Savage Kiss - Chapter 54

This time, Xu Qingyi didn’t initiate conversation, nor did she close the door.

She changed her shoes, turned, and walked inside, pouring herself a glass of water.

Shen Yanzhou finally stepped in, closed the door behind him, took off his shoes, and followed her inside.

He just stared at her, making Xu Qingyi extremely uncomfortable.

“Did you come here just to look at me?”

Shen Yanzhou’s dark pupils still carried traces of tension, but his tone was calm. “I wasn’t in a good mood last night. I didn’t mean to talk to you like that.”

Xu Qingyi hadn’t expected him to suddenly apologize, after all, she was the one at fault.

She glanced at him. “Why were you in a bad mood?”

She had encountered his foul moods a few times before. Last time, he even said seeing her made him feel better.

Shen Yanzhou seemed surprised she’d press further. “Do you want to hear it?”

Xu Qingyi nodded.

Understanding him better might help her figure out how to win his heart the fastest.

After a brief silence, Shen Yanzhou chuckled. “Never mind.”

He wanted her affection, not her pity. A grown man didn’t need to pour out his feelings.

Xu Qingyi’s interest had just been piqued, only to be abruptly extinguished, like being left hanging after undressing. Her expression darkened. “Suit yourself.”

She retreated to her bedroom to change.

By the time Shen Yanzhou realized he’d upset her again, he followed her in a few quick strides. Seeing her changing, he didn’t avert his gaze.

She ignored him, undressing without reservation until she was down to her underwear, then pulling on her pajamas.

From behind, Shen Yanzhou studied the lingering bruises on her shoulders, marks he had left when he lost control during their first time with that particular technique, leaving her dazed.

Just as Xu Qingyi finished dressing, the fabric was tugged down from behind, exposing her shoulders.

“Where’s the ointment?” he asked.

“I’ll apply it myself.” she stated flatly. She was exhausted today and just wanted to rest.

But Shen Yanzhou, like a broken record, suddenly kissed her and repeated, “Where’s the ointment?”

As if he’d keep kissing her until she cooperated.

Xu Qingyi pointed to the cabinet.

His long legs carried him there and back swiftly. He retrieved the ointment and carefully applied it to her shoulders.

Then he checked her wrists.

“Why did you go to that banquet?” he asked abruptly.

It suddenly dawned on Xu Qingyi, his apology had just been a prelude. His real purpose was to probe who she’d spoken to.

His suspicion was entirely reasonable, which only made her act more defensive out of guilt.

“Networking for clients.” she answered succinctly.

That was the gist of it. She couldn’t tell him which clients or what she was really doing there.

She glanced at him. “It’s been a long day. You should head back and rest early.”

Shen Yanzhou could tolerate many things, but anything involving Shen Yuqiao was a line he couldn’t ignore.

Yet, with no leads, he couldn’t just linger.

As for why she’d gotten angry earlier, he had deliberately eaten the pineapple.

Why?

He wasn’t entirely sure himself. Maybe he wanted to test her reaction by punishing himself.

Xu Qingyi stepped into the small side room and returned, slapping a sheet of paper onto the counter in front of him. “Write down all your allergies and dietary restrictions.”

A strange feeling stirred in Shen Yanzhou’s chest. “I’m not blaming you for today. There’s no need to be nervous.”

Xu Qingyi let out a light scoff, stubbornly retorting, “You’re overthinking it. Why would I be nervous about you?”

“I’m just afraid that if I accidentally eat the wrong thing again, your knight in shining armor might devour me.”

For the first time that night, a faint smile tugged at Shen Yanzhou’s lips. “She wouldn’t dare.”

Xu Qingyi tapped the paper with her finger. “Write!”

Shen Yanzhou did write, but only listed “pineapple.”

Xu Qingyi glanced at him, then at the paper, before crumpling it up and tossing it away.

She wasn’t being completely honest with him, and now he was following her lead?

As she walked Shen Yanzhou to the door, she suddenly called out to him.

Out of the blue, she said, “Let’s take a break for a while.”

The slight ease in Shen Yanzhou’s mood instantly darkened again, confusion clouding his thoughts.

Was she bothered by his relationship with Shen Yaoyao, or…?

“You’ve been really harsh with me lately. Sometimes I think you might have violent tendencies.” Xu Qingyi continued.

“Maybe it’s because we’ve been too close recently. You’ve gotten used to treating me as someone you can take for granted.”

It’s like how people often reserve their worst tempers for those closest to them, the root cause, simply put, is not caring enough.

Xu Qingyi had just reflected on whether she’d been too goal-oriented lately, getting overly familiar with him.

This wasn’t a good sign. If this continued, forget making him fall for her, he might just grow tired of her altogether.

Shen Yanzhou’s thick lashes lowered as he looked at her, hesitating before finally conceding. “Alright.”

He added, “But I don’t really agree with what you said.”

“I didn’t mean to be harsh with you.”

Xu Qingyi nodded dismissively and went back inside to answer a call.

It was a WeChat voice message from Ke Yan, her tone laced with an inexplicable admiration. “Xiao Xu, do you happen to know someone important?”

Xu Qingyi chuckled. “What kind of ‘important’ are we talking about?”

Ke Yan laughed. “I’m serious. Someone from Tianhua’s marketing department actually reached out to me. Can you believe it?”

Xu Qingyi was surprised too. That fast?

Had Shi Qing put in a good word for her?

Ke Yan then apologized again for the yacht incident. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to bring it up, but the girls from that night have all quit.”

They were terrified. According to their families, one of them was even undergoing psychological counseling.

“Are you sure you’re not some hidden heiress? Because after that night, both the yacht’s steward and our union president were fired.”

The day after the incident, the two were dismissed with startling speed, and not a whisper of it leaked outside. Ke Yan had gotten a firsthand glimpse of the legendary power of the elite.

Xu Qingyi had only just learned about this.

Was it Shen Yanzhou’s doing?

Liang Fanglin had mentioned that Shen Yanzhou had a powerful friend, the owner of Tianxin Island.

Because of this, Xu Qingyi decided to reach out to Shen Yanzhou in a couple of days, if only to ask about it.

Leaving things unresolved for too long would only make them colder.

That day, Xu Qingyi drove to the auto repair shop.

After looking around outside for a while without spotting Shen Yanzhou, Liang Fanglin eventually approached her. “Miss Xu, is there something wrong with your car?”

Xu Qingyi casually pointed at the tire. “It feels a bit soft. Maybe it’s punctured? And there’s this ‘clunk-clunk’ noise when I drive.”

Liang Fanglin diligently inspected it for her.

“The tires are fine. As for the noise you mentioned, mind if I take it for a quick drive?”

She nodded and handed him the keys.

Then he casually asked, “Is your boss not here?”

Liang Fanglin climbed into the car, completely unfazed. “The boss went on a blind date!”