His Sunday Substitute - Chapter 6

I never expected that the moment I picked up a pen, the first thing that came to mind was…

“Nuonuo! Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Why did you come back so late? I was worried sick!”

Only after the Rolls-Royce had driven far away did Li Jinmiao dare rush out from the shadows by the roadside and throw her arms around Su Yinuo, startling her in the process.

Su Yinuo took a moment to steady herself before patting Li Jinmiao’s back reassuringly. “Sister Miaomiao, it’s fine, nothing happened. Mr. Qin was actually quite nice. Don’t worry.”

“Nice??”

Li Jinmiao released Su Yinuo and stared at her in disbelief, as if the words she had just spoken were some incomprehensible alien language.

Zhang Yifeng stepped forward and said, “Actually, Vice Chairman Qin’s attitude toward Nuonuo tonight was different.”

“Did he figure out your identity?” Li Jinmiao asked, growing concerned.

“No,” Su Yinuo replied, then paused to think carefully before confirming, “Really, he didn’t. He never once mentioned my identity.”

“Let’s talk while we walk,” Li Jinmiao said, linking arms with Su Yinuo as they headed toward Building No. 5. Along the way, Su Yinuo recounted the general details of her evening with Qin Cangye.

Once back in the office, Li Jinmiao plopped onto the sofa, muttering in disbelief, “Did Qin Cangye drink fake alcohol today?”

“No, he didn’t drink at all,” Su Yinuo answered earnestly.

Beside them, Zhang Yifeng froze for a second before bursting into laughter.

Li Jinmiao couldn’t make sense of Qin Cangye’s sudden change in attitude. Hearing Zhang Yifeng laugh only irritated her further. She sprang to her feet and smacked Zhang Yifeng on the back, scolding, “You’re laughing? How dare you laugh? I told you to bring Nuonuo back safely! How could you let her get into that demon’s car? What if something had happened?”

Zhang Yifeng didn’t dodge, taking the hit squarely with a muffled grunt. He turned to face her, eyes full of remorse. “I’m sorry, Director Li. I really didn’t have the guts to stand up to Vice Chairman Qin.”

“What do you mean you didn’t have the guts? Weren’t you supposed to be working on your muscles?” Li Jinmiao grabbed his upper arm and gave it a squeeze, frowning. “Not good enough. Where’s all that muscle you were supposed to build? Tomorrow, you’re adding extra time to your weightlifting session.”

Zhang Yifeng whined pitifully, “I’ve been making rapid progress, okay? I even have the beginnings of abs now.”

“Really?” Li Jinmiao’s face lit up with excitement as she reached for his shirt. “Let me see!”

Su Yinuo, watching from the side, was utterly stunned. Today was her first day meeting Zhang Yifeng, and she had assumed the gentle and refined man was just a diligent, responsible employee. She never expected he was actually Li Jinmiao’s little wolfdog.

Wait, no! She shouldn’t make assumptions about other people’s relationships like that!

Embarrassed, Su Yinuo covered her eyes, just as Zhang Yifeng’s soft refusal drifted into her ears: “Jinmiao, not now. Nuonuo’s still here.”

“Ah! It’s getting late! I should go!”

No sooner had Su Yinuo spoken than a rapid knocking sounded at the door, followed by Ji Wenjun’s mournful wail from outside: “Director Li! It’s already 10:30! When are you letting us off work?”

Li Jinmiao released Zhang Yifeng with a sigh and called out, exasperated, “Come in!”

Su Yinou finally lowered her hands from her eyes and saw Ji Wenjun, who had barged in recklessly.

Compared to the energetic Ji Wenjun from the afternoon, the one before her now looked like a scholar drained of vitality by a fox spirit. His shoulders slumped, arms dangling lifelessly, his eyes dull and listless. But the moment he spotted Su Yinou and Li Jinmiao, he perked up as if injected with adrenaline and blurted out, “Two General Managers Li? I knew working overtime had fried my brain!”

Li Jinmiao sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forehead as he was about to announce the end of the workday. Suddenly, Su Yinou playfully put on a stern face, cleared her throat, and said gravely to Ji Wenjun, “You’re fired.”

Ji Wenjun froze, only snapping out of it when Li Jinmiao burst into uncontrollable laughter. He approached Su Yinou, who was barely holding back her giggles, and teased, “Hey? Little girl, that’s not how you scare people! You nearly scared the soul right out of me!”

Su Yinou giggled and ducked behind Li Jinmiao.

She was in a good mood today, which was why she had uncharacteristically teased Ji Wenjun.

In the year and more since dropping out of school, she had never felt as lighthearted as she did today.

The months when her mother was still hospitalized had been the darkest days of her life. Even after enduring them, she still faced one suffocating mountain after another. During the half-year when her mother couldn’t take care of herself, Su Yinou had to tend to her during the day, accompany her through rehabilitation exercises, and take her for regular hospital check-ups, all while squeezing time out of her packed schedule to prepare ingredients and run her stall alone at night.

Later, when her mother regained some independence, Su Yinuo devoted her entire day to the stall. She woke before dawn to prep ingredients and often didn’t return home until late at night. She worked hard to earn and save money to pay off debts, skipping proper meals, grabbing quick bites for breakfast and lunch, and often just boiling unsold leftovers in clear broth for dinner. She had no time for entertainment, shopping, or making friends, let alone hearing so much lively chatter and laughter.

And certainly, no time or money for a lavish, exquisite, and delicious dinner like tonight.

A warm feeling spread through Su Yinou’s chest. It felt like her luck had finally turned, as if today, she had become fate’s favorite.

Li Jinmiao, still laughing, clutched his stomach and waved a hand. “Alright, alright, time to call it a day. Lao Zhang, it’s too late, you take Nuonuo home tonight.”

“Yes, General Manager Li,” Zhang Yifeng replied.

After changing in the break room, Su Yinou followed Zhang Yifeng out of the office, with Ji Wenjun still chattering away behind her.

“Hey, little girl, your name’s Nuonuo? Where do you live? Let me take you home instead, no need to trouble Assistant Zhang. He can take General Manager Li.”

“Wait, hold on, didn’t you say you had a boyfriend? Why isn’t he picking you up?”

“Heh heh, Nuonuo, you were just messing with me, weren’t you? I knew it!”

“Nuonuo, I’m a prime bachelor in Beiguang City, own a place, got a car, make thirty grand a month! Interested in getting to know me better?”

“Nuonuo, how about adding me on WeChat?”

“Nuonuo, if you don’t add me, just let Assistant Zhang run me over…”

…

In the end, the shameless Ji Wenjun still managed to get Su Yinou’s WeChat.

Su Yinuo’s home was located in an aging residential complex in the near-east district of Beiguang City. The buildings here had peeling walls and rusted pipes, every corner bearing the marks of time. Her family lived on the first floor, with a small yard in front where her food cart and some scattered goods were stored.

When she returned home and pushed open the yard gate, Su Yinuo saw the warm, dim light spilling from the window, and beneath that glow, her mother’s figure bent intently over her handicrafts.

It was already eleven o’clock. Normally, her mother would have been fast asleep by now, so Su Yinuo knew she was waiting for her to come home.

A wave of warmth surged in her heart, and as she ran toward her mother, she felt like the happiest child in the world.

“Mom, why are you still up so late? Stop working, let me help you wash up, it’s time for bed,” Su Yinuo called out as she rushed into the house and ran up behind her mother.

Zhang Lihua turned around with a smile, but when she saw the delicate makeup on Su Yinuo’s face, she froze in surprise, her smile stiffening.

She pulled Su Yinuo closer, cupping her face with deep concern. “Nuonuo, what kind of part-time job requires makeup? And why are you back so late? Listen to me, don’t work too hard just to earn money, and don’t do anything that makes you unhappy for the sake of money. The few thousand we owe your Uncle, he hasn’t pressed us for it. There’s no rush to pay it back…”

“Ah, Mom! Don’t worry,” Su Yinuo interrupted with a laugh, squatting down to hug her and nuzzle against her. “Wearing makeup for work is totally normal these days. Look at all the sisters in the software park, don’t they all wear makeup? Don’t worry, Mom. I made a friend, a sister who looks a lot like me. She works in the software park and asked me to help with something. It’s all aboveboard. I’ll bring her over to meet you when I have time, you’ll see, she’s really nice…”

Afraid her mother might overthink things, Su Yinuo didn’t mention having dinner with Qin Cangye.

After washing up and helping her mother into bed, Su Yinuo turned off the light and sat by the window, gazing at the moonlight outside. In the pale glow, she could almost see Qin Cangye’s face, gentle and relaxed as he leaned lazily in his car.

A smile unconsciously spread across her face.

Over ten kilometers away, on the top floor of Ronghua Capital’s headquarters in West Lake District, Qin Cangye sat in his private office, his back to the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, slowly tapping a Montblanc pen in his hand.

The office was unlit, and the gemstones embedded in the silver pen reflected the bright moonlight behind him. As his fingers moved, the light flickered back and forth across his deep-set eyes.

Tonight’s moon was exceptionally beautiful. Turning around, the view from the 36th floor was a hundred times more expansive than what Su Yinuo could see from her home. But he had no mind to admire it, his thoughts were entirely occupied by Su Yinuo’s every smile and frown. He even felt the urge to reach out and wipe away the oil stain he imagined at the corner of her lips.

This maddening feeling kept him awake all night. He had come to the office intending to sort through some documents, but the moment he picked up the pen, his thoughts returned to Su Yinuo.

With a heavy sigh, he set the pen down, pushed back his chair, and strode out of the office, heading straight for the nearby gym.

The top floor of the headquarters building was entirely dedicated to Qin Cangye’s private work and living quarters. An hour later, he emerged from the gym, drenched in sweat, and headed toward his luxurious 300-square-meter suite.

As soon as he pushed open the door, a chorus of squeaks greeted him. A horde of plump, well-fed hamsters swarmed toward him. Qin Cangye gave a helpless twitch of his lips, pulled out his phone, and activated the automatic feeder in the living room. With a clattering sound, the hamsters retreated like a receding tide.

He took a step forward, only to hear an especially loud “SQUEAK!!!” Looking down, he saw a tiny hamster clinging to his pant leg. He bent down, picked it up, and held it in front of his face for a few seconds before murmuring unconsciously, “You little dummy, so silly.”

As he spoke, Su Yinuo’s face flashed through his mind.

Qin Cangye let out a bitter laugh and mocked himself, “Qin Cangye, you’re done for.”