Chapter 200 Savior
After dinner, the two returned to their room.
Zachary suddenly had an urgent video conference.
"I'll go for a walk." Quinley pointed toward the door, telling Zachary.
He'd just entered the meeting but quickly muted his audio and walked over to her. "Stay right here with me. The meeting will be over soon. When it's done, I'll go out with you."
Quinley knew Zachary was a workaholic. This spontaneous trip to help her unwind must have put a lot of his work on hold.
"I ate a bit too much at dinner. I want to walk it off. I won't go far—just around the courtyard outside. Come find me when you're done." The resort had a charming attached courtyard filled with lush plants, a pavilion, and a pond. From Zachary's vantage point, he could see the entire courtyard.
"Don't wander off then. I'll come out as soon as the meeting's over."
"Okay."
Quinley stepped outside. The courtyard was lovely, with a gentle breeze drifting through. In the distance, Cloudrest Peak stretched endlessly, taking on an ethereal quality under the night sky. The resort glowed with lights, peaceful and inviting.
This place was far from Rosewood City, removed from the noise and conflicts of the city. Here, she could find true tranquility, at least for a while.
Quinley loved it here.
She sat alone in the pavilion for quite some time. Zachary was still busy. Rising to her feet, she followed the path forward, wanting to see more of the resort grounds.
Walking along, she unknowingly wandered beyond the resort's boundaries. Outside, another world opened up before her. In front stood a lake that stretched as far as the eye could see. Water lilies were in full bloom, their blossoms swaying in the gentle breeze.
Quinley walked along the lake's edge when suddenly an impulse struck her—she wanted to pick a water lily for Zachary.
She carefully approached the water's edge, reaching out for the closest bloom. Just as her fingertips brushed the petals, a voice sounded behind her.
"Thief!"
The voice wasn't loud, as if deliberately trying to startle Quinley. But it worked—she was genuinely frightened.
Her foot slipped, and she tumbled into the lake.
Quinley couldn't swim. She flailed in the water. A figure flashed by, then someone jumped into the lake, grabbing her arm and dragging her toward shore.
Soon, she was rescued. Her clothes were soaked through, one shoe lost somewhere, and Quinley clutched a water lily in her hand, looking utterly bedraggled.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just..." The man was drenched as well. He explained while scratching his head awkwardly.
Then, noticing Quinley's missing shoe, he jumped back into the lake and retrieved it.
When he appeared before Quinley again, she realized with astonishment that this man was the same person who'd saved her life back in Lakeside City.
"It's you?"
Since they'd parted in Lakeside City, they'd never seen each other again. Quinley didn't even know his name. Now her eyes filled with delighted surprise.
The man quickly recognized Quinley too. "You're Cindy?"
He still remembered her name.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm... here on vacation." Quinley glanced toward the resort and lowered her voice.
"What about you? What brings you here?" She redirected the conversation.
The man pointed toward the expanse of blooming water lilies. "I'm a director. I'm location scouting for a film I'm preparing to shoot. There's a scene with water lilies, and I heard Cloudrest Peak has the most beautiful ones, so I came here. Never expected to run into you. My name's Oliver, glad to see you again."
Oliver had a strong artistic aura about him. As he spoke to Quinley, his gaze kept drifting toward the water lilies.
"I never got to properly thank you. Thank you for saving my life that day." Quinley said gratefully.
Oliver smiled faintly. "No need to thank me. It was nothing, really. Don't worry about it."
He had an easygoing personality.
The two stood there chatting for a while. Oliver kept crouching down, then jumping up, using his eyes to absorb the beauty of the water lilies.
"Such a shame. I came here with my film crew, wanting to capture Cloudrest Peak's beauty. But I heard someone's reserved the entire resort and isn't allowing outsiders in. Looks like I'll just have to wait here." He turned to look toward the resort, his face full of regret.
"You want to film at the resort?" Quinley asked.
Oliver nodded. "Filming from above the resort, I could capture the entire panorama of Cloudrest Peak."
Oliver had saved her life. Quinley wanted to repay him somehow. Her heart warmed. "If you need it, I can help you."
"Really?" Oliver's eyes lit up. "If that's possible, that would be amazing. The crew's coming tomorrow. If I could get into the resort to film Cloudrest Peak's night scenery, I'd be able to complete this project on schedule."
"Let's exchange WhatsApp. I'll message you once it's arranged." Quinley offered.
Oliver immediately added Quinley's contact. He had other matters to attend to. After saying goodbye to Quinley, he hurried off.
After walking several steps, he turned back to call out to her.
"Cindy, seeing you again makes me so happy!"
He carried an intense youthful energy—pure and passionate.
He was completely different from the men in Quinley's life. Those men came from either political or business circles, shrewd and calculating, their minds full of profit calculations.
Oliver's appearance gave Quinley a different kind of feeling. He did work he loved, full of ideals, immersing himself completely without concern for gains or losses.
Quinley took a deep breath and headed back toward the resort.
Just as she reached the entrance, she ran into Zachary. He was walking quickly, rushing outside while looking around anxiously. Quinley had left without her phone, so he couldn't reach her.
"I'm here." Quinley waved to Zachary.
Hearing her voice, he jogged over to her. Seeing her completely soaked, Zachary immediately grew tense.
"Did you fall in the water? Are you hurt?" He crouched down to examine Quinley's legs.
When she'd fallen in, water plants had scratched her calf. Without another word, he moved to carry Quinley back inside. She quickly stopped him.
"It's nothing. I just accidentally slipped in." Quinley spoke softly like a child who'd done something wrong.
"Here, I got you a water lily."
Though she'd fallen in the water, she'd still managed to pick the flower. Despite being completely drenched, the bloom remained intact.
Now she looked up at Zachary with a smile-filled face, her gaze crystal clear.
His eyes darkened as he looked at Quinley. He accepted the flower and affectionately ruffled her hair. "I'm a man. What kind of man needs a woman to give him flowers? This was too dangerous. Don't go picking flowers by yourself again, understand?"
Zachary's warning came out gruffly.
"I understand." Quinley obediently agreed.
She linked her arm through Zachary's and tentatively suggested, "Let's go back tomorrow."
They'd only been at Cloudrest Peak for a few hours. Quinley's sudden desire to leave made Zachary suspicious.
"What's wrong? Do you miss Mom? I've been in touch with her, she's already back in Lakeside City and everything's fine. Don't worry. Quinny, didn't we agree? We came here to relax properly. I promise I'll manage my work and spend quality time with you."
Quinley planned to help Oliver, but she couldn't tell Zachary about this. He was a man, even though Oliver had saved her life, he'd still get jealous and read too much into it.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Quinley decided to keep it hidden.
"I don't like this resort." Quinley lowered her head. She'd lied.
This resort offered the most beautiful views in Cloudrest Peak, overlooking the entire night scenery. Staying here, they could enjoy undisturbed tranquility.
Zachary's eyes deepened. He didn't press further.
"Alright, we'll switch to another place tomorrow. For tonight, can you manage staying here one more night?"
Quinley nodded vigorously. "Yes."
That evening, Zachary had people start searching for new accommodations.
Early the next morning, just as their group was preparing to move, Oliver suddenly appeared with his film crew.