Renovation

Chapter 26: Renovation

Time rewinds to the morning of June 29th.

The sky was overcast and windy today, making it quite cool.

The young girl, Yu Dian, was as diligent as ever. She woke up at 6:30 AM, finished her morning routine in about ten minutes, and without putting on any makeup, she opened the front desk and sat down before 7 AM.

Around 7 AM, Cheng Yan also came down from upstairs.

She walked to the front desk, gave Yu Dian a faint nod, and greeted her, "Morning."

"Morning," Yu Dian replied softly.

"Cheng Yun was on duty last night and won't be able to wake up this morning. Tell me what you want to eat now, and I'll go buy it," Cheng Yan said.

"I... I don't mind. Why don't you ask Yin Dan later!"

"Oh, Yin Dan, is that the new cleaner Cheng Yun mentioned?" Cheng Yan narrowed her eyes. "She sounds quite young."

"Yeah, she looks about my age."

"About your age? I see." Cheng Yan nodded, then turned to look at the staircase. "Obviously, she's not up yet."

"She should be soon," Yu Dian said. "I knocked on her door when I went downstairs."

"I won't wait for her then. I'll buy according to my own taste." Cheng Yan finished speaking and walked outside.

Heroine Yin also came downstairs soon after. When she saw Yu Dian, she actually showed a hint of a shy smile. Then, she rubbed her hands and said, "Um, I heard... there's breakfast this morning, right?"

"Mm, someone went to buy it," Yu Dian said softly. "Please wait a moment."

"No problem!" Heroine Yin grinned.

Cheng Yan quickly returned with breakfast. She was carrying steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and guokui, along with three cups of porridge.

As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw Heroine Yin.

At that moment, Heroine Yin was wearing a white apron with a walkie-talkie clipped to her waist, talking to Yu Dian. Her posture was such that she was facing Cheng Yan from the side. Cheng Yan happened to see the side of Heroine Yin's face that was not scarred.

Cheng Yan was slightly taken aback.

When Yu Dian had said earlier that Heroine Yin looked about her age, Cheng Yan had already been suspicious. It was rare for such a young girl to work as a cleaner in a hotel. Now, seeing Heroine Yin's alluring and beautiful profile, she became even more puzzled.

What kind of cleaner is this!

Cheng Yan's expression remained unchanged. She walked in, placed the breakfast on the coffee table, and looked at Yu Dian questioningly.

Yu Dian blinked, then understood. "Sister Yin Dan, this is Boss Cheng Yan. And this is the new cleaner, Sister Yin Dan."

"Hello," Cheng Yan said with a smile. It was then that she noticed the scar on her left cheek, and she couldn't help but be a little confused.

Heroine Yin reacted quickly. She immediately cupped her hands and forced a polite smile. "So it's Boss Cheng Yan. I've heard so much about you."

"..." Cheng Yan stared at her blankly.

After a pause, Cheng Yan asked again, "Sister Yin Dan, you look only twenty-two or twenty-three, right? Why would someone your age want to work as a cleaner?"

"Actually, I already..." Heroine Yin stopped mid-sentence, blinked, and swallowed her words.

"Already what?"

"No... I mean, I just love cleaning! Cleaning is good! Cleaning is simple, and it includes room and board!"

So she really is only twenty-two or twenty-three?

Cheng Yan narrowed her eyes. "Sister Yin Dan is about the same age as Cheng Yun! Did you know Cheng Yun before?"

Heroine Yin paused, then nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes! I'm his distant relative, so I came to him for a job."

Cheng Yan: "???"

Yu Dian, who usually didn't talk much, couldn't stand it anymore. Blushing, she whispered, "Um... Sister Yin Dan, Boss Cheng Yan is Boss Cheng Yun's biological sister."

"Hmm?" Heroine Yin was instantly embarrassed. "Hahahaha... Just kidding! Actually, I'm a childhood playmate he knew!"

The blushing Yu Dian, although unwilling to expose someone's shortcomings, under Cheng Yan's questioning gaze, could only secretly point to her head, indicating that Sister Yin Dan's mind was a bit abnormal.

Cheng Yan nodded, understanding dawning on her.

No wonder such a young girl would come here to work as a cleaner! Especially since she was quite petite and pretty. The scar on her face wouldn't be difficult to remove with modern technology. If there were no other issues, all she'd need is to spend some money on scar removal surgery, and her future would be bright!

So her mind is a bit abnormal...

But how did Cheng Yun get to know her and hire her?

Thinking this, Cheng Yan withdrew her gaze.

"I'm not the boss, so don't call me boss. Just call me by my name," she said faintly. "I was also dragged here by Cheng Yun to help out, and I don't even get paid."

"Oh." Heroine Yin stared at the bag in her hand, the rich aroma of food drawing her in.

Cheng Yan smiled slightly, sat down, and said, "Let's eat breakfast first. I bought fried dough sticks, meat buns, and fresh meat buns, fresh meat guokui, and three different kinds of porridge. I don't know if you'll like them."

"I like them, I like them, I like everything!" Heroine Yin said quickly.

"..." Cheng Yan pursed her lips and remained silent. She silently opened the bag and handed one item to Heroine Yin.

After they finished breakfast, Aunt Tang also arrived.

Today, as per Cheng Yun's arrangement, Heroine Yin was to spend the first day cleaning under Aunt Tang's guidance to familiarize herself with the workflow before starting to independently handle the cleaning of the third floor.

When Cheng Yun went downstairs, Cheng Yan was no longer there. She had left him a cold bun on the coffee table.

"There's only one?" Cheng Yun picked up the cold bun and took a bite, filled with resentment. Yu Dian, the young girl, blushed and stayed silent behind the front desk in the face of his displeasure.

Just then, Cheng Yan entered carrying groceries and happened to overhear him. She rolled her eyes and replied, "One bun is better than none. Breakfast this morning was twenty-three, and groceries cost thirty-six. Same old rules!"

"..."

Cheng Yan ignored him and went straight upstairs: "I bought the groceries, I'll take them up to you. Once you're done with the bun, you can come up and start cooking."

She rubbed her stomach as she spoke, "I went for a run, I'm hungry."

"..."

Cheng Yun finished the cold bun in a few bites and reluctantly went upstairs to prepare the meal. He felt like the boss had been demoted to chef.

While cooking, Cheng Yan voluntarily lent a hand and casually asked him about Heroine Yin. Cheng Yun, following his pre-planned script, 'honestly confessed'.

After lunch, Heroine Yin and Aunt Tang still had two rooms to tidy up, so they went off to work. Meanwhile, Cheng Yun pulled Cheng Yan into his room to discuss the renovation and decoration of the remaining four dormitory-style rooms in the hotel.

The hotel had four rooms left in total, two large and two small, all with en-suite bathrooms. The smaller ones could accommodate four people, and the larger ones could easily fit eight.

If they were to be set up like typical hotel dormitory rooms, a few bunk beds and a table would suffice, as long as people could sleep there. However, Cheng Yun clearly intended to follow the standards of trendy youth hostels, which meant decorating them in a style that young people would like.

The beds would still be bunk beds, but they couldn't be shoddy or cheap.

They needed to be good quality!

And they had to look stylish and cool!

As youth hostel rooms, they would house strangers. Although most of the time people could trust each other, some safety measures might not be strictly necessary, but they absolutely couldn't be omitted. Therefore, private lockers with keys were also needed, where guests could temporarily store personal items when they went out.

These lockers could be designed to match the bunk beds, standing as tall as the bed, with four compartments stacked vertically. Placed against the wall, they wouldn't take up much space and weren't expensive.

Some bunk beds even came with drawers; each step of the ladder could be pulled out as a drawer. This way, lockers could be saved.

They also needed tables. Providing one for each person was unrealistic due to cost and space constraints, so they would have to be communal. However, choosing prettier tables and decorating them with creative calendars, vases, and the like would greatly enhance the guest experience.

The paint or wallpaper, wall decorations, hangings, and ornaments all needed to be carefully selected.

The bathrooms were especially important!

At least half of those who hesitated between a youth hostel and a hotel and ultimately chose the hotel did so because of the lack of private bathrooms in youth hostel dorms. Being able to take a comfortable shower after a long day of travel without having to queue was a great comfort. Anju Hotel's dormitory rooms at least had one bathroom per room, rather than just one or two shared by the entire hotel, which Cheng Yun considered a significant advantage.

The bathroom decorations also had to be attractive. Many small items wouldn't cost much but could still create a cozy atmosphere. A strong shower flow was another aspect that didn't cost much but could greatly improve the guest experience. The washbasin sometimes needed to be used for washing clothes, so it also had to be large, and a large washbasin could easily give a very sophisticated impression...

Additionally, a hanging chair or a small tea table costing a few hundred yuan could be placed on the balcony, along with a clothesline and enough hangers... It would be best to add their own creative touch to these items, which would require time to think about.

The two small rooms didn't have balconies but had bay windows. Placing a cushion on the bay window could also add to the cozy feel, and a simple, creative small desk board costing a few dozen yuan would be even better.

Clothes could also be dried on the rooftop terrace...

The two of them searched for information online, drawing inspiration from the decor of well-known youth hostels in scenic areas, while also brainstorming their own ideas. Every idea was written down by Cheng Yan. Before long, they had a substantial list. However, many decoration ideas were repetitive in terms of space, so they either had to choose one or adopt different styles for each room.

Their opinions and aesthetics were quite aligned. The style they envisioned was generally modern, simple with a touch of artistic flair, but not deliberately pursuing an artsy vibe like youth hostels in scenic areas such as ancient cities or seaside towns.

Overall, they simply wanted the rooms to look beautiful and be comfortable for guests.

During this process, they symbolically asked for Heroine Yin and Yu Dian's opinions, as one of the rooms would be their future staff dormitory. However, Heroine Yin expressed that she was completely indifferent; she had slept in caves and forests, so having a nice room would already be a luxury. Yu Dian, having also experienced hardship, was also... indecisive.

By the afternoon, the siblings had finalized some items and started online shopping. Cheng Yan was put in charge of selecting and comparing prices among various vendors.

Renovating youth hostel dorm rooms was actually quite fast. Most items just needed to be bought and placed in their designated spots. Unlike renovating other rooms, which might require months for toxic gases to dissipate, these rooms could be put into use immediately.

My contracted editor contacted me today, saying they received the signed contract I sent, but the information confirmation page was accidentally damaged during delivery. I can't chat anymore, I need to quickly print a new one and send it...

Tears stream down my face!!

It's something else for a level 5 veteran author who signed a long-term contract to only be able to change their contract status after writing over 100,000 words