Sheng Chenjin was completely bewildered by what she said. It wasn't like he was this picky with Shi Xinxin when she helped him organize documents at home.
Oh, wait, there was that one time. Sheng Chenjin recalled the last time he prevented Shi Xinxin from going to a bar. He had deliberately found some trivial tasks for her, only for her to see right through him on the spot.
"This woman really holds a grudge," Sheng Chenjin muttered to himself.
"Speaking of which, how did a big shot like you end up at the disaster site? To show your concern, shouldn't you just donate money? Coming here yourself, isn't that a huge sacrifice?"
Sheng Chenjin thought she was referring to his injury. In reality, his shirt was merely stained with blood, making it look somewhat gruesome; the wound itself wasn't that severe.
"This little scratch is nothing," Sheng Chenjin said casually.
"Are you talking about my injury?" Shi Xinxin turned around again. Since they were on an uphill slope, Shi Xinxin walked ahead. Turning around like this made her appear taller than Sheng Chenjin.
Shi Xinxin standing at a higher vantage point questioning him left him completely flustered. Wasn't that what she meant just now?
"If you're not referring to this, then what are you referring to?" Sheng Chenjin asked her foolishly.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Shi Xinxin was furious. She had intended to ask, as a CEO like him, shouldn't he just be lying in bed with beautiful women, calling his secretary or butler upon hearing about the disaster and telling them to donate money to the affected area?
Why did he need to come in person? But Sheng Chenjin looked clueless, which only made her angrier. "You know full well what I'm talking about."
With those four words, she turned around once more and walked ahead without looking back. Watching her limp up the mountain, Sheng Chenjin tried to step forward to help her several times, only to be pushed away by Shi Xinxin.
"I don't know what you're talking about today, and your words are all over the place. If you fall down the mountain limping like that, I'll still have to fetch you. Can't you avoid increasing my workload?"
After being pushed away for the umpteenth time, Sheng Chenjin spoke, imitating Shi Xinxin's tone to complain.
"There's no need. How could a mere white-collar worker like us trouble a CEO like you so much?" Sheng Chenjin slowly understood. All her comments in the last few sentences revolved around the disparity in their social statuses.
It seemed she was truly angry about what happened that day. But this was good; the angrier she got, the more she cared. He would explain things clearly to her later. For now, seeing her so angry struck him as strangely endearing.
"At the brink of life and death, everyone is equal. What's the use of money? Life is the most important thing. Although I'm a CEO, I'm not a heartless person. If I saw you fall, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So, let me support you properly now. If you increase my workload later, it would be intentional on your part."
Shi Xinxin was momentarily speechless, unable to retort. Even though she was angry and didn't want Sheng Chenjin to get close, her limp was a fact. Hopping around on the slope was indeed unsafe.
But she detested this feeling. She didn't understand why Sheng Chenjin was so inconsistent with her.
Seeing Shi Xinxin's lack of protest, Sheng Chenjin immediately moved closer, standing by her injured side to provide support. He then put his arm around her waist.
Shi Xinxin had initially intended to just hold Sheng Chenjin's hand. She hadn't expected him to take advantage of the situation. But now that she was already in his embrace, resisting was futile.
Shi Xinxin glared at him fiercely. "Let's go quickly. It's going to rain soon." Whether Sheng Chenjin was deliberately changing the subject or genuinely worried about the rain, he clearly didn't register Shi Xinxin's fierce gaze.
Shi Xinxin had an excellent memory. Before coming, she had heard about the possibility of a mudslide and had coincidentally looked up the surrounding terrain.
As luck would have it, she learned that there was an abandoned air-raid shelter near the village. She navigated towards the shelter based on the map in her mind, hoping the mudslide hadn't covered its entrance.
If they could both get inside, they could take shelter temporarily. Thus, the two injured individuals supported each other and finally reached the entrance of a cave after about twenty minutes.
Shi Xinxin wasn't sure if it was the air-raid shelter she had found in her research, but based on the terrain, this location seemed suitable as a temporary refuge for them.
The water hadn't flowed this way, and the surrounding vegetation still stood firm, indicating that the soil in this area wasn't too loose. The only inconvenience was that this location was quite remote, making it difficult for rescue personnel to find them.
But they couldn't afford to worry about that now. Sheng Chenjin supported her, and they slowly moved towards the cave entrance. A light rain had already started falling from the sky. Within just a few minutes, as they entered the cave, the raindrops transformed into bean-sized hailstones.
After they entered the cave, the rain intensified, turning the view from inside into a misty blur, making it impossible to see the outside environment clearly.
Both breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe for the moment. Let it rain. They collapsed against the stone wall, panting heavily.
However, soon they became uncomfortable due to the cold, damp air inside. Sheng Chenjin stood up first. "Let's move a bit further inside. It's too cold here."
Shi Xinxin nodded. Before Sheng Chenjin arrived, her foot had been pinned by rocks, leaving her unable to move. After sitting on the cold ground for so long, she was already feeling unwell.
Sheng Chenjin's wound also ached more than before, perhaps because he hadn't paid attention to it earlier, or perhaps because the movement along the road had aggravated it.
He could tolerate the pain earlier, but now it felt like his wound was tearing apart, causing stabbing pain.
Yet, he knew that this cold weather was bad for a woman's body. So, he needed to take Shi Xinxin to a drier spot further inside and see if he could find some wood to start a fire.
He had been checking his phone all along the way. However, once they entered the mountainous area, the phone had no signal. Now that it was raining and they were inside a cave, the phone's only function was its flashlight.
Fortunately, the cave was slightly drier inside. When he helped her into the cave, Shi Xinxin could already hear Sheng Chenjin's breathing tremble.
While she felt heartbroken for him, she also restrained herself, unwilling to say words of excessive concern. She repeatedly reminded herself not to be deceived by such appearances again.