Chapter 151 He Met His Ex-Girlfriend
"Charles, Denmark is a paradise for cycling and hiking enthusiasts. They have tons of camping cabins—you just need to book one and you can stay there. Do you want to try it out?" Zoey scrolled through travel guides on her phone.
Charles gave his usual response. "You decide."
So Zoey made the call—they'd spend all twenty days of their honeymoon in Denmark. She wanted to experience a different kind of honeymoon with Charles. No hotels, just camping. Different campsites, taking in Denmark's scenery.
Zoey knew Europe would be cold this time of year, but she hadn't expected it to be this brutal. The moment they stepped off the plane, the chill hit her like a wall. She quickly bundled up in her down jacket.
Charles asked, "Still want to go camping?"
Zoey gritted her teeth. "Yes!" She wasn't one to back down easily.
They spent what could've covered a hotel stay on a cab ride to a lakeside campground. Because the weather was absolutely frigid, the entire campground was deserted except for a few RVs. Not a soul in sight. The lake stretched endlessly before them, and the wind—god, the wind was merciless, cold and damp, cutting right through their layers.
Zoey sneezed. Her nose started running uncontrollably. She immediately backpedaled. "Charles, maybe we should head back. It's way too cold out here. I'm worried we'll freeze overnight. I mean, I don't care about myself, but I'm mainly worried about you."
Charles smiled, then called a car and booked a room at a nearby upscale hotel.
The hotel had heating. Zoey's runny nose stopped. After her shower, Zoey sat by the window in her silk pajamas, gazing out at the view. Northern Europe was sparsely populated. Everywhere she looked—trees, forests. Occasionally a car or lone pedestrian would pass by.
Charles finished his shower too and walked up behind her. His little chipmunk was usually so chatty. The moment she saw him, she'd enthusiastically latch on and chatter away, trying to make him happy. Little did she know, her attempts at conversation struck him as pretty childish—like a kid reporting their day to a parent. But he'd gotten used to it. Seeing her stand there quietly now felt oddly out of character.
"What's on your mind? Not feeling well? Did you catch a chill earlier?" Charles asked.
Zoey flashed him a grin. "Nope, just looking at the scenery."
"Have you been here before?"
"Yeah, in July. But only for a few days—I didn't really explore much," Zoey said.
"Now that camping's out, do you have any other plans?" Charles asked.
Zoey shook her head. "I don't know. I really want to go out and explore, but I don't want to exhaust you."
"How could that happen? We're already here—we should enjoy ourselves," Charles said. Though the Gonzaga Group had business operations in the Nordic region, he didn't have personnel he could mobilize here. But he had money. He could hire excellent local guides and travel planners. With enough money, you could enjoy the most comfortable travel experience possible.
Zoey suddenly said, "Charles, what if we skip the tourist attractions? Those places are always packed anyway. Let's just stay here and experience how locals live. When we have time, I'll cook for you. When we don't, we'll just wander around the neighborhood. Sound good?" The hotel had a kitchenette—they'd just need to buy some cookware.
Charles replied, "You already cook at home. You want to cook on vacation too?"
"It's different. The environment's changed, so the experience will be different too," Zoey said excitedly. Plus, he wouldn't have to work or deal with business matters. Their days would be leisurely. That was what a real vacation should be.
Charles agreed with her idea.
Zoey smiled. "Should we change and go shopping now?"
"Sure."
...
They went to a supermarket together. They pushed the shopping cart around, buying groceries in a foreign land, then returned to cook together. Charles couldn't bear to watch Zoey work alone, so he helped out.
But Zoey had only started cooking after getting married—she wasn't exactly skilled. Still, what she made was at least edible. When something didn't turn out well, she'd say things like, "The vegetables here taste different," or "The salt here is too weak—I put in a whole spoonful and it's still bland," or "Is this meat too tough? I suspect it's processed."
Charles never called her out. Even when something was truly awful, he'd slowly eat it all. God knows how picky he used to be—out of ten dishes, he'd refuse eight. Unlike Wentworth, who'd happily devour eleven out of ten options.
He found his current situation almost surreal—setting aside work to cook in a foreign hotel with a young woman. His former self would've considered this a colossal waste of time and life. People should use their limited time to work hard and achieve self-actualization.
One day, Zoey and Charles wandered around a nearby village together. The village had very few houses, but each was painted in bright colors. The homes were typically two stories with gardens and small driveways, scattered throughout the natural landscape. The village also had an ice cream parlor and various public facilities. The facilities were impeccably maintained—a dozen or so households could enjoy a small park and a small church.
"Charles, I want to check out that church," Zoey said.
Charles naturally indulged her. It wasn't Sunday, but occasionally people came here to pray.
"Charles, do you believe in God?" Zoey asked.
Charles shook his head. "Not really."
"Me neither," she said with a smile.
Then there wasn't much reason to linger. They'd seen the church—that was enough. The two walked out hand in hand.
Just then, a mother and daughter approached from the opposite direction. The mother was clearly beautiful, and the daughter was mixed-race—absolutely adorable. Zoey didn't pay them much attention at first. But then she felt Charles's hand suddenly stiffen. First, his grip tightened so much she couldn't pull away. Then he abruptly let go—like the instant shock of touching electricity, an instinctive recoil.
Her heart plummeted.
She looked at the mother and daughter again. The mother had also spotted Charles in that moment. Her whole body froze. Surprise. Shock.
After a long pause, she spoke almost unconsciously. "Charles?"
They knew each other. And their relationship ran deep.
In the moment their eyes met, Zoey had her answer. This was Charles's ex-girlfriend. The woman Charles had once loved deeply. For her, he'd nearly sworn off marriage forever.
She never imagined they'd run into each other now.