Chapter 27: Riverside Encounter

Yesterday's meal had officially turned two German "country bumpkins" into full-fledged foodies, leaving them craving more.

The next morning, Qin Li was barely out of bed when Thomas came knocking.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked with unrestrained eagerness.

Stretching, Qin Li replied casually, "Haven't decided yet."

Thomas trailed after her like a loyal puppy, pleading, "You should open a restaurant! I'll be your most loyal customer—or better yet, I'll work for you for free!"

"You're a physicist, a PhD no less. How could I possibly dare to order you around?" Qin Li teased.

Thomas waved her off. "Ever since yesterday, I've been completely conquered by your cooking. My brother really struck gold with this match. Please, I'm begging you, take a liking to him!"

Everyone likes compliments, and Qin Li was no exception. She chuckled, "That depends on his performance. So far…"

Thomas leaned in, hopeful. "How's he doing?"

"Not great," she said bluntly.

Thomas panicked. "What's wrong? Tell me, and I'll talk to him—he can change!"

Qin Li rattled off a list of complaints. "He's too cold, doesn't talk much, acts unpredictably, lacks empathy, isn't gentle, isn't cute, and isn't romantic…"

Thomas cut her off, desperate to defend his brother. "Every coin has two sides! If you look at it differently, it's not so bad."

"Oh?" Qin Li raised an eyebrow. "What angle should I use?"

Thomas cleared his throat, launching into his argument. "His coldness means he's not the type to flirt with random women. His unpredictability? That just means he'll keep life exciting. As for empathy… well, Germans are just methodical by nature! He may not be gentle, but he's meticulous. Not cute, but serious. Not romantic, but dependable."

Before he could finish, Qin Li burst out laughing. "You're really something. Turning black into white with such ease!"

Thomas shrugged. "Human nature is complex. It's not all black and white, you know."

"That's not logic—that's sophistry," Qin Li quipped.

"It's philosophy," Thomas countered, puffing out his chest.

"Fine, fine, call it whatever you want," Qin Li relented, amused.

Thomas pouted, clearly unimpressed by her casual dismissal.

Wanting to end the conversation, Qin Li shifted gears. "Where's your brother?"

"Down by the river, fishing," Thomas replied.

"Then I'll go see him."

As she headed for the door, the director intercepted her. "I hear you cooked up a feast last night?"

"Just a simple meal," Qin Li said modestly.

The director grinned. "Next time, invite us along. That's fantastic material for the show."

"Sure," Qin Li agreed. "I'll treat everyone to authentic Chinese cuisine sometime."

Satisfied, the director nodded. "I'll schedule something."

Noticing her intent to head out, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Just taking a walk," she replied casually.

The director's sharp instincts kicked in, and he quickly instructed the crew, "Follow her."

Qin Li felt her cheeks heat up. With the camera crew around, something unexpected was bound to happen.

The rain from earlier had left the ground damp and the valley blanketed in mist. The mountains wore a veil of fog, giving the scenery an ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty.

The river, crystal clear and tinged with a glowing blue hue, glimmered under the soft morning light.

On a small stone bridge stood a lone figure in a dark gray jacket and a baseball cap. Though shrouded in mist, his presence was magnetic, exuding an air of mystery.

It was Yan Sen, fishing rod in hand, a bucket by his side. He stood with military-like precision, his posture as unyielding as his demeanor.

Beside him crouched a cat—equally still. The two of them looked like sculptures frozen in time.

The fishing line twitched, and Yan Sen deftly flicked his wrist. The motion was fluid and elegant, the kind that could make an ordinary act like fishing seem poetic.

A small fish shot out of the water, wriggling mid-air. Deciding it was too small to keep, Yan Sen tossed it to Schrödinger, who meowed in delight, catching the fish and scurrying to a corner to enjoy its meal.

As he prepped his line for another cast, Yan Sen glanced at the contented cat and allowed himself a rare smile.

The scene was tranquil, almost idyllic—a man and his cat in perfect harmony with nature.

From her vantage point, Qin Li found herself captivated. This man was like the wind: sometimes gentle, sometimes untamed, but always mesmerizing.

When Yan Sen finally noticed her, he picked up his bucket and began walking toward her.

But before he could reach her, an unwelcome voice shattered the peace.

"Hi, darling!"

Qin Li turned to see none other than Janie—the blonde woman she'd sparred with the day before.

What was she doing here?

Qin Li didn't have a shred of goodwill left for Janie, who had proven herself to be the very definition of "trouble."

Janie, however, ignored Qin Li completely. She strode up to Yan Sen, boldly grabbing his arm. "I couldn't sit still after seeing you yesterday," she cooed. "The moment I got off work, I had to come check on you."

Yan Sen didn't miss a beat. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he freed himself from her grasp. "I'm fine," he said flatly.

Janie was undeterred. She pulled a food container out of her bag and offered it to him. "I made your favorite roast pork. Remember how much you used to love it?"

Yan Sen accepted the container with a curt nod. "Thanks."

Janie seemed pleased and looked for another opening to chat. "Oh, you're fishing? Planning to sell these to a restaurant?"

"No," Yan Sen replied. "They're for me."

Janie's eyes widened in surprise. "You? Eat fish? You never liked fish before!"

"People's tastes change," he said coolly, his tone laced with subtext.

Janie froze, her smile faltering. Her gaze darted toward Qin Li, and the realization began to dawn. "Tastes change…" Did he mean he no longer liked women like her and had instead developed a preference for someone like Qin Li?

Meanwhile, Yan Sen walked over to Qin Li, handing her the bucket.

She peered inside at the three large fish, confused. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Fresh fish for yesterday's recipe," he replied simply.

The pieces clicked together in her mind. Yesterday, she'd complained about the lack of fresh fish, lamenting that the frozen ones weren't tender or flavorful enough. And now, Yan Sen had spent his morning fishing to meet her exacting culinary standards.

Her gaze flicked to Janie, who stood fuming in the background, before she asked, "Didn't you say you don't eat fish?"

"That depends on who's cooking," he answered.

The unspoken compliment hit home, and Qin Li felt a warmth spread through her chest. Holding the bucket, she teased, "Was yesterday's dinner really that good?"

Yan Sen nodded without hesitation. "Unforgettable."

They walked together along the narrow bridge, which barely allowed two people to walk side by side. Everything felt calm—until someone barreled into Qin Li from behind.

Caught off guard, she lost her balance and tumbled backward. With a loud splash, she and the bucket plunged into the icy river below.

The fish seized their moment, flipping back into the water and vanishing from sight. Qin Li, however, wasn't so lucky.

The frigid mountain runoff instantly enveloped her, cutting through her clothes and chilling her to the bone.

"Help! I can't swim!" she screamed, thrashing wildly.

The more she struggled, the deeper she sank, as if the river itself conspired to pull her under. Water rushed into her mouth, cutting off her cries. She choked, coughed, and panicked, her strength rapidly fading.

This is it, she thought in despair. I'm going to die in this godforsaken place, all because of a stupid blind date.

Her vision blurred, and the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Yan Sen, shoving Janie aside and diving into the water without hesitation.

Yan Sen hit the water with a splash, immediately locating Qin Li. Her foot was ensnared in a tangle of underwater weeds, anchoring her beneath the surface.

Swearing under his breath, he swam closer and pressed his mouth to hers, forcing air into her lungs.

He surfaced briefly to gulp down fresh air before diving again. With practiced precision, he drew the knife he always carried and slashed through the weeds. Freeing her leg, he grabbed her around the waist and pushed her above the water.

The film crew, who had rushed to the scene, pulled them both to shore. Once on solid ground, Yan Sen wasted no time performing CPR—compressions, mouth-to-mouth, the works.

Qin Li sputtered, coughed up water, and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Yan Sen's face inches from hers, his lips on hers, and his hands on her chest.

"Ahhh!" she shrieked, shoving him away and scrambling backward.

Yan Sen lost his balance and fell onto his backside. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he remarked dryly, "If you can push that hard, you're going to be fine."

The memory of what had just happened—his rescue, the accidental intimacy—flooded back to her. Embarrassed but grateful, she muttered a quiet, "Thank you."

A gust of spring wind sent shivers down her spine, and the crew, ever the gentlemen, draped their jackets over her shoulders.

"Fish are gone," she sighed, pulling the jackets tighter around her.

"Good thing your life isn't," Yan Sen replied.

"What happened? How did I fall in?" she asked.

"Someone pushed you," he said bluntly.

Her mind immediately went to Janie. While she hadn't seen it herself, the suspicion was strong. Yan Sen's confirmation only cemented it.

"That's attempted murder!" she exclaimed.

"You can press charges," Yan Sen said evenly.

"Would she go to jail?"

"Probably not," he admitted. "But she'd have to compensate you financially."

"Then I'm pressing charges," Qin Li declared.

The film crew helped make the call to the police since Yan Sen's phone had been soaked.

Hearing that the police were involved, Janie's smug demeanor cracked. She rushed over, grabbing at Qin Li's arm.

"It was just a joke! I didn't mean anything by it!"

Qin Li pulled away, her voice sharp. "A joke? If it had been just you and me out here, I'd be dead!"

Janie switched tactics. "Fine, you want money? Name your price!"

Qin Li, appalled by her audacity, turned her back on her.

Panicking, Janie lunged forward, her voice rising. "Say something! You're trying to ruin me, aren't you? If the police take me away, I'll lose my job. You're heartless!"

Furious, Qin Li shot back, "And when you pushed me into the river, did you think about whether I'd survive?"

"How was I supposed to know you couldn't swim?" Janie retorted, shameless.

"Oh, so this is my fault now?" Qin Li snapped, her laughter icy.

"Not my fault, that's for sure!" Janie insisted, her tone defensive.

The argument escalated until Yan Sen stepped in, pulling Qin Li back. "Enough," he said.

Qin Li glared at him, her temper still hot. "This is all your fault!"

Yan Sen blinked, caught off guard. My fault? He was the one who'd spent the morning fishing, only to have his plans—and his peace—ruined.