For a moment, Fu Xi felt surprised. The difference in her personality compared to just a short while ago was quite significant. Had she really come to her senses? Or was this just a tactic of playing hard to get, retreating only to advance later?
Liu Xiaozhi took on the task of delivering milk early the next morning. She didn’t believe Tang Tian wouldn’t be angry—after all, she had snatched away Tang Tian’s good opportunity to get close to the two gentlemen.
She was waiting for Tang Tian to show signs of annoyance so she could “perform” a little, allowing Shen Yanli and Fu Xi to see Tang Tian’s true colors once again.
But when Liu Xiaozhi turned around, Tang Tian’s expression remained unchanged, still politely smiling.
She said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll clock out now.”
After speaking, Tang Tian turned and left briskly. She was truly afraid of them.
This time, neither Fu Xi nor Shen Yanli tried to stop her.
The acting skills Liu Xiaozhi had prepared were left bottled up inside, neither rising nor falling, as Tang Tian turned and walked away. She was furious but couldn’t show it.
She hadn’t expected Tang Tian to leave just like that. Wasn’t Tang Tian angry that she had taken away the chance to get close to Shen Yanli? This wasn’t the reaction she had anticipated.
Liu Xiaozhi speculated that Tang Tian must have another scheme in mind…
Shen Yanli stared intently at Tang Tian’s slender figure as she walked away. Although he didn’t show displeasure, the subtle expressions on his handsome face betrayed his irritation.
He silently walked toward the elevator.
Liu Xiaozhi wanted to say something to Shen Yanli, but he had already left.
Fu Xi gave Liu Xiaozhi a half-smile. “You did well with this.”
Liu Xiaozhi hadn’t expected Fu Xi to praise her. She nodded shyly.
Fu Xi didn’t linger any longer. He strode after Shen Yanli, slinging an arm over his shoulder to “console” him. “Brother Yanli, Xiaozhi is the one who clings to you the most. Isn’t it perfect that she’ll deliver milk to you tomorrow morning? I remember you dislike Tang Tian the most.”
Shen Yanli ignored him. Fu Xi was always thick-skinned. With a hint of confusion, he asked, “Since when do you have the habit of drinking hot milk early in the morning?”
Usually, he drank it during breakfast.
Shen Yanli remained silent, indicating that his mood was indeed not great.
Late at night, Shen Yanli stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the dark night sky.
The image of Tang Tian’s reaction before and after hearing about the maid’s bonus flashed before his eyes. Standing by the window, Shen Yanli couldn’t help but chuckle softly. The displeasure of having Tang Tian “snatched away” by Fu Xi dissipated somewhat.
Downstairs in the villa, Tang Tian, exhausted from the day, returned to her room with eyes barely staying open. After taking a shower, she curled up under the air-conditioned blanket and slept until dawn.
Early morning by the pool, Tang Tian pushed a cart into the pool area. Fu Xi stood by the edge of the pool, clad in a bathrobe.
The moment she appeared, Fu Xi’s previously uninterested and lazy demeanor seemed to regain a spark of amusement.
The instant Tang Tian saw Fu Xi, she stopped pushing the cart in surprise. Was he here so early?
She greeted him softly, “Mr. Fu.”
Fu Xi watched her approach with a smile but said nothing. Tang Tian knew his personality—he loved to tease people. He was probably thinking of some sarcastic remark.
Tang Tian busied herself alone, preparing towels, bathrobes, and drinks for him.
Fu Xi’s figure slowly drew closer, and his voice followed.
“Why did you reject Wen Jinchu?”
Not only Pei Jue, but Fu Xi was also surprised by her rejection of Wen Jinchu.
For a moment, Tang Tian was confused, still trying to remember who Wen Jinchu was. Then it came to her—he was the man who had helped her pick up the cake spoon at the gathering.Why were both Pei Jue and Fu Xi asking the same thing? Was her rejection of them really that unbelievable?
Tang Tian looked up at Fu Xi, her clear eyes filled with confusion. “There’s no reason.”
Fu Xi met her gentle gaze and was momentarily taken aback. She… didn’t seem to be lying.
“You, all of you—including Mr. Wen and the other gentlemen at the gathering who asked for my contact information—are from a different world than mine. There won’t be any intersection between us.”
Tang Tian spoke calmly and naturally, saying exactly what she thought.
For some reason, Fu Xi stared at her and fell silent for a moment.
He clicked his tongue. It seemed she had truly come to her senses.
Tang Tian began preparing a drink for him.
Fu Xi asked, “Why do you think that way?” Not long ago, she had been flirting with him right in front of him. How could she have changed her mind so quickly?
Tang Tian capped the drink before answering his question. “Because I realized that in the world of ordinary people, there is inspiration, simplicity, luck, and resilience—but there are no fairy tales.”
After saying this, she continued with her work. Being able to escape the fate written in the novel was already something to be grateful for. She had never dreamed of getting involved with these privileged young men; staying as far away from them as possible was her only wish.
Fu Xi watched her quietly. He had never expected to hear such words from a woman who had once flirted with him.
His gaze toward her deepened. She… had genuinely piqued his interest.
The sound of splashing water echoed from the pool. Tang Tian sat on a beach chair, yawning. She had been too tired and sleepy yesterday and had woken up too early today.
Tang Tian thought about how wonderful it would be to sleep until noon on a day off. Just the thought of it made her happy.
When she snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that the once lively pool had fallen silent.
Startled, Tang Tian looked closely.
Fu Xi was leaning against the edge of the pool, his narrow, peach-blossom eyes fixed intently on her feet.
Confused, she called out to him, “Mr. Fu?”
Fu Xi slowly lowered his eyelids, hiding the heavy desire in his eyes.
“Get me something cold to drink.”
Tang Tian immediately stood up, poured a glass of chilled beverage, and handed it to him.
Unbeknownst to her, as Fu Xi drank, his peach-blossom eyes lingered on her fair, pinkish feet…
That day at the pool, aside from the few questions Fu Xi had asked when she first arrived, the two of them didn’t engage in any further conversation.
However… Tang Tian sometimes felt that the way Fu Xi looked at her carried a complex and unclear emotion, which she dismissed as an illusion.
Fu Xi had taken her words from the morning to heart. Since then, he no longer teased her as he had before.
At noon, while Tang Tian was having lunch, Liu Huihua, Liu Xiaozhi, and a new maid were seated at the next table.
As she enjoyed her meal, she overheard the group at the neighboring table chatting animatedly, as if something had happened.
Tang Tian had never been one to pry into gossip, so she was often the last to know about such matters.
Someone sat down beside her. She turned to look—it was Song Yu.
Song Yu’s expression was brimming with excitement. She set down her tray and eagerly told Tang Tian, “Sister Tang Tian, the gentlemen are going on a vacation abroad the day after tomorrow. I heard they’re taking a private jet. The butler said they’ll bring two live-in maids along.”
Tang Tian glanced at Liu Xiaozhi and Liu Huihua at the next table. No wonder Liu Huihua, who usually couldn’t stand Liu Xiaozhi, was getting along so well with her today.
“Sister Tang Tian, who do you think the butler will choose to go along?”
Tang Tian shook her head. “It depends on how the butler decides.” In any case, she didn’t want to go.Song Yu really wanted to go, but she knew she was new here. There were still many parts of the villa she wasn’t very familiar with, let alone the various habits of the gentlemen.
“Sister Tang Tian, I’m sure you’ll be chosen.”
Song Yu whispered her guess in her ear, winking playfully.
Tang Tian smiled and shook her head. “Definitely not me.”
Song Yu didn’t understand. Sister Tang Tian was so steady in her work—how could she not be chosen?
“Why?”
Tang Tian smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know when the housekeeper picks.”
At the next table, Liu Huihua had been talking to Liu Xiaozhi the whole time. She was determined to secure a spot to accompany the gentlemen on their overseas vacation.
Liu Huihua glanced warily at Tang Tian at the neighboring table. She knew the most likely servants to be chosen for the overseas trip were Liu Xiaozhi and Tang Tian.
That was why… she was trying to win over Liu Xiaozhi. She didn’t know that Liu Xiaozhi had almost been in trouble herself—if not for Shen Yanli’s help, Liu Xiaozhi would have already been fired by Sister Wu.
At the servants’ morning meeting the next day, Tang Tian guessed wrong. She thought the housekeeper would be making the selection, but unexpectedly, Sister Wu came to the villa personally to choose the servants.
What she had originally been confident about now became uncertain.
Agent Sister Wu was also worried. The day after the last gathering, the daughter of the Fang family and Wen Shaohan’s cousin Wen Ai came to her office, saying that the domestic servants she had hired had impure intentions.
Especially that servant named Liu Xiaozhi—the way she looked at them was full of hostility. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the villa was hers, and her attitude clearly treated them as romantic rivals.
At the time, Sister Wu politely saw the two young ladies off and worried for half a day before deciding to fire Liu Xiaozhi.
She could somewhat sense Liu Xiaozhi’s intentions, but since she hadn’t made any inappropriate moves, Sister Wu had chosen to turn a blind eye. Who would have thought… she’d be so unreasonable at the gathering.
The reason Sister Wu hadn’t fired Liu Xiaozhi yet was that Shen Yanli called, saying he owed Liu Xiaozhi a favor and to let it go this time.
Sister Wu couldn’t understand what favor Shen Yanli could possibly owe Liu Xiaozhi, but since he said so, she had no choice but to drop the matter of firing her.
This time, she had to choose two servants who wouldn’t cause any trouble.