Savage Kiss - Chapter 26

Xu Qingyi didn’t care about Shen Yanzhou’s reaction after she finished speaking and simply closed the door.

She had made up her mind, she would move out for a few days.

Shen Yanzhou stared at the mercilessly shut door, his lips curling weakly. “I’m not happy.”

…

Over the next few days, Xu Qingyi indeed enjoyed some peace. Shen Yanzhou didn’t come looking for her again, and though she went out a few times, she never ran into him.

This reassured her quite a bit. See? Even living in the same district didn’t necessarily mean they’d bump into each other easily.

Shi Qing arrived for his swimming lesson at ten on Saturday morning.

At that time, she was still half-asleep. “You’re already here?”

Shi Qing sipped his coffee. “I knew you’d still be sleeping. ‘Xu Piggy’ suits you well… Go back to sleep. I’ll grab some breakfast, no rush.”

Xu Qingyi got up and went straight outside the café, tapping on the glass from the other side.

Shi Qing turned his head, saw her through the glass, and smirked. “Be right there.”

When he came out, he brought her a coffee too.

Xu Qingyi didn’t take it. “I haven’t eaten. Can’t drink this on an empty stomach.”

Shi Qing frowned slightly, then turned back inside to buy her two pastries. Now she wouldn’t have to drink on an empty stomach.

As he walked beside her, he chided disapprovingly, “This habit of skipping breakfast isn’t good. You could eat first and then go back to sleep, but you should at least have something.”

Xu Qingyi’s steps faltered for a moment.

Before Xu Chen had fallen into a coma from his work injury, he used to nag her like this all the time.

It had been ten years since Xu Chen last ordered her to eat breakfast. He was already thirty-two now.

“Not tasty?” Shi Qing asked, noticing her frown.

Xu Qingyi snapped out of her daze and shook her head.

The two crossed the street, heading toward the swimming pool.

Suddenly, Shi Qing chuckled and greeted someone across the road with a hint of smugness in his tone. “Hey!”

Xu Qingyi looked up and saw Shen Yanzhou, whom she hadn’t seen in days, walking toward them from the opposite direction. He completely ignored Shi Qing.

Of course, he didn’t look at her either, just walked right past them.

Shi Qing let out a puzzled “Huh?” and glanced at Shen Yanzhou’s retreating back. “Doesn’t he like you?”

Why no reaction? He didn’t even say a word to her.

Xu Qingyi nearly choked on her coffee and shot him a calm look. “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not good if others hear.”

Shi Qing raised his eyebrows high. “Isn’t it obvious? Every time I came to see you, wasn’t he always around?”

That night at the bar when he was interviewing for a job, the owner had been quite satisfied with him until Shen Yanzhou showed up with a sour face, and then the owner turned him down.

Later, when he and Xu Qingyi sat on the other side, Shen Yanzhou had kept glancing their way, his expression cold enough to freeze tofu.

Same thing that night at the hotel, and the day she jumped into the river to save someone.

Xu Qingyi brushed it off casually. “He owns a repair shop. I work part-time for him. It’s just work.”

Shi Qing shrugged. Whatever. He liked her, so of course others with eyes would too, she was that amazing.

The swimming pool was more crowded than usual that day. Xu Qingyi took Shi Qing to the shallow end, where only two kids and their mothers were hanging around.

Standing in water that didn’t even reach his hips, Shi Qing acted like a complete drama queen. “No, no, no… pull me up! I’m suffocating!”

Xu Qingyi gave him a deadpan look but still offered her hand for him to hold, delivering a cold remark: “A man should never say he can’t.”

Shi Qing froze for a second before whining pitifully, “Crude but true, but Teacher Xu… I really can’t…”

The two kids and their moms nearby couldn’t help but laugh.

After nearly an hour of struggling, Shi Qing finally managed to flail around a bit with a lifebuoy, of course.

The woman by the pool knew Xu Qingyi was a swimming instructor and suddenly asked her, “Teacher, can swimming give me a figure like yours? After having my baby, my belly just won’t slim back down.”

Shi Qing, floating with a lifebuoy, crouched in the water and glanced at Xu Qingyi.

Her figure wasn’t just good, it was downright lethal.

He hadn’t meant to stare, but at first glance, her tiny waist, curvy hips, and fair skin were impossible to ignore. In the water, she moved like a fish, smooth and powerful, radiating a healthy kind of beauty.

When the woman asked Xu Qingyi about her lesson rates, Shi Qing jumped in to answer for her: “150 per session, and her skills are top-notch! But she only takes three students at a time.”

He wanted to help her earn some money, and Xu Qingyi, hoping to build a connection with him to eventually get closer to the CEO of Tianhua, played along.

Just like that, she gained three new students:

Hot mom Wu Yi.

Bai Li and Shen Sijin, both visual design majors.

Bai Li and Shen Sijin were clearly more interested in Shi Qing likely signing up for swimming lessons just to get closer to him.

Xu Qingyi was happy to take their money and enjoy the show.

After class, Shi Qing quietly warned her, “From now on, I’ll take Saturday classes, and they can have Sundays. Don’t schedule us together, I’m afraid they’ll eat me alive!”

Xu Qingyi laughed. “Seems like you’re enjoying it, though.”

“Hey.” His face darkened. “I went out of my way to get you students, and now you’re trying to sell me out?”

“Fine, fine! Go change, and meet me at the entrance.”

The men’s and women’s showers and changing rooms were in separate buildings at opposite ends of the pool.

As Xu Qingyi walked toward the women’s area, she spotted Shen Yanzhou standing at the entrance of the changing room lobby.

She wanted to pretend he wasn’t there for her, but the way his gaze locked onto her the moment he saw her made it clear, he was waiting for her.

If she hadn’t been in a swimsuit, she would’ve turned and walked away.

Instead, she strode right past him without hesitation. Shen Yanzhou didn’t stop her but made to follow her inside.

Xu Qingyi had no choice but to halt at the women’s changing room door. “Can’t you read?”

Shen Yanzhou ignored her jab, saying only, “Don’t go back to your apartment tonight.”

“Book a hotel, stay with a friend… or my place is fine too.”

Xu Qingyi brushed off his cryptic warning. “I need to change.”

Her swimsuit today was sexy and striking, especially to him.

He knew exactly what lay beneath that thin fabric, but today, there was no lust in Shen Yanzhou’s eyes.

He hadn’t just seen her for the first time today, either. She’d been teaching for two hours, and he’d watched for at least one of them.

Shen Yanzhou made no move to leave, merely shifting his gaze slightly away.

Xu Qingyi obviously couldn’t shower and change in front of him. Frowning, she warned, “If you keep harassing me, I’ll call the police.”

A flicker of hurt crossed his face. She really was heartless.

“Someone’s following you,” he said bluntly.

Days ago, Shen Yanzhou had had someone tail that car with the Dong Province plates. Later, he learned it belonged to Zhang Jinsi, one of the men he’d beaten up before.

Probably too scared to come after him, Zhang had set his sights on her for revenge. This was Shen Yanzhou’s responsibility; she shouldn’t suffer because of him.

He hadn’t wanted to spell it out earlier, afraid of scaring her.

Lately, he’d been busy, and Zhang Jinsi was good at evading tails. After days of tracking, they’d suddenly lost him today.

Once the trail went cold, the advantage shifted, Zhang was now the one in the shadows. Shen Yanzhou had no idea what he was planning, and he wasn’t taking any chances.

So, it’s best she doesn’t go back to stay there tonight. She’ll only be safe after they catch him and throw him in jail to eat prison food.

“I’m afraid he might come after you tonight,” Shen Yanzhou had no choice but to tell her the truth.