Savage Kiss - Chapter 61

Xu Qingyi was caught off guard and took a moment to react. Seeing him roll up the car window, she thought he was about to leave.

She quickly opened the door and got out of the car.

“Slow down.” Shen Yanzhou called out to her as he rolled the window back down.

By the time Xu Qingyi walked over, he had already stepped out of the car. She smiled and asked, “Are you leaving soon?”

Shen Yanzhou didn’t answer her question but instead asked, “What was it you needed help with?”

Xu Qingyi pursed her lips slightly. Discussing such a private topic on the side of the road felt awkward.

Uncle Pang was on duty that night and was about to clock out. He asked Shen Yanzhou, “Yanzhou, are you turning off the lights?”

Shen Yanzhou gestured for him to go home first.

The repair shop was now empty except for the two of them.

Shen Yanzhou first turned off the large light in the open area outside the door, then glanced at her. “It’s cold outside. Should we go inside to talk?”

Xu Qingyi nodded.

She had assumed that by “inside”, he meant just past the main entrance, in the corridor leading to the back workshop.

But Shen Yanzhou led her all the way to the break room and immediately turned on the air conditioner.

It was only then that Xu Qingyi remembered she hadn’t brought the item with her. “I might need to go back first.”

Shen Yanzhou looked at her.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she said, “You bought me two more tubes of ointment before, right? I couldn’t find the price online, so I’d like to return the unopened one to you. Otherwise, it might seem like I’m always taking advantage of you.”

Shen Yanzhou took off his jacket and turned to face her.

“Why return it to me? What use would I have for it?”

His question made her laugh. “You could keep it for your next… partner.”

The atmosphere grew even more delicate after she said that.

Shen Yanzhou’s gaze felt as if it were welded to her.

Xu Qingyi thought to herself that he must already have some feelings for her.

She pressed her lips together slightly and decided to press her advantage. “Don’t look at me like that. You’ve helped me a lot. I might take on that part-time job again in the future. I know you’re bothered and want to end things, but there’s nothing I can do about it, and I can’t apologize either. So…”

Shen Yanzhou’s eyes darkened slightly. “So that’s why you’re moving out.”

Xu Qingyi’s train of thought was abruptly cut off, and she stared at him blankly.

What she had meant to convey was that she accepted his decision to end things, but it wasn’t that she wanted to, she was simply respecting his wishes.

His question made her instinctively retort, “How did you know?”

Oh, right. He knew the landlord.

Why did the landlord tell him everything? Anyone would think he was the boss, with the landlord reporting to him all the time.

Shen Yanzhou understood her intentions as soon as she asked that.

He raised a hand and rubbed his forehead, then walked over to pour a glass of water, turning his back to her and facing the window.

One hand on his hip, he lifted the glass and drained half of it in one go.

Only then did Xu Qingyi hear him say in a low voice, “If you’re moving to avoid me, there’s no need. I won’t bother you.”

After a moment’s thought, he set the glass down and turned back to face her.

“When did I ever say I wanted to end things?”

Xu Qingyi wore an expression of resignation, though her smile held a tinge of bitterness. “Haven’t you… stopped coming to the repair shop? Isn’t that avoiding me?”

“No.” Shen Yanzhou said curtly.

Xu Qingyi looked at him but didn’t respond.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he picked up the glass to refill it.

He spoke while doing so: “I said I don’t want to end things. I’ve just been busy these past couple of days…”

Perhaps realizing how vague that sounded, almost like an excuse, Shen Yanzhou trailed off.

He didn’t finish filling the glass, just stood there holding the empty cup.

He looked directly at her. “You know about the workplace accident at the factory. Although the compensation has been settled, a few media outlets dug up some information. I’ve been busy suppressing the exposure and was afraid you might get dragged into it, so it’s better if we don’t see each other for a few days.”

So that was it?

Xu Qingyi had thought he was giving her the cold shoulder.

“The compensation is settled, and the families have no objections. Why are the media so eager?” she didn’t understand.

Shen Yanzhou let out a light, cold snort. “Some people have too much time on their hands.”

Huh? Xu Qingyi instantly thought of the man with the silver ring, Shen Yanzhou’s rival.

“Is it handled now?” she asked.

Shen Yanzhou shook his head.

“Still moving?” he asked.

Xu Qingyi realized he had truly misunderstood and forced a smile. “I don’t want to, but…”

“Isn’t it fine living alone in your current place?”

Shen Yanzhou asked directly, “Or is there someone else you want to live with?”

“A close friend? A colleague?”

Xu Qingyi had intended to lie and say it was a colleague, but he would surely come looking for her later, and the truth would come out eventually.

“I haven’t thought it through yet.”

She checked the time. “It’s quite late. Shouldn’t you be heading back to the city?”

Shen Yanzhou didn’t confirm or deny.

Then Xu Qingyi suddenly remembered the painting.

“That painting, I need to take it. Can I have it?”

Shen Yanzhou nodded toward a small box by the bedside, making no move to hand it to her.

She had to walk over herself.

Opening the box, she found it had two small layers. The top layer held only the scroll, separated by some unknown material, and there seemed to be something underneath.

She took the painting and closed the box.

“I’ll head back now.”

Shen Yanzhou said “okay” but his long legs followed her to the door, and his arm, as if acting on its own, braced against it.

Xu Qingyi turned back, puzzled, just as Shen Yanzhou leaned down, his lips drawing near.

It almost seemed as if she had initiated it.

She instinctively leaned back slightly.

But Shen Yanzhou continued to press forward, and just as she was about to press against the door, his other arm wrapped around her waist.

His tired voice carried a hint of gloom. “The day the incident happened, when you came to the shop, I was afraid you’d be photographed.”

Oh, so that was why he had been so distant that day.

“You were concerned about me. Admit it.” he murmured, his breath growing closer, almost brushing against the hair at her neck.

He seemed unusually fixated on this.

Was it because so few people cared about him that he placed such importance on it?

Xu Qingyi feigned stubbornness. “Not at all. Anyone who knows you would ask if you were hurt.”

“No,” he said softly. “Only you.”

“…”

Shen Yanzhou didn’t press further. She had said no to romance, and pushing the issue would only make things awkward.

In the end, he kissed her, then deliberately released her when she was breathing heavily. “That box, there’s something in the bottom layer. Pick one and take it.”

Xu Qingyi was baffled.

He led her back, took her hand, and reopened the box, lifting the middle partition.

The moment Xu Qingyi saw the cherry-print panties, her face flushed, and she quickly covered them.

She loved cherries, most of her lingerie had cherry patterns in various styles.

“Where did you get these?” she asked, shocked.

Did he have a fetish?

Shen Yanzhou, however, looked completely unbothered. “The day I fixed your things, they somehow got hooked into my bag by a tool.”

“I said I’d return them, but you deleted me.”

Xu Qingyi remembered this matter. How could she have known he really had something to return to her?

He spoke with utter nonchalance, “The painting or it, choose one.”