Savage Kiss - Chapter 51

Her outfit today was infinitely more lethal than the black stockings from before. Every casual movement seemed designed to take his breath away.

Xu Qingyi noticed the heat in his gaze and knew he’d agree to any condition she proposed right now.

So, she walked over, hooked her arms around his neck, and tilted her face up to look at him. “Can I… take a look at you too?”

Shen Yanzhou paused for a moment, considering what kind of “look” she meant.

“Sure,” he murmured, lowering his head to kiss the tip of her nose. “You’ve been tormenting me all this time just for today, haven’t you?”

Xu Qingyi smiled without answering. Had she been that obvious?

Shen Yanzhou let her hands wander freely. She didn’t even need to try this hard, there was nothing he wouldn’t let her see.

In fact, he wanted her to look closely.

Maybe if she saw certain marks on his back, she’d remember him a little?

This was the first time she’d taken the initiative like this, and Shen Yanzhou was utterly defenseless. “Weren’t you going to look?”

If she kept kissing him like this, he’d lose control soon.

Reluctantly, Xu Qingyi pulled back, studying his expression with satisfaction. “I want to draw you!”

Shen Yanzhou froze.

That was unexpected.

She could draw?

Then, suddenly… she slipped out of his arms and headed to the balcony, returning with a set of prepared materials.

Xu Qingyi arranged Shen Yanzhou in various poses, seated, standing, enough for her to capture every detail, so clearly that she could later use them for inspiration in perfect proportion.

The process took a while and eventually, Shen Yanzhou had enough. “I’m tired.” he declared, deliberately turning to pour himself a glass of water.

Xu Qingyi quickly called out, “Don’t move! I’m almost done, really!”

Shen Yanzhou ignored her, picking up the glass with his back to her.

Unsure if he was genuinely upset, Xu Qingyi decided to soothe him and walked over.

Only when she got close did she notice a scar about the length of a finger near his spine.

“What’s this?”

She didn’t know if he’d been injured the first time he stood up for her, she’d only seen the wound on his scalp.

Shen Yanzhou’s hand stilled mid-sip, his breath halting.

Did she recognize it?

But then Xu Qingyi stepped in front of him. “From the restaurant that time?”

The light in Shen Yanzhou’s eyes dimmed. So, she hadn’t remembered after all.

His lips curved faintly. “It’s from years ago.”

She didn’t know about his past struggles, the battles he’d fought to get here. “Can I touch it?”

Shen Yanzhou set the glass down, leaning forward to cage her against the counter with his arms. “Where haven’t you touched?”

Xu Qingyi had only asked to coax him back into position, but the man before her spiraled completely out of control. The temperature between them skyrocketed, igniting the room.

Xu Qingyi lost track of time, swept up in a frenzy unlike anything she’d experienced before.

Even Shen Yanzhou, usually so composed, abandoned all restraint.

Late into the night, their ragged breaths finally settled into calm.

Shen Yanzhou held her close and suddenly asked, “Do you know some kind of spell? Did you enchant me?”

Xu Qingyi, too exhausted to even laugh, took the opportunity to ask, “Then… would you fall in love with me because of this?”

The question made Shen Yanzhou’s relaxed nerves stir slightly.

She didn’t want a relationship, hated being tied down. She was probably afraid he’d develop feelings.

So, he answered, “No.”

It wasn’t a lie, he hadn’t fallen for her because of this.

But Xu Qingyi frowned. Before, she would’ve loved that answer.

Now… it didn’t matter.

She teased with a smile, “Be more rational. I’m afraid you might love too much one day and end up losing more than you gain.”

Just as she was about to fall asleep, Shen Yanzhou asked her, “Can I stay the night?”

She was too exhausted to respond, the night was so deep, and it must have been freezing outside. She didn’t mind, but she simply didn’t have the energy to answer.

Faintly, she felt as though he kissed her before getting up and leaving.

When Xu Qingyi opened her eyes the next morning, the room had been tidied up neatly, only her paintings remained untouched.

She felt a pang of guilt. Despite how tired he must have been, he didn’t stay over and even cleaned up for her. By the time he got back, it must have been five or six in the morning, right?

Xu Qingyi wanted to ask how he was doing. If it was too much, maybe he should skip work today, working on cars while fatigued could be dangerous.

She picked up her phone and saw a message from Shen Yanzhou:

“The ointment is by the bed. Apply it for a few more days. I’ll get you more when it runs out.”

She had never had a boyfriend before and didn’t know if all men were this considerate, or if he was just this way with women.

If she weren’t a love-and-marriage skeptic, she might have fallen for him already.

Picking up the ointment, Xu Qingyi still had no idea how much it cost. In the end, she transferred him seven yuan.

With a note: Thanks, for your trouble.

Over the next few days, she worked efficiently and completed upgrades for two products at once, sending them off to Ke Yan.

Within just two days, Ke Yan sent her a hefty red envelope without a word, clearly thrilled with her design improvements.

Ke Yan also casually mentioned: “You said last time you might have a way to get some info on the CEO of Tianhua Group?”

“Do you know if he’ll show up at the business banquet next week? I want to try my luck.”

Tianhua Group was an international chain of supermarkets. Their boutiques and stores were legendary, wherever they opened, the entire street would come back to life.

Xu Qingyi understood Ke Yan’s ambition. Working in the adult products industry always felt inferior, constantly looked down upon. She had once harbored similar dreams.

To make this industry no longer taboo, to proudly display their products in high-end showcases, after all, the pursuit of pleasure should be a natural part of a happy life.

“I’ll ask around.” she replied, careful not to overpromise.

When Shi Qing invited her to play games again, she took the opportunity to bring it up.

“I might not have time to play for a while.” she said.

Shi Qing frowned immediately. A while? Even a day or two without her messages made him restless. How long was “a while”?

“Why?” he asked.

Xu Qingyi: “Work stuff. My boss wants me to find a way to get in touch with the CEO of Tianhua Group, wants to rent their display shelves…”

Shi Qing responded almost instantly: “Have you figured out how?”

She had planned to first ask about his identity, then see if he could help, but he cut straight to the point.

Xu Qingyi chuckled. “I’m just a lowly grunt. How would I get access? I don’t even know the guy’s name.”

Shi Qing smirked. “What’s in it for me if I help you?”

Xu Qingyi paused. This wasn’t an easy favor, but nothing in life came for free.

Shi Qing told her to wait for him to pick her up on the day of the banquet and follow his lead.

Coincidentally, it was the weekend. Xu Qingyi worried Shen Yanzhou might drop by, she had silently lifted her ban on his visits.

That afternoon, she went to a seaside restaurant for lunch.

Sure enough, Shen Yanzhou showed up, taking over the waiter’s job to serve her before striking up a conversation: “Feeling better?”

Xu Qingyi didn’t expect him to ask that right off the bat and felt a bit embarrassed. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed the bandage wrapped around his hand and asked softly, “What happened to your hand?”