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Throughout the meal, the faint and refreshing fragrance clinging to Tang Tian lingered in Pei Jue’s mind, refusing to dissipate.
Tang Tian was focused on her work, ignoring Fu Xi’s raised brows and subtle provocations from across the table as if she hadn’t seen him at all.
If she so much as glanced at Fu Xi, he would surely make a scene.
Shen Yanli had grown used to seeing Tang Tian seated directly across from him whenever he looked up. But today, when he raised his eyes, the seat opposite him was empty—Tang Tian’s figure was completely obscured by Pei Jue’s tall and striking presence.
Shen Yanli’s lips pressed into a thin line. He lifted his eyelids and swept a few glances at Tang Tian, who was now diagonally across from him, then withdrew his gaze without another look.
As night deepened, a light drizzle began to fall outside. When Wen Shaohan returned, a gentle mist hung in the air, dampening everything, even the clothes one wore.
“Tang Tian, go fetch Mr. Wen.”
The butler quickly instructed Tang Tian to take an umbrella and meet Wen Shaohan. Tang Tian picked up an umbrella from the foyer and ran into the rain, hurrying to reach the car door just as Wen Shaohan stepped out.
Wen Shaohan was tall, and though Tang Tian stood at a respectable height of 1.68 meters, she still appeared noticeably smaller beside him.
She raised the umbrella high, doing her best to shield Wen Shaohan completely from the rain.
As for herself, she paid no mind. The slanted drizzle fell unhindered onto her figure, soaking through the back of her thin blouse.
Wen Shaohan noticed. His gaze swept over her focused profile, as if she was entirely unaware of her rain-drenched back.
He reached out and took the umbrella from her, tilting it toward her side.
With a gentleman’s grace and warmth, Wen Shaohan said, “No rush, let’s take it slow.”
Tang Tian looked up at him in slight surprise, then slowed her pace. She quickly turned her attention back to her footing—on a rainy day like this, the ground was slippery. If she were to fall right beside Wen Shaohan, people would say she was trying to seduce him again.
On the second floor of the villa, Shen Yanli and Fu Xi were quietly sipping wine, their gazes fixed on the scene unfolding below.
Fu Xi teased, “Since when did Brother Han become the considerate type?”
Shen Yanli’s eyes followed the fleeting figure beneath the umbrella. “Was it you who handled Wen Jinchu when he came looking for Tang Tian?”
The other day, Fu Xi had merely mentioned in passing that Tang Tian had rejected Wen Jinchu. The two hadn’t spoken further about it.
Fu Xi gave a noncommittal shrug. “It was just a minor thing. Hardly worth calling a favor.”
“You and I both know how ruthless Wen Jinchu can be. If someone like Tang Tian—such a rare beauty—were to fall into his hands…”
Fu Xi’s words trailed off. Both men were well aware of what fate awaited Tang Tian had that happened.
Shen Yanli pressed his lips into a tight line, his gaze still fixed on the now-empty lawn below.
Fu Xi continued, “Though I don’t think highly of women like Tang Tian who rely on their looks to seduce others, the only reason Wen Jinchu targeted her was because of us. It’s only right that we protect her.”
If she hadn’t been working at this villa, she never would have crossed paths with Wen Jinchu.
Shen Yanli remained silent, listening as Fu Xi went on.
Fu Xi seemed to recall something and curled his lips into a charming smile. “I didn’t expect Tang Tian to reject Wen Jinchu. If she weren’t clear-headed enough, even I wouldn’t be able to shield her.”
He still remembered, word for word, what she had said by the pool yesterday.
Something amusing must have come to mind, because Fu Xi turned to Shen Yanli and said, “Do you know what she said to me yesterday?”
On the sofa, Pei Jue was focused on handling company affairs and seemed uninterested in the conversation.
Shen Yanli took a sip of wine, his gaze shifting from the lawn downstairs to Fu Xi, signaling him to go on.
Fu Xi repeated Tang Tian’s words verbatim, his smile deepening with interest. The current Tang Tian intrigued him.
Shen Yanli was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “With such clarity in her thinking, it’s no surprise she turned Wen Jinchu down.”
Fu Xi couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. “Just a while ago, we all saw how she acted around us—and then there’s that matter with Pei-ge. She changed so suddenly.”
He made a mental note to find time to ask Tang Tian directly. Based on appearance, background, and social standing, Wen Jinchu was on par with the four of them. So why had she tried to seduce them, yet rejected Wen Jinchu so decisively?
Shen Yanli said nothing, his eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Downstairs in the main hall, Tang Tian took the umbrella Wen Shaohan handed her and placed it in the umbrella stand.
The back of her uniform was soaked from the rain. The soft fabric clung to her body, outlining her captivating curves in a way that made it impossible to look away.
Wen Shaohan’s gaze lingered on her back for a few seconds before he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
The sudden warmth caught her off guard. She instinctively looked down and then to the side at the jacket now resting on her.
“Thank you, Mr. Wen. Once the suit’s been dry cleaned, I’ll bring it back to you.”
Wen Shaohan’s refined and handsome face held a faint smile, and the redness at the tips of his ears had already faded.
Tang Tian hurried back to her room and checked herself in the mirror. The back of her uniform was completely soaked, clinging to her like a scene straight out of a wet-shirt seduction.
Her cheeks flushed red. Thankfully, only Wen Shaohan had seen it—otherwise, it would’ve been incredibly embarrassing.
She quickly changed into a fresh set of work clothes, then brought Wen Shaohan’s suit to the dry-cleaning area. She wrote “Wen Shaohan” on a tag and hung the suit neatly on a rack.
At the water bar, she was busy preparing a fruit platter. The gentlemen were all upstairs, and someone needed to bring it up.
Tang Tian arranged the platter carefully. Liu Xiaozhi placed it onto the trolley without asking who would deliver it, then pushed the cart out of the water bar.
Tang Tian showed no emotion—neither joy nor displeasure. That was exactly what she wanted: for Liu Xiaozhi to be unable to read her. She couldn’t be more eager to have fewer tasks, especially ones that required cozying up to the male leads.
Just before clock-out time, Tang Tian headed over to punch out for the day. As she rotated her sore, aching neck, she suddenly heard the sound of Song Yu crying.
She stopped in her tracks and hurried forward, pausing at a corner in the hallway.
A few steps away, Song Yu stood before the butler, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Her sobbing voice was choked and incoherent—even up close, it was hard to make out her words.
“…It’s all my fault… I… Butler… I can’t go…”
Tang Tian couldn’t quite make out what she was saying, and she couldn’t just walk over either. All she could do was stand there, anxious and confused. What on earth had happened? Why was she crying so hard all of a sudden?
The butler sighed. “I’ll find someone else for this task. Just be more careful in the future. No need to blame yourself.”
Song Yu nodded with muffled sobs. As soon as the butler walked away, she turned and caught sight of Tang Tian. Her expression crumbled again, and she ran straight into Tang Tian’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Tang Tian gently patted her head and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Who bullied you?” Her crying was truly heartbreaking.
Song Yu pulled away slightly, wiped her tears, and began to tell Tang Tian what had just happened.
“I… I don’t even know how to explain it. That night, the cup was so slippery, and I lost my grip… I accidentally dropped it right in front of the gentlemen.”
The cup had been filled with hot milk and nearly spilled at Mr. Pei’s feet. Song Yu had turned pale with fright at the time. She instinctively reached out to pick up the broken pieces, but Mr. Wen, who was closest, had stopped her.
“Tang Tian-jie, why am I so clumsy?” Song Yu sobbed, nearly breathless, blaming herself for always being so inept.
Tang Tian gently wiped her tears with a tissue. “Who told you to deliver the milk?”
She remembered Liu Xiaozhi had brought the fruit platter, and later Liu Huahua was supposed to deliver the hot milk. So how had it ended up being Song Yu?
“Huahua-jie… she said since I’ll be going abroad with the gentlemen in a few days, she wanted to give me a chance to get familiar with them beforehand.”
Song Yu had believed Liu Huahua was truly being kind, thanking her profusely at the time—never expecting… that the cup would be so slippery.
Tang Tian asked, “And because of this, you’re not going abroad anymore?”
Song Yu choked back her sobs and nodded. “The butler said I can’t go this year. He’ll choose someone else.”
Tang Tian sighed inwardly. The thing she had feared most had still happened—after all the twists and turns, it still came down to her and Liu Xiaozhi being selected to go.
Previously, it had been Zheng Liyu whom Liu Xiaozhi used as a pawn, and now Liu Huahua had stepped into Zheng Liyu’s former role. In the end, the one who always benefited was Liu Xiaozhi.
All Tang Tian could do now was comfort Song Yu. She actually wanted to give up the spot herself, but if she brought it up with the butler, he would only become more resolute in his decision. And as for Sister Wu—there was simply no room for negotiation there.
Even so, Tang Tian still went to speak with the butler.
“Butler, I…”
She hadn’t even finished her sentence when the butler cut her off, clearly already guessing what she wanted to say. “Tang Tian, don’t decline again. Right now, there aren’t many housekeepers who are experienced and competent. If you back out too, who am I supposed to send?”
He let out a sigh and continued, “Song Yu dropped a cup in front of the gentlemen. It nearly spilled on Mr. Pei. She can’t go.”
Tang Tian hesitated, then voiced her concern. “But Song Yu isn’t new to delivering milk or coffee to the gentlemen. Logically, she wouldn’t make such a mistake. She told me what happened and said the cup was very slippery.”