Chapter 106

Chapter 106

During the call, Qin Hengzhong ultimately hinted at his meaning.

"It's not convenient."

The subtext was clear: he wasn’t interested in meeting.

Since he clearly wasn’t open to discussion, Qin You spoke briefly with Yan Tingshen and hung up.

The next second, Qin Hengzhong snapped, “Relax, he won’t leak it.”

“…” Qin Hengzhong felt a twinge in his chest. He pressed a hand over his heart, itching to scold him but at a loss for words. “Qin You, no matter how tight you and Yan Tingshen are, some lines shouldn’t be crossed. That’s the bottom line—don’t you understand?”

Even between close friends, let alone lovers who are married with children or even blood relatives, no one shares everything.

Besides, both Qin You and Yan Tingshen were bound by their families’ stakes in every word and action. If Yan Tingshen had a hidden agenda, Qin You’s trust would only leave Qin You at a disadvantage.

Qin You nodded along, “I understand.”

Seeing his cooperative attitude, Qin Hengzhong reluctantly relaxed his furrowed brow. “Quit being so reckless in the future. You should think for yourself.”

Qin You said, “Alright.”

Qin Hengzhong was somewhat satisfied.

Then, suddenly, he frowned again and eyed Qin You suspiciously. “You’re really willing to agree? You won’t let Yan Tingshen interfere with Qin Corporation’s affairs again?”

Qin You smiled and only said, “Believe what you want—knock yourself out.”

“…” Qin Hengzhong stared at him expressionlessly before closing his eyes and pointing at the door. “Out.”

Qin You stood up first, then added with a smile, “Had you actually read the proposal, you’d stop overthinking.”

Qin Hengzhong caught the drift.

He had reviewed the plan earlier—the person who drafted it had clearly put Qin Corp first. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have immediately thought of Cui Ling or Kang Ming rather than Yan Tingshen.

Judging solely from the proposal, Yan Tingshen might as well have been on Qin Corp’s payroll, ignoring the fact that the joint investment’s gains were to be shared between Qin Corporation and Junmin.

That alone explained why Qin You trusted Yan Tingshen so much.

No matter what the future held, Yan Tingshen clearly wasn’t playing games in drafting this proposal.

But considering Yan Tingshen’s shrewdness at such a young age, Qin Hengzhong remained cautious. “Qin You, trust no one at face value.”

“He understands such a simple principle,” Qin You said. “If he really had designs on Qin Corporation, why tip his hand this soon?”

Qin Hengzhong fell silent.

He had to admit Qin You’s reasoning was sound.

If Yan Tingshen truly wanted to take over Qin Corporation, he wouldn’t meddle in its internal affairs now and risk raising suspicions.

The smart play? Wait it out.

At this rate, just have Qin You send it over casually when the time comes.

"Of course, your concern is understandable. In that case—"

"Enough." Qin Hengzhong snapped with a scowl, unwilling to let Qin You pass the buck again. "Alright, I'm tired. You can leave now."

Qin You couldn't hide his disappointment as he turned and walked out.

Not far from the door, he bumped into Qin Hua.

Qin Hua smiled and asked, "Qin You, is your grandfather inside?"

Qin You nodded.

Without another word, Qin Hua also gave him a polite smile and headed straight for the lounge.

Qin You didn't give it another thought.

Shortly after, he left the banquet hall and returned to Cang Yuan.

As the workday was winding down two days later, Qin You was still in his office when he received a call from the old estate.

It was Qin Hengzhong's voice, carrying a subtle loneliness: "Tomorrow is your father's birthday. Come home for it. We’ll also hold a birthday party for Xiao Ji—think of it as a celebration."

Qin Ji, Qin Hua's youngest son, would just be turning three after this birthday.

A biological father with no emotional connection.

A toddler who couldn’t even recognize people properly.

This kind of occasion didn't interest Qin You in the least.

Just as he was about to refuse, a long-silent alert tone suddenly chimed.

"Final plot node unlocked."

"Host must attend the birthday banquet and either resolve or avoid the crisis, choosing whether to remain in or leave the Qin family."

"Note: When all main plotlines are successfully completed, reward calculations will commence. Once the task is done, you'll be free of all restrictions."

Qin You paused.

The system also popped up: "Host! Finally! Your ending plot has been unlocked!"

Triumphant, it excitedly explained.

The ending plot referred to the final act the system could perform for every host in the Emergency Rescue Department’s Emotional Division before granting them freedom.

The host helped the system solve problems, and the system, in turn, would handle the host’s greatest troubles. If the task was completed smoothly, this would be their final transaction.

"Once this task is done, you can live completely free!"

The system enthusiastically envisioned the future, but as it spoke, its tone grew melancholic. "Sniff... we'll be separated too..."

Qin You listened to its emotional outburst, first finishing the call with Qin Hengzhong before turning his attention to the task details.

The system was still sniffling: "Host, you’ve been locking me in the dark room every day lately. Now that we're almost done... can you stop doing that...?"

"..." Qin You said, "What's supposed to happen tomorrow?"

The system quickly redirected focus: "Extracted from the original body's memories, after tomorrow's birthday banquet, the side character Qin Hengzhong will suffer a heart attack and die despite emergency treatment."

Qin You frowned.

"The details are unclear—the original host wasn’t involved," the system continued. "Three days later, due to a decision-making error by the original body, the company suffers financial losses, leading to his removal from the board and subsequent expulsion from the Qin family."

Qin You understood.

This was indeed the 'Qin You' from the story’s original ending.

In the original storyline, with his only backer gone, the original body would naturally be left vulnerable and powerless.

However, Qin Hengzhong's heart attack was happening tomorrow?

Qin You’s mind raced.

There had been no recent abnormalities—what could’ve triggered Qin Hengzhong’s heart attack?

The system piped up, "Host, Qin Hengzhong’s been alright to you. Why not save him? Would be a shame if he croaked..."

Qin You didn’t respond.

Just then, the phone rang again.

Seeing the caller ID light up on the screen, he checked the time, stood up from behind the desk, and left right on time.

The next day, Qin You attended the birthday banquet with Yan Tingshen.

Perhaps reminded of who the party was really meant for, Qin Hengzhong remained in low spirits. Seeing Yan Tingshen present, he said nothing, only telling Qin You to keep him company.

Upon entering, Qin You first checked the security setup, nodding to Xiang Haifeng to post extra guards to watch over Qin Hengzhong, then turned his attention to the packed room of guests.

On the surface, this was a three-year-old’s birthday party, yet without exception, every guest was a member of the Qin family.

But as Qin Hengzhong grew older, he became increasingly sentimental about so-called family bonds. Lately, every family gathering had played up the whole reunion angle. This time, with Qin Hua as the host, that sentiment was emphasized even more—uncles, elders, and relatives of the Qin family were all invited, making the whole place buzz with excitement.

Only two people were left out of the forced merriment.

One was Yan Tingshen, who shared no blood relation with the Qin family.

The other was Kang Ming, who’d only just been recognized by the family but had not taken their surname.

Having offended Qin Hua last time, he received not even fake politeness at this gathering. Sitting alone in a corner, ignored and out of it, like he had a lot on his mind.

Just as Qin You glanced over, a voice cut in beside him.

"You pity him?"

Qin You turned to look at Yan Tingshen.

Yan Tingshen said coolly, "Then go cheer him up. Why stare at me?"

Qin You chuckled but before he could respond, someone approached.

"Qin You," Qin Hua said, holding a wine glass, his voice thick with feeling. "No matter what, today is your father’s birthday. Your grandfather isn’t in the best mood. If you have time, stick by him for a while."

Qin You smiled faintly and clinked glasses with him.

A faint twitch crossed Yan Tingshen's brow.

After Qin Hua left, he turned to Qin You: "Today is your father's birthday? I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't worry about it."

Qin You said, "I didn't mention it because it's not important."

At these words, Yan Tingshen's hand at his side moved slightly, brushing against the back of Qin You's hand. He hesitated, then pulled back.

Today, all Qin You's family and friends were there.

Especially Mr. Qin, who still didn't quite accept his relationship with Qin You—

"What are you thinking about again?"

At Qin You's voice, before Yan Tingshen could speak, his retreating hand was suddenly caught in a warm grasp.

He looked back at Qin You.

Qin You smiled, his thumb rubbing circles on Yan Tingshen's tensing hand: "With me here, you don’t have to think about anything."

Yan Tingshen gazed at Qin You, his dark eyes shimmering with feeling.

No sooner had he spoken than he gradually laced their fingers together: "Alright."

He happened to notice out of the corner of his eye the direction of the corner as they were about to move forward. Though his brows furrowed slightly, he made no attempt to conceal it: "Someone wants to talk to you."

"Hmm?" Qin You followed Yan Tingshen's gaze.

Kang Ming was already on his feet and walking toward them.

Catching each of their eyes in turn, he faltered mid-stride, but as though steeling himself, he didn’t hesitate and continued forward.

"...Brother," Kang Ming began, then nodded to Yan Tingshen, "President Yan."

Qin You said, "What is it?"

Kang Ming suppressed the urge to glance around and asked hesitantly, "Could we... discuss this privately?"

Yan Tingshen shot him a penetrating glance and made to disentangle their hands when he realized Qin You hadn’t loosened his grip.

"No need."

Qin You said, "Anything concerning me concerns him too."

Yan Tingshen whipped his head around.

Seeing Qin You's still calm profile and hearing these casual yet matter-of-fact words, he compressed his lips: "Qin You, I can step aside. It’s fine."

Qin You just gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, then gestured to Kang Ming: "Let’s go to the study."

Kang Ming trailed after them to the study.

But after sitting down on the sofa, he balled his fists in his lap, growing uncertain.

Qin You asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No..."

Kang Ming took a deep breath and spoke bluntly, "Qin You, what I mean is... you should keep your distance from Qin Hua from now on..."

Qin You raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

At this, Kang Ming hesitated again, struggling to speak.

It was rare for him to be so hesitant, yet his advice was firm.

Qin You could tell he must have a good reason—one that, despite making him uncomfortable, he felt compelled to voice.

Qin You recalled the new mission prompt.

Kang Ming had never acted like this before.

And today of all days—the day Qin Hengzhong had a heart attack in the story—he suddenly grew suspicious of Qin Hua.

Perhaps the reason troubling Kang Ming was the root of the problem.

"I..."

Kang Ming lowered his head, clenching his fists hard. "I know this sounds crazy, but—"

"If he didn’t trust you," Yan Tingshen interjected calmly, "you wouldn’t be here talking."

Kang Ming froze.

Yan Tingshen continued, "Speak. What did you find?"

Kang Ming looked at Yan Tingshen, then instinctively glanced at Qin You.

Qin You also said, "Go ahead."

Kang Ming pressed his lips together and nodded.

Encouraged by Yan Tingshen, his voice grew steadier when he spoke again.

Taking another deep breath, he said bluntly, "...I suspect the chairman’s sudden illness back then might have been related to Qin Hua."

Qin You’s mind raced.

Then he felt his hand being gently squeezed. Turning, he met Yan Tingshen’s gaze and smiled. "Relax. I’m good."

Yan Tingshen held Qin You’s hand tight. "I know."

He understood Qin You’s temperament well.

Of course, Qin You wouldn’t freak out over this.

But he wanted Qin You to know that from here on out, such news—anything unexpected—wouldn’t have to be faced alone.

"You don’t have to worry,"

he told him. "I’ve got your back."

Qin You’s eyes warmed upon hearing this.

He brought Yan Tingshen’s hand to his lips and gave it a quick kiss. "Okay."

A/N:

Kang Ming: "..."

Kang Ming: "Cool, you two are adorable, but pretend I exist."