Savage Kiss - Chapter 66

Xu Qingyi truly couldn’t eat any more and set down her chopsticks.

Shen Yanzhou’s hand was very warm, his palm broad and thick, completely enveloping hers. In this city where she had no one to rely on, her heart, flesh and blood like anyone else’s, stirred with a trace of reluctance.

Earlier, she had been too frantic, her mind filled only with the thought of having no way out, leaving no room for further consideration. Even if she had calmly discussed it with Shen Yanzhou, wouldn’t he have helped?

Lowering her head, she pushed the food in front of her toward Shen Yanzhou.

Shen Yanzhou, who had been frowning, saw her gesture and instinctively raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on her.

He had originally intended to stay angry for a while and perhaps even demand some compensation.

But this small action of hers reminded him of the last time she had scolded him for meddling while simultaneously shielding him.

When she was fierce, she was as cold as a hedgehog, but in reality, her heart was softer than anyone’s.

All his emotions dissipated, leaving only a deliberately stern expression, feigning the grievance of being unfairly condemned by her without hearing his side.

“I’m not hungry. You eat,” he said.

Xu Qingyi knew he was upset that she hadn’t accepted his goodwill, and she also wondered if the boss’s underhanded tactics would make Shen Yanzhou resentful.

She pushed the plate again. “You didn’t eat breakfast.”

When Xu Qingyi had gone to the shop earlier, she had seen a breakfast set and a bowl of mixed noodles still sitting at the counter.

It was probably his breakfast, the same thing Shen Yanzhou had eaten here before.

“Not hungry,” Shen Yanzhou repeated.

He even turned his face slightly away, deliberately avoiding her gaze. “With such a big mess unresolved, what right do I have to eat?”

Xu Qingyi frowned, her heart stung as if his words were deliberately aimed at her.

Ma Xu, oblivious to the tension between them, approached with a smile, wearing an apron. “Brother Zhou, want to try something else? I’ve been experimenting with some new dishes lately. Care to give them a taste?”

Shen Yanzhou, looking irritated, retorted, “You’re testing your new creations on me like I’m a lab rat? Trying to poison me?”

Ma Xu: “…”

That was something he had developed for his girlfriend. If it were poisonous, he would have been torn apart by her long ago.

Xu Qingyi, however, glanced at Ma Xu. “No need for now. Let me settle the bill.”

Ma Xu: “No, no…!”

“It’s necessary,” Xu Qingyi said seriously. “You always give me complimentary items whenever I come. I can’t keep letting you spend money.”

Shen Yanzhou was the same, he often ate for free. Even if he had helped Ma Xu when the restaurant was just starting out, it wasn’t good to overuse that favor.

While Shen Yanzhou was on a phone call, she went to the counter to pay and also ordered a hot bowl of mixed noodles and a fried egg. “For Shen Yanzhou. Make the fried egg with a runny yolk.”

Ma Xu grinned.

She remembered Shen Yanzhou’s preferences? That didn’t seem like someone completely uninterested in Brother Zhou.

By the time Xu Qingyi returned, Shen Yanzhou had finished his call.

She had originally intended to pack up the food and take it back, since she couldn’t eat anymore, but Shen Yanzhou stopped her.

“Sit for a while longer,” he said. “My friend handles things quickly. We might get results soon.”

Xu Qingyi didn’t really believe it, but her heart was unsettled, and she wanted to hear the outcome as soon as possible, whether it was good or bad.

Every minute spent waiting was agonizing.

Shi Qing sent her a WeChat message asking if she needed something from him.

She didn’t reply.

Shen Yanzhou’s food arrived. He glanced at her. “Did you order this?”

Xu Qingyi didn’t answer, afraid her guilt would show.

Shen Yanzhou’s phone rang, and he casually answered it.

Zhou Shengjing was on the other end, boasting about his efforts: “I didn’t even have time to eat a bite before rushing to take this down for you. I think you should raise my management fee next year.”

Shen Yanzhou was serious about this matter. “Are you sure it’s completely removed?”

“You doubt my ability to handle things?” Zhou Shengjing sounded a bit displeased.

If he weren’t competent, managing so many of Shen Yanzhou’s ventures would have long since bankrupted him!

Shen Yanzhou finally said, “I owe you a lot. I’d even be willing to work like an ox or a horse for you.”

Zhou Shengjing: “?”

This was so out of character that he didn’t dare respond. Since when did Shen Yanzhou owe him any favors?

Shen Yanzhou had already hung up and looked devoutly at Xu Qingyi. “The photos online have all been taken down. No matter the size of the website or forum, they won’t appear anywhere. Are you satisfied with how I handled it?”

Though Xu Qingyi felt a wave of relief, she still had her doubts.

She picked up her phone and checked the forum.

The post was nowhere to be found, but when she clicked on the account that had posted it, she could still see the posting history.

However, the text of the post had turned into garbled code, and the photo showed a red “X”, unopenable.

Closing her phone, Xu Qingyi avoided looking at Shen Yanzhou.

She was thinking that removing the photos so quickly couldn’t have been cheap, it was probably comparable to buying the hottest trending topic.

And yet, he had relied on his connections and asked his friend for help.

From what she overheard him saying to his friend about “working like an ox or a horse,” it was likely the same person who had helped her and her colleagues out of trouble on Tianxin Island.

And wasn’t it also him who smoothed things over after Shen Yanzhou confronted Zhang Jinsi and Manager Chen?

If she tallied it up, every time Shen Yanzhou owed his friend a favor, it was because of her.

“Are you still eating?” She pointed at the mixed noodles, which had gone cold.

Shen Yanzhou said, “I’ve lost my appetite.”

What he was really thinking was that since the matter had been resolved so smoothly, she ought to praise him or at least coax him into eating.

Instead, she packed up the food and prepared to leave.

Shen Yanzhou hadn’t expected her attitude to remain unchanged. Stunned for a moment, he also had his portion packed and hurried after her.

“Xu Qingyi!” He called out to her just as she was about to cross the intersection.

A car sped past.

She took a couple of steps back, and Shen Yanzhou was already by her side, his brow furrowed with reproach. “Aren’t you watching for cars when you walk?”

She had indeed been walking a bit too hastily and hadn’t paid attention to the intersection.

When they crossed the street again, Shen Yanzhou made sure she walked on his right side.

Back at the apartment building entrance, probably because she hadn’t said a word, he seemed at a loss and frowned. “Do you still think I was the one who did it?”

“Are you thinking that if it wasn’t me who had it done, it couldn’t possibly have been handled this quickly?”

Xu Qingyi: “…”

She actually hadn’t thought of that.

The photos were already taken down. If she continued to wrongfully accuse him, she would just be acting unreasonably.

The reason she was ignoring him now was simply because she felt too ashamed to face him, guilty and overwhelmed, as if she owed him a great deal.

But the more she acted this way, the more uncertain Shen Yanzhou became.

In the last second before the access gate closed, Shen Yanzhou grabbed it and slipped inside with her.

Xu Qingyi pressed the elevator button, aware that he had followed her in. She thought she might as well tell him: she had work to attend to over the next couple of days and needed some space. After that, she would take the initiative to reach out to him.

Just as she turned around, a tall figure swept over, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her straight into the stairwell.