As Tawana’s parents were filled with puzzlement, Ye Chen had already arrived outside Tawana’s villa.
He rang the doorbell, and Tawana, who had hurriedly returned to freshen up, came running out to open the door for him.
Seeing Ye Chen, Tawana felt both joy and shyness, saying with a touch of excitement, “Mr. Ye, you’re here. Please come in!”
Ye Chen waved his hand. “Miss Sweet, I won’t come in. Let’s just have a quick word here.”
Tawana was somewhat disappointed. “Oh? Here?”
“Yes.” Ye Chen nodded, smiling. “My family and I are leaving the island today, so I came to say goodbye. Also, I wanted to thank you in person for going to France to hold charity performances.”
Looking at Ye Chen, Tawana said respectfully, yet with a hint of ambiguity, “Mr. Ye, you saved my life several times. Whatever you ask of me, even if it means going through fire and water or paying any price, I would never hesitate. So please, don’t thank me.”
Ye Chen smiled. “I do feel a bit guilty for adding a few more concerts to your schedule, especially charity ones with no income.”
“You’re joking.” Tawana said, a bit shyly. “Since you saved my life in Tokyo, money has lost its meaning to me. If you need it, I’m willing to perform all my concerts for free in the future.”
Ye Chen laughed. “Miss Sweet, no need to be so polite. The reason I asked you to hold charity concerts in France was entirely to give Bernard Elno some face. But rest assured, even if you perform for free, he won’t dare shortchange you. In the future, you two can collaborate more. His group owns so many luxury brands; you can work together often. Don’t think about charging less to give him face, or me for that matter. He’s not short of money.”
Tawana understood Ye Chen’s meaning, nodded gently, and said, “I understand, Mr. Ye.”
Then, looking at him, she gathered her courage and asked, “Mr. Ye, won’t you come in for a bit? There’s no one else here; I live alone.”
In truth, Tawana wasn’t trying to start something with Ye Chen. She just felt that talking here meant he’d leave after a few words. Inviting him inside would at least give them a chance to talk more.
But Ye Chen didn’t want to be alone with Tawana. This American woman was a bit too bold for him to handle.
So, he smiled and said, “I won’t come in. I need to check out and head to Malé soon. I just came to say hello.”
Tawana nodded lightly, a bit disappointed, and sighed. “After you leave, Mr. Ye, I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”
Ye Chen smiled. “You’ll likely collaborate with Changying Motors in the future, so there’ll be plenty of chances to meet. When Changying Motors’ first car rolls out, we’ll invite you to be the brand ambassador.”
Tawana nodded enthusiastically. “Then it’s a deal!”
“Deal!” Ye Chen agreed, then asked, “By the way, when are you planning to leave?”
“Tomorrow,” Tawana replied. “I’ve sent my performance team’s manager to Paris. I’ll rest in the US for a few days, and once the Paris performance dates are set, I’ll start preparing.”
Ye Chen nodded, smiling. “Then I wish you a successful performance in advance!”
“Thank you, Mr. Ye!”
Having said his goodbyes, Ye Chen said to her, “Miss Sweet, the incidents during this vacation must have affected your mood greatly. After the France performances, if you want to come back to the Maldives for a holiday, return to White Horse Island. Once the current guests check out, this island will no longer be open to the public. I’ll arrange for Wanlong Hall’s mercenaries to station here. If you come back, your safety will be absolutely guaranteed.”
Tawana asked in surprise, “White Horse Island won’t be open to the public anymore? Hasn’t this island only been operating for a few years?”
Ye Chen smiled. “Bernard Elno, to thank me for saving his life, gifted this island and another one to me. From now on, treat this place as your own. Just let me know if you want to come, and everything will be arranged.”
Tawana, delighted, asked, “Will you come here often, Mr. Ye?”
Ye Chen smiled. “It depends. Since I have this convenience, I’ll probably come often.”
At that moment, Ye Chen thought about how he and Xiao Churan had only taken one trip together in all these years.
This was a good start, though. Having done it once, there could be a second time.
In the future, he could come to the Maldives with her often. This place, almost cut off from the world, was indeed a great spot to relax.
