His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 3

“Huh??”

Su Yinuo took a few seconds to process before finally catching on. “You want me to go have dinner with your fiancé? That… that doesn’t seem right! Even if we look alike, there are still differences. He’d definitely recognize me, wouldn’t he? Besides, I… I’ve never had dinner alone with a man before!”

Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and her words came out just as jumbled.

“Don’t worry, he won’t recognize you, absolutely not! We’ve barely met a handful of times. Do you know how we usually have meals together? It’s like two strangers sitting at different tables in a restaurant. He never even looks at me properly. We eat our own food, finish, and leave. But now, just breathing the same air as him makes me physically nauseous. Nuonuo, please, just help me out this once…”

In the end, Su Yinuo agreed. After all, the payment of 6,600 yuan was too tempting to pass up, and if Li Jinmiao was telling the truth, nothing would go wrong.

Even so, Su Yinuo spent the entire day nervous. The next day, she didn’t set up her stall and told her mom she’d found a part-time job for Sunday afternoon to evening. She tidied up the house, cooked her mom a hearty lunch, and then headed out after the meal.

She returned to Building 5 of the Software Park and found Li Jinmiao’s company: Feiyue Games. It was a game development company occupying the entire top floor of the building, with over a hundred employees. Almost everyone was hunched over their computers, typing away. When Su Yinuo walked in, she didn’t even run into a receptionist.

She stopped a random guy who was stepping away from his workstation and asked sheepishly, “Excuse me, where’s Director Li’s office?”

The man finally looked up, rubbing his tired eyes, and stared blankly at Su Yinuo before blurting out, “Director Li.”

“Ah? No, no, I’m not Director Li. You’ve got the wrong person. I’m here to see Director Li,” Su Yinuo waved her hands frantically.

A young man emerged from the office area and let out an impressed “Wow!” before saying, “You must be Director Li’s sister, right? You look so alike!” He slung an arm around the older guy’s shoulders and laughed. “Brother Wang, you’ve fried your brain from overtime. When has our Director Li ever smiled so sweetly? Go take a break in the empty conference room.”

After shooing the older guy away, the young man beckoned to Su Yinuo with a grin. “Come on, I’ll take you to Director Li’s office. I’m Ji Wenjun. What’s your name, little sister? Are you in college?”

“Su Yinuo. Not in college…” she answered absentmindedly. When they reached Li Jinmiao’s office door, she heard another round of furious shouting from inside.

“Our Director Li has quite the temper, haha,” Ji Wenjun said cheerfully. “The whole company, only Assistant Zhang and I can handle it. I’ve got thick skin, and Assistant Zhang is just genuinely good-natured. Let’s wait until Director Li’s done venting before going in. Oh, by the way, little Su Yinuo, are you really Director Li’s sister? Why the different last names? Wait, no,Director Li is the only child of the Li Group…”

Ji Wenjun was simply too talkative. Su Yinuo’s ears were buzzing, and it felt like a swarm of little bees was swirling before her eyes. By the time he finished speaking, she had already forgotten most of what he said and replied blankly, “Not a younger sister, just a friend.”

She looked utterly adorable, like a soft little hamster who couldn’t figure out where its food was hidden. Ji Wenjun froze for a moment, his heart instantly melting. Unable to resist, he blurted out, “Little girl, are you even an adult?”

“Mm-hmm,” Su Yinuo nodded.

“Then, do you have a boyfriend?” Ji Wenjun pressed eagerly.

Su Yinuo tilted her head up and stared at this brash but somewhat decent-looking guy for three full seconds before firmly delivering a response Ji Wenjun never expected: “Yes!”

Of course, she said it to avoid trouble, just like how she disguised herself as “Auntie Zhang” every time she set up her street stall, bundled up tightly.

Su Yinuo knew that given her family’s current situation, they couldn’t afford even the slightest ripple of trouble.

Dating was out of the question. She had no time to nurture a relationship, nor did she believe anyone could genuinely fall for someone buried in debt with a disabled mother to care for.

Strutting around like an internet celebrity, dolled up while selling spicy skewers, was also impossible. She was the sole breadwinner now. If she attracted the wrong kind of attention, some local thugs, for instance, her entire family would be ruined.

“Really?” Ji Wenjun looked skeptical.

“Really!” Su Yinuo nodded solemnly. “Taller than you, handsomer than you, and richer than you.”

Ji Wenjun clutched his chest in exaggerated sorrow, as if on the verge of coughing up blood.

The scolding inside the office had finally died down. Someone opened the door and stepped out, their face ghostly pale. Shaking his head sympathetically, Ji Wenjun led Su Yinuo inside and called out irreverently, “Boss Li, your long-lost sister is here to fight for the family fortune!”

Inside, Li Jinmiao stood with her hands on her hips, breathing heavily as if still brimming with unspent fury. Beside her, the gentle-mannered assistant Zhang Yifeng, with his glasses and scholarly air, was tidying up the documents Li Jinmiao had flung aside before handing her a cup of tea.

The moment Li Jinmiao took the cup, she nearly flung its contents at Ji Wenjun. Glaring at him, she snapped, “Got time to crack jokes but not to optimize that five-second-lag animation of yours?”

“Well, your sister’s here, isn’t she? Haha, I’ll go, I’ll go. Don’t be mad, Boss Li, promise I’ll have it optimized by today…” Ji Wenjun dragged out the last word before shouting as he retreated from the office, “Make that a ten-second lag!”

Li Jinmiao sighed deeply, looking utterly defeated. “Why did I hire someone like this?”

Zhang Yifeng chuckled softly beside her. “Ji Wenjun has only been in the art department for six months, yet he’s already overhauled all the outdated character models with a 90% compatibility rate with programming. He’s the talent you recruited.”

“Alright, alright, enough,” Li Jinmiao waved him off and beckoned Su Yinuo, who was still frozen in the doorway. She grabbed her arm and began venting. “Nuo, you have no idea what I go through every day. If I have to dine with that demon tonight, I might just drop dead from rage.”

“You’ve had it rough, Miaomiao,” Su Yinuo said sweetly, gently patting Li Jinmiao’s shoulder.

Zhang Yifeng watched the two figures walking away and muttered, “They really do look like sisters…”

Li Jinmiao led Su Yinuo into the private lounge inside the general manager’s office, pulling out a selection of designer clothes, jewelry, and handbags specially prepared for her, along with a makeup kit.

“Sit tight, Nuonuo. Hehe, I’m going to give you a complete makeover!”

Half an hour later, a transformed Su Yinuo stood before Zhang Yifeng, who had been waiting in the office. Her long hair cascaded down, her blunt bangs now styled into a sleek center part. Her makeup was sophisticated, and the accessories and outfit she wore mirrored Li Jinmiao’s usual urban professional style.

Zhang Yifeng’s jaw dropped in astonishment. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, “It’s uncanny! Nuonuo, if you just sharpen your gaze a little, you could represent Director Li at the company-wide meeting.”

Su Yinuo laughed awkwardly, feeling utterly uncomfortable in the designer attire. While changing earlier, she had already asked, just the blouse alone cost over ten thousand yuan. She felt like she wasn’t wearing clothes but layers of stitched-together cash.

Zhang Yifeng clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Now that’s where the resemblance falters. Our Director Li never wears such a stiff expression.”

Su Yinuo frowned anxiously.

“Enough, stop scaring Nuonuo. This is fine, it’ll be enough to fool that demon!” Li Jinmiao pulled out her phone and sent Su Yinuo a photo of Qin Cangye. “Look, this is Qin Cangye, that demon. Don’t be fooled by his polished appearance.”

Su Yinuo, who had opened the photo, didn’t hear a word Li Jinmiao said afterward. She stared blankly at the face on the screen, one she had only seen once but had left an indelible impression. Her mind flashed back to the cold, volatile yet righteous man in a suit who had stepped out of the crashed Maserati Phantom days ago, his gaze sharper than a blade. A chill ran down her spine, and she nearly fainted.

“What’s wrong, Nuonuo?” Li Jinmiao steadied her, asking urgently.

“It’s nothing, nothing. Maybe I didn’t eat enough at lunch,” Su Yinuo forced a laugh and waved her hand, taking a deep breath. Her fingers trembled slightly as she added, “Or maybe Mr. Qin just looks too intimidating.”

“Then… should we still go?” Li Jinmiao hadn’t expected a mere photo to frighten Su Yinuo so much. Guilt washed over her, and she considered withdrawing the request.

“We’re going!” Su Yinuo’s smile was strained. “We shouldn’t judge by appearances. Mr. Qin might be a good person, hehe.”

“Huh?” Li Jinmiao’s lips twitched.

By evening, to acclimate to the environment and ease her nerves, Su Yinuo arrived at the restaurant where Li Jinmiao and Qin Cangye had agreed to meet, half an hour early.

Before leaving the company, Li Jinmiao had repeatedly instructed her assistant, Zhang Yifeng, “Protect Nuonuo at all costs. After you drop her off, find a spot nearby to eat something, and the moment they finish, bring her back safe and sound.”

“Don’t worry, Director Li,” Zhang Yifeng flashed his signature smile.

After escorting Su Yinuo to the restaurant, Zhang Yifeng immediately disappeared. Su Yinuo glanced around several times but couldn’t spot where he had hidden. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the menu, and froze all over again.

This was an upscale restaurant with dim lighting and tasteful decor. The dining room was quiet, not because there were few customers, but because each table was spaced far apart, separated by vintage Jiangnan-style screens and potted plants.

The menu mostly featured Huaiyang cuisine. What stunned Su Yinuo wasn’t the exquisite presentation of the dishes, but the prices that were clearly beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Su Yinuo flipped through the menu repeatedly before finally finding the cheapest item. The dish was only about the size of a fist, yet it was served on a plate larger than her face. With its red and yellow hues, she instinctively assumed it was scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

Her mind was in a strange, tense state. In truth, she was already at the peak of nervousness, but to mask it, she kept herself occupied with small, repetitive actions, like smoothing her hair and flipping through the menu.

She didn’t even glance at the names of the dishes, only imprinting her first impressions into her mind, repeating them several times: Wow, the cheapest thing here is scrambled eggs with tomatoes for 166 yuan.

From behind her came the sound of rapid footsteps. Just from the rhythm, Su Yinuo could sense the irritation of the approaching person. Her heart lurched, and she froze in her seat, stopping mid-flip of the menu, her head bowed.

She didn’t dare look up. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a pair of polished black leather shoes and long legs striding into view.

The temperature around her seemed to drop inexplicably. Su Yinuo’s heart pounded in panic: He’s here! Oh god, he’s here!