hey!" After a while, Li Yan called out to her.

Zhang Yurong ignored him, pretending not to hear.

Li Yan sighed lightly, "Have you ever felt... we seem to be developing some sort of marital bond?"

Zhang Yurong looked up at him in surprise. This guy is feeling a bit too good about himself, isn't he?

Li Yan shook his head, seriously saying, "I'm not talking about some damn love; I mean marital bond. Concern, thoughts, anger, arguments, cold wars... Aren't these the most common in a couple's daily life?"

Zhang Yurong was taken aback for a moment and was somewhat affected by his words. But she quickly thought, constantly making me angry; we were just arguing; cold wars are the norm; as for concern and thoughts... are there any? He came yesterday to understand the situation, so that counts as thinking of me? Risking his life to come in, is that concern?

"Hm... I think besides these, once we have more communication, fun, romance, and touching moments... that should about cover it. But compared to the cold indifference and interference of the past, it's quite an improvement." Li Yan mused a little.

Zhang Yurong was also secretly surprised — had their relationship really improved? How could it be? How come she never felt it?

"Is this good... or not?"

Li Yan's last sentence sounded like a question to her, but also like he was talking to himself. After saying it, he also left, leaving Zhang Yurong sitting there somewhat dazed.

...

Since the suspect was caught and the packet of bacteria-laden powder was confiscated promptly, everyone felt a lot more at ease after the news was released. Both the hotel and the guests weren't under as much pressure and no longer on high alert, allowing the hotel to resume its normal operations.

Various specialized research institutes, hospitals, and health departments collaborated in a joint action and completed the check-up of all hotel guests within a day. The results gradually came out, indicating that basically no one was infected. The environmental monitoring of the hotel also confirmed that the air and water sources weren't polluted.

The research institute also provided a detailed analysis of the powder, which showed that while it contained infectious bacteria, it wasn't anthrax, and because it wasn't opened, it didn't spread. These two pieces of information put everyone's mind at ease. However, government departments, out of responsibility for the citizens, did not lift the lockdown. No one was allowed out except for vehicles supplying resources to the hotel.

The guests, who had been under the shadow of terror, felt relieved and happy to know they were safe. But upon realizing they still had to endure a day of lockdown, especially with continued network and mobile phone censorship, they started stirring up trouble. If something unavoidable had happened, it would have been out of control, but now the guests held the hotel responsible for the delay in their time and affairs. While the hotel's guests could cause trouble for the hotel, the hotel couldn't protest to the government. By evening, the hotel's executives, including Zhang Yurong, were very troubled as some guests simply refused any reasonable communication.

At lunchtime, Li Yan went to the restaurant alone. In the evening, with safety concerns lifted, people regained their appetites and flocked to the restaurant. Some men, after eating, also went to the leisure center, sauna, etc., to relax. Li Yan was notified by Zhang Yurong through the internal phone line to dine in her room, and she had the restaurant deliver the food.

Without the pressure of a virus, the restaurant staff was also more diligent and responsible. Li Yan felt that dinner wasn't like the rushed meals in the morning and noon. However, while he ate heartily, a tired-looking Zhang Yurong, who had been busy and exhausted all day, had little appetite.

"Li Yan."

"Mm?"

"You once said... that bystanders see things more clearly. Your suggestion last night was also effective. Why don't you tell me, given the current situation, how we can minimize the losses, not just financially, but more importantly in terms of brand reputation and goodwill?" Zhang Yurong rubbed her eyebrows, eyes corner, and temples.

"Well... this shouldn't have anything to do with a small employee like me, and I don't want to think too hard. But you're my wife, and seeing you work so tirelessly is genuinely heart-wrenching for me..."

Zhang Yurong slightly frowned and interrupted, "Be serious, cut it with the nonsense!" Somehow, though she reprimanded him verbally, hearing her cheap husband say such heartfelt words did stir a warm feeling in her tired heart.

Li Yan, having had a dull day, naturally didn't want to sit idly or sleep. He had thought about this question, and now that she asked, he organized his thoughts and spoke, "I believe this whole situation has been exaggerated and sensationalized. The government has likely confirmed it's under control. The reason for another day of lockdown is for urgent public relations, otherwise, they wouldn't keep the information blocked. Our hotel has suffered the most losses but is stuck in the middle, not welcomed by either side."

"Go on!" This was exactly what troubled Zhang Yurong.

"What I can think of isn't conventional, just take it as a reference. First, abandon all the current guests..."

"What?!" Zhang Yurong could understand his unconventional ideas but thought they might offer a new path. Yet she didn't expect his first words to shock her to the core. "Are you sure you're not kidding me?"