Savage Kiss - Chapter 21

Just as she was about to press the button, her gaze drifted past the nearby area.

Someone was drowning?

A family was in panic, some crying, others paralyzed with fear. Clearly, none of them knew how to swim.

The child was drifting toward her. Xu Qingyi didn’t have time to think. She tossed the remote back into her bag, kicked off her shoes, and shrugged out of her outerwear as she ran toward the water.

Xu Qingyi was a strong swimmer, a skill honed in wild rivers during her childhood.

She quickly pulled the child to shore.

The family hauled the child onto the bank and immediately began preparing for CPR.

Someone reminded them, “Clear the water first.”

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. Xu Qingyi looked up.

Shen Yanzhou was already approaching the riverbank. His long legs carried him swiftly down the slope as he extended a broad hand toward her. “Give me your hand.”

For a moment, her eyes grew damp.

After the rescue, everyone had forgotten about her. No one had thought to help her out of the water.

Xu Qingyi didn’t know why Shen Yanzhou was here either. His motorcycle was parked haphazardly on the grass behind them, as if he’d arrived in a hurry, the bike had even toppled over.

“Are you okay?” He touched her head and face gently.

Xu Qingyi shook her head.

“Take a moment to rest. I’ll check on the child.” He draped his jacket over her shoulders.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and the medical staff took over the rescue efforts.

In the span of a gust of wind, only she and Shen Yanzhou remained in the area.

Xu Qingyi’s hair and lashes were still damp. She looked up at him and noticed his face was slightly ashen, as if he wanted to scold her.

He pulled her up from the ground and hugged her tightly. “Couldn’t you have called the police? You just jumped into an unfamiliar river without a second thought?”

Xu Qingyi pressed her lips together. “If we’d waited for the police, the child would’ve drifted away.”

Shen Yanzhou’s expression remained tense as he studied her guileless face. For a moment, it was as if he was seeing her seven or eight-year-old self again, just as reckless, just as fearless when she’d jumped in to save him back then.

Call her kind? When she’d realized he was trying to end his life, she’d kicked him and scolded him relentlessly.

Shen Yanzhou sighed, exasperated. “What are you doing out here? Winter swimming?”

Xu Qingyi couldn’t help but laugh.

She also realized that he might have been nervous earlier, afraid something would happen to her.

Her smile was faint. “I’d have been fine. I grew up by the river. I’ve swallowed every kind of foul water there is.”

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze dropped to her lips.

Thinking he didn’t believe her, she insisted earnestly, “It’s true!”

He tugged her toward his motorcycle. “Stop talking. You’re ruining my mood for kissing you later.”

Xu Qingyi: “…”

Every time he saw her, the thoughts running through his mind seemed rather singular.

Not a bad thing.

“My stuff is still in the pavilion.” She pointed in that direction, suggesting he right his motorcycle first while she went to retrieve her belongings.

Shen Yanzhou straightened the bike. “Get on.”

Xu Qingyi took a step forward… then froze.

She’d forgotten she was wearing a toy when she left home today! Riding a motorcycle like this was impossible, right?

Pursing her lips, she scrambled for an excuse. “I’m all wet. I’ll dirty your bike.”

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze darkened as he gave her a slow once-over.

She’d shed her outerwear earlier, leaving her in something akin to a bikini, just with a long-sleeved T-shirt layered on top.

“I’m wet too, aren’t I?” He had hugged her earlier, so his clothes were indeed damp.

Xu Qingyi stubbornly refused. “Why don’t you go get my clothes and come back? I’ll wait here.”

She was hoping she could sneak off to the pavilion while he wasn’t looking, grab her bag, and quickly remove the toy.

But of course, that was wishful thinking.

Xu Qingyi tried to slip toward the pavilion unnoticed, but before she could get there, Shen Yanzhou, having already retrieved her clothes, reached the pavilion faster than she did.

She froze slightly in place, turned slightly to the side, and tugged her T-shirt down, trying to cover the area below her abdomen.

Even though she was wearing underwear, once it was completely soaked, a closer look would reveal the telltale signs.

Why did she have to run into him the first time she made a professional sacrifice?

She could only pray Shen Yanzhou wouldn’t notice.

Shen Yanzhou handed her the clothes. “Change,” he said, then casually took her bag and turned his back. “Give me the T-shirt you take off.”

He helped her put it back in the bag.

Xu Qingyi was relieved he had turned away and wasn’t looking at her, but she forgot the remote was in the bag!

As Shen Yanzhou placed the T-shirt back inside, he saw the remote and picked it up, worried the wet fabric might short-circuit it.

Xu Qingyi had no idea how he managed to press the switch. Before she could even pull the clothes on, her entire body stiffened abruptly, and she let out an involuntary moan.

Shen Yanzhou turned around. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Why is your face so red?”

Xu Qingyi bit her lip lightly. “You-give me the bag.”

She could barely stand anymore, her nerves tingling with waves of tension, forcing her to retreat to a nearby bench and sit down.

But sitting only made it more obvious.

In that instant, she realized and quickly covered herself with the clothes.

Shen Yanzhou slowly caught on, his expression shifting subtly, his throat tightening. “Isn’t it a bit late to cover up now?”

Xu Qingyi’s ears burned instantly, mortified beyond words.

Then it occurred to her, if he hadn’t messed with her things, she wouldn’t be in this embarrassing situation. Annoyed, she snapped, “Why were you peeking?”

Shen Yanzhou wanted to laugh but held back, looking helpless. He turned the tables instead: “I thought you did it on purpose.”

Xu Qingyi couldn’t bring herself to look at him or even speak. She kept her head down and quickly pulled on her pants and shirt.

Shen Yanzhou couldn’t resist a reminder. “…Aren’t you going to take it out?”

She glared at him. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”

In broad daylight, the act of “taking it out” herself would be downright indecent.

Once dressed, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the pavilion.

Shen Yanzhou, with his long legs, kept pace effortlessly behind her, no matter how fast she walked.

Seeing her flustered state, he cleared his throat and tried to comfort her. “It’s normal for young people to like experimenting with new and wild things.”

“Who likes that?” Xu Qingyi was exasperated.

The best way to handle this would’ve been silence, pretending nothing had happened.

Though she was open-minded about sex, prioritizing pleasure, there was a stark difference between private exploration and being caught in the act.

Shen Yanzhou smirked, trying to ease her discomfort with his nonchalance. “Last time, you hinted I should change locations more often. I thought you were into exploring…”

She was into exploring, it was necessary for her line of work when seeking inspiration.

When they reached the motorcycle, she hesitated.

In her current state, riding wasn’t ideal, but if she didn’t, she’d freeze and likely catch a cold.

Shen Yanzhou, oblivious, handed her the helmet.

As he fastened the buckle, he leaned in and said earnestly, “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I don’t mind.” He even added, “I’ll try to take you to more places for different experiences in the future?”

Xu Qingyi closed her eyes, refusing to listen.

Once the motorcycle started, she held her breath and clutched Shen Yanzhou’s clothes.

Before reaching the main road, they had to cross a stretch of grass, seemingly smooth but actually quite bumpy.

Xu Qingyi bit her lip but couldn’t hold back a soft plea in the end, “You-slow down.”

Shen Yanzhou seemed to realize something suddenly and stopped, turning to look at her flushed face. “How about sitting sideways?” he suggested.