Savage Kiss - Chapter 69

Xu Qingyi didn’t expect him to come so late.

When she opened the door, she noticed his hair and clothes were damp and cold, she wondered if it was raining outside.

He didn’t say why he had come when he entered, so Xu Qingyi thought about getting him a hairdryer to dry his hair.

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her back.

Xu Qingyi’s gaze first fell on his hand, it was icy cold, before she looked up at his face.

His eyes were dark as ink, quietly watching her. That look in his eyes was hard to decipher, making her feel unsettled.

The next second, she suddenly remembered the dress BOSS had sent over was still lying on her bedside.

She absolutely couldn’t let him see it.

“I’ll get you the hairdryer.” Her only thought was to go inside and hide the item, her expression blank.

As soon as she finished speaking, she broke free from his grip and turned to head inside.

Shen Yanzhou’s worry deepened between his brows. Had she really figured out his relationship with Shen Yuqiao and felt he had deceived her?

Just as Xu Qingyi stepped into the bedroom, sensing Shen Yanzhou following her, she instinctively turned to block him, intending to close the door.

Instead, he took advantage of the moment to step inside with her, pinning her against the wall. Then, lowering his face, he looked at her earnestly:

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“My family situation is complicated, but it’s definitely not as bad as I usually make it out to be. I didn’t mean to hide it from you intentionally, it’s just that my family’s circumstances don’t really have much to do with me personally.”

Xu Qingyi was confused by his words.

Shen Yanzhou lowered his voice and asked her again, “Last time, you asked me why I was in a bad mood. Do you still want to hear it now?”

“Dry your hair first,” she said, trying to slip out of his embrace.

Instead, he moved closer, refusing to let her go, as if afraid she would run away.

“You’ve probably guessed who that man was today,” his thin lips brushed against her ear.

Xu Qingyi froze completely.

She hadn’t fully figured it out, only knowing that they were somehow related.

Since he was bringing it up, she might as well listen, at least to find out who that person was and what he was like.

“My brother, biological brother, Shen Yuqiao. He’s five years older than me,” Shen Yanzhou introduced him in the most straightforward way.

Biological brother?

Xu Qingyi was surprised.

She had thought they were rivals.

“You two don’t get along?” Even if she hadn’t made a deal with Shen Yuqiao, she could tell as much from what she saw at the villa today.

Shen Yanzhou chuckled to himself. “I wish we did.”

Then he added, “My relationship with my family isn’t great in general.”

Xu Qingyi had a terrible relationship with her parents, but she was very close to Xu Chen. So, she had always thought that the bond between siblings, especially biological ones, was the closest of all.

Wasn’t that the case?

“Why?”

Shen Yanzhou smiled, but the look in his eyes was heartbreaking. “I wish I knew why.”

He straightened up, raised an eyebrow slightly, and turned to lean against the wall beside her, propping one leg casually to lower his height and match hers.

“Maybe because Shen Yuqiao is the eldest son?”

“In families like ours, social status and lineage matter. Shen Yuqiao was designated as the heir from the moment he was conceived.”

“After he was born, he was naturally educated according to the standards of an heir.”

“But I wasn’t.”

This was the first time Shen Yanzhou had spoken about these things to anyone, just saying whatever came to mind.

“Shen Yuqiao had to excel in everything, but for me, it didn’t matter, in fact, it was better if I wasn’t too outstanding.”

“As I grew older, after my mother passed away, their expectations for me shifted from not being too outstanding to simply being mediocre. It would be best if I detached from the family, lived a life of idleness, and never became a threat to Shen Yuqiao, never causing any scandals of internal family strife.”

“When Shen Yuqiao missed a perfect score in all subjects by just one point, I was nearby playing marbles. Even if I had scored beyond perfect, no one would have cared.”

“When I was delirious with a high fever, the whole family chose to accompany Shen Yuqiao to a recitation competition.”

“When I was kidnapped, the kidnappers called home demanding a ransom, and they said, ‘Thank goodness it wasn’t Shen Yuqiao.'”

Xu Qingyi had been somewhat distracted at first, but hearing this, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

She hadn’t realized he had such a difficult childhood. He seemed so sunny and treated everyone so well.

Shen Yanzhou turned his head to look at her. “So, I haven’t really hidden it from you. The family’s power and influence truly have nothing to do with me, it all belongs to Shen Yuqiao. I’m just the one running an auto repair shop.”

“Would you mind?” he suddenly asked her.

Xu Qingyi was taken aback. “Mind what?”

His gaze was serious. “Mind that I’m just a poor guy…”

“I’ve heard that when women consider marriage, they also care about financial stability. If you mind, it’s not like I can’t fight for it…”

His words suddenly struck a chord with Xu Qingyi. Was Shen Yuqiao making such a deal with her just to provoke Shen Yanzhou through love, to push him into competing for the inheritance?

But the entire family was biased toward Shen Yuqiao. If Shen Yanzhou were to compete, they would have every reason to…

“How could I possibly mind!” The thought made her cut him off abruptly.

Her instinct was to hope that Shen Yanzhou wouldn’t compete.

Wasn’t he doing just fine as he was now? He had friends, a business, and although his financial situation couldn’t compare to that of a wealthy heir, it wasn’t bad.

As long as he didn’t compete, even if he fell in love with her or married her, Shen Yuqiao wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.

Shen Yanzhou lowered his gaze to look at her. “Really?”

Xu Qingyi suddenly realized her slip. “I mean… why would I mind? There’s nothing between us anyway.”

Shen Yanzhou narrowed his eyes slightly. “Turning cold faster than flipping a page? Just two days ago, you agreed to let our relationship develop naturally.”

“I did not!” Xu Qingyi glared at him.

Shen Yanzhou’s expression turned despondent.

His voice softened considerably. “So, really, not even a little bit of liking for me? Aside from the physical.”

He suddenly chuckled to himself. “Seems I’m truly unlikable, huh.”

Xu Qingyi frowned slightly. “That’s not what I meant…”

“It’s not that I don’t like you, but liking someone and being in love are two different things.”

He was a good person to begin with; few people wouldn’t like him.

“You really like me?” Shen Yanzhou latched onto that one point.

Xu Qingyi didn’t know whether to agree or disagree.

She tried to change the subject. “The hairdryer is…”

Shen Yanzhou immediately rolled over, pinning her against the wall once again, reminding her, “Your hair is already dry.”

Xu Qingyi glanced up and, without thinking much, reached out to touch his hair.

Unaware that Shen Yanzhou’s gaze had darkened, he caught her hand and pulled it down to press against his cheek.

Xu Qingyi felt a bit overwhelmed and tried to pull her hand back.

Shen Yanzhou only tightened his grip, guiding her hand downward, giving her a more intimate privilege.

Then he kissed her.

Knowing full well she had no resistance, he asked her while she was dazed, “I want you. Do you want me?”

He was so careful, as if he had never been loved since childhood, cautiously asking for fear she would refuse.