Chapter 82: Do Not Mention Other Men

He Yunqing closed his eyes again just a heartbeat before Jiang Yao opened hers.

When Jiang Yao awoke, she gazed at the man’s sharp-edged features and delicate countenance, her lips curving unconsciously into a smile. She reached out to feel his forehead, then checked the temperature of her own. Once she was certain that his fever had subsided, a look of relief crossed her face.

She struggled to free herself from the man’s embrace, but after two attempts, she failed to break free from the strength of his arms. Lowering her gaze, she reached out to pry his arms open.

A burning gaze fell upon her from above.

He Yunqing’s long arm swept in, pulling her even closer.

Jiang Yao abruptly looked up and met that intense gaze. “You’re awake? When did you wake up?”

He Yunqing closed his eyes again, the curve on his thin lips nearly perfect, but he neither answered nor let her go.

“Let me go, just let me go first,” Jiang Yao protested, pushing at his firm chest with her small hands.

“No,” He Yunqing tilted his chin slightly. “Who was it last night whispering beside my ear for hours, nearly making my ears sprout calluses?”

Jiang Yao swallowed silently.

Wasn’t he delirious with fever? How did he know everything she’d said?

Seeing Jiang Yao fall silent, He Yunqing leaned down, his voice low and teasing at her ear, “What’s wrong? Regretting your words already?”

“I… What do I have to regret?” Jiang Yao mustered her courage and met his gaze.

As their eyes met, something seemed to ignite between them.

Perhaps it was the wildness of the waves here, so fierce they seemed to surge into Jiang Yao’s heart as well. Or perhaps it was the ordeal they had survived together, making her suddenly want to cherish every moment before her.

She looked bravely at He Yunqing. “What I, Jiang Yao, say—I do.”

With that, she squeezed her eyes shut, her face set with a look of brave resignation, and awkwardly pressed her lips to He Yunqing’s.

It was a kiss as light as a dragonfly skimming the water. She immediately ducked her head, her cheeks flushed as red as an apple.

“There, satisfied?” she asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Of course not.” He Yunqing’s lips pressed together; his gaze was earnest.

“Huh? What more do you want?” Jiang Yao looked up at him, a little flustered.

He Yunqing’s lips curled into a slightly wicked smile, though his eyes brimmed with tenderness. His voice was low and dangerously persuasive. “Let me show you.”

He bent forward, gently lifting Jiang Yao’s chin with one hand, and his sensual lips descended upon hers with a fervent, possessive passion…

He Yunqing kissed with remarkable skill.

So much so that all of Jiang Yao’s defenses, her walls of steel, melted away. She no longer had the strength to resist.

She thought, if this was what it meant to be lost, then she might as well remain so forever.

She also wondered, with a kiss this skilled, just how many girls had He Yunqing kissed before?

When the long kiss finally ended, He Yunqing looked at her with warm eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

Jiang Yao pursed her lips, her cheeks burning, avoiding his gaze as she changed the subject. “I was wondering when Cheng Yanchi will find us.”

“Yao,” He Yunqing called her softly.

“Mm?” Even her reply was barely audible.

He took her face in his hands, turning it toward him. “Right now, it’s just the two of us. Don’t mention other men.”

Jiang Yao gave his chest a gentle punch with her fist. “Let me go first.”

Whether it was because she’d used a bit more force, or she’d accidentally tugged at his wound, He Yunqing suddenly let out a muffled groan, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

“Oh, did I hurt you?” Jiang Yao quickly reached out, anxious to check his injury.

But before her hand could reach him, he caught it with his own.

He Yunqing’s eyes seemed to speak; though he said nothing, just his gaze was like a thousand words of love.

Jiang Yao turned her head away, gently withdrawing her hand, the corners of her lips curving without her noticing. “Fine, I won’t mention it.”

He Yunqing laughed too, watching her slip from his arms like a kitten.

“I’m going to see if I can find any more fruit nearby,” Jiang Yao said, her face still red as she hurried out of the small cave.

She had barely stepped outside when she heard shouts from afar.

“Yao… Yao…”

Her eyes lit up instantly.

That was Cheng Yanchi’s voice.

Without thinking, she ran toward the sound, calling out as she went, “Cheng Yanchi, I’m here!”

Soon, Cheng Yanchi spotted her—disheveled as she was.

“I knew you’d find me!” The joy of being rescued swept everything else away, and she waved at Cheng Yanchi excitedly.

Seeing her in such a state, Cheng Yanchi hurriedly took off his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around her. “Are you hurt?”

Jiang Yao shook her head nonchalantly. “I’m fine. Really, I’m all right. Tell everyone to stop worrying.”

As she spoke, she gestured to the others searching the island with Cheng Yanchi.

Seeing that, despite her bedraggled appearance, she was still lively, Cheng Yanchi finally relaxed and began to chide her. “How did you end up in a place like this? Your phone was off, and do you know how worried I was when I couldn’t find you after I got back? If I hadn’t asked around and learned you’d gone to sea, I wouldn’t have known where to look…”

“Okay, okay,” Jiang Yao interrupted his tirade, “I know, I know. I swear this will never happen again. I promise.”

She grinned mischievously and held up four fingers in a mock oath.

Cheng Yanchi sighed helplessly. “A promise from you? If your promises meant anything, Ye Yiyi would already be a superstar.”

Jiang Yao stuck out her tongue. “Say what you like about me, but Ye Yiyi is back home and has done nothing to deserve your ire.”

“She hasn’t?” Cheng Yanchi rolled his eyes. “The moment she heard you were missing, she let me have an earful on the phone!”

With that, he pulled out his phone and showed Jiang Yao their chat log.

Ye Yiyi had sent Cheng Yanchi a barrage of long voice messages, each more scathing than the last.

Jiang Yao struggled to keep from laughing.

“You’re laughing? How did things end up like this?” Cheng Yanchi frowned. “I had to search more than a dozen islands before I found you here.”

“It’s a long story,” Jiang Yao shuddered at the memory of yesterday’s ordeal. “I never expected the security here to be so bad. The moment I arrived, this happened. Let’s discuss the details at the police station. By the way, I lost my phone.”