A beautiful summer night

Realizing she wasn't the only one who had soaked in seawater, Xia Wanzhi quickly finished her bath and soon emerged wearing a bathrobe and with her hair only half-dry.

"I'm ready, you go take a shower." Xia Wanzhi came out and took small steps to knock on Xie Qiyan's door. As soon as the door opened, the sight of his fair skin immediately caught her eye.

Is this something I can show her without spending any money?

Xia Wanzhi scolded playfully, "Why aren't you wearing any clothes!"

He was cursing while staring intently, unable to look away, embodying the trait of saying one thing but doing another.

Xie Qiyan watched Xia Wanzhi's expressive face with great amusement, and the anger that had been weighing on his heart inexplicably dissipated.

He was angry that he had brought her out but hadn't taken care of her safety.

Seeing that she could still jump around and glare at people while cursing, Xie Qiyan breathed a sigh of relief.

He'd accept being insulted a thousand times.

"How can I show you if I don't take my clothes off?" After holding her hand and giving her a princess carry, Xie Qiyan was afraid of scaring her, so he breathed a sigh of relief and then reverted to his usual cheeky self to tease her.

Xia Wanzhi opened her eyes wide, and with a mixture of shame and anger, she stomped into her room.

The bathroom was filled with steam, still carrying the warm, lingering scent of shampoo and shower gel. Every breath of air was inhaled and flowed through Xie Qiyan's body, telling him that Xia Wanzhi had just taken a shower here.

After all, it was the first time she had shared a bathroom with Xia Wanzhi.

This was the first time a grown man had ever been carried in a sedan chair.

Xie Qiyan felt inexplicably nervous, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he suddenly recalled Xia Wanzhi's words on the deck: "My man."

Banishing the unpleasant thoughts from his mind, Xie Qiyan turned on the shower and stood beneath it to wash away the smell of the sea.

Over the years, he has never done anything that he cannot control.

But from the moment he first softened his heart towards Xia Wanzhi, things began to spiral out of his control.

He agreed to keep her studio, sign a contract with her, keep an eye on her every move, move in and become her neighbor, and agree to play her boyfriend...

The matter should have ended the moment she said she no longer needed him to play the role of her boyfriend.

It should have ended here.

But he insisted that she help him deal with the old man.

One sentence tied her back to herself.

She's like a cat; you can't help but want to tease her.

This behavior can be addictive.

The moment he witnessed Xia Wanzhi fall into the sea, he didn't have time to think before he jumped in after her. In that instant, his body reacted faster than his brain.

The moment he grabbed Xia Wanzhi in the sea, he was glad he had caught her.

I'm so glad Xia Wanzhi can swim, and so glad I showed up in time.

While feeling fortunate, he also blamed himself, blaming himself for not coming out to look for her sooner.

After taking a shower, Xie Qiyan lowered his head and tied the belt of his bathrobe, so that Xia Wanzhi wouldn't accuse him of being a pervert later.

As he looked up, Xia Wanzhi's back came into view, and Xie Qiyan slowed down, staring at her for a long while.

He made quite a commotion when he came out. Logically, Xia Wanzhi should have turned around and said something to him when she heard the noise. Even if she didn't say anything, given her personality, she would have at least glanced at him.

Xie Qiyan lowered his eyes, guessing what was going on, so he took the initiative to walk over to Xia Wanzhi and sit down, maintaining a posture as if he was being scolded.

This is a cabin on a cruise ship. Her dress is wet, and she has no other clothes to change into except for a bathrobe. The two of them are sitting facing each other in identical bathrobes, which can be considered a kind of couple's outfit.

"Do you know that woman surnamed Sun?" Xia Wanzhi asked coldly.

Having just been soaked in seawater and then completely overwhelmed by Xie Qiyan's gentle yet seductive advances, she only remembered now that she had originally intended to settle scores with Xie Qiyan.

"I don't know him." Xie Qiyan looked intently into her eyes. "I'll handle things tonight."

Aside from Xia Wanzhi, his eyes had never looked at any other woman.

"Fine, you don't need to tell me how you're going to handle this." Xia Wanzhi leaned back, placing her hands on her crossed knees, adopting a queen-like posture, her gaze scrutinizing Xie Qiyan. "I don't care who she is, and I don't care what your relationship is, but now—"

"Xie Qiyan, a person should have some professionalism. You are my man now. I don't care about the past or the future. You should deal with your own messy romantic entanglements." Perhaps she had been hurt by Zhou Yu, or perhaps her tolerance was just that low, she would not allow her man to be entangled with other women.

Even if this man is just acting with her.

She is a germaphobe and dislikes anything dirty.

Xie Qiyan stared intently at Xia Wanzhi.

He heard it.

I heard the words, "You are my man."

All I heard was, "You are my man."

Possessive and domineering.

He loved it.

“I understand, my…” He remained expressionless, but his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he added slowly, “Woman.”

Xia Wanzhi: "..."

My tense shoulders relaxed, and I let out a soft breath, suddenly realizing how childish I had been.

What does Xie Qiyan's messy romantic relationships have to do with her?

Why care so much?

Leaning limply against the sofa, Xia Wanzhi felt a little cold. Although she had escaped unscathed, she was still shaken.

Xie Qiyan frowned slightly, as if he noticed that she was not in a good mood. He got up, sat down next to her, and raised his hand to stroke her forehead.

Xia Wanzhi held her breath slightly: "I don't have a fever."

Xie Qiyan seemed not to hear him, tapped his phone screen twice, and ordered someone to bring ginger soup over immediately.

Xia Wanzhi smelled the aroma, and habitually sat obediently to take the drink, holding her breath as she gulped it down.

She drank too quickly, and the ginger soup spilled from the corner of her mouth. Xie Qi reached out and took the bowl from her hand, and casually wiped her mouth with his other hand.

"Don't you like it?" Xie Qiyan's fingertip lingered on the corner of her mouth.

The action was far too intimate. Xia Wanzhi froze, pursed her lips, and backed away, saying, "Who...who would like to drink this stuff?"

However, she was in poor health and often caught colds when she was young. Old Xia would often try different methods to force her to drink it, and she eventually got used to it.

"I'm sorry about what happened tonight." Putting down the bowl in his hand, Xie Qiyan poured her a glass of warm water to soothe the spiciness of the ginger in her mouth.

His topic changed so quickly that Xia Wanzhi almost didn't catch up.

Xie Qiyan doesn't seem to be good at apologizing; although his tone was guilty, it was very stiff.

"Well, since you jumped in to save me without hesitation, it's alright." She had just floated on the surface of the sea when Xie Qiyan jumped in after her.

This person arrived at just the right time and jumped into the sea to save her without hesitation. The moment she was pulled tightly into his arms, she could feel his panic.

Looking back now, it even seems a bit complicated.

Does Xie Qiyan like her?

Although Xie Qiyan often spoke incoherently during the time she spent with him, he treated her extremely well.

She hasn't had much contact with men; from childhood to adulthood, she's only had Zhou Yu by her side.

But when she was with Zhou Yu, not to mention before their engagement, even after their engagement, she had never felt this kind of heart-pounding sensation.

In high school, Xia Wanzhi skipped class once because she wanted to experience rebellion. Later, she was caught by the teacher and punished by having to run 800 meters. Zhou Yu, who was sick at the time, accompanied her the whole way. The summer breeze blew through the boy's sweaty bangs, and Xia Wanzhi's heart stirred slightly. She thought that this was probably what love was.

The feelings of attraction during adolescence seem to be different from those of attraction during adulthood.

After graduating from high school, Xia Wanzhi devoted herself to her work. She was as indifferent as a chrysanthemum and as calm as water, and she always seemed to lack something when getting along with Zhou Yu.

It is said that lovers who spend a lot of time together will become each other's family. What's more, she and Zhou Yu have been childhood sweethearts for 25 years. When she agreed to get engaged, she thought that since they were going to become family anyway, she and Zhou Yu were just becoming family a little earlier.

But later, as the Xia family went bankrupt, she saw Zhou Yu for who he really was, and she also saw through this relationship.

That's not love.

It was just a fleeting feeling of affection that blossomed during my teenage years. "Next chapter will be later."