His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 55

In the cramped, confined space, every breath was filled with her scent.

The tie binding her was his; the saliva lingering on her neck was his; even that red mark had been left by his kiss!

Qin Wangxuan was nearly driven mad. Just looking at her made his body feel like it was about to explode. He didn’t dare imagine how exhilarated he would be if she allowed him to touch her, caress her, kiss her.

He might just die on top of her.

He really wanted to die on top of her.

He was going insane…

After a long while, Qin Wangxuan let out a muffled groan, releasing the fire burning inside him. He quickly dressed and squeezed into the closet, embracing Su Yinuo, resting his sweat-drenched forehead on her shoulder.

Su Yinuo pulled off the tie, feeling the scorching heat of his breath against her neck. Just as she was about to push him away, she heard his choked confession: “I love you, what should I do?”

Su Yinuo froze for a moment before replying coldly, “I love Qin Cangye. Everything I’m doing now, including enduring your disrespect, is for Qin Cangye.”

“I know,” Qin Wangxuan’s voice was filled with sorrow.

“Then know your limits!”

Her tone was icy as she raised her foot and pressed it against Qin Wangxuan’s chest, trying to kick him away. But after a few attempts, he wouldn’t budge, instead, he grabbed her leg.

He kneaded her calf, then held her foot, clinging to her obsessively for several minutes before reluctantly letting go. Kneeling on the ground, he slipped a pair of cotton slippers onto her feet.

Su Yinuo jumped down from the closet, shot him a glare, and walked out of the dressing room without looking back. Left behind, he curled up in the closet, inhaling the lingering traces of her scent.

…

The next morning, after noticing many servants’ family members being led into the estate, Su Yinuo had Qin Wangxuan carry a bag of small gifts as they headed to the servants’ quarters. Inside the bag were premium tea leaves, unopened high-end skincare products, branded keychains, small leather goods, and the like. She handed them out to every unfamiliar face she saw, quickly warming up to the family members. Everyone gathered in the first-floor lobby, chatting and laughing.

“I knew it! No wonder my husband came home the other day and gave me a few shopping cards. Turns out we’ve got a new madame in the house,” one auntie said cheerfully.

“Ah, Madame, I don’t really use makeup, can I sell this instead?” another woman asked.

“Of course, of course. Once it’s yours, you can do whatever you like with it,” Su Yinuo replied kindly with a smile. “These are just things Wangxuan and I don’t have much use for. I hope you all don’t mind.”

“Oh, how could we mind? These are all good stuff! All name brands!” one of the women laughed.

Under Su Yinuo’s meaningful glance, Qin Wangxuan discreetly dismissed the servants. Soon, only Su Yinuo and a few family members remained in the lobby. Su Yinuo skillfully steered the conversation toward the Qin family’s secrets. At first, everyone was hesitant, but as the chatter grew livelier, they began to spill everything.

Someone grabbed Su Yinuo’s arm and whispered mysteriously, “Madam, this mansion is full of dark secrets. You can offend anyone but never offend Old Master Qin. If Old Master Qin says east, you mustn’t say west; if he points south, you mustn’t go north. Understand?”

“Exactly, exactly. The last madam… well, her fate was quite tragic, but that was years ago.”

“And it wasn’t just the madam. I remember there used to be maids in this mansion.”

“Impossible! My husband has worked here for ten years and never seen a single maid!”

“What do you know? I’ve seen them! Butler Li’s wife, she used to be a maid here!”

This caught Su Yinuo’s attention. She quickly turned to the white-haired woman and asked softly, “Where is she now?”

The woman hesitated, waving her hands. “I don’t know, I don’t know. I only saw her once or twice, then never again.”

Her evasiveness was obvious. Su Yinuo memorized her and her husband’s names, planning to visit them later for the truth. Unexpectedly, before leaving the mansion, the woman pulled Su Yinuo behind a rockery in the garden. After ensuring no one was around, she whispered nervously, “Madam, you seem so kind, so I’ll tell you this, Old Master Qin is a monster. Escape while you can. I don’t dare stay here long myself. If I hadn’t met you today, I’d have left within ten minutes…”

As the woman rambled, Su Yinuo steered the conversation back. “Auntie, do you know something? Or have you seen something?”

The woman hesitated, then covered her mouth and whispered, “Old Master Qin likes beating women. His wife and daughter-in-law were both half-dead from his beatings, though I never saw it myself; my husband told me. But what I did see was Old Master Qin beating Butler Li’s wife to death!!”

Su Yinuo’s eyes widened in shock.

“It was horrific. Butler Li wasn’t the butler back then, just a warehouse keeper. He kowtowed desperately, his forehead bleeding, but he couldn’t stop Old Master Qin’s madness. I ran away in terror and didn’t see how it ended. Later, my husband told me Old Master Qin promised to send Butler Li’s son abroad for studies and promoted him to butler, so he dropped the matter. Ah, men, all they care about is money.”

The woman sighed deeply before continuing, “But later, I realized Butler Li might actually be a sentimental man. He locked up his late wife’s room, Room 405 in the servants’ quarters. Whenever new staff arrive, he never assigns that room. My husband even saw him crying there in the dead of night. Terrifying, like a ghost haunting the place!”

After the woman left, Su Yinuo returned to the servants’ quarters and looked up at Room 405.

Her heart was unbearably heavy. With every truth uncovered, she encountered another woman’s tragic life.

Every woman who stepped into this mansion was unfortunate, and the root of all this misfortune was Qin Weishu. Yet, the ones they loved most were equally despicable! No matter the reason, Li Guogang should never have abandoned the pursuit of vengeance for his wife’s murder at Qin Weishu’s hands! Qin Jianning should never have allowed his father to drive Li Ruyin to the brink! It was the demon Qin Weishu and those still-living scum who destroyed one beautiful, vibrant life after another!

“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? You look so sad,” Qin Wangxuan suddenly appeared, embracing Su Yinuo, who stood alone in front of the building.

“Aren’t you cold standing here? Let’s go inside,” he said after holding her for a while, then released her and took her icy hand in his.

Qin Wangxuan’s palm was incredibly warm, and Su Yinuo actually felt a faint sense of comfort.

“Not yet. Let’s take a walk first,” Su Yinuo pulled him toward the secluded back garden. Only after they had walked some distance did she share the news she had just uncovered. After finishing, she asked, “Is there any chance we could persuade Li Guogang to expose what happened back then? Or sneak into Room 405 to look for clues?”

Qin Wangxuan thought for a few seconds before replying, “No need to rush. You can try approaching Li Guogang first, Sister-in-law, and test his attitude. Meanwhile, I’ll look into his son. His son was already in college back then, he must know a lot.”

“Alright,” Su Yinuo nodded, a trace of relief flickering between her brows. After over a week here, she had finally found a useful lead.

“Sister-in-law, let’s sit for a while. It’s rare to have such clear weather, let’s enjoy the sun,” Qin Wangxuan led her to a bench bathed in sunlight. But just as Su Yinuo was about to sit, he pulled her onto his lap instead. “The bench is still cold. Sit here.”

As noon approached, the winter sun made Su Yinuo drowsy, so she didn’t refuse. Slowly, she leaned against Qin Wangxuan’s chest and closed her eyes.

Qin Wangxuan held her close, nuzzling her cheek before chuckling softly. “Don’t fall asleep, Sister-in-law. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’m not asleep.” Su Yinuo murmured drowsily.

“Then listen to me for a bit.” Qin Wangxuan tightened his embrace and took her hand. At this moment, his heart was as warm as the sunlight. He loved the woman in his arms, more than he had ever expected. He wanted to share his past with her and even dared to dream of spending the rest of his life with her.

“I’m from the south. My family was well-off when I was little, but we went bankrupt when I was in high school. My father dumped all the debts on my mother and fled abroad with me and my sister…” He spoke of his past, and only at the end did he reveal his true intention. “Sister-in-law, I’ve already settled things overseas. If… just if our plan doesn’t work out, if one day your disguise is exposed, I’ll protect you at all costs. And if my identity is exposed too, I’ll take you abroad. Then… we can live together. Would that be alright?”

He knew his thoughts were naive. He knew that even if his identity were exposed, Qin Cangye would still protect her. He knew that no matter how things unfolded, it was unlikely he would ever have her. So, these words were nothing more than self-comfort, a consolation that would never receive a reply.

Sure enough, after a long wait, there was no response from the woman in his arms.

When he lowered his head in frustration, he realized she had already fallen asleep.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of his lips. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy.

…

In the afternoon, Su Yinuo and Qin Wangxuan arrived at the gates of the Ji family’s residence in Chaoyang Mountain at the appointed time.

Ji Wenshan, the head of the Ji family, was the director of the city’s top hospital. Qin Wangxuan had recently signed a multi-million-dollar medical project with the hospital, which provided the opportunity for this private visit.

After being led inside by the butler, Su Yinuo saw Ji Wenshan and his wife warmly welcoming them at the villa’s entrance. She followed Qin Wangxuan’s lead in exchanging pleasantries. Ji Wenshan guided the two into the reception room, while his wife took Su Yinuo’s arm and said with a smile, “Miss Su is pregnant, we mustn’t neglect her.”

As soon as they sat down, Su Yinuo spotted two familiar faces descending the spiral staircase in the distance: Ji Wenshan’s eldest son, Ji Cheng’an, and Ji Wenjun.

Su Yinuo awkwardly turned her face away. Qin Wangxuan, meanwhile, shot Ji Wenjun a fierce glare.

Noticing their expressions, Ji Wenshan was puzzled by the hostility on Qin Wangxuan’s face and quickly turned to introduce them. “Ah, this is my son, Ji Cheng’an, and my nephew, Ji Wenjun. It seems you’ve met before?”

Su Yinuo nodded. Qin Wangxuan and Ji Wenjun remained silent, their faces cold.

Ji Cheng’an, however, walked down cheerfully and said, “Yes, Dad. I met Miss Su at a gathering once, though this is my first time meeting Second Young Master Qin.” He extended his hand to Qin Wangxuan with a gentlemanly smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Qin Wangxuan glanced at Su Yinuo and, seeing no particular connection between her and Ji Cheng’an, relaxed. He returned the smile warmly and shook Ji Cheng’an’s hand.

Once everyone was seated, servants brought tea and snacks, and the group engaged in casual conversation. With more people present, the topics naturally broadened, and Su Yinuo no longer felt awkward, occasionally chiming in.

But as they chatted, everyone noticed how Qin Wangxuan and Ji Wenjun seemed to be at each other’s throats, no matter the topic, sparks flew between them.

Su Yinuo sighed inwardly. She grabbed Qin Wangxuan’s hand, gave it a tug, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Don’t forget the main purpose.”

To outsiders, it looked like an intimate moment between a couple deeply in love, so much so that even Mrs. Ji blushed.

Qin Wangxuan’s mood instantly lifted. He wrapped an arm around Su Yinuo’s waist and asked softly, “Are you tired?”

“No,” Su Yinuo replied gently, shaking her head. But her hand, hidden behind Qin Wangxuan’s back, pinched his waist in annoyance as she cursed inwardly: Hurry up and get to the point!

Qin Wangxuan barely suppressed a shiver. He reached behind him, caught Su Yinuo’s hand, and gave her palm a light squeeze before bringing it to rest in front of him. Then, turning to Ji Wenshan, he asked politely, “Director Ji, my grandfather hasn’t been feeling well lately, but he’s stubborn and insists it’s just his usual ailments. I’ve taken him to the hospital for treatment, but it hasn’t helped much. I heard your father once served as my grandfather’s personal doctor. I was wondering if you might know, what chronic conditions does my grandfather have?”

Noticing Ji Wenshan’s puzzled expression, Qin Wangxuan gave an embarrassed smile and added, “I just wanted to ask if Grandfather Ji ever mentioned my grandfather’s condition to you or left any medical records from his visits.”

“Well…” Ji Wenshan hesitated, thinking for a moment before replying, “My father did occasionally talk to me about it, but it was mostly common health issues like high blood pressure, nothing serious. As for his medical records, I’m afraid they’re long gone. It’s been five years since his passing, and those things were cleared out a while ago.”

“Is that so?” Qin Wangxuan’s face fell with disappointment.

Ji Wenshan quickly offered, “If Old Master Qin needs medical attention, I can arrange for our hospital’s top specialists to conduct a thorough examination. We’ll make sure to identify any underlying conditions!”

“I’ll try my best to convince my grandfather,” Qin Wangxuan said gratefully, nodding. “On his behalf, I thank you for your kindness, Director Ji.”

“It’s nothing, really…” Ji Wenshan chuckled.

Su Yinuo leaned against Qin Wangxuan, lowering her head in dejection. This path seems like a dead end, she thought. But then again, with Grandfather Ji gone for so many years, there wasn’t much hope to begin with.

“I’m tired,” Su Yinuo murmured, tugging at Qin Wangxuan’s sleeve. As she spoke, she completely missed the suspicious and probing gaze Ji Wenjun had fixed on her.

Qin Wangxuan promptly bid farewell to Ji Wenshan, who didn’t press them to stay and even had Ji Cheng’an send them off with several expensive health supplements.

The two had just stepped out of the Ji family’s gate when a voice called from behind.

“Su Yinuo.”

She turned to see Ji Wenjun walking toward them, his expression cold.

Ignoring Qin Wangxuan’s murderous glare, Ji Wenjun stopped right in front of Su Yinuo and said, “I don’t know what you’re really after, but what you’re looking for, I might have it.”