His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 14

“Oh, wait! That’s not right. You still have your shares, your assets, the lapdogs you’ve kept around through all sorts of means, and that endless line of people eager to curry favor with you. Just drop a hint, and the threshold of this little courtyard would be worn down by gift-bearers. Your twilight years should be quite lively after all. I worried for nothing.”

Qin Cangye gave a slight bow, adopting an obsequious demeanor as he continued, “So your grandson is dispensable too. As for the marriage, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself. I’ll handle breaking off the engagement myself. I trust you won’t mind…”

“Enough!!” Qin Weishu cut him off, his aged hands trembling as he clenched his teeth. He glared at Qin Cangye, who stood waiting with a faint smile. After a long pause, he finally spat out, “We’ll discuss the engagement after I’m discharged from the hospital!”

Qin Cangye smirked. “Fine. Rest well, then. I sincerely look forward to your swift recovery.”

With that, he turned and walked toward the door.

“Qin Cangye, your wings aren’t strong enough yet!” Qin Weishu’s icy voice followed him. “I still have a few years left in me! Remember, even if the engagement with the Li family is called off, any woman who wants to enter the Qin family must pass my scrutiny! Otherwise, everything in the Qin family, including that pitiful woman you’ve set your sights on, I can bury with me!”

Qin Cangye paused, tilting his head slightly before uttering just two words: “As you wish.”

A moment later, once Qin Cangye’s figure had vanished from sight, Qin Weishu grabbed a nearby medical device and hurled it to the ground in fury.

“Old Yan, investigate which women the young master has been associating with recently,” he ordered venomously.

“Yes, Master,” the elderly servant replied, quietly gathering the shattered remains of the device before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

Early Monday morning, Su Yinuo thoroughly scrubbed her food cart inside and out. After letting it dry halfway, she loaded it with a stack of documents and drove to the software park.

There weren’t many vendors registering or undergoing inspections. Only then did Su Yinuo learn that the news about the software park establishing a food street hadn’t been officially announced yet, only those with connections to the Urban Management Bureau or the Technology Bureau leadership were privy to it.

Mistaken for someone with such connections, Su Yinuo sailed through the inspection. Embarrassed, she paid the management fee and was told that as long as she submitted a health check report the next day, she could start operating immediately.

Elated, Su Yinuo returned home and booked a medical exam for the following morning.

Everything was going unbelievably smoothly, as if she had truly won the favor of the goddess of luck.

In high spirits, Su Yinuo sat down beside her mother, who was working on a cloisonné piece. Picking up a small bamboo tray the size of a bowl, she watched her mother carefully applying colors before saying, “Mom, teach me how to do this.”

Zhang Lihua looked up in surprise and chuckled. “I thought you didn’t like this kind of work?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just too hard! Look at this piece you’ve been working on for two weeks and still haven’t finished. Since I’ve got nothing else to do today, why not pass the skill on to me?” Su Yinuo grinned.

Zhang Lihua studied her daughter carefully for a moment, easily discerning the little thoughts swirling in her mind. She set down the tools in her hand, pushed aside the “Dragon and Phoenix in Harmony” piece she had been working on, and pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. With a knowing smile, she said, “I wonder what our Nuonuo wants to make for her sweetheart?”

“Something simple will do,” Su Yinuo replied absentmindedly before suddenly catching the words “sweetheart” in her mother’s sentence. Flustered, she quickly denied it, “No! What sweetheart?! Mom, don’t jump to conclusions!”

“Hahaha,” Zhang Lihua burst into laughter. After composing herself, she said earnestly, “Nuonuo, it’s fine if you’re dating, but make sure he’s a good man, understand? Given our family circumstances, not everyone can accept it. Be honest with him, only someone who truly accepts you is worth keeping.”

“I know, I know. It’s really not like that. He’s just a friend,” Su Yinuo said, wishing she could just cover her mother’s mouth.

“Alright, alright,” Zhang Lihua waved her hand dismissively, still smiling. “Our Nuonuo is sensible. I won’t meddle. Now, what do you want to make? Let’s sketch it out first.”

Su Yinuo took the paper and pencil, staring at the blank sheet as she fell into deep thought.

Last night, Qin Cangye had asked for a gift, saying many things in the process. Born into privilege, he had everything from childhood, and always the finest versions of them. Yet, in the end, it was a pair of tattered gloves that became his emotional anchor.

Heart aching for his past, Su Yinuo wanted to give him something equally imperfect but made with care. The first idea that came to mind was to handcraft a cloisonné coaster for him.

In Su Yinuo’s heart, what Qin Cangye, who seemingly had everything, desired most was love and freedom. So, she began sketching: an endless expanse of sea meeting the sky at the horizon, where the setting sun and seagulls lingered. A grand ship sailed across the water, and on the shore stood a little boy. Perched on his shoulder was a small hamster, keeping him company as they watched the sun rise and set together.

“Mom, I’m done!”

“What on earth is this? It’s so ugly! Let me fix it!”

“Uh… is it really that bad?”

The next day, right after her medical checkup, Su Yinuo rushed home to put the finishing touches on the cloisonné coaster. With her mother’s help, she succeeded on her first attempt, though the final product looked rather childish—like a naive elementary school student’s watercolor painting.

She carefully set it on the windowsill to dry, her heart swelling with anticipation for the coming Sunday.

But as she turned away, it suddenly struck her, this Sunday was supposed to be the day she bid farewell to Qin Cangye.

A pang of sadness settled in her chest.

Over the past few days, she had often recalled what Li Jinmiao had said to her. No matter how she analyzed it, she refused to believe Qin Cangye was the kind of scoundrel who would toy with her feelings. Yet, the truth remained, they were from entirely different worlds. Now that her lie had been exposed, there was no reason for them to continue their charade.

Life had to return to normal. This little interlude would just be a fleeting princess dream in her otherwise ordinary life.

Su Yinuo lifted her gaze to the vast blue autumn sky, letting the tears at the corners of her eyes dissipate into the cool breeze.

Early Wednesday morning, Su Yinuo drove her food truck to the software park with renewed determination. As she entered the gates, she handed over her pass with a small, triumphant flourish.

Only five vendors had set up shop in the food street of the industrial park, but Su Yinuo’s business was booming that day. Even past ten in the morning, people occasionally stopped by to order a bowl of spicy hot pot, strolling around as they ate to unwind.

Su Yinuo was thoroughly fulfilled by the busyness. During a rare lull, she dashed to the makeshift kitchen provided by the park at the back, rinsed a rag, filled a bucket with clean water, and scrubbed away every drop of oil splattered on the counter of her food cart.

When she looked up, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar figure. Her heart jolted at the sight, but by the time she focused, the figure had already vanished between the buildings.

“That looked like Qin Cangye…” she muttered under her breath, a pang of disappointment in her voice, before turning away with the bucket and heading back into the kitchen.

These past few days had been agonizing for Qin Cangye.

He kept replaying the events of last Sunday in his mind, he must have slipped up somehow. Would Nuonuo still come this Sunday?

The thought plunged him into deep anxiety. He had planted the cactus Su Yinuo gave him in a pot and placed it on his desk. Whenever he had a spare moment, he found himself staring at it, wondering whether she would show up on Sunday.

Compared to this, Qin Weishu’s threats didn’t worry him much.

He knew Qin Weishu would investigate any woman he interacted with, that he would use every means to erase anyone Qin Cangye cared about. But he refused to believe Qin Weishu could find someone even he himself couldn’t locate.

As long as he didn’t recklessly chase after Nuonuo’s identity, she would remain safe.

In the meantime, before she resurfaced, he needed to buy up every acquirable share, increase his stake, and win over the newer-generation shareholders. That way, when the time came, he’d have the strength to stand against Qin Weishu.

He didn’t have the luxury of waiting for Qin Weishu to die naturally, his mind was already brewing a plan to strip the man of everything before his final breath.

To that end, he dialed a number he hadn’t called in a long time, his father, who lived across the ocean.

“Dad, are you coming back for Mom’s memorial day this year?”

A long silence stretched on the other end before a weary sigh finally came through. “I’ll come back.”

Qin Cangye exchanged a few more words with his father, Qin Jianning, before hanging up, his palms slick with sweat.

His mood was heavy. Staring at the cactus, he ached for the girl he only knew by her nickname to appear before him right then, to pull her into his arms, to breathe in her scent like it was the air keeping him alive.

He stood abruptly and called for his assistant outside the office.

“What can I do for you, Vice Chairman?” Wang Yiliu stepped in, her tone respectful.

“I’m heading out. Take care of my cactus,” Qin Cangye said before striding out.

Expressionless, Wang Yiliu adjusted her glasses, tilting her head slightly as she studied the cactus. Only after Qin Cangye had disappeared did she reply, “Understood, Vice Chairman.”

She pulled out her phone and searched: How to care for a cactus.

Just as she was scrolling through the results, an alarm chimed.

“Time to check on the hamster,” she murmured, tucking her phone away as she made her way to Qin Cangye’s private suite.

Meanwhile, Qin Cangye arrived at the Near East Software Park and laid his cards on the table with Li Jinmiao.

He assured Li Jinmiao that he would take the initiative to propose the dissolution of the engagement to the Li family in the near future and publicly declare that all responsibility for the annulment lay with the Qin family, having nothing to do with the Li family. He also promised not to withdraw investments from the Li Group or her Feiyue Games and would provide certain compensations to the Li Group as per the engagement agreement. However, the condition was that until the engagement was successfully dissolved, he would maintain a relationship with Su Yinuo where they met once a week for a meal.

The negotiation did not go smoothly. When Qin Cangye stated his intentions, Li Jinmiao froze for a few seconds, utterly baffled, and questioned sharply, “What do you mean by ‘meeting once a week for a meal’? What exactly are you planning to do with Nuo Nuo? If you truly like her, wait until the engagement is called off and then pursue her properly and formally. What kind of nonsense is this weekly charade of having a meal together? Don’t tell me you, the great Young Master Qin, are short of a dining companion?”

Qin Cangye’s face darkened. Every word from Li Jinmiao grated on his nerves like a saw cutting through his brain. Suppressing his barely contained fury, he stepped forward, slamming his hand heavily on Li Jinmiao’s desk. His voice was icy as he said, “What I intend to do is none of your concern. If you don’t want your game project to die in its infancy, you’ll do as I say!”

Li Jinmiao met Qin Cangye’s cold gaze without flinching. After he finished speaking, she could no longer hold back her anger and exploded, “You’re threatening me? Qin Cangye! You dare threaten me? I’ve worked myself to the bone for two years on this project. If you dare mess with it, let me tell you, calling off this engagement won’t be so easy for you either! We’ll make each other’s lives miserable for the rest of our lives! If I don’t get to live in peace, neither will you! You!”

BANG!!!

Before Li Jinmiao could finish, Qin Cangye punched her desk. She jumped in fright, and Zhang Yifeng immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her.

Qin Cangye’s fist shattered the pen on Li Jinmiao’s desk. Shards of the broken pen case pierced his skin, and bright red blood seeped out, staining the white paper beneath his fist.

Gritting his teeth, Qin Cangye looked like a beast on the verge of losing control.

After a moment, he finally withdrew his terrifying, predatory glare, straightened up, and plucked the plastic shards embedded in his flesh one by one, tossing them onto Li Jinmiao’s desk. His tone was calm but brooked no argument as he said, “You’ll do as I say.”

Then he turned and walked toward the exit.

“Wait,” Li Jinmiao called out, her voice trembling with obvious loss of confidence. She gripped Zhang Yifeng’s arm tightly, afraid she might collapse from exhaustion at any moment. “Nuonuo said she’ll see you one last time this Sunday. She’s my friend, I can’t force her. So, whether you call off the engagement or not, this Sunday will be the last time.”