His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 56

“You have it? What could you possibly have?” Qin Wangxuan sneered, his eyes filled with mockery. Without sparing the other man another glance, he naturally wrapped his arm around Su Yinuo’s waist, gently pulling her toward him. “Sister-in-law, ignore him. Let’s go.”

The term “sister-in-law” made Ji Wenjun’s expression darken instantly. He grabbed Qin Wangxuan’s shoulder and snapped, “What did you just call her? She’s carrying your child, and you still call her ‘sister-in-law’?”

“Get lost! It’s none of your business!” Qin Wangxuan shoved Ji Wenjun’s hand away, roughly dropping the health supplements he was carrying onto the ground and clenching his fists, ready to lunge at him.

Su Yinuo quickly grabbed his arm, pleading, “Stop it, both of you! Just stop!”

She stepped in front of Qin Wangxuan, shielding him, and turned to Ji Wenjun. “What is it that you have that I want? Explain clearly.”

Ji Wenjun shot Qin Wangxuan a disgusted glare before softening his tone when addressing Su Yinuo. “When my grandfather passed away, I was attending university in Beiguang City. Later, I helped my uncle sort through his belongings. My uncle wanted to throw everything away, but I’ve always admired my grandfather, I loved his beautiful calligraphy and the incredibly lifelike anatomical sketches he drew with a fountain pen. So, I kept some of his handwritten medical notes, patient records, and many journals. There’s a whole box of them.”

As Ji Wenjun spoke, Su Yinuo’s eyes lit up. Before he could even finish, she grabbed his arm and asked, “Where are they? Take me to see them!”

Ji Wenjun paused for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, they’re at my place. I never threw them out after graduation. Wait here, I’ll drive over and take you there.” He glanced coldly at Qin Wangxuan behind Su Yinuo and added, “I’m only taking you.”

With that, he turned and walked back into the courtyard.

Qin Wangxuan gripped Su Yinuo’s hand tightly. “No, you can’t go alone with him.”

“It’s fine. Ji Wenjun is a good person, don’t worry,” Su Yinuo said, wincing slightly as his grip tightened painfully.

“No, I’m afraid he’ll do something to you,” Qin Wangxuan’s eyes reddened, his voice frantic. “He’s only asking you to go alone because he has ulterior motives. Just give me some time, I’ll find a way to make him hand over those things.”

“Really, it’s nothing. I know him, you’re overthinking it,” Su Yinuo said, trying to pry his fingers loose.

“What do you know?!” Qin Wangxuan suddenly roared. The outburst startled even himself, and he immediately pulled Su Yinuo into a tight embrace, his voice laced with anguish. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m just scared… I’m scared he’ll be like me, using those things to threaten you, to try and take you…” He cradled the back of her head, pleading, “Didn’t you say you could only rely on me? You can use me however you want, I’ll do anything you ask. Just don’t listen to him, don’t go, okay?”

Su Yinuo had been ready to snap at him, but the anger never came. She sighed deeply and muttered softly, “You think everyone is as twisted as you? Relax, he won’t do anything to me, and I won’t do anything with him.”

As the two were talking, a white BMW had already pulled up beside Su Yinuo. Ji Wenjun rolled down the window, looking at the embracing pair with irritation and snapped, “Are we going or not?”

Su Yinuo gently pushed Qin Wangxuan away and said softly, “Let me go. Just wait for me at home, okay? Be good and listen to me.”

Qin Wangxuan slowly released her, watching as Su Yinuo decisively got into Ji Wenjun’s car. As the car drove away, his heart ached unbearably.

“Damn it, damn it!!” He angrily kicked over several boxes of health supplements in front of him, then quickly ran back to the Qin family mansion, got into his car, and chased after them.

…

Inside Ji Wenjun’s car, Su Yinuo sat silently in the passenger seat, holding her phone.

Ji Wenjun glanced at her indifferent expression from the corner of his eye and asked, “Su Yinuo, what exactly are you doing? Do you like Qin Wangxuan? Why are you with him?”

Su Yinuo smiled faintly and replied sincerely, “I’m doing something rather risky. So, I don’t plan to tell you, I don’t want to cause you trouble. Thank you so much for today. If I can find what I’m looking for, it’ll be a huge help.”

Ji Wenjun felt a pang of discomfort. Although he had given up pursuing Su Yinuo, she remained the unattainable ideal in his heart. If she needed help, he would do his best to assist. But he wished for her future to be pure, happy, and fulfilling, he didn’t want to see her entangled in dirty conflicts of interest.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” he pressed unhappily. “Do you like Qin Wangxuan or not?”

Su Yinuo understood why he was asking. She gave a bitter smile and said, “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I don’t like him. I’m only using him, I have my own reasons.”

This answer only deepened Ji Wenjun’s confusion and anger. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he cursed, “Su Yinuo, why are you doing this? Is it just for money? You’re so young, yet you’re bearing a child for the Qin family, throwing your whole life away. Why go to such lengths?”

Su Yinuo opened her mouth but didn’t argue further. An awkward silence settled over the car.

Soon, they arrived at the residential complex where Ji Wenjun lived. The moment Su Yinuo stepped into his apartment, her phone rang. To her surprise, it was Qin Wangxuan calling.

“Sister-in-law, I’m downstairs. I’ll wait here, I’ll keep waiting. If anything happens, call me immediately,” his voice trembled slightly over the phone.

Su Yinuo walked to the window and saw a black Bentley parked below, with an anxious Qin Wangxuan standing beside it.

“Alright, don’t worry,” she said before hanging up.

Ji Wenjun also glanced out the window and scoffed, “Like a damn dog, can’t shake him off!”

Ignoring it, he went into another room and rummaged around for a while before dragging out an old suitcase. When he opened it, a musty odor wafted out. Waving his hand to disperse the smell, he warned Su Yinuo, “Stay back. Just sit on the sofa, this smell might be too much for you in your condition.”

He dusted off the items inside, then placed them on the coffee table in front of Su Yinuo. “Take your time looking. I’ll get you some warm water.”

“Thank you.”

After sincerely thanking Ji Wenjun, Su Yinuo began flipping through the aged notebooks.

Old Master Ji indeed had excellent penmanship, his handwritten notes were even neater than printed text. Complex medical knowledge was explained with remarkable clarity, and the diagrams of human organs were so lifelike that even the blood vessels were distinctly drawn. Su Yinuo marveled inwardly as she skimmed through the notes, unconsciously finishing over a dozen volumes in no time.

“What exactly are you looking for? Have some water first,” Ji Wenjun handed her a glass of warm water before sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the coffee table and picking up one of the notebooks.

“The Qin family’s medical visit records, or anything that seems… unusual,” Su Yinuo replied, cradling the cup.

“You’re investigating the Qins?” Ji Wenjun raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you become so bold? What exactly are you up to?”

Su Yinuo set the cup down, pressing her lips together without answering.

Ji Wenjun sighed in exasperation. “Fine, keep your secrets. Just don’t go throwing yourself into the fire.”

Su Yinuo nodded. The living room fell silent again, save for the rustling of turning pages.

Time passed unnoticed as the sky gradually darkened. The warm sunlight sank behind the clouds, and the winter chill crept back in.

Downstairs, Qin Wangxuan crouched on the ground, his hands red from the cold. His phone screen remained fixed on his chat log with Su Yinuo.

Are you done yet?
Found anything?
Finished reading?
He didn’t do anything to you, did he?
…

Over a dozen messages had been sent, with only the occasional reply. Qin Wangxuan clenched his phone tightly, biting down on his icy fingers, his heart aching as if being sliced by a thousand blades.

He hadn’t expected… he truly hadn’t expected that just the possibility of losing Su Yinuo would torment him to this extent.

He couldn’t even imagine how he would survive if Qin Cangye were to return someday.

Hugging his head, he gritted his teeth and muttered in agony, “Qin Wangxuan, you’re done for. You’re completely done for!”

Inside the house, the two remained oblivious to the biting cold outside, and to Qin Wangxuan’s overwhelming anxiety.

Suddenly, Ji Wenjun made a surprised noise. “Huh? What’s Grandpa writing about in this one?”

Su Yinuo immediately looked up and took the notebook from his hands, finding pages filled with wildly scrawled characters.

This particular notebook was written in an unrestrained, almost frenzied script, as if deliberately venting something through the chaotic strokes. Yet, each page was marked with a date. Su Yinuo’s eyes brightened as she deciphered the text, her hands trembling slightly. She quickly grabbed another, far more ordinary medical record beside her and compared the dates.

“I found what I was looking for!”

The medical records documented Old Master Ji’s visits to the Qin household, listing the illnesses and prescribed treatments for both the family members and their servants. At first glance, they appeared mundane, common colds, minor scrapes, digestive issues, and the like. But when cross-referenced with the frenzied diary, the truth was anything but.

Every instance of the Qin matriarch’s “cold” in the records was, in reality, a complication arising from abuse, either due to exposure or infection. Old Master Ji had secretly recorded the true symptoms and his observations during his visits to the Qin household in this separate diary!

“Thank you! Really, thank you so much!” Su Yinuo stood up and bowed deeply to Ji Wenjun, her voice trembling with excitement.

“Why are you bowing?” Ji Wenjun was startled and quickly steadied Su Yinuo. “Be careful not to disturb the baby.”

When seeing Su Yinuo off, Ji Wenjun insisted on escorting her downstairs, but she declined with a smile, “No need, Qin Wangxuan is waiting for me downstairs.”

“You…” As Su Yinuo stepped into the elevator, Ji Wenjun blocked the door, his gaze evasive. Hesitating, he said, “I just hope… you’ll be happy in the future.”

“Thank you,” Su Yinuo replied with a smile, waving goodbye.

The elevator doors closed, and Ji Wenjun took a deep breath, murmuring to himself, “You must be happy.”

…

Clutching the shoulder bag containing two crucial notebooks, Su Yinuo was brimming with excitement. When she reached the ground floor, she spotted Qin Wangxuan crouched on the ground. Unnoticing of his unusual demeanour, she called out excitedly, “Qin Wangxuan, I found them!”

Qin Wangxuan looked up, his bloodshot eyes freezing the smile on Su Yinuo’s face. He stood and strode forward, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The force against her back felt heavier than any hug before. Crushed against him, Su Yinuo struggled to breathe and managed to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Being apart from you for even a moment feels like dying. What do I do? Su Yinuo, tell me what to do!” Qin Wangxuan said in anguish.

Su Yinuo didn’t answer.

Qin Wangxuan carried her to the car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, he tore off her bag and coat, pressing his hands firmly against her waist as he buried his face in her chest, inhaling deeply the scent that seeped through her sweater.

His tense emotions eased slightly, but it wasn’t enough, far from enough.

His cold fingers slipped beneath her clothes, tracing the smooth skin of her back, feeling the faint tremble of her body. He lifted his head, his lips brushing against the slender curve of her neck, catching sight of a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Slowly, he leaned closer, his lips meeting her cheek as his tongue flicked out to catch the tear. Then, pressing against her earlobe, he whispered hoarsely, “Give yourself to me, okay?”