Chapter 45 Seduction
The two men were lying on the shore with most of their bodies on the bank, their calves still in the mud and water. Qi Shichen quickly untied the rope and helped Yu Shu up from the ground.
Qi Shichen glanced around at the situation and helped Yu Shu walk inside. Qi Shichen didn't know where they had ended up, and their cell phones had been swept away in the mudslide.
The signal transmitter around Yu Shu's neck got caught on a tree branch in the flood while Yu Shu was still unconscious. Qi Shichen, fearing it would break Yu Shu's neck, removed it from Yu Shu's neck.
Just as Qi Shichen was about to press the button after the chain was removed, rocks from the mudslide behind him hit his hand, causing him to loosen his grip, and the chain was pulled away.
Now all they have on them is the bag on their backs.
Yu Shu threw his bag into the flood, afraid it would get caught on something and break his arm.
Qi Shichen reacted quickly and wasn't worried about this issue, so at least the two of them had some food to keep them company.
The two walked on for almost an hour until a cliff came into view ahead. There was a simple wooden ladder built against the cliff face.
Qi Shichen helped Yu Shu to the bottom of the mountain wall. He checked the condition of the wooden ladder. The ladder was smooth and had footsteps on it. The vines on both sides of the ladder also showed signs of use.
The leaves on the vine were damaged, but they were still damp, indicating that someone had used the ladder recently, probably within the last couple of days.
Qi Shichen glanced at the height of the cliff. Even if he climbed up and lowered the rope, it would be useless. The rope was too short, and he could only climb alone.
"Yu Shu, let me test whether this ladder can support my weight first. After I climb up, you can climb it."
Qi Shichen dared not climb at the same time, in case the ladder could not support the weight of two people, they would both fall.
He is heavier than Yu Shu. If he can climb up the ladder, then Yu Shu should be fine too.
Qi Shichen told Yu Shu to stand back a little, wiped some of the mud off his hands and then climbed the ladder with his bare hands.
The ladder was built along the mountainside, requiring climbers to grip tightly with both hands and feet. Qi Shichen kept his breath and climbed up quickly.
Along the way, Qi Shichen also cleared away the leaves that were in the way of the ladder and the mud on the ladder. It took him about half an hour to climb to the top of the cliff after he finished doing all this.
Yu Shu watched with bated breath from below, only relaxing after seeing the others reach the top.
Qi Shichen stood on the edge of the cliff and told Yu Shu to hold on tight to the ladder and slowly climb up, not to be impatient and not to look down.
Yu Shu gripped the ladder, his heart pounding with panic. He climbed step by step, the wooden ladder seemingly quite old, creaking softly with each step. Yu Shu was terrified that the ladder would suddenly break.
Yu Shu felt sweat beading on his forehead, his hands trembling, his feet feeling like they weighed a ton, and he had to grit his teeth to lift each step. His heart was also floating, unable to settle down.
Qi Shichen watched Yu Shu climb from above with a solemn expression. He dared not make a sound to disturb him, and even slowed his breathing, afraid of making any noise that might startle Yu Shu.
Yu Shu only looked at the wooden ladder in front of him. He dared not look down or up. He had looked at it once when he first climbed up and felt dizzy, so he dared not look again.
After waiting for more than forty minutes at the top of the cliff, Qi Shichen finally saw Yu Shu climb up. When Yu Shu reached for the last piece of the wooden ladder, Qi Shichen grabbed Yu Shu's hand and pulled him up.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Yu Shu's legs went weak and he had no strength left. If Qi Shichen hadn't supported him, he would have collapsed to the ground.
Yu Shu had never participated in such an extreme sport before. This was her first time, and it was the first time she had to take control of her own life and death. She was afraid, but she also had to be strong and persevere.
He cannot afford to make a mistake; if he does, it will cost him his life.
No one is born brave, and no one is unafraid of death.
"Yu Shu, we're up here, everything's alright now."
Qi Shichen hugged him, gently stroking Yu Shu's back with one hand to soothe his fear.
After Yu Shu calmed down and was no longer so scared, he stood up straight, and Qi Shichen released him. Yu Shu looked back at the cliff behind him.
He was still dizzy from that one glance.
"Let's go and take a look ahead."
Qi Shichen put his arm around Yu Shu's shoulder, gesturing for him to move forward.
Yu Shu followed Qi Shichen, and the two walked forward. There was a path ahead, and the footprints were all man-made, forming a path.
After escaping danger, Yu Shu realized that the rain had stopped. He recalled that it must have stopped shortly after they reached the shore, because there was no heavy rain hindering him when he climbed the wooden ladder.
Following the path, we walked through the jungle until we reached the end, where we saw fields and houses. I never expected that there were people living on the cliff.
When they reached the nearest house, Yu Shu saw two children playing and frolicking under the eaves.
When the children saw strangers walking towards them, especially since these two strangers were covered in injuries and had blood on their foreheads, they were so frightened that they ran crying into the house.
"Mother."
The little child was crying and screaming, looking for an adult.
Within seconds, a woman came out of the house, closed the door, and took out a wood-chopping knife to check the situation.
Upon seeing two people covered in mud and blood, the woman cried out in alarm. She held up her machete and asked them where they came from.
The river had recently flooded, making it impossible for people on the other side to cross, so she was very wary of anyone who suddenly appeared there.
Qi Shichen shielded Yu Shu behind him, wiped his face haphazardly with his hand, and negotiated with the other party, explaining that they were tourists from upstream who had been separated from their companions due to a sudden flash flood and mudslide and had been swept here by the flood. After rescuing themselves, they climbed up the wooden ladder they saw.
"My God, you guys are so lucky to be alive."
The woman exclaimed in surprise, then opened the door, let the two children out, and told them to go to the neighbor's house not far away and call the man back.
The woman brought out two low wooden stools for them to sit on, then quickly went inside to get a basin and a kettle. When she reached the door, she took her face towel from behind the door and draped it over her shoulder before coming out with these items.
She placed the basin in front of them, poured half a basin of hot water into it, threw the cloth into the basin, and then said to them to wait a moment while she went in to scoop some cold water to add to it.
The woman put down the kettle and hurriedly went back inside. Not long after, she came out carrying a plastic bucket.
The woman took a ladle and scooped half a spoonful of cold water from the plastic bucket into the basin. She squatted down and put her hand into the basin to test the water temperature, which was just right – neither too hot nor too cold.
"Quickly wash your faces. When my man comes back, I'll have him find you some clothes to change into. I'll go boil some water for you to bathe and get you something to eat."
After saying these two sentences, the woman hurriedly went back into the house.
He is straightforward, energetic, and very enthusiastic.
Qi Shichen bent down and scooped some water from the basin with his hands. He first rinsed the mud off his hands, then scooped up the handkerchief, rubbed it a couple of times, wrung it out, and handed it to Yu Shu.
Yu Shu followed his example and cleaned her hands. After cleaning them, she took the handkerchief and wiped her face. Yu Shu had a wound on her forehead. At first, she didn't care about these wounds because she was trying to escape. Now that she was saved and sat down, it hurt every time she touched her face while wiping it.
"Yu Shu, you can't see the wound, let me do it."
Qi Shichen turned to the side and took the towel from Yu Shu's hand. He held the towel and gently wiped the mud off Yu Shu's face.
The two were very close, and Yu Shu could feel that Qi Shichen's breathing had become much lighter, as if he was afraid of hurting him.
They treated him as if he were some rare treasure.
After a quick wipe, Qi Shichen put the cloth in the basin and rubbed it a few times. In just a few rubs, the water in the basin immediately became cloudy.
Qi Shichen poured out the dirty water from the basin, scooped cold water from the plastic bucket, and added hot water from the kettle. After rubbing the cloth, he grabbed Yu Shu's right hand and lowered his head to wipe the dirt off his hands.
Because he couldn't see the wounds on his face, Qi Shichen helped wipe his face, but Yu Shu could see the wounds on his own hands.
Qi Shichen cleaned very carefully, cleaning every little bit, afraid of touching the tiny wounds on his hands.
Yu Shu unconsciously pulled her hand back slightly, but this slight struggle was suppressed by Qi Shichen. He did not let go, but instead exerted some force, not allowing Yu Shu to resist.
Qi Shichen's hand gripped his arm.
The two people's skin touched, and the sensation was very obvious.
Yu Shu's mind was in complete turmoil, and he couldn't make sense of it.
He didn't know how to respond.
When someone risks their own life to save you in a life-threatening situation, no one could remain unmoved.
Especially since the other party had been secretly engaging in ambiguous activities, even though Qi Shichen had never openly expressed his feelings for him.
But Yu Shu wasn't a wooden person; he could sense it.
While he was still in a daze, Qi Shichen had already wiped Yu Shu's hands. After Yu Shu washed his face with the remaining water, there wasn't enough water left.
"The water is ready, go take a bath."
The woman came out of the house, wiped her hands on the hem of her clothes, and called out to them, asking them to go wash together.
Because it saves water when two people wash together, and if one person washes alone, the next pot of water won't heat up as quickly. Besides, she doesn't think there's anything wrong with two grown men washing together.
Qi Shichen turned and glanced at Yu Shu. Yu Shu wanted to say something after hearing this, but when he saw the woman busy carrying water into the toilet for them, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Qi Shichen didn't try to smooth things over; he knew what Yu Shu wanted to say.
Yu Shu followed Qi Shichen toward the toilet behind the house, and Qi Shichen, who was walking in front, never turned around.
Yu Shu was in a state of utter confusion. How could someone as intelligent as Qi Shichen not know what he was about to say?
Yu Shu gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, the force pulling at the finger that had split under its nail. The pain jolted his brain, trying to bring him back to his senses.
The woman carried in three full buckets of water, then put the handkerchiefs in for them. She then told them to wash first while she went to check why her husband hadn't returned yet.
Qi Shichen stood at the door, took off his coat, and hung it on a nail by the door. Then he took off his long sleeves, leaving him in only a vest.
Qi Shichen had a great physique, which Yu Shu, standing behind him, could see clearly.
Yu Shu knew that Qi Shichen was doing it on purpose.
He was seducing him, or rather, Qi Shichen knew what he wanted to say from the moment that woman suggested they both shower together.
Qi Shichen is ambiguous about their relationship.
They didn't explicitly state their intentions, but they were doing ambiguous things.
Yu Shu was cold-hearted, inept at social interactions, and incapable of beating around the bush. Ultimately, he couldn't learn the shrewdness of an adult.
"Mr. Qi."
Yu Shu spoke up, stopping him from taking off his clothes.
Qi Shichen lowered his hand from lifting his vest and turned to look at Yu Shu.
"Mr. Qi, are you trying to seduce me?"
"Or to put it another way, do you like me?"
Yu Shu looked into Qi Shichen's eyes and asked him a question.
Upon hearing Yu Shu's blunt words, Qi Shichen was momentarily at a loss for words.
His vest and overalls were covered in mud and water. He was covered in wounds from saving Yu Shu. Blood dripped from his hands onto the ground, forming flowers. He was filthy and hadn't even had time to take a shower or change into a new set of clothes.
Qi Shichen had always thought that they would continue to be ambiguous like this. He was not in a hurry for Yu Shu to give him an answer, and just hoped that their relationship would develop naturally. However, he did not expect that Yu Shu would break the ambiguity with her straightforward words.
From the time he was rescued until now, Yu Shu hadn't even had a chance to say thank you to him before he exposed his secret and even brought it to light.
Seeing Yu Shu stubbornly waiting for his answer, Qi Shichen couldn't help but laugh. He walked up to Yu Shu.
Qi Shichen's figure loomed over Yu Shu, as he was considerably taller than Yu Shu.
Qi Shichen lowered his head slightly, displaying unprecedented dominance. He gently lifted Yu Shu's chin with his right hand, making Yu Shu look into his eyes and give his answer.
"Yes, so will you take the bait?"
Qi Shichen's words openly admitted that everything he had done, all the ambiguity, was intentional, and that he was indeed seducing Yu Shu.
He also admitted that he liked Yu Shu.
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