Savage Kiss - Chapter 44

Shen Yaoyao’s voice, calling for Shen Yanzhou, abruptly cut off as she froze, staring at the man’s broad shoulders and back.

Her mind went blank, unable to send any commands to her body, she could only watch.

Xu Qingyi didn’t know how long she planned to keep staring. Though she was bold in private, she wasn’t usually this…!

Shen Yanzhou didn’t give her a chance to hesitate. “Make a sound.”

Xu Qingyi: “Me?”

Him: “Or should I? Would that be appropriate?”

The mental image made her laugh, it really wouldn’t be. Besides, she liked the way he sounded, possessive in a way that made her reluctant to let anyone else hear.

Xu Qingyi didn’t even notice when Shen Yaoyao left.

Her fake sounds backfired, and Shen Yanzhou demanded another round.

Luo Shiqi wasn’t wrong. She murmured a quiet assessment, “With stamina like yours, most people really wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“Mm. You’re not most people.”

The night deepened, the quiet of this side of the estate stark against the distant glow of “Tian Island.”

When Xu Qingyi returned, the house was silent. She headed to the room Shen Yanzhou had mentioned.

Shen Yaoyao was standing right at the door.

Xu Qingyi paused, then smiled. “You scared me.”

Shen Yaoyao’s pent-up fury flared, and she raised a hand to slap her.

Xu Qingyi caught her wrist mid-swing.

Between her childhood of manual labor and her current daily yoga practice, her core strength was nothing to scoff at, Shen Yaoyao couldn’t even break free.

“Let go!” Shen Yaoyao glared. “Can’t you see I have history with him? Have you no shame?”

Xu Qingyi smiled. “I’ll take both.”

The man and the money, 100,000 a month was nothing to sneeze at.

Then, mercilessly, she shoved Shen Yaoyao out and shut the door.

…

Shen Yaoyao kicked the door twice in frustration, knowing deep down she was right, which only made the bitterness worse.

After all these years, Shen Yanzhou had cut her off without a second glance, handing her over to Shen Yuqiao without the slightest hesitation.

…

Xu Qingyi’s mind replayed the night’s events like a slideshow, each moment reshaping her worldview.

It only reinforced one truth: power always lay in strategy, and money ruled supreme.

She got up to use the bathroom, and while washing her hands, the memory of the pool escapade sparked an idea.

Since the third product upgrade involved an internal mechanism, she could modify it, add a water feature.

Too exhausted to sleep, she grabbed a notebook and jotted down the inspiration by hand.

By the time she finished, it was past 2 a.m.

But this product’s internal mechanics were complex, requiring redesigns for both the exterior and core components.

Mechanical repairs and modifications weren’t her forte but Shen Yanzhou was probably skilled in that area?

A little past 9 a.m.

Xu Qingyi was jolted awake by her phone buzzing.

Shi Qing had sent several messages, the last few tinged with irritation:

[You were out all night? From last night till now?]

[Do you still want that side gig or not?]

[Xu Qingyi!]

She quickly grabbed her phone and typed:

[Went to bed too late, just woke up.]

[What side gig?]

She’d paused most of her odd jobs, but the ones that could connect her to higher social circles weren’t easy to come by.

Both Mi Lian and Shi Qing moved in noticeably loftier circles, so she’d casually mentioned it to them.

Mi Lian, however, had been too wrapped up in her own crush to respond.

Shi Qing sent back a string of exasperated emojis. [If you don’t carry me through ten ranked matches, I’m not saying a word.]

Xu Qingyi chuckled helplessly. [Fine, I’ll play with you tonight.]

Shi Qing stared at the five words on the screen, momentarily dazed, before tapping open the keyboard.

[Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, working as a life model for students. The academy has official recruitment for this, no scams, and the pay is good. Though some classes might involve nude modeling, you’ve heard of this, right?]

[No need to feel awkward. Devoting yourself to art is just as noble as doctors seeing no gender. It’s all about the higher purpose.]

He tried to explain in detail, afraid she might resist.

But this was genuinely a great opportunity. Shi Qing had seen her in a swimsuit and knew just how perfect she’d be for it.

Xu Qingyi didn’t hesitate and asked for the contact details.

Shi Qing: [Professor Chen. She’ll arrange your work schedule and handle your pay. If you want to continue later, just check with her occasionally for openings.]

[Got it~ Thanks, Boss Shi!]

Shi Qing: [Call me ‘big brother.’]

Xu Qingyi: …

Two years younger than her, yet so insistent on being called ‘big brother’, what kind of complex was this?

By the time Xu Qingyi finished changing and stepped out, she heard everyone was at the pool.

Shen Yanzhou, fully dressed, sat on a lounge chair without entering the water. She walked over and asked, “Boss Shen, when can I go back?”

The moment she spoke, Liang Fanglin and Uncle Pang in the pool flailed like dumplings in boiling water, scrambling in panic.

Shen Yanzhou shut his eyes and turned his face away as water splashed over him, looking utterly done. “With physiques like yours, what’s the point of hiding? Even if it were free, she wouldn’t look.”

Xu Qingyi: …

She hadn’t even glanced at the pool to begin with. Now, she deliberately turned her back. “I’ll wait for you over there.”

Walking toward the shore, she noticed a yacht in the distance. Shen Yaoyao, Shen Sijin, and Luo Shiqi were boarding it.

“Why are they leaving?” she asked as Shen Yanzhou approached.

“Want me to call them back so you can teach them another lesson tonight?” Shen Yanzhou slid his hands into his pockets, glancing at her hand.

“Does it hurt?”

Last night, he hadn’t controlled his strength when pulling her, and later in the pool, his grip had been a little too rough.

Xu Qingyi’s attention was caught by his earlier words. “What do you mean, ‘teach them a lesson’?”

Hadn’t it just been Shen Yaoyao who came to catch them in the act?

She studied Shen Yanzhou. His brows lifted slightly, his gaze avoiding hers, clearly, there was more to it.

“Don’t tell me all three of them saw.”

Shen Yanzhou knew she disliked public attention and had spent the whole morning figuring out how to break this to her.

“I swear, it’s been handled. No one will dare talk. All phone footage has been wiped-”

“They recorded it?” Xu Qingyi was genuinely surprised.

Luo Shiqi had, but the footage was dark, barely showing Shen Yanzhou’s back, Xu Qingyi wasn’t visible at all.

“He’s already been fired.”

Xu Qingyi watched him for a moment. He didn’t seem too shocked, almost as if he’d expected this. “You already knew about Shen Sijin and Luo Shiqi?”

Had he been waiting to use Luo Shiqi’s misconduct as an excuse to cut ties with Shen Sijin in one move?

“You could’ve fired him long ago. But knowing Shen Sijin was involved, you kept him around, even let them come along? … Oh, and you deliberately brought me.”

Using her as a pawn to take out three nuisances at once.

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze flickered over her face, realizing she’d seen right through him. “Angry?”

Xu Qingyi turned and walked away.

She found his cunning impressive, this level of strategy wasn’t just for running an auto repair shop. If anything, it reassured her.

Shen Yanzhou was sharp. Whatever her boss’s goal was in having her seduce him, he might not lose in the end.

And even if he did, it wouldn’t be a crushing defeat.

However, she had to react like a normal person would, after all, appearances had to be maintained, right?

Pretending to be angry at being used by him, she stormed back to her room in a huff and noisily began packing her things.