最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 53
“Keys?”
He An took the key in his fingers, inspected it closely, and then put it back on the keychain. It appeared to be in perfect condition, with a shiny metal finish and a green olive design.
He was confused, “Is there something wrong with this…?”
“Just one thing.” Zheng Feiluan asked, “Can you explain why you need to print the room number on the keychain?”
He An thought for a moment and replied, “Because the keys all look the same, it’s easy to put them in the wrong slot. It had happened a few times, so we found a place to make several sets of keychains with the room numbers on them. Also, guests do forget sometimes which room they’re in.”
“Then what happens if the guest loses the key?” Zheng Feiluan asked while smiling.
“Umm…”
His voice quivered.
He didn’t get what Zheng Feiluan meant, and he answered in a rather sweet way, “If you lose it, there’s a spare key.”
Zheng Feiluan couldn’t help but chuckle.
He shifted forward, leaning in, and scooped up the key from He An’s fingers.
The glossy surface and unique figure-eight knot1A type of knot that is quick and easy to tie and untie. design of the light green olive leaves and stems look beautiful in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Zheng Feiluan rattled the keychain in his hand and said, “The green olive is your logo, which is painted on the plaque alongside the words ‘Olive Inn’. It looks nice as a decoration, but if you lose the key, it’s a clear sign that the person who finds it will probably be able to get into the owner’s room, increasing the risk of theft.”
“I suppose…” With a pen propped up on his chin, He An pondered, “Just like the room number cannot be printed on the room card, right?”
“Right.” Zheng Feiluan softly nodded, “Strictly speaking, this isn’t a big problem, and the chance of it happening is not high, but the less safety risks there are, the better.”
“I see.”
He An put his head down and wrote a line in his notebook very carefully. Zheng Feiluan squinted his eyes to look and saw the following: First, the inn logo should not be used as a keychain so as not to increase the risk of theft when guests lose their keys.
A short and easily written summary.
After finishing this, He An began writing a new line, added two spaces and another comma, and then looked up and asked, “What about the rest? Is there anything else I should take note of?”
Zheng Feiluan suddenly slipped into a trance as he watched He An’s mannerisms and the little Linglan sitting next to him—
An omega who has just enrolled in university, with an intense thirst for knowledge, diligently attends classes every day, sitting in the first row nearest to the professor, taking thorough and accurate notes.
As it happens, he has a one-year-old daughter at home, and no one can help care for her, so he has to bring her to class. Halfway through, the baby began to fuss, and He An’s face flushed as he picked her up in shame and rushed to comfort her.
That sweet picture that Zheng Feiluan saw in his mind was clearly a few harsh words that were spoken as softly as a spring breeze and rainfall.
“As for the rest… ahem, a couple more.” He acted as though he were coughing to mask his feelings, “There is no non-slip mat in the shower, so it is easy to slip on wet floor; When you use hot water, you shouldn’t have to wait more than fifteen seconds for the temperature to change. If you do, it means the water heater is not good enough; There were no night lights in the hallway, and the lighting design on the balcony didn’t make sense, so if you returned after dark, you had to find the keyhole by hand; There were several food delivery menus on the coffee table, but the majority of them were already six months out of date. I called various establishments and found that eleven of the twenty-five restaurants had modified their menus, three had changed their delivery hotlines, and one had changed ownership and was no longer a restaurant.”
“Could you… slow down a bit?”
It caught him off guard when he opened his mouth and said so much. He couldn’t react in time, and the tip of his pen came to a halt at the top of the page. He failed to jot down a single word. Several seconds later, he asked again, “Can you say it again?”
Zheng Feiluan spoke more slowly and repeated his previous statements.
He An chose a few keywords this time and wrote very quickly, making a rustling sound as his pen tip kept scratching the surface of the paper.
The long bar is lit up by an angled sun that makes the notebook both light and dark. From outside the window, a butterfly flapped its wings, casting a shadow that landed on the end of He An’s pen.
Meanwhile, Zheng Feiluan was cleaning the filter cups and coffee pots he had just used behind the bar. When He An finished writing, Zheng Feiluan spoke again, “There’s a rule in the hospitality industry: 100-1=0. Ever heard of it?”
He An shook his head, “No.”
“It means that if every aspect of the service you provide meets the guests’ expectations, it will receive a perfect rating. However, if there’s one thing that the guests don’t like, sorry, but it’s not 99 out of 100; it’s 0 out of 100. It only takes one mistake to ruin all your hard work.”
“But, but that’s not possible…” He An got confused, “There are lots of customers, and their needs are absolutely ridiculous; not even Jiusheng can do it flawlessly, right?”
“It is impossible.” Without hesitation, Zheng Feiluan admitted. “The sky is the limit when it comes to quality. The more it resembles perfection, the higher the price it must pay. I am a businessman, after all, and I am referring to maximizing profits; even a company with strong capital like Jiusheng will have its ups and downs. So, one reasonable strategy is to use every penny you have to improve customer satisfaction right now.”
He An’s eyes brightened and he eagerly raised his pen to respond, “Marginal benefit!”2refers to the highest price that a consumer is willing to pay for an extra good or service. It refers to the extra satisfaction or efficacy that a consumer receives when they purchase another product or service.
The curly hair on top of his head shook in time with him.
“That’s one way to look at it.”
Zheng Feiluan was captivated by his focused expression and wanted to give him a perfect score right away. Linglan, who was sitting next to him, was taken aback and even stopped trying to sneak in a piece of cake.
Zheng Feiluan later said, “To be more specific, all things that are personal to guests or that are used a lot should be managed with as much thought as possible. Such as bathrooms, water heaters, nightlights, food delivery menus, etc., since all of these commodities provide immediate comfort after paying.”
“Regarding other things, like furniture and interior design, spending less won’t change the experience. Many tourists, particularly those in Luotan Town, seek out the authentic experience here. At first glance, your hand-woven, cracked rattan chair stands out. Even though it’s only worth a few dollars, I’ve seen that nearly every guest loved it. I’d say your yard is much more interesting than the few “Internet celebrity inns” in town, especially with the swing cradle that Dai Xiao built. An awful lot more.”
“So, why aren’t the guests turning up?” He An couldn’t understand.
Zheng Feiluan smiled, reached into his apron pocket, and grabbed his mobile phone. After unlocking it and tapping the screen several times, he turned around and handed it to He An, explaining, “Because your publicity score failed.”
It displayed a map of the western part of Luotan Town.
There are two businesses in the middle of Yawen Street: Tan’s Ancient Printing and Dyeing Shop, which has been open for nine months, and The Red Berry Pastry House, which has been open for three months. Even though it has been open for almost two years, the Olive Inn is just a vacant rectangle with the names of the neighboring Magpie Inn and Fish Delight Inn covering half of it.
“Um, uh…” He An lowered his head and nibbled on the end of his pen.
It looks like passing will be a lot of work.
Zheng Feiluan was aware of his thought process, so he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Do you think that investing in publicity is irrational? If the inn is well-run and advertised on the OTA platform, don’t you think customers will naturally flock to it like moths to a flame?”
“Um, I suppose.”
He An spoke softly, keeping his head down.
Zheng Feiluan laughed and said, “Remember that getting attention is also part of ‘running an inn.’ Zero publicity doesn’t mean simplicity; it means you ‘failed to do a good job’. Making the name known is the only proper thing to do.”
He An nodded and added a few more lines to his notebook.
Zheng Feiluan was still thinking about an opinion he had held for a long time but had never been brave enough to say because of his personal problems. He then tapped the bar a few times, paused for a moment, and then said, “Actually, there is a bigger issue at Olive Inn. It’s Dai Xiao.”
“Dai Xiao?”
He An stopped writing.
Concerned that he might misunderstand, Zheng Feiluan quickly clarified, “I’m not targeting him as a person. I mean, being an innkeeper isn’t a job for someone of Dai Xiao’s gender.”
“Why?”
“Because an alpha is naturally too controlling, and an inn is a place to unwind and have fun.” At least 10% of the guests will leave if someone like Dai Xiao shaves his head and shows off his tattoos all day. Everything will go smoothly if you tell him to wear long-sleeved shirts. It will get a lot better.”
“Aren’t you also an alpha?” Besides…” He An raised his finger and pointed at the ceiling of the pastry house as he slowly walked around, “Isn’t this also a place to relax and unwind?”
Zheng Feiluan: “…..”
“The fact that your pheromones are still at level nine is even more terrifying than Dai Xiao.”
He has a blunt demeanor and shows zero consideration for his mentor.
Because of what he said, Zheng Feiluan was stuck to the stake and roasted there for a while, almost getting burned. He struggled to figure out how to get around He An’s trick.
Meanwhile, He An smirked wildly, his pen whirled across the paper, and he meticulously wrote down every detail about Dai Xiao, including his tattoos and long sleeves.
⋮
On this bright and chilly afternoon, they stood and sat at the bar, engaging in long conversations.
From time to time, there are customers who pose a desire to drink coffee from Zheng Feiluan. So as not to bother the boss, the cunning cashier girl will tell them to stop and pass on the order to another barista.
Over the course of their conversation, the two gradually moved beyond the typical duties of managing an inn and occasionally touched on deeper topics.
Zheng Feiluan went into detail to teach He An some economics, and he went broad by sharing some interesting and real-life stories from Jiusheng. He talks slowly and patiently and knows a lot. He An listened with interest, and his palm-sized notebook even turned four or five pages.
Ever since he left Yuanjiang University, He An had never felt the rush of learning an extensive amount of knowledge so quickly. There was no doubt that having someone show him the way was more comfortable than being by himself in a sea of books and big waves.
Not only that, but Zheng Feiluan was his teacher.
In the midst of their conversation, He An seemed ignorant of the painful memories of love that had previously tormented him. It was as if he were still a regular university student, and Zheng Feiluan had remained the same distinguished Mr. Alpha from long ago—you have to line up early in the morning with your student ID card in hand, standing on tiptoes, and counting the huge crowds in front of you. Finally, after a long wait, you can squeeze into the aisle with no room to move and get a good look at Mr. Alpha from afar.
He An never told anyone that this particular day was the best of his short college life.
Now, by chance, he had finally reached his long-held wish: to sit down with Zheng Feiluan face-to-face and ask him about his academic concerns, and Zheng Feiluan would then give him a step-by-step answer.
Absolutely no love was discussed; only the most logical and objective topics were talked about.
Even in his dreams, young He An never imagined himself being loved by Zheng Feiluan. He only dared to consider the possibility when he walked closer on thin ice, coming to a halt abruptly just outside the red line.
⋮
Zheng Feiluan is exactly the opposite of him. Drinking doesn’t bother him. Behind every serious word he says, he is calculating how many points he can earn for himself. All it takes to start a romantic relationship is a handsome expression on someone’s face. He could tell that he would soon be able to bring He An home with the radiant energy he saw in his eyes.
However, He An’s mood became noticeably less enthusiastic and tired over time.
At times, while he’s writing down words, his brows will scrunch and his fingers holding the pen will become stiff for a brief moment. Even though there’s a slight curve to his lips, the frown never stops pulling down, as if a mist were concealing his smile.
I guess he’s tired because we’ve been talking for so long; after all, a full class only lasts forty minutes.
Zheng Feiluan thought.
⋮
The bar had a soft, warm red glow after dark. The coffee cup was empty, and the small plate only had a layer of pastry crumbs left on it. Linglan sat obediently in the high chair, licking her fingers and then her lips, as if she hadn’t eaten secretly.
“I… I should get back.” He An closed his notebook and slipped it into his pocket.
“Okay, let me walk you out.”
There was no holding back for Zheng Feiluan. He broke the record for the most uninterrupted hours spent alone with him today. Things need to be done one step at a time. There shouldn’t be any rush or coercion.
He An nodded and bent down to hug Linglan.
Perhaps his posture was off the first time around. He was unable to lift her up after removing his hand halfway. After a brief moment of disbelief, he gave it another go. Thankfully, this time everything worked out, and he was able to safely lift the over-20-pound girl.
Zheng Feiluan stepped out of the bar and escorted them to the door of The Cranberry Pastry House.
“Bye.” He An gave him a subtle smile.
“Goodbye.”
He stood at the doorway, watching as the father and daughter made their way across the narrow stone bridge, entering the Olive Inn’s gate. After that, he returned to the shop. However, he was unaware that the smile on He An’s face vanished the moment he stepped out of his sight.
It was replaced by clenched teeth, pale lips, and an expression of increasing pain.
He An definitely knew that his physical strength was fading quickly. Just as his weak arms gave out, he staggered back to the bedroom and rushed Linglan to the bed.
He was feeling very weak all over, and a layer of cold, damp sweat formed on his back.
With his eyes closed, he grasped the edge of the bed with one hand and held his chest with the other, desperately trying to soothe the burning sensation of chest pain. In the semi-enclosed pastry room, the alpha pheromones built up over time, eventually becoming fierce and encircling him brutally.
Zheng Feiluan didn’t do it on purpose, he knew that, but it was too hard for him.
The dizzying feeling spread quickly and violently through the body, as if it had been injected into the veins by the pounding heart.
When he finally had enough, he dashed through the door and into the bathroom. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees in front of the toilet, grunting as he threw up all the coffee and bread he had just swallowed.
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I’m so sorry for the delayed update! January is literally killing me at work. Thank you so much for understanding!
And special thanks to bloop and Lolilu for being my first-ever supporters on Ko-fi! This update’s especially for you ♥
Translated and edited by janemoyu (01/21/24)
