Come To My Side

Guan Xi was hydrophobic and had zero training in swimming. In previous swimsuit parties with her friends, she would merely wear a swimsuit for photos or float around with an inflatable ring.

Now, her entire being submerged in water, panic surged through her. She desperately floundered, with water entering her mouth and nose.

The taste of choking on water was unpleasant, and the sensation of suffocation accompanied the overwhelming flow of water, leaving her helpless and disoriented.

Fortunately, this near-death feeling didn't last too long.

Someone grabbed her around the waist—

Startled, Guan Xi coughed and, without hesitation, immediately hugged the rescuer tightly.

"You won't die, let go a bit," a familiar voice sounded in her ears.

Guan Xi opened her eyes with difficulty, only to see Jiang Suizhou frowning slightly, his eyes gleaming with a cold light, focused on her. He was still in a suit, now thoroughly soaked.

Guan Xi was stunned for a moment, "How did you...?"

Jiang Suizhou paused for a moment, didn't answer, and held her as he swam toward the steps.

When they reached the steps, he pushed her up. However, Jiang Suizhou quickly realized that the dress the person was wearing couldn't get wet. If it did, it would cling to her body.

"Wait a moment."

Guan Xi turned to look at him.

Jiang Suizhou gestured towards the onlookers. Just as Lang Ningyi was about to throw over a coat, a black suit jacket was already handed to Guan Xi.

"Miss Guan, please take this," Xie Yan stood by the pool, offering his jacket promptly.

Guan Xi also realized it and quickly took the jacket, "Thanks."

Jiang Suizhou glanced at Xie Yan, and the latter nodded in greeting.

"My God, Miss, how did you end up in the water?" Song Li, who was also in the pool, swam over at this moment.

Lang Ningyi extended her hand from the poolside, "Guan Xi, are you okay?"

Guan Xi waved her hand, indicating that she was fine.

Song Li, lying on a floating mat, laughed, "There are people in the pool who can rescue you. You won't drown."

Guan Xi glared at him.

Song Li immediately added, "But we won't claim credit for this. After all, our President Jiang here is quite fast in jumping into the water."

Fast in jumping into the water?

Guan Xi looked at Jiang Suizhou, who had just come out of the water. So, he arrived just now? He actually jumped into the water to save her?

Her implication was not that he would turn a blind eye when she was in danger, but rather, with so many people in the pool, someone would surely have come to help her. There was no need for him, who was dressed neatly, to jump in.

Given her understanding of Jiang Suizhou, he should have stood on the poolside and directed others to rescue her.

"What are you staring at? Go change your clothes," Jiang Suizhou said.

Guan Xi glanced at him a couple of times, feeling a bit sweet inside. It seemed that being extra nice and considerate to Er Gou recently was indeed effective.

She tightened her jacket and was about to go up. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly saw Wei Xiuyang emerging from the pool. His suit jacket was also soaked, and his shirt clung to his chest...

Guan Xi immediately frowned, "Are you crazy, wearing this to swim?"

Wei Xiuyang glared at her, "I went to save you!"

Guan Xi: "...Oh."

Wei Xiuyang directly took off the coat, not in a good mood, "Are you okay?"

Guan Xi: "I'm fine."

Wei Xiuyang wrung out the coat and sighed in relief.

"Let's go." Jiang Suizhou pulled Guan Xi by the wrist.

"Okay."

Once she off the pool, when passing by Xie Yan, Guan Xi remembered something important, "Mr. Xie, your phone—"

Xie Yan interrupted, "It's already been retrieved."

"I'm sorry; let me buy you a new one."

"No need, it's waterproof," Xie Yan said, "Go change your clothes; thank you."

Guan Xi felt a bit embarrassed. Thank her for what? Thanking her for throwing his phone into the pool, or thanking her for jumping into the water with the phone.

"No need for thanks..."

The cheerful atmosphere was briefly interrupted. After Guan Xi and Jiang Suizhou entered the villa, the lively atmosphere gradually resumed outside.

Guan Xi and Jiang Suizhou went upstairs and into the room. After wrapping herself in the jacket, Guan Xi sat in a chair, shivering slightly. Although the weather was warm now, being suddenly soaked still felt a bit cold.

Jiang Suizhou's clothes were soaked, and the heavy feeling pressed against his body made him feel irritable. He regretted jumping into the water. It would have been more convenient to let someone nearby fetch her.

"Did they send the clothes over?" Guan Xi sneezed.

"Go take a shower first. I'll bring them in for you later." Jiang Suizhou adjusted the air conditioner temperature, removed the jacket on her, and threw it on the floor. "Go."

Guan Xi nodded, got up, and entered the bathroom.

She took a quick hot shower. After finishing, Lang Ningyi had already arranged for clean clothes to be sent over. Jiang Suizhou helped bring her clothes into the bathroom. While she was changing, he directly took off his own clothes and walked into the shower.

After Jiang Suizhou finished showering, put on his clothes, and stood in front of the mirror, Guan Xi, who had finished blowing her hair, looked at him through the mirror, "When did you come?"

Jiang Suizhou adjusted his collar and said, "When you were flirting with someone."

"?"

Flirting? With whom???

It couldn't be Xie Yan, right???

Guan Xi immediately denied, "I didn't flirt with him."

"I saw it."

"What did you see?"

"What do you think I saw?"

Guan Xi denied again, "I really didn't flirt with him!"

Jiang Suizhou: "Oh, then why did you give him your number?"

"That's because—" Guan Xi paused. Huh? Was she being questioned?

Is he unhappy?

Hmm... Could Er Gou be jealous?

Guan Xi raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit amused.

"Just getting to know each other. He's an ambitious young man. What's wrong with getting acquainted?" she said intentionally.

Jiang Suizhou glanced at her, "Like him? Want me to set you up?"

Jiang Suizhou's eyes were gloomy, seemingly still annoyed by the fact that he jumped into the water in a suit.

Guan Xi, under his gaze, dared not nod.

"Just getting to know each other, nothing about liking. Look at you, always joking around. I admit he's quite handsome, but no matter how handsome, can he surpass you, my dear?"

"......."

Jiang Suizhou remained indifferent to her praise.

Guan Xi asked, "But do you know him?"

Jiang Suizhou: "Had a few meals together."

"You've even had meals, rather familiar with each other then," Guan Xi said. "So, you also know about him..."

"What?"

"Nothing much, I just heard from Ningyi that he's an adopted son of the Xie family. But he seems quite capable; they say he's more favored than the biological son."

Jiang Suizhou buttoned his cuff, his tone still chilly, "Just an adopted son, can't stand out."

Guan Xi was stunned, abruptly turning to look at him.

Jiang Suizhou, with lowered eyes, didn't notice the sudden change in her expression, "Just being favored, still can't compare to their own biological children. So, he now needs—"

"Why can't he compare to their own biological children!" Guan Xi threw the hairdryer in her hand onto the table, as if someone had stepped on her tail. "He has the same feelings for his parents, has lived in this house for so many years, and he loves this family. You know nothing, why say he can't compare to their own biological children!"

Jiang Suizhou paused slightly, "Why are you getting so worked up?"

Guan Xi choked in her throat, "I just feel what you said is unfair!"

"Unfair?" Jiang Suizhou looked at her anxiously defending expression, his face turning colder. "I'm just discussing things objectively. The Xie family's performance is just for others to see, and Xie Yan is clear about his own situation. Guan Xi, after just one meeting, are you already so close to him that you feel the need to stand up for him?"

All the makeup on Guan Xi's face had been washed away. Her currently bare face revealed a hint of paleness.

She stared at him, the inner turmoil seeming to be completely pulled up, "Do you think being an adopted child is shameful and thus people can look down on them? They also don't have a choice."

Jiang Suizhou reached out to pull her, "What's the matter with you..."

Smack!

She slapped away his hand.

Jiang Suizhou frowned, "Guan Xi!"

"Don't talk to me," Guan Xi turned and left the bathroom.

After everyone had enough fun, Song Li invited everyone to go to his villa's bar for food and drinks.

When Guan Xi came downstairs, there were only a few people left in the living room. Wei Xiuyang saw her coming down and walked over, "Where are you going?"

Guan Xi picked up her bag, "Tell Ningyi for me; I'm leaving early."

Wei Xiuyang: "The party is just starting over there."

"I'm not feeling well; I want to go home."

Wei Xiuyang immediately offered, "I'll take you."

"I came by car myself, and besides, you just drank, right? Drinking and still wanting to take me home, do you want me dead?"

Having known Guan Xi for so many years, Wei Xiuyang could tell her mood was not good at a glance. "You're so angry. Did you have a fight with him?"

"I don't have the mood to argue with him!" Guan Xi walked straight towards the front door.

Wei Xiuyang frowned. Turning around, he saw Jiang Suizhou coming down from upstairs.

When he saw Guan Xi falling into the water by the pool earlier, his immediate reaction was to go down and pull her out. However, he also saw at that time, not far away, a figure moving faster than him.

He didn't know who it was, but when Guan Xi was pulled out of the water, he saw that it was Jiang Suizhou.

A bit unexpected, but it still didn't make him think Jiang Suizhou was a reliable person.

Jiang Suizhou also overheard their conversation just now, but he and Wei Xiuyang never had much to say to each other. After giving the other person a glance, Jiang Suizhou walked away.

At the restaurant, Song Li had prepared fine wine and food. The people who had played by the pool changed their clothes and gathered there.

At the villa's bar, Song Li had prepared fine wine and food. The people who had played by the pool changed their clothes and gathered there.

When Song Li saw Jiang Suizhou coming in, he stood up and waved to him, "Come, come, come."

All the eyes in the room followed Jiang Suizhou's movements.

Jiang Suizhou ignored them and calmly sat down next to Song Li.

Song Li: "Where's Guan Xi? Is she still not feeling well?"

Jiang Suizhou: "She's a bit uncomfortable; she went home first."

Song Li: "Is everything okay? She scared us just now with that incident."

Jiang Suizhou: "En."

"Wow... will she hold a grudge against me? Causing her to fall into the pool during my birthday banquet—uh, you have to apologize to her for me later. Otherwise, she'll definitely shoot icy arrows at me the next time we meet."

"En. I'll be heading back in a bit."

"Sure, sure, you go back early. Go back and appease her."

But in reality, Jiang Suizhou wasn't sure where Guan Xi got that burst of anger.

He took a sip of wine and looked at Xie Yan, who was seated at a distance.

Was it really because of him?

Guan Xi drove, speeding all the way. As she sped, she suddenly realized that she was heading in the direction of Jiang Suizhou's house. Annoyed, she abruptly stopped at the side of the road.

Holding onto the steering wheel, her face clearly displayed the character irritated.

Damn dog! Is his mouth infected? What nonsense is he talking about!

Can't stand out? I was born beautiful and outstanding; I'll level the playing field!

In her mind, Guan Xi scolded Jiang Suizhou countless times and tortured him countless times.

But after calming down, she felt that her outburst was abrupt. In Jiang Suizhou's eyes, it was probably even more inexplicable.

However, at that moment, she couldn't control herself. She knew he wasn't talking about her, but she still took it personally.

Actually, she had considered that given Jiang Suizhou's temperament and their relationship, if he knew about this matter, he would definitely reevaluate their relationship.

Breaking up was highly probable.

However, she didn't expect that, in the situation she anticipated, hearing his real thoughts would make her so angry.