"What are you thinking about? Was that your little assistant just now?"
Fang Miaomiao snapped back to attention and shook her head at Wen Zhiyan, "I wasn't thinking about anything. Xiao Zhi'er came to bring us food and asked for leave."
"Leave?"
"Yes, something happened at her home, so she asked for leave to go back."
Wen Zhiyan placed a piece of food into Fang Miaomiao's bowl, "Then you won't have an assistant by your side for these few days?"
"It's fine, I can manage without an assistant."
"That won't do." Wen Zhiyan thought for a moment, "For filming, let Da Chen follow you around and run errands. He's efficient."
Fang Miaomiao felt amused and helpless, "He's a driver."
It was one thing for him to help out with Xiao Zhi'er, but now he was being asked to do an assistant's job?
"We can increase his salary."
Fang Miaomiao gave him a thumbs up.
"Tomorrow is a holiday. Miaomiao, is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"You're going with me?"
"If Miaomiao wishes, I would be delighted."
"Then I do have a place in mind." Fang Miaomiao got up to grab her phone from the bed and showed Wen Zhiyan a location on it.
"An ancient town?"
Fang Miaomiao nodded, "I looked it up and thought it was quite nice. How about we go there tomorrow?"
"Is it far?"
"Not far, it's about an hour and a half by car from here."
"Then we'll go shortly."
"Shortly?"
So soon?
"Yes, we'll go today, and we can start exploring early tomorrow morning. What do you say?"
Fang Miaomiao's eyes lit up, "That's a great idea."
After dinner, they rested for about ten minutes before Da Chen called to say they could head down.
"I didn't expect our first outing to be a night trip," Fang Miaomiao sighed, looking at the starry sky, "It's so beautiful."
"Does Miaomiao like it?"
Fang Miaomiao nodded.
An hour later.
They checked into a guesthouse.
The guesthouse room was small and cozy, with a large balcony.
Fang Miaomiao excitedly pulled Wen Zhiyan onto the balcony, and they sat there, admiring the scattered lights in the distance.
"It's a shame An An didn't come."
"Missing An An?"
Fang Miaomiao looked at him, "Don't you miss her?"
Wen Zhiyan's lips curved upwards, "It's only been a few days, so I do miss her a little. Just a little, though."
"You say one thing and mean another."
Wen Zhiyan merely smiled without speaking.
They sat on the balcony until past eleven o'clock. Only when Fang Miaomiao's eyelids began to droop did Wen Zhiyan nudge her arm, "Let's go inside and sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow."
Fang Miaomiao, barely staying awake, stumbled to her feet. After a few steps, she remembered something and turned back to Wen Zhiyan, "I forgot to push you inside."
Looking at Miaomiao, who had nestled into his arms like a little kitten, Wen Zhiyan dotingly kissed her forehead, "Goodnight."
They had a good night's sleep.
Fang Miaomiao was woken up by the chirping of birds outside the window.
She struggled to burrow deeper into the covers but was held so tightly she couldn't move.
"Wen Zhiyan," Fang Miaomiao called out.
Wen Zhiyan let out a low groan, pulling her closer into his embrace. His voice, still groggy with sleep, was tinged with a magnetic quality, "Miaomiao, be good. It's early morning, and I might lose control."
Fang Miaomiao's previously muddled mind instantly cleared, "You."
"Don't be afraid. Without your consent, I won't touch you."
Hearing this, Fang Miaomiao's expression became complicated. She felt like she had missed something, but with her mind still foggy from sleep, she couldn't recall it.
After an unknown amount of time holding each other, Fang Miaomiao finally spoke, "Doesn't your arm feel numb?"
"Miaomiao," Wen Zhiyan said, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "This is the first time I've noticed you're quite the mood killer."
"Am I?" Fang Miaomiao blinked innocently, "I think we need to get up now, or we won't have time to play when the sun comes out."
Wen Zhiyan pinched Fang Miaomiao's nose, "Are you a vampire? Afraid of the sun?"
"It's just too hot, and I don't feel like moving."
"Get up," Wen Zhiyan released Fang Miaomiao from his embrace, "Go wash up."
Fang Miaomiao, with a mischievous grin, ran her hand over Wen Zhiyan's barely visible abs before dashing into the bathroom.
Wen Zhiyan shook his head helplessly and lay in bed for a while before getting up.
By the time Wen Zhiyan was dressed, Fang Miaomiao emerged from the bathroom.
Da Chen had already arrived with breakfast and knocked on the door.
"Have you eaten?"
Da Chen nodded, "To Madam's question, I have."
"Alright, you can head down then."
"Yes."
After they had breakfast, Fang Miaomiao nudged Wen Zhiyan and they walked towards the town.
Due to the start of the school year and people returning to work, there weren't many tourists in the town.
Fang Miaomiao, wearing sunglasses and a white mini-dress, led the way.
Wen Zhiyan's smile never left his face as he watched Miaomiao playing happily ahead of him.
"Master Wen, Third Master has signed a contract with the Ran family," Da Chen reported.
"Who brokered it?"
"Old Madam."
Wen Zhiyan's fingers paused, "Are you sure?"
Da Chen nodded, "Yes."
"Which contract did he sign?"
"The contract with Zhao Yiran."
Wen Zhiyan let out a scoff, his eyes showing undisguised disdain, "Should I say my third brother is capable, or that he's too imaginative?"
"Master Wen."
Wen Zhiyan raised his hand, "Don't worry about this matter. If he wants to sign it, let him."
After all, the Wen Corporation had nothing to do with him anymore.
Da Chen frowned, "There's one more thing."
Wen Zhiyan looked at him, "Why are you being so hesitant now?"
"Third Master is at odds with Second Master and wants to push Second Master out of the Wen Corporation."
Wen Zhiyan's tapping on the stone table paused, "Third Brother is at odds with Second Brother?"
"Assistant Xin said so. Second Master has been subtly asking if Madam's studio is hiring."
Wen Zhiyan's eyelashes drooped. Sunlight dappled his face through the leaves.
"Regarding Second Brother's matter, don't agree. If he asks again, say the studio isn't hiring. Also, inform the old master that Third Brother doesn't want Second Brother in the company."
"Yes," Da Chen nodded, "Master Wen, about the contract, do we really not need to deal with it?"
That area wasn't particularly appealing for tourism. If Wen Corporation invested in a hotel there, it might take a long time to recoup the costs.
"It's fine," Wen Zhiyan sat up straight, looking at Fang Miaomiao approaching with a sugar-coated hawthorn, his lips curving upwards, "I'm just a figurehead. I can't manage that much."
"What were you two talking about? I saw you talking with Da Chen from afar," Fang Miaomiao sat down on another stone chair.
"Nothing much. Da Chen was talking about Second Brother's situation, and I asked him to relay my reply to Xin Xuan."
"Second Brother?"
Fang Miaomiao recalled that in the book, Wen Zhiyu had never returned. This time, not only had he returned, but he had also joined the Wen Corporation.