Chapter 29: Like an Electric Shock

Shen Yanli lowered his eyelids, hiding the dim shadows in his gaze, and the car cabin fell silent once more.

Tang Tian felt the atmosphere was strange but didn’t dwell on it.

The drive from the tarmac to the vacation villa would take about half an hour. During this time, she sat in Shen Yanli’s car, too apprehensive to look around or initiate conversation.

The silence in the car was charged with a subtle tension.

“Is your hometown in City Z?” Shen Yanli’s deep voice broke the silence.

Tang Tian was surprised that he would ask about her hometown. The original body was indeed born in a small town in City Z, where her parents were ordinary citizens.

She nodded, “Yes, it’s a small town near City Z.”

Her impression of Shen Yanli remained fixed on the day she had first arrived, when he had woken up from drunkenness, looking at her with nothing but indifference and even coldly ordering her to leave.

Later, when they had been trapped in the art studio, he had painted a picture of himself that she had never seen. Recently, he had asked her one morning if that room was where she stayed; the way he had looked at her then was somewhat reminiscent of how he had just gazed at her, exuding a sense of danger.

Tang Tian knew it was just her imagination. Although Shen Yanli was aloof, he didn’t harbor any intentions of harming her.

Hence, when he mentioned he would give her an explanation, she was genuinely surprised. Despite his disdain for her, it also indicated that he had principles when it came to handling matters.

His soothing voice pulled her back from her distant thoughts.

He said, “Next time, let’s visit your hometown.”

Tang Tian assumed he was merely being polite and smiled, “The town is very close to the famous West Lake, and the scenery is lovely.”

The world she had entered also had a West Lake, albeit different from the one in her previous life; yet the beauty was unique in its own way.

Shen Yanli turned his gaze toward her, quietly observing her delicate profile. The dim light in the car could not conceal her beauty.

As Tang Tian recalled the scenery of her hometown from the original body’s memories, she felt a warm fingertip gently stroke her ear, sending a tingling sensation straight to her heart, almost making her gasp.

Flustered, she turned to look at Shen Yanli, but when she saw the dried grass in his hand, she hurriedly thanked him.

“Th-thank you.” Perhaps it was because she hadn’t put her hat on promptly after getting off the plane, and the cold wind had blown past her.

Feeling embarrassed, she reached out to take the dried grass from him, but he withdrew it.

Shen Yanli placed the dried grass into a cleaning bag. Tang Tian watched his graceful movements, momentarily unsure of what to say.

For some reason, she began to feel restless.

After about half an hour, the car stopped at the entrance of the vacation villa.

At the villa entrance, Liu Xiaozhi was crying to Fu Xi and Wen Shaohan, continuously blaming herself and saying things like it was her fault for not noticing.

Fu Xi and Wen Shaohan had just gotten out of the car. They hadn’t even made it into the villa when they were suddenly informed that Tang Tian had been left behind.

This was a foreign country, and it was freezing; Tang Tian was left near the tarmac, which posed significant risks to her safety.

Both Fu Xi and Wen Shaohan wore serious expressions, while Liu Xiaozhi continued to wail, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Fu Xi frowned, contemplating the possible dangers, and took the car keys from the driver, ready to head to the tarmac with several bodyguards.

At that moment, Pei Jue stepped out of the car. He grabbed Fu Xi’s arm just as he was about to open the car door.

Fu Xi’s brows remained tightly knitted. “Tang Tian is still out there; I’m going to get her.”

Pei Jue replied, “No need. She’s here.” With that, he released his grip on Fu Xi.

A black luxury car had pulled up at the villa entrance, and out stepped Shen Yanli and Tang Tian.

Liu Xiaozhi, still in tears, looked on in disbelief as Tang Tian emerged from Shen Yanli’s car. How could this be possible?!

Tang Tian had… come out of Shen Yanli’s car?!

Liu Xiaozhi was stunned, her jealousy igniting a burning anger within her. Why would Mr. Shen be willing to help Tang Tian? Tang Tian had always been trying to flirt with them.

Seeing Tang Tian safely exit the car relieved Fu Xi and Wen Shaohan. As long as she was okay, that was what mattered.

Seeing that Tang Tian was fine, Wen Shaohan entered the villa first, followed closely by Pei Jue, who seemed indifferent to Tang Tian’s situation.

“Tang Tian, I heard Xiaozhi say you were left behind at the airport. I was worried and going to send someone to look for you,” Fu Xi said as he approached her, flashing a bright smile.

“How are you feeling? Was it touching?”

For once, Tang Tian offered a genuine smile instead of a perfunctory one, replying sincerely, “Thank you for your concern, Fu Xi. It was Shen Yanli who found me.”

Fu Xi was taken aback by her radiant smile, which was truly stunning. However, a hint of sourness crept into his heart. Why was it always Shen Yanli? The last time they had been trapped in the art studio, it was also with Tang Tian and Shen Yanli.

But Fu Xi chose not to tease her further, considering she was a girl who had been abandoned in a foreign country surrounded by cold and snow. That moment must have been terrifying for her.

Shen Yanli interjected, “Let’s go inside and talk. It’s cold out here.”

Tang Tian nodded and followed them into the villa. As she passed by Liu Xiaozhi, she noticed a cold glint in Liu Xiaozhi’s eyes. This incident would likely end without resolution.

If she caused a scene, the male leads might think she was deliberately setting Liu Xiaozhi up. If she truly did that, the events would develop in line with the plot of the story.

Tang Tian knew she had to tread carefully, lest she turn a justified grievance into an unjustified one.

At that moment, Liu Xiaozhi was so furious that her nails nearly dug into her skin. Everything she had done now seemed futile. To make matters worse, it was Shen Yanli who had brought Tang Tian back to the villa.

The person Liu Xiaozhi cared about the most was Shen Yanli, and yet it was him who had assisted Tang Tian.

Meanwhile, the butler of the villa led them to their rooms.

Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi were assigned adjacent rooms. After arranging their accommodations for the next few days, the butler advised them to adjust their mindsets quickly, as they would need to be in work mode starting tomorrow.

As Tang Tian entered her room, she noticed Liu Xiaozhi lingering by the door of the adjacent room, keeping a watchful eye on her. Now that Liu Xiaozhi had calmed down a bit, she began to worry that her actions might be discovered.

She felt a pang of fear as she realized she wasn’t certain whether Tang Tian had overheard her conversation with the driver.

Tang Tian’s indifferent attitude, not mentioning the incident at the tarmac, truly seemed to indicate that it was just an accident.

Liu Xiaozhi found it hard to decipher what Tang Tian was thinking. If Tang Tian had indeed heard her talk to the driver, why hadn’t she brought it up? Why hadn’t she even asked Liu Xiaozhi about it?

In this foreign land at night, with snow swirling outside and the bitter cold penetrating, Tang Tian had no mood to appreciate the scenery.

Her mindset was different from that of the male leads, who were here for fun and inspiration, while she was here for work.

That night, she took an early shower and went to bed.

The next morning, at around 6:30 AM, the sky outside was still gray, and snow continued to fall, albeit intermittently and lightly.

Tang Tian and Liu Xiaozhi woke early to prepare for work. They didn’t have to do any other chores here; their only responsibility was to take care of the male leads’ daily needs.

Liu Xiaozhi, fearing that Tang Tian would be in charge of Shen Yanli, seized the opportunity to say, “I’ll take care of Mr. Shen and Mr. Pei, and you…”

Tang Tian remained expressionless. “Mm.”

It didn’t matter to her who she was responsible for over the next few days, but she didn’t want Liu Xiaozhi to realize her carefree attitude.

Otherwise, Liu Xiaozhi would surely become restless, constantly scheming against her.

Tang Tian was determined to avoid the development of the plot and any conflicts, which would be detrimental for her as a malicious supporting character.

She desperately wanted to turn the tide in her favor, to disregard the consequences and confront Liu Xiaozhi, but she knew that would lead her to become the “evil female antagonist” trying to frame the benevolent female lead.

In line with the narrative, who would care whether she had been wronged or if Liu Xiaozhi had instigated the trouble?

Tang Tian understood that once a conflict erupted, no one would stand by her side. They would only perceive her as the instigator, the one who had been looking for trouble with Liu Xiaozhi.

Thus, she needed to remain calm and wait for a better opportunity, at least not now.

Liu Xiaozhi noticed Tang Tian’s cold demeanor and couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at her.

Tang Tian’s delicate face, perfect figure, and aura made her appear both beautiful and resolute, radiating a vitality that was hard to describe.

Although Liu Xiaozhi had always despised her for being just a pretty face, Tang Tian’s looks posed a significant threat that could not be overlooked.