Tempt Flirting/Camp With Love - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Gabriel García Márquez once said that when a woman sets her sights on seducing a man, no wall is too high for her to climb, no fortress too strong for her to tear down, and no concern too heavy for her to cast aside—in fact, not even God Himself can stop her.
So, is Zheng Shuyi facing some impenetrable fortress now? A mountain of blades? The wrath of God?
None of that.
Just a simple rejection from him.
Okay then.
She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and adjusted her mindset. While straightening her collar, she stepped outside.
Pushing open the dressing room door, the open plains stretched before her eyes. The wind brushed over the grass, swaying it gently. A few horses leisurely bowed their heads, nibbling at the field.
Zheng Shuyi fastened her buttons and looked up to see the clouds parting, mist dissipating, and the sun already sinking below the horizon. The sky was lit with a thousand rays of golden light.
Bathed in this golden glow, Shi Yan stood beside a chestnut horse. Dressed in a sleek black riding suit, he was poised and powerful. The horse’s coat gleamed like satin under the light.
It looked like a scene from a painting, a vision of harmony and grace.
Zheng Shuyi couldn’t help but stare a few seconds longer.
“You’re done changing?” Guan Xiangcheng walked over, leading a horse, resting his arm on the saddle as he looked her up and down. “Fits pretty well.”
Then he patted the horse and turned to wave at Shi Yan.
The three of them weren’t far apart, so Shi Yan had seen everything.
He let go of the reins and walked over.
Once he was near, Guan Xiangcheng said, “This is our most gentle horse. Let Shi Yan teach you how to ride.”
Huh?
Zheng Shuyi immediately looked at Shi Yan.
He paused, lowered his eyes to adjust his white gloves, and said nothing.
Guan Xiangcheng didn’t notice and rode off soon after. Not long after, hoofbeats echoed in the distance.
Shi Yan, having put on his gloves, stood beside the horse, casually smoothing its mane, but didn’t move to help her up.
From their earlier brief conversation, Zheng Shuyi had more or less figured out the relationship between Shi Yan and Guan Xiangcheng.
They weren’t relatives—Guan had some history with Shi Yan’s father. Shi Yan was only there today to keep him company.
For someone like Shi Yan to do that showed the respect he had for Guan.
Not exactly intimacy, but deference. Which meant he would likely show his best side in front of him.
So Zheng Shuyi cleared her throat.
Shi Yan looked up at her.
“President Shi.” She smiled a bit shyly and glanced at him with a touch of nervousness. “Could I trouble you to teach me?”
“Sure.”
For some reason, his tone gave her a faint sense of foreboding.
Maybe she was imagining things.
Zheng Shuyi reassured herself—what could he possibly do? Feed her to the horses?
So she smiled and said, “Thank you then, President Shi.”
Shi Yan gestured politely for her to go ahead.
Zheng Shuyi wasn’t the delicate type—she worked out regularly and had a background in dance. Mounting the horse wasn’t difficult for her.
The riding pants fit snugly and comfortably. She swung herself up with ease, tossed her hair lightly, held the saddle, and looked down at Shi Yan.
Shi Yan took the reins in hand, glanced up at her, and took a step back.
Zheng Shuyi blinked—wasn’t he supposed to lead the horse from the front?
Why go to the back?
Before she could figure it out, a warm presence approached from behind. The saddle dipped, and the horse jerked forward a few steps.
By inertia, Zheng Shuyi leaned back—straight into someone’s chest.
Time seemed to freeze.
Zheng Shuyi’s upper body went stiff. Not moving only heightened her awareness. She could feel Shi Yan’s breath slowly envelop her.
He reached around her to grab the reins, his arms closing her in.
Zheng Shuyi: “……”
This really doesn’t seem like the proper way to teach.
Shi Yan seemed to notice her stiffness.
“What’s wrong?”
His tone was light, but Zheng Shuyi caught a hint of mockery.
Her nerves were already showing. There was no point pretending.
“Nothing,” she gritted out. “Just nervous. First time riding.”
Shi Yan made a soft sound in response.
But for some reason, even that single syllable made Zheng Shuyi feel uneasy.
The horse began to walk slowly under Shi Yan’s direction.
The setting sun bathed the horse’s back in golden light. With every rhythmic movement, Zheng Shuyi’s head gently bumped against Shi Yan’s chin.
She couldn’t help but feel something was off.
She’d only known Shi Yan a few hours, but his personality was already becoming clear—he didn’t seem like someone who’d be doing this.
Just as she was thinking that, Guan Xiangcheng, already far ahead, turned and waved them forward.
Before Zheng Shuyi could respond, the horse suddenly reared, then bolted.
“Ah!” She screamed, gripping the saddle tightly as they jolted forward.
The horse was fast. The saddle slammed into her over and over, bruising her inner thighs. The speed made her dizzy and sick.
Shi Yan, meanwhile, deliberately kept some distance between them. He didn’t hold her tightly, so with every jolt, she felt like she was about to be thrown off.
“Slow down!” she yelled. “Slow down, slow down!”
Shi Yan ignored her.
I knew it—this guy is a menace!
The horse became even more excited. It nearly spun 180 degrees over a jump. Zheng Shuyi’s vision blurred.
——
“Slow down!”
“Is this horse insane?! I said slow down—AHHH!”
She lost track of how many times she screamed. Her throat was raw. Her hair was whipped into a messy veil over her face.
She felt half-dead, while Shi Yan’s breathing remained calm and even.
Another fence loomed ahead. The horse sped toward it at full tilt. Zheng Shuyi panicked, heart in her throat, eyes wide.
“Slow down!” She grabbed Shi Yan’s hand and cried, voice breaking. “Please! Please slow down!”
The moment her warm palm touched his, Shi Yan glanced down.
Zheng Shuyi’s pale face was pressed against his chest—whiter than the pearl on her earring. Only her nose was flushed red. Her long lashes even looked damp.
Zheng Shuyi had no idea he was watching. She only knew that if the horse kept this up, she’d probably puke all over him and show exactly what she ate for lunch.
Just as her stomach lurched, Shi Yan tugged sharply on the reins.
The horse came to a halt mid-gallop.
The momentum nearly sent Zheng Shuyi flying. She lurched forward, almost crashing into the horse’s neck—until Shi Yan grabbed the back of her jacket.
Not held, not supported—grabbed.
By the scruff, like she was a misbehaving kitten.
But Zheng Shuyi had no energy left to be angry at the absurdity of it all. As soon as the horse stopped, she scrambled off, completely ungraceful, nearly tripping.
For the first time, she felt alive again.
Shi Yan remained seated, calmly toying with the reins, looking down at her with mild amusement.
“Not learning anymore?”
“Nope,” she muttered, rubbing her bangs and barely keeping it together. “I just wanted the experience, that’s all.”
From a distance, Guan Xiangcheng waved at them.
Shi Yan responded with a soft “mm,” then dismounted and led the horse over to him, looking like the very picture of poise—like he hadn’t just terrorized someone.
Zheng Shuyi watched his retreating back, emotions roiling.
She tried once again to adjust her mindset.
—— A few minutes later, she gave up.
Cruel. This man was actually cruel.
Maybe Márquez was wrong.
Because right now, she couldn’t even conquer this damn saddle.
She was done. Goodbye. God bless.
Meanwhile, the two men chatted from afar. Guan Xiangcheng looked over and shook his head, smiling.
And—unless her eyes deceived her—Shi Yan smiled too.
Yes. Smiled.
Zheng Shuyi rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw the back of her skull—and stepped further away.
After that, Shi Yan stayed with Guan Xiangcheng, never coming near her again.
——
On the way back, she still rode in Shi Yan’s car.
They sat in the back, just like on the way there.
Zheng Shuyi was still traumatized by the horse. She clung to the car door like it might buck too, keeping an eight-hundred-meter distance between them.
But the day had drained her. The mountain road’s curves rocked her to sleep.
When she woke up, Shi Yan was gone. Only the driver remained, and the car was parked at her apartment.
She thanked the driver and headed home.
But after a few steps, she noticed something.
Her left ear was bare.
She had checked her earrings when leaving the stables. One was gone now—it must have fallen in the car.
She turned and shouted, “Hey—”
But the car was already long gone.
Forget it.
They were just fifty-yuan earrings from a boutique.
——
The next morning, Zheng Shuyi’s legs were wobbly when she arrived at work.
As soon as she entered, Kong Nan gave her a look. When she sat down, Kong Nan leaned over, whispering, “You didn’t check your phone? Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
“Too many group notifications. Got buried.” Zheng Shuyi started her computer. “What happened?”
Kong Nan glanced around and dropped her voice even lower, rapid-fire whispering, “I was in the editor’s office this morning and saw Xu Yuling handing in a draft. I thought she didn’t have any interviews lately, so I peeked. Guess what? She interviewed Shi Yan yesterday!”
Zheng Shuyi groaned at the name alone. Combined with Xu Yuling? Her head pounded.
“I know,” she muttered.
“I figured you would.” Kong Nan leaned closer. “The worst part? I saw her draft—it was your exact interview outline!”
“…What?”
Zheng Shuyi’s hand clenched around the mouse. Eyes wide. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. I helped you review it, remember? I recognized every question.”
“……”
No wonder.
No wonder Shi Yan had looked at her with that baffled expression during the interview.
Zheng Shuyi slammed the mouse, leaning back hard in her chair, her eyes nearly spitting fire.
What the hell is wrong with people lately? Are we in retrograde or something?
“I think Tang already knows. Let’s see what she says,” Kong Nan tried to soothe her, patting her back. “You didn’t sleep, did you? You look terrible.”
Zheng Shuyi glanced at Xu Yuling, who was sipping coffee and chatting with HR by the window.
She looked radiant, her nails sparkling like they wanted to blind someone.
“I just pulled an all-nighter finishing my draft,” Zheng Shuyi said.
“What? So you still got the interview?”
“Yeah. And I turned it in this morning.”
“Oh thank god—I thought you got completely robbed.”
Zheng Shuyi gave a dry laugh.
——
For the next few hours, Tang Yi replied to emails but never called Zheng Shuyi in. Her office door stayed marked “Busy.”
Zheng Shuyi knew the truth: this kind of unethical behavior isn’t governed by rules. Since the matter hadn’t gone public, Tang likely didn’t want to waste time dealing with drama during performance season.
At 5 p.m., Tang finally sent feedback on her article—just normal edits, no mention of anything else.
Now the issue was that Xu Yuling’s article, while plagiarized, might still get published if it was judged better.
Zheng Shuyi looked over at her again. She was reading a magazine, serene as ever.
But Zheng Shuyi? She was boiling.
Why should I worry about someone else getting credit for my work?
Another half-hour passed. Xu Yuling entered Tang Yi’s office.
Zheng Shuyi stood up. “Bathroom,” she told Kong Nan, pointing at the office. “Keep an eye out for me?”
Kong Nan flashed her an “OK” sign.
As Zheng Shuyi walked, she accidentally bumped the desk. Pain shot through her leg.
“You okay?” Kong Nan asked.
“Yeah.”
She hadn’t noticed last night, but the horse saddle had clearly left bruises.
In the bathroom, she confirmed it—deep purple and aching.
She clenched her jaw and cursed Shi Yan for the eighteenth time.
Then the bathroom door burst open.
Zheng Shuyi instinctively froze, hand still on the stall door.
A voice rang out.
And if there’s one place full of gossip in an office—it’s the bathroom.
Especially now, as Zheng Shuyi instantly recognized the voice.
“Isn’t Tang Yi totally biased toward Zheng Shuyi?”
At the sink, Xu Yuling was on her phone. “Ever since she got parachuted into the finance team, she’s stolen all my big stories. Three main features two years ago, two last year—this year? None! Can Tang Yi really say she’s not favoring her?”
The voice on the other end was inaudible, but Xu Yuling’s voice rose.
“Forget it. I’m just unlucky. Zheng Shuyi had way more intel than I did. Compared to hers, my interview with Shi Yan was like an afterthought.”
Huh?
Zheng Shuyi thought she misheard and blinked.
So all that work organizing notes last night? That wasn’t just in her head.
Suddenly, her bruised legs didn’t hurt so much. Her steps felt lighter.
Xu Yuling was so caught up in venting, she didn’t notice someone behind her.
“She must’ve cast some spell on him. Why else would he spill everything to her—”
“I didn’t use a spell,” a voice cut in cheerfully.
Xu Yuling froze.
In the mirror, she saw Zheng Shuyi standing behind her, smiling sweetly.
That wasn’t just embarrassment—it was horror.
She went pale, then dropped her phone with a clatter.
Zheng Shuyi leaned in beside her in the mirror.
“He just likes me more,” she said with a wink.
Then turned and sauntered off, softly closing the door behind her.
——
On her way back, Zheng Shuyi couldn’t stop smiling.
Kong Nan looked at her like she’d lost it, but she didn’t care. She felt like she’d just won the lottery.
Well—until she sat down and her thigh throbbed again.
“Ugh—”
She winced and looked down. That nagging thought came back stronger than ever.
So what if it hurts?
No pain, no gain—
That’s how you become the next Mrs. Shi 🙂