Chapter 46: "Qin Yichi, Please Help Me"

A beautiful white swan.

But many people coveted her.

Qin Yichi walked to the edge of the hot spring and leisurely untied his white bathrobe.

Complex emotions rippled in his eyes, as if he were beholding the most exquisite scenery, his lips slowly curving into a smile.

So, he would protect her.

...

Qiao Zhen stood frozen, that sentence lingering in her ears, unable to dissipate.

Her lashes quivered lightly, her heart pounding fiercely; it took a long while before she could breathe softly.

She had never expected Qin Yichi to say such a thing.

They shared many mutual friends, all of whom claimed: Qin Yichi was loyal, reliable, and treated his friends well, but he was sharp-tongued, a bit intimidating, and not easy to get along with.

Yet Qiao Zhen had never thought him sharp-tongued, nor intimidating. He was undeniably good—so very good.

He encouraged her, supported her, comforted her; at his core, he was the gentlest soul.

When she voiced this, their friends looked at her as if she must be blind, faces filled with shock:

“Uh, Zhenzhen, is the Qin Yichi you’re talking about the same one we know?”

“So Chige has two faces now? Playing favorites?”

...

Only when Qin Yichi undid his bathrobe did Qiao Zhen break free from her memories, her gaze landing on his captivating upper body.

He revealed smooth, toned muscles, sharply defined; his v-line was strikingly sexy, like a meticulously sculpted work of art.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, a wild and alluring sensuality, the aura of male hormones overwhelming.

The impact was intense.

Qiao Zhen’s breath paused briefly; she couldn’t help but count silently.

Six.

He had six abs.

They were still pink, actually quite adorable.

Her gaze slid lower, and she saw the man’s black swim trunks. After a few seconds, Qiao Zhen abruptly bowed her head, looked away, a blush creeping up her ears.

So tempting...

Especially when Qin Yichi entered the water, droplets tracing from his collarbone to his chest, disappearing beneath the surface.

“Qiao Zhen, come here.” Qin Yichi leaned languidly against the edge, his tone inscrutable.

When he gently called her name, his eyes grew more intense, as if silently seducing, silently inviting.

Qiao Zhen patted her face, trying to clear her mind, stepping into the hot spring, keeping a considerable distance from him.

He had kindly invited her to enjoy the hot spring, yet her mind was filled with images of his body.

Shameful—it was utterly inappropriate. How could she behave like this...

Qiao Zhen took a deep breath. As she entered the water, the nourishing warmth enveloped her, awakening every cell in her body.

Fatigue and anxiety melted away in the steamy hot spring.

Qiao Zhen squinted in comfort, unable to hold back a sigh: “It feels so good.”

She wished she could die right there.

The temperature was gently scalding, steam warmed her face, her snow-white skin flushed pink, even her voice grew sweeter and softer.

Qiao Zhen looked up at him; their eyes met unexpectedly, colliding.

In that instant, it was as though only the two of them existed in the world, a beautiful spark igniting.

At dusk, romantic star lights illuminated the surroundings, golden light shimmering on the water’s surface, gently caressing Qiao Zhen.

The romantic atmosphere gradually stirred her heart.

Qiao Zhen hesitated for a few seconds, awkwardly shifting her gaze, edging further away from him, step by step.

---

Waves rippled across the water.

She hadn’t moved far when Qin Yichi suddenly lifted his eyelids and tugged at his lips:

“Why are you so far from me, afraid I’ll eat you?”

Qiao Zhen, caught off guard, felt guilty, unable to meet his gaze.

After a long pause, she nodded cautiously: “... Men and women should keep their distance.”

She needed to keep away, or she might not resist the urge to touch him.

At her words, Qin Yichi’s eyes deepened, momentarily at a loss.

He lazily spat out a single word: “Alright.”

He felt unsettled, as if a wad of cotton clogged his chest, even breathing was difficult.

Qin Yichi turned his back to her, lost in thought.

Steam swirled through the air, the spring water seemed alive, seeping into their skin bit by bit.

This hot spring had zones of different temperatures; VIP tickets granted privacy, ensuring no strangers would intrude.

Who knows how much time passed when the sound of water splashing suddenly arose behind him.

The girl poked his back with a slender finger, her voice as melodious as a nightingale: “Qin Yichi...”

A cool evening breeze swept gently across her cheek, carrying hints of sweet floral fragrance.

At her voice, Qin Yichi turned, responding with a soft hum: “Hm?”

Qiao Zhen, her other hand covering her right shoulder, pinched two lace straps, a thin mist glistening in her eyes.

“...My strap came loose, can you help me?”

Her long, thick lashes fluttered, her voice trembling slightly, tinged with grievance.

Qin Yichi lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on her.

The swimsuit had two shoulder straps, off-shoulder sleeves; if one butterfly knot loosened, almost an expanse would be exposed...

Qin Yichi’s Adam’s apple rolled, a tide surging in his eyes, dark and unreadable.

The white gauze overlay of her swimsuit floated on the water, hazy and indistinct, stirring something deep within.

And Qiao Zhen’s expression was like that of a pitiful little rabbit, pleading with the big bad wolf intent on devouring her: “Can you help me?”

Utterly irresistible.

After a long moment, Qin Yichi lowered his voice, a soft laugh escaping his throat: “Didn’t someone just say men and women should keep their distance?”

Qiao Zhen: !!!

Her eyes widened, clear and innocent like a startled fawn.

Deeply aggrieved.

She shrank her neck, stammering: “Can I take it back now... Is it still possible?”

Qin Yichi’s heart collapsed; he wanted to reach out and ruffle her hair. With a gentle “Hm,” he stepped up to Qiao Zhen, taking hold of the two white lace straps.

A stretch of porcelain skin greeted his eyes, flawless as jade, deeply stimulating his senses, making his fingertips tremble uncontrollably.

Every move, every smile of the girl was reflected in Qin Yichi’s eyes, etched into his mind.

She was beautiful.

Facing him, Qiao Zhen didn’t notice anything amiss, softly reminding: “Just tie a simple butterfly knot.”

Qin Yichi bent slightly: “Alright.”

Night deepened, stars scattered across the sky.

Beneath the gentle moonlight, a man and woman soaked in the hot spring, mist swirling around them, forming a romantic oil painting with the surrounding scenery.

Qiao Zhen felt the man's heated breath on her neck, carrying a progressive, invasive energy, burning all the way, impossible to ignore.

Her neck tingled.

Perhaps it was the rising temperature of the hot spring, her whole body gradually flushed, her heart growing warmer.

Unable to resist, Qiao Zhen looked up at Qin Yichi; he bowed his head slightly, keeping a proper distance, patiently and attentively tying her straps as if solving an advanced math problem.

---

His fingers were elegant, joints distinct, long and clean, the veins on his arms faintly visible, brimming with sensual tension.

Everything around them blurred, as if something was fermenting in the air, emotion by emotion.

Though it only took a few seconds, Qiao Zhen felt as though a century had passed.

It was like a slow-motion scene in a film, frame by frame, each indelible: his deep eyes, high nose bridge, perfect Adam’s apple, and those sexy collarbones...

Qiao Zhen pressed her lips together, her heart fluttering wildly.

Qin Yichi kept his eyes lowered, quickly tying a perfect butterfly knot, not touching her at all.

He stepped back, suppressing the heat within, his voice hoarse: “It’s done.”

Qiao Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at him, her dimples deep: “Thank you.”

After the hot spring, Qiao Zhen felt warm all over, her heart filled with the satisfying happiness of contentment...

As night approached, she wrapped herself in a thick white bathrobe, heading to the buffet for desserts.

Qin Yichi followed closely beside her.

Whatever she picked, Qin Yichi would take a piece too, tasting the same desserts, listening to her comments on which were delicious and which were mediocre.

He quietly remembered them all.

From a distance, the two seemed inseparable, like an intimate young couple.

This scene was clearly observed by several people nearby.

A boy stared in amazement, hurriedly snapping a photo and sending it to Ji Xian:

“No way, isn’t that Qiao Zhen and Qin Yichi? The two of them came to the hot spring together?!”

Yu Wenjian was also soaking in the spring, gazing at the girl’s slender legs, snow-white skin, and her smiling face.

His eyes deepened, his throat dry, muttering under his breath: “Damn! It really is!”

In a luxury mansion.

Under an expensive European chandelier, the boy was bathed in a faint white glow.

His figure was clean and elegant, his profile sharp and refined, skin cold and pale, expressionless as he worked on a PowerPoint.

After a long while, Ji Xian scrolled through his phone, unexpectedly seeing a message on WeChat.

In that moment, his movements halted abruptly, disbelief flooding his eyes as he opened the photo—

A man and a woman appeared in the frame, the atmosphere harmonious; the girl’s eyes were squinted in a sweet smile, the boy’s lips curved as he looked at her, ambiguous and hazy.

Qiao Zhen and Qin Yichi.

Just like a pair of lovers who cared for each other.

“Bang!”

The phone slammed hard onto the table, mercilessly.

Ji Xian’s face instantly turned icy, a storm brewing.

He felt dizzy, his heart heavy as if filled with lead, suffocating.

Qiao Zhen and Qin Yichi went to the amusement park together, celebrated her birthday at KTV;

And now, even soaked in the hot spring together...

Ji Xian’s usual cold arrogance cracked, exhaustion appearing, his heart pierced by countless silver needles, impossible to breathe.

He was momentarily dazed, feeling as though he had lost something irreplaceable without even realizing it.

After a long, long time, he forced himself to swallow the bitterness.

“Impossible.” When Ji Xian raised his head again, his eyes shone with unwavering confidence.

How could Qiao Zhen ever really choose Qin Yichi...