16. Awkward
It rained last night, and the sky was a bit overcast when I woke up this morning. Several other families arrived at Ye Zhenzhen's courtyard early in the morning, bringing the breakfast provided by the production team. Everyone sat together at the stone table under the tree in the courtyard to eat breakfast.
The children quickly finished their meals and then crowded around Gu Sinan to see the black leopard.
"Nannan, did the little black leopard bark excessively at night?"
"Brother Nan Nan, can I feed Xiao Hei formula?"
"Its name is Black Panther, can I hug it?"
"It's very well-behaved. It drank its milk powder before bed and didn't cry much all night. This morning, when it saw I was awake, it came to the cage and rubbed against me..."
......
Gu Tingshen brought out the mangoes, guavas, and dragon fruit they had bought in town earlier.
Ye Zhenzhen took a basin, intending to wash the fruit at the water pipe in the yard. When she took the fruit from the man's hand, she kept her eyes fixed on the bag, avoiding eye contact with him. She accidentally touched the man's finger, recoiled as if she had been electrocuted, and turned to leave.
The moment she saw Gu Tingshen, she remembered the awkwardness of that morning and wished she could bury her head in the pool.
Gu Tingshen looked at the top of her head, resisting the urge to ruffle it, and went to the poolside to help her.
"They're finally gone! Those two were so excited last night they couldn't sleep. I thought they wouldn't be able to get up this morning. But as soon as they heard we were coming here, they jumped right up." Zhang Siqing slumped in her chair, her eyes vacant with emotion.
“It’s the same. Jingyi kept pestering us last night, making us promise her that we’d buy a pet when we got home.” Lanno breathed a sigh of relief after his daughter left.
"Zhenzhen, are you planning to keep this puppy?" Wang Liqing asked Ye Zhenzhen. "I heard they found it on the road yesterday? Has it been checked? Is it healthy?"
Ye Zhenzhen was taking out a fruit knife to cut the fruit into small pieces so that the children could eat them. Upon hearing this, she replied, "Yes, we'll take it home after the show. Nannan loves it so much that he insisted on having it in his room last night. We found it on the roadside yesterday. We took it to the town's pet hospital, and they said it has a congenital problem with its left front leg, but everything else is fine."
"Is it serious? Old Yan has a comrade-in-arms who was a dog trainer before he retired. He's quite good at raising and training dogs. Maybe we can see if we can improve its condition through training." Wang Liqing frowned her delicate eyebrows and asked with concern.
"That's great! I was just wondering where to find someone to ask for advice. I'll have to trouble you then, Brother Yan." Ye Zhenzhen perked up immediately and thanked him profusely.
"Don't be so polite, just ask Lao Yan for anything. He and his son love this stuff; my house is practically a zoo." Wang Liqing then invited the other two, "You should bring your kids too, we have everything from kittens and puppies to rabbits, mice, and turtles. Let the kids pet them to their heart's content!"
Yan Feng carried the cage out of the room, followed by a string of little tails. The fathers also followed behind the children.
When the black panther came out of its cage, it accidentally tumbled, but it shook its head and stood up, wagging its little tail as it walked towards Gu Sinan.
Yan Xu, the only older brother who had ever owned a dog, taught them how to play with puppies: "You can grab the scruff of its neck, lift it up and hold it in your arms. Don't hug its belly, it will be uncomfortable."
Seeing Liu Lele touch the black leopard's mouth, she reminded him, "Don't let it bite you. The puppy's teeth are quite sharp; if you get scratched, you'll need five shots."
Liu Lele and Zhou Jingyi, who were eager to try, immediately became obedient.
After the children had played for a while, Jiang Wei came out to announce today's itinerary. "The weather is perfect; it's not too hot today. We'll all go cycling around the island along the Rainbow Road by the sea, and then camp at Jinsha Bay at noon. Open flames are prohibited throughout the bay area, so everyone will have to figure out their own lunch. Camping gear and food can be picked up at the village center square." As he spoke, he raised his hand to check the time. "It's 8:30 now, and we'll set off at 10:00. Please hurry up and get ready."
The relaxed atmosphere was instantly shattered as the other three families hurried back to their own yards.
Wang Liqing's family is the most calm and composed, and Brother Yan is a master at both home and travel.
Lan Nuo and Zhang Siqing looked at each other and smiled wryly. Before coming here, they did not expect that the most challenging part of the show would be cooking skills!
Gu Tingshen took Gu Sinan to the square to collect supplies.
Ye Zhenzhen first washed and packed the remaining fruit and the fruit knife at home. Then she went to collect the sun-protective clothing that the three of them had washed, so they could wear it when they went out later.
A short while later, Gu Tingshen returned with Gu Sinan.
"The production crew will take all the large items, like tents and hammocks, with their vehicles. We just need to bring our own lunch. What would you like to eat?" Gu Tingshen carried the vegetables to the kitchen, first putting a bag of shrimp into the freezer, then turned back to ask Ye Zhenzhen, who had followed him.
"Anything is fine with me, Nan Nan, what would you like to eat?" Ye Zhenzhen followed behind the man, watching the muscles on his back rise and fall like mountains as he moved. Her face flushed, and she quickly looked away to look at Gu Sinan.
"Want a sandwich, Mom? I see toast." The child thought for a moment and replied.
"Great job! It's quick and easy to carry around. Nannan is awesome!" Ye Zhenzhen ruffled the little girl's tuft of hair. "And Black Panther, you need to prepare some good food for him too."
I finally decided to make sandwiches and also some salt and pepper shrimp.
Ye Zhenzhen went to wash the lettuce and tomatoes, while Gu Sinan went to prepare the milk powder for Black Panther.
Gu Tingshen turned on the gas stove and fried eggs and luncheon meat in a frying pan, placing them on a plate for the two of them to assemble sandwiches. He then took some frozen shrimp, which were a bit hard, to the sink to peel them.
When the shrimp are put into the pot, they sizzle and a puff of smoke rises from the pot. The bluish-gray shrimp quickly curl up and turn into a beautiful and tempting red.
The sounds of Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Sinan chatting and laughing, along with the whimpering of a puppy, drifted from the stove.
"Oops, I squeezed out too much salad dressing."
"It's okay, Mom, you can give me a little more of this."
"Black Panther, you can't eat this luncheon meat, it's too salty."
......
In this tiny kitchen of only a few square meters, the laughter and the warmth of cooking didn't make him feel noisy or greasy; instead, they gave Gu Tingshen a feeling of home he had never experienced before.
He looked at Ye Zhenzhen, who was snatching luncheon meat from the black panther's mouth, and a smile flickered in his eyes.
Ye Zhenzhen vaguely heard a low chuckle. When she looked up, she only saw the man's perfect profile and the corners of his mouth turned up.
The group of guests rode five small motorcycles in a row, their macaron colors complementing the rainbow road, and looking even more fresh and lovely against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky in the distance.
The weather was cloudy, with the sun occasionally peeking through the clouds. Riding a small motorcycle around the island, the sea breeze blew by, and the laughter of children echoed through the air. Black Panther nestled in Gu Sinan's arms, its little tail swishing wildly, occasionally letting out a howl, which made everyone unconsciously relax.
Wearing a pink helmet, Ye Zhenzhen sat on the back of the motorcycle, arms outstretched, facing the sea breeze, and suddenly had a change of heart.
So what if she was talking in her sleep and someone overheard her? She's always been very easygoing, and at home she's always relaxed and comfortable. We'll be living together for over ten years, and all sorts of embarrassing things are bound to happen sooner or later. It would be too tiring to have to pretend every day.
All I can do is apologize to the germaphobic CEO in my heart and promise to stay away from him next time I sleep.
After riding for almost an hour, we finally arrived at our destination. The sand on this beach was golden in color and fine in texture, truly deserving of the name Golden Sand Bay.
They were going to camp in a coconut grove by the coast. After parking their motorcycles, everyone started taking tents out of the production crew's vehicle.
First, they found a large open space to serve as today's central campsite, and set up a large canopy for the children to play on. A group of children pulled Gu Sinan over, and they started playing around the black panther on the beach.
Ye Zhenzhen looked around and spotted an open space surrounded by three coconut trees. "Old Gu, let's set up here. It's shady, and we can even tie a hammock to the trees next to us."
Gu Tingshen looked around and, finding the campsite to be at a reasonable distance, nodded and began to work. He took the gloves she handed him, put them on, unfolded the tent, laid it out, and started driving in the tent pegs. After securing the four corners, he began to assemble the support poles.
"This isn't fully automatic, how do you assemble it? I can help you." Ye Zhenzhen wanted to help, but she had only ever set up automatic folding tents before, and she really didn't know where to start with this model that required assembling all the parts herself.
Seeing her fair and delicate hands, Gu Tingshen found her another pair of gloves before demonstrating how to use them.
Gu Tingshen noticed that she had a habit: when listening to someone speak, her peach blossom eyes would be fixed on the other person, focused, single-minded, obedient, and earnest. He somewhat enjoyed this gaze, and explained things in detail.
The two unconsciously moved closer and closer together.
The camera crew silently focused their lenses on the two of them, and the production team's director nodded in approval. Those in the film and television industry are most sensitive to atmosphere, and since filming began, the team had noticed that the moment the camera turned to this couple, tension was palpable.
The two of them seemed a bit awkward this morning, mainly because Ye Zhenzhen was avoiding Gu Tingshen. She guessed something had happened last night, so she checked the security footage from last night and, sure enough, recorded Ye Zhenzhen talking in her sleep and Gu Tingshen trying to soothe her.
Once it airs, we won't have to worry about the ratings!
His large, tanned hands were nimble and powerful, and every movement was perfectly timed.
Ye Zhenzhen handed him tools from the side. Just looking at it made him feel comfortable. It was full of orderly beauty and could cure obsessive-compulsive disorder.
At lunchtime, Yan Feng's two-way chicken popcorn and Gu Tingshen's salt and pepper shrimp were the most popular dishes. Ye Zhenzhen felt proud to hear others praising Gu Tingshen.
Gu Tingshen didn't participate much in their conversation, just sat to the side and smiled politely when the topic turned to him.
But Lanno noticed that his attention was always on Ye Zhenzhen. He not only naturally handed her tissues and refilled her water, but also stared at her intently when she spoke, a slight smile playing on his lips.
They're newlyweds after all; I can't get enough of looking at them every day.
After lunch and playing for a while, the children got a little sleepy and went back to their tents to rest.
It was a bit stuffy inside the tent, so Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Sinan simply slept in the hammock. With the sea breeze blowing, they drifted off to sleep.
Gu Tingshen leaned back in the recliner next to them, stretched out his arm and gently shook it for them, a contented smile playing on his lips.
The black panther lay at his feet, wagging its tail, its little head swaying back and forth with the rhythm of the hammock, and soon fell asleep.
The waves created a soothing white noise, and the beach quickly quieted down. Ye Zhenzhen slept soundly, her arms around Gu Sinan.
When she woke up, she saw the man sleeping.
He was undoubtedly handsome, but his usual imposing presence made people hesitant to look closely at his appearance. Now, with his eyes closed, his thick eyelashes folded like butterfly wings, obscuring his sharp eyes, revealing his strikingly handsome features.
She was completely mesmerized, unable to look away.
As evening fell, they returned to the village. Three days had passed in the blink of an eye, and the recording of the first episode was coming to an end.
After having dinner in the village square, Gu Sinan held her parents' hands in the middle, with Black Panther following at her feet, and the group slowly walked back.
Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, smoke rose from the various rooftops of the small fishing village, and the sounds of insects and birds filled the air. Ye Zhenzhen felt a pang of emotion. This place was like a paradise, allowing her to relax her tense nerves after entering this other world. The sudden thought of leaving left her with a bittersweet feeling.
"Are you reluctant to leave?" Gu Tingshen suddenly asked.
"Yeah, I'm a little reluctant to leave, and a little regretful." Ye Zhenzhen shook her head, shaking off her earlier vulnerability. "We came to the beach, but we didn't go beachcombing at all. Nannan even looked up beachcombing guides before we came."
Gu Tingshen looked down at his phone and checked, then asked the two, "We can go beachcombing tonight. I just checked and the tide goes out around midnight tonight. Do you want to go?"
"think!"
"think!"
"Woof!"
"But I have to catch a flight back tomorrow, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get up if I stay out too late tonight," Ye Zhenzhen replied, only to realize that she had to go to the airport the next morning.
A deep male voice, tinged with laughter, rang out, "Then we won't go back."
Ye Zhenzhen turned her head sharply, her eyes widening in surprise.
[Author's Note]
Domineering CEO, spoiling his wife online~
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