The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the window curtains, casting a soft glow on the sofa. Lying there, Shen Yanli slowly opened his eyes, his brows tightly furrowed. Just as he was about to raise a hand to rub his throbbing temples, his gaze fell upon the sofa diagonally opposite him and instantly froze.
On that sofa, a woman lay half-reclined, her sleeping face serene and peaceful. Even in slumber, her breathtakingly beautiful features remained stunningly captivating.
Her work uniform could not conceal her exceptionally alluring figure, and her graceful, enchanting form was impossible to look away from.
Shen Yanli’s eyes lingered on her beautiful, slender legs—so delicate they seemed as if they would flush red at the slightest pinch…
His expression darkened slightly, lost in thought.
At that moment, Liu Xiaozhi, who had been dozing nearby, woke up. Seeing Shen Yanli’s open eyes, she immediately became alert.
“Mr. Shen, you’re awake?” Her voice was gentle.
Shen Yanli shifted his gaze away from Tang Tian across the room. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, “Yes. Did Sister Wu ask you to watch over me?”
As he asked this, Tang Tian rubbed her eyes and woke up. Watching Shen Yanli check his watch, her drowsy mind was not yet fully clear.
Liu Xiaozhi glanced at Tang Tian, who seemed to glow with beauty, and felt a twinge of displeasure. However, remembering Tang Tian’s irritating personality, her worries lessened somewhat.
“For your safety, Sister Wu asked me and Tang Tian to watch over you,” Liu Xiaozhi said as she poured a glass of warm water for Shen Yanli.
Tang Tian, still seated on the sofa, made no move to help. If she were to pour the water, it would seem like she was trying to show off in front of Shen Yanli.
There was no need for that. Besides, this was one of the tender moments between the female lead and the four male leads—as a villainess, she shouldn’t steal the spotlight.
Tang Tian sat to the side, playing the role of a transparent bystander, merely there to assist and blend into the background.
While pouring the water, Liu Xiaozhi couldn’t help but glance at Tang Tian again. In the past, Tang Tian had always been eager to please the gentlemen, often snatching tasks to showcase herself in front of them.
This time, Liu Xiaozhi had mentally prepared herself for Tang Tian to snatch the glass away. Yet, even as she handed the water to Shen Yanli, Tang Tian remained seated, stifling a yawn without the slightest intention of getting up.
Following Liu Xiaozhi’s gaze, Shen Yanli glanced once more at the sofa diagonally opposite.
Tang Tian had just raised her slender, jade-like fingers to cover her face as she yawned. Only after finishing did she notice that both Shen Yanli and Liu Xiaozhi were staring at her…
Her misty eyes darted between the two, her expression puzzled. Was yawning during work not allowed? Surely there couldn’t be such an absurd rule?
Shen Yanli’s gaze scrutinized her. Memories of her deliberately posing in front of him, her voice teasing and suggestive, flashed through his mind.
Now, her dark eyes were clear and innocent, causing Shen Yanli to frown, suspecting she was playing hard to get.
“Get out,” Shen Yanli said coldly to Tang Tian.
The air in the room instantly grew still. Liu Xiaozhi dared not utter a word, glancing sideways at Shen Yanli before stealing a somewhat gleeful look at Tang Tian.
Liu Xiaozhi expected Tang Tian to feel utterly embarrassed or even burst into tears of heartbreak.
Instead, Tang Tian sprang up from the sofa in an instant, showing no sign of displeasure or sadness—if anything, she seemed eager. Her words came out rapidly, “Yes, Mr. Shen.”Under the gaze of Shen Yanli and Liu Xiaozhi, she left the room without any lingering attachment.
After Tang Tian closed the door, she sighed deeply, finally free from being confined in Shen Yanli’s room, where every move felt extremely awkward.
Feeling light and free, she ran downstairs with a “clatter.” The cleaning staff had already left after work, and the villa, about to sink into darkness, was so quiet that there was no sound at all.
Tang Tian still had unfinished work and couldn’t return to her room, otherwise the housekeeper would notice and deduct her wages.
On the second floor, Shen Yanli’s room now only had him and Liu Xiaozhi.
Liu Xiaozhi was too shy to look at him. Shen Yanli rubbed his temples and said, “You can go and attend to your tasks too. I don’t need anyone to stay here.”
Unlike his coldness towards Tang Tian, Shen Yanli’s attitude was clearly much gentler when facing Liu Xiaozhi.
Liu Xiaozhi’s every move gave a sense of gentleness. She nodded and, while standing up, didn’t forget to remind him.
“If Mr. Shen feels uncomfortable anywhere, please call me anytime, otherwise… I’ll worry.” After saying this, Liu Xiaozhi glanced at him, unsure if he would dislike her concern.
Shen Yanli leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes: “Mm.”
Liu Xiaozhi was secretly delighted and about to leave the room. Just as she turned around, a deep, hoarse question came from behind: “When I was drunk, did I press you down?”
Liu Xiaozhi’s heart tightened. The scene she saw when she first entered the room surfaced in her mind—Tang Tian trapped under him calling out to her—and the sound seemed to still echo in her ears.
As if guided by some unseen force, Liu Xiaozhi nodded: “I’m fine, Mr. Shen doesn’t need to worry.”
Shen Yanli didn’t doubt the truthfulness of her words: “Mm, I’ll compensate you.”
Liu Xiaozhi felt a surge of joy inwardly. To avoid exposing herself, she wasn’t concerned about what compensation he meant. She couldn’t accept this so-called “compensation” for this matter, fearing Shen Yanli would discover she was actually an impostor.
“No compensation needed, please don’t take it to heart.” Liu Xiaozhi understood that retreating to advance would attract Shen Yanli’s attention. After this incident, she believed she would occupy a different position in his heart.
Thinking of this, she felt very excited inside.
Shen Yanli ignored her words, seeming determined to compensate her regardless of what she said.
No one knew whether Liu Xiaozhi’s understanding had moved Shen Yanli.
On the first floor, Tang Tian was unaware of what happened in Shen Yanli’s room on the second floor.
She had just finished cutting the fruit, dividing it into four portions and arranging them into beautiful fruit plates. She also needed to remember which fruits these four men disliked and which they preferred, putting more of what each liked and avoiding what they disliked in the fruit plates.
High wages weren’t so easy to earn, and being a servant wasn’t easy either.
Tang Tian sighed inwardly as she carried the four fruit plates to the refrigerator to chill them, planning to deliver them to their rooms later one by one.
A soft “click” sound—the expensive refrigerator was gently closed. This refrigerator was very expensive; she had to close it lightly. If it broke, she couldn’t afford to replace it.
Tang Tian was about to turn back to the bar to clean the counter when the girl she encountered while collecting clothes midday stood behind her with a cold, indifferent expression.
Tang Tian glanced at her but ignored her, walking back to the bar and turning on the faucet, starting to wash the cutting board and fruit knife as if no one else was there.Zheng Liyu encountered her indifference for the first time. Ever since Tang Tian started working here, it had always been Zheng Liyu who gave Tang Tian the cold shoulder, while Tang Tian was the one flattering her, trying to pry information about the four gentlemen from her mouth and even attempting to seduce them.
Tonight, when delivering the fruit platter, Zheng Liyu guessed she would make another move. Just two days ago, she had upset Mr. Pei, and tonight, who knew what tricks she would pull.
But Zheng Liyu had no intention of kindly stopping her. It would be best if Sister Wu fired Tang Tian as well.
“The butler said tonight’s fruit platter for Mr. Pei will be delivered by me,” Zheng Liyu said, her tone and posture haughty, clearly looking down on Tang Tian from the bottom of her heart.
The sound of running water from the faucet didn’t completely drown out the other’s annoyed words. Tang Tian methodically washed the cutting board.
Hearing Zheng Liyu’s words, she didn’t look up, reacting calmly, “Oh.”
Zheng Liyu thought she would, as before, come over to flatter her and beg her to hand over all the fruit delivery tasks. She stood there waiting for a long time, but aside from that single “oh,” Tang Tian didn’t say another word.
By the time Tang Tian finished cleaning the counter, Zheng Liyu still hadn’t left, standing there dumbfounded, staring at her.
Tang Tian didn’t understand why she was staring at her so foolishly. As she passed by her side, she gave Zheng Liyu a strange look and left alone.
Zheng Liyu watched her departure in disbelief. Tonight, she actually didn’t fight for the task? Had she changed her seduction tactics?
Tang Tian, who had already left the kitchen, walked briskly into the staff dining room. It was almost dinner time, and she needed to hurry up and eat.
Taking out the staff meals prepared by the chef before leaving work, Tang Tian grabbed the outermost one, tore off the plastic wrap, and heated it in the microwave.
Soon, the aroma filled the room. Tang Tian happily took the meal out of the microwave and sat at a nearby dining chair to enjoy it.
Over the past two days, aside from the high salary, what she appreciated most was the staff meals here.
The chef’s skills were top-notch, successfully winning over her stomach.