Chapter 31: Restraint

Tang Tian hurried her movements, fearful of lingering for even a second longer, lest she be accused of ulterior motives or impure thoughts.

As she was finishing up, she heard the sound of a window closing.

She continued her task, pushing the cart toward the door.

“Tang Tian.”

Pei Jue called out to her, stopping her for reasons unknown.

She then heard the sound of his footsteps approaching from behind as he drew near…

Realizing this, Tang Tian turned her head in confusion.

Pei Jue handed her a business card. “Take this. Call me if you need anything.”

His expression was calm, as if he were doing something he didn’t care about, merely a casual gesture.

In a daze, Tang Tian found the card resting in her palm.

Pei Jue had somehow seated himself on the sofa, wearing a high-neck black sweater and black trousers. His strikingly deep features were sculpted to perfection, his movements relaxed yet elegant, making it hard for anyone to look away.

Tang Tian struggled to avert her gaze, focusing instead on the business card in her hand, which had Pei Jue’s phone number on it.

She didn’t know how to respond. Refusing it would mean she had already accepted it.

Tang Tian thought to herself: This doesn’t seem to violate any rules, does it? The housekeeper’s regulations didn’t state she couldn’t have the gentlemen’s business cards, just that she couldn’t have their contact information.

Regardless of the technicalities, this was something Pei Jue had given her, not something she had asked for.

In case of an emergency abroad, if she couldn’t reach Wen Shaohan, she could call Pei Jue. Having another option was a safeguard.

However… Tang Tian looked back at the man sitting on the sofa. Pei Jue’s action surprised her; she could tell how much he despised her.

Perhaps he didn’t want anything to happen to anyone and felt compelled to extend a hand to her for the sake of the bigger picture.

Regardless, his gesture was sincere.

Tang Tian tucked the business card into the pocket of her work uniform and thanked him, “Thank you, Mr. Pei, for your consideration.”

She didn’t dare say anything more, fearing he might think she had inappropriate thoughts.

Pei Jue’s gaze shifted from his laptop to her as she pushed the cart away. Although she was dressed in long sleeves and pants, her curvaceous figure was still undeniable.

The door clicked softly shut behind her, leaving him alone in the room. The smell of food had dissipated, replaced by the fragrance of some flower, reminiscent of her—soft and inviting.

Pei Jue pressed his lips together, steadying his thoughts. He took a couple of sips from his iced Americano and continued to tackle what seemed like an endless stream of work.

At the elevator on the second floor, Liu Xiaozhi watched as Tang Tian pushed the cart out of Pei Jue’s room, believing Tang Tian was seizing the opportunity to get close to Mr. Pei while she was away.

Though Tang Tian was still some distance from the elevator, she could feel Liu Xiaozhi’s cold gaze fixed on her, filled with contempt and anger, making her acutely aware of it.

She calmly pushed the cart to the elevator, deciding to wait a little longer, as Fu Xi and Wen Shaohan were still dining.

Liu Xiaozhi spoke to her in a soft tone, “Tang Tian, if you want to take care of Mr. Pei’s daily needs, you can just say so. There’s no need to…”

Her implication was clear: she was accusing Tang Tian of trying to steal Liu Xiaozhi’s responsibilities and show off in front of Pei Jue.

Tang Tian didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids. “You should be the one to answer that. You’ve been in the villa longer than I have, so you should know Mr. Pei’s habits better than I do. You need to collect the dishes promptly, but where were you when Mr. Pei expressed his needs?”

Tang Tian looked at her, each word striking her face like a hammer. “If there’s anything inappropriate about this situation, you bear full responsibility, and you should be thanking me for helping you out.”

Having done extra work, Liu Xiaozhi still wanted to use this incident to accuse Tang Tian, but Tang Tian wasn’t falling for it.

Liu Xiaozhi was left speechless. Tang Tian’s words took her by surprise; she had never encountered someone so sharp-tongued before, leaving her with no counterarguments.

Ignoring Liu Xiaozhi’s astonished expression, Tang Tian continued, “There’s no need for thanks. You can go collect the dishes from Mr. Fu’s room later, and we’ll call it even.”

Fu Xi, who had been leaning against the wall and watching the exchange, was taken aback.

The playful smile that had been on his lips moments ago vanished in an instant.

His narrow peach blossom eyes darkened, clearly displeased with what Tang Tian had just said.

Tang Tian finished her remarks without paying any more attention to the stunned Liu Xiaozhi. She stepped into the elevator, taking the opportunity to head downstairs for a bite of the cut fruits.

She was feeling hungry and wanted to have lunch after finishing her tasks.

Liu Xiaozhi glared at the closed elevator doors, furious but unable to retort against Tang Tian’s earlier comments.

Emotionally and logically, Tang Tian’s action of collecting the dishes from Mr. Pei’s room was indeed helping her out.

However… who knew if Tang Tian had ulterior motives? She had always flirted with the gentlemen; how could she possibly give that up now?

On the side, while Fu Xi was no longer interested in the drama, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Liu Xiaozhi struggling to suppress her anger. He had seen through her facade of gentleness and kindness; it was all an act. Liu Xiaozhi was working hard behind the scenes, but her actions were far from clean.

When it came to playing games, Liu Xiaozhi should consider him a master. He found such manipulative people tedious.

Fu Xi, with his hands in his pockets, still found Tang Tian interesting—she was both amusing and engaging.

On the first floor of the vacation villa, Tang Tian nibbled on a few pieces of fruit, lingering for about ten minutes before heading back upstairs to collect the dishes.

As she pushed the cart out of Wen Shaohan’s room, she spotted Fu Xi’s tall and handsome figure leaning against the wall. Under the light, his dark peach blossom eyes were shadowy and enigmatic, quietly fixated on her.

Startled at first by his gaze, Tang Tian realized that it was just his usual lazy demeanor.

For a moment, she felt a sense of confusion and instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a misperception; she did not want to offend someone like Fu Xi.

Fu Xi’s temperament was unpredictable and his demeanor often shifting, making him seem dangerous. Teasing him playfully didn’t usually spark his interest or provoke his desire to conquer.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Fu,” she greeted, pushing the cart past him.

But Fu Xi’s large hand seized the handle of the cart.

His pampered hand was pale and smooth, even more delicate than a model’s.

He cast a sidelong glance at her. “I want to know why you let Liu Xiaozhi collect the dishes from my room.” He was extremely displeased with this and demanded an explanation.

He and Wen Shaohan, along with Tang Tian, had been unceremoniously handed off to Liu Xiaozhi.

Tang Tian thought it was a simple matter. “Mr. Fu, because Mr. Wen’s room is behind yours.”

Fu Xi appeared taken aback by her straightforward reasoning. His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. “Is that all?”

Tang Tian nodded. “That’s all.” She thought the matter was settled, considering it was trivial.

She continued to push the cart forward, but her right arm was suddenly gripped by his hand.

At the moment Fu Xi held her, the sensation was so soft that he instinctively tightened his grip, the veins on the back of his hand slightly protruding in a show of restraint.