Huo Xingzhou's thin lips turned red, and uncollected tides of emotion lingered in his eyes.
He spoke indifferently, "I didn't hear you clearly, say it again."
Having exhausted all her strength with that previous sentence, Qiao Xi pushed away from Huo Xingzhou's embrace and swam towards the shore.
Huo Xingzhou's strong palm instantly grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. Amid their entanglement, he lifted his hand to support the back of her head, forcing her to look into his eyes.
Coldness crept into his heart as repressed anger climbed to his head.
Yet, he maintained his composure all the while.
"Qiao Xi, I taught you how to swim not so that you could escape from me one day," he said, staring into her eyes, each word deliberate.
Water mist filled Qiao Xi's eyes, but she looked back at him more stubbornly, silent.
