After leaving Cui Ge Xuan, Ye Chen didn't go home immediately.
He wanted to surprise his wife on their wedding anniversary — not just with a jade necklace, but also with a romantic, dream-like wedding they never had.
Back then, under the request of Grandpa Xiao, Ye Chen and Xiao Churan hastily got their marriage certificate, without any ceremony or celebration.
The old man had intended to pick an auspicious date for a grand wedding later on, but shortly after they got their license, he fell critically ill. The wedding was put on hold and, before long, he passed away.
After the old man's death, Ye Chen found himself unwelcome in the Xiao family, and any hopes of rescheduling the wedding vanished completely.
But now things were different — Ye Chen was rich, and he was determined to give his wife the grandest, most dignified wedding imaginable.
The first venue that came to his mind was the Sky Garden of the Buckingham Palace Hotel.
Buckingham Palace Hotel was the most prestigious hotel in Jinling, bar none — sprawling grounds, extravagant décor, and a luxury shopping mall inside.
At the very top of that mall sat the legendary Sky Garden, an architectural marvel made entirely of crystal glass, designed by an elite Italian architect and filled with high-end, fresh flowers flown in from overseas. From a distance, it looked like a floating paradise.
The Sky Garden was also the city's most luxurious banquet hall — booking it for a wedding would cost several million, perhaps even over ten million yuan.
But for Ye Chen, who now had wealth and power, a few million was nothing — if it meant making his wife happy, no price was too high.
So he headed straight to the Buckingham Palace Hotel, hoping to book the Sky Garden for their anniversary.
However, Ye Chen had no idea the hotel operated on a strict membership-only policy.
Whether for dining, accommodation, or events, one had to be a registered member. And the privileges varied by membership level:
Basic Members: Can dine in the main hall, stay in standard rooms.
Silver Members: Get access to private dining rooms and deluxe rooms.
Gold Members: Enjoy luxury dining suites and executive suites.
Platinum Members: Can access the Sky Garden and stay in top-tier suites.
Diamond Members: The highest tier, with exclusive rights to book the presidential suite and host private events in the entire Sky Garden.
More importantly, gold-level and above weren't just about money — they required status and social influence.
As Ye Chen approached the hotel entrance, a few black-suited guards stopped him.
"Sorry sir, please present your membership card."
Dressed in clothes that altogether weren't worth more than two hundred yuan, Ye Chen looked painfully out of place compared to the refined guests entering one after another.
He quickly explained, "I want to speak with your client manager about booking a venue."
One of the guards said coldly, "I'm sorry. No membership card, no entry."
"Can I apply for a card now?" Ye Chen asked.
The guard shook his head. "Apologies. Cards can only be issued through referrals from qualified members."
Ye Chen frowned. Seriously? This hotel's policy is too rigid...
Then suddenly he remembered — back in his senior year of university, arranged by Grandpa Xiao so he could accompany his wife at Jinling University, he had a classmate named Bi Lina who mentioned working at this hotel!
Ye Chen immediately took out his phone and gave her a call. After hearing his request, Bi Lina said cheerfully:
"Ye Class Rep! Leave it to me. I'll come out right away!"
Ye Chen thanked her sincerely. Though they were only classmates for a year, she still seemed to remember him — he made a mental note to repay this favor someday.
"Ye Class Rep!"
Moments later, an overly made-up, flashy woman in office attire strutted out of the hotel.
Ye Chen blinked. Bi Lina? She's changed so much I almost didn't recognize her.
The two guards immediately straightened up, bowing respectfully. "Team Leader Bi!"
Ye Chen smiled in surprise. "Wow, Lina! You've become a team leader at Buckingham Palace Hotel? That's amazing!"
Bi Lina smirked. "Oh, I'm just a team lead in the HR department. A mid-level role, nothing special."
Ye Chen replied earnestly, "That's still impressive! I heard management positions here are hard to get."
Her eyes sparkled with vanity at the praise. Then, turning to the guards, her expression darkened.
"You two! Did you block my old class rep from entering?"
The guards exchanged nervous glances. One quickly apologized, "Sorry, Team Leader Bi. We didn't know he was your classmate. And he didn't have a membership card…"
Bi Lina snorted coldly, "Rules are dead — people aren't. Don't you get that?"
Ye Chen thought she was going to scold them further and quickly stepped in. "Lina, don't blame them. They were just following rules."
But then Bi Lina turned and let out a mocking laugh, her tone suddenly dripping with sarcasm.
"Ye Class Rep, did you actually think I'd go out of my way for you?"
Ye Chen frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean," she sneered, "look at yourself — a total loser trying to enter Buckingham Palace Hotel? Let me be clear: you'll never get in here in your entire life!"
Ye Chen's fists clenched. "Why are you doing this?"
Bi Lina laughed hysterically. "I'm messing with you, obviously! Back in college, I couldn't stand you — a broke little nerd who couldn't even afford a meat dish in the cafeteria, always pretending to be some moral high ground class rep. Criticizing my grades? Ha! Look at you now — still pathetic!"
Ye Chen's expression turned icy as he demanded, "Bi Lina, I never wronged you. Why are you humiliating me like this?"