His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 20

“Braised sea cucumber soup, try it.”

Su Yinuo stopped in her tracks, tuning out everything around her as she quietly met Qin Cangye’s sorrowful gaze.

Though surprised faces flickered in her peripheral vision and curious whispers reached her ears, she seemed oblivious to it all. Her heart ached, her eyes fixated solely on the man who appeared so strong yet wore an expression of surrender and pleading.

He seemed to be asking, “Why didn’t you come that day?”

He seemed to be begging, “Don’t leave me behind again, okay?”

It wasn’t until Li Jinmiao pulled her inside that she snapped out of her daze. Scanning the room, she caught sight of Ji Wenjun among the many astonished faces, his own shock even more pronounced.

Why was Ji Wenjun here too?

Su Yinuo was taken aback.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the long-lost princess of the Li family?” Wang Zhengcheng approached, eyeing Su Yinuo with playful scrutiny before teasing, “Seems like you know Young Master Qin, too?”

Su Yinuo tensely avoided Wang Zhengcheng’s gaze, fidgeting awkwardly, when Qin Cangye’s cold reply cut in: “We don’t know each other.”

Her heart sank. When she looked up again, Qin Cangye had already averted his eyes, his face expressionless as he stared at the teacup in front of him.

“We don’t,” Su Yinuo echoed softly.

Wang Zhengcheng’s lips twitched as he thought to himself: If I couldn’t tell you two know each other, I’d be an idiot.

Just as he was about to say more, Li Jinmiao smacked him on the back and scolded, “This is my best friend, Nuonuo. Commissioner Wang, why are you blabbering on? Are we eating or not? I’m starving.”

With that, she linked arms with Su Yinuo and took a seat beside Qin Cangye.

“Nuonuo?” Wang Zhengcheng repeated in surprise, his gaze darting between Qin Cangye, Su Yinuo, and Ji Wenjun before he sat down on Qin Cangye’s other side with a knowing smirk.

Once seated, Li Jinmiao began greeting everyone in the room with ease, trading barbs with Wang Zhengcheng and catching up on everyone’s recent happenings.

Su Yinuo kept her eyes down, idly spinning her teacup, unable to join the conversation. She could feel a scorching gaze burning into her from the left, but whenever she glanced over, all she saw was Qin Cangye’s flawlessly cold profile.

Suddenly, Wang Zhengcheng’s voice rang out again: “So, Nuonuo, where are you from? You look so much like our Third Water here.”

The room fell silent as curious eyes turned toward Su Yinuo. Everyone sensed something unusual between her and Qin Cangye, one of the evening’s main figures, but no one dared to pry, especially not after Qin Cangye had nearly broken Ji Wenjun’s wrist.

“I’m from Beiguang,” Su Yinuo answered with an embarrassed smile.

“Still in school? What does your family do?” Wang Zhengcheng pressed, relentless in his questioning.

Su Yinuo hesitated, flustered as she struggled to find the right words. Before she could respond, three voices spoke up at once in the room.

One was Li Jinmiao’s impatient retort: “Commissioner Wang, why do you care so much?”

One was Ji Wenjun’s anxious explanation: “Nuonuo is an intern at our company.”

The other was the sound of Qin Cangye’s teacup slamming heavily onto the table.

The private room fell silent for ten seconds before Wang Zhengcheng’s awkward laughter broke the tension: “Huh? Why hasn’t the food arrived yet? I’ll go check on it. You guys chat.”

Wang Zhengcheng dashed out to catch his breath. By the time he returned, the dishes had already been served. With a smile, he raised his glass to toast Li Jinmiao and Qin Cangye on their return to singlehood, and the meal officially began, filled with eating, drinking, boasting, and chatting.

Su Yinuo was utterly out of place in such a setting. She kept her head down, eating diligently, becoming the most focused diner in the room. She didn’t even notice when Li Jinmiao had left the table and was now venting to some second-generation heir about the hardships of entrepreneurship.

“Sister Miaomiao, what’s this?” Su Yinuo picked up a glistening, springy dish with her chopsticks and raised her left hand to tap Li Jinmiao, only to find the seat beside her empty. When she lifted her gaze, she met Qin Cangye’s gentle eyes.

“It’s fish cartilage,” Qin Cangye replied.

His voice was soft, and his expression had softened considerably compared to earlier. He picked up a ladle and served a bowl of the soup in front of Su Yinuo, handing it to her. “Abalone sauce sea cucumber soup. Try it.”

Dazed, Su Yinuo quickly set down her chopsticks and accepted the bowl with both hands. “Thank you, Mr. Qin.”

The room abruptly fell silent. Everyone who witnessed the scene was stunned, their faces a mix of disbelief: What did I just see? Am I hallucinating? Qin Cangye actually served someone else food? Holy crap, the sun must be rising from the west today.

Qin Cangye swept a cold glance across the room, and everyone immediately averted their eyes, resuming their conversations. The lively atmosphere returned.

Wang Zhengcheng chuckled and leaned in to whisper to Qin Cangye, “Qin, seriously, you don’t know her?”

“I don’t,” Qin Cangye stated firmly, using serving chopsticks to place a few golden slices of matsutake mushrooms into Su Yinuo’s bowl. His voice was gentle as he said, “Pan-fried matsutake. Try it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Qin.”

Wang Zhengcheng watched the scene unfold, nearly rolling his eyes.

“Goose liver terrine with hawthorn. Helps with digestion. Try it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Qin!”

Qin Cangye then picked up a piece of fish, hesitated, and placed it on a small plate. He carefully removed the bones with his chopsticks before handing the plate to Su Yinuo.

“I’m full, really can’t eat anymore,” Su Yinuo said helplessly, her eyes drooping slightly. Seeing Qin Cangye’s disappointed expression, she quickly took the plate. “Thank you, Mr. Qin.”

Qin Cangye finally stopped serving her. After finishing the fish, Su Yinuo rubbed her rounded belly and glanced subtly at Qin Cangye’s hand.

She had noticed earlier when he handed her the dishes, there were still a few unhealed, crimson scars on the back of his hand. Su Yinuo wanted to move to Li Jinmiao’s seat to ask if his injuries were still bothering him, but she hesitated, not wanting to make such an obvious gesture. Just as she was debating, Qin Cangye unexpectedly stood up and sat beside her, even offering her a warm post-meal towel.

Su Yinuo looked up in surprise, meeting Qin Cangye’s bright, deep eyes.

He seemed to be in a much better mood, and a faint hint of a smile could be seen in those clear eyes.

Qin Cangye clenched the towel in his hand. At this moment, he found the surroundings far too noisy. He wished he could snap his fingers and make everyone disappear instantly, so he could freely embrace the utterly adorable person in front of him without restraint.

A bit of oil had smudged the corner of her lips, making those already plump lips look even more enticing.

He wanted to take a bite out of them. Even if he couldn’t, surely it wouldn’t hurt to just touch them with his fingers, right?

Thinking this, Qin Cangye raised the hand holding the towel.

Su Yinuo, startled by his movement, immediately snatched the towel from his grasp. She straightened up, wiped the oil from her lips, and then nervously cleaned her hands.

With his hand now empty, Qin Cangye continued to gaze at Su Yinuo, feeling utterly dejected.

The two pretended not to know each other as they half-listened to the others’ conversations. When Li Jinmiao returned and saw Qin Cangye sitting in his seat, he tactfully took Qin Cangye’s spot instead.

Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Zhengcheng began sharing stories of his travels around the world.

Su Yinuo rested her hands on her lap, completely engrossed in his tales. Suddenly, she felt a cold, broad palm land on the back of her hand. Startled, she lowered her head and saw Qin Cangye’s right hand, hidden beneath the tablecloth, gripping her left hand tightly.

The cold palm soon grew warm, then scorching hot. Su Yinuo’s cheeks flushed red. She tried to pull her hand away but couldn’t break free. When she placed her right hand over his to pry it loose, her fingers brushed against the rough scars on the back of his hand.

Her heart trembled slightly, and her right hand stilled atop his.

Qin Cangye lowered his head, the faintest hint of a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

While everyone’s attention was captivated by Wang Zhengcheng’s storytelling, Su Yinuo leaned slightly closer to Qin Cangye and whispered, “Does your hand still hurt?”

“Not anymore,” Qin Cangye replied softly.

Su Yinuo gently patted the back of his hand and admonished, “Don’t do things like that again in the future.”

“I’ll listen to you,” Qin Cangye murmured. His fingers interlaced with hers, pulling her hand onto his own thigh. He tenderly kneaded her slender fingers, rubbing the soft pads of her fingertips as if handling a priceless treasure.

The flush on Su Yinuo’s face slowly spread to the tips of her ears.

Wang Zhengcheng’s stories were so riveting that the private room erupted in laughter repeatedly. No one was paying attention to Qin Cangye and Su Yinuo anymore, except for Ji Wenjun, who had been watching their whispered exchanges, the subtle shifts in their expressions, and most infuriatingly, the way Su Yinuo’s face flushed red because of Qin Cangye.

Ji Wenjun picked up his glass of baijiu, downed it in one gulp, then pushed back his chair and walked over to Su Yinuo. Without ceremony, he shooed away the quiet, unassuming official’s son sitting beside her and took the seat for himself. “Nuonuo,” he called out.

Su Yinuo jumped in surprise and immediately withdrew her hand from Qin Cangye’s grasp, turning to face Ji Wenjun, who was already showing signs of drunkenness.

“Nuonuo,” Ji Wenjun smiled, ignoring the murderous glare from Qin Cangye in his peripheral vision. “There’s going to be a drone show over Mingzhu Lake later. The best view is from the rooftop garden terrace of the club. Want me to take you there?”

“A drone show?” Su Yinuo was genuinely intrigued and asked curiously, “What time is it? Can I really go to the club’s rooftop?”

“Of course you can. It’s at eight,” Ji Wenjun leaned in closer and whispered, “Other activities at the club cost money, but just walking around the rooftop garden is free. Don’t worry.”

Ji Wenjun was too close, his strong alcohol-laden breath hitting Su Yinuo. Uncomfortable, she leaned back, pressing against Qin Cangye’s shoulder, and heard his icy warning: “Don’t go.”

Su Yinuo turned to look at Qin Cangye.

The sharpness in Qin Cangye’s eyes instantly softened. Gazing at Su Yinuo, his eyes slightly downturned, he pleaded pitifully, “Don’t go.”

“What’s it to you?!”

Before Su Yinuo could respond, Ji Wenjun slammed the table and stood up angrily, shouting at Qin Cangye, “You two don’t even know each other, right? What’s it to you if I take Nuonuo out for fun?!”

The lively chatter in the private room came to an abrupt halt. Everyone was stunned by Ji Wenjun’s sudden outburst. The first to react were Ji Wenjun’s cousin Ji Cheng and Wang Zhengcheng. One rushed to Ji Wenjun’s side, while the other positioned himself in front of Qin Cangye.

“Sorry, sorry, Young Master Qin. My cousin’s had too much to drink,” Ji Cheng grabbed Ji Wenjun’s arm, apologizing repeatedly as he tried to pull him away.

Wang Zhengcheng, meanwhile, placed a hand on Qin Cangye’s shoulder, feeling as though the sharp, frigid aura emanating from him might pierce right through his palm.

“I’m not drunk,” Ji Wenjun shook off Ji Cheng and, fueled by alcohol, continued to yell, “Qin Cangye, I’m asking you, do you know Nuonuo or not? If you don’t, then stay the hell away from her!”

Qin Cangye stared daggers at Ji Wenjun, his mind already conjuring countless ways to ruin him. If Su Yinuo weren’t here, he would’ve smashed Ji Wenjun’s head into the dining table the moment he raised his voice.

But now, he could do nothing.

He couldn’t admit he knew Su Yinuo, nor could he retaliate against Ji Wenjun’s provocations, because anyone in this room could be Qin Weishu’s eyes and ears. Until Qin Weishu was completely neutralized, he couldn’t risk exposing Su Yinuo to his scrutiny.

Yet he couldn’t stand Ji Wenjun’s repeated advances toward Su Yinuo! Clenching his jaw, his crimson eyes brimmed with overwhelming fury.

He struggled, his expression growing increasingly twisted.

Ji Wenjun kept up his drunken tirade: “Stop glaring at me, you think I’m scared? Go ahead, hit me! I won’t fight back. You’ll end up in jail while I’m in the hospital. Even if you beat me half to death, my family will bail me out! But you, I’ll make sure you rot in prison till the end of time!”

After his impassioned outburst, he turned to Su Yinuo, who seemed thoroughly frightened, and extended his hand. “Nuonuo, let’s go!”

Watching the hand that was about to touch Su Yinuo, Qin Cangye could no longer hold back his anger and was just about to erupt when Su Yinuo suddenly stood up, dodging Ji Wenjun’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” she first apologized to Ji Wenjun, then turned to face the group, smoothing her slightly messy bangs before saying sorry again. “I truly apologize for ruining everyone’s dinner mood. Please don’t misunderstand, Young Master Qin really doesn’t know me. It’s just that I have a one-sided admiration for him, so, Anyway, it’s all a misunderstanding.”

With that, she grabbed her handbag, ignoring the stunned expressions on Ji Wenjun and Qin Cangye’s faces, and ran out of the private room.

“Nuonuo,” Li Jinmiao called out as she chased after her.