Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 22: Onboarding (3)
Hearing footsteps, the man in the elevator looked up.
His expression was calm, his gaze swept over Song Shu, then returned to the watch on his raised wrist. “Why are you only coming out now?” Qin Lou straightened up from the wall he was leaning against and walked towards Song Shu.
The man’s tone was natural, so natural that it almost made Song Shu feel that the two of them had long been accustomed to such interactions, as if they had planned to meet like this for a long, long time.
If it weren’t for that incident years ago, perhaps today would indeed just be a warm daily occurrence.
Song Shu thought this and then took a step back.
——The man’s outstretched hand missed and stopped in front of her.
The emotion in Qin Lou’s eyes darkened.
Song Shu seemed completely unaware, slightly tilting her head and smiling brightly, “Mr. Qin, you’re not off work yet? As the head of the company, you’re so diligent, it’s no wonder Vio Capital has its current status.”
Qin Lou said nothing, his eyes, shadowed by the backlight, only had room for her silhouette. Song Shu didn’t mind and continued, “But it’s already late, I’m getting ready to leave. You should go home and rest early too, Mr. Qin.” After saying this, Song Shu nodded towards Qin Lou and then, holding her handbag, moved to pass by him.
Of course, Qin Lou couldn’t just let her go like that.
When Song Shu reached the elevator and extended her hand to press the down button, her slender wrist was grabbed by the man. Qin Lou forcibly pulled her to turn around.
The emotion in Song Shu’s eyes flickered, but in the end, she didn’t struggle. She was pinned by Qin Lou with one hand against the wall next to the elevator doors.
Her handbag fell to the floor, the metal clasp making a crisp sound as it hit the shiny porcelain surface.
Song Shu looked up, “Mr. Qin, your behavior is already enough for me to retrieve the surveillance footage and accuse you of sexual harassment. I value my job at Vio very much, so I hope you don’t give me that opportunity?”
“Go ahead and accuse me.”
Qin Lou leaned down, his tall figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped Song Shu’s figure.
His breathing was heavy and suppressed, his tone interwoven with complex pain and pleasure.
He grabbed Song Shu’s other wrist and pressed it against the wall above her head, then leaned in.
Song Shu lowered her head, avoiding his breath.
“Mr. Qin,” she said.
Qin Lou paused briefly but then continued, lowering his shoulder further and tilting his head to kiss her from below.
Song Shu had nowhere to escape, her hands pressed against the cold wall above her head clenched slightly, but she suppressed any desire to struggle.
His breath came closer, almost touching her lips—yet stopped just a fraction of an inch away.
The air was still for a few seconds.
Qin Lou laughed softly, his voice hoarse.
His dark eyes slowly opened, looking up at her from below.
“Doesn’t this make the evidence more conclusive for the surveillance, Miss Qin?”
Song Shu’s expression stiffened. A few seconds later, she chuckled lightly, “Does Mr. Qin always joke like this with the female subordinates in the company?”
Qin Lou’s gaze was fierce, but he also laughed.
“Isn’t it acceptable if it’s mutual?”
“Then Mr. Qin must have misunderstood. You heard during the interview that I have a fiancé, Yu Qisheng from Junsheng Law Firm. You should have heard of him.”
“No problem,” Qin Lou’s eyes darkened further, his words slow and deliberate, “It’s just an adult game. I don’t mind.”
“…”
Song Shu frowned slightly, not because of Qin Lou’s words, but because of the unconscious increase in pressure from his grip as he spoke. This story is hosted at g.com.
She sighed inwardly.
While claiming not to mind, Qin Lou’s expression suggested he wanted to devour her whole. His stubborn nature hadn’t changed a bit over the years.
As they stood in deadlock, the mechanical sound of the elevator ascending echoed beside them. Song Shu’s expression shifted slightly as she remembered something.
She turned to look at the triangular indicator and the floor display on the wall.
The elevator was smoothly ascending from the first floor.
Song Shu turned back. “Mr. Qin, my fiancé is already waiting downstairs for me. He should be on his way up now, so please let go of me to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings between us.”
Qin Lou’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light, then he smirked, his gaze fierce and terrifying. “Misunderstanding? Isn’t it perfect if he sees this?”
“…”
Song Shu knew Qin Lou had gone crazy again. The more she pressured him now, the more severe his “backlash” would be in the future. However, the elevator was approaching the 10th floor. The Legal Compliance Department was on the 12th floor, and Vio’s elevator typically took about three seconds per floor. In other words, the elevator would stop next to them in less than ten seconds.
Their current posture—Song Shu’s hands pinned against the wall above her head, Qin Lou leaning in at an intimate distance, as if about to kiss her—left no room for further consideration of future consequences.
Her voice turned cold. “Mr. Qin, I’ll give you one last chance—let go of me immediately.”
“…”
Qin Lou pretended to kiss her, stopping just a few millimeters away, torturing both Song Shu and himself.
He laughed at her threat, “Or what? What will you do?”
Song Shu looked up. Beside them, the elevator chimed softly as it reached the 12th floor.
“Sorry, Mr. Qin, you forced me.” As she spoke, Song Shu suddenly lifted her knee.
A knee strike landed in Qin Lou’s abdomen. He doubled over in pain, and Song Shu seized the opportunity to bend and escape from his grip, also picking up her fallen handbag.
As she stood up, the elevator doors opened slowly.
Yu Qisheng, who was just about to step out of the elevator, froze at the sight—Qin Lou was clutching his midsection, slightly bent over a few meters away, while Song Shu stood calmly, her posture rigid and her face devoid of any emotion.
Yu Qisheng was stunned for a few seconds before stepping out of the elevator. He frowned with concern and asked, “Qin Qing, what happened here?”
Song Shu’s eyes flickered briefly. A few seconds later, she smiled faintly. “Nothing much, I was waiting for you here. As for Mr. Qin, he probably just accidentally bumped into the wall.”
She raised her hand and lightly hooked it around Yu Qisheng’s arm, her expression brightening significantly. “Didn’t you mention a private restaurant that was good? I worked late and I’m hungry. Let’s go.”
Her sudden closeness surprised Yu Qisheng, but he quickly understood. “Alright, let’s go.”
“Mr. Qin, we’ll meet another day—”
Before she could finish her polite farewell, laughter interrupted.
Song Shu and Yu Qisheng stopped and turned back. Qin Lou was leaning against the wall, laughing and coughing softly, his hand still pressed against his abdomen. His laughter was intense, uncontrollable, echoing through the empty hallway, sounding particularly eerie in the night.
Yu Qisheng frowned and instinctively reached out to shield Song Shu.
Song Shu didn’t look back.
Facing away from Qin Lou, the brightness and cheerfulness on her face had long faded, like a watercolor painting washed away by water.
She lowered her eyes, her left hand clenched tightly in front of her. Her fingertips were pale, and her nails had pressed deep into her palm, leaving blood marks.
“Ignore him,” she heard her own voice, hollow and cold. “Let’s go.”
Yu Qisheng hesitated but then nodded after seeing Song Shu’s expression. “Alright.”
They stepped into the elevator. As a long-term partner of Vio, Yu Qisheng had a visitor card and used it to select the floor. The elevator doors began to close slowly.
Always on guard, Song Shu’s pupils contracted, and she hurriedly pressed the open-door button.
Only Yu Qisheng inside the elevator noticed her reaction. He looked down at Song Shu with a complex expression.
Qin Lou pried the doors open. The man, gripping the sides of the elevator door, had bloodshot eyes, looking frighteningly intense. He stared unblinkingly at Song Shu, a deep, tumultuous sorrow in his eyes. “You’re really not her?” he rasped, each word squeezed from his throat.
As the elevator doors opened, Song Shu had already composed her expression. She smiled calmly and indifferently, just as she had before leaving. “Mr. Qin, I don’t understand what you’re talking about, nor do I understand why you persist in this way.”
Qin Lou stared at Song Shu, his thin face taut, his cheekbones trembling slightly. His gaze was like that of a wild animal, as if he would pounce and tear her apart any second.
Yu Qisheng couldn’t hold back any longer and pulled Song Shu behind him.
“Mr. Qin, what exactly do you want with my fiancée?” The emphasis on “my” was particularly strong.
With Song Shu shielded behind him, Qin Lou’s gaze slowly shifted to Yu Qisheng’s face. “What right do you have to call her your fiancée?”
Yu Qisheng laughed in anger. “Qin Qing and I have known each other since childhood. Our families have been friends for generations, and we’ve been sweethearts for years. Our engagement was personally arranged by our parents. Why shouldn’t I call her my fiancée?”
“…Parents?” Qin Lou’s gaze turned vacant as he stared blankly at Song Shu.
Song Shu seemed oblivious to his emotional lapse and responded calmly, “So, Mr. Qin mistook me for someone else? That’s unfortunate. I’ve lived abroad with my parents since childhood and only recently returned to China with my family. My engagement with Qisheng was arranged then. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to visit our home anytime.”
She gestured towards the elevator door.
“If Mr. Qin has no further business, please step back. We need to leave.”
Qin Lou stiffened like a puppet, slowly stepping back. The elevator doors closed and began descending.
Inside, Song Shu withdrew her hand from Yu Qisheng’s arm, her smile fading instantly.
“Using me and then letting go right away,” Yu Qisheng joked, “you almost hurt my feelings—and aren’t you afraid he’ll check the surveillance?”
Silence met his remark. Yu Qisheng turned to look at Song Shu and saw her pale face, her eyes closing tightly before opening again.
“He won’t suspect a thing,” she finally said.
“Why not?” Yu Qisheng asked.
“Because I… hit him.”
Yu Qisheng was stunned.
In that moment, the sadness and heartache that Song Shu could no longer suppress surged forth, as if she had returned to the helpless child she once was.
Her voice trembled, and the more she tried to control it, the more it wavered. “Song Shu would never treat him like that. She couldn’t bear it.”
Yu Qisheng was taken aback, recalling the chilling laughter Qin Lou emitted while leaning against the wall before they left. It dawned on him that the laughter carried a deep understanding and despair.
He sighed softly. “But you’re doing all this to protect him, aren’t you?”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
Song Shu acted as if she hadn’t heard Yu Qisheng’s words.
She bit her lip and forced herself to step out, determined not to look back. She feared that if she did, the emotional floodgates would burst, washing away all the defenses she had erected around that person. Distance was the best protection for him.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her handbag. She stopped in her tracks. Yu Qisheng’s gaze followed, watching her stiff movements as she retrieved her phone. The screen displayed an unfamiliar number.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Song Shu answered the call. “Hello?”
Through the wind’s howling, she heard the crazed, tearful laugh of a madman. “Doll, save me.”
“—!”
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