Yuxuan (REMASTERED)

Chapter Twelve

Our water war continued. I splashed him twice and he repeated the action with more force. I squealed and paddled away kicking water in his face with my feet.

He shielded himself, and I guffawed at his expression. "Take that!" Yuxuan dove underwater, and I quickly swam away, knowing he'd try to catch me.

He did. I felt him snake his arm around my back and he surfaced. I responded in a fit of giggles when he dragged me close to him. His hair was completely drenched and covering his face.

I brushed his hair back to help him see and chortled at his facial expression. He looked surprised. "You thought I didn't know how to defend myself in water? Think again lad," I subconsciously rested my arms over his shoulders. "You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve."

Yuxuan frowned at me. "Oh, don't give me that look." I teased. "It's what you get for throwing me. Very impolite of you, I must say. I wonder what woman raised you, truly."

Lord, please forgive me. Those eyes of his were drawing me in. "No matter how handsome you are," I poked him in the nose. "Your looks will never amount to the manners you display."

"Alex,"

"Hmm?"

Yuxuan's steady breathing had a very hypnotic effect on me. His chest rose and fell against my front. I could his hand cup my face again, and oddly, I couldn't remove my eyes from staring at his lips.

Yuxuan's mouth moved, but I didn't hear the words come out. I leaned forward unknowingly. And just before our lips could meet, the sound of a gunshot went off. It spooked me so bad that I jerked away from him.

Thank the lord for it. I realized that I almost just kissed him. "Shite." I covered my mouth when another gunshot echoed.

What on earth possessed me so much that I almost kissed a wild man? That was almost admitting that I was attracted to him. What did Yuxuan think? What would he think if it happened?!

I looked at him, and he looked very distracted by the sky. He was curious as to what the sound was.

If it was a gunshot, it could either be more people or the buffoons I came with!

We both swam back to land. He helped me up. "Yuxuan, um..." I started, and he stared at me, waiting for me to finish. "Can you take me there?" I pointed in the direction of the sound.

"Where?" He raised a brow.

"Boom!" I clapped my hands together, mimicking the gunshot sound. "There! Take me there."

"No," He frowned. "Alex... here."

Another gunshot went off, a little closer this time.

"I know you want me to stay here, but I know those people. They are um..." I tried to remember which words I taught him that he could remember. "People. My people."

"Alex... people?"

"Yes!" I nodded. "I know them! So please take me there!"

Yuxuan nodded, a gesture he learned from me. It was as if he was telling me to lead the way. I smiled at him and went off in the direction of the sound.

~~~

Yuxuan was very protective of me, a gesture that I did appreciate. He was hesitant about being on the other side of the wall that blocked everything. Instead of going straight through, he wanted to climb the trees near it.

There was only one problem. I feared heights, and I didn't know how to climb. Okay, that was two problems, not one.

Yuxuan took a head start, and I made a silent prayer. I watched his movements and copied them. It wasn't so bad. I made it to the higher parts of the tree.