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After spending some time getting to know Zhu Jun and Ji Hao, Gu Xiaoxi discovered that both of them were forthright in nature, feeling a strong sense of responsibility due to their family status.

Moreover, in dealing with people and matters, they were quite considerate and reasonable, upright and gracious. No matter how you look at it, they were both famous figures.

Everyone agreed to have lunch together in the afternoon.

The restaurant was just above the banquet hall. The banquet would remain open until they reached Dream Island tomorrow afternoon.

In the afternoon, Gu Xiaoxi went back to change into a simple outfit of tight-fitting pants and a white shirt, her beautiful black curls framing her face. No matter how you looked at her, that exquisite countenance exuded an air of handsomeness that was out of reach.

Ai Xiang couldn’t help but give Gu Xiaoxi an extra glance.

A twenty-year-old woman, with just a bit of dressing up, could look as noble as a young lady of wealth, could be tender and sweet, could have the domineering aura of a "big sister," or the silly charm of a "lolita. " This woman was simply a born actress.

Gu Xiaoxi was indeed a special woman; no wonder Quan Shaoqing was so smitten with her.

"Why do I always feel like a pair of eyes is watching me?" Gu Xiaoxi walked with Ai Xiang through the banquet hall towards the restaurant, carefully looking around as they went.

There were people coming and going around her, but at a glance, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Ai Xiang, hearing Gu Xiaoxi’s words, also glanced around.

Everyone seemed to be having a great time, with a harmonious and friendly atmosphere, not a single unfriendly gaze in sight.

However, the very next moment, her gaze collided with a pair of blood-red eyes, causing her to halt in her steps and frown.

Gu Xiaoxi stopped when she saw Ai Xiang stop, and followed her line of sight.

Sitting on an opulent leather sofa far away from them, was a person in a well-tailored suit, with a tall figure yet a slim back.

Under a head of soft, disheveled hair was a face with delicate features and a pair of blood-red eyes, which seemed to carry a bloodthirsty yet noble air no matter how you looked at them.

Gu Xiaoxi recognized the person at a glance, and it was indeed the individual she had encountered at the airport the day before.

At that time, he was just passing by the airport, and she was nothing more than a passerby.

Seeing him, Gu Xiaoxi also couldn’t help but frown. Every time she saw this man, she felt an intense sense of danger. Especially since, when she looked over, he looked back.

The indifference and nonchalance in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine.

Yi Si curled his thin lips into a casual smile, raised the glass in his hand, and nodded at Gu Xiaoxi and Ai Xiang.

This was his way of greeting strangers.

An alert surged in Gu Xiaoxi’s heart, but she simply returned a smile and then said to Ai Xiang, "Let’s go!"

Anyway, on this ship, he was the first to give Gu Xiaoxi a sense of threat. As for the source of that feeling of threat, Gu Xiaoxi couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

Ai Xiang didn’t say much and immediately led Gu Xiaoxi upstairs.

The enormous cruise ship’s luxury was breathtaking.

It was said that apart from banquets, fine wines, and gourmet food, there were also casinos, beautiful men and women, and other special services.

When Gu Xiaoxi and Ai Xiang arrived, Ji Hao and Zhu Jun had already ordered a table full of delicacies.

All were the freshest seafood, prepared by top-notch chefs.

"Come and sit down," Ji Hao called out to them from a distance.

As Gu Xiaoxi and Ai Xiang approached, they saw a table full of flavorful and fragrant dishes, and both laughed, "You really went all out."

"These are common foods, nothing special. The vegetables we often eat here are actually quite rare," Zhu Jun said with a smile. After all, they were at sea, where seafood was naturally abundant.

Gu Xiaoxi looked at the table full of dishes and couldn’t help but be amazed; it was simply too extravagant. Giant lobsters, uniquely prepared abalones, and culinary methods she had never even seen. It wasn’t just about eating; even looking at them was mouthwatering.

Please forgive her; she was just a poor soldier. Even though she had tried many delicacies from the Central Continent during the world competition, she had never seen such finely prepared seafood.

"Well, don’t be shy! Let’s..." The three men were talking when Gu Xiaoxi had already swept clean a plate of brightly colored, beautifully presented lobster pasta.

How to put it; she was able to clear the plate quickly because the pasta’s savory aroma was irresistible, with only four small bites, and it was particularly delicious. She couldn’t help herself and gobbled it all up in one go.

When the three men saw that, they couldn’t help but laugh, "Miss Ai Zhen is really straightforward; even her way of eating is spirited!"

"Of course," Gu Xiaoxi squinted with a smile and took a sip of her juice.

Soldiers don’t have many dining etiquettes; the most important thing is to fill the belly as fast as possible. Of course, she had to put on airs at important events.

At certain places, she would mimic the young ladies of noble families, eating in small bites, never eating more than half full. But once back home, she would definitely have another big bowl of noodles.

Gu Xiaoxi glanced over the table full of dishes and figured that if she were to really let loose, she could probably wipe them out in an instant. They looked good, but added all up, they weren’t enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.

Gu Xiaoxi sighed and looked around seriously, asking, "Who’s picking up the tab today?"

Ji Hao and Zhu Jun immediately competed to raise their hands.

Gu Xiaoxi smiled at both of them and pointed to her finished lobster noodles, asking, "How much for one serving?"

"Made with lobsters from the ice lake, each weighing around one pound, the meat is delicious, especially the roe—it’s the most nutritious. With air freight, and given the current season at sea, one serving is over ten thousand yuan," Ji Hao explained.

Gu Xiaoxi nodded, no wonder it was delicious—it was expensive! But since someone else was treating, she wasn’t going to hold back.

"Waiter, another ten servings, please," Gu Xiaoxi immediately gestured to the waiter.

Ji Hao and Zhu Jun were so frightened that their eyes bulged, "Miss Ai Zhen, can you finish all that?"

Because in their minds, girls usually preferred vegetarian food, and especially during meals, they would eat daintily, in small bites. Whenever they treated someone, most dishes were usually left untouched by the end.

"Piece of cake!" Gu Xiaoxi felt there was no need to put on airs in this kind of place. Since everyone was a tycoon, she might as well act like one—even if she came off as unsophisticated, at least she wouldn’t leave hungry.

Ai Xiang chuckled lightly, amused by Gu Xiaoxi’s manner. So, she also unreservedly said, "Bring me another serving of this sea fish soup, please."

"Hahaha! Seeing Miss Ai Zhen eat, my appetite is also greatly stimulated. Let’s all eat heartily today—don’t worry, I’ll cover the bill," Ji Hao suddenly felt that this was the way to make friends.

It was not by being all stuck-up, with even meals consumed with a stiff face, merely nibbling a few mouthfuls and ending up hungry afterwards.

Gu Xiaoxi decisively polished off all ten servings of noodles, resulting in a well-fed and satisfied state.

For someone like her, who was constantly over-extending her physical strength, she had no fear of getting fat or being unable to digest the food.

In fact, after eating her fill, the coordination between her spirit, inner strength, and spiritual power was even more harmonious.

Ji Hao and Zhu Jun felt it was the tastiest meal they had ever had because everything tasted so deliciously fragrant.

Even the always genteel Ai Xiang felt that this meal was truly satisfying. Indeed, soldiers were straightforward people.

During this time, he discovered that being with Gu Xiaoxi made everything comfortable and pleasant.

Even when with Young Master Quan, there wasn’t this same sense of candidness and straightforwardness.

"Country bumpkins! They look like beggars who haven’t eaten in years," Ye Xinhuan and Lin Meiting strode into the restaurant.

They had been observing these four people for quite a while.

Because in the eyes of these wealthy young ladies, only bumpkins would eat so heartily without regard for their image, gobbling down the equivalent of ten servings in one meal.

Gu Xiaoxi, holding a glass of juice, listened with sharp ears to someone cursing her. Although the voice was faint and far away, she heard it clearly.

She simply responded, "I’m not eating your food. What are you so anxious about?"

Her voice was not loud but she used her inner strength intentionally to carry it to the ears of the speaker.

"You heard what I said." Ye Xinhuan, not too far away, instinctively glared at her upon hearing Gu Xiaoxi’s voice, which was neither loud nor soft, and marched towards Gu Xiaoxi.

Looking up, Gu Xiaoxi glanced at the approaching Ye Xinhuan, then lifted her lips in a casual tone, "I didn’t hear anything! I just heard a dog barking."

Fuck!

Ye Xinhuan’s cheeks immediately swelled to the color of a pig liver.

She had the gall to call her a dog!

Gu Xiaoxi fiddled with her wine glass, retracting her gaze that was fixed on Ye Xinhuan. It was as if the words just now were spoken in her sleep.

Over here, Ai Xiang, Ji Hao, and Zhu Jun also noticed the approaching Ye Xinhuan and Lin Meiting, looking confusedly at Gu Xiaoxi, "What are you talking about?"

Because they hadn’t heard Ye Xinhuan’s mutterings earlier, they were unaware of the brief exchange between Gu Xiaoxi and Ye Xinhuan.

Gu Xiaoxi glanced casually at Ji Hao and smiled, "Dog!"

Damn!

Ye Xinhuan, next to Gu Xiaoxi, instantly became so angry that her eyebrows stood on end, and her carefully made-up face twisted in an instant, "Ai Zhen, don’t think that just because Brother Ji Hao is nice to you, you can turn the sky upside down.

Our Ye family is not something you can afford to mess with. Calling me a dog, how rude."