Chapter 33

Good grief, if the male lead found out he could swim, how was he supposed to keep narrowly escaping death at sea in the future? :)

Tang Mingxi's act was quite convincing, perfectly fitting the image of a delicate young master who had narrowly escaped death.

Of course, half of it was an act, while the other half was because he had genuinely been frightened.

Under the flashlight, the beauty was soaking wet from head to toe. His tailored suit clung to the perfect curves of his body, while his lovely face, pale and fragile from fright, inspired pity at first sight.

His slightly upturned eyes still held lingering terror, glistening with water. His long, straight lashes trembled, tiny droplets hanging from them.

His belt cinched his waist into a slender line, and part of his shirt had come loose from his suit trousers, revealing a slim yet resilient waist that seemed to glow beneath the moonlight.

Everyone was used to Second Young Master Tang's arrogant demeanor. Seeing him suddenly fall from his pedestal, looking so pitiful as though he had been bullied terribly—

For a moment, the security personnel aboard the yacht all stared at Tang Mingxi, unconsciously softening even their breathing.

As Tang Mingxi climbed, he complained inwardly, Are you crazy? Isn't anyone going to lend me a hand?

Forget it. I'll climb up myself.

It took several seconds before everyone came to their senses and hurriedly lifted Tang Mingxi out of the water.

The moment Tang Mingxi got aboard, he coldly shoved away the security guard supporting him, returning to his usual spoiled and difficult Second Young Master Tang self.

Ye Heng emerged from the sea and shook out his hair.

When he looked up, he saw Tang Mingxi sitting alone at the far right of the yacht, radiating an unmistakable "keep strangers away" aura.

The security guards held blankets but did not dare approach, so they could only turn pleading looks toward Ye Heng.

Tang Mingxi looked utterly disheveled at the moment. His lips were pressed together, his eyes rimmed red, his arms wrapped around his knees as he stared fixedly at his toes.

Was he scared out of his wits? Ye Heng thought impassively.

Two inexplicable emotions took turns rising within him.

One was a vindictive sense of satisfaction. Seeing that Tang Mingxi had ended up like this too, it truly felt like karmic retribution.

But the other made him inexplicably irritated, as though Tang Mingxi should not be so bedraggled and miserable.

Especially when he saw the way those security guards looked at Tang Mingxi, Ye Heng's impatience deepened.

He rose and walked over to Tang Mingxi. The yacht swayed slightly with his movement.

Tang Mingxi grabbed one of the yacht's ropes in alarm, terrified of falling into the water again.

He turned his face away, seemingly unwilling to let the surrounding security guards see him in such a sorry state.

Ye Heng lowered his lashes, clutching a wool blanket as he knelt on one knee.

Tang Mingxi looked at him with reddened eyes.

In that accusing gaze, Ye Heng somehow detected a trace of grievance.

Only then did he belatedly remember some of his responsibilities as a husband.

Should he comfort him?

Then he heard his supposedly delicate, helpless wife turn away with reddened eyes and say in a deeply conflicted voice, "Is my makeup smudged? qvq"

Ye Heng: ...

So that was why he had been sitting at the stern, far away from everyone else?

"Quick, help me look!!" Tang Mingxi hurriedly thrust his face closer.

He had put on foundation and eyeliner before leaving today. It was a little strange for a grown man to wear makeup, but tonight was his birthday banquet!

The stylist had not told him whether this eyeliner was waterproof or not. qvq

"Is that really the first thing you wanted to say after narrowly escaping death?" Ye Heng looked down at him expressionlessly.

Tang Mingxi was puzzled. "Isn't that important enough?"

Then he muttered to himself, "It was so dark just now, they probably didn't see it, right? Eyeliner should be waterproof, right? If anyone saw my makeup smudged, I'd rather drown in the sea!"

Ye Heng: ...

As though he needed to process Tang Mingxi's erratic train of thought, he let out a long breath. "It isn't smudged."

"Really?" Tang Mingxi clearly did not believe him.

"It isn't." Ye Heng simply used the entire wool blanket to cover Tang Mingxi from head to toe.

Tang Mingxi was already miserable enough. If his eyeliner had smudged into panda eyes, he would have been too ashamed to go on living.

Hearing Ye Heng's assurance, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he suddenly remembered an

embarrassing matter.

Just now, had he been underwater—

and forcibly kissed the male lead?

Tang Mingxi expressionlessly clutched the wool blanket tighter.

All ten of his toes silently began digging into the floor.

Help!!

What had he just done?

Did people become especially bold when facing death?

He had only wanted a mouthful of oxygen.

The male lead would not think he had been taking advantage of him, would he? TvT

He could explain.

He was genuinely straight, TvT.

Straight as an arrow, straight as iron, straighter than a utility pole!

Tang Mingxi wrapped his little blanket tighter and secretly glanced at Ye Heng.

Very good. Ye Heng sat there as steady as a mountain, looking as though he would not settle accounts with him anytime soon.

It was fine. As long as Ye Heng did not bring it up, he could pretend nothing had happened.

If Ye Heng insisted on mentioning it, he would play dead and refuse to admit it, saying water had gotten into his brain and he had amnesia and could not remember. :)

He understood that such a major matter had to be kept under wraps. Otherwise, they would alert the enemy and fail to catch the two rats aboard the yacht.

After they went ashore, Tang Mingxi suddenly stopped moving.

Ye Heng gave him a puzzled look as Tang Mingxi leaned against the railing.

"My leg hurts."

Ye Heng lowered his head and, sure enough, saw that Tang Mingxi had placed all his weight on his left leg.

He walked over to Tang Mingxi, raised an arm, and gestured for Tang Mingxi to put his hand on it so he could support him as they walked.

After holding it up for several seconds, he realized Tang Mingxi still had not moved.

"I'll support you," Ye Heng said.

"I don't want that."

Tang Mingxi thought, My leg is practically broken, and you still want to support me? Don't you know hopping back on one leg is exhausting too?

Dog of a man, completely lacking in awareness.

Ye Heng was silent for what seemed like a long time before he laboriously figured out what Tang Mingxi meant. "You want me to carry you on my back?"

Tang Mingxi held his head high with aristocratic pride, neither confirming nor denying it.

But he still did not move.

Hmph.

Ye Heng paused again, then changed his approach and said blandly, "Then... may I carry you?"

That was more like it. :)

Tang Mingxi gave a small nod, looking thoroughly haughty as he condescended to climb onto Ye Heng's back.

If he had not gone to look for Ye Heng just now, how would he have fallen into the water?

So it was only natural for the male lead to carry him now!

By the time Tang Mingxi reached the top deck of the yacht under the security guards' escort,

Tang Yun had already paced in circles more than a dozen times, as though if they did not find him in the next second, he would personally jump into the sea.

Fortunately, Tang Mingxi had returned alive.

He jumped down from Ye Heng's back and called out guiltily, "Brother..."

Tang Yun's eyes instantly reddened.

Ever since Tang Mingxi had been kidnapped as a child, he had never again seen his younger brother in such a disheveled state.

Every doctor aboard the yacht was summoned to the room on the top floor.

Tang Mingxi hopped into the bathroom on one foot, quickly changed his clothes, then took a hot shower. After putting on dry, clean clothes, he let out a long sigh of relief.

So comfortable. TuT

This was how people were meant to live.

Tang Mingxi dawdled in the bathroom for quite a while, then looked at himself in the mirror.

The makeup on his face had been completely washed away, revealing a naturally enchanting face. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, while his lips had recovered from deathly pale to their usual muted rose pink.