Qin Si Ye took a step forward and gently pulled her into his embrace. "Xi Xi, if I'm going crazy, it's from missing you. You won't let me video call or talk to you. When I can't see you or hear your voice, do you know how much my heart aches? I finally had a chance encounter with you here, and I couldn't help myself. You... you're not really angry, are you?"
Hearing this, Shen Xi blushed and pushed him away again. "But you can't just ambush me like that! You nearly scared me to death just now." Her tone was noticeably softer than before.
Qin Si Ye's eyes lit up. He immediately took her small hand. "This is the Mayor's residence, and Song Kai Cheng is here. I can't talk to you openly, so I had to follow you secretly. I wanted to give you a surprise, but it turned into..." Before he could finish the word "fright," he met Shen Xi's cold gaze again. He quickly corrected himself, "See, am I being very obedient this time? Knowing you and Song Kai Cheng were here, I immediately avoided him and didn't run into him."
"That's more like it," Shen Xi huffed lightly, her brow furrowed. "Why did you suddenly come here?"
Qin Si Ye replied, "I have some business to discuss with Mayor Abel."
"You know him too?" Shen Xi asked in surprise.
Qin Si Ye smiled and put his arm around her slender waist, pulling her closer. "What, only your Brother Kai Cheng is allowed to know him, and I'm not?"
Shen Xi blushed and squirmed. "I didn't mean it like that. Didn't you say your business here was just starting? How do you know him?" She always felt Qin Si Ye wasn't telling her the whole truth; his business empire definitely wasn't new to this place. And that luxury car at the entrance must have been his.
"We weren't very familiar before. However, I plan to make a large investment in H City this time, so I came specifically to have a long talk with Mayor Abel," Qin Si Ye said, looking at her with a shallow smile, his eyes full of tenderness.
Shen Xi didn't pry further into the matter, as it was their business secret. Instead, she gently pulled away and asked blandly, "Are you done talking? Why haven't you left yet?"
Qin Si Ye knew why she was keeping her distance from him; she was probably afraid he would run into Song Kai Cheng. He chuckled softly and lifted her chin. "Originally, we should have finished talking, but your arrival interrupted it. You'll have to compensate me."
"Qin Si Ye, don't..." Shen Xi's heart trembled. She immediately understood what he was going to do and cried out in exasperation.
The next moment, Qin Si Ye suddenly covered her mouth, turned sharply, and pressed her gently against a large tree. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Be quiet, someone's coming."
Shen Xi hushed her breathing and concentrated, indeed hearing footsteps approaching on the path.
"Mommy, I'm feeling much better now. Can I go out to play this afternoon?"
"It's not very safe outside these few days. It's better to stay at home."
"Just to visit my friend's house, not anywhere else."
"Alright."
It turned out to be the Mayor's wife, Camilla, and her young son, Daniel. Shen Xi listened intently to their conversation, oblivious to the man in front of her leering at her. He placed one hand on the thick trunk of the tree, encircling her waist with the other, his hot lips rubbing against her fair swan-like neck. Shen Xi's eyes widened, but she dared not make a sound, only allowing him to take liberties with her.
As Qin Si Ye greedily moved to her lips, Shen Xi couldn't hold back and let out a shocked sound of resistance.
Daniel, on the path, suddenly stopped. "Mommy, what was that sound?"
Shen Xi's body trembled, her pounding heart almost leaping out of her throat. The man in front of her, however, gazed at her with burning eyes, a devilish smile curving his lips. Ignoring everything else, he lowered his head and kissed her lips again.
At this moment, Camilla's voice came from the path. "Did you hear something? I didn't."
"Maybe I misheard. Let's go," Daniel said, looking around, then taking his mother's hand and continuing on their way.
Only when Shen Xi judged that they could no longer hear anything did she push Qin Si Ye away forcefully. Her face was flushed crimson, and she was gasping for breath. Qin Si Ye's lips curved upward as he looked at her slightly swollen lips, a satisfied smile on his face.
The next second, Shen Xi straightened up abruptly, glaring at him in fury.
"Xi Xi, don't be angry, I..." Qin Si Ye panicked instantly when he saw her expression. He reached out to her, but before he could finish speaking, his words were interrupted by the urgent ringing of his mobile phone.