Chapter 10: Special Treatment

As midnight approached, Xia Rusheng returned to the villa right on time. She offered the traditional New Year toast to Old Madam Xia, and they counted down to the New Year together. It was impossible to tell what the old woman was thinking, but Xia Rusheng knew perfectly well that her calculating grandmother still found her useful. Furthermore, since the gender of the child in Tan Li’s womb remained unknown, her grandmother would not show such blatant favoritism as Xia Rui did.

After the banquet, Xia Rui arranged for the other relatives to be taken to a hotel by car, while Tan Li’s family stayed at the villa to depart the next morning.

Having missed the reunion dinner that night, Xia Rusheng was too hungry to sleep. She went downstairs to find something to eat, but as she passed a room on the second floor, she suddenly heard low, suggestive sounds coming from inside. Although she had never experienced married life in her conscious state, she possessed the soul of an adult and immediately understood what those sounds meant.

"Such high spirits!" Xia Rusheng prepared to grab something and leave, but in that fleeting moment, she heard a man’s heavy breathing and low murmurs. She froze in shock. That man’s voice sounded exactly like Xia Rui’s…

Wasn’t Tan Li in a critical stage of her pregnancy? How could she and Xia Rui be so reckless? Were they not afraid of a miscarriage?

To be certain, Xia Rusheng inched closer.

"Brother-in-law… slower, please… I… I can’t stand anymore…"

"Weren’t you quite bold last time? How can you be so weak already today… oh… are you trying to kill me…"

Xia Rusheng felt as if her brain had exploded. What had she just heard?

Xia Rui was actually having an affair with Tan Li’s sister, Tan Xue!

Xia Rusheng quickly returned to her room, grabbed her voice recorder, and perfectly captured the sounds emanating from the bathroom. She then stored the file in her private, secret email account.

The next day, Xia Rusheng was in an exceptionally good mood. When she saw Tan Li and her family, she even gave them a bright smile. Seeing this, Xia Rui finally wiped away his dissatisfaction from the day before; after all, she was his daughter, and as long as she was obedient and sensible, he was still willing to show her affection.

They departed from the villa on time at ten in the morning, and by two in the afternoon, Xia Rusheng and the others reached their destination: the S&Y Resort, located in H City.

The S&Y Resort was owned by the S&Y Investment Group and situated on an independent island not far from H City. While it was habitually considered part of H City, the island had been purchased three years prior and was now a private island.

When Xia Rusheng was at the helm of Hyatt International, she had contact with the CEO of the S&Y Investment Group. To her knowledge, the major shareholder of the group was not the current CEO, but someone else entirely. That mysterious major shareholder almost never involved themselves in the group’s affairs, and no one had ever seen their true face.

Only the wealthy and powerful could gain entry to the S&Y Resort. While Xia Rui had some reputation in A City, he was not considered a distinguished guest compared to those who frequented this resort; his connections had only managed to secure them a townhouse.

After contacting the private concierge, Tan Li’s family eagerly began moving their luggage inside. Just as Xia Rusheng picked up her own backpack, another staff member, who appeared to be of higher status, walked up to her and said politely, "Are you the eldest Miss Xia of the Xia family?"

Old Madam Xia and Xia Rui looked over in confusion. Xia Rusheng, equally bewildered, nodded.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the General Manager of the S&Y Resort, my surname is Yang. You may call me Manager Yang. Knowing that you would be visiting our resort, we have specially arranged a private hot spring villa for you. Here is your room key; please keep it safe," Manager Yang said with a smile, handing two cards to Xia Rusheng. "Miss Xia, the other card in your hand is a limited VIP card for our resort. You may enjoy our top-tier services free of charge. Also, this is the senior concierge who will be providing you with one-on-one service. Of course, if you have any questions or are dissatisfied with anything, you may come directly to me."

With that, Manager Yang introduced a capable-looking woman standing beside him.

Holding the cards, Xia Rusheng was filled with questions. Should she accept them or not?

If she declined, she felt it would be a pity, as she did not want to stay with the Xia and Tan families. But if she accepted, what would she tell Old Madam Xia? Staying in a private villa alone during the New Year was difficult to justify. She still relied on the Xia family’s wealth to make her comeback and could not afford to offend the head of the household.

"Miss Xia, is there something you wish to say, or perhaps… do you have any concerns?" Manager Yang glanced at Xia Rui with a discerning look before cautiously pulling his gaze back. "If you have any requests, please feel free to tell me. I will surely fulfill them."

Xia Rusheng handed back the room key and said, "Could you help us change to a larger private villa? Since it is the New Year, I must stay with my grandmother."

Manager Yang said nothing, but smiled and pushed the card back toward her. "I have received instructions that this is a dedicated villa reserved for you, Miss Xia. You may keep the room card; it can be used for emergencies should the need arise. As for the rest, we will handle your request immediately."

"Xia Xia, do you know someone from the S&Y Group?" Xia Rui asked suspiciously, taking advantage of the moment Manager Yang and the concierge went to process their check-in.

"I don't… honestly, I’m just as confused as you are." Xia Rusheng spread her hands innocently and glanced at the cards in her hand. The room card looked standard, but the VIP card was inlaid with tiny diamonds spelling out the name "Xia Xia."

Could it be someone Xia Xia knew in the past?

That was the only explanation Xia Rusheng could come up with.

"Since they do not wish to reveal themselves, let us not probe. Sooner or later, we will find out. Our Xia Xia has survived a great disaster and is bound to have good fortune ahead." Old Madam Xia was sharp-eyed and did not press the issue. To receive such treatment at the S&Y Resort clearly meant the other party was no ordinary person. The more mysterious they were, the more it showed their dedication to Xia Xia. There was no need to ask; when the person finally appeared, it would not look as though the Xia family was trying to investigate or climb the social ladder.

Five minutes later, Manager Yang returned with two room keys. "Miss Xia, I am terribly sorry, but the largest villa is already occupied. I took the liberty of arranging two detached villas for you that are closest to one another. Although they are separate, they are only separated by a small garden. I hope this arrangement is to your satisfaction."

Satisfied!

Xia Rusheng was more than satisfied!

This gave her the perfect reason to keep Tan Li’s family from staying with her!

However, looking at Manager Yang’s smile, why did she get the feeling that he had arranged this on purpose?