Chapter 38:

The higher up the mountain they climbed, the cooler the breeze became, yet Lin Qiao’s face flushed hotter with every word Shen Qingzhou had spoken.

She watched his tall, upright figure moving effortlessly through the forest, as if he hadn’t just said anything remotely embarrassing. His hand, firm and warm around her wrist, stirred a deep, overwhelming sense of satisfaction from within her.

Silently following him around a hill, Lin Qiao raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Shen Qingzhou, who turned and caught sight of it.

Shen Qingzhou glanced at the sky. “It’s already afternoon. Are you still feeling hot?”

Lin Qiao fanned herself with a small fan, hiding her reddening face. “No, not at all. I’m not hot.”

Shen Qingzhou released her wrist and placed his hand gently on her forehead, smirking. “Still not hot? Your forehead is all sweaty, and your bangs are soaked.”

Lin Qiao frowned. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“Then let’s go back.” He turned and started walking in the opposite direction.

Lin Qiao hurried after him. “You’re not going up anymore? We haven’t even seen half of it!”

Without turning, Shen Qingzhou replied, “I’ll take you back first. I can come another day.”

“…” Was he worried she’d get sunburned?

Lin Qiao felt warm inside at his thoughtfulness. She didn’t want him to waste time on her account, so she grabbed his hand. “Don’t worry about me. Since we’re already here, let’s keep going.” She pulled him forward, striding up the mountain with long steps.

Shen Qingzhou followed closely behind, worried she might trip. He wanted to tell her she was going the wrong way, but didn’t want to discourage her enthusiasm. So the two of them continued climbing—further and further in the completely wrong direction.

After a long while, Lin Qiao noticed Shen Qingzhou hadn’t spoken. She wondered why they hadn’t reached the top yet. When she turned around, she found him watching her with a calm, indulgent expression.

Only then did it dawn on her. “Wait… did I go the wrong way?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced around. “You went wrong a long time ago.”

“…” She frowned. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“You looked so focused. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Liar.” Lin Qiao blushed and squatted down. “I’m exhausted. Oh well, wrong way or not, let’s just take a break.”

Shen Qingzhou unbuttoned his jacket and spread it on the ground. “Sit.”

Lin Qiao looked at the expensive black jacket on the rocky ground and smirked. “Rich boy.”

Shen Qingzhou gave her a sidelong glance, standing beside her with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. “I’m not rich.”

“Hmph.” Lin Qiao rolled her eyes. “Pretend-modest.”

Shen Qingzhou shook his head. “I’m not being modest. ‘Rich’ is the right word. ‘Tuhao’ is for the nouveau riche. You can call me a tycoon.” He reached into his pants pocket and handed her a small, exquisite box. “A belated birthday gift. I never had the chance to give it to you.”

Lin Qiao didn’t hesitate, taking the box and sitting cross-legged on his jacket. She looked up at him. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” He seemed slightly uneasy, his eyes darting around restlessly.

She set her fan aside and carefully opened the box. Inside, on a black velvet base, lay a translucent jade bracelet. As she lifted it, Shen Qingzhou explained, “It’s been blessed. It’s your zodiac year. This will protect you.”

Lin Qiao paused, examining the bracelet closely in her hands. She looked up. “This must be really expensive.”

Shen Qingzhou crouched down to meet her gaze, his long eyes narrowing slightly. “How expensive do you think it is?”

Lin Qiao looked into his eyes. They were beautiful—especially when he looked at her so intently. If you were close to him, his gaze could be even more sincere. His lashes were thick and long, his features so refined they seemed almost too perfect for a man.

“Judging by your standards,” Lin Qiao slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and grinned, pushing his face away. “It’s not that expensive.”

Shen Qingzhou stood up with her, brushing off his jacket and draping it over his arm. “Go back now?”

“Mm.” Lin Qiao stretched. “I’ve rested enough. Let’s go.” She glanced at the sky. “The sun’s setting. It’s all my fault. We wasted the day. You should come back alone another time.”

She walked a few steps ahead, then turned around and started walking backward, chatting as she went. “I’m such a burden. I even told Mr. Du I’d help you out today, but in the end—ah!”

Misfortune follows happiness.

What does it mean to say that joy invites sorrow? Lin Qiao was about to find out.

This path wasn’t part of Shen Qingzhou’s plan, so he hadn’t studied it. He didn’t know the terrain. Lin Qiao, chatting while walking backward, couldn’t see what was ahead of her. Her body blocked her view, and Shen Qingzhou couldn’t see the terrain either. He only knew there was flat ground beside them, no slope—but what lay beneath that patch of grass was a trap.

A pit. A very large, deep one. When Lin Qiao fell in, she swallowed a mouthful of dirt. The grass covering the hole fell in with her, covering her body. She sat on the ground, spitting out leaves, and winced as she held her waist.

“Lin Qiao!”

Shen Qingzhou was already at the edge of the pit. Looking down from above, the light behind him cast a shadow over the hole. From this height, Lin Qiao could clearly see how deep it was—about three or four meters.

“Shen Qingzhou.” Lin Qiao looked up with a pained expression. “My butt hurts so bad!”

Shen Qingzhou instinctively frowned, his hand clenched into a loose fist as he coughed. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I don’t know.” Lin Qiao tried to stand, but the pain shot through her lower body. She called out helplessly, “I can’t get up. What do I do?”

There was no answer from above. As Lin Qiao wondered what he was doing, he finally spoke. “Move a little to the side.”

“What are you doing?” Lin Qiao asked, puzzled but obeying. She shifted slightly to the side and announced, “I’m moved.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Shen Qingzhou jumped down from the edge. Unlike her, he landed steadily, hands lightly touching the ground, his movements agile and graceful.

Lin Qiao stared at him in shock. “Why did you jump down?!”

“You said it hurt.” Shen Qingzhou scooped her up effortlessly into his arms and carried her to a spot near the wall of the pit where sunlight filtered in. He sat down, placing her on his lap, and began examining her slender waist.

So close, his breath tickled her ear, making her instinctively shift away. But Shen Qingzhou wasn’t having it. He tightened his grip on her arm, pulling her back firmly. “Don’t move.”

Lin Qiao quickly murmured, “Okay,” and turned to look at his serious face. After a while, she couldn’t help asking, “Any findings?”

Still massaging her waist, he replied, “I already had them.”

“Then why did you take so long?”

“I had nothing else to do.”

“…” She sighed. “So what’s the verdict?”

“Nothing serious.” Shen Qingzhou pulled her closer into his chest and took out his phone. He turned on the screen and prepared to make a call.

Lin Qiao asked curiously, “You have signal?”

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her. “Why do you ask?”

“In the dramas, when the main characters fall into a deep cave, their phones never get signal.”

Shen Qingzhou gave her a cold stare and said bluntly, “Lin Qiao, don’t daydream. Do you think I’d let myself get into trouble? There’s a China Mobile tower nearby.”

“…” Of course. TV dramas are full of lies >_

Shen Qingzhou’s call connected quickly. Du Xinling, as capable as Doraemon, was in Beijing and couldn’t help. So who was he calling?

Lin Qiao tried to eavesdrop, but Shen Qingzhou looked at her and said clearly into the phone, “Hello, Fire Department Command Center.”

Lin Qiao buried her face in his chest in embarrassment, listening as he calmly explained the situation to 119, giving a precise estimate of their location. After hanging up, he gently pulled her head away.

“Lin Qiao, you got snot on my shirt.”

“Liar.” Lin Qiao frowned and checked his collar. “I didn’t even sneeze. How could I have gotten snot on it?”

Shen Qingzhou looked down at the top of her head, his voice carrying a clear smile. “I’m teasing you.”

“…” Lin Qiao glared at him.

Shen Qingzhou didn’t let her speak. He spread his now-dirty jacket on the ground again and pinned her beneath him. “Lin Qiao, it’ll take a while for help to arrive. How should we pass the time?”

Lin Qiao stared at him blankly. “Huh?”

Shen Qingzhou gently pinched her nose and sighed. “Does your waist still hurt?”

Lin Qiao thought for a moment. “Not too bad.”

“What about your butt?”

Her face flushed slightly but she answered honestly. “It feels a little better.”

“Good. I won’t be too rough. Tell me if it hurts.”

With that suggestive remark, Shen Qingzhou raised his hand and began unbuttoning his shirt. The motion startled Lin Qiao.

“Shen Qingzhou, wait. Am I just thinking too much? Are you trying to… do *that*?” Lin Qiao grabbed his hand, alarmed.

Shen Qingzhou pulled his hand free and continued unbuttoning his shirt, his voice low and teasing. “What if I am?”

Lin Qiao was momentarily speechless, stammering for a while before finally whispering, “Isn’t this… a bit inappropriate?”

She glanced around the dark, damp cave. The only light barely reached them.

Shen Qingzhou followed her gaze and smirked. “Perfect timing and setting. It couldn’t be more suitable.”

“I…” Lin Qiao opened her mouth but couldn’t think of a good reason to stop him. Her flustered expression only made Shen Qingzhou chuckle. His laughter sent a tingling sensation through her body.

“I’ll be right outside. Not going in.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear, his voice seductive. Without waiting for her reply, he pulled her skirt up to her waist and slowly slid her white lace panties down her legs, all the way to her ankles.

Lin Qiao knew she was half-resisting, but she was truly thrown off by his unpredictable moves. Her reflexes were too slow to react. By the time she thought to stop him, her underwear was already around her left ankle.

…Her resistance was utterly useless. It was off, just not thrown away yet.

“Keep it hooked if you like.”

Shen Qingzhou had already achieved his goal. He gave her ankle a teasing glance, then leaned in, grabbing her hand and guiding it to his belt.

Her small hand trembled in his larger one. His smirk deepened. Out of mercy, he released her and undid the belt himself, pulling his pants down slightly and revealing his already hard member.

“You lied…” Lin Qiao was forced to spread her legs around his waist and looked up at him pleadingly. “You guys always say that, but I’ve never seen anyone actually do it.”

Shen Qingzhou pressed his hardness against her folds and slowly rubbed up and down, just as he promised, not entering her.

He ignored her protest and silenced her with a kiss, his tongue parting her lips and deepening the kiss until her thoughts were in chaos. His hands took advantage of the moment, slipping into her bra and cupping her soft, full breasts. The sensation was enough to drive any normal man wild.

“Lin Qiao, I did lie.” He kissed along her jawline and down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses. His voice was low and husky, like a shedding snake. “It’s just basic manners.”

…What a scoundrel. Lying had become a form of politeness now. This man was truly wicked.

Lin Qiao wrapped her arms around his head as he buried himself in her chest, working her with his tongue and lips. His hardness rubbed against her sensitive nub, his fingers teasing her nipples. Every move he made sent her spiraling into ecstasy, pulling her deeper into this absurd, passionate moment.

“Mm… ah…” Lin Qiao instinctively threw her head back, tightening her legs around his waist, their most intimate parts pressed together with no space between them. “Qingzhou…”

She called his name without thinking. Shen Qingzhou lifted his head from her chest and gazed into her hazy, half-closed eyes, his voice hoarse. “Lin Qiao, are you with me?”

He moved upward, gently sucking her earlobe, drawing another soft, seductive moan from her.

Even though he was already rock hard, he patiently continued the foreplay. After all that, he still didn’t enter her, instead politely asking the “owner” for permission. All these actions confirmed the worry in his heart—he was still afraid of repeating the scene from last time. He never wanted to go through that again.

“Don’t ask me,” Lin Qiao blushed and lowered her head, nuzzling into his shoulder, which was practically consent. “Decide for yourself.”

Shen Qingzhou’s breath hitched. In an instant, he understood her meaning. He reached down, guided himself, and pushed in without hesitation. His forceful entry made Lin Qiao cry out. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stop and wait for her to adjust.

“Couldn’t you have been gentler!” Lin Qiao hit his shoulder in frustration, biting her lip and closing her eyes, her face twisted in pain.

Shen Qingzhou recalled their first night together—she had looked just like this. He must have been cruel that night.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered the apology, unsure whether it was for this moment or the last.

Lin Qiao slowly opened her eyes, looking at him. He was straining so hard his temple throbbed. His hardness inside her pulsed with every heartbeat, the pain slowly fading. Though still tight and uncomfortable, she kissed his cheek, silently giving him permission to continue.

That kiss was like a key, unlocking the softest corners of both their hearts. They were intimately joined in this deserted place, their bond growing tighter with every movement. No one could ever tear them apart again.

For them, falling into this hole didn’t seem so bad after all.