The weather was pleasant today, and being at the tail end of summer, the temperature was warm but not oppressive. Even though it wasn't a weekend, there were still quite a few people enjoying themselves at the beach. In the distance, the sounds of people frolicking could be heard.
The sky overhead was a brilliant blue, reflecting in the clean, clear seawater, which in turn seemed to lift everyone's spirits.
Gu Wan was trying to control Beibei, who was constantly struggling to rush forward, while also carrying her flip-flops in her hand.
The moment her feet touched the sand, a slight tickling sensation ran through her skin. Gu Wan took a moment to adjust before continuing forward.
The waves lapped at the shore in quick succession. After watching for just a few moments, Gu Wan's gaze began to unconsciously follow the undulating water. Within a minute or two, she started to feel dizzy.
Oh no, could she be getting seasick?
Gu Wan quickly lifted her head, no longer looking down, and indeed felt much better.
In just that short time, while Gu Wan wasn't paying attention, Beibei had already started playing excitedly.
When Beibei's paws accidentally touched the seawater, the dog instinctively jumped back, its face full of uncertainty. But unable to resist its curiosity, it repeated this several times before finally seeming to discover something fun. Beibei began to play a game of chasing the waves.
However, neither Gu Wan nor Beibei had particularly good stamina. Gu Wan had been on a diet to lose weight for quite some time and hadn't fully recovered her energy yet. Beibei, being older, had the spirit to play but lacked the vigor of its younger days. Moreover, Gu Wan was traveling alone, so even when she saw something interesting, she had no one to share it with, unlike when she traveled with Xia Qianqian and felt more energetic.
As for the two bodyguards following at a distance, Gu Wan wouldn't have minded chatting with them more or playing games together, considering them as unconventional playmates. But their attitude towards her was clearly one of avoidance. When they spoke to her, it was always stiff and formal, obviously not wanting to engage in deeper interaction. They strictly adhered to bodyguard protocol. Gu Wan, not wanting to make others uncomfortable, decided to let it be.
After about half an hour of playing in the water, Gu Wan and Beibei, woman and dog, began to feel tired.
Seeing that Beibei seemed to want to continue, Gu Wan couldn't help but tug gently on the leash. "Come rest with me for a bit," she said, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness. When dealing with close companions, whether human or canine, she wasn't as aloof.
"I'm so tired," she added.
Beibei, used to indulging Gu Wan, seemed to understand immediately. It jumped out of the water, gave a quick shake to dry off, and began actively helping to find a place to rest.
Fortunately, there was a place on the beach renting out umbrellas and lounge chairs. Though a bit pricey, it was convenient.
After Gu Wan paid, it only took a few minutes for the rental shop owner to enthusiastically set up the umbrella and lounge chair for her.
Judging by the owner's expression, Gu Wan vaguely felt she might have been overcharged, but she didn't mind. She also bought a fresh coconut to drink later and then lay down.
The gentle sea breeze, mixed with the sound of waves and laughter, was enough to lift one's spirits just by listening.
Gu Wan let out a slow breath.
The midday sun was too bright, so Gu Wan hugged Beibei with one arm and used her other hand to cover her face with her sun hat.
About an hour later, in her drowsy state, Gu Wan thought she heard the voices of several young women.
There were many people coming and going on the beach, and many passed by here. At first, Gu Wan didn't pay attention, until one of them approached and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Miss, could you please help us take a photo?" asked a girl who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen.
The young woman, Xia Xue, hadn't thought much about it. She had forgotten to bring her selfie stick today, but figured it wasn't a big deal – she could just borrow someone else's. However, when they arrived and she asked, she found out that her two companions were even less prepared than her. They hadn't prepared at all, seemingly relying entirely on her, which left Xia Xue quite exasperated.
The other two finally began to feel a bit embarrassed and suggested pooling money to buy a new one, as it wasn't expensive – just twenty yuan. However, Xia Xue felt that something that could be solved with just a few words wasn't worth spending money on.
So, to the shock and dismay of her two companions, Xia Xue quite naturally made this request to a stranger resting nearby.
Good heavens! That was a complete stranger they hadn't exchanged a single word with. How could she be so... so natural about it?! Although they knew their roommate was a social butterfly at school, they never imagined she would maintain this state outside of campus.
The two girls who reluctantly followed were already screaming internally.
Xia Xue's initial "Miss" was just a casual address; she hadn't given it much thought. It was only after she spoke that she realized the woman lying on the lounge chair was indeed stunningly beautiful. Her skin was fine and fair, her arms, chest, waist, and those long, straight legs...
Just as Xia Xue began to feel that something was off, she noticed the woman had already removed the sun hat covering her face, revealing a strikingly beautiful visage.
By sheer coincidence, when Xia Xue looked up, she met the woman's eyes, still misty from being suddenly awakened.
Xia Xue: "..."
Xia Xue: "I'm so sorry for disturbing you!"
At that moment, the usually carefree girl felt like she had committed a grave sin by disturbing a fairy's rest.
Gu Wan was confused, not understanding why the young girl who had just asked for help suddenly wanted to leave.
Gu Wan instinctively called out, "Wait."
She yawned and reached out her hand. "Didn't you say you wanted help taking a photo? Give it to me."
"What..." Xia Xue asked blankly, before realizing she was asking for her phone.
Xia Xue almost fumbled as she hastily handed her phone to Gu Wan.
Gu Wan didn't understand why the young girl had suddenly become so nervous, but she didn't mind. Feeling sufficiently rested, she patted Beibei. After the dog jumped off the chair, Gu Wan stood up as well.
"Let's go," she said.
Gu Wan looked around, found a few suitable spots for photos, and casually called out to the girls.
Just like that, Gu Wan suddenly had three little followers behind her.
Although they felt that this sister walking a small mutt didn't seem much older than them, her nonchalant attitude and the peaceful aura she exuded somehow made them want to obey her words without question. Not to mention the two little quails who were already socially anxious, even Xia Xue found herself becoming unexpectedly docile.
The two bodyguards watching this scene from afar looked conflicted. Three girls who were likely still in college... should be fine, right?
About five or six minutes later, Gu Wan walked out from the shade and handed the phone back.
Because their bodies had inexplicably stiffened when she looked at them earlier, the three girls didn't have high hopes for the photos. But when they looked closely, they were surprised to find that the pictures were exceptionally good, even better than what Xia Xue had taken before with her selfie stick. The ambiance was so perfect that it gave the three girls the illusion that they had become the kind of atmospheric beauties often seen on the internet.
So, is taking great photos an innate talent of beautiful women?
In reality, Gu Wan wasn't particularly fond of taking photos herself. Her phone was mostly filled with pictures of Beibei in various poses. The reason her photography skills were so exceptional was due to years of training from Xia Qianqian. Qianqian loved taking beautiful photos, and over time, Gu Wan was forced to develop a set of impressive photography skills.
Who wouldn't be captivated by such a beautiful, kind-hearted, and gentle big sister who was also skilled at taking photos?
In a moment of excitement, Xia Xue spontaneously invited Gu Wan to join them.
Gu Wan's instinct was to refuse without a second thought. However, before she could even open her mouth, Xia Xue and the other two girls had already half-dragged, half-pulled her along.
Suddenly treated with such enthusiasm by the young girls, Gu Wan had a vision of the past Xia Qianqian, and unknowingly relaxed her resistance.
After playing with the energetic girls until noon, even Beibei, who had been running around with them, was completely exhausted. Seeing that they had finally stopped, Gu Wan wiped away the sweat from her cheeks and neck while inviting them all to lunch, which she would treat them to, of course.
However, as soon as the three girls heard the name of the restaurant, they immediately started shaking their heads vigorously.
"No, no, that restaurant is expensive and doesn't even taste good. Don't be fooled by the high ratings on the app, they're all fake."
Gu Wan was taken aback; she genuinely hadn't known this.
Seeing her expression, Xia Xue immediately assured her, patting her chest, that the three of them had consulted with local students and stayed up late to choose a dining spot that would definitely satisfy her.
When at the seaside, one must eat seafood, of course. Especially during the fishing season, what could be more delicious than freshly caught seafood?
However, the place Xia Xue and her friends had found, though called a restaurant, was actually a large seafood stall. The conditions were quite rudimentary, which was quite a novel experience for Gu Wan.
In the past, Gu Wan would either eat meals prepared by the housekeeper at home, dine at reputable restaurants with Qianqian, or eat at the school cafeteria. She had never been to such a food stall before.
The two bodyguards started to break out in a cold sweat when they saw the entrance. If Madam got food poisoning, they wouldn't be able to explain it to Mr. Lu.
However, just as they were about to step forward, they were successfully stopped by a notification on their phones.
Seeing Gu Wan warn them not to interfere, or else they wouldn't be allowed to continue following, the two bodyguards couldn't help but look distressed.
Gu Wan was completely oblivious to the two men's tension. On the contrary, she found everything before her incredibly fascinating.
The owner of the food stall had his own small fishing boat, and most of the ingredients were various types of fresh seafood just hauled from the sea. As Gu Wan stood holding a plate, frowning at the lively crabs in the water tank, unsure of how to proceed, she suddenly heard what seemed to be other voices from outside.
At first, Gu Wan thought it was other customers, but the voices came closer, and soon she heard Xia Xue and her two friends exclaim in surprise.
"How come you're here too? Weren't we supposed to meet up in the evening?"
Gu Wan had thought that Xia Xue and the three college girls were traveling together, but now she realized it was a group of over a dozen students from the same year and major from several classes who had formed a travel group.
Including Xia Xue, there were seven girls and six boys. They had originally planned to spend the day with their roommates or friends and then gather in the evening to play games like Werewolf or cards. They didn't expect to run into each other at lunchtime.
Gu Wan suddenly felt that her twenty-something self was so out of place among this group of youngsters.
Gu Wan couldn't help but hold her head in her hands.
Just as she was wondering whether she should say goodbye to Xia Xue and the others and leave, to avoid interfering with their gathering, Xia Xue, who had been in a daze, suddenly snapped back to reality. She grabbed Gu Wan and pulled her to the front, suddenly becoming excited with her eyes sparkling as she introduced her: "Ta-da!"
"Friends, quickly open your dog eyes and take a look at the super beautiful woman we 'kidnapped' from the beach earlier!"
"You're so lucky to see such a beauty."
At first, the crowd hadn't noticed Gu Wan in the corner, but with Xia Xue's introduction, their gazes inevitably shifted.
When they got a clear look, everyone was stunned. Subsequently, several pairs of eyes in the crowd unconsciously lit up.
Gu Wan had no choice but to move from the small table for four to the large round table that seated twenty.
Taking advantage of the moment when others weren't paying attention, Gao Mingqian, who had finally come to his senses, noticed that Xiao Chi beside him hadn't moved for quite a while. He couldn't help but elbow him in the stomach.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Abruptly shifting his gaze, Xiao Chi feigned calmness: "Nothing."
However, what Gao Mingqian failed to notice was that the usually cheerful and enthusiastic Xiao Chi's ears had turned red.
Meanwhile, in City A—
The meeting had finally ended, and Lu Yu couldn't help but reach up to rub his aching brow, exhausted.
