His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 50

As night fell, the aroma of food filled every corner of the Qin family mansion’s dining room. The spacious, luxurious redwood round table was neatly arranged with an array of dishes. The spread was abundant but not extravagant, just the kind of home-style meals commonly found in ordinary households.

Qin Weishu sat at the head of the table, wearing thick reading glasses as he flipped through a newspaper. He was the only one seated in the entire dining room. Behind him stood the mansion’s butler and several servants, while by his side stood his trusted confidant, Old Yan.

“Where’s Wangxuan? Why hasn’t he returned yet?” Qin Weishu asked flatly, turning a page of the newspaper.

Old Yan was just about to answer when Qin Wangxuan’s hearty laughter echoed from the doorway, interspersed with teasing remarks: “Wow, so that’s how you and my brother met, sis-in-law. What a shame, if I’d been in the country back then, I would’ve beaten him to it.”

Qin Weishu lifted his gaze, his cold, greenish eyes peering over the rim of his glasses, the fury in them unmistakable as they locked onto Qin Wangxuan and Su Yinuo, who were walking in arm in arm.

Closing the newspaper, Qin Weishu handed it to Old Yan beside him, his gaze fixed on Qin Wangxuan’s hand resting possessively on Su Yinuo’s waist. “Why did you bring her here?” he asked coldly.

“To comfort my dear sister-in-law’s wounded heart and body,” Qin Wangxuan replied with a roguish grin before pulling Su Yinuo to the dining table and adding cheerfully, “Grandpa won’t mind, right?”

Qin Weishu’s expression darkened. He removed his reading glasses and slammed them onto the table, glaring at Su Yinuo as he demanded sternly, “Who gave you permission to sit?”

From the moment she entered the dining room, Su Yinuo hadn’t spared Qin Weishu so much as a glance. Even now, hearing his sharp reprimand, she ignored him, even picking up her chopsticks and helping herself to the food.

The onlookers were stunned. In the Qin family mansion, no one had ever dared to touch their chopsticks before Qin Weishu. The butler behind Qin Weishu frowned deeply, casting a fleeting look of concern toward Su Yinuo before his expression settled back into its usual indifference.

Su Yinuo’s defiance sent Qin Weishu into a rage. He grabbed a plate from in front of him and hurled it straight at her. Su Yinuo remained unmoved, but Qin Wangxuan, startled, instinctively shielded her, taking the heavy porcelain plate squarely on his back.

The impact stung, but Qin Wangxuan had no time to dwell on the pain. His mind raced as he realized the inappropriateness of his protective gesture. Snatching the chopsticks from Su Yinuo’s hand, he roared at her, “What the hell are you doing? Grandpa hasn’t even given the word, who said you could eat? Get out!”

He shot a glare at the butler and barked, “Uncle Li, take her to my room and lock her in!”

“Yes,” the butler, Li Guogang, replied impassively, stepping toward Su Yinuo.

Expressionless, Su Yinuo stood up. Then, for the first time, she lifted her head and met Qin Weishu’s gaze, the faintest smirk tugging at her lips.

Qin Weishu couldn’t decipher that look, for a fleeting moment, it almost seemed like mockery and provocation. But he couldn’t fathom it. How could this woman, who had nothing, dare to challenge him?

He gritted his teeth, ready to reprimand her again when the woman suddenly switched expressions, turning to Qin Wangxuan with tears in her eyes. In a pitiful and aggrieved tone, she said, “I was just hungry. My health isn’t great, don’t be so harsh with me. I’ll wait for you, okay?”

She reached out and hooked her finger around Qin Wangxuan’s, clearly ensnaring his soul in an instant.

Qin Weishu, exasperated beyond words, pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

After Su Yinuo left, Qin Wangxuan immediately snapped out of his daze and hurried to Qin Weishu’s side. Kneeling beside him, he obediently soothed, “Grandfather, don’t be angry. Women from poor families just don’t know their manners. Give me a few days to discipline her, I’ll make her more obedient than anything. You don’t know this, Grandfather, but my brother treasures her like a golden canary. If he recovers and sees how much she can’t live without me, he’ll probably get sick all over again. Hahaha.”

…

Qin Wangxuan’s bedroom was on the second floor. As Su Yinuo walked, she memorized the villa’s layout while eyeing the butler’s back. Feigning timidity and curiosity, she asked, “Uncle Li, why aren’t there any maids in the villa?”

Li Guogang frowned sharply and snapped, “Don’t ask about things that aren’t your concern!”

Su Yinuo gave a quiet “Oh” and fell silent.

Earlier, when Qin Weishu had scolded her in the dining room, she had caught an unusual flicker in the butler’s expression from the corner of her eye. Instantly, she marked him as her first target. She knew someone who served as Qin Weishu’s butler couldn’t be ordinary, it was likely she wouldn’t get anything out of him. But regardless, she couldn’t afford to miss any potentially useful opportunity.

When they reached Qin Wangxuan’s bedroom, Li Guogang turned to leave immediately, but Su Yinuo quickly called out to stop him.

Li Guogang turned back, his expression impatient. “What else do you need, miss?”

“Uncle Li, I noticed you seemed to have some discomfort in your legs while coming upstairs, could it be arthritis? Make sure to keep warm and get enough calcium. You don’t need to escort me up anymore; I’ve already memorized the way.”

Su Yinuo’s demeanor was so utterly well-behaved that Li Guogang was slightly moved, though his face remained stern. Without a word, he turned and shut the door behind him.

Su Yinuo wasn’t discouraged. She knew all too well that bridging the distance with the people in this deep, secluded mansion wouldn’t happen overnight. Every servant here had walls built around their hearts, shackles binding their bodies and minds. It would take time to slowly seep through.

After waiting in the bedroom for over an hour, Su Yinuo finally heard footsteps outside the door. Moments later, it swung open, and Qin Wangxuan appeared before her with a roguish grin.

“Sister-in-law!” he called out cheerfully before slamming the door shut. Then he lunged at Su Yinuo, knocking her onto the bed.

Su Yinuo frowned and pressed a hand against his chest. “Are there cameras in here?”

“Nope,” Qin Wangxuan chuckled.

“Then what’s wrong with you?!” she hissed under her breath.

“But walls have ears, sister-in-law,” Qin Wangxuan whispered, patting her head. “I won’t touch you, but you’ll have to scream a little, no, actually, scream a lot. Otherwise, how else will I prove my prowess?”

Su Yinuo was utterly speechless. She stared into Qin Wangxuan’s sparkling eyes for a few seconds before sighing helplessly and abruptly pushing him away. She retreated to the bed, her voice trembling with faux distress as she cried out, “Ah! Don’t come any closer!”

Qin Wangxuan smirked, shrugging off his suit jacket and loosening his tie as he advanced toward her, his laughter laced with arrogance. “Didn’t you say you liked me, sister-in-law? Why so shy now? Don’t worry, I’ll do a much better job than my brother ever could.”

Like hell you will!

Su Yinuo cursed him inwardly before grabbing a pillow from behind her and hurling it at him, feigning tears. “Ahhh! Stay away from me!”

The pillow hit its mark, but Qin Wangxuan only seemed more delighted. He pounced onto the bed, cornering her against the headboard, his hands planted on either side of her body. Drinking in her furious expression, he delivered a classic villain’s line: “Go ahead and scream. No one will come to save you, no matter how loud you cry.”

Su Yinuo couldn’t hold back, she burst into laughter.

Qin Wangxuan froze for a moment before slumping forward in defeat, resting his head against the padded headboard. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Come on, sister-in-law, play along a little.”

“It’s too embarrassing. I can’t do it,” Su Yinuo murmured, shying away from the warmth of his breath.

Qin Wangxuan paused, then reached over to switch off the bedroom lights. From the nightstand, he retrieved a silk sleep mask and handed it to her. “Put this on. Pretend I’m him.”

In the darkness, his expression became unreadable. The flush on his usually composed face, the hunger buried deep in his eyes, all of it was swallowed by the shadows.

Su Yinuo took the mask, a faint unease creeping over her. As she slipped it on, she warned sternly, “If you dare lay a finger on me, you’re dead.”

Qin Wangxuan chuckled, his gaze lingering on her delicate face, half-hidden by the mask, on her lips that still glistened faintly in the dark. His voice was rough as he murmured, “Sister-in-law, when you talk like that… it’s downright seductive.”

“Has my brother ever seen you like this? You’re just… too…” He unbuckled his belt, easing the tension in his slacks with a slow exhale. “Don’t worry. I won’t touch you. I swear I won’t. Now, start screaming.”

Blindfolded, Su Yinuo leaned back against the headboard, her mind conjuring an image of Qin Cangye.

She remembered peeling off his hospital gown, climbing onto his body.

Every detail was vivid, the texture of his lips, the bob of his Adam’s apple, the rise and fall of his chest, the taut muscles, and the throbbing heat of his.

“Qin…” She tried to call his name, but the single syllable unleashed a torrent of desire. Memories of Qin Cangye’s ruthless passion flooded her mind, cold chains, tightly knotted ties, the cramped darkness of a car’s backseat, the crushing grip on her throat. Each fragment drove her wild, her body tensing as an involuntary moan escaped her lips.

…

Outside the bedroom, a servant emerged from the adjacent room and hurried down the hallway. Turning a corner, they stopped outside Qin Weishu’s door and addressed the elderly attendant standing guard. “Uncle Yan, it’s happening just as you said.”

Old Yan nodded. “You may leave now.”

For a long time, Qin Wangxuan suddenly jerked back, turned sideways, and gave a slight shudder.

A stain splattered onto the floor. He quickly wiped it away with tissue before heading into the bathroom.

As the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, Su Yinuo opened her eyes, removed her sleep mask, and turned on the bedside nightlight.

The image of Qin Cangye still lingered in her mind. Su Yinuo curled her legs up, resting her head on her knees as she murmured to herself, “What exactly were you thinking? Pushing me toward him, could you really bear it?”

Not long after, Qin Wangxuan emerged from the bathroom in a robe. Seeing Su Yinuo sitting calmly on the bed, he awkwardly said, “Sister-in-law, you should go take a shower first. You didn’t eat anything tonight, I’ll get you some food. And also…” He hesitated briefly before adding, “You take the bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch. Don’t worry.”

The next morning, Su Yinuo was gently awakened by Qin Wangxuan’s voice. When she opened her eyes, he was sitting by the bed, fingers brushing through the hair at her neck before lingering on her skin.

“What are you doing?” Su Yinuo swatted his hand away.

Unfazed, Qin Wangxuan stared at her smooth neck and grinned. “Not convincing enough. Wait a second, Sister-in-law, I’ll get something.”

He rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out a vacuum sealer pump left behind by a servant. Returning to her side, he chuckled. “Bear with it a little, I’m going to give you some fake hickeys.” He pressed the small pump against her neck and yanked hard.

Su Yinuo gasped in pain, sitting up with a glare.

“Wow, it worked! Looks real!” Qin Wangxuan said excitedly.

Snatching the pump from him, Su Yinuo snapped, “I’ll do it myself!”

She went to the bathroom sink and, facing the mirror, proceeded to mark her shoulders and neck with over a dozen “strawberries,” even lightly scratching her collarbone with her nails to mimic bite marks.

Leaning against the doorway, Qin Wangxuan watched the red marks appear, his gaze growing oddly intense. “So, my brother likes biting those spots, huh?”

Su Yinuo’s hand stilled. She pulled up her collar and asked, “Does Qin Weishu go to the company every day?”

“Almost always. Today too,” Qin Wangxuan replied, immediately understanding her intent. “You want to stay behind and investigate while he’s away?”

Su Yinuo nodded.

“That’s too risky. Most of the staff here are Qin Weishu’s loyalists. If you slip up even slightly, the consequences would be unthinkable!” Qin Wangxuan strode over, gripping her shoulders firmly. “You need to stay with me. My brother also told me to protect you!”

Su Yinuo lifted her eyes to meet his, tilting her head slightly. She reached up, fingers curling into his collar, her gaze icy yet irresistibly alluring. Her lips parted, warm breath brushing against his neck as she whispered, “You’re so obedient. Then… why not listen to me instead?”