His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 43

“But sister-in-law, why should I…”

Su Yinuo didn’t dare move a muscle, her clenched palms slick with cold sweat.

Qin Weishu snorted disdainfully and slammed his laptop shut with a loud thud, raising his voice to command, “Everyone, leave for the day!”

The office staff immediately stood up and hurriedly packed their things before filing out. Wang Yiliu emerged from the inner room, about to say something to Qin Weishu, but a single icy glare from him silenced her. She pressed her lips together and quickly exited, heading toward the conference room where the afternoon meeting had taken place.

Soon, the spacious office area was empty except for Qin Weishu and Su Yinuo.

At the door stood Qin Weishu’s elderly servant, Lao Yan, keeping watch.

“Qin Cangye will be here soon, so we don’t have much time. I’ll keep it brief, come here!”

Qin Weishu’s voice was as domineering as ever, and the sharp emphasis on “come here” sent a jolt of terror through Su Yinuo. It felt as though a blade were pressed against her throat, compelling her feet to move forward against her will.

“I heard you were imprisoned by Qin Cangye, yet you went to great lengths to defend him?” Qin Weishu’s tone dripped with mockery. “I can’t tell if you’re just stupid or so greedy that you’d take such a risk, using this ploy to win Qin Cangye’s heart and worm your way into the Qin family? Whatever your goal, I’ll warn you of one thing: staying with Qin Cangye will only lead you to your death!”

His sneering tone and arrogant demeanor filled Su Yinuo with disgust. Gripping the hem of her clothes, she mustered her courage and retorted, “I’m not afraid of you!”

Qin Weishu looked at her and chuckled darkly. “You think I’m the one who wants to harm you? How utterly wrong you are, you fool!”

He stood up, patted an inconspicuous gray gift box on the desk, and slowly walked toward Su Yinuo. His gaunt, aged frame and venomous aura made him resemble a demon crawling out from the depths of hell. With each step he took, Su Yinuo nervously retreated.

“You fear me, believing I’m a deranged villain. But what do you think Qin Cangye is? Do you really believe someone who shares my blood could be any better?!” Qin Weishu spat venomously, his face twisting into a grotesque smile. “You’re too naive, little girl. Qin Cangye has spent years blaming me for Li Ruyin’s death, yet even he has forgotten how she truly died. Let me enlighten you.” He leaned down toward Su Yinuo, who had collapsed into a chair in fright, and enunciated each word deliberately: “Li Ruyin was killed by Qin Cangye!”

“No… that’s impossible!” Su Yinuo cried out.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Qin Cangye has had a volatile temper since childhood. When he was ten, in a fit of rage, he pushed Li Ruyin down the stairs, and she died. He went mad afterward, his severe PTSD erasing all memory of that day. He’s convinced himself that I killed her. I’ve humoured him all these years, playing along with his little charade on the anniversary of her death, only because he’s my only grandson! But he’s grown ungrateful, increasingly defiant. Now that we’re at each other’s throats, there’s no reason for me to keep his secret any longer!”

“No… it can’t be,” Su Yinuo whispered, still refusing to believe.

Qin Weishu spoke unhurriedly, “He forgot what happened that day, but he could never forget the crimson plaid skirt Li Ruyin was wearing. If the three elements, nighttime, a red plaid skirt, and a balcony, appear together, it would trigger his episode. He would kneel on the ground, clutching his head and weeping in remorse until he passes out from exhaustion. Oh, four years ago, he had another episode because of this. If you don’t believe me, you can test it out.”

Qin Weishu pointed to the gray gift box placed on Su Yinuo’s desk. “That’s the same crimson plaid skirt, a little welcome gift for you.”

Watching Su Yinuo tremble in terror, Qin Weishu let out a cold laugh and walked toward the door. “Qin Cangye is a madman. When he loses control, he doesn’t even spare his own mother, how could he spare you? If you value your life, stay away from him. I might as well tell you, I’ve already written him off as a lost cause. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can get anything from the Qin family through him. If you don’t stay away, sooner or later, you’ll end up like Li Ruyin!”

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed. Qin Weishu frowned and paused, just as the office door was flung open with a bang. Qin Cangye and Qin Wangxuan appeared in the doorway simultaneously.

Qin Cangye, his face tense with worry, shot Qin Weishu a furious glare before rushing to Su Yinuo’s side. He grasped her hands, his voice urgent. “Nuonuo, Nuonuo, are you okay? Did he do anything to you?”

“No, no,” Su Yinuo sobbed, shaking her head before burying herself in Qin Cangye’s embrace.

At the door, Qin Wangxuan froze for a moment at the sight before quickly stepping to Qin Weishu’s side. Putting on a dutiful and obedient act, he took his grandfather’s arm and said with feigned concern, “Grandpa, what are you doing here? Let’s go home, it’s getting late, and we should have dinner soon…”

“I heard Qin Cangye gave you trouble again today?” Qin Weishu followed Qin Wangxuan out of the office.

“Not at all. Big Brother was just giving me some guidance.”

Their voices, filled with the pretence of familial warmth, faded into the distance.

“Nuonuo, what did Qin Weishu do? What did he say to you?” Qin Cangye held Su Yinuo tightly, his voice laced with anxiety.

“Nothing, nothing…” Su Yinuo repeated the words over and over. Her mind was in chaos. She didn’t want to believe Qin Cangye was an uncontrollable madman, yet she feared Qin Weishu’s words might hold some truth. She didn’t dare ask Qin Cangye directly, afraid that if there was some hidden truth, it might trigger him. But at the same time, she desperately wanted to understand everything.

The suffocating fear and confusion made her want to cry. She wasn’t afraid that Qin Cangye would suddenly lose control and hurt her, as Qin Weishu had claimed. She was terrified that, because of whatever had happened in the past, Qin Cangye might hurt himself again.

She wanted to help him, to heal the psychological scars left by the traumas of his youth, to dispel all the darkness in his life.

But now, she had no idea where to even begin, because she didn’t even know what the truth was.

“Nuonuo, I’ll take you to the rooftop to rest,” Qin Cangye said, lifting her into his arms.

“No, no,” Su Yinuo clutched his clothes, her voice choked with sobs. “I don’t want to stay here. I’m scared, it feels like Qin Weishu’s shadow is everywhere in this building. Can we go back to Rongjin Huayuan instead?”

“Okay, of course, Nuonuo.” Qin Cangye’s heart ached for her.

In the car, Su Yinuo sat curled up in the passenger seat, silently watching the passing traffic and the crowded sidewalks outside the window, trying to calm herself down.

Beside her, Qin Cangye, who was driving, felt a pang of unease. He hated this state, he couldn’t stand even the slightest hint of distance from Su Yinuo. What terrified him even more was the thought that Qin Weishu might have said something to her, shaking her resolve to stay with him.

“Nuonuo, you…”

A sudden ringtone interrupted Qin Cangye’s words. Su Yinuo pulled out her phone and saw that it was Li Jinmiao, whom she hadn’t been in touch with for a while.

“Miaomiao,” she answered weakly.

“Nuonuo! Nuonuo! You finally picked up! What happened these past few days? You didn’t reply to my messages, and I couldn’t reach you, couldn’t even see you in person. Did something happen?” Li Jinmiao sounded frantic.

Su Yinuo forced a faint smile. “It’s nothing, Miaomiao. I wasn’t feeling well the past couple of days, but I’m fine now. Oh, I started working at Qin Cangye’s company today, so I probably won’t be setting up my stall at the software park anymore.”

“Huh? You’re working at Qin Cangye’s company? Aren’t you afraid of running into his grandfather? Does this mean… you two are really together now?” Li Jinmiao was stunned.

Su Yinuo gave a quiet hum of confirmation.

“No wonder Ji Wenjun has been acting so strange lately, like a completely different person. He barely even talks anymore…”

Li Jinmiao rambled on for a while about Ji Wenjun’s recent behavior, which reminded Su Yinuo of how she had used him a few days ago to drive Qin Cangye away. She had even gotten him punched by Qin Cangye in the process.

Guilt washed over her, and she quickly said, “That was my fault. That day, I…” With Qin Cangye sitting right beside her, Su Yinuo felt too embarrassed to recount the incident again, so she changed her words. “Ah, maybe I should call Ji Wenjun and apologize to him.”

The car jerked abruptly as Qin Cangye tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his expression darkening.

Su Yinuo, still looking out the window, didn’t notice his reaction and continued chatting with Li Jinmiao for a while before finally hanging up.

“Don’t call him.”

The moment she ended the call, Qin Cangye’s restrained voice reached her ears. Only then did she turn to look at him, seeing the anguish on his face and the barely contained fire in his reddened eyes.

“Okay, I won’t call.” Afraid of agitating him further, Su Yinuo quickly put her phone down.

The car sped through the evening traffic. When they finally pulled into the underground parking lot of Rongjin Huayuan, Qin Cangye immediately unbuckled his seatbelt, turned, and pulled Su Yinuo into his arms, capturing her lips in a deep kiss.

His left hand cradled the back of her neck while his right undid her seatbelt, wrapped around her waist, and tugged open her blouse.

The kiss was intense and lingering. As his large, warm palm brushed against her trembling body, Su Yinuo couldn’t suppress a soft moan against his lips.

Qin Cangye immediately lifted her onto his lap in the driver’s seat. His fingers, already slipping beneath her blouse, deftly unhooked her bra strap. He pushed aside her clothes and pulled her tightly against him, burying his face against her skin, kissing and sucking greedily.

Su Yinuo clung to his head, her fingers tangling in his dark, short hair. She tilted her head back, her eyes glazing over with a misty haze as she gazed up at the dazzling starry sky projected onto the car’s ceiling…

After an impatient round in the car, Su Yinuo was pressed against the entryway table the moment they got home.

Her stockings had already been tossed to the floor. Su Yinuo leaned over the table, standing on her tiptoes. The man behind her suddenly closed the distance, and with a startled gasp, her feet left the ground. As she lurched forward, she accidentally knocked over a vase of fresh flowers on the table.

“Qin Cangye,” she called his name, her toes trembling before slowly lowering to step on his leather shoes.

“What’s wrong?” He leaned in, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“Every day…” she asked breathlessly, “do we have to do it these many times?”

Qin Cangye brushed aside her disheveled hair and bit down on the nape of her neck, grazing his teeth inch by inch as he murmured, “Every day, I need to feel you, only then can I be at ease.”

“But I’m… right here in front of you, aren’t I?”

The relentless movements made Su Yinuo’s vision blur, her words coming out like sweet, teasing whispers.

“Just looking isn’t enough,” Qin Cangye growled. “Holding you isn’t enough, kissing and touching aren’t enough, I want to crush you into my flesh and blood, inside and out, until there’s nowhere you’re not.”

…

By the time it was over, the night had deepened.

Qin Cangye carried Su Yinuo out of the bathroom and laid her on the bed, cradling her face as he asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll make something for you.”

Though she hadn’t had dinner, Su Yinuo had no appetite left. But her mind was still preoccupied with many things, she needed to send Qin Cangye away.

“I don’t want anything greasy,” she said softly. “Just some yogurt and fruit… do we have any at home?”

Her tender, pleading tone was impossible for Qin Cangye to resist. He kissed her lips and said, “Wait for me, Nuonuo. I’ll go out and buy some for you.”

The moment Qin Cangye left, Su Yinuo immediately grabbed her phone and dialed Qin Wangxuan’s number.

She wanted to uncover the truth behind Li Ruyin’s death all those years ago but didn’t dare ask Qin Cangye directly. After much deliberation, the only person she could turn to was the key witness, Qin Cangye’s father.

At Li Ruyin’s memorial service, Su Yinuo had met Qin Cangye’s father. Though he seemed weak-willed, she sensed he had harbored deep feelings for Li Ruyin. Surely, he knew the truth about her death.

But Su Yinuo knew that even if she got his number, he wouldn’t necessarily reveal the truth to a stranger like her. So, she had no choice but to ask Qin Wangxuan to investigate for her.

Qin Wangxuan’s surprised voice came through the phone: “Oh? Sis-in-law, why are you calling me at this hour? Shouldn’t you be, uh… tangled up with my brother right now?”

Su Yinuo’s lips twitched, nearly blurting out, We already were.

Covering her mouth, she coughed awkwardly before explaining her request.

After a moment of stunned silence, Qin Wangxuan sighed regretfully. “My dad’s gone back to the UK. His phone’s off, and no one knows where he is!”

This wasn’t true, he said it because he doubted his fake “son” status would get him any real answers.

“Really?” Su Yinuo’s voice was heavy with disappointment.

“But,” Qin Wangxuan added, “I can ask around for you. There are plenty of old servants in the Qin family mansion, someone must know something.”

Su Yinuo’s heart leaped with joy, but then she immediately heard Qin Wangxuan’s sly voice: “But sister-in-law, why should I help you?”