His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 22

“Much better than my girlfriend could do.”

In the darkness of the night, Qin Cangye stood frozen in place, his right hand still outstretched as if trying to grasp something. He remained like that until the last ripple of her figure vanished from his sight, until not a trace of her scent lingered in the air.

The collapse came in an instant. He lowered his head, tears dripping one by one into his empty palm.

The night breeze from the lake swept over him, and clad only in a thin shirt, he felt the chill. He turned to gaze at the dark waters, a sudden impulse urging him to jump. A thought flickered in his mind, would it feel warmer if he plunged in?

He walked toward the railing, but the moment his fingers touched the cold metal, clarity struck.

She does love me. She said so herself.

She’s just afraid of the dangers around me.

It’s my current situation that’s failed to give her a sense of security.

Then, all I need to do is get rid of Qin Weishu!

Qin Cangye’s grip tightened around the railing, his eyes gleaming with a cold light as he stared into the night. After a long moment, he finally released his hold, took a deep breath, and dialed his father, Qin Jianning.

“Dad, in a few days, a young man will come to you. His name is Qin Wangxuan, your illegitimate son.”

A heavy silence stretched on the other end before a solemn reply came: “Alright.”

“Spend some time with him. Bring him back to the country on Mom’s death anniversary.”

From that day onward, Ronghua Capital was plunged into an atmosphere of tension and unease, as if an invisible storm had descended overnight. The entire headquarters seemed shrouded in an unshakable gloom.

The first open confrontation erupted during the board meeting over the vote to withdraw investments from the Li Group. Qin Cangye allied with other shareholders, narrowly defeating the motion. Qin Weishu slammed the table in fury, his face livid. “The Li Group is already on the brink! We’ve gained nothing from years of investment. If not for your marriage alliance, why would we have waded into this mess?”

Qin Cangye met his glare coldly, unyielding. “Marriage? I agreed to it because I saw the Li Group’s potential and legacy. Gained nothing? Have you forgotten how much Ronghua’s reputation has improved these past two years? Don’t be so shortsighted, Grandfather.”

“You keep pushing! Let’s see how far you can go!” Qin Weishu stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Next, Qin Cangye launched a sweeping reorganization of departments and roles, blatantly sidelining Qin Weishu’s loyalists. Though Qin Weishu managed to retain some top executives, the mid-level employees who handled the real work were either won over by Qin Cangye, reassigned to meaningless positions, or outright dismissed. Projects Qin Weishu cared about began stalling, and both his internal and public influence took a severe hit.

But Qin Weishu was a cunning old fox. He bided his time, tightening his grip on the finance department, ensuring his own accounts were flawless while exploiting financial vulnerabilities in Qin Cangye’s camp to deliver crushing blows.

No one knew how long this invisible storm would last. Two months passed in anxious uncertainty, with no end in sight. All anyone felt was that this winter was colder than ever.

The arrival of winter gave Su Yinong’s business another boost. During peak hours, her snack stall was always crowded with people. Amid the billowing steam, bundled up tightly, she deftly handed out bowls of meticulously packaged spicy hot pot to customers with freezing hands and feet, often hearing delighted exclamations: “So warm!”

Two months had passed, and her life had settled into complete tranquility. The figure that had once occupied her thoughts for so long, leaving her unable to eat or sleep, had gradually faded from her mind over these months. This brought her immense relief. Moreover, she had recently heard some good news: the old neighborhood where she lived might be undergoing demolition! Rumor had it that not only would there be a substantial compensation payout, but the new development would also allocate them new apartments twice the size of their original homes!

If the rumors were true, Su Yinuo and her mother could finally turn their lives around with the demolition payout! Not only would they be able to pay off their debts and get her mother a proper prosthetic limb, but they could also live a life free from financial worries. When that time came, Su Yinuo planned to resume her studies and retake the college entrance exams!

Just thinking about it filled her with excitement.

But the rumors also seemed baseless. Su Yinuo had yet to see any government officials or demolition crews near her home. Even if there were plans for demolition, who knew how long it would take to materialize?

Still, having something to look forward to made life more vibrant.

“Auntie Zhang! One weight-loss combo and one extra-meat combo!” A voice interrupted Su Yinong’s thoughts. She looked up to see Ji Wenjun’s smiling face.

Ever since Ji Wenjun had caused a drunken scene at the Jinlan Club by the lake two months ago, Su Yinuo had ignored him for nearly half a month. She had never harbored any feelings for him beyond friendship and thought being friends was fine. But if he kept pestering her, there was no point in maintaining the friendship.

However, the past two months had also brought several small incidents.

One typhoon day, Su Yinuo had set up her stall in the morning when the weather was still calm. The morning passed without incident, but by the afternoon, fierce winds had picked up.

Su Yinuo quickly turned off the stove and began packing up to lock her snack cart and take shelter in the communal kitchen. But before she could finish, the plastic awning by the roadside collapsed. She screamed and ducked in time to avoid injury, but the vegetables, baskets, plates, and other odds and ends on her cart were blown away, scattering all over the street.

In her panic and confusion, she saw Ji Wenjun rushing out from Building No. 5.

Flying debris and dead branches struck him, but he charged forward regardless, moving the collapsed awning away from Su Yinuo’s head and shielding her as they ran into the building.

After that incident, Su Yinuo could no longer keep Ji Wenjun at arm’s length, and the two returned to their usual dynamic.

Su Yinuo handed the packed combos to Ji Wenjun, who cheerfully stepped out of the line and sidled up to her, whispering, “Nuonuo, my company’s having a dinner tonight. You should come!”

“Why would I go to your company dinner?” Su Yinuo retorted irritably.

“Our game’s beta testing has been a huge success, and it’s about to launch publicly. Boss Li is thrilled and treating everyone to a night out to unwind. Family members are invited, you should come and join the fun!”

“What kind of family member am I?” Su Yinuo chuckled helplessly, nudging Ji Wenjun aside with her elbow. “Move along, don’t block me. Have fun tonight.”

“You can bring friends too!” Ji Wenjun said anxiously.

Su Yinuo waved him away impatiently, shooing him off.

After the lunch rush, she collapsed onto a bench by the roadside. She took off her thick cotton hat, wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue, and looked up at the overcast sky. Her exhaled breath formed fleeting wisps of mist before her eyes. Within that mist, the face she longed for seemed to blur. She smiled faintly and whispered, “Are you doing okay?”

Over ten kilometers away, Qin Cangye, who was conducting an on-site inspection at the old Lotus Residential Complex in the Near East District, suddenly lifted his head and gazed westward.

“Vice Chairman Qin, is something wrong?” a leader from the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau asked with a smile.

“Nothing,” Qin Cangye replied, withdrawing his gaze and masking the loneliness in his eyes. He continued accompanying the officials from the Housing Bureau and the Development and Reform Commission as they navigated the pothole-riddled streets of the aging neighborhood.

The complex was small, with cramped roads and disorganized infrastructure. The government had decided to demolish and redevelop the area into a modern, commercialized residential zone. Given its prime location and immense business potential, Qin Cangye, ever sensitive to opportunities, had already caught wind of the government’s plans through his connections. He had proactively reached out, aiming to secure this urban renewal project.

Progress had been smoother than expected. The officials praised his vision and commitments, though they concluded with the obligatory remarks about competitive bidding and comprehensive evaluations. Still, Qin Cangye knew securing the project was already a foregone conclusion.

After the inspection, Qin Cangye saw the officials off at the complex entrance. As he turned to get into his car, his peripheral vision caught a splash of vibrant colors in the distance.

He paused, then turned toward the source. At the base of a residential building, a small stall displayed an array of cloisonné handicrafts.

His heart skipped several beats. Without thinking, he strode toward the stall.

Seated beside it was a kind-looking middle-aged woman with a disability. Seeing the stern-faced, impeccably dressed Qin Cangye approach, she nervously gripped her crutch and stood up. “Can I help you, sir?”

Qin Cangye stopped in front of the stall, his gaze settling on the palm-sized coasters. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Did you make all these yourself?”

His voice was deep, soft, and carried a barely perceptible tremor.

The woman, sensing no ill intent, relaxed and smiled. “Yes, yes, all handmade by me. Not bad, right? Which one catches your eye, sir? They’re all very affordable, small ones for twenty, larger ones for fifty, and these biggest ones are a bit pricier at one ninety-nine.”

“They’re very well made. Much better than what my girlfriend used to do,” Qin Cangye said with a smile that struck the woman as strangely sorrowful.

“Auntie, I’ll take them all,” he said, signaling Wu Heng from the car to pack up the entire stall. He scanned the payment QR code and transferred three thousand yuan without hesitation.

When the voice announcing “WeChat payment received: three thousand yuan” sounded, the middle-aged woman was shocked and repeatedly exclaimed, “It’s not that much! You miscalculated, you miscalculated!”

“I’ll take this tablecloth too,” Qin Cangye instructed Wu Heng to pack it up directly using the cloth from the stall.

“Oh dear, even with the tablecloth, it’s not worth that much money,” the woman said anxiously, calling out, “Wait, wait! Let me give you something else.”

Leaning on her cane, the middle-aged woman turned and hobbled into the courtyard. Qin Cangye had initially intended to leave immediately, but his gaze was abruptly seized by a cluster of cacti beneath the courtyard wall.

His heartbeat accelerated violently, an uncontrollable surge of astonishment and excitement flooding over him. Frozen in place, he stared blankly at those cacti, his eyes gradually reddening.

There couldn’t be so many coincidences. No one who knew cloisonné would just happen to run into cacti the moment they stepped outside. Qin Cangye pressed a hand to his chest, then turned and strode toward the Phantom parked by the roadside, getting into the car.

“Boss, heading back to the office?” Wu Heng, who had caught up, placed a bundle of cloisonné into the trunk before asking.

“No.”

“Then where to?”

“Nowhere.”

Qin Cangye tilted his head against the car window, silently watching the small courtyard gate.