The next day, Quan Jiu was woken by her alarm at five. After washing up and tidying herself, she intended to make breakfast in the kitchen, only to find the kitchen light on.
Who could be up even earlier than her?
Quan Jiu entered the room and paused, asking subconsciously, "Why are you up so early?"
Chu Rong was holding a spoon. Upon seeing her, he smiled and stepped forward, "Try it, see if the taste is right?"
Quan Jiu glanced at the small spoonful of porridge. "You made it?"
Of course, who else could it be? But she found it hard to believe. Had he gotten up at four to make breakfast? Why?
Quan Jiu then recalled Wang Feifei's words from last night. Seizing the moment before the photographer caught up, she quickly whispered, "What exactly are you here for?" As the CEO of the prestigious Chu Corporation, with every minute worth tens of millions, how could he possibly waste his time in a place like this?
But as Quan Jiu spoke, Chu Rong fed the porridge into her mouth.
Quan Jiu's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to pull back.
However, Chu Rong was faster. His free left hand gently lifted and encircled Quan Jiu's slender waist, preventing her from retreating.
Quan Jiu's face flushed with embarrassment, and she whispered sternly, "Let go, someone will see."
Chu Rong moved closer, his warm breath fanning her face, gentle yet tinged with amusement. "What if they see? In private, you are my wife. And in public... I've already stated I came for you. I have nothing to hide."
"This is affecting the city's appearance," Quan Jiu retorted, then deliberately stepped on Chu Rong's foot.
But Chu Rong only grunted, not loosening his grip. Instead, the amusement in his eyes intensified. "Does it taste good?"
Quan Jiu's face was red to the roots of her ears. Hearing footsteps in the living room, her heart pounded even faster. She softened her voice, "Please let me go, someone's coming."
Chu Rong glanced outside, then with Quan Jiu still in his arms, he turned, and they moved out of the line of sight from the living room.
Chu Rong leaned in again, asking gently, "Does it taste good?"
Quan Jiu was both angry and annoyed. How could she possibly enjoy the taste in her mouth? Embarrassed, she blurted out, "It's delicious, it's delicious. Happy now? With such great cooking skills, you must have cooked for many people before."
Chu Rong's lips curved slightly. "Are you jealous?"
"We're already divorcing. What's there to be jealous about?" Quan Jiu turned her face away.
Chu Rong let out an ambiguous "Mm," adding, "My cooking has indeed improved a lot with more practice recently."
He actually cooked for others? A surge of inexplicable anger rose in Quan Jiu's heart. When they were married, he had only made her sticky rice cakes...
"There's also sticky rice cake, try it." Chu Rong released her, turned to the stove, and picked up a plate of sticky rice cakes.
Quan Jiu was slightly surprised. "What time did you get up? These sticky rice cakes..."
"I prepared them last night. This morning, I just needed to fry them and stir the syrup," Chu Rong said, feeding a piece to Quan Jiu's mouth.
Smelling the sweet brown sugar, Quan Jiu subconsciously opened her mouth. It wasn't until the food was in her mouth that she realized how instinctively she had acted.
"Does it taste good?" Chu Rong looked at her expectantly.
Quan Jiu mumbled, "Mm." Although she was annoyed, she didn't want to lie.
"Then go sit at the table." Chu Rong pushed her out of the kitchen and then began serving the rice and setting the table.
Although it was still early, the film crew's bus was scheduled to depart at six, so time was not abundant.
Quan Jiu finished her meal quickly. Seeing that it was already half-past five, she went to pack her luggage.
As she went upstairs, other guests in the rooms were starting to turn on their lights, and the photographers were waiting downstairs.
Quan Jiu quickly packed her luggage and, at ten to six, with her backpack on, she arrived at the bus.
Except for Chu Rong, all four male guests were already there. As for the female guests, apart from Quan Jiu, none had arrived.
Meng Pinglang, seeing the departure time drawing near, frowned and asked a staff member, "What happens if they're late?"
The staff member replied bluntly, "If they're late, they won't be taken. They'll have to find their own way to the destination. We originally thought there might be a late male guest, so that traveling together would help them bond. We didn't expect you all to be so punctual."
Qi Fei inwardly chuckled. How could they not be punctual? His future boss had woken up at four to make breakfast, causing him to toss and turn sleeplessly and get up before five.
Indeed, one couldn't stay with formidable people for too long. Either you would completely lose enthusiasm for life, or you'd be forced to motivate yourself. Neither was a pleasant outcome.
"So, if no male guests are accompanying them, are we waiting for them?" Meng Pinglang asked, his expression serious, as he looked at his wrist. "There are only two minutes left."
The staff member, also surprised that all four female guests were late, tried to console them, "We've already urged them. I'll go check again."
Arriving at the dormitory, they finally saw someone slowly coming downstairs with luggage. The staff member called out loudly, "Everyone, hurry up! The bus leaves in one minute. Those who are late will have to find their own way to the destination."
As soon as the words fell, several rooms upstairs erupted in groans and cries.
"What? So soon? Six o'clock is too early. Can't we wait a bit longer?"
"My eyelashes aren't even done. Everyone hasn't finished packing. Let's wait for another half hour."
A cacophony of voices discussing and negotiating ensued. However, the staff member pulled out a stopwatch and announced, "Thirty seconds remaining."
The screams from upstairs intensified, followed by sounds of collisions and banging. As the staff member began counting down from ten, the female guests upstairs finally rushed down with their luggage, their appearances varied.
Some had only half their eyelashes on, some were still wearing slippers, and others, with too much in their suitcases, had unzipped them and were dragging their luggage downstairs.
The only one who looked perfectly put-together was Mai Su. Dressed in a vibrant outfit with flawless makeup, her suitcase was also neatly packed, clearly indicating she was an early riser.
The group arrived at the bus. Although they were a minute late, it was still considered acceptable.
However, facing the still impeccably dressed male guests, the female guests couldn't help but cover their faces, asking them not to look and the cameras not to film.
Meng Pinglang couldn't help but remark, "In the wilderness, finding water to wash your face and remove makeup might be a problem, yet you still have the mood to put on makeup."
His gaze then fell on someone's high heels. Although not particularly high, he shook his head in disbelief. "If you have sneakers and comfortable clothes, I advise you to change into them upon arrival. You're going hiking, not for an outing."
His words made the few female guests blush with embarrassment and uncertainty.
Seeing this, the staff member urged everyone to load their luggage onto the bus, diffusing the awkwardness.
Quan Jiu was still in her casual sportswear, with only a backpack, which she could wear directly.
Getting on the bus, she casually chose a seat. As soon as she sat down, someone else sat in the adjacent seat.
Meng Pinglang asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?"
Quan Jiu shook her head and smiled. "Please do, make yourself comfortable."
But as soon as Meng Pinglang sat down, a cold voice echoed from above, "This seat is taken."