Volume One, Chapter Seven: Emergency Rescue

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Except for a slight tremor in her chest, Susan remained unconscious. Jiang Ming’s expression tightened, a silent alarm ringing in his mind. Kneeling beside her, he checked her carotid pulse with his fingers, his face darkening. His hand immediately moved down to her chest.

“Excuse me.”

Susan needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation—CPR—right now.

Having just held and kissed her, now adding another “touch,” Jiang Ming wondered if she would hold it against him when she woke up.

Would she slap him again? Or demand he take responsibility?

But in this moment of emergency, Jiang Ming pushed aside his discomfort. He carefully unbuttoned Susan’s clothes from top to chest, clasped his hands together, placed the heel of his palm between her breasts, and was about to begin chest compressions when he noticed something unusual.

He pursed his lips, his ears flushing red. His hand trembled slightly as he reached into her underwear to investigate.

The next second, two slender fingers pinched out a small recording pen.

Jiang Ming glanced sideways at the device, hesitated briefly, then tossed it into his sports bag.

“Looks like having a big chest doesn’t mean you’re naive,” he thought. “You knew to use a waterproof pouch, and even double insurance. Even if the phone’s confiscated, hiding a recorder there would be impossible for most to find. You’re much smarter than she was back then. Back then, after her phone got soaked, all evidence was lost.”

His mind lingered on this as he continued CPR without pause—thirty chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths, repeating the cycle.

By the end of the second cycle, Susan coughed up several mouthfuls of water and gradually opened her eyes.

Jiang Ming’s handsome face loomed large, a striking presence so close that Susan’s oxygen deprivation worsened. Her clouded mind could only register two simple words: “Good-looking.”

“You…” Susan’s voice was hoarse, her breaths heavy. She wanted to speak but couldn’t form words.

The next moment, she instinctively clutched her phone tightly against her chest, wary, only to find softness where the recorder had been—now gone.

“My recorder? Did you see it?” Susan struggled to sit up and glared at Jiang Ming.

“What?” Jiang Ming feigned innocence, his beautiful dark eyes flickering irresistibly.

Susan frantically searched her chest, moving as if trying to turn over a small rabbit, anxiously murmuring, “I put it right…”

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Seeing this, Jiang Ming’s cheeks flushed. He turned his face slightly away and replied coldly, “Put where? What are you talking about?”

Jiang Ming was naturally aloof, and his retort left no room for doubt.

Susan thought silently: “Looks like he gave me CPR. My ribs aren’t broken, so there was no recorder on my chest when he pressed. Could it have dropped into the pool?”

With that thought, Susan immediately rolled over and leaned toward the pool, attempting to peer into the water.

Jiang Ming crouched beside her, shaking his head helplessly. Like catching a chick, he roughly pulled Susan back.

“Trying again? I can’t guarantee I’ll save you another time.”

Seeing Susan’s displeased face and struggle to look into the pool, he added casually, “And I can’t guarantee Lin Tingyuan and the others won’t come back.”

At this, Susan froze by the pool’s edge, her eyes flickering as she thought, “I need to get out quickly. We can think about the evidence later.”

Relieved for the moment after giving up on finding the recorder, Susan relaxed somewhat. She weakly slumped by the poolside and looked up at Jiang Ming, scrutinizing him carefully.

“Jiang Ming, thank you… you saved me!”

“Oh, you know me now? Didn’t slap me, so I should be the one thanking you!” Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow, teasing her deliberately.

Though his joke was dry, someone who’d just been rescued from drowning and near death usually had shock and distraction, which was the best way to soothe them.

Mentioning their last misunderstanding, Susan blushed, clearly forgetting her earlier fear. She pursed her lips and answered seriously:

“I’ve done a lot of homework this week! You don’t like interviews and rarely appear outside competitions, very mysterious. But I’ve caught up on nearly five years of major swimming events, so of course I know you! The top medley swimmer in the country, national record holder in the 200m and 400m medley. But at the Olympics and World Championships, you were often narrowly beaten, only silver medals, the uncrowned king—it’s a pity. But honestly, I think your butterfly stroke is excellent, just like your freestyle—both are strong on their own.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ming looked at Susan with deep meaning. Finally, a faint smile appeared on his cold, handsome face—a rare blossom on a high mountain, stunningly pure.

“You don’t swim, but your knowledge of swimming competitions is quite professional! Butterfly? Seems like you’ve offended the ‘Butterfly King.’”

“Him? He’s only temporarily number one! All show, no substance!” Susan snorted coldly, disdain in her eyes undiminished by her difficult situation.

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Susan’s expression caused Jiang Ming to momentarily falter.

The same frailty, the same messiness, the same stubbornness and strength! Apart from being more glamorous, this woman was just like the girl from ten years ago. No wonder he wanted to help her in the rain last time, and why the water just now triggered so many memories.

Jiang Ming stood up, looked down at Susan, and his expression softened. Silently, he extended his right hand.

Susan gazed at Jiang Ming’s broad palm and long, defined fingers, enchanted. She instinctively reached out and let him pull her up.

The overhead light shimmered in Susan’s wet eyes, making her feel even more dazed.

She remembered that ten years ago, a boy had given her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

At that moment, when she first opened her eyes, she saw a flushed, awkward boy with delicate features and a pointed chin dripping with water. His eyes were captivating—filled with worry and relief. But she had slapped him hard after feeling her loosened clothes. Fortunately, the boy didn’t hold it against her; instead, he asked with concern:

“Are you okay? You almost drowned.”

Only then did young Susan realize this person was not a scoundrel but her lifesaver.

“You… you’re the one who saved me?”

“Yeah, just happened to be there.”

The boy relaxed and calmly offered his right hand. Their eyes met, pure and gentle. Without hesitation, she grasped his hand, letting him help her up. A breeze blew; she shivered from the cold but straightened her spine stubbornly, trying to hide her embarrassment. The boy quietly turned and left, soon vanishing behind the poolside pavilion. She felt a twinge of loss, but he returned shortly after, draping a large towel over her shoulders.

…

Realizing she was overthinking, Susan shook her head sharply and thought:

“Why am I thinking about him now? No, impossible! The kids on that cruise were all from wealthy or noble families. It’s understandable to like sports, but how could someone give up their fortune to become a professional athlete enduring endless hardship and competitions? It’s just a hallucination, definitely a hallucination! Susan, you’re just oxygen-deprived—snap out of it!”

Watching Susan’s restless expression, Jiang Ming couldn’t help but smile. Rarely did he meet someone who piqued his curiosity. At this moment, he suddenly wanted to know more about her.