Right after Sophia fastened her seat belt, she looked up and found Alexander staring at her.
“Is there anything on my face?” she asked with a slight smile, wondering if she had removed her makeup thoroughly just now.
Alexander shook his head. “Did you have fun?”
Sophia thought for a while before replying, “It was enjoyable.”
But it was not much of a challenge. The clues given by the production team were not difficult to find.
She had a good memory. Once she saw those few clues, she could remember them exactly. Then, she analyzed them and grasped the key points with ease.
Alexander reached out and held her hand. “What do you want for dinner?”
Sophia hadn’t thought about her dinner. After all, she had eaten dessert just now, so she wasn’t hungry yet.
Nonetheless, as she glanced at Alexander, she replied, “Let’s go to Mirage.”
“Sure.”
With that, the car started moving.
Just after they had their dinner, Sophia received a message from Katherine.
It turned out that Sophia was photographed by the paparazzi when she left without makeup just now. Since the paparazzi didn’t get pictures of the film crew and the celebrities in the minivan, there was nothing for them to leak. Therefore, they could only release pictures of Sophia and Alexander.
However, neither of them was in the entertainment industry, hence the lack of attention from the public. If it weren’t for the gossipy Katherine, Sophia probably wouldn’t have known about it.
Katherine texted: Tsk, tsk, tsk. That jerk, Alexander, is quite nice to you now. Those paparazzi said that Alexander’s car had been parked in front of the gate of the botanical garden since three o’clock in the afternoon.
As Sophia read Katherine’s message, she couldn’t help but take a quick look at Alexander and voice her mind, “How long had you waited for me?”
Alexander raised his gaze. “Not long.”
Sophia smiled and merely gazed at him without a word.
Feeling uncomfortable under her meaningful stare, Alexander cocked an eyebrow and said, “I was there since three o’clock.”
“Why did you arrive so early?”
He didn’t respond but looked straight at her with his dark eyes. The answer was self-evident.
Why did I go there early? Of course, it’s because I missed you!
Sophia snorted. “I’m done.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
It was still early by the time they left Mirage.
When the car stopped at a red light, Sophia remembered that the toothpaste at her house was almost finished.
Turning her head to look at Alexander, Sophia asked, “Can you stop the car at the square ahead? I want to go to the mall to buy some daily essentials.”
Oh, I need to buy more tissue as well.
“Sure.”
Five minutes later, he parked the car at the parking lot, and the duo got out of the car.
There was an open space outside the mall. Some residents from the nearby residential area were dancing there, while others were having a walk after dinner. There were also couples who came there to hang out like them.
More people were shopping in the mall. Usually, it was impossible for people to stay at home without turning on the air conditioner on such a hot day.
The air-conditioning in the shopping mall was on full blast, and it was even a bit too cold. It was good to take a stroll after dinner and enjoy the air conditioning for free.
This was Sophia’s second visit to the mall with Alexander. She could still remember she brought him to buy a pair of slippers during their first visit.
The mall was packed with shoppers, and Sophia didn’t feel like staying for long, so she went straight to the designated aisles, took some tissue and a tube of toothpaste, and planned to head home after paying at the counter.
Sophia had spent her whole day recording the show that day. Even though she did not go the wrong way or encounter traps arranged by the production team like the guests in other groups, she still felt a little weary.
It was only when Sophia saw the message Katherine sent her on the way back just now that she knew that luck was on their side that day. Needless to say, it couldn’t be entirely attributed to luck. After all, Sophia also used her brainpower to find that “shortcut.”
But the others were not so fortunate. Sharon and Luna chose the easiest way to go up the mountain—a cable car. But after going up the mountain, they were tricked by the production team and fell into a trap. The two of them finally got out of the two-meter-long pit after climbing for more than an hour.
After they made it out, the production team told them they were not allowed to take the cable car down the mountain and they could only go down on foot. According to Katherine, Sharon almost gave up recording the show right there and then, but after she received a call from her manager, she gritted her teeth and continued the show.
The other three groups were more cautious, thinking that there must be something wrong with the easy cable car route, so they decided to take the mountain highway. However, when the three groups were halfway through their journey, the production team told them they couldn’t reach the final destination with that highway. Thus, they could only turn back and use the route Sophia and Katherine took.
Although those three groups’ members were not as miserable as Sharon and her friend, they were still misled by the production team and hiked the wrong way for more than an hour.
The four groups eventually arrived at the gazebo but didn’t manage to get the key point, so they had to do some extra physical tasks to get more clues.
In other words, the other four groups suffered much that day, and the recording would still proceed the next day.
Sophia wasn’t exhausted. It was just that she woke up early in the morning and didn’t get to nap at noon, so after she paid for the things she bought, she felt a little tired.
The square was only a ten-minute drive from the mansion. Even so, Sophia dozed off as soon as they reached the house.
After Alexander parked the car steadily in the mansion, he looked down at her peaceful sleeping countenance. His usually cold black eyes were now filled with gentleness.
He opened the car door quietly, went around, and carefully lifted Sophia into his arms.
Sophia hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep. As soon as she was picked up, she blinked and looked at him with her misty eyes. “Are we home?”
The oir-conditioning in the shopping moll wos on full blost, ond it wos even o bit too cold. It wos good to toke o stroll ofter dinner ond enjoy the oir conditioning for free.
This wos Sophio’s second visit to the moll with Alexonder. She could still remember she brought him to buy o poir of slippers during their first visit.
The moll wos pocked with shoppers, ond Sophio didn’t feel like stoying for long, so she went stroight to the designoted oisles, took some tissue ond o tube of toothposte, ond plonned to heod home ofter poying ot the counter.
Sophio hod spent her whole doy recording the show thot doy. Even though she did not go the wrong woy or encounter trops orronged by the production teom like the guests in other groups, she still felt o little weory.
It wos only when Sophio sow the messoge Kotherine sent her on the woy bock just now thot she knew thot luck wos on their side thot doy. Needless to soy, it couldn’t be entirely ottributed to luck. After oll, Sophio olso used her broinpower to find thot “shortcut.”
But the others were not so fortunote. Shoron ond Luno chose the eosiest woy to go up the mountoin—o coble cor. But ofter going up the mountoin, they were tricked by the production teom ond fell into o trop. The two of them finolly got out of the two-meter-long pit ofter climbing for more thon on hour.
After they mode it out, the production teom told them they were not ollowed to toke the coble cor down the mountoin ond they could only go down on foot. According to Kotherine, Shoron olmost gove up recording the show right there ond then, but ofter she received o coll from her monoger, she gritted her teeth ond continued the show.
The other three groups were more coutious, thinking thot there must be something wrong with the eosy coble cor route, so they decided to toke the mountoin highwoy. However, when the three groups were holfwoy through their journey, the production teom told them they couldn’t reoch the finol destinotion with thot highwoy. Thus, they could only turn bock ond use the route Sophio ond Kotherine took.
Although those three groups’ members were not os miseroble os Shoron ond her friend, they were still misled by the production teom ond hiked the wrong woy for more thon on hour.
The four groups eventuolly orrived ot the gozebo but didn’t monoge to get the key point, so they hod to do some extro physicol tosks to get more clues.
In other words, the other four groups suffered much thot doy, ond the recording would still proceed the next doy.
Sophio wosn’t exhousted. It wos just thot she woke up eorly in the morning ond didn’t get to nop ot noon, so ofter she poid for the things she bought, she felt o little tired.
The squore wos only o ten-minute drive from the monsion. Even so, Sophio dozed off os soon os they reoched the house.
After Alexonder porked the cor steodily in the monsion, he looked down ot her peoceful sleeping countenonce. His usuolly cold block eyes were now filled with gentleness.
“Yeah, I’ll carry you up.”
“Okay.”
I couldn’t ask for more.
Sophia slung her arms around his neck, letting him bring her up.
She still had to get up early the next day, so she fell asleep soon after taking a shower.
By the time Alexander finished his work and went to the master bedroom, Sophia had fallen asleep.
He turned off the lights and left the night lamp on before taking his bathrobe into the bathroom.
As he came out of the shower and saw his phone vibrating on the bedside table, his brows knitted into a frown, and he quickly went over to pick up his phone as he was worried that it might wake Sophia up.
Upon seeing that it was Samuel calling, Alexander declined the call.
Yet, the courageous Samuel called again after a few seconds.
Well aware of Samuel’s shameless personality, Alexander knew that if he didn’t answer the call, Samuel would keep calling him until he picked up the call.
Sophia was still sleeping soundly, probably because she was exhausted after the recording during the day.
Alexander walked over and tucked her in, then went down the stairs with the phone to answer Samuel’s call. “You’d better have something important to tell me.”
Samuel could feel faint anger radiating off Alexander from the other end of the line, but he indeed had something to inform Alexander. “Alex, do you know who Suny from Sunshine Group is?”
Alexander’s brows twitched the moment he heard Samuel’s question. The former knew Sophia had always kept a low profile. The fact that her identity as Suny hadn’t been exposed after such a long time proved that she was doing great in keeping it confidential.
Samuel’s words didn’t mean that he already knew who Suny was, so Alexander simply asked, “You know?”
The thought of Alexander not knowing Suny’s real identity made Samuel feel a tad smug. “You don’t know, do you? Actually, Suny is Yvonne Leighton from Sunshine Group!”
Alexander was silent for a moment before asking, “Are you sure?”
Thinking that he had discovered a shocking secret, the puffed-up Samuel snorted and said, “Just think about it. Wherever Suny is, her so-called secretary, Yvonne Leighton, is always there. Whenever there is a big meeting, Yvonne will definitely be there! Moreover, according to my observation, the shareholders and employees of Sunshine Group are way more polite to her than they should be to a secretary. Yvonne is Suny’s senior consultant and secretary. It is normal for company employees to be respectful and polite to her, but those shareholders and directors treat her with respect. Thus, there is only one answer.”
Alexander frowned in slight contempt and replied perfunctorily, “Wow, you’re observant. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up. Sophia still has to join the recording of the show tomorrow morning.”
I overestimated Samuel!
With that, Alexander immediately hung up.
Staring at the words “Call Ended” on his phone, Samuel was puzzled.
Isn’t this news shocking enough? Why wasn’t Alexander surprised at all?
