Savage Kiss - Chapter 28

Mentioning his last visit to her place still made Xu Qingyi feel awkward, so she simply nodded in response.

She added, “That’s not what I meant.”

If he had really been stalking her, he would have noticed the moment that person picked the lock.

Shen Yanzhou kept his hands in his pockets, maintaining a slight distance as they walked. “Yeah, I saw the guy when you called. Didn’t have time to answer.”

Xu Qingyi had already guessed as much. She had heard the commotion outside her room but hadn’t realized it was a fight at the time.

They were almost at the repair shop when Xu Qingyi checked her phone and realized the ride she had booked had been canceled by the driver.

“Want to go in for a bit?” Shen Yanzhou asked. “Your door’s been pried open. The landlord said they’re fixing it, but it probably isn’t done yet.”

The landlord had indeed contacted her earlier, promising to replace the door free of charge and ensure her personal belongings were untouched. However, she’d have to spend the night elsewhere.

Shen Yanzhou’s repair shop was still open, and the portly, bald uncle at the entrance had already spotted them, waving them over enthusiastically.

“Miss Xu?”

Xu Qingyi offered a polite smile but had no intention of going inside.

The uncle, however, jogged over. “Miss Xu, I owe you an apology!”

Shen Yanzhou glanced at her pajamas and gave a slight nod. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out.”

The uncle took one look at Shen Yanzhou and gasped. “What happened? How did you end up like this?”

“Weren’t you supposed to be playing bodyguard for-”

Shen Yanzhou cut him off casually. “It’s nothing. Get her some water.”

The uncle looked both worried and suspicious but nodded. “Miss Xu, just wait a moment. I’ll get you some water…”

Then, turning to Shen Yanzhou, he added, “There’s a first-aid kit at the front. I’ll patch you up in a bit.”

The uncle handed Xu Qingyi a glass of water, rambling apologetically. “Miss Xu, I heard you did a good deed, stood up for someone and then their family ended up bothering you?”

“This is all my fault!”

“I thought doing something brave like that deserved recognition: flags, red envelopes, you name it. And since I always see you working part-time jobs, I figured you deserved it. Never thought it’d turn out like this.”

“I only found out you lived in Haibin District because I pried it out of Liang Fanglin. Brother Zhou warned me not to meddle, but I… well, my good intentions backfired!”

“Anyway, I’m really sorry! Ended up causing trouble between you and Brother Zhou…”

At this point, the uncle caught Shen Yanzhou’s sharp look and trailed off.

Xu Qingyi frowned. So, it wasn’t Shen Yanzhou who had leaked her address? Had she misjudged him?

She forced a smile. “It’s fine.”

The uncle apologized again before turning to tend to Shen Yanzhou’s injuries.

“Damn, your wrist might be fractured,” the uncle muttered, brows furrowed. “Can you move it?”

Shen Yanzhou tried flexing it slightly and winced. “Hurts.”

Xu Qingyi’s gaze fell on his injured wrist, the same one he had caught in the door the other day.

Had it already been hurt then? She had slammed the door hard, never expecting him to stick his hand in like that.

Shen Yanzhou glanced at her, as if reading her thoughts. “Not your fault.”

His words only made her feel guiltier.

The three of them drove straight to the hospital for an emergency visit.

Shen Yanzhou’s wrist had a hairline fracture, not quite broken but still requiring some time to recuperate.

His hand was put in a cast, which had to stay on for at least ten days.

After the cast was set, Uncle Pang teased Shen Yanzhou, “Well, this is good. With only one hand left, you’ll finally get some rest. I was worried you’d work yourself to death.”

“Plus, it’s a good excuse to turn down those girls who keep coming to the shop. Hard to pull any tricks with just one hand…”

Shen Yanzhou shot him a look. “Cut the nonsense.”

Uncle Pang glanced up and only then noticed Xu Qingyi still waiting there, promptly shutting his mouth.

Banter between buddies was fine, but with a young lady present, it was best to rein it in.

“Take her first,” Shen Yanzhou said to her. “Which hotel are you staying at?”

Xu Qingyi hadn’t decided yet. “Just drop me off at the intersection.”

The ride was quiet.

Uncle Pang glanced at Shen Yanzhou in the rearview mirror, then at Xu Qingyi.

Clearing his throat, he said, “You two talk. Pretend I’m not here. I’ll focus on driving and won’t listen.”

Xu Qingyi looked at Shen Yanzhou’s hand, feeling a pang of guilt.

“When I messaged you earlier, why didn’t you just say you hadn’t leaked my privacy? That would’ve been enough.”

Instead, he had to insist it wasn’t intentional and come back to explain.

If he’d just made it clear, she wouldn’t have slammed the door on his hand.

Shen Yanzhou’s expression remained indifferent. “I was busy at the time. It wasn’t something I could explain in a few words. You’d already decided I was the villain, anything I said would’ve just made it worse.”

The way he put it…

Xu Qingyi smiled faintly. “How busy could you be? Couldn’t the little rich girl wait a few seconds?”

Shen Yanzhou frowned slightly, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror.

Xu Qingyi didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed, staring right back at him. “See? Even a stranger knows how it feels to be misunderstood. Next time you meet a girl, don’t jump to conclusions about her playing the field or being loose.”

So, she hadn’t been playing the field, was this her way of explaining herself to him?

Uncle Pang kept his eyes on the road, though he wanted to glance around at the traffic. He didn’t dare let his gaze wander, sensing tension between the two, though it didn’t quite feel like an argument.

Before getting out, Xu Qingyi hesitated, then said, “I’ll cover the medical bills. I’ll transfer the money to you later, just accept it.”

Shen Yanzhou replied bluntly, “I lack women, not money.”

That was one way to shut it down.

She nodded and said nothing more before stepping out of the car.

Uncle Pang watched Xu Qingyi cross the street before finally turning to Shen Yanzhou. “You idiot. When Miss Xu offered to pay your medical bills, that was her way of testing the waters for reconciliation!”

Shen Yanzhou chuckled to himself. “You don’t understand her.”

The softer and more harmless she appeared on the outside, the more ruthless she was inside.

He added, “Besides, there’s nothing between us to reconcile. Don’t go running your mouth again.”

Uncle Pang huffed. “Last time was an accident! I thought I was doing a good deed, had no idea Miss Xu would take it so seriously.”

Then, after a pause, he said earnestly, “Seriously, Yanzhou, you’re just inexperienced when it comes to relationships. When she offered to pay, you should’ve said yes. That would’ve kept the door open!”

Shen Yanzhou leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Even saying he “lacked women” hadn’t gotten a reaction out of her, what was the point?

After a moment, Uncle Pang grinned again. “But hey, you’ve got another chance!”

“Remember when Miss Xu came to the shop to check out used cars last time?”

Shen Yanzhou kept his eyes shut. After days without proper sleep, he looked utterly exhausted, as if he’d already dozed off.

…

Xu Qingyi initially thought about going back to her apartment to check, but after some consideration, she decided against it, the door wasn’t fixed yet, and she was still a little scared. Better to stay outside.

She went to the nearest hotel, but the front desk told her they were fully booked.

She turned and headed across the street, about forty or fifty meters away, but before even stepping inside, she saw the “No Vacancy” sign.

The coastal district was right by the sea, attracting plenty of visitors, and being close to another tourist hotspot meant hotels here never lacked business.

After checking three places in a row, all fully booked, she felt defeated.

The next closest option was two or three kilometers away. What if that was full too?

Xu Qingyi was completely done.