Chapter 28: At a Loss

Unable to escape the impending trip abroad, Tang Tian could only muster her spirits and resolve to be more cautious from that day forward.

Returning to her room, Tang Tian packed a few sets of thick clothes. She had heard that it was currently snowing at their destination, a land of ice and snow.

She stuffed the thickest items into her suitcase, including her heavy down jacket. She couldn’t afford to freeze.

As dawn approached, the villa was already brightly lit, and several gentlemen were already enjoying breakfast in the dining room.

To save time, only Liu Huahua and two other servants attended to the gentlemen’s needs during their meal.

Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi followed several male assistants and bodyguards who were responsible for carrying luggage, helping to load their suitcases onto the vehicles.

Because the gentlemen’s luggage was so heavy, the male assistants and bodyguards didn’t allow them to help.

Shortly after, Pei Jue and the others boarded their respective vehicles, heading towards the private jet’s tarmac.

Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi, being housekeepers, shared a car with a male assistant.

On the way to the tarmac, Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi didn’t exchange a single word.

Tang Tian gazed out the car window. Liu Xiaozhi disliked Tang Tian intensely and felt repulsed even sharing a car with her.

Liu Xiaozhi anticipated that if Tang Tian spoke to her, she would deliberately humiliate Tang Tian in front of the driver and male assistant.

She expected Tang Tian to act like someone who had never seen the world, but to her surprise, Tang Tian was unusually quiet.

Not only was Tang Tian quiet, but she also sat far away from Liu Xiaozhi.  They hadn’t spoken much at the villa, let alone during this outing.

The car arrived at the tarmac, and the massive “body” of the private jet came into Tang Tian’s view.

Tang Tian got out of the car, and those several tall figures, accustomed to a life of luxury, were already boarding the plane.

The housekeepers, the male assistant, and the bodyguards would have to wait a while before boarding.

Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi sat in the rear, still with several male assistants.

After a long wait, the plane finally took off. Tang Tian sat by the window, and Liu Xiaozhi sat in front of her.

Because there were many seats in the cabin, there were no assigned seats.

The male assistants chatted amongst themselves, largely ignoring Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi.

Tang Tian didn’t consider this a vacation; instead, she viewed it as a change of work location, a rather “dangerous” one at that.

She hoped to get through it safely, but the thought that both the original body and Liu Xiaozhi had gone on vacation abroad, and that no matter what happened, the outcome would be similar to the original plot, filled her with unease.

Tang Tian felt a headache coming on. She was no longer certain she could avoid the tragic ending of the original plot, something she had been quite confident about before.

However, this foreign vacation had raised her anxieties once again.

The male assistants discussed luxury goods, and Liu Xiaozhi occasionally interjected with gentle remarks, quickly becoming acquainted with them.

Tang Tian, however, remained silent, as if forgotten by everyone.

Tang Tian had no intention of participating in their conversation.  She had to be careful on this trip, speaking as little as possible to avoid unnecessary trouble.

The flight to their destination would take twenty-four hours. Tang Tian ate and slept as needed.

There were flight attendants on board, so she and Liu Xiaozhi didn’t have to attend to Pei Jue and the others’ daily needs.

The twenty-four hours passed quickly. During that time, she and Liu Xiaozhi had no opportunity to see the gentlemen.

Tang Tian was relieved by this, while Liu Xiaozhi missed them, finding the proximity yet inability to meet agonizing.

The plane landed at the airport in Country B.  Pei Jue and the others had not only a wardrobe but also a changing room in the cabin.

As servants, Tang Tian, Liu Xiaozhi, and the male assistants either had to change in the lavatory or remain in their current clothes.

The male assistants quickly changed into their thick clothes, without needing the lavatory.

Liu Xiaozhi, being shy, occupied the lavatory with her clothes.  Changing clothes should have been quick, but… she lingered after changing.

Only when someone called out that it was time to disembark did Liu Xiaozhi emerge from the lavatory.

Her intention was to make things difficult for Tang Tian, preventing her from changing clothes promptly.

When everyone was preparing to disembark, Tang Tian would enter the lavatory to change, delaying everyone, and she would surely be blamed.

Especially those male assistants; they wouldn’t be gentle in their reprimands.

Liu Xiaozhi was already prepared to watch Tang Tian’s humiliation, waiting for her to emerge from the lavatory and return to her seat.

Tang Tian was fully dressed in her thick coat, hat, and gloves, without even glancing at Liu Xiaozhi.

Liu Xiaozhi thought to herself, how could she be so shameless? With several male assistants present, Tang Tian nonchalantly put on her heavy clothes right in front of them.

For convenience, Tang Tian had chosen to wear long pants. Earlier, while seated, she had quickly layered on her thick clothing and cotton pants, and soon she felt warm and cozy.

She hadn’t even noticed when Liu Xiaozhi had gone to the lavatory.

The male assistants were growing impatient with Liu Xiaozhi taking so long to change.

“Xiaozhi, I thought you fell into the toilet while changing!” one of them complained.

“You’re so slow! If you don’t come out soon, I might burst!” Another voice echoed as one of the male assistants rushed to the lavatory, casting a disapproving glance at Liu Xiaozhi and scolding her for her sluggishness.

Liu Xiaozhi hadn’t anticipated becoming the target of their complaints. Instead of embarrassing Tang Tian, she had ended up losing face herself.

She could only seethe with frustration, enduring the mocking comments from the male assistants.

Throughout the ordeal, Tang Tian didn’t spare a glance at her. No matter how many schemes Liu Xiaozhi had, if Tang Tian refused to engage, there was nothing Liu Xiaozhi could do.

As they stepped off the plane, a sharp blast of cold air hit Tang Tian, prompting her to quickly pull her hat down to shield her face from the biting wind.

Everyone hurried to the car, with Tang Tian trailing behind.

In the chilling wind, Liu Xiaozhi shut the car door and looked back at Tang Tian, who was about to open the door.

However, Liu Xiaozhi said to the driver, “Everyone’s here.”

The driver didn’t think much of it and drove off towards the vacation villa.

Before long, Tang Tian’s figure grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing into the swirling snow.

Liu Xiaozhi maintained her gentle smile, acting as if she were unaware that Tang Tian hadn’t gotten into the car.

Tang Tian being forgotten was something she had anticipated. The fact that such a thing happened right after arriving at the vacation villa seemed to hint that this trip wouldn’t go smoothly.

She took out her phone, intending to seek help from the butler or Sister Wu to assist her.

She didn’t want to contact the male leads because she didn’t have their contact information, nor did she possess the means to reach the male assistants.

She needed to call quickly; thankfully, she was dressed warmly, or else she would freeze if she had to wait too long.

“Beep!” A horn sounded behind her, and Tang Tian quickly stepped back as a black luxury car slowly came to a stop in front of her.

The window rolled down, revealing Shen Yanli distinguished face as he looked at her and said, “Get in.”

Tang Tian nodded immediately, moving around to the other side to enter the car. As soon as she sat down, the rich scent of his cologne enveloped her, filling her senses with his fragrance.

Shen Yanli wore a black coat, exuding elegance and a noble aura that made him seem unattainably refined.

“Thank you, Mr. Shen,” Tang Tian expressed her gratitude.

Shen Yanli inquired, “Why didn’t you get in the car?”

Tang Tian explained honestly, “I was just about to open the door when the car drove off.”

She had seen Liu Xiaozhi speaking to the driver, and although the cold wind was howling outside, she had clearly heard Liu Xiaozhi say, “Everyone’s here.”

Liu Xiaozhi had intended to be malicious, and since there were no cameras around to prove her guilt, Tang Tian knew she wouldn’t accuse Liu Xiaozhi in front of Shen Yanli. Liu Xiaozhi was the female lead, while she was just a malicious supporting character, and Shen Yanli was one of the male leads.

It would be akin to seeking death for a supporting character to confront the female lead about her wrongdoing.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yanli expression revealed his dissatisfaction. He pressed his lips together and took out his phone to send a message.

A minute later, Tang Tian heard Shen Yanli deep voice, reminiscent of a cello, resonate in her ear.

“I will give you an explanation regarding this matter.”

Surprised, she turned to look at the man beside her. Did she hear that correctly?

Shen Yanli met her gaze. In the dimly lit cabin, his eyes held a depth that was intoxicating.

He continued, “It’s freezing outside, and here we are in a foreign country. You were left behind; this is a matter of life and death, and it cannot be taken lightly.”

Tang Tian felt somewhat at a loss under his intense gaze, quickly averting her eyes. “Then… I’ll thank you again, Mr. Shen.”