Chapter 381: "I'll Take You There Right Now"

As an excellent assistant to the hotel owner—

You must always prioritize the boss's needs!

If the boss says to take a vacation, then you must firmly follow orders, drop everything, and take a break.

If the boss says to work overtime, then... well, decide based on the situation whether to work overtime or not~

"Whew..."

Letting out a gentle breath, Wen Zifan patted her flushed face. She wanted to accept the invitation but feared agreeing too eagerly might make her seem too forward.

But if she refused... ahhh, she really didn't want to refuse!!

Chen Jianhai's mind works in mysterious ways,

Who knows what he would think if she turned him down.

Besides, it was already noon,

Even if she agreed, Chen Jianhai couldn't come back from the island in time, which would just lead to disappointment.

Forget it,

No reply...

Just pretend she didn't see it.

This way, she's neither too forward nor rejecting him, and it gives her some time to think,

Perfect!

"If you don't reply to me, I won't reply to you either, hmph!"

Wen Zifan gently smoothed her hair, happily turned off her phone screen, and walked back to the office with elegant steps.

After two rounds, she finally felt victorious, satisfied!

...

While Wen Zifan was in a great mood,

Chen Jianhai on the small island was restless.

It had been 2 minutes, why hadn't Wen Zifan replied yet?!

"Is something wrong at the hotel?"

A worrying thought flashed through Chen Jianhai's mind.

But that didn't make sense!

With Ruikeya helping at the hotel, Wen Zifan's workload had decreased significantly. She should have seen the message!

What is she busy with,

Will she agree or not!!

Frustrated!

...

Because the hotel's takeaway boxes weren't ready yet, this time, the meals were placed on ceramic plates, packed into the hotel's customized takeaway boxes, and then put into insulated delivery boxes for transport,

Triple protection,

Ensuring the food would arrive in perfect condition.

Hanshan Daye, the island ticket seller, and the gatekeeper finished their meals, and Cangbai called out to Chen Jianhai:

"Boss, are you still eating? If not, I'll pack up the leftovers and take them away."

Chen Jianhai, staring at his phone, didn't even look up, just waved impatiently with his left hand in the air,

"Is this Hululuwa a dog?" Hanshan Daye muttered.

Just a moment ago, he was grinning like an idiot, and now he's sulking like someone owes him something.

His mood changes faster than the village dog.

Cangbai sneaked a glance at Hanshan Daye but didn't dare say anything.

"Boss, I'm leaving now."

Cangbai carefully packed the dishes into the takeaway boxes, then into his backpack, and bid farewell to Chen Jianhai again.

"Hurry up and leave!"

Already irritated, Chen Jianhai waved his hand again, looking like he was shooing someone away.

"Sure thing, boss."

Cangbai didn't dare linger and quickly ran down the mountain with the delivery bag.

And all of this,

Yuan Xiao and Li Yi were completely unaware of.

Ever since they saw the jellyfish, they had been glued to the lakeside, their eyes unable to see anything else.

Since they were brought here by Chen Jianhai and Hanshan Daye, they couldn't leave until Yuan Xiao and the others did,

Seeing how absorbed they were, it didn't look like they would be done anytime soon,

Hanshan Daye didn't hesitate and went straight into the tourist service center for a nap.

Chen Jianhai, wearing his now shoe-printed white T-shirt, sat anxiously on a bird's nest swing, staring at his phone.

Usually, Wen Zifan would reply to his messages instantly.

Even if there was a delay, it never exceeded ten minutes,

But now, almost an hour had passed.

Could something really be wrong?

After much hesitation, Chen Jianhai called Ruikeya,

Ring... ring, the call was answered,

Ruikeya: "Boss, any instructions?"

Chen Jianhai asked irritably, "Is something wrong at the hotel?"

Hearing this, Ruikeya was startled,

"No! Everything is fine at the hotel, I'm right here in the lobby!"

After a pause, Ruikeya asked softly, "Is there a problem at the hotel?"

Chen Jianhai listened to Ruikeya's response,

She didn't sound like she was lying, so the hotel should be fine.

"Where's Wen Zifan?"

Ruikeya: "She's in her office. Are you looking for her, boss?"

Chen Jianhai: "No, it's fine."

With that, he hung up the phone.

Ruikeya stared at the phone, puzzled. What was wrong with the boss?

Checking up on them??

Thinking this, Ruikeya glanced towards Wen Zifan's office,

Ever since he told Wen Zifan to drink some hot water, her mood had visibly improved,

He could even hear her humming occasionally.

Too bad Wen Zifan sang off-key,

Without lyrics, no one could tell what she was singing.

"Good thing I didn't tell the boss that Sister Dan was singing in the office..."

Ruikeya took a deep look at Wen Zifan's office, feeling a sense of camaraderie for having covered for a friend, and went back to work in the lobby.

...

She's in the office, which means her phone is nearby.

Then why isn't she replying?

Chen Jianhai couldn't understand.

The afternoon dragged on slowly, like an egg frying in oil,

The heat was low, and there wasn't much oil.

Just pure torment.

"The sunset in Nanjiang is at 6:48 PM. If I take the Ocean Star back now, I can make it in time."

Chen Jianhai looked towards Nanjiang, feeling an overwhelming urge to return to the hotel.

"How far have they gotten?"

Chen Jianhai walked to the lakeside to check on Yuan Xiao and the others' progress,

If time permitted, he could return to Nanjiang with them.

At the lakeside,

Next to Wang Nong were several sampling tubes filled with lake water, seemingly ready for analysis.

Yuan Xiao, Li Yi, Yan Xingyun, and Liu Zhe were studying the jellyfish in the lake, exchanging observations.

Apart from terms like "tectonic movement," "no natural enemies," and "non-toxic," Chen Jianhai understood nothing.

Feeling like a fool, he stood behind them, eavesdropping for a while,

His homesickness, stirred by scientific rationality, was mostly soothed,

"Sorry for the interruption."

Chen Jianhai muttered to himself and quietly backed away, feeling small and insignificant.

...

Evening

Wen Zifan hummed a tune as she strolled out of her office.

The blue waves rolled in, and though the coastline wasn't yet visible,

A careful look revealed the damp sand gradually rising.

"The tide is coming in."

Her peach blossom eyes gazed at the sea, then she happily opened her phone, found Chen Jianhai's chat, and typed a message.

"I'm free! But it's too late today, you can't get back from the island in time, let's go another day?"

Send!

She had been pretending not to see her phone all afternoon,

Just to reply now.

This way, she seemed reserved and avoided any awkward disappointment.

Perfect!

After the last two encounters, Wen Zifan no longer expected an immediate reply from Chen Jianhai.

This time, she had no anxiety or anticipation,

She just planned to change clothes, buy a big squid on Binhai Road, then go home to watch TV,

Enjoying a perfect weekend.

As she was thinking this, a breathless voice suddenly came from behind:

"It's not too late, I'll take you there right now."