Сhарtеr 13
Xu Nuo, whоsе nаmе hаd been cаllеd—
Rolled hеr eyеs аnd соllарsed tо thе flооr, pretеnding to be dead.
[Imроssible. Тhаt’s Fеng Нuаn Chао wе’re talking аbоut, not just sоme random nоbodу. Do you think I сan sеe him whеnеver I want? Didn’t уou see his аttitudе whеn wе broke оff thе еngаgement? Yоung pеoplе these dаys, alwаys dreaming.]
“I’ll rеturn уоur deduсtеd salary, аnd therе’s а bonus.”
Gu Nongхuan addеd leisurеlу, рicking uр the half-sрilled teасuр and taking a sip of the tea.
Нmm… Тastes like dishwatеr.
Хu Nuo trembled аnd sсrambled up from the floor.
“Sorry… I had a sudden bout of low blood sugar just now.”
As she spoke, she pretended to pop a piece of candy into her mouth.
Gu Nongxuan: Heh.
…
Across from her, Gu Nongxuan lowered his head to look at his iPad. Through the reflection in the glass window, Xu Nuo could see he seemed to be watching a black-and-white film—a classic from some years back.
Xu Nuo glanced at it only once before turning her gaze out the window.
[If my presence isn’t enough later and Feng Huan Chao kicks me out, don’t you dare turn all dark and brooding.]
Gu Nongxuan continued watching the film, showing little reaction to Xu Nuo’s words.
He hadn’t really expected to rely on Xu Nuo to get in. After she returned from the Feng family, someone had delivered a report of what happened right to his desk. Though he didn’t know why Feng Huan Chao had taken her away, his subsequent reaction was no different from before—he still didn’t care about his fiancée.
Feng Huan Chao was his uncle, and Gu Nongxuan never thought Xu Nuo would be of much use. She was merely a decoy on the surface.
“Apologies, Mr. Gu. Feng is out.”
Gu Nongxuan, having made the trip for nothing, simply nodded, as if he had anticipated this.
Xu Nuo, standing behind him, couldn’t help but mutter to herself: [Why don’t you just call him? Don’t you even have his number?]
Actually, he did. But… as everyone knew, due to Feng Huan Chao’s hearing issue, people generally avoided communicating with him over the phone.
After her little rant, Xu Nuo, who had probably guessed the reason herself, felt even more exasperated.
Feng Huan Chao wasn’t some fragile object. Judging by the tyrant’s demeanor, he clearly had nerves of steel. Why were people tiptoeing around him like this?
“To the docks.”
After all, he was his own boss’s nephew. After making a call to Secretary Sun, the person informed Gu Nongxuan of his whereabouts.
Gu Nongxuan seemed to be in a fairly good mood. After noticing Xu Nuo’s cautious glance, he actually took the initiative to explain.
“Feng is there. Remember to behave well later—”
“Never mind, just stay quietly behind me.”
Gu Nongxuan was afraid she might secretly wipe her snot on Feng Huan Chao’s leather shoes.
This was Xu Nuo’s first time visiting a place like this. As soon as she stepped out of the car, the wind noticeably picked up.
Her gaze swept over rows of shipping containers. In the distance, she could see robotic cranes loading cargo onto transport vehicles—orderly, efficient, and remarkably clean. She couldn’t spot a single piece of litter.
Gu Nongxuan’s eyes seemed to drift through time as if recalling something. He murmured softly, “This place has really changed…”
Unfortunately, his voice was too faint for Xu Nuo to hear.
“Who goes there?”
They hadn’t walked far before they were stopped. Only after recognizing Gu Nongxuan did the guards relax. “Young Master Gu.”
“She is Feng’s fiancée.”
Seeing their eyes fall on Xu Nuo, Gu Nongxuan’s secretary explained.
With that, they were allowed to pass.Xu Nuo was still wondering why Feng Huan Chao would come to a place like this. After all, someone like him had a face that seemed permanently welded to a “throne.” But then she thought of their chance encounter at the dessert shop earlier, and it didn’t seem so surprising anymore.
“Mr. Feng.”
After waiting for half an hour, they finally saw Feng Huan Chao—or rather, his secretary.
Secretary Sun was the same as always, smiling at everyone he saw.
“What brings Young Master Gu here?”
“Oh, Miss Xu is here too.”
Xu Nuo timidly hid behind Gu Nongxuan and nodded at him.
Secretary Sun glanced between the two of them and said meaningfully, “The two of you seem to get along quite well.”
Gu Nongxuan effortlessly clarified the situation: “At Madam Xu’s request, Miss Xu is working part-time for me.”
Everyone knew that the young master of the Gu family liked Xu Chuchu, which was how the third-rate Xu family had gained some fame. Gu Nongxuan’s words pointed directly at Madam Xu, immediately bringing to mind Xu Nuo’s previous attempts to seduce him. The image of Xu Nuo pestering Madam Xu to get close to Young Master Gu quickly formed in people’s minds.
“Is that so?”
Secretary Sun seemed to have asked casually and immediately changed the subject.
“Mr. Feng is busy. If you have anything to discuss, you can tell me, and I’ll pass it along for you.”
He said Feng was busy, but in reality, he was taking a shower. Earlier that morning, they had caught a traitor who had been stealing goods and selling them to a rival. Feng had dealt with him personally.
“Miss Xu, the scenery here is quite nice. You can take a look around.”
Clearly, Gu Nongxuan intended to send Xu Nuo away.
“Ah…”
Given Xu Nuo’s persona, even if she understood, she had to pretend not to.
In the end, it was Gu Nongxuan’s secretary who pulled her away.
…
[Hey, what’s going on over there?]
Xu Nuo was more than happy to slack off during work hours, so she found a secluded spot with plenty of shade and crouched down.
Her gaze swept toward the largest building in the distance.
The System explained: [Probably a warehouse for storing goods.]
[Is this outfit really that ugly? Xiao You bought this three-piece set for me with the prize money from his first competition.]
Back then, Xiao You, who wasn’t as tall as he is now, looked up at her with a childish face and said, “Sister, you look really pretty in this. You should wear it often.”
Because it was a gift from her precious younger brother, she usually couldn’t bear to wear it.
System: Hmph, clearly that kid didn’t want any guys getting close to you, so he deliberately picked this for you.
Her legs were numb from crouching, so she stood up, stretched, and decided to walk around a bit to loosen up.
But as she turned a corner, Xu Nuo almost tripped over something.
Looking closely, it was a lounge chair. Someone had moved it behind a shipping container and was lying there, resting their head on their arm, fast asleep.
When Xu Nuo saw the person’s face, she took a big step back.
[Why is it Feng Huan Chao again?!]
Wearing only a gray shirt, with one leg bent, and sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed, yet still exuding an intimidating aura—it was unmistakably Feng Huan Chao.
A hearing aid lay abandoned on the ground. Even though there were hidden hearing aids and ones that looked like earphones, for some reason, Feng Huan Chao preferred this style, as if he were afraid people wouldn’t know he was deaf.
She glanced toward his ears.
[That scared me. He probably didn’t hear me. I should get out of here, quick.]
Deep down, Xu Nuo really didn’t want to run into him.
But before she could turn around, the person who had been lying there asleep suddenly opened his eyes without warning and looked at Xu Nuo standing beside him.
Xu Nuo: “”
[Hi~]Though inwardly she was boldly greeting him, outwardly Xu Nuo had to pretend to be frightened and stumble, then say with a trembling voice, “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll leave right away.”
Then she seized the chance to get up and run off.
Originally… that was how it was supposed to go.
“Come here.”
But the tyrant spoke.
Xu Nuo’s heart skipped a beat.
[He couldn’t have recognized me, could he? No way, the difference is so huge.]
Uncertain, she moved closer.
Feng Huan Chao tilted his head, keeping his original posture as his gaze fell upon her, giving her a once-over.
After a long moment, he closed his eyes again and uttered—
“Quite ugly indeed.”
Xu Nuo, with the dung beetle whiskers swaying in the wind behind her head: ?