(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 18 (Part 1) Remember, your life belongs to me.

Si Qiang instinctively took the man's shoulder and looked at him with half-open eyes. In Xu Qi's eyes, glistening water droplets clung to his wet eyelashes, his long, soaked brown hair clung to his fair cheeks, and his thin, transparent shirt clung to his slender, supple body, making him look exceptionally... alluring.

Damn it! Now is not the time to think about this! Xu Qi forced himself to look away, cleared his throat, and was about to speak when the other person grabbed his neck and pulled him down, and he sank into the water with the other person.

In a transparent world, he saw bubbles constantly rising from Si Qiang's half-open mouth, her arms tightening around him, and her tightly closed eyes and furrowed brows indicating that her condition was not good.

Xu Qi quickly bent down to give the other person breathing air, then decisively approached the escalator, pulled hard with one hand, and the two finally resurfaced. He threw Si Qiang ashore and coldly said, "If you're looking to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Although he was prepared, Si Qiang still felt a sharp pain in his heart from the man's icy gaze. He suppressed the discomfort of being soaked to the bone, slowly stood up, and whispered, "I'm...sorry..."

"Why did you jump in if you can't swim?" Xu Qi's eyes were red with anger. She took two quick steps closer, grabbed the man's collar, and glared at him fiercely. "Are you threatening me?"

He recalled that afternoon seven years ago, the moment he saw 15-year-old Si Qiang silently sinking in the water, the fear that surged within him. He had insisted Si Qiang undergo diving training, but upon entering the water, she made no attempt to avoid it, as if her entire body was bound, allowing herself to be swallowed. Xu Qi was furious. After rescuing her, he immediately questioned her. Si Qiang's only response was a blank apology, and then, without exception, she sank during every subsequent training session until she finally passed out. Xu Qi finally understood: the child wasn't unwilling to learn, but unable to. However, the child refused to explain, and Xu Qi had no choice but to abandon the training. From then on, he was careful to prevent her from being involved in related tasks to avoid any accidents.

This time, Si Qiang's dangerous move was, in Xu Qi's eyes, a clear threat to his life—and what's infuriating is that he couldn't ignore it! And what's most infuriating is that he was genuinely terrified! The thought of Si Qiang silently drowning somewhere made his heart feel like it was stopping. Having clearly expressed his feelings, the other person's distrust deeply hurt him, yet his feelings for her remained unchanged—this fact made him hate himself even more.

Si Qiang suddenly turned her face and looked straight at him, her eyes filled with doubt: "A threat? Is this... a threat to you?"

Xu Qi was startled, his face suddenly turning bright red. He took a step back, trying to avoid the man's gaze.

"Could I interpret this as..." Si Qiang pressed on relentlessly, "My life...is very important to you?"

"Shut up!" Xu Qi gritted her teeth and interrupted him, but the next second she accidentally lost her footing and fell into the pool again.

White water splashed up in front of her eyes. Si Qiang was stunned for a moment, then quickly squatted down and pulled him up: "I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

Suddenly, a hand emerged from the water, grabbed Si Qiang's outstretched hand, and forcefully dragged him down.

Caught off guard, he was pulled into the water and sank completely. A deep-seated fear gripped him, and Si Qiang instinctively struggled, only to have his lips sealed again—his hands and feet bound as well. Like being ensnared by a water beast, he was suffocating. But he was willing to be ensnared like this… To die in this person's arms would be such a blissful thing.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished. A few seconds later, they were back on the surface of the water. With a "bang," Si Qiang was forcefully slammed against the pool wall by the man.

"Listen carefully." Xu Qi stared coldly at him, his thin lips slightly parted. "Your life is mine. Remember that."

"..." Si Qiang stared at him blankly.

Xu Qi curled his lips into a cold smile: "If you forget this, be prepared to be punished." Then he moved closer and kissed her gently on her beautiful face.

Cool lips brushed against his face, each touch sending electric shocks through him, leaving him numb and paralyzed. A sudden wave of happiness overwhelmed Si Qiang; he knew he was incapable of thinking. He smiled dazedly, letting himself lean limply against the man's chest, a sigh escaping his lips: "Mmm... I'll remember..."

Author's Note:

Nissan is so assertive! (Heart emoji)

Rose has completely lost her bearings! ~┐(￣▽￣”)┌