Chapter 24: Protection

"Do you really want to protect me that much, Secretary Cen?"

Cen Mo felt that she and Su Xingzhi were truly destined to cross paths. How could they possibly end up in the same hot spring on a rainy day? It wasn't as if they had planned it.

Still submerged in the water, she tilted her head back and asked, "Mr. Su, why are you here too?"

The man looked as though he had just stepped into the water himself; droplets were still rolling off his broad shoulders. His eight-pack abs were strikingly defined, and he stood barefoot with nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

He glanced at her and said, "I always come to the hot spring at this time."

The implication was clear: she was the one who shouldn't be there.

Fair enough. Cen Mo nodded and quietly shifted her injured foot under the water. "In that case, Mr. Su, could you please help me call a staff member?"

A ripple disturbed the calm surface of the pool. Su Xingzhi saw through her subtle movements at a glance, his brow furrowing. "Didn't you sprain your foot? It’s not good to keep soaking it in hot water. I'll help you."

With that, he stepped directly into the pool and strode toward her.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Cen Mo felt the water temperature rise. Neither of them was wearing proper clothes, and being wrapped in nothing but towels felt incredibly awkward, especially since the water made the fabric cling to their skin.

By now, Su Xingzhi was at her side. He stood over six feet tall, and with her hunched over, the height difference was even more pronounced.

Looking down at her, he commanded, "Get up. Quickly."

Cen Mo instinctively recoiled. Instead of obeying, she sat back down with a splash, the water rising to her chin. Only her nose and large, round eyes remained above the surface. She pressed her lips together, her expression stubborn.

"..."

Su Xingzhi was speechless. Was this silent protest?

Without wasting another word, he gripped her slender, pale arm and hoisted her out of the water. Then, with a swift motion, he scooped her up into his arms and waded toward the edge.

Emerging suddenly from the warm water into the cool air, Cen Mo couldn't help but shiver. It was her first time being carried like this, and the sensation was quite novel.

She wasn't a particularly prudish person, and she knew that getting out of the water was the most important thing, but she felt an instinctive sense of vulnerability.

No one looked their best in a hot spring, but in her current state, she felt exposed and disheveled. With her limp and her state of undress, her usual "cool" image was completely ruined.

She pursed her lips, feeling a bit dejected. The rain was still falling, and the cool droplets landed on her skin. To make matters worse, the man holding her was as cold as ice from his arms to his chest.

Having been out of the water for a while, his warmth had surely dissipated.

Cen Mo felt a bit put off, thinking he was sapping away what little warmth she had left, and she turned her head away...

Above her, Su Xingzhi’s voice came out through gritted teeth: "Don't move."

His stride seemed to lengthen. He reached the edge of the pool and set her down unceremoniously, though his large hand remained gripped on her arm.

By the dim light, Cen Mo looked down at her ankle. It hurt, but it didn't seem too swollen.

She breathed a sigh of relief and patted the man’s arm. "Alright, you can let go now."

Su Xingzhi, thinking she was up to something, released her. But then he saw her place her small foot directly on the ground, keeping the injured one suspended, and start hopping forward like a rabbit.

Because she had just come out of the water, her bathrobe was soaking wet—the kind that would drip if wrung out—clinging tightly to her frame. Beneath it, her straight, pale legs looked dazzling in the dim light.

Her shoulder blades stood out clearly, looking like the wings of a butterfly in the soft light. As she hopped, her movements were fluid, yet she seemed completely oblivious to her own appearance.

Su Xingzhi’s brow twitched. Restraining his emotions, he walked over. "Stop hopping. I'll help you walk."

"Oh," Cen Mo replied, coming to a halt. The ground was slippery from the rain, and she was afraid of falling again.

When they reached the front desk to retrieve their things, Cen Mo realized she couldn't pull on the trousers she had arrived in, so she simply wrapped herself in a bathrobe.

Outside, Su Xingzhi was already dressed, wearing flip-flops and waiting for her with one hand in his pocket. "How do you want to go? Should I carry you?"

"No, no, I can manage." Cen Mo held her bag and hopped forward a few steps, but she soon grew breathless and stopped, leaning against the doorframe. "Um, Mr. Su, could you find me a crutch?"

Su Xingzhi had never encountered such a self-reliant patient. He arched an eyebrow, unwilling to listen to any more nonsense, and scooped her up again.

Was this a bridal carry? Cen Mo shifted slightly. At least it wasn't some strange method like dragging her by the collar or slinging her over his shoulder; she wouldn't have been able to handle that.

It was fine. President Su was growing and becoming more humane.

Her fingers fidgeted out of boredom, and before she knew it, she had reached up and tugged at his short, black hair. She realized what she had done and quickly pulled her hand back.

She often tousled her own short hair like that; the texture felt about the same—prickly.

The man carrying her said nothing, his pace remaining steady.

The light rain had mostly stopped, and the mist around them cleared, revealing the scenery. The resort was filled with trees that cast large, shadowy shapes in the night, accompanied by the scent of damp grass after the rain.

Cen Mo couldn't help but look up at Su Xingzhi. They were very close; the top of her head lightly brushed his chin, and he didn't pull away.

From any angle, this man was incredibly handsome. With his high bridge of his nose and deep, captivating eyes, he was flawless even at this close range.

Glancing down at her dangling arm, he said in a low voice, "Lift your arm and put it around my neck."

Cen Mo didn't know why she was being so obedient, but she did exactly as he asked.

By the time they reached the building where she was staying, and she was using her key card to open the door, she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Su, you’ve always disliked physical contact, haven't you? But seeing you now..."

She left the rest unsaid, but her meaning was clear.

She had been working for Su Xingzhi for a while, and through observation, she knew he truly disliked touching others. He usually carried hand sanitizer to events and avoided shaking hands whenever possible.

Yet, when he was with her, he acted perfectly normally. It was strange.

He signaled for her to push the door open. Su Xingzhi entered and sat her down on the sofa near the entrance, but he didn't move to leave. He just leaned one arm on the back of the sofa and looked down at her.

"What's wrong? Was my question too presumptuous?" Cen Mo blinked and asked, tilting her head.

After a long moment, the man shook his head slightly, the emotion in his eyes shifting. "No. I’m only like this with you."

"What does that mean?" She was shocked.

Su Xingzhi stood up unhurriedly and handed her a blanket. "It means exactly what I said."

Only then did Cen Mo realize she needed to tidy herself up. Feeling awkward, she retied her bathrobe, stood up, and hopped into the bathroom on one foot.

The bathroom was cramped. She leaned against the door for a moment, then steadied herself against the vanity and leaned close to the mirror to take a good look.

Sure enough, both of her earlobes were bright red. No wonder they had felt like they were on fire.

She pinched her ear, and a moment later, she swept her hair up, leaning in closer to look again. The woman in the mirror had a slight smile on her lips, and now her cheeks were flushed as well.

She sighed softly, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on her face. Only then did she feel a bit better.

Was it really necessary to get so flustered over a single sentence? She felt so pathetic.

...

Xu Xudong had already gone to bed but was called back up by a phone call. When he arrived, bleary-eyed and wrapped in a robe, Su Xingzhi was still standing in Cen Mo's room.

"I’m not an orthopedic surgeon," Xu Xudong reminded him gloomily.

"I know, but you are a doctor," Su Xingzhi replied, showing no sign of guilt.

"Fine." Xu Xudong sighed and changed his tone. "Although I'm not an orthopedist, I know a thing or two about it."

As he spoke, Cen Mo emerged from the bathroom, toweling her hair. She had taken a quick shower and changed her clothes.

Su Xingzhi walked over naturally, took her arm, and helped her sit on the edge of the bed.

Noticing the physical interaction between the two, Xu Xudong squinted, finally understanding the situation.

So that was it. "She's my secretary," he kept saying—the man had developed feelings for the young woman.

Seeing her in a short nightdress, Su Xingzhi frowned. "Can't you change into trousers?"

Cen Mo stretched out her leg. "My foot is swollen like a bun."

She wanted to wear pajama pants too, if only for the warmth, but given her state, she couldn't pull them on.

It was strange; her ankle had looked normal just after the hot spring, but now it looked like it had been inflated. She was just as frustrated as he was.

Su Xingzhi leaned over, picked up the blanket he had brought, and draped it over her legs, leaving only her swollen ankle exposed.

He turned to Xu Xudong and said, "Take a look."

Xu Xudong sighed in resignation, walked over with a good-natured expression, examined her ankle, and pressed down on it. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes," Cen Mo nodded.

"No broken bones," Xu Xudong concluded after a moment. "It’s just a ligament injury. Use a cold compress for twenty-four hours, then switch to a warm compress, and use some spray."

He had heard the situation from Su Xingzhi earlier and had grabbed some medication from the front desk before coming up. He took out a bottle of spray. "This one works well."

"Thank you, Dr. Xu," Cen Mo said, feeling quite apologetic as she thanked him repeatedly.

"It's nothing. Just make sure to take care of it." As Xu Xudong packed up his things to leave, he gestured for Su Xingzhi to follow him.

The two men stood in the hallway to talk, and Xu Xudong opened his arms, making a mocking gesture of a hug.