Chapter 21

Shen Tang had never dreamed that Gu Huaian would come over.

At that time, she was wearing dirty clothes, squatting in front of a bonfire and nibbling on a compressed biscuit.

Gu Huaian appeared at the opening of the cave as if a god had descended.

Shen Tang widened her eyes in astonishment, even forgetting to chew the biscuit in her mouth.

She rubbed her eyes and the person before her was still there.

【Holy crap, how did Gu Huaian come here!】

【Is this part of the storyline in the book?】

Gu Huaian furrowed his brow, and no one in the cave even dared to breathe out loud.

Everyone recognized this face. Not to mention how wealthy Gu Huaian was, just his undefiled reputation of staying away from women was extremely attractive.

Many people fantasized about becoming an exception for him.

Seeing Shen Tang in a daze, Gu Huaian walked over to her and held out his hand, asking, "Not leaving?"

"Leaving leaving!"

Shen Tang grabbed his hand to help herself stand up.

She swallowed the biscuit and said, "Um...how did you get here?"

【There's no way he came specifically to save me...】

Shen Tang thought to herself skeptically.

"Aunt Peach and Uncle He were very worried about you."

Shen Tang nodded in understanding. She knew Gu Huaian wouldn't possibly come specially to save her.

Upon hearing her thoughts, Gu Huaian: "......"

He took time off work to come personally. Doesn't that mean he came specifically to save her?

But he couldn't bring himself to explain that.

Gu Huaian took a deep breath. "Let's go."

"Let's pack up and get out of here." Seeing the five pairs of gossip-hungry eyes, Shen Tang said.

Huo Yingying sidled up and asked softly, "Sister Shen Tang, what is your relationship with Mr. Gu?"

As soon as she uttered this question, the other four male guests pricked up their ears.

Shen Tang was amused. Gossip really was human nature after all. "He's my bos...boss."

No one doubted her words. After all, Shen Tang had revealed in a game earlier that she had never dated or kissed anyone.

Besides, even though Gu Huaian was a flower on a high summit that everyone wished to pluck, he was only to be admired from afar, not to be violated.

Huo Yingying noticed that as soon as the words left Shen Tang's mouth, Gu Huaian's expression instantly turned cold.

She was so frightened that she immediately hid behind Shen Tang's back.

Good heavens! Mr. Gu really was as scary as the rumors said!

Shen Tang also noticed Gu Huaian's unpleasant expression. She was rather baffled. Was he angry about something?

She wanted to coax him but packing seemed more important at the moment, so she left him alone.

Gu Huaian also didn't know why he was upset. He just didn't feel comfortable seeing Shen Tang recoiling away from him earlier.

Was he really that unapproachable?

Before long, everyone had packed up their belongings and cleaned up the trash before following Gu Huaian's subordinates.

The wind and rain outside was still heavy.

Gu Huaian shielded Shen Tang from the storm with his tall frame.

Only then did Shen Tang notice that his clothes were wet. This fastidious man's shoes were covered in quite a bit of mud too.

Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat.

Shen Tang looked up. The man before her had a towering figure, wide shoulders, and a slender waist. Oh, and quite a perky buttock that made her hand itchy to give it a smack.

Gu Huaian's body stiffened and his gait became awkward.

His earlobes blushed red.

This woman...her head was filled with nothing but such thoughts!

Shen Tang regretfully shifted her gaze. She felt like some deviant coveting his body.

In his mind, Gu Huaian silently thought: Wasn't she exactly that?

Only when they boarded the ship did Gu Huaian's taut body relax. After giving a quick instruction, he returned to his own room.

The ship was huge. Shen Tang and her companions each got a room.

After taking a hot shower, they toweled their hair dry and went downstairs. The dining area had prepared ginger soup and steaming hot dishes.

Although Shen Tang hated ginger soup, she finished it in one go.

Not knowing how much ginger was put in, it was very spicy.

The spread was very sumptuous. To them who had been nibbling away at biscuits for days, this was a royal feast.

Everyone dug in without a word.

After a long while, Ao Ziping sighed, "I can't believe my dad hasn't arrived yet. I'm starting to doubt if I'm really his biological son."

He Yuan rested his chin in his palm. "You're really the son of the CEO of Star Entertainment?" "That's right. Don't I look it?"

"Well, not really."

Zhao Zhe nodded in agreement. "You look just like any typical college graduate. No airs at all and able to endure hardship."

"That's because I'm just an ordinary person. My family is only a little wealthier than normal. We don't put on any airs."

He appeared very earnest. It seemed like he really thought that way.

Remembering Sister Wang's earlier instructions, Shen Tang was a little tempted to ask more but didn't want to broach the subject in front of everyone and influence him negatively. She could only hold her questions in.

Zhou Hao was puzzled. "If your family runs a company, how come you didn't go on a popular variety show and ended up here instead?"

To be honest, except for Shen Tang who knew the plot, no one else believed this show could take off.

The hottest variety shows on major platforms now were dating and parenting shows. Hardly anyone wanted to watch this kind of show.

Ao Ziping scratched his head and smiled. "Actually, it's because I didn't want to rely on my family background. Coming to this show was my own idea. I really like it. Oh right...could you guys please keep my identity a secret? I don't want people saying in the future that I used my family to get ahead."

Shen Tang understood somewhat. Ao Ziping seemed very simple-minded. It didn't seem like he was the one who wanted to use her as a stepping stone.

She guessed that it was probably Sister Wang making decisions on her own accord, wanting to use her to get on Ao Ziping's good side.

As for why it didn't work out, Shen Tang had no idea.

Everyone ate and chatted very merrily.

Suddenly, Huo Yingying asked, "Sister Shen Tang, Mr. Gu treats you so well."

Shen Tang: "?"

"Huh?"

As Huo Yingying counted off on her fingers, she said, "You see, Ao Ziping's father hasn't even arrived but Mr. Gu came so quickly. That shows how worried he was about you."

Ao Ziping: "......"

"Also, I noticed he kept glancing over to check your pace as your group walked."

"He really is quite good to you."

In her mind, Shen Tang marveled that she really lives up to being the female lead. So outstanding in every aspect. Even to a contracted wife like herself, he treats her this well.

Luckily, she knew her place. The contract would be over in two years. She'd take the money and leave, definitely not stirring up trouble like in the book.

In the next room, Gu Huaian's expression was a little ugly.

On the video call, the person across from him spoke slower and slower, constantly reflecting whether he had said something wrong.

After ending the call, Gu Huaian coldly uttered two words: "Redo it."

On the contrary, the other party heaved a sigh of relief and eagerly hung up.

Gu Huaian massaged his brow, not understanding what had come over him or why he felt uncomfortable.

She was only stating facts, wasn't she?

After this, Shen Tang no longer thought about matters relating to him and had a swell time playing with her friends.

Loud laughter came from the outside while Gu Huaian sat quietly alone in the room next door. He blended right into the background devoid of any vigor.