His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 13

“Grandpa! Your whole life is so empty it breaks my heart!”

“I originally thought Qin Cangye hadn’t recognized you and just mistook you for me. But now, looking back, that idea doesn’t make any sense. Qin Cangye had recognized you from the start, Nuonuo. He was deliberately putting on an act, toying with you!”

Li Jinmiao was fuming with anger, her voice filled with indignation: “Damn it! What a piece of work! He saw right through you but pretended not to know, then went out of his way to flatter you, sending you back to the office, giving you flowers, even faking a rivalry with Old Zhang. His ulterior motives are so obvious even an idiot could see them! If he had even an ounce of sincerity, he should’ve been honest with you and gone to his grandfather first to call off this engagement with me!”

Li Jinmiao grew angrier the more she spoke, her voice rising an octave: “Nuonuo, you’re just too easy to fool! Thank goodness you’ve seen his true colors now. Don’t go next week! I’ll go myself and teach that bastard a lesson! He’s probably hiding somewhere laughing at us right now. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil! At least you didn’t promise him anything. With the way these spoiled third-generation rich kids are, once they’re done playing around, they’d kick you to the curb without a second thought, you wouldn’t even find a trace of them!”

Su Yinuo sat dazed on the sofa, unable to reconcile the playboy scumbag Li Jinmiao was describing with the Qin Cangye she knew. Every word Li Jinmiao said made sense, and yet, Qin Cangye didn’t seem like that kind of person at all!

Her head throbbed from overthinking. Cupping her face in her hands, she sighed deeply and said, “Miaomiao, let me go next week. Just one last time, I won’t take any payment. I’ll meet him as myself and clear things up. After all, I lied to him too. Once it’s settled, I won’t have anything to do with him anymore.”

Li Jinmiao was momentarily taken aback. She walked over to Su Yinuo and gave her a gentle hug, trying to lighten the mood with a teasing question: “Our Nuonuo, you didn’t fall for him, did you?”

“No!” Su Yinuo denied immediately.

But both Li Jinmiao and Zhang Yifeng could tell how little conviction that denial held.

“Miaomiao, I’m going to change,” Su Yinuo said, standing up and hurrying to the restroom.

When she returned, dressed and ready to leave, Li Jinmiao stopped her. She didn’t bring up Qin Cangye again but hesitated before speaking carefully, “Nuonuo, if you haven’t found a suitable food cart or a spot to set up in the next few days, maybe you could come work at my company?”

“Huh?” Su Yinuo was surprised, but more than that, she was touched. She could see the rare nervousness in Li Jinmiao’s demeanor and knew this invitation had taken thought and courage to voice.

She must be worried I’ll think she’s pitying me…

“Miaomiao, thank you,” Su Yinuo hugged her tightly, sincerity in her voice. “I really appreciate it, but I don’t have any skills. Taking up a position at your company wouldn’t be right. To be honest,” she gave a bitter smile, “with my education level, the best I could do at your company is janitorial work, and the pay wouldn’t be much better than what I make from my stall. Don’t worry about me, Miaomiao, I’ll figure it out!”

Su Yinuo linked arms with Li Jinmiao as they walked toward the elevator on the fifteenth floor. As they strolled, Su Yinuo said, “Sister Miao, I’ve gotten really good at street vending now. I just want to earn some quick cash. I still have life goals, once I pay off my debts and save up a few tens of thousands, I’ll find a stable job and start from the basics. I’m still young, so there’s no rush.”

Li Jinmiao nodded along, agreeing with every word. She stood by the elevator door, watching Zhang Yifeng and Su Yinuo leave together. When the elevator doors closed, she let out a deep sigh and murmured to herself, “Nuonuo is such a bright and shining child.”

After driving out of the software park, Zhang Yifeng glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted the eye-catching Phantom parked by the roadside. His heart skipped a beat. “Why hasn’t Vice Chairman Qin left yet?” he muttered.

Su Yinuo quickly turned her head and saw the Phantom’s headlights flick on as the car started up.

“Holy crap, are they trying to tail us?” Even the usually unflappable Zhang Yifeng panicked, slamming the accelerator and speeding away.

Moments later, at a fork in the road, Su Yinuo watched as the Phantom behind them turned in the opposite direction.

“They’re not following us. Must’ve been a coincidence,” she said, her tone tinged with an unexpected hint of disappointment.

“Just now, I saw clearly, there was someone in the back seat of Assistant Zhang’s car. A woman,” Wu Heng reported to the silent Qin Cangye in the back seat.

Qin Cangye sat with his hands clasped in front of him, half his face shrouded in shadow.

After seeing Su Yinuo into the elevator, he had returned to his car and waited outside the software park for a long time.

It was already late, and few people were coming or going. First, he spotted Ji Wenjun driving out, looking utterly dejected. Seeing that Su Yinuo wasn’t with him, Qin Cangye abandoned any thoughts of confronting him.

Later, he watched as Zhang Yifeng’s car exited the park.

Truthfully, even before Wu Heng spoke, Qin Cangye had already noticed the faint reflection of a familiar face in the light gray tint of Zhang Yifeng’s car window. He had been sorely tempted to follow them, it would have given him Su Yinuo’s address, more details about her life, something to fill the vast emptiness in his heart.

But in a split-second decision, he changed his mind and ordered Wu Heng to drive in the opposite direction.

“Head to Donghui International Hospital,” Qin Cangye said coldly.

Wu Heng was taken aback. “At this hour? Chairman Qin must be asleep by now.”

“Sleep?” Qin Cangye scoffed, his voice dripping with loathing. “If I can’t sleep, why should he?”

By the time Su Yinuo got home, she was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. But as she pushed open the gate to the courtyard, her eyes suddenly lit up, there, standing intact, was her familiar little food cart.

Su Yinuo rubbed her eyes hard, wondering if she was still drunk and seeing things.

When she saw the cart again, she ran toward it, exclaiming, “Mom! Mom! How did the cart get back?”

Zhang Lihua leaned on her cane and walked out with a smile. “Nuonuo, the officials from the Urban Management Bureau came by this afternoon.”

Su Yinuo quickly steadied her mother and helped her back inside.

“A leader from the Urban Management Bureau, surnamed Li, along with a young man, specially returned the cart to us. They said confiscating it was just for show, to scare the vendors on that street as a warning, not an actual seizure. They even brought a basket of fruit and some flyers. Look at this! Oh my, who would’ve thought? Officials nowadays truly serve the people. How wonderful!” Zhang Lihua’s laughter deepened the wrinkles on her face.

Su Yinuo took the flyers from her mother’s hands in surprise and realized that the city was making efforts to be selected as this year’s National Civilized City. As part of the campaign, they were improving the urban environment in all aspects, and regulating mobile vendors had become a key task.

The Urban Management Bureau of Jindong District, aware of the numerous street vendors near the software park, had coordinated with the Science and Technology Bureau managing the park months ago to set up a semi-open-air food street within the premises. Vendors who wanted to operate there had to pay a management fee and pass hygiene inspections. Among the flyers Zhang Lihua handed over were blank application forms.

“The management fee is only 398 yuan a month! We have to apply for this!” Su Yinuo excitedly sat at the table to fill out the form.

“Yes, yes,” Zhang Lihua chimed in. “Who knew such a good opportunity would come our way? Look at the photos in the flyer, that spot is perfect. It’s sheltered from wind and rain, so we can set up even on rainy days or scorching ones. What a time to be alive! Ah, our Nuonuo is so lucky.”

Lucky…

Hearing that word, Su Yinuo’s hand paused mid-writing. She looked out the window, her gaze piercing through the dark night as if touching Qin Cangye’s gentle face.

His radiant words echoed in her ears once more: “Even if I have only a little luck left, I’d gladly give it all to you. Take it.”

Her nose stung, eyes reddening as hot tears rolled down.

I really did borrow your luck… Thank you…

She lowered her head, discreetly wiping away tears of gratitude and sorrow.

In the high-end recuperation zone of Donghui International Hospital, Qin Cangye strode into a lush, luxurious courtyard, ignoring the guards stationed every ten steps. He pushed open the door to an antique bedroom permeated with the scent of sandalwood.

The modern furnishings inside starkly contrasted with the pavilions and gardens outside. Around the plush bed in the center stood numerous medical devices, one of which, a dynamic ECG monitor, still flickered faintly.

Qin Cangye walked over, coldly eyeing the elderly man sleeping peacefully on the bed. Just as he raised his hand, an icy voice drifted from the shadows opposite him: “Young Master, the old master is asleep.”

A glint of hidden light flashed in the darkness, as though something deadly would strike the moment Qin Cangye moved again.

With a disdainful snort, Qin Cangye reached out unhesitatingly and yanked the power cord from the ECG monitor, then provocatively tossed it to the ground.

“Grandfather is perfectly healthy. He doesn’t need this, right, Grandfather?”

As the figure in the shadows tensed to lunge forward, Qin Weishu, his brow furrowed, opened his eyes on the bed and waved a hand, halting the other’s advance.

The man’s arrogance instantly dissipated as he slowly emerged from the shadows, an elderly servant who appeared even more aged than Qin Weishu. Supporting Qin Weishu, his hawk-like eyes fixed sharply on Qin Cangye.

“Coming here so late at night, urgent business?” Qin Weishu spoke slowly, his tone betraying neither joy nor anger.

Just that single sentence sent a faint ripple of unease through Qin Cangye’s heart.

Indeed, he had come too hastily.

Anything he cared about or prioritized would inevitably be seized upon by Qin Weishu as leverage against him.

Pausing for a few seconds, Qin Cangye realized that cautious retreat or evasive explanations would be futile now. He had already lost the first move in this game against the old fox, there was no outmaneuvering such cunning. The only way forward was a bold exchange of interests.

He knew exactly what Qin Weishu wanted: a compliant and easily controlled grandson, a well-bred and docile granddaughter-in-law, a house full of descendants, and ultimately, the admiration and praise of the outside world.

Qin Cangye curled his lips slightly and calmly stated his purpose: “I want to break off the engagement.”

Qin Weishu froze momentarily before bursting into a mocking laugh. Raising his head, he revealed a face twisted with malice, undiminished by age and frailty. “Oh? Found someone you like?”

Those calculating eyes seemed to pierce through Qin Cangye’s mind, as if already extracting the existence he cherished.

Just imagining Su Yinuo being throttled by Qin Weishu sent a shudder through Qin Cangye’s body. Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath, maintaining his composure as he leaned forward slightly and asked coldly, “Grandfather, may I ask? What is it that you, already past seventy, still crave in the dwindling days of your life?”

Qin Weishu stiffened, the venomous sneer freezing on his deeply wrinkled face.

Straightening up, Qin Cangye looked down at Qin Weishu and suddenly laughed. “Children and grandchildren at your knees? Morning and evening greetings? Playing the fool to amuse your elders? Ha! You have none of that, Grandfather. Your life, how utterly, chillingly empty it is.”