Chapter 121: That Night’s Affair

Su Wanning could feel the breathing of the person behind her; in the thick darkness, it was particularly distinct. She kept her eyes slightly closed, forcing her brain to enter a state of rest, but despite her best efforts, she only became more alert.

Su Wanning let out an involuntary sigh, and suddenly, Qin Jingchen’s voice came from behind her.

"Can’t sleep?"

Su Wanning’s body stiffened. Feeling a bit awkward, she whispered, "No, I’m about to fall asleep."

The man behind her fell silent again. The more silent he was, the more restless Su Wanning became. Her mind raced, oscillating between guessing what he was here for this time and wondering when he had managed to win over the two children.

After drifting in and out of hazy thoughts for a while, she instinctively turned over.

The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Qin Jingchen, less than an arm’s length away.

Her drowsiness vanished instantly, and Su Wanning widened her eyes in the darkness, filled with panic.

"Didn't you say you were about to fall asleep?"

Qin Jingchen lowered his voice, giving it a gravelly, resonant quality that sounded all the more seductive.

"I—" Su Wanning was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Instead, she retorted righteously, "Then why aren't you asleep?"

"Thinking about that night, I couldn't quite drift off."

Qin Jingchen answered with ease, but his words made the hair on Su Wanning’s arms stand up. She became instantly alert, instinctively scooting backward and eyeing the man in front of her with suspicion.

"That night… what about it?"

Su Wanning’s throat felt dry as she asked nervously, her hands tightly knotted together beneath the quilt.

She had always been a lightweight, and she could never remember what she did when she was drunk. Yet, for some reason, fragments of that night felt as if they were branded onto her brain, appearing before her from time to time. Even now, she could still recall the feel of the man’s abdominal muscles.

What a sin, truly a sin.

Lost in her own wild thoughts, she didn't realize that Qin Jingchen had already seen right through her. No wonder she had rushed back to the production crew that day, and why she always looked guilty and evasive whenever that night was mentioned. It seemed she remembered nothing and had misunderstood something entirely.

Qin Jingchen, always calculating and well-versed in the art of negotiation, knew that he had to seize the initiative. He probed further: "That night, we weren't... I’m sorry, it had been so long since we were together like that, I might have lost my composure."

Su Wanning’s eyes went wide in the darkness; she nearly choked on her own saliva. Fearing she would wake the children, she kept her voice low. "Wh-what do you mean? What do you mean by 'together'? How did you lose your composure!"

Qin Jingchen curled his lips in the dark and continued with a voice full of hidden meaning: "My apologies. If you weren't satisfied with that night, I can make amends."

"Stop right there!" Su Wanning’s heart hammered against her ribs in the darkness, as if it were about to leap out. Her face burned fiercely; if the lights were on, it would surely be as red as an apple. "I’m tired, let’s just sleep!"

She decisively turned away and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. Behind her, the smile on Qin Jingchen’s face grew increasingly bright. He stared at her back, his eyes darkening.

The next morning, everyone gathered at the designated spot to collect their breakfast. After they had eaten, Wang Zan announced the day’s task.

"Today, everyone will pair up to complete our earning tasks in the nearby village. Please note, earnings from the live stream do not count; only the wages you earn from your own labor will be considered your daily pay. We will tally the results in the evening, and the group with the highest earnings will win."

After announcing the task, Wang Zan revealed the pairings.

"With the arrival of President Qin and Tian Boyu, this time, President Qin will be paired with Su Wanning, Tian Boyu will be with Yu Xin, and the remaining three will form a group."

Upon hearing the pairings, Su Wanning was immediately dissatisfied. "Director, do we not need to draw lots for our groups?"

Wang Zan shook his head. "To avoid any other complications, these groups were decided by the production team. After all, President Qin has just arrived and is not yet familiar with everyone."

Su Wanning glanced at the man beside her. Despite being given such special treatment by the production team, Qin Jingchen showed no particular reaction, acting as if it were all perfectly natural.

Yu Xin chimed in from the side, teasing, "Is the director planning to change careers and become a matchmaker?"

Everyone erupted into laughter, but Su Wanning, the center of the topic, couldn't bring herself to smile. She had hoped to use the filming today as an opportunity to keep some distance from Qin Jingchen, but she hadn't expected the director to come up with such a devious plan.

After leaving the assembly point, everyone dispersed to prepare. Su Wanning traveled light, bringing almost nothing. Aside from Yin Shanshan’s group, which had a camper van, everyone else had to walk down the mountain. Su Wanning had intended to ask the others to join her, but as soon as the director announced the dismissal, Tian Boyu and Yu Xin had vanished.

Seeing Su Wanning looking around, hesitant to depart, Qin Jingchen walked over and naturally took the backpack from her.

"Let’s go."

Su Wanning was stunned. Before she could react, Qin Jingchen had already started walking ahead of her.

[The President is carrying her bag himself—so sweet!]

[But why does Su Wanning look so surprised?]

[Could it be that this President Qin is just putting on a show for the program?]

Coming to her senses, Su Wanning hurried to catch up with the two children, trying to take her backpack back from Qin Jingchen.

"I can do it myself; the bag isn't heavy."

Qin Jingchen didn't give it back and naturally shifted the topic. "What do you plan to do today?"

"I don't know. I’m thinking of heading to the town nearby to see if I can find some work."

Along the way, Niannian skipped ahead, while Suisui possessed a composure beyond his years, following steadily behind his sister. The two adults walked at the very back.

After walking in silence for a while, Su Wanning glanced at the nearby camera and felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward. She smiled proactively, "The air in the mountains is quite nice."

Qin Jingchen turned to look at her. "It seems you haven't been home in a long time. The air at home is much the same as it is here."

"..." Oh no, how could she have forgotten that this tycoon’s villa was also built halfway up a mountain?

"I meant that the weather is quite nice today, not too cold or too hot. Look, the sun is right there, how lovely!"

Su Wanning’s words were a bit incoherent, and the audience in the live stream burst into laughter.

[Look at how bright that sun is.]

[Oh, the ocean, you are all water!]

[Su Wanning’s literature of nonsense.]

[How is President Qin holding back his laughter!]