Lou Yinghui was soaked with seawater. She struggled to climb onto the man's sturdy neck but failed.
Her body slid uncontrollably, floating lightly, instilling an extreme sense of panic.
She flailed her arms, attempting to latch onto him once more, but he was beyond her reach.
Was she about to die? Dying by drowning?
The rapidly rising seawater inundated her mouth and nose, swallowing her breath.
No, she couldn't die, not with her unfulfilled experiences…
The man, seemingly helpless, wiped the seawater off his face and dived into the ocean. He found her, reached out, and grabbed under her armpit, pulling her out of the water.
Cold, it was so cold. Upon contact with the air again, Lou Yinghui found herself unable to breathe, no matter how hard she tried.
Something was now pressing against her lips, powerfully prying open her teeth, and slipping in, somewhat like a king conquering a city, possessing everything. The sense of invasion was strong, yet its smell was refreshing, like a forest after the rain. Amidst the stench of the seawater, such a fresh aroma was indeed moving, enough to bring tears to one's eyes.
"Cough," Lou Yinghui vomited out all the seawater she swallowed, amidst severe coughing pain.
She clung onto him desperately. Her arms like lotus roots entwined around his neck, her long, pale legs wrapped around his sturdy waist–she seemed like an octopus, sticking onto him.
The final sensation was his iron-like chest pressing against her, about to melt her—
…
The scenes from her fall into the ocean the previous night replayed in Lou Yinghui's mind, frame by frame like an old movie.
What happened? Why couldn't she remember anything?
Lou Yinghui struggled to lift her eyelids, and the first sight to greet her was an exceedingly handsome face.
A full, smooth forehead, a nose that rose tall as a summit, lips shaped in a graceful arc, and under those long, thick eyelashes were a pair of eyes majestic and mysterious like obsidian, emitting a profound and calm light.
What pair of eyes they were, like a nighttime sky teeming with countless stars, a single flash that moved one's heart.
The beat of Lou Yinghui's heart slowly returned, beating faster and faster.
It was him, the man who had saved her last night!
"Miss Lou, you're finally awake. You fell into the sea last night, and Mr. Xiao jumped in to save you. With you hanging onto him, you both almost didn't make it," said a seemingly cruise ship steward, fearfully wiping the sweat from his forehead with a white handkerchief.
Right, Lou Yinghui remembered what happened after she had clung to Xiao Quan, disabling his movement. If he hadn't contained her and the lifeboat hadn't arrived on time, perhaps they both would've...
Lou Yinghui propped herself up half-way from the bed, looking deeply into Xiao Quan's eyes.
"Thank you. I almost implicated you last night, are you okay now?"
When she asked, she inexplicably thought of the artificial respiration, her mouth full of his taste, a faint tobacco smell, imposing and domineering, very masculine.
"I’m fine." Under the warm light, Xiao Quan's handsome face remained unflustered and emotionless, "The doctor says you should lay down and rest more. How are you feeling right now?"
From his position, he could just make out a small portion of skin on Lou Yinghui's neck. Like a piece of expensive, soft white jade, delicate veins subtly visible beneath it, incredibly beautiful and alluring.
His long fingers unconsciously brushed against his side, his throat feeling a bit dry.
The little girl he once knew had grown up, having the fragrance and curves of a young woman, like a peach delicately perched on the branch, a light stroke of the fingertips caused the soft fruit skin to break open, sweet juice overflowing.
Lou Yinghui opened her hands, showing that she was alright.
"Compared to dying at sea, the enfeebled limbs and throbbing headache are nothing in particular. They confirm that I'm still alive."
A svelte chuckle slipped from Xiao Quan's lips. He seemed to be in high spirits, primarily influenced by Lou Yinghui's optimistic demeanor.
Seeing Xiao Quan's softened features, Lou Yinghui felt as though someone had gently plucked at her heartstrings, leaving her momentarily speechless.
What had she just seen? She seemed to glimpse a sight where someone chiseled open a crack in the mountains and rivers frozen over a vast distance. The crack gradually and slowly widened, first slowly, then increasingly quickly, spreading with a pace too swift to capture with naked eyes. In no time, the glacier melted into spring water, roaring and rushing, blooming countless flowers where it flowed.
This man was dangerous. A single smile from him could captivate souls and claim lives.
Fortunately, the cruise ship manager on one side began to negotiate with her about the settlement, so she no longer had to face Xiao Quan.
"Miss Lou, we are truly sorry for this accident. Our cruise company will compensate you with fifty thousand in consolation money. Can we settle us privately?"
"No," Lou Yinghui's voice was soft yet heavy, sounding as if it carried the weight of a thousand jins, "My fall into the sea was not an accident, it was an intentional murder."
The cruise manager's face darkened. Murder? Who was trying to kill her? She was obviously trying to sit on the ground and raise the price!
"Miss Lou, how much do you want, please quote a price."
Lou Yinghui shut her eyes tiredly as a throbbing pain pulsed at her temples.
Last night, she was leaning against the railing, gazing in the distance when suddenly, the railing broke open.
She sensed something unusual and instinctively moved back, but a pair of hands reached out from behind...
But she was alone, her voice little and light, who would believe her?
Unsurprisingly, a sudden chill overwhelmed Lou Yinghui's heart.
At this moment, the gentle and elegant male voice echoed again, as if a gentle breeze brushed past.
"Do you have proof for your claims? You wouldn't randomly spew those words, would you?"
Lou Yinghui gratefully looked at Xiao Quan, "Yes, a hand reached out from behind and pushed me. I believe the breaking of the railing was no accident, and neither was that hand."
A steward for the cruise ship interrupted, "Miss Lou, the guests on this ship are either rich or noble. You can't slander with conjectures."
Xiao Quan's indifferent voice was subtly intimidating, silencing the ship's steward.
"Her speculation is reasonable, how is that slander?"
The steward seems to be in utmost respect for Xiao Quan. As soon as Xiao Quan spoke, he stopped questioning Lou Yinghui and respectfully bowed, "Indeed, Master Xiao is right, allow me to investigate."
The way the steward treated Lou Yinghui and Xiao Quan were completely different.
Lou Yinghui can't help but look at Xiao Quan, a man oozing nobility and coolness from head to toe.
Something flashed through her mind.
Ah, she remembered now.
In the last few days on the cruise ship, the surrounding ladies of the upper class were always talking about one name, Xiao Quan, Xiao Quan...
What Xiao Quan was wearing today;
Which lucky woman Xiao Quan talked to more than usual;
Xiao Quan...
Back then, Xiao Quan was just a nobleman mentioned by others to her. She was on the same cruise ship with him, she always heard people talking about him, but because she didn't know him, she didn't care.
But now...