Yichen's POV
I was furious.
So furious I couldn't even see straight.
But the second she slipped—
the moment I saw her fall from the seawall into that freezing, violent water—
my heart stopped.
Everything inside me went blank.
"Hua!"
I didn't think.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't hesitate.
I threw off my vest, ripped off my shoes, tossed my wallet, my watch—everything that could weigh me down—and jumped.
The shock hit me like knives.
The water was so cold it could've stopped a heart.
For a moment, I couldn't even feel my limbs. The sea roared around me, black and merciless. But then—
I saw her.
Drifting just ahead, hair floating like a dark halo around her pale face.
"Hold on!" I gasped, kicking against the current.
I grabbed her by the waist and forced us toward the surface, lungs burning, waves smashing into my back.
Salt stung my eyes. Rocks scraped my arms. The water was too wild. Too strong.
"Damn it," I muttered through gritted teeth. "How the hell am I supposed to save her like this?"
She was limp in my arms, unconscious—
unaware of the storm raging around her,
unaware of my panic,
unaware that I'd never been this terrified in my life.
I was glad she couldn't see my face right now.
Glad she couldn't see how scared I was.
Not far away, I spotted a narrow strip of sand.
A beach.
I started swimming—harder than I ever had in my life. My arms felt like fire, my chest like stone, but I didn't care.
If I lost her, I'd lose everything.
Finally, I reached the shore.
We collapsed onto the sand together, her body still in my arms.
I couldn't rest. Not yet.
"Hua—hey!" I shook her shoulders gently, voice trembling. "Hua, wake up! Come on, please—"
She coughed suddenly, water spilling from her mouth.
Then she gasped, eyes wide and terrified.
Relief hit me so fast I almost laughed.
She was alive. She was breathing.
I pulled her against me, holding her tight.
Her small, fragile body shook in my arms, soaked and freezing.
"It's okay," I whispered against her hair. "You're okay now."
She nodded weakly, still crying.
"I—I'm okay," she managed between sobs.
The sound broke me a little inside.
I brushed the wet strands from her face, caressed her cheeks, and tucked her head under my chin.
She was trembling so much. I couldn't stand it.
Without another word, I lifted her into my arms and started walking toward the car. My clothes clung to me, heavy with seawater, but I didn't care.
When we reached the seawall, I gently set her down on the passenger seat.
"I'll dirty your car…" she murmured weakly. "You should put something to protect the seat."
Even half-drowned, she was worried about my car.
She was so cute I could eat her alive.
But I'd had enough emotion for one day. So I shut it down—the softness, the warmth—and slipped back into the cold, composed version of myself she always said she hated.
"I should be the one complaining about that," I said flatly, closing the door before she could argue.
I grabbed the things I'd thrown earlier, shoved them into the backseat, and slid behind the wheel.
Inside, silence filled the car.
But my head wasn't silent.
Not at all.
Her presence beside me—so small, so breakable—made my pulse race. I could still feel the tremor of her body against mine, the weight of her in my arms.
She looked so fragile… and yet, I'd never wanted to protect someone more in my life.
I wanted to be her shelter.
Her sun.
Her driver, her fool, her everything.
I turned on the engine and blasted the heater. "You'll catch a cold," I said quietly, handing her my jacket. "Put this on."
It was still dry, and she tucked herself into it gratefully.
I drove slowly, careful not to hit any bumps.
She deserved peace. Warmth. Safety.
The traffic light turned red as we passed a seafood restaurant.
That's when I heard it—
a loud growl from her stomach.
She froze.
I turned to her. She turned to me.
We just… stared.
Then she pressed both hands over her stomach, cheeks red. "I—I didn't have time to eat yet…"
I tried to keep a straight face. I really did.
But a laugh escaped me.
She pouted instantly. "Are you laughing at me?"
The fake anger in her voice made it even harder not to smile.
I pulled over.
She blinked. "What are you—"
"Stay here. Warm yourself up."
I opened the door, ready to stepped out, I could faintly hear her mumbling, "Pfft, he's going to eat and leave me starving in here…"
I smiled.
Five minutes later, I came back—with bags.
A lot of bags.
She looked up, startled. "You—what—?"
"I got everything they had," I said simply, placing one of the warm paper bags on her lap. "Let's eat before we go."
She hesitated, then smiled so brightly it almost hurt to look at her.
We dug in—fried shrimp, soup, rice, crab. The car filled with the smell of salt and warmth. For a while, it felt like nothing else existed.
I wished every day could be like this.
When she'd finished half her meal, I asked the question that had been eating me alive.
"Were you really sick earlier when you left work?"
Her chopsticks froze midair.
She swallowed hard. "I lied," she admitted softly.
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
"Did you lie to spend time with Yiran?"
I didn't mean to sound jealous—but I probably did.
Her head snapped up immediately. "What?! Hell no!"
That sounded honest.
I couldn't help it—I laughed. Again.
She looked guilty. "Sorry, that sounded harsh…"
"You don't need to apologize," I murmured, half to myself.
Silence again.
Then she hesitated, fiddling with her spoon before blurting out:
"Is there something between you and your secretary?"
I almost choked.
Cute.
Adorable.
Unbearably so.
I wanted to tell her everything—that she was the only one who mattered. That she could burn the world down and I'd still stand beside her.
But I couldn't.
Not yet.
"No," I said simply.
She waited. I could feel it—the expectation in her gaze, the quiet hope. But I didn't give her anything else.
"Ah…" she muttered, dropping her eyes. "You two just looked… close. I didn't want to get in the way."
"You're not," I said. "It's purely professional."
I should've stopped there. But the devil in me added quietly,
"Zhou Yue's a great employee, that's all."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "If you say so…"
I bit back another laugh, hiding behind my hand. But she noticed.
"What?" she said, narrowing her eyes. "Are you laughing again?"
I coughed to cover it. "Did you finish your food?"
"No!" she said instantly, cheeks puffed like a hamster.
I smiled.
God, she was killing me.
We finished our meal quietly, then I started driving again. The rhythmic sound of the tires and the gentle hum of the heater must've lulled her because soon, her head fell to the side.
Within minutes, she was asleep.
Her soft breathing filled the car, her hair still damp, a tiny droplet clinging to her lashes.
She'd fallen asleep on my jacket… drooling a little.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
When we reached her house, I parked quietly. She didn't stir. Not even when I turned off the engine.
She looked peaceful.
And for the first time in a long while, so did I.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her skin was cool against my fingers.
Then—
thunk.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Someone had knocked on the passenger window.
I looked up—and my heart stopped.
It was her mother.
She was smiling so brightly it was almost blinding, eyes wide with delight.
Oh no.
She definitely saw everything.
I rolled down the window cautiously.
"Good afternoon," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Good afternoon," I replied, matching her tone.
Her gaze flicked between me and her daughter's sleeping face. Then she grinned.
"Still no French ring on her finger?" she teased softly.
Protective… or just excited? Hard to tell with this woman.
"Almost done," I said with a polite smile, handing her a small envelope from the back seat. "There's an event next week. A lot of important people will be there. You should come too."
She gasped, holding it like treasure. Then her expression shifted to something wistful.
"I'd love to come, but… I don't have anything to wear to such a grand event."
Ah.
I understood instantly.
If Hua was a queen, her mother was a princess—and I knew exactly what made princesses happy.
Pretty dresses. Sparkles. Luxury.
"Don't worry," I said smoothly. "I'll send you a dress, a driver… and—"
I pulled out my wallet and offered her a few bills.
"—this should cover any other expenses."
Her eyes lit up again.
"Thank you!" she said, voice sweet like honey. "You're such a good boy."
I smiled, feeling proud.
Then she added casually, "By the way, why are you here?"
I blinked. "To drop your daughter off?"
She chuckled—and it was loud enough to make me flinch.
"She doesn't want to be here! Take her to your house, okay?"
"…What?"
"I locked the door," she said cheerfully. "So don't even try to bring her back!"
And just like that, she waved goodbye and disappeared into the house.
I stared after her, stunned.
"…What the hell just happened?"
I turned back to Hua, still sleeping peacefully beside me.
Her lips were slightly parted, hair messy, face serene.
I sighed.
"It's not like I don't want you here," I muttered quietly.
But still…
Wasn't this a little too risky?