Lau Mei was not in a good mood when she noticed the bloodstain on her bedsheets. However, instead of panicking, she took several deep breaths to calm herself before calling the reception to ask what had happened the previous night and who had brought her to her room.
"Young Master, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your question. However, you may inquire at the King's Library. Perhaps one of the butlers knows what happened," the receptionist replied.
Lau Mei ended the call.
She hurriedly straightened herself up before leaving her room. As she walked toward the elevator, she noticed that one of the hotel room doors was slightly ajar. Curious, she glanced inside and was startled by what she saw.
She immediately looked away, hurried down the hallway, and repeatedly pressed the elevator button. The moment the doors opened, she quickly stepped inside.
Only when the elevator doors finally closed did she allow herself to relax.
"What a way to start the morning..." she muttered to herself.
She didn't want to disturb the two men she had just seen kissing inside the room. Although she hadn't seen their faces clearly, the man standing with his back toward her seemed strangely familiar. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite figure out who he was.
"Well, it's the modern era. I suppose I should keep an open mind and learn to adapt to the changing times. Still, I wish they would at least close the door for some privacy."
Lau Mei reminded herself that everything changed with time, including herself and the world around her. She simply had to adapt because the world certainly wouldn't adjust itself for her.
At the King's Library, Lau Mei was surprised to discover that the entire establishment looked completely different during the daytime.
The prestigious restaurant had transformed into a cozy café.
The bookshelves were still in place, but the books displayed on them had been updated to reflect modern trends. The artifacts that had adorned the shelves the previous night had been replaced by box-shaped private dining cubicles, each featuring a table that could comfortably accommodate four people.
The magnificent fountain featuring four floating goddesses had also been replaced by a gigantic cherry blossom tree. It stood beneath a floor-to-ceiling glass enclosure with an open ceiling directly above it, allowing the natural sunlight to illuminate its beautiful branches.
Meanwhile, the enormous chessboard had been replaced by a wooden platform surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass panels, offering a breathtaking view of the sunrise over the sea.
The golden rays of the morning sun gently illuminated the cherry blossom tree, making the entire establishment look even more enchanting.
It was almost as if the sunrise symbolized a new beginning, while the cherry blossoms stood as witnesses to every guest's fresh start in life.
Even the private dining room reserved by her mother the previous night had been transformed into a counter area featuring several enormous coffee machines. The butlers who had previously served the guests had been replaced by a team of baristas dressed in simple yet elegant café uniforms.
In just one night, the prestigious restaurant had transformed into a cozy café filled with guests.
Unlike the previous evening, when everyone had been dressed in elegant gowns and expensive suits, the guests were now wearing ordinary casual clothing.
As Lau Mei entered, several people glanced in her direction. To them, she looked like a businessman who had simply dropped by for a morning cup of coffee.
Meanwhile, several ladies who were enjoying their morning drinks suddenly noticed the arrival of a handsome man wearing a green suit.
One of them was so captivated by his appearance that she completely forgot she was refilling her teacup. Her cup gradually filled to the brim until the tea eventually overflowed.
She only snapped out of her daze when the hot tea spilled onto a small portion of her leg.
"Ah..."
Lau Mei was about to approach one of the baristas when she heard a woman's voice cry out in pain.
She turned toward the sound and noticed a young lady wearing a red cat-ear headband. The girl was muttering something to herself, seemingly scolding herself for her carelessness.
Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed that the handsome man who had caught her attention was already standing right in front of her.
She only realized his presence when she noticed a pair of shoes directly in front of her.
"Are you hurt?" the handsome man in the green suit asked.
The girl froze for a moment when she looked up and saw his face up close. He was even more handsome than she had initially imagined.
"I-I'm fine. Don't worry," she replied with a shy smile, trying to reassure him.
Without saying anything further, the man turned around and headed toward the counter.
The girl didn't think much of it and continued tending to her teacup. However, a few minutes later, the handsome man returned, carrying a small bowl in his hand.
"Do you have a handkerchief?" the man in the green suit asked.
"Uhm... Yes. Here you go."
The girl hesitantly handed him her handkerchief.
"Stay still!" the man instructed in an authoritative tone.
He placed the bowl down and revealed several ice cubes inside. Taking the handkerchief, he carefully wrapped some of the ice cubes in it until he had made a small ice pack.
"Place this against your leg," he instructed.
"Oh... All right. Thank you!"
The girl shyly accepted the makeshift ice pack, her face turning as red as a tomato.
Lau Mei then knelt on one knee to look at the injured area before speaking in a comforting tone.
"Well, this might not help much, but I recommend applying some ointment or topical cream to prevent further irritation or possible infection."
After offering his advice, the handsome man stood up and casually walked away.
The girls inside the café couldn't help but feel envious of the young lady. They had just witnessed such a thoughtful gesture from a handsome gentleman!
Suddenly, two of the girl's friends approached her.
"Who was that man?" one of them asked curiously.
"Well... I don't know. I'm just as surprised as you are," the girl replied, still staring at the man's retreating figure.
Without realizing it, her heart skipped a beat.
"Did you even ask for his name?" her other friend asked.
"Are you crazy?! Why would I do that?" she replied bluntly.
"You're hopeless, Zhang Jing," her friend teased.
Meanwhile, after helping the young lady, Lau Mei headed toward the counter.
"Excuse me, do you know where the butlers are?" she asked one of the baristas.
"Well, Young Master, their shift is almost over. It would be better if you came back later, at around six in the evening, to be exact," the barista replied.
"It's actually an important matter. You can simply tell one of the butlers that I'm one of the guests who received complimentary wine last night," Lau Mei explained.
"All right, Young Master. I'll see what I can do. Since you're already here, would you like some espresso?"
"Thank you. I'd appreciate that, as well as the espresso," Lau Mei replied with a warm smile.
"Please find yourself a seat while we prepare your espresso," another barista instructed.
Lau Mei glanced around and searched for an empty private cubicle where she could have a more private conversation with the butler.
Meanwhile, the ladies who had witnessed Lau Mei's smile were practically beaming. Some of them were even silently squealing with excitement, as though they had just encountered their favorite celebrity.
After a while, the barista returned with one of the butlers.
However, the moment the butler saw Lau Mei, he was visibly startled.
Lau Mei immediately noticed his reaction.
"Good morning, Young Master," the butler greeted her.
"Good morning! Please, have a seat," Lau Mei replied politely.
Once the butler had settled down, she leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"Well, I'll get straight to the point so I won't take up too much of your time. What exactly happened last night?" she whispered.
"To be honest, Young Master..." the butler began.
However, before he could continue, the barista returned with their drinks.
The barista carefully placed a freshly prepared espresso in front of Lau Mei and a tall glass of water in front of the butler. After politely excusing herself, she left them to their conversation.
The butler continued explaining.
"Unfortunately, Young Master, I wasn't among the staff members who escorted you to your room. The butlers who assisted you and the other guests are currently at the hospital."
"Wait! Why?!" Lau Mei exclaimed, visibly shocked.
"When the butlers escorted the three of you to your respective rooms, an unfortunate incident occurred. Our staff members first assisted Mr. Lau, Ms. Zhang, and her bodyguard. However, to their surprise, Ms. Zhang apparently thought we were going to do something inappropriate to her. She suddenly kicked one of our butlers, leaving him injured. Because we were worried that her bodyguard might suffer the same fate, we decided to escort him to a separate room instead of allowing him to accompany her."
The butler paused for a moment, visibly nervous.
He seemed to be struggling to find the right words to explain what had happened next.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up his glass of water and drank several large gulps before continuing.
"When our staff members brought you to your room, you were already extremely drunk. However, just as they were about to lay you down on the bed, you suddenly started throwing punches at one of our butlers. Unfortunately, one of our staff members was seriously injured. To prevent any further incidents, the others decided to leave you on the bed without attempting to change your clothes or tidy you up."
After finishing his explanation, the butler took another large gulp of water.
Lau Mei immediately felt guilty upon hearing what had happened. She hadn't intended to cause trouble for the hotel staff, and she couldn't help feeling foolish for drinking so much that she had become unable to recognize the people around her.
"I'm truly sorry for what happened," Lau Mei apologized, clasping both hands together while sitting across from the butler. Her expression reflected genuine regret over her behavior the previous night.
At first, the butler had been rather apprehensive about how she would react. He even swallowed nervously a few times, expecting her to become angry or blame the hotel staff.
However, when Lau Mei sincerely apologized, he felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders.
He had anticipated a difficult reaction, especially considering how troublesome some of the King's Library's most prestigious guests could be.
"Please don't worry about it, Young Master. We, the butlers of the King's Library, fully understand the nature of our work, whether we're attending to the needs of our guests, maintaining the King's Library, or managing the entire King's Hotel.
"We understand that intoxicated guests sometimes behave recklessly without realizing what they're doing. As members of the hotel staff, we've been professionally trained to handle such situations."
The butler offered Lau Mei a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her guilt.