When Gao Jianfei first arrived in G Province to work, Feilong assigned him to Alice Cosmetics Company. At that time, Gao Jianfei's Ghostly Aura hadn't been upgraded yet, and he didn't have any special skills; he was just a country bumpkin. The first person he met at the company was probably Qin Leshi!
This is a short-haired, quiet girl who is well-educated and reasonable. Her parents are both middle-level managers in public institutions in Huashi, G Province. She received a good education from a young age and is very cultured and polite.
She was also considered a teacher at Gao Jianfei's company.
Later, Gao Jianfei chased away some thugs who were pursuing Qin Leshi, and then forcibly kissed her. Still later, he attended Qin Leshi's birthday party…
One thing is certain: if Gao Jianfei hadn't left G Province, he would definitely have become good friends with Qin Leshi.
Gao Jianfei also approved of Qin Leshi, thinking she was a good friend and a very nice girl.
Now, after several days, Gao Jianfei was overjoyed to receive Qin Leshi's call. "Haha! Leshi, what made you suddenly decide to call me?"
"Well... actually, I just wanted to see your match live," Qin Leshi said with a smile.
"You...you...you wouldn't have already arrived in the capital, would you?" Gao Jianfei choked.
"Yes! I took my annual leave early and arrived in Beijing tonight. I just got off the plane. Jianfei, it's been so long since I've seen you. Would it be convenient for you to treat me to dinner?" Qin Leshi said in a hopeful voice on the other end of the phone.
Chapter 428 We must find her!
Chapter 428 We must find her!
"Le Shi, you really came to Beijing? No way!" Gao Jianfei was genuinely incredulous. After all, Qin Le Shi wasn't like Fei Long and Tang Bao, who owned their own businesses or ventures and could easily leave G Province to come across another province to watch the competition and have some fun. Qin Le Shi was just a white-collar worker! Moreover, as far as Gao Jianfei knew, G Province, being a coastal city, was always bustling with activity before the Spring Festival, a peak season for all industries. For Qin Le Shi to take time off to come specifically for the competition must have taken considerable effort and incurred some financial losses!
"Oh..." Qin Leshi said with great disappointment on the other end of the phone, "Then... Jianfei, it's inconvenient for you to come out and see me? Heh, alright then, I'll find a place to stay myself. Jianfei, good luck in the competition!"
Qin Leshi was an introverted and quiet girl, and she was also shy. When she heard Gao Jianfei's question, she assumed that Gao Jianfei didn't want to see her. Therefore, she knew better than to back down, and although she felt inexplicably sad, she didn't say anything to Gao Jianfei. She was always proper and sensible.
"Okay. Jianfei, bye!" Qin Leshi hung up the phone. She didn't dare say anything more to Gao Jianfei, afraid that if she continued, she would burst into tears.
Indeed, Qin Leshi now feels so disappointed that she wants to cry!
Gao Jianfei's analysis was correct. As a key member of the planning department at Alice Cosmetics Co., Ltd., the company did not allow her to take leave during peak season! However, she really wanted to go to Beijing to see Gao Jianfei; her inner desire had reached a boiling point! Therefore, at the cost of sacrificing her year-end bonus (for example, for white-collar workers of her level, the company's year-end bonus was still a considerable sum), she came to Beijing alone!
"Hello! Le Shi? Hello..." Gao Jianfei didn't expect Qin Le Shi to hang up so quickly. He shook his head, both amused and exasperated. When he tried to call Qin Le Shi again, the call couldn't be connected!
"This... sigh! Le Shi is such a hassle, she seems angry. She must think that now that I'm famous and rich, I'm arrogant and don't care about being friends with her! Honestly, I, Gao Jianfei, am not that kind of person!" Gao Jianfei gave a wry smile, then prepared to go out to find Qin Le Shi. "She just got off the plane? Hmm, I'll take a taxi to find her!"
Gao Jianfei was getting ready to leave.
At this moment, Song Ying walked over and smiled, "Jianfei, who called you just now? I think I heard you call out 'Le Shi,' was it a girl?"
There was a hint of female sensitivity in Song Ying's eyes.
Gao Jianfei originally wanted to be straightforward and say that a female friend had come to visit him from G province. However, the current Gao Jianfei was more tactful in his words and actions than the blunt and impulsive young man he used to be. He knew that if he told Song Ying the whole story, she would probably misunderstand. And rightly so, a young woman traveling all the way from another province to see you—what kind of relationship do you two have?
"Heh, it's friends from ***, and Brother Feilong, Uncle Tang and the others. There are also some foreign friends." Gao Jianfei said casually, "Xiaoying, you stay at home. These friends are here to cheer me on. I have to go treat them to a late-night snack, drinks, and a chat. You have a show to record tomorrow, so don't come with me. Heh, if you go, I'll make you drink, and you won't be able to handle it."
After saying that, Gao Jianfei left home.
Watching Gao Jianfei's retreating figure, Song Ying shook her head and chuckled. "Jianfei, sigh... Actually, I knew from the start that being your woman would bring these kinds of problems. Sigh... Alright, Jianfei, I'll play dumb in front of you."
Let's talk about Qin Leshi again.
Coincidentally, her phone died right after she ended her call with Gao Jianfei. She listlessly put her phone down and wandered aimlessly out of the airport. She was in a terrible mood.
She arrived in the capital full of joy, thinking that it would be wonderful if she could contact Gao Jianfei. Meeting him would be a huge gain! In truth, she only wanted to see Gao Jianfei and had no intention of having anything happen between them.
However, he managed to contact Gao Jianfei, but judging from Gao Jianfei's tone, he didn't seem eager to meet him.
"Heh, forget it! Jianfei won't come to see me." Qin Leshi chuckled self-deprecatingly as she walked. "Jianfei is incredibly famous and rich now. We've only known each other for a few months; he probably already forgot what I look like... Hmm, I'm going to spend a month in Beijing alone this time. I'll leave after Jianfei's competition." After walking for a while, a gust of cold wind blew in her face, and Qin Leshi shivered, her body trembling as if she were frail... "Wow! The weather in Beijing is so cold!"
Qin Leshi came from G Province, a coastal province with a subtropical climate where winters aren't too cold. Therefore, she wasn't wearing very thick clothes, and she didn't bring many layers in her suitcase. After all, a girl visiting a new city will definitely need to buy clothes. Qin Leshi had planned before coming to Beijing that she would buy her warm clothes there.
She was wearing a long knitted trench coat over a thin cashmere sweater, pushing a small suitcase, with a crossbody bag on her shoulder, and her neck was hunched over in the cold.
"We need to find a hotel quickly!" Qin Leshi started looking at the hotels on the street.
She hesitated to even consider a five-star hotel. But when she saw a four-star hotel, she quickly grabbed her suitcase and went inside.
However, Qin Leshi was clearly not fully prepared for this trip! She thought to herself that the capital city was a large place with many hotels and inns, and she could find a place to stay after she arrived in the capital.
However, she underestimated the international impact of this talent challenge. At a time like this, what hotel wouldn't be fully booked?
Upon entering the four-star hotel and asking... it was fully booked!
Qin Leshi hadn't paid any attention until she left the 4-star hotel. On that street, she inquired at two other 4-star hotels and five other guesthouses. The receptionists all gave her the same answer: "Sorry! We're fully booked!"
Only then did Qin Leshi realize her mistake!
She found a public phone booth and started dialing 114 to look up the phone numbers of major hotels and inns in Beijing, then called them one by one. The replies were remarkably consistent… “Sorry! Fully booked! Sorry! Fully booked! Sorry, we’ve been fully booked for ages!”
"Huh? How could this be?" Qin Leshi started to get a little anxious. Moreover, the cold wind was getting stronger and the temperature was getting lower and lower. It was really cold for Qin Leshi to walk on the street!
She lingered nearby for a while before going to a hotel to inquire. The receptionist shrugged and said, "Miss, why are you only now coming to look for a hotel? In fact, you should have booked a month in advance. Not to mention our district, all the hotels, guesthouses, and inns in the entire capital are basically fully booked! Do you have any relatives or friends in the capital? If you're looking for a hotel, I advise you not to waste your time."
"Oh... I see. Thank you." Qin Leshi was freezing cold, dragging her suitcase wearily as she left the hotel.
Just then, an elderly woman appeared at the hotel entrance. With a kind and gentle expression, she said to Qin Leshi, "Miss, are you from out of town? Are you here to watch the competition the day after tomorrow? Can't find a place to stay?"
"Huh?" Qin Leshi looked at the old lady with some wariness. The old lady had a rather auspicious appearance, was plump, had a ruddy complexion, spoke politely and refinedly, and seemed to be the kind of warm-hearted older woman.
Faced with such a person, Qin Leshi's guard gradually dissipated, and she smiled politely, "Yes, ma'am, I'm from out of town and can't find a hotel."
"Oh, young lady, why are you dressed like this? Aren't you cold?" the old lady said with pity.
When asked if she was cold, Qin Leshi instinctively felt... she was getting colder and colder.
"Come with me, don't freeze! Come on, young lady!" The old woman warmly took Qin Leshi's hand. Her hand was icy cold! "Oh! Young lady, you'll catch a cold like this! Come with me quickly!"
Qin Leshi instinctively resisted, saying, "Grandma, where are we going? Where are you taking me?"
The old woman smiled kindly. "Young lady, don't worry. My family runs a private inn in the suburbs. Hehe, actually, it was opened for travelers during this Genius Challenge. I figured that all the hotels and guesthouses in Beijing would be fully booked during the competition! Hehe, my family built a three-story house with lots of rooms, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to make some money!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Leshi understood... a private hotel?
They just want to take advantage of this opportunity to make a quick buck!
"Young lady, do you think this old woman looks like a con artist?" Seeing Qin Leshi's continued hesitation, the old woman grew somewhat displeased. She raised her right hand, revealing a jade bracelet on her wrist that shimmered with light. On her thumb was a large gold ring, and on her index and middle fingers were also gold rings. "Young lady, have you ever seen someone dressed like this trying to scam others?"
Qin Leshi chuckled. In her heart, she had already ruled out the possibility that the other party was a swindler. However, she still refused to go with the old woman immediately. She cautiously asked, "Grandma, how is the room rate calculated at your hotel?"
"Oh, girl, don't ask so many questions. I see you're shivering from the cold. Why are you worried about the room rate? Come with me!" the old woman said with a smile.
Qin Leshi shook her head and said, "Grandma, please tell me about the rent first."
"Pfft... This girl is so pretty and refined, and she's really meticulous in her work!" The old lady chuckled, then said, "The room is 300 a night, which is 9,000 a month. It's a single room with a water heater, air conditioning, heating, and all the necessary appliances. Breakfast is provided every day. What do you think, young lady?"
"Huh? 300 a night?" Qin Leshi's eyes widened. "That's...that's so expensive."
The old lady was displeased and immediately let go of Qin Leshi's hand. "Girl, normally I wouldn't dare ask you for 300 yuan for a room, but what kind of time is this? Do you think you can find a hotel or guesthouse in the whole city? If you're not happy, then I won't take care of you. I think you're about to catch a cold. If you don't come with me, you can expect to go to the hospital!"
Qin Leshi was also furious. A room cost 300 yuan a night, totaling 9000 yuan a month. The Genius Challenge lasted a month, and travelers typically rented rooms for the entire month. This old woman had built her own house, so she probably had quite a few rooms. At 9000 yuan per room, the old woman's income for the month could easily exceed 100,000 yuan!
This is taking advantage of someone's misfortune!
Qin Leshi didn't want to be taken advantage of like this, but the cold weather was unbearable, and besides, it was already past 9 o'clock, and she still hadn't found a place to stay. She was really afraid of catching a cold, so she gritted her teeth and said, "Then... Grandma, please take me there!"
Of course, based on all the signs, Qin Leshi could still conclude that the old woman wasn't a fraud. If she were a fraud, why would she try to extort money from people?
Therefore, Qin Leshi reluctantly pulled her suitcase and followed the old woman.
A motorized tricycle was parked over there. The old lady took Qin Leshi's hand, got on the tricycle, and drove away in a flash.
Inside the hotel, the receptionist and several other staff members witnessed Qin Leshi being ripped off.
They're funny...
"Haha, another out-of-towner got ripped off. I reckon he's saved several thousand yuan a month in rent, which is more expensive than a regular hotel!"
"Actually, it's not really a case of being ripped off. It's a special time, after all, and there are bound to be people taking advantage of the situation to make a fortune. This woman was lucky to find a rural inn like this; if she hadn't been so lucky, she would have been sleeping on the streets."
"Yeah, if you run into a pervert or something, you're in trouble! Haha, this woman is really pretty. It's dangerous for her to walk on the street at night."
"Tch...so pretty, she's probably a woman who does that kind of thing. I'm just guessing. Heh!"
...
Let's talk about Gao Jianfei next.
He went out and hurriedly hailed a taxi to the airport. He searched from inside the airport all the way outside, but he couldn't find Qin Leshi anywhere!
Gao Jianfei took out his phone and dialed Qin Leshi's number, but the call could not be connected!
The weather was very cold, and Gao Jianfei began to worry about Qin Leshi.
"Le Shi, I remember you as a very patient and gentle girl. What happened this time? You hung up before I even said a word! And I still can't get through to you! My dear aunt, in this cold weather, did you bring enough clothes when you came all the way from G province? I'm so worried!" Gao Jianfei became increasingly anxious.
He stood still, his gaze sweeping across the main street outside the airport, straining his eyes to the limit, but he still couldn't find any trace of Qin Leshi.
Urgent! Gao Jianfei was really anxious!
Just then, his phone rang. Gao Jianfei quickly answered, thinking it was Qin Leshi calling, but to his surprise, it was Tang Bao's voice... "Hey, nephew, Chen Yaohui, Feilong, and I have met up with Yamaguchi-kun. Yamaguchi-kun has brought along Italians, Germans, Russians, Italians, Argentinians, damn it, a whole bunch of people, all here to cheer you on. Aren't you impressive? Jianfei, you're doing pretty well in Beijing, aren't you? People from the Liu and Zhou families in Beijing are all here, they want to get together for some late-night snacks, come on over."
"Uh... Uncle Tang, I'll come over and keep you company later. I'm looking for a friend! I'll call you once I find one." Gao Jianfei hung up the phone hastily. A series of guesses flooded his mind... "Le Shi just arrived in Beijing, her first step will definitely be finding a hotel. If she hasn't booked a hotel in advance, she'll definitely stay in a nearby hotel or guesthouse! Yes! My line of thinking is correct!"
With that thought in mind, Gao Jianfei decided to go to the nearby hotels and ask them one by one.
He took out his disguise—a pair of sunglasses and a mask—to completely conceal himself, then put his hands behind his back and entered the first hotel on the street to begin his inquiries.
The hotel receptionist said they had never seen anyone named Qin Leshi.
Gao Jianfei inquired at several hotels, and finally, the receptionist at a four-star hotel told him, "Sir, is the lady you're talking about short-haired, very neat, and looks very refined? She has dimples when she smiles and is very pretty. Moreover, she's from out of town, probably from a southern city, because I saw that she was dressed rather lightly, and when she came to the front desk to ask questions, she was shivering from the cold."
"Yes! We're looking for her!" Gao Jianfei panicked when he heard Qin Leshi shivering all over!
"I'm sorry, sir, that lady left after she learned our hotel was full. You can try asking at hotels or guesthouses on the surrounding streets," the receptionist said with a shrug.
"Okay, thank you." Gao Jianfei said politely, then left the hotel and began inquiring about other hotels and guesthouses one by one.
…… …… ……
Qin Leshi was taken to a suburb by the old woman in a motorized tricycle. It was very dark. The old woman held Qin Leshi's hand and walked along the muddy path, one step at a time.
At this moment, Qin Leshi was actually a little scared. Moreover, she kept sneezing, so it seemed she had indeed caught a cold!
"Grandma, how much longer?" Qin Leshi asked anxiously.
"Look! We're here!" The old lady took Qin Leshi's hand and turned a corner. Sure enough, a three-story building with its porch light on appeared in front of them. It was a detached house.
"Here?" Qin Leshi was speechless.
"Don't let the surroundings fool you, our house is beautifully renovated. We spent a fortune on the renovations alone!" The old lady boasted before leading Qin Leshi outside the building.
A teenage boy darted out, glanced at Qin Leshi, and exclaimed, "Wow! What a beautiful girl!"
Qin Leshi frowned. The old lady spat, "Little mistress, don't be so improper! There are other rooms available, aren't there?"