A few minutes later, Song Shiyi and Qin Huai were sitting across from each other inside a small late-night porridge shop.
Anticipating that the evening might not end peacefully, Song Shiyi had eaten very little beforehand, just enough to keep from feeling sick if things went sideways. The problem now was that he was starving.
“I told you I wanted barbecue,” he muttered under his breath, dragging out the words with a sigh. At this point, he desperately needed greasy junk food to soothe his soul.
Qin Huai, however, had already placed the order without so much as consulting him. “Too unhealthy,” he said flatly, cutting off the protest without remorse.
“…Fine,” Song Shiyi grumbled. He consoled himself with the thought that at least he wasn’t the one paying.
While they waited for their food, silence stretched between them. It wasn’t tense, just oddly still.
Song Shiyi wasn’t deliberately avoiding conversation; his mind simply hadn’t caught up yet. Everything from earlier still felt like a blur.
He sat in the most ungraceful posture imaginable, leaning half against the wall beside him, one leg propped up, idly swinging his foot back and forth.
“I listened to that recording you posted,” Qin Huai said suddenly, breaking the quiet. “Quite the performance.”
“Did you now,” Song Shiyi replied absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting until the meaning of the words finally sank in. His head snapped up. “Wait! how did you even?”
The rest of the sentence, know it was me, he swallowed before it escaped. It wasn’t exactly hard to figure out.
A spark of curiosity flickered in his eyes. Propping one elbow on the table, he rested his chin in his palm and leaned in closer, his tone dipping into something light and teasing. “The illustrious head of the Qin family, and you actually have time to care about little things like that?”
Qin Huai raised a finger and pressed it against his forehead, pushing him back with a faintly disapproving look, wordlessly telling him to behave.
Song Shiyi rubbed his forehead where he’d been poked, chuckled softly, and said, “So? Why bring it up? You disapprove of my methods?” His smile widened, mock-sincere. “Too crude? Too shameless? Not refined enough for your tastes?”
Qin Huai laughed under his breath, a low, quiet sound that somehow conveyed all the answer he needed.
Song Shiyi’s eyes curved as he smiled, the cunning glint within softening the innate innocence of his features. “But, Mr. Qin,” he said, his tone dipping just slightly, “don’t you think sometimes the messiest way is also the most effective?”
He tilted his head slightly, a faint light glinting in his eyes as he continued, “Song Gucheng refuses to acknowledge me. To the public, I’m just some vague ‘illegitimate son.’ But after that little stunt I pulled, suddenly he’s the one everyone’s laughing at.”
“If I played the game the proper way, slow and steady. I’d probably have to keep swallowing humiliation for who knows how long.”
He interlaced his fingers, resting his chin atop them. “I take responsibility for my own actions, Mr. Qin. I’ve endured long enough. This time, I’m going to burn it all down. If it all turns to ashes after that… then so be it.”
In the dark depths of his eyes, emotion surged and swelled, something close to madness flickering there, rising until it almost reshaped his otherwise mild, handsome features.
Under the stark white light above, his expression looked sharp, cold, almost unhinged.
Qin Huai said nothing. He simply watched him quietly, his face unreadable, his gaze steady and deep.
Just then, the waiter arrived with their food, the clatter of dishes breaking the moment. Song Shiyi shut his mouth, reached forward to pick up a spoon, and focused entirely on his bowl.
Qin Huai had ordered shrimp and dried scallop congee. The rice grains glistened under the light, soft and perfectly cooked, releasing a faint sweetness that spread the moment it touched the tongue.
The first spoonful was enough to calm the storm in Song Shiyi’s chest, easing the restless irritation left behind by the fight.
“…It’s actually pretty good,” he admitted honestly after a few bites. Good food, after all, could make anyone feel better. He looked up and asked, “You didn’t order anything for yourself?”
Qin Huai merely looked at him, calm as ever. “You’re the one who was hungry, weren’t you?”
That caught Song Shiyi off guard. For a second, he didn’t quite know what to say. He hadn’t expected the man to be this… considerate.
After all, judging by their first two encounters, he’d assumed he’d done nothing but leave a bad impression.
Biting the edge of his spoon, he hesitated for a moment, then asked the question that had been nagging him. “Qin Huai… have we met before?”
“Of course not.” Qin Huai’s lips curved into that same half-smile again, amused yet impossible to read.
His answer was a denial, but there was something about his tone, some faint undercurrent that made Song Shiyi uneasy.
He frowned slightly, turning the idea over in his head. Could it be that in some unwritten corner of the novel, they’d had a shared past, something tragic and redemptive that had never made it onto the page?
Or… was it actually love at first sight?
Ridiculous. But somehow, the thought lingered.
Propping his chin in his hand, Song Shiyi openly examined Qin Huai, gaze slow and unabashed, as though he could find an answer written somewhere on the man’s face.
Qin Huai didn’t seem bothered. He sat there with quiet composure until a call came through. Nodding, he stood slightly and answered.
From the snippets that drifted across the table, Song Shiyi caught a familiar name, Qin Lingming. Qin Huai’s cousin.
If memory served, after Qin Huai’s death in the novel, it was Qin Lingming who inherited the Qin family.
Interesting.
Qin Huai had been stabbed to death by Bai Xu.
Bai Xu was a mad dog, yes but not one who bit without reason. So why had he turned on Qin Huai, when there was nothing to gain from it?
And in that entire bloody mess, there had only been one true beneficiary, Qin Lingming.
“What are you thinking about?” Qin Huai’s voice brought him back.
Song Shiyi lifted his eyes lazily, his posture relaxed, his tone casual but his gaze sharp. “I was wondering…” He paused, then smiled faintly. “If you’ve fallen for me.”
Qin Huai raised an eyebrow.
“Otherwise,” Song Shiyi continued smoothly, “why are you being so nice to me?”
The small porridge shop wasn’t exactly crowded, but there were enough customers to fill the air with a comfortable murmur.
Steam rose continuously from the bamboo baskets near the entrance, curling lazily through the air, wrapping the little space in warmth and the scent of rice.
The soft light and haze lent a gentle glow to Song Shiyi’s features, softening him in a way that was dangerously easy to look at.
For a fleeting second, something strange flashed across Qin Huai’s face, a crack in that unshakable composure then it vanished as quickly as it came. He looked almost amused, almost exasperated.
“Why can’t I just be kind?” he said with a faint, helpless laugh.
“That’s fine too.” Song Shiyi’s response was immediate, his tone light and quick.
He cupped his cheeks in both hands and looked straight at him with exaggerated innocence. “Since you’re such a kind-hearted Mr. Qin… would you be so kind as to take in a poor, homeless soul like me tonight?”
From this angle, Qin Huai could see the thick fringe of his lashes, the round, soft eyes gazing up at him, pure and guileless on the surface.
“What I mean is,” Song Shiyi said, leaning forward again until their faces were almost level, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth, “why don’t you take me home with you?”
The distance between them closed by inches until he was nearly close enough to feel Qin Huai’s breath. His hand lifted, resting lightly on the back of Qin Huai’s warm skin against cool inked lines that traced over tendons and veins.
His eyes gleamed with laughter. “Just for tonight, Mr. Qin,” he said softly. “How about it?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator has survived another chapter. Please reward them with coffee. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · He’s in the BookChapter 2 · You Like playing Stand-in, Right?Chapter 3 · This Kind of person is just asking for troubleChapter 4 · Is it so Bloody?Chapter 5 · Let’s Rot togetherChapter 7 · Illegitimate SonChapter 8 · Unfaithful husbandChapter 9 · MemoriesChapter 10 · Silence before stormChapter 11 · Hunt beginsChapter 12 · Nightmare I rememberChapter 13 · Why do they ride on their own heads?Chapter 14 · I forgive myselfChapter 15 · Can you take me in tonight since I’m homeless?Chapter 16 · Mr. Qin, do you like me?Chapter 17 · If you like it, you can have itChapter 18 · Gu Ye, it’s obvious that you also pursue these thingsChapter 19 · If you still can’t let go of Gu Ye, why not give it a try with me?Chapter 20 · He actually made him bow down to that bastard.Chapter 21 · Ruining someone’s future is simply unforgivableChapter 22 · God can’t possibly favor someone like youChapter 23 · UrnChapter 24 · May they die a horrible deathChapter 25 · If you’re broke, stop showing off.Chapter 26 · Kneel before me, begging for mercy.Chapter 27 · The plan succeededChapter 28 Part 1 · This time, the victim is Gu Ye Part 1Chapter 28 Part 2 · This time, the victim is Gu YeChapter 29 · This time, I’ll make full use of youChapter 30 · Educating about the existence of lawsChapter 31 · So who is he now?Chapter 32 · I want to destroy this fake spacetime.Chapter 33 · So, I was himChapter 34 · They’re all crazy, just let me have my wayChapter 35 · I will punish them in the right way.Chapter 36 · I’m already a lunaticChapter 37 · Can you stay by Qin Huai’s side for my sake?Chapter 38 · I’ll grant your requestChapter 39 · Not a pitiful littleChapter 40 · They Both should dieChapter 41 · I want to destroy the empire that Song Gucheng builtChapter 42 · Do you hate me too?Chapter 43 · No one should feel goodChapter 44 · He’ll definitely be the winner in the end!Chapter 45 · Acting is really tiringChapter 46 · I wanted that bastard to disappearChapter 47 · Ready made scapegoatChapter 48 · He’s willing to save themChapter 49 · I’ve come to catch up with youChapter 50 · You stole someone else’s placeChapter 51 · Shiyi, why won’t you save me…Chapter 52 · To make a good life is more importantChapter 53 · Even if you really cheated on me, it doesn’t matterChapter 54 · Finally, I can say goodbye to you completelyChapter 55 · Angel sent by heaven to save himChapter 56 · CEO Gu is a very affectionate personChapter 57 · If you love him, go to jail for himChapter 58 · His most beloved son wanted to kill himChapter 59 · Take good care of our dear fatherChapter 60 · Take back everything that truly belongs to meChapter 61 · He knew that Gu Ye would not let him downChapter 62 · The Song family’s shares must absolutely not be transferred to Song ShiyiChapter 63 · I am no one’s thingChapter 64 · He always knew what kind of person Song Qingwen was.Chapter 65 · FinalChapter 66 · Extra