He had a domineering, decisive personality never the gentle type.
Xiao Ye knew that about himself.
When it came to her ex husband, Xia Guanfeng, Su Yemang immediately felt she had said too much.
She tried to change the subject awkwardly. “Xiao Ye, have you been doing well these past few years?”
Change the subject?
Xiao Ye’s eyelids lifted slightly. He glanced at her, then coolly looked away.
“Professor Su, don’t you already know whether I’ve been doing well?”
He ignored her after that and continued marking the nuclear battery graveyard with red paint.
Su Yemang’s eyes were drawn to the bandage on his wrist. She couldn’t help asking again, “Your… your wrist… what happened?”
Xiao Ye carried a large backpack and shot her a cold glance. “None of your business.”
Earlier, while executing the mission on the mountaintop, he had received a message from Director Lin saying Su Yemang was heading to the nuclear battery graveyard. Concerned for her safety, he had instinctively leapt into the thorny underbrush, accidentally injuring his wrist.
“Right. It’s none of my business,” Su Yemang’s throat tightened, and she felt momentarily choked.
Night had fallen completely.
Su Yemang followed Xiao Ye toward the Jeep parked on the hillside.
Xiao Ye walked upright through the dew soaked mountain, his silhouette in the moonlight like a peak or a pine.
Suddenly, he turned. In the darkness of night, his peach blossom eyes were breathtakingly handsome.
“Could he satisfy you in bed?” Xiao Ye said abruptly, his tone cold.
Su Yemang had not expected such a question. It was utterly bewildering.
In the dim moonlight, the mountain creek shimmered uniformly.
Xiao Ye suddenly approached. “I’m asking you compared to your ex husband, how were those five years with me?”
“And a few days ago, in your bedroom… on your bed… how was I?”
Xiao Ye asked as if punishing himself. After speaking, his chest ached, almost suffocating him.
He reached out… gripping the bandage around his wrist tightly.
Xiao Ye’s entire body trembled, and Su Yemang’s pores tightened.
Her heartbeat refused to settle.
With his back to her, Xiao Ye demanded, “I’m asking you who was better?”
Su Yemang lowered her chin. “Y You… why are you asking these things again? Let’s… let’s go.”
Xiao Ye’s jaw tensed. “Better?”
Su Yemang’s entire forehead went numb; she didn’t know how to answer.
She and her ex husband, Xia Guanfeng, had grown up together but had never even held hands there was no question of anything physical.
In her life, only Xiao Ye had ever been that man.
And every time with him, he was enduring; she was overwhelmed yet addicted to the lingering aftertaste.
“Heh… I get it.” Xiao Ye’s gaze immediately turned serious.
His heart sank violently; a sense of defeat pierced his male pride.
So he couldn’t surpass Su Yemang’s ex husband.
Xiao Ye turned, took his radio, and strode ahead.
Su Yemang, flashlight in hand, reviewed the assessment data, planning the chemical defense strategy for the next day.
Xiao Ye silently lowered his head and quietly turned on the spotlight under the brim of his hat.
Suddenly, he stopped and circled behind Su Yemang, expressionless, illuminating her with the light.
Su Yemang looked up and saw Xiao Ye with the corner of his cold mouth lifted slightly, watching her.
Her heart skipped a beat again…
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.
The mountain trees swayed; leaves and branches rustled violently “shh shh shh!”
Branches creaked and groaned in every direction.
It was as if some evil force were at work.
Xiao Ye’s face darkened. “Not good a typhoon’s coming.”
No sooner had he spoken than the wind whipped up dust, blinding Su Yemang.
Squinting, she hugged her data and tools tightly.
“Crack!” A thick branch was blown down, heading straight for her.
“Bang!” Xiao Ye kicked the branch aside.
Su Yemang, buffeted by the wind, couldn’t open her eyes. In panic, she stepped on an uneven stone.
It was her first typhoon, and fear gripped her she worried about Su Yixin…
Was he safe tonight in the kindergarten? Was he scared?
As the storm grew stronger, had he been running around recklessly again?
The wind intensified.
Su Yemang couldn’t open her eyes, her body tilting uncontrollably…
In panic, a pair of strong hands grabbed her, pulling her together toward the grassy slope.
Su Yemang moved sluggishly and twisted her ankle while running.
“Ah…”
She stepped into a deep pit.
“Su Yemang!”
Xiao Ye lunged to grab her wrist to save her…
But in the process, they both accidentally fell into a deep pit.
Su Yemang opened her eyes to find herself in another confined space, pitch dark.
Around them, the pit walls were embedded with jagged stones.
Her breathing grew erratic; oxygen felt scarce.
“Help…”
She hadn’t even finished screaming for help before Xiao Ye pressed his lips against hers.
Su Yemang’s legs went weak, and she felt her oxygen returning.
She tilted her head back, accepting his kiss. “Xiao… Ye…”
“Don’t speak.” Xiao Ye’s lips brushed over hers as he half closed his eyes, murmuring lowly.
The pain in his chest faded for a moment, rational thought slipping away.
Su Yemang’s waist seemed to pull him like magic, warming his hands.
He breathed into her, his suppressed desire gradually igniting.
So what if she had an ex husband? He was hopeless every time he got close to her, his heart softened.
Moonlight fell on the yellow soil walls of the pit, ten meters deep, with branches obstructing it.
Only the spot where Su Yemang and Xiao Ye had fallen was hollowed out.
The light was dim, and Xiao Ye’s pupils were dark and unreadable.
Su Yemang’s trembling body slowly regained composure; her lips were swollen from his kiss.
But he didn’t stop continuing with his lips, then his tongue…
Sticky, dizzying.
Ten minutes later.
Su Yemang’s breathing had steadied, and she reached out to push him.
But he pressed even closer, unwilling to let go.
The feeling of lips and tongue made her lose her senses.
He kept taking more.
She liked Xiao Ye. Loved him.
For five years, that had never changed.
That night in the bedroom she had replayed it countless times.
So… now?
She promised herself caution.
She had work responsibilities; one of her closest friends had already died from radiation.
Work came first she couldn’t let love sway her.
Romance couldn’t come first.
Yet, in this moment, could she briefly lose herself?
“Pfft boom!”
The typhoon struck again, violently.
“Crack!”
A thick branch was blown toward the pit opening.
Instinctively, Xiao Ye shielded Su Yemang with his body, holding her tight and looking up at the ten meter drop.
“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “The branch didn’t fall in.”
It turned out a half meter thick tree was lying horizontally, blocking the pit entrance.
Luckily, there were gaps on either side, allowing air to flow in.
Su Yemang’s heart pounded as she looked at the opening. “Then, Xiao Ye… we need to figure out how to get out…”
Before she could finish, Xiao Ye’s large hand pressed down on the back of her neck.
“We can’t get out,” his voice murmured into her ear.
“Stop thinking about it.”
How could Xiao Ye let this opportunity slip?
His obsessive pride made him ache.
So he teased her. Made her pay.
Let her feel the pain. Let her regret.
Back then, she had been so ruthless abandoning him, turning away, marrying another man, and having a child.
Xiao Ye gritted his teeth against the pain in his ribs and looked at Su Yemang. “Did he ever kiss you like this?”