Savage Kiss - Chapter 60

Shen Yanzhou remained silent on the way back to her apartment, only glancing at her once in the rearview mirror when he turned a corner.

Apart from that, dropping her off downstairs, opening the apartment door for her, and saying “good night” were all perfectly polite, seemingly intimate, yet maintaining a certain distance.

It was clear that he still harbored some reservations about the matter.

Xu Qingyi understood him, it was akin to a form of emotional fastidiousness.

She hadn’t expected such an interlude either, and she couldn’t blame Shi Qing, since he was a student and couldn’t very well turn in a blank exam.

But as for showing off the painting to others, Xu Qingyi would have to settle that score another day.

For now, the most pressing matter was handling Shen Yanzhou.

Originally, she had intended to give him the cold shoulder, but now she was the one in a passive position.

The next day, Xu Qingyi felt slightly under the weather and deliberately spent some time at Ma Xu’s restaurant. Anyone could tell she had a cold.

But the entire day passed without Shen Yanzhou reaching out to her, except for a brief inquiry about how her leg was doing.

After some thought, she realized she might need to take the initiative a little.

After finishing her design work in the afternoon, Xu Qingyi went out.

It was particularly cold that day, under normal circumstances, she would never have ventured outside.

She parked her car near the auto repair shop and went inside but didn’t see Shen Yanzhou.

Liang Fanglin greeted her with a smile. Ever since being scolded by the boss, his grin had grown even wider. “Miss Xu, looking for the boss?”

She nodded, her expression serious. “I need to talk to him about something.”

Liang Fanglin said, “He hasn’t been around much these past couple of days. It might be tough for him to come in this week, he’s got a lot going on.”

Xu Qingyi frowned slightly. “Has that workplace injury case not been resolved yet?”

Or was it because of the incident where she was nearly assaulted?

Liang Fanglin, unsure how to explain, scratched his head. “Why don’t you ask him directly? His phone is on.”

Alright.

Xu Qingyi got back into her car, took a moment to collect herself, and called Shen Yanzhou.

He answered after a slight delay. “What’s up?”

“I’m outside your shop…”

“I’m not there today.” he said in a low voice.

Xu Qingyi chuckled. “I know, I just asked. I wanted to talk to you about something… When will you be back, or when are you free?”

Shen Yanzhou was silent for a moment. “You can tell me over the phone.”

Xu Qingyi was speechless inwardly.

If she could discuss it over the phone, why would she go looking for him? Meeting in person allowed for things that couldn’t be done otherwise, otherwise, she might as well give up.

She hesitated before reluctantly saying, “There’s something I might need your help with.”

This part was not a lie. Her product upgrade had added another feature, and she wasn’t sure what standards would be most appropriate.

When it came to inspiration and satisfaction regarding such experiences, she had always trusted Shen Yanzhou’s judgment.

She deliberately made her tone a little pleading. “I know you might be a bit resistant to me right now, but just this once, okay?”

What did she mean by “just this once”?

After hearing this, Shen Yanzhou glanced back at Zhou Shengjing and signaled for him to handle the media on his behalf.

He walked straight to the end of the corridor. “What do you need help with?”

Xu Qingyi: “…”

“It’s hard to explain over the phone, and I have something to give you.”

Then he fell silent again.

Xu Qingyi had no choice but to try another approach. “What did you do with that driver from the other day? Are you sure it won’t affect you?”

Shen Yanzhou replied bluntly, “Not really sure. I didn’t handle it myself, I had a friend take care of it.”

Oh. She breathed a sigh of relief. That was good.

“Then I won’t keep you.” She smiled and hung up first.

She started the car and drove back to her apartment.

Two more delivery boxes were waiting at her doorstep, sent by President Ke. Ever since that incident, he had been sending her packages almost every week, local specialties, seasonal fruits, whatever was expensive, he’d send it over.

Just as she stepped inside, a message from President Ke came through:

[How big is your place? If it’s convenient, I can get you a machine directly. That way, after you finish the modifications, you can print an upgraded prototype yourself first, saving all the back-and-forth shipping costs.]

Xu Qingyi’s first instinct was to refuse, but then she reconsidered. Right now, she was only responsible for design. If she could master the entire process from design to production, her career path would broaden.

Instead of outright rejecting the idea, she asked, [When are you planning to arrange it?]

[If it works for you, in about two weeks. The machines at the factory are too large, so I’ll get you a small 3D one specifically, along with a set of various materials.]

This would ensure that the upgraded prototypes she produced were as close to the real thing as possible.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyi realized that even if her small partitioned room was excellent, it wouldn’t be enough space.

Would she need to rent a two-bedroom place?

She exited the chat and found her landlord’s WeChat, [Hello! Do you have any other properties for rent? Preferably a two-bedroom.]

After a moment’s thought, she added apologetically, [Something on the cheaper side, it’s fine if there’s no furniture or appliances.]

She could just buy a pot and a second-hand fridge, it wouldn’t be expensive, just enough to get by.

The landlord didn’t reply for a long time.

It wasn’t until after 10 p.m. that the landlord finally responded, [Are you moving out?]

Reading the landlord’s message, Xu Qingyi felt a sense of surprise, as if he didn’t want her to leave.

[Was the renovation last time not to your liking?]

Zhou Shengjing thought to himself, all the materials used were top-notch. Even if they didn’t look impressive, that small rug on the balcony alone cost several thousand, and the entire place was eco-friendly.

Why would she suddenly want to move out?

Xu Qingyi: [No, the apartment is really great, and I’m very grateful for your care all this time. It’s just… personal reasons.]

She couldn’t go into detail.

The place was indeed wonderful, and she was reluctant to leave, but work demands left her no choice.

Besides, if she brought in machines and printing materials and ended up damaging such a nice apartment, how embarrassing would that be?

[I’ll have to check. I have too many properties, let me see if there are any vacant two-bedrooms.]

After exiting WeChat, Zhou Shengjing headed for a shower while calling Shen Yanzhou.

“Miss Xu wants to move out… did you know?”

Shen Yanzhou was silent on the other end.

Zhou Shengjing could tell he had no idea. After a long day, he relaxed into the bathtub and began speculating logically:

“In all my years as a landlord, when a girl wants to upgrade from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom, the most common reason is that she’s moving in with her beloved boyfriend.”

Zhou Shengjing chuckled, “You’re just playing the role of a protector without making any moves. Look at how fast other guys are progressing?”

Just as he was about to offer some advice, Shen Yanzhou hung up without a word.

Close to midnight.

Shen Yanzhou’s car passed the auto repair shop and continued onward, then suddenly slowed down as he glanced in the rearview mirror at a black SUV parked by the roadside.

He reversed and drove back.

Xu Qingyi had also just arrived; she hadn’t expected to run into him.

She had been out delivering orders and, passing by, noticed the lights on in the shop, so she stopped to take a look without planning to get out.

When Shen Yanzhou’s car pulled up parallel to hers on the opposite side of the road, she saw him roll down the window.