On the day of her return to China, she was tied up and coaxed by the richest man to get her marriage

At the same time, the elevator ceiling light flickered twice, and the elevator, which had been running smoothly, suddenly dropped.

Yu Jinzhao's lips trembled slightly, her body swayed, and she instinctively grabbed the lever behind her. Realizing something, she looked at the motionless elevator door in astonishment, "The elevator is malfunctioning."

No wonder the elevator didn't move even after we'd been talking for so long.

Si Qing remained unmoved, calmly extending his hand to press all the floor buttons, and the plummeting elevator immediately stopped.

But the elevator doors still didn't open, and he tried pressing the emergency stop button, but nothing happened.

What a lousy elevator.

His brows furrowed in a cold expression. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the woman's face had become excessively pale, as if she were unwell. He asked,

"what happened to you?"

Yu Jinzhao's lips were snow-white. She bit her lip and looked down to rummage through her bag. "It's okay, I'll call someone to come and smooth things over."

He narrowed his eyes and saw her hurriedly pull on the zipper. Even though she was trying her best to appear nonchalant, her trembling fingertips betrayed her tension and panic.

She fumbled around for ages trying to find her phone, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Si Qing withdrew his gaze from her, took out his phone and dialed a number, giving the instructions methodically, "Yin Zhuo, immediately bring people from the Technical Supervision Bureau to Yu Family Hospital to deal with the malfunctioning elevator."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Yu Jinzhao again and saw that she had her back to him, her hands on the railing, and she frowned as she spoke.

"Turn around so your back is in a straight line against the inner wall."

When Yu Jinzhao heard his deep voice, it was so muffled by her own frantic heartbeat that she could barely hear it, and it just rang out in a buzzing sound.

She swallowed hard, her palms clenching tightly, knowing that when the elevator malfunctions, she should lean against the wall to protect her spine.

But she couldn't move at all now; her blood seemed to have frozen, and her whole body was stiff and tense.

A childhood kidnapping experience left an indelible mark on her heart.

Therefore, she cannot stay in a confined space for too long, as she will be subconsciously afraid.

Seeing that she remained motionless, Si Qing's eyes were filled with a deep, silent darkness.

Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, almost soaking half of her face. Her hands gripped the railing tightly, the knuckles showing a thin layer of white skin, as if she were clinging to the only piece of driftwood for a drowning person.

His brows furrowed even deeper.

She seemed afraid; this reaction resembled claustrophobia or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Suddenly, the lights above the elevator flickered more erratically and made a crackling sound, like the sound of tires rubbing against the ground.

In the empty, enclosed space, the terrifying sound was piercing.

Yu Jinzhao almost screamed out loud, quickly squatted down, buried her head in her knees, closed her eyes, and held her head with both hands.

Si Qing's brow twitched as he stared at her curled-up figure, lost in thought for a few seconds before a scene flashed through his mind.

A little boy and a little girl huddled together for warmth in a small, dark, enclosed room...

fleeting.

He had a vague feeling that he might have experienced the same symptoms as her...

The lights continued to flicker and crackle, accompanied by scraping sounds, and unbearable images flooded my mind.

Yu Jinzhao curled up into a ball, as if he was about to be devoured alive by these voices and was on the verge of losing control.

Just then, I heard a steady, powerful footstep.

The footsteps carried a breeze, and the temperature they conveyed was even colder than the chill of sweat evaporating from the skin.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, one after another, carrying an invisible pressure. Combined with the eerie noises in the elevator, it created a feeling of a hundred ghosts walking at night, and she became even more terrified in an instant.

Taking a deep breath, I felt as if an invisible pair of clamps were tightly gripping my throat.

This oppressive feeling rises from the deep sea, gradually surging like waves as breathing becomes increasingly difficult.

The suffocating waves made her feel like a fish trapped in a net, unable to break free no matter how hard she struggled.

His breathing became increasingly weak and labored.

Just when she thought she was about to suffocate, footsteps stopped beside her.

Then, a large hand grasped her wrist.

As if she had fallen into purgatory, someone threw her a lifeline.

In an instant, a ray of warmth shone through her suffocating world, and her difficult breathing was relieved.

Slowly, she raised her head from between her knees and gently opened her eyes.

Then, his gaze met Si Qing's deep eyes in the pitch-black winter night.

Despite feeling a chill all over her body, she felt inexplicably warm.

She couldn't help but grasp his hand in return, with an eagerness and urgency, wanting to draw him in.

Her fingertips were icy cold, her expression blank, and her eyes, still wet with tears, were tinged with a deep, rosy red.

Si Qing's Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, then he grasped her soft, boneless hand in his palm, raised his long arm, and pulled her forcefully into his arms.

In an instant, she crashed into his chest.

She tilted her chin up, brushing against his shoulder, his warm breath washing over her and spreading through her tightly pressed bodies, instantly melting and relaxing the frozen blood in her limbs.

At the same time, she heard his heartbeat, clear and strong, its steady rhythm possessing a magical power to quickly calm her down, allowing her to gradually settle her breath.

He knelt between her knees, one hand cradling her back, the other gently pressing against the back of her head, his slender, jade-like fingers digging into her fluffy hair.

"Don't be afraid."

The light breath brushed past her ear, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, vibrating in her heart.

In a daze, she remembered her brother who loved and cared for her.

Of the entire family, only her brother knew that she had claustrophobia, and he would accompany her every time she took the elevator.

There were times when the elevator malfunctioned, and each time her brother would hold her like this, holding her hand tightly, stroking her hair gently and firmly to comfort her.

"Little fish, don't be afraid, your brother will always be with you."

Because of her brother's tireless companionship and comfort, all her unease and anxiety were miraculously soothed, and she gradually became less afraid of taking the elevator.

Her eyelashes trembled, her chin rested lightly on the man's shoulder, and she murmured softly.

"elder brother……"

Her voice was nasal, hoarse, and moist, carrying an unspeakable grievance.

Is he being mistaken for Yu Jinxian again?

Si Qing's brows were furrowed, but his deep black eyes remained calm and composed.

He prided himself on knowing Yu Jinzhao well, but three years had changed too much. She had become beyond his control, arousing a long-dormant desire to explore her.

He had a premonition that her mental illness was related to her experiences abroad, and what she had gone through.

The creaking sounds in the elevator continued for a long time, which only made the surrounding darkness and quietness more apparent after she had completely calmed down.

She gradually calmed down and realized that it was not her brother who was comforting her, but Si Qing.

The five senses have been completely restored.

She felt his strong, powerful heartbeat rising and falling in his chest. It was so heavy, yet it was like the moon falling on a clear lake, creating gentle ripples that reached the depths of her heart.

"Are you tired?" Si Qing suddenly asked.

She was startled, instinctively turning her head, her lips inadvertently brushing against his cheek.

Both of them were stunned for a moment.

Si Qing felt the fleeting, moist touch leave an imprint on his skin, his eyes darkening with emotion, and he patted the back of her head.

"I didn't mean to," she said, looking embarrassed, and explained earnestly.

"Aren't you tired of looking up like that?" The man's handsome lips curved into a smile. The flickering lights in the elevator reflected in his eyes, like shattered moonlight, softening his usual sharpness and giving him a more inky, ethereal quality.

"Put your chin down."

Yu Jinzhao's beautiful eyes widened slightly as she realized that she had been holding her chin up straight the whole time. It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because it was actually a bit tiring.

She slowly lowered her head and rested her chin on his shoulder.

His five fingers pressed against the back of her head, close to the roots of her hair. The thin calluses on his fingertips made her tremble involuntarily, and she took a deep breath.

She had to admit that his presence, and the man himself, made her feel safe, just like her older brother had in the past.

Perhaps it's because he truly protected her for three years.

She turned her head to the side, looking at the elevator wall, the flickering lights overhead reflecting their embracing figures.

The swaying, trembling shadows mirrored her gradually trembling, joyful state of mind.

She sensed that he seemed to have softened.

He must be willing to be friends with her again!

This thought made her chuckle softly, and her eyes lit up again, her bright starry eyes looking exceptionally joyful.

She smiled, her soft breath lingering beneath his sensitive earlobe, carrying a strange, tingling sensation.

His neck stiffened, and the hand gripping her waist tightened imperceptibly.

She couldn't wait to speak, "Are you...?"

“Miss, you can rely on me today,” he interrupted her softly.

Yu Jinzhao blinked, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, extinguishing the brilliance in his eyes, and his joy came to an abrupt end.

What do you mean by "we can rely on him today"?

*

Just between you and me, Chaochao has an alternate account!