All That We Held Dear - YiZhan (COMPLETED)

Arc VI - The World In Between - Part 2

Xiao Zhan wasn't one to brag about his own accomplishment, but for an actor of his renown and calibre, being housed at The Royal Dragon Inn was akin to an insult. If the media got wind that he was staying there, he knew his fans would put up a storm. Normally, he would have called Chiyou on the spot, but right now, he was just too tired, and he didn't want the rest of the crew to think he thought himself above them. He'd always believed it was essential to show solidarity with the people on which the production relied the most. However, more importantly, he once again realized that he didn't care enough to go through all that trouble.

Xiao Zhan walked up the threadbare red carpeted stairs and stepped into the lobby through the tarnished brass and glass revolving doors. The sight that greeted him wouldn't have been out of place in those old series his mother liked to watch. The ceiling was low and hung with too many crystal chandeliers, many of which appeared to be missing pieces, have burnt lightbulbs, or both. The excessive use of white marble and the gold filigree mirrors that covered every wall made the space look gaudy and cheap. At the center, where a sunken sitting area could be found, the furniture appeared scuffed and worn. As for the carpet that tied the whole room together, it would have been hard to say what its original colour or pattern had been. It was almost threadbare in a few areas where people had naturally congregated over and over, namely by the front desk, concierge desk, and a few spots by what must have been a bar by the windows. He couldn't even begin how to imagine how hazy the room would have been before the ban on indoor smoking. Despite all this, the place didn't look dirty. In fact, there didn't appear to be any dust on any of the well-worn surfaces, and there was no concerning smell. Maybe the rumours had been exaggerated after all.

Two middle-aged women dressed in green cheongsams — the hotel staff, no doubt — and holding clipboards were busy distributing keys to disgruntled members of the crew and some minor actors. One of them noticed him and approached.

"Mr. Xiao Xiao Zhan?"

"That's me," he said.

The woman ticked his name off the list and looked back up at him.

"Mr. Xiao, we have you in one of our garden pavilions. This is your key."

She handed him an actual key on a bulky plastic keychain engraved with the outline of a lotus. The last time he'd seen one of those had been when he'd gone on a trip to the middle of nowhere with his parents while in elementary school. Then again, it would have been surprising if they'd used key cards.

"If you walk past the elevator bay, you will see a door that leads to a covered walkway. Just keep going around the pond until you reach the first small building. Your suite is the second one. There is no room service unless your production's catering provides it. Meals will be served in the dining room you see behind you."

Xiao Zhan turned around and could vaguely make out more glitzy chandeliers in a dark room behind closed glass doors off the lobby.

"Do you have any questions?"

He shook his head.

"Please enjoy your stay at The Royal Dragon Inn," she said in a flat voice without waiting for his reply before turning to talk to another crew member.

Xiao Zhan looked around the lobby, and seeing that there didn't see any production staff giving out information, he decided to make his way to his room. Following the instructions, he walked past the elevators in front of which people waited and complained about their slowness, then he quickly found the door leading outside. When he pushed it, it creaked loudly, and he had to push against it with his shoulder to get it to open wide enough for him to walk through. After passing a few AC units and other unsightly small storage sheds any other hotel would have hidden behind a decorative wall, Xiao Zhan stepped into a completely different and unexpected world. There was indeed a pond behind the hotel, but it was much bigger than anything he could have ever imagined. On the far side of it, opposite the covered walkway, it was lined with a series of dark rooms with wall windows. Xiao Zhan wondered if those might not have been used for private gatherings in the past. At the center of the pond stood a small pavilion on stilts, its red paint peeling in numerous places. The whole tableau was completed by a vibrant and lush greenery that grew wildly on almost every surface. As he continued to walk on the wet and mossy stones that made up the path, Xiao Zhan was surrounded by countless winter jasmines and red camellias in full bloom, the mix of their lush perfumes overwhelming his nose. From the way branches hung over, and roots crept across the path, it was clear that this garden received only the bare minimum of care required by health and safety regulations, if even that.