“Damn it, this is unbelievable! It must have been a wild cat!”
Lu Zhenting’s frustrated curses, paired with Lin Zhaodi’s echoing “Exactly, exactly!” gradually faded along with their footsteps.
The yard finally returned to the quiet of dusk.
But inside the narrow compartment of the woodshed, the atmosphere was even more tense than before, like a string pulled to its limit—one touch, and it might snap.
The two of them’s hot breaths and racing heartbeats broke the silence.
Su Wanqing was completely trapped in Gu Yanshen’s embrace, her back pressed tightly against his hard, burning chest.
She could even feel, through the thin fabric, his heartbeat thumping powerfully—thump, thump, thump—as if it could burst into her body.
Her nose was filled with his unique masculine scent, a subtle hint of soap, dominant and intoxicating.
The large hand on her waist radiated a scorching heat, like a branding iron, almost burning through her clothes.
It’s over… it’s really over…
Su Wanqing’s mind went blank.
Her whole body stiffened, her cheeks burning as if on fire, forgetting even how to breathe.
“Don’t move. Don’t make a sound.”
Gu Yanshen’s low, husky voice sounded right by her ear.
The warm breath on her earlobe sent delicate shivers through her, softening half her body.
She stiffly nodded, not daring to move an inch.
They were so close that even the slightest movement would bring their noses together.
This extreme closeness, this dangerous tension, made Su Wanqing’s heart race as if it would jump out of her throat.
After a while, once he was certain the outside was quiet, Gu Yanshen slowly released her.
“They’ve gone.” His voice returned to its usual cool detachment, as if the breathless man from moments ago wasn’t him.
Suddenly losing that scorching support and warmth, Su Wanqing’s legs nearly gave way. She quickly reached out, steadying herself against the cold earthen wall.
At that moment, the commentary in her mind lit up like a flood of messages.
[Ahhhh! Ask him! Wanqing, ask him why he helped you!]
[Don’t chicken out! Show the attitude of a capitalist heiress! Ask him directly!]
[Oh my God, that was way too intense! This is a perfect chance to clarify your relationship! Don’t miss it!]
[Yes! Ask him! See how he responds!]
The flood of thoughts jolted Su Wanqing, instantly clearing away her embarrassment and panic.
Right. What was there to fear?
In her previous life, this man had risked everything—even his life—for her revenge.
In this life, what’s wrong with being a little proactive?
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her wildly beating heart, and spun around.
The dimly lit woodshed revealed Gu Yanshen’s sharp, hawk-like eyes even in the dark.
Summoning every ounce of courage she had, she looked him straight in the eye, her voice trembling slightly without her even noticing:
“Y… you… why did you help me?”
Gu Yanshen’s tall frame stiffened noticeably.
He hadn’t expected her to ask so directly. His eyes flickered away from her blazing gaze, and the line of his jaw tightened.
The woodshed fell silent again, leaving only the sound of their interlaced breaths.
Just as Su Wanqing feared he wouldn’t answer, he finally forced out three low, hard words from his throat:
“Couldn’t stand it.”
His voice was cold as ice, utterly devoid of warmth.
Yet Su Wanqing noticed something subtle: a faint, suspicious blush creeping across the bronzed skin at the base of his ear.
He… he’s shy?!!!
This discovery sent a tingle of delight through her heart, both ticklish and thrilling.
[Oh my God! He’s shy! He’s actually shy!!!]
[Saying “I don’t want to” with his mouth, but his body says otherwise! A textbook case of tsundere!]
[Ahhh, this is perfect! The ice-cold handsome guy blushes for love—what a fairy-tale scene!]
Su Wanqing finally understood. That slight irritation from being dragged earlier had instantly melted away.
She forced herself to suppress the curve of a smile, feeling as sweet as honey inside.
So this man… could be this adorable after all.
Clearing her throat, she tried to make her voice sound sincere and natural:
“Anyway… thank you for today.”
Gu Yanshen responded with a single “Hmm,” still not looking at her.
The woodshed fell into a subtle, delicate silence again, but this time it wasn’t tense—it carried a hint of sweet awkwardness.
Su Wanqing debated whether to say something more to break the awkwardness.
At that moment, a voice suddenly called out anxiously from outside the woodshed.
“Su Wanqing! Wanqing! Where are you? It’s almost dark!”
That voice was like a heavenly sound!
Su Wanqing’s eyes lit up, as if she had found her savior.
She quickly whispered to the still-stationary Gu Yanshen:
“My friend’s looking for me, I have to go first!”
Without waiting for his response, she crouched low and nimbly slipped out through a gap on the other side of the woodshed.
“Li Xiu! I’m here!” She tidied her clothes as she called toward the voice.
“Oh my gosh, where did you run off to? I didn’t see you when I got back—I thought something happened!” Li Xiu breathed a huge sigh of relief and ran over, grabbing her hand.
“I’m fine. I was just wandering around. This place is unfamiliar; I got a little lost.” Su Wanqing lied smoothly, her face calm and her heart steady, naturally linking arms with Li Xiu and leading her toward the dormitories.
After they left, Gu Yanshen slowly emerged from the shadows.
He watched Su Wanqing’s retreating figure, his deep eyes swirling with complicated, dark emotions.
He lifted the hand that had just covered her mouth, as if still lingering with her soft touch and warm breath.
He instinctively rubbed it, then clenched his fist tightly.
Back in the dormitory, Su Wanqing lay on her bed, covering her head with the blanket.
Her mind replayed every moment in the woodshed—his burning chest, his powerful heartbeat, his intoxicating scent of soap, and… the faint blush at his ears.
Her cheeks burned again.
In her past life, she had never known how much this man had sacrificed for her.
In this life, she would never miss it again.
Gu Yanshen.
This man—she was going to make him hers!