His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 39

“Do you love Qin Cangye?”

“Nuonuo, it wasn’t you who called the police?”

Even though he already knew the answer, Qin Cangye still wanted to ask. He needed a definitive response, this question could cost him his life.

Su Yinuo was frantic, tears streaming down her face as she cried, “No! What are you even thinking? How could I have called the police?” She lifted her head to look at Qin Cangye, speaking rapidly, “This morning, a stranger climbed over the wall and took photos, it scared me to death. Forget about that for now, just give me the key!”

Qin Cangye smiled. He tilted his head back, forcing back the tears at the corners of his eyes. The searing pain in his heart vanished in an instant as he pulled Su Yinuo into his arms. “I understand. Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

As long as it wasn’t Su Yinuo who had called the police, as long as his angel hadn’t abandoned him yet, he had the strength to keep living and face whatever came next.

He retrieved a small silver key from the hidden pocket inside his suit jacket and pressed it into Su Yinuo’s hand.

Su Yinuo immediately dropped the fruit knife and crouched down to unlock the shackles around her ankles.

At the same time, the police outside the house, who had been monitoring the situation through Qin Cangye’s phone, burst through the door, recording everything inside with their body cameras.

Zhang Chong felt something was off. The room didn’t resemble any of the confinement sites he had seen before. Decorations, books, lamps, stationery, everything was neatly arranged. The walls were clean, the bed was tidy, and the air was fresh. There were no signs or smells of violence whatsoever. Moreover, aside from looking extremely nervous, the young girl showed no other abnormalities. Her complexion was healthy, and the thin silk nightgown she wore appeared brand new, barely even creased. The way she nestled into her boyfriend’s arms didn’t suggest she had suffered any abuse or coercion.

But with pressure from his superiors, Zhang Chong didn’t dare jump to conclusions. He said sternly, “You two will need to come to the station for questioning.”

“We’ll cooperate with the investigation, but the accusation of unlawful confinement is completely false. Please allow me to contact my lawyer first,” Qin Cangye said calmly, his emotions now steady as he removed his coat and draped it over Su Yinuo’s thin nightgown.

“False? Then what’s this?” The female officer who had approached them pointed at the long iron chain on the floor, her expression severe.

Before Qin Cangye could formulate a response, Su Yinuo wiped her tears and wriggled out of his embrace. She waved the key at the officer and said, “Officer, this is just a kink thing. I locked myself up.”

The moment those words left her mouth, everyone in the room froze, their faces stiff with awkwardness.

Half an hour later, the two were taken to Jinyang District Police Station. Qin Cangye’s lawyer, Liu Hong, was already waiting there.

After separate interrogations, Deputy Chief Jiang Tiande of Jinyang District Police Station remained adamant. Citing the informant’s photos, the fact that Su Yinuo had been confined for over twenty-four hours, the use of restraints, and the deprivation of communication tools as evidence of criminal conduct, he insisted on detaining them.

Liu Hong immediately refuted the claims. There were no signs of violence at the scene; the woman had not suffered any abuse or psychological coercion; the so-called keys to the confinement devices were in the woman’s possession, meaning there was no restriction of personal freedom; the woman also stated she had acted entirely of her own volition. Therefore, no criminal act had taken place, and the police had no right to detain their client.

The standoff lasted for hours, dragging on until the afternoon. Liu Hong entered the interrogation room and said to Qin Cangye, who looked slightly weary but still composed, “That Deputy Director Jiang won’t back down. This is getting tricky, Vice Chairman Qin. He’s clearly being manipulated to target you.”

Qin Cangye had already pieced everything together and guessed that the mastermind behind this could only be Qin Weishu. However, he wasn’t overly concerned, his network of connections far surpassed that of his self-righteous grandfather. He nodded calmly and said, “It’s fine. Just wait a little longer. How is Nuonuo doing?”

“Miss Nuonuo has remained very calm and hasn’t said a single word against you,” Liu Hong replied.

A faint smile appeared on Qin Cangye’s otherwise impassive face.

“However, the police want to conduct a psychological evaluation on Miss Nuonuo. They’re currently seeking her consent.”

The smile vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by a look of concern as Qin Cangye glanced toward the door.

“They want to use the evaluation to determine whether Miss Nuonuo was coerced or if she truly acted voluntarily. This is likely their last resort. While the results of a psychological evaluation can’t be used as direct evidence, if Miss Nuonuo reveals anything unfavorable to you during the process, it could complicate things.”

Qin Cangye’s brow furrowed, his expression turning grave. “Go and monitor the situation. Demand that the entire session be recorded and archived. If there’s any leading questioning, raise an objection immediately.”

After Liu Hong left, the quiet room held only Qin Cangye. He clasped his hands together, resting them on the table, and bit down on his knuckle. His deep eyes betrayed an uncontainable unease.

The reason for his anxiety was simple: he knew that during this evaluation, the question “Do you love Qin Cangye?” would inevitably be asked.

This question was the foundation of whether Su Yinuo could have acted voluntarily. If Su Yinuo didn’t love him, every lie would be mercilessly exposed under the scrutiny of the polygraph. The police would dig deeper, and the accusation of unlawful confinement could very well be substantiated.

But that wasn’t what truly concerned him. What gnawed at him was the answer to the question itself: “Do you love Qin Cangye?”

He had assumed Su Yinuo didn’t love him. He had assumed she had been pretending all along. He had assumed she had been desperate to escape, so when he saw the police car that morning, he had immediately concluded that Su Yinuo was the one who had called them.

But she hadn’t.

The woman he had believed must despise him to the core had instead risked her life to protect him.

He didn’t understand. And so, he needed a definitive answer.

In the evaluation room, Su Yinuo was fitted with the cold, clinical polygraph equipment. She was extremely nervous, but under the reassuring guidance of the police psychologist, her breathing gradually steadied.

The reason she agreed to undergo the psychological test with the police was that by the afternoon, Qin Cangye still hadn’t been released, and her unease had reached its peak. At that moment, she had no idea how to help Qin Cangye, and the feeling of helplessness made her anxious. So, when the police proposed the psychological test, she agreed almost without hesitation.

“Alright, the test begins now,” the psychological examiner said calmly. “Is your name Su Yinuo?”

“Yes,” Su Yinuo replied nervously.

“Relax. Are you an adult?”

“Yes.” The simple question helped Su Yinuo relax a little.

“Are you and Mr. Qin Cangye in a romantic relationship?”

Su Yinuo hesitated slightly before answering, “Yes.”

Her tone was somewhat weak, and the abnormal fluctuations on the lie detector revealed her hesitation. However, the results didn’t reach the threshold of a lie, it was clear she wasn’t entirely certain about her answer.

The examiner noted this result without any visible reaction and continued impassively, “How did Qin Cangye bring you into the villa? By deception? Getting you drunk? Drugging you? Kidnapping? Or was it an invitation?”

“None of those,” Su Yinuo answered firmly.

The examiner glanced at the screen, no lie detected.

“Did you come to the villa voluntarily?”

“Yes.”

“Did you and Qin Cangye engage in sexual activity in the villa?”

“Yes.”

“Was the sexual activity forced?”

“No.”

“Did the sexual activity involve monetary exchange?”

“No.”

“Did Qin Cangye ever use violence against you?”

“No.”

“Did Qin Cangye ever deprive you of food or the right to use the bathroom?”

“No.”

“Did you ever consider calling for help while in the villa?”

“No.”

“Were you in a state of fear while in the villa?”

“No.”

“Were you nervous?”

“No.”

“Were you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Were you relaxed?”

“Yes.”

……

After a series of questions, Su Yinuo grew increasingly calm.

Though the examiner’s expression and tone remained unchanged, he had already drawn his conclusion: there was no need to continue questioning. There was no coercion or abuse, the girl had clearly been there voluntarily. But he still had to follow procedure and finish the remaining questions.

Meanwhile, outside the Jinyang District Police Station, a police car from the municipal bureau sped into the courtyard. The door opened, and a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, his expression stern, stepped out and strode straight into the station lobby.

Gao Wangfei, the director of the Jinyang District Police Station, who was just about to leave for the day, paled at the sight of the visitor and called out, “Deputy Director Li! What brings you here? Why didn’t you notify us in advance?”

“What’s the matter? Am I delaying your off-duty time?” Deputy Director Li Zhengyi of the municipal bureau snapped.

“No, no, of course not! I’m not off duty yet. What are your instructions?” Gao Wangfei quickly replied.

“Detaining someone without sufficient evidence, how do you even run this station? You didn’t answer your phone, so I had to come here myself. What, is Jinyang District planning to secede now?” Li Zhengyi berated him without holding back.

Gao Wangfei was drenched in cold sweat, only realizing after being reprimanded that Jiang Tiande had detained Qin Cangye at the station without his knowledge. Qin Cangye was someone he knew, after all, he was a prominent business magnate in Beiguang City. What Gao hadn’t known was that Qin Cangye had such a close relationship with Li Zhengyi, the famously incorruptible deputy director of the Municipal Bureau, that Li had personally intervened to demand his release.

Apologizing profusely, Gao led Li Zhengyi to see Qin Cangye, offering repeated apologies as he escorted him out of the interrogation room.

Though Qin Cangye was preoccupied with thoughts of Su Yinuo, he didn’t forget to thank Li Zhengyi. Li’s reputation for integrity was merely superficial, while his actions left no room for criticism, the desires Qin had unearthed in him through mutual interests had already made Li one of Qin’s key backers in Beiguang.

After exchanging a few polite words, Li Zhengyi hurriedly left, leaving Gao Wangfei baffled by their seemingly distant relationship.

“Chief Gao, my girlfriend should still be in the polygraph room. May I see her?” Qin Cangye asked courteously.

Though still confused about Qin’s connection to Li, Gao didn’t dare delay any longer. He quickly nodded with a smile and led Qin to the polygraph room.

The test wasn’t over yet. Liu Hong and several officers were still observing from the adjoining room.

“Is it done yet? If so, let her go. This whole thing is just a private matter between two consenting adults, dragging it out like this is ridiculous,” Gao snapped impatiently at the officers.

Captain Zhang Chong scratched his head helplessly. “The results so far do indicate mutual consent. We’ll release her once the procedure is complete.”

Ignoring them, Qin Cangye walked to the one-way mirror and saw Su Yinuo inside, looking visibly exhausted.

She had left in such a hurry that morning that her hair remained uncombed, cascading naturally over her shoulders, slightly messy, but lending her a soft, languid charm. The coat she wore was his, as was the fleece loungewear underneath. The pant legs, though rolled up before leaving, had since unfurled, completely covering her feet. She sat there quietly, occasionally opening her mouth to answer questions, yet Qin couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“Tell me, is it currently winter?” the examiner asked, posing an unrelated question.

Su Yinuo blinked in mild surprise before answering, “Yes.”

Qin could see the steady fluctuations of the polygraph’s readings on the monitor, no anomalies whatsoever.

“In your opinion, does Qin Cangye love you?”

Her brows relaxed, and the faintest smile touched her lips. “Yes.”

The graph lines flickered slightly, not from deceit, but from the quiet flutter of emotion stirring in her heart.

“Do you love Qin Cangye?”

Time seemed to freeze.

The corners of Su Yinuo’s eyes crinkled, her gaze shimmering.

On the other side of the glass, Qin held his breath, fingers pressing tightly against the pane.

Then, suddenly, she smiled, like sunlight breaking through the clouds.

“Yes.”