Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After saying this, Qi Yan himself stopped speaking and instinctively glanced at Pei Sheng, letting out a hesitant "uh": "Well, I didn’t mean to..."

Unlike the Yan family, who voluntarily moved away from Qingning Road, the Pei family was forced to surrender their home on Qingning Road after bankruptcy liquidation. Pei Sheng’s departure had been far from graceful.

After all, the Pei and Yan families had once been neighbors, their standing on par. Like Yan Tingshen, Pei Sheng had grown up under constant attention and envy. His departure that day had been especially humiliating.

Over the years, unless some tactless jerk wanted to needle Pei Sheng, their circle rarely brought up the past in front of him.

Qi Yan kicked himself for the slip-up.

Pei Sheng shook his head. "It's fine."

But the awkward silence in the ward made Qi Yan deeply uncomfortable. He scrambled for a way to change the subject.

Noticing Yan Tingshen staring out the window, he got curious and also looked outside but saw nothing except a cloudless, sunny sky.

"Tingshen, what are you thinking about?"

Yan Tingshen turned back.

Bringing up Qingning Road jogged his memory of Qin You’s words.

*‘I still remember that day clearly—I wandered to Qingning Road, half-starved and freezing, and it was you who took my hand and saved me.’*

Though the possibility was slim, he had considered asking Qi Yan if he remembered anything about it.

But not wanting to stir things up, especially with Pei Sheng sitting there with his head lowered, he only said, "Any progress on what I asked you to look into?"

"..." Qi Yan’s scalp prickled at that tone. "...Brother, I beg you, cut me some slack. It’s only been a few hours!"

Before Yan Tingshen could press further, he made a show of checking out the ward and quickly changed the subject again. "So, this is the Qin family’s hospital? I heard this floor is only open to the Qin family’s inner sanctum. Even Qi Hailiang would have trouble getting in. You two must be the only outsiders here—talk about clout!"

Pei Sheng said, "It’s Tingshen’s influence."

Having decided to step back into the spotlight, he didn’t want to wallow in the past or drag his friends down with him. "I’m just riding his coattails."

Qi Yan’s enthusiasm reignited. "I also heard that Young Qin and Tingshen are especially close. When the accident happened, he freaked out and lunged over to save you without hesitation. Truly bromance."

Pei Sheng didn’t respond.

At the time, he had pushed Yan Tingshen away and used the shove to reel back. In the rush, he fell onto his previously injured wound and blacked out.

Fortunately, there were no serious consequences—he had woken up on the way to the hospital. Spotting Cui Ling there, he didn’t need to ask to know Qin You had saved him again.

But no one had told him how Qin You had lunged forward to save Tingshen.

No wonder Tingshen hadn’t bothered transferring all night.

He must have realized what a damn rare find that guy was.

Qi Yan was still looking around. "By the way, where is Young Qin? Is he swinging by this morning?"

As he spoke, he noticed Yan Tingshen was actually scrolling through his phone.

What’s going on?

For so many years, he had suspected that apart from making calls and sending or receiving documents, all other functions on Yan Tingshen’s phone had been disabled on his orders. Did hell freeze over today?

He glanced at Pei Sheng in surprise, only to find no surprise on his face—as if this were completely normal.

Yan Tingshen was reading his messages.

Qin: You up? I’m downstairs.

.: Yep.

Qin: You in a good mood today? Do I get to come up?

.: You can skip it.

Qin: Not happening.

Qin: You free?

Qi Yan’s curiosity hit its limit: "I—"

He only managed one word.

Then he heard the familiar command.

"You should go attend to your actual work. Get me the results as soon as possible."

Qi Yan: "... For fuck’s sake..."

When would Yan Tingshen ever understand?

The mighty President Qi was not your damn lackey!

Noticing that Yan Tingshen had just put down his phone, Pei Sheng also said, "Tingshen really should rest now. Let’s go."

Qi Yan pursed his lips.

Look at Pei Sheng—so slick at smoothing things over.

Yan Tingshen’s words were like venomous blades, always cutting right to the bone, never cutting him any slack in this lifetime.

But then again, considering everyone got the same treatment from Yan Tingshen, he felt a perverse satisfaction.

As they left the ward together, Qi Yan couldn’t help but ask, "So how exactly did that Qin You guy and Tingshen meet?"

Pei Sheng replied, "Not sure about the details, but the first time I met Qin You was after he saved my life in a car accident."

As for Qin You and Tingshen, they must’ve known each other before that. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so chummy right away when they met the next day, and Tingshen wouldn’t have agreed to stay at Qin You’s place.

Qi Yan’s eyebrows shot up: "So, he’s saved you guys more than once?"

Mentioning this, Pei Sheng felt a twinge of guilt: "Actually, that was strike three."

And he’d never repaid Qin You for anything.

Qi Yan stroked his chin, his curiosity about this 'young master Qin' growing stronger: "He always brings you along, so it seems he must have a pretty good personality and be easy to get along with, right?"

Easy to get along with?

Pei Sheng's expression turned complex. Just as he was about to speak, Qin You emerged from around the corner.

Qi Yan quickly looked over as well.

The man across from them had shed his usual neat suit today, dressed more casually in a simple trench coat.

The outerwear was unbuttoned—just an ordinary black trench coat; inside, no tie, just a plain black shirt.

Yet this simple outfit not only failed to conceal his tall, upright frame but instead accentuated an unstudied elegance, making him look even more effortlessly stylish.

As Qin You approached, his broad shoulders and narrow waist stood out, the hem of the ankle-length trench coat swaying behind him with each stride of his long, straight legs, radiating an imposing aura.

Only the bouquet of flowers in his hand added a touch of softness to the otherwise cool, stark palette.

"..." Qi Yan silently glanced down at himself, then back at that heartthrob-worthy face, a pang of envy shooting through him.

Who does he think he is...

Big deal he's handsome...

"Young master Qin."

Hearing Pei Sheng’s greeting beside him, Qi Yan composed himself, straightened his tie, and put on a flawless smile: "Young master Qin, hello—"

Qin You gave the two a cursory glance, dismissing the protagonist per usual, and acknowledged Qi Yan with a barely-there nod before brushing past him without breaking stride, heading straight for the destination ward.

He had no intention of interacting with Yan Tingshen.

Since this Qi Yan was friends with Yan Tingshen, there was no point in getting acquainted either.

"Hey, what the hell—" Qi Yan’s mouth was still open, his next words stuck in his throat as he watched Qin You brush past him. The familiarity of the scene left him speechless.

He turned to stare at Qin You’s retreating back, finally getting firsthand experience of why this man was only close to Yan Tingshen.

No wonder!

They're two peas in a pod!

This matching arrogance was blood-boiling!

Qi Yan couldn’t help but look at Pei Sheng: "Didn’t you say he was easy to get along with?"

Pei Sheng’s face stayed impassive: "I never said that."

Qi Yan: "..."

Pei Sheng didn’t look at him anymore, just wordlessly watched as Qin You entered Yan Tingshen’s ward.

—

"How're you feeling this morning?"

Qin You walked in, finding Yan Tingshen propped up against the headboard. "Feeling any better?"

Yan Tingshen noticed the bouquet he was hiding behind his back: "I'm alright."

Qin You approached him and only then held out the flowers from behind: "Do you like them?"

Yan Tingshen pressed his lips together, his gaze looking past the vibrant, fragrant bouquet to meet Qin You's smiling face.

Qin You said, "I bought them just for you. Yesterday’s behind us—let’s lighten the mood today."

Yan Tingshen withdrew his gaze, refusing to take the offered flowers, and replied flatly, "Keep these games for Miss Liu."

Qin You raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"

Yan Tingshen said, "Qi Yan knows her."

Qin You put two and two together.

They weren’t just boss and subordinate—they were also friends. Qi Yan was likely a mutual friend within their circle.

He casually tossed the flowers aside and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why drag Miss Liu into this?"

Yan Tingshen said, "With Director Qin’s wedding coming up, why shouldn’t it be mentioned?"

"Wedding?"

Qin You let out a dry laugh, then added, "If that were really the case, wouldn’t that be just what you wanted?"

Yan Tingshen’s fingers tensed slightly, and he didn’t answer.

Qin You asked the system, "What’s the approval rating?"

The system replied, "No change. Still thirty-three percent."

Qin You looked at the stone-faced man before him and couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

Yesterday, after completing the task, the approval shot up ten points straight to thirty-three percent. The higher it got, the trickier it became.

The system grumbled loud enough to hear, "I told you—the target used to like roses but doesn’t now. What’s the point of buying him a bouquet of roses?"

Qin You glanced at the flowers on the table.

The florist hadn’t had roses in stock.

They’re all flowers anyway. Worth a shot.

He turned back to Yan Tingshen. "Let’s not talk about this. Focus on your rehab instead."

Yan Tingshen said, "I’m checking out this afternoon."

"Checking out?"

Qin You asked, "Are you sure?"

Last night, the target had taken a bad spill. There’s no way he’d healed completely in less than a day.

Yan Tingshen said, "Yes."

Qin You pressed, "What’s your plan for daily rehab, then?"

Yan Tingshen only replied, "Not your business."

Qin You said, "If you don’t have a plan, you’ll follow mine."

Earlier, when Yan Tingshen helped him with that proposal, he’d planned to repay the favor by making sure Yan Tingshen fully recovered.

After the assignment, Yan Tingshen left Zeshui Bay. He’d figured that, given how efficient the guy was, even a small task like this wouldn’t be neglected.

But the latest check-up showed he’d clearly overestimated him.

He didn’t realize how swamped the guy was—too busy to spare even an hour a day.

And nobody around him even nudged him about it.

Yan Tingshen shot him a look, his brow flickering. "No need."

"Not negotiable," Qin You said.

Yan Tingshen finally frowned slightly. "Qin You—"

"Here, Zeshui Bay, or your office—your call," Qin You said.

"I’ll do the rehab myself. Don’t worry about it," Yan Tingshen replied.

"Your call."

Qin You raised an eyebrow at him. "Or I’ll haul you out of your office in front of the whole company."

Yan Tingshen fell silent for a moment.

The system piped up, "Uh, host, did you forget? The guy’s stubborn—pressure just makes him dig in. You—"

"The hospital," Yan Tingshen said. "3 p.m. daily. I’ll be there."

"..." The system pretended it had never spoken.

"I’ll get you," Qin You said.

His days were the polar opposite—he had all the time in the world. Playing chauffeur would let him brainstorm ways to tank the goodwill.

In the original story, the guy couldn’t stand the protagonist’s clinginess.

Even with 33% favorability, the dynamic was the same—this had to work.

Yan Tingshen’s frown didn’t budge. "No—"

"Done," Qin You said. "Every day at 2:30 p.m., I’ll wait for you in your company’s parking lot."

Yan Tingshen remained silent.

Qin You looked at him. "Any objections?"

Yan Tingshen met his gaze, then after a moment, simply said, "I don’t need a babysitter."

Qin You gave him a once-over, then eyed the hospital room pointedly. "Could’ve fooled me."

Yan Tingshen’s expression didn’t change. "It was a fluke."

"If you’d actually done your rehab, would you even be here?" Qin You countered.

Seeing Yan Tingshen still had words to retort, Qin You chuckled helplessly. "Alright. It's already decided, no more arguments."

Yan Tingshen gave him a quick look but said nothing more.

Just then, a nurse entered to deliver his medication.

Qin You watched as she held out the water cup to Yan Tingshen, then noticed the slight hesitation in Yan Tingshen’s left hand before he moved. He stood up first and took the cup, telling the nurse, "I've got this."

"Alright," the nurse replied before turning to leave with the tray.

Only after hearing the door close did Qin You look back at Yan Tingshen. "Even lying in a hospital bed, you still can’t let go of your pride?"

Yan Tingshen ignored him. "I can do it myself."

Qin You had already brought the cup to his lips. "Still playing tough with me?"

Yan Tingshen gave him a quick look, paused, then slowly tossed the pills into his mouth.

Qin You tilted the cup slightly forward, feeling the faint pressure of Yan Tingshen’s hand against the bottom before withdrawing and placing the cup back on the table.

Seeing a drop of water at the corner of Yan Tingshen’s lips, Qin You quickly grabbed a tissue and dabbed at his mouth. Their eyes met abruptly, and Qin You hesitated before simply leaving the tissue by his hand.

"You can handle this part yourself."

Yan Tingshen pressed his lips together, taking a tissue but not moving.

Qin You coughed lightly and sat down beside him.

The system piped up excitedly. "Yes! Host, just like that! According to the original host’s memories, the target always kept his distance whenever the original host got close. If you touch him a few more times, his liking you might drop!"

"You said something different before," Qin You said.

"Uh..." The system paused for a beat. "That was mission-specific—it had a special time limit. And after you kissed the target, the mission actually failed, and he didn't even like you more! That’s not normal, Host. It means the target really hates physical contact. I suggest you test it with a few more kisses."

"Keep your suggestions to yourself," Qin You replied.

"...Got it."

Qin You turned his gaze back to Yan Tingshen.

Though the system wasn’t particularly reliable, he still needed to like him less.

After a moment’s thought, he offhandedly asked, "By the way, tell me about your childhood."

Nothing annoyed the target more than discussing the past—childhood certainly counted.

Yan Tingshen looked at him. "My childhood?"

Qin You said, "We met as kids, but because I went abroad, we never got the chance to get closer. I've always regretted that. Now that we have the opportunity, I’d love to hear about your younger years."

Yan Tingshen said flatly, "Director Qin, you should understand—I have no intention of getting involved like that with you."

Qin You smiled. "I meant friendship."

Yan Tingshen paused slightly.

Qin You’s smile deepened as he pretended to wonder. "What kind of feelings did you think I meant?"

Yan Tingshen’s hand resting on the blanket tightened a little.

"Ah..." The lazy and flippant voice put on an act of sudden realization, "Could it be—"

Yan Tingshen's voice took on a darker edge as he cut in sharply: "I have nothing to talk to you about."

Qin You bit back a smirk, leaning slightly forward to see if his cold stare matched his tone: "Really?"

Yan Tingshen said, "You think I'd lie to you, Qin?"

Qin You said nothing, then sat back: "But I still have so much I want to talk to you about. What now?"

As he spoke, he looked at Yan Tingshen, "Not just childhood stuff. I’m also very interested in what happened after you grew up, like—"

Mentioning the bankruptcy of the Pei family outright would come on too strong.

He was already on edge. Offending him too harshly in one go was unnecessary and would only make future jobs harder.

Better to ease into it—safer that way.

Qin You thought this and continued, "For example, all these years, you’ve come this far alone. I know it must have been hard. If you ever want someone to talk to, my door's always open."

Bringing up the past.

Making him think of the past.

Especially the darkest period during the Pei family’s bankruptcy—it had to be his biggest trauma. Even with the most tactful phrasing, it would be enough.

After all, his goal wasn’t to make him confide in him about the past, but to make him remember the past itself.

Yet, to his surprise, his reaction to this wasn’t as severe as the data had indicated.

Yan Tingshen just said coolly, "I've gotten used to this kind of life. Hard or easy doesn't enter into it."

The Yan family's power plays didn’t start when he took over the company.

Having lived in such an environment since childhood, he had long known what kind of games were coming.

When you see it coming, you never lose sleep over so-called hardships.

Qin You looked at Yan Tingshen.

He could tell the chill in his voice was real.

He wasn’t pretending to be composed—he genuinely didn’t care.

That past wasn't even a blip on his radar.

The system piped up: "Strange, Host. Is he completely unfazed? Favorability hasn’t budged either..."

Qin You said, "Your intel's bad. Aside from issuing tasks, what's your actual use?"

"..." The system, subjected to disdain, suddenly felt a wave of sorrow. "Wuwuwu, it’s not my fault! The data was provided by the main system—I didn’t know it was wrong... Host, maybe you could try something else..."

It hurriedly opened the panel, displaying his other likes and dislikes.

Qin You said, "Next time."

He had already tested two methods today, exceeding the planned content. Continuing any further would go against his new rules.

The system whimpered, "Okay..."

As Qin You turned around, his phone rang in his pocket.

He pulled it out and answered Cui Ling's call.

"Young Master Qin, are you at the hospital?"

Cui Ling lowered his voice, his tone hushed, like he was up to something. "The Chairman just arrived downstairs. Maybe you should step out for now?"

He didn’t specify where from.

But it was obvious he had guessed where Qin You would be coming from.

Knowing the Prodigal Heir wanted to keep his dealings with Yan Tingshen from the Chairman, Cui Ling had warned Qin You as soon as they arrived at the hospital.

Qin You immediately stood up. "What’s happening?"

Cui Ling said, "No time—they’re already in the elevator! Young Master Qin, I’ll hang up first."

Qin You put away his phone and said to Yan Tingshen, "I’ve got to go handle something. You should rest."

Yan Tingshen asked, "Problem?"

Qin You smiled. "It’s fine, don’t worry."

Since both the person he was after and the main player were here, Qin Hengzhong could still think Qin You was just visiting Yan Tingshen even if he arrived.

Yan Tingshen didn’t press further.

Qin You said a quick goodbye and turned to leave the room.

When he reached the nurse’s station, Qin Hengzhong and his entourage just stepped out of the elevator.

Spotting Qin You, Qin Hengzhong frowned. "Qin You? You weren’t hurt last night, were you?"

Qin You replied, "Just getting my hand checked again."

Cui Ling lowered his head and stayed silent.

Qin Hengzhong didn’t suspect anything. "Perfect timing, then. Come along to see your father."

At this, Qin You glanced at Cui Ling.

Only then did Cui Ling nod slightly.

This was what he’d meant to say—the Chairman’s visit had nothing to do with Yan Tingshen. He was here to see the President.

A nurse motioned, "Right this way."

As Qin You and the Chairman headed toward the restricted hallway, Cui Ling stayed behind in the waiting area with the others.

Figuring the Prodigal Heir had snuck off to see Yan Tingshen again, he shook his head and instinctively looked toward Yan Tingshen’s room.

But as soon as he turned, he spotted Yan Tingshen standing by the door not far away. Meeting that gaze made his heart skip a beat.

Yet after a moment, he realized the other man showed no intention of returning to his room. With nowhere to hide, Cui Ling swallowed his nerves and walked over.

He couldn’t just ignore him after making eye contact. Regardless of Yan Tingshen’s status, since Qin You had personally set him up here, Cui Ling couldn’t just brush him off.

Walking up to Yan Tingshen, Cui Ling asked, "President Yan, do you need anything?"

Yan Tingshen asked in return, "Did Mr. Qin come to see Qin You?"

Cui Ling was surprised he brought it up but answered truthfully, "Yes, and also to visit the CEO."

Anyway, even if he didn’t say it, the Prodigal Heir would.

If Qin You could risk his life repeatedly to save Yan Tingshen, why would the CEO’s sickroom location be important in comparison?

Yan Tingshen got the message.

When no further words came, Cui Ling glanced at him hesitantly and said, "Mr. Yan, about yesterday… the matter between Young Qin and Miss Liu..."

Under Yan Tingshen’s sharp gaze, his words were unable to come out or go back down.

Yan Tingshen said, "No need to mention the CEO’s personal business to me."

Cui Ling froze, watching the other man’s retreating figure.

Apparently, Qin You still hadn’t explained the sham date to Yan Tingshen—the one set up to placate the chairman.

Truthfully, he really didn’t want to deal with this Mr. Yan.

Mainly because he lacked the courage to face him directly.

Just now, he had worked up the nerve—out of goodwill—to offer an explanation, but under Yan Tingshen’s presence, he fell apart in half a sentence.

Cui Ling watched as the nurse closed the ward door. His mind urged him to leave, but his feet hesitated.

The Prodigal Heir couldn’t manage a secret crush properly.

The date was fake—such an important matter—yet even after being busted in the act, he hadn’t clarified it immediately.

Considering the generous raise, Cui Ling was tempted to help Qin You out.

But the moment he thought of Yan Tingshen, he lost his nerve.

Should he go in and explain?

Then again, since Yan Tingshen clearly had no such feelings for Qin You, entering would just be pointless...

He hesitated at the door for a long time.

Gritting his teeth, Cui Ling finally raised his hand and rang the bell.