Savage Kiss - Chapter 14

“You just look down on me!”

Xu Qingyi had said everything she wanted to say and didn’t want to waste any more words on him.

But as she reached the door, Shen Yanzhou, tall and long-legged, closed the distance in just a few strides. His arm stretched past her to brace against the door, then he stepped in front of her, blocking her exit.

He looked down at her, his voice low. “Explain yourself clearly.”

Xu Qingyi bit down on the inside of her lower lip, the sharp pain quickly reining in her emotions.

She stayed silent.

She wasn’t the type to cry easily because she’d learned early on that tears solved nothing.

From the moment she was born, her worthless father had despised her for being a girl. Her mother, drowning in resentment, took it out on her, preferring to express her milk rather than feed her. At five months old, she clumsily crawled toward Huang Jiamei, seeking nourishment, only to be shoved to the ground and knocked unconscious.

When she woke up, she wailed from hunger until her voice turned hoarse. In the end, it was her older brother, Xu Chen, who managed to bring her formula.

After that, it was Xu Chen who raised her, changing her diapers and tending to her every need. By the time she turned seven and reached school age, fifteen-year-old Xu Chen dropped out to work at construction sites to pay for her education.

So, in this lifetime, she would take care of Xu Chen, no matter whether he woke up or not.

She didn’t care what others thought of her. No matter what job it was, she worked relentlessly to save money.

For someone at the bottom like her, money was the only thing that could secure her survival. Everything else was just fleeting clouds.

She didn’t want to cry but was being poor her fault? Was it her fault for wanting to make money by any means necessary? Why did he get to treat her like this? She was a customer too!

Her only mistake was entertaining the wrong idea, trying to maintain a connection with him for inspiration.

But after he rejected her that day, she hadn’t forced anything. He hadn’t lost anything, had he?

There was no reasoning with him, and she wouldn’t waste energy trying. Since he’d made it clear the shop was his, there was no point arguing. She’d just buy elsewhere.

“Move aside, please. I’m leaving.” She wiped away the dampness at the corners of her eyes, her voice now calm and composed.

Without looking at Shen Yanzhou, she pushed him aside and opened the door to leave.

“Xu Qingyi.”

Shen Yanzhou’s voice dropped suddenly, urgent, calling after her.

She didn’t pause for even a step, walking out of the repair shop with her head down.

When Shi Qing saw her come out with red-rimmed eyes, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a frown.

He stepped forward and pulled her back, his voice softening unconsciously. “You’d rather walk than ride? You idiot, your legs will give out before you even get home.”

Xu Qingyi’s mind was too exhausted to think. She moved to climb onto the bike directly.

Shi Qing sighed. “Long legs don’t mean you can just hop on. You need to put on a helmet first.”

He helped her fasten the helmet, and as he checked the buckle, he studied her eyes up close. Twice, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just offered, “Let’s take you to another shop.”

Xu Qingyi shook her head. “Not today.”

“Fine.” Shi Qing changed the subject, saying he was hungry, and drove them to a noodle shop. “Didn’t you say you wanted to eat this yesterday?”

“Eat up! Have ten or eight bowls, my treat.”

Xu Qingyi couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not a pig.”

In the end, she insisted on paying. After all, he’d come all this way to help her, and she’d already accepted plenty of his red packets before.

Shi Qing didn’t argue, treating it as an opportunity for him to treat her next time.

After the meal, Xu Qingyi saw Shi Qing off and returned to her apartment alone.

The used car matter would have to be put on hold for now.

Her design project was also stuck at the first step of the model, with no progress afterward.

She had tried it out before and to be honest, she felt absolutely nothing.

Lacking experience made every step difficult, and the frustration only grew. As soon as she got home, she holed up in her small room, poring over various materials and searching for photos.

For three straight days, she was practically sick of looking at documents and pictures.

When the community center called to say they needed volunteers for a half-day event today, she jumped at the chance to get some fresh air and clear her mind.

Xu Qingyi volunteered at the community center every quarter. They had her details on file and usually reached out to her first when opportunities arose.

No matter how low the daily pay was, she always went. Back when she first arrived in Haibin at her poorest, the community aunties had taken care of her for days, never letting her spend a single cent on food or drinks.

As she stepped out and reached the elevator, she saw a message from Shen Yanzhou:

[Come downstairs.]

Xu Qingyi frowned. So, if she wouldn’t let him come to her door, he’d just wait downstairs instead?

What difference did it make?

Not wanting to see him, she deliberately took a different exit, avoiding the main entrance.

By the time she arrived at the community center, Shen Yanzhou had already sent her a WeChat voice call.

She ignored it.

He followed up with a voice message: [You’re not home?]

In the background of the message, she could hear the sound of him ringing the doorbell probably standing right outside Unit 601.

She didn’t reply, pocketed her phone, and went to the registration desk to check in.

The city was hosting a ball game tournament at the community sports center, and volunteers were assigned two roles:

One was as cheerleaders, hyping up the crowd with dances.

The other was as general volunteers, serving tea, handing out water, and picking up trash.

Ball games usually attracted plenty of handsome guys, and for someone with an eye for aesthetics like Xu Qingyi, they were a goldmine of inspiration.

Her mood finally lifted a little.

A staff member from the community committee came over specifically to talk to her. “Xiao Xu?”

Xu Qingyi smiled. “Sister Li.”

As Sister Li walked toward her, her phone rang. She answered casually, “Hey, Xiao Zhou… Oh, yeah… She’s here, just arrived… Got it!”

After hanging up, Sister Li was puzzled. Why was Shen Yanzhou suddenly interested in coming to watch the game?

She beamed as she approached Xu Qingyi. “Haven’t seen you in a while, you’ve gotten even prettier!”

“Your figure’s perfect for the cheerleading squad, but the outfits are a bit spicy. Mind that?”

Xu Qingyi chuckled. “I’m fine with anything, no problem.”

The cheerleading outfits were indeed bold and stylish: tube tops, miniskirts, and white calf socks.

Compared to some of her personal fashion choices, this was nothing.

It was her first time as a cheerleader, but she was a quick learner. After memorizing the routine the instructor laid out, the warm-up went smoothly.

Once the basketball game officially started, she and the other cheerleaders sat courtside to watch.

When someone took the seat beside her, she barely glanced over, just pulling her bag a little closer.

Xu Qingyi didn’t even bother to see who had sat down, her attention was entirely on the game.

It was a friendly match from the Railway University, and the male students were undeniably attractive, especially the forward, whose shots were both stylish and precise. Xu Qingyi snapped a few well-timed photos with her phone.

At halftime, the cheerleaders were called up to keep the energy high.

Xu Qingyi stood, adjusting her outfit, and finally noticed who was sitting next to her.

Her movement to straighten her sock froze mid-action.

Shen Yanzhou turned to look at her, his gaze lingering briefly on her chest before politely shifting away. He reminded her, “They’re waiting for you.”

Snapping out of it, she grabbed her pom-poms and dashed down the steps, the last one to join the formation.

The break was supposed to last fifteen minutes, and the cheerleaders only needed to repeat a few simple moves.

But due to some unexpected delay, it was extended by five minutes. Running through the routine again would take too long, so the captain suggested solo performances and immediately pointed at Xu Qingyi.

“Xiao Xu, how about a belly dance?”

Xu Qingyi: “…”

She was good at yoga, and the skills were transferable across various dance styles, she definitely knew her stuff.

For those five minutes, she didn’t mess up. After all, no one knew her here, she just danced without a care.

Then the applause and cheers grew even louder than when a goal was scored.

Finally, the second half began, and the cheerleaders retreated. Xu Qingyi let out a sigh of relief and glanced at where she had been sitting earlier.

Shen Yanzhou was still there, and his gaze seemed to be fixed on her.

Xu Qingyi hadn’t planned on going back, but her bag and clothes were still on the chair, now held on Shen Yanzhou’s lap.