Hearing Li Caifeng’s words, the receptionist recalled the instructions from the guest who had booked private room number three and politely inquired:
“Of course, ma’am. May I have your name, please?”
Having already coordinated with Bai Yuling over the phone, Li Caifeng promptly replied:
“Certainly. My name is Li Caifeng—Li as in the character for ‘plum’, Cai as in ‘rainbow’, and Feng as in ‘phoenix’.”
Upon hearing the name and confirming she was the friend of the guest who had reserved the room, the receptionist immediately said:
“Ms. Li Caifeng, welcome to our restaurant. Your friend reserved private room number three on the second floor. I’ll have a server escort you and your companions there right away.”
With that, the receptionist picked up the phone on the desk and notified a staff member.
It didn’t take long for a server from the Starview Hotel to arrive at the entrance after receiving the front desk’s call.
“Sir, ma’am, and this lovely young lady, please follow me.”
After greeting the receptionist, the server politely addressed the Yan family, then led them to private room number three on the second floor.
Pushing open the door to the room, the server turned to the family and said:
“Sir, ma’am, and this lovely young lady, this is the private room your friend reserved. Please, go right in.”
Seeing the room number “3” on the doorplate and confirming they were in the right place, the Yan family stepped inside.
Whoa, the decor in this private room is ridiculously luxurious!
As they entered, Yan Qi’s jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the even more opulent furnishings inside compared to the restaurant’s already lavish exterior.
Yan Zhenyi and Li Caifeng were equally stunned by the room’s extravagance, their expressions mirroring their daughter’s disbelief.
Once he regained his composure, Yan Zhenyi leaned close to his wife and whispered:
“Honey, the room Xiao Bai booked… it doesn’t look ordinary at all.”
Hearing her husband, Li Caifeng also snapped out of her daze and replied with a hint of frustration:
“Yeah, I can see that. I wonder how much Yuling spent to reserve this room.”
“Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t a small amount.”
“How am I ever going to repay her for this?”
While the couple was whispering, the server—who had followed them into the room—noticed they hadn’t taken their seats yet and asked:
“Sir, ma’am, and this lovely young lady, is there something wrong with the chairs? Would you prefer to stand for a while?”
Hearing the question, Yan Zhenyi and Li Caifeng quickly stopped their private conversation.
Yan Zhenyi then turned to the server and explained:
“The chairs are fine. We’ve just been sitting in the car for a while and wanted to stretch our legs a bit before sitting down.”
“I see. How much longer would you like to stand, sir?”
“Actually, we’re good now. Honey, Xiao Qi, let’s find our seats.”
After saying this to the server, Yan Zhenyi quickly took his wife and daughter’s hands, and they each found a chair at the dining table to sit down.
Watching the family get seated, the highly professional server offered no comment and instead stepped forward to ask:
“Sir, ma’am, and this lovely young lady, is there anything you need at the moment?”
“Not for now, thank you,” Li Caifeng replied after sitting down. She looked up at the server and asked, “But could you tell us if the person who reserved this room has arrived yet?”
Learning that they had no immediate requests and only wanted to know if the guest who booked the room had arrived, the server—aware that the Yan family knew Bai Yuling—saw no reason to withhold the information and promptly answered:
“The guest who reserved private room number three hasn’t arrived at our restaurant yet.”
“Still not here? But it’s almost seven o’clock.”
Hearing the server’s reply, Li Caifeng checked her phone and was surprised to see it was nearly seven.
“Do you think Aunt Bai ran into some trouble on the way?” Yan Qi, sitting beside her mother, thought for a moment and asked.
Putting her phone down, Li Caifeng pondered the question briefly before shaking her head.
“Impossible. I know your Aunt Bai’s temperament. Unless something truly major happened, she would never miss an appointment.”
Hearing this, Yan Qi—learning for the first time that Bai Yuling had such a steadfast character—couldn’t hide her surprise.
After a moment, she composed herself and suggested to her mother:
“Mom, why don’t you give Aunt Bai a call?”
“Call her? You’re right, I’ll do that now.”
Taking her daughter’s advice to heart, Li Caifeng quickly agreed.
She picked up her phone again to call Bai Yuling, but then hesitated, noticing the unfamiliar server still in the room. She looked up at the staff member.
Sensing the weight of Li Caifeng’s gaze and having overheard her conversation with Yan Qi, the server—fully aware of his place—knew it was inappropriate to stay any longer.
With a perfectly practiced smile, he addressed Li Caifeng and the others:
“Honored guests, if you need anything, just ring the bell on the table. I’ll come in immediately to assist you.”
Having said this, the server tactfully exited private room number three, leaving the Yan family to themselves.
Once the server was gone, Li Caifeng quickly found Bai Yuling’s number in her phone and pressed dial.