Chapter 50: Climb into Bed

Chapter 50: Sharing a Bed

When Tan Manjin and Qin Song returned, Song Shimu had just finished preparing lunch. Entering the house, they saw their two sons working together in an organized manner, which brought a wave of relief. However, this feeling quickly dissipated as they noticed the complete lack of communication between them.

It seemed a conflict had arisen, and this time, the elder son was clearly at fault.

Tan Manjin and Qin Song found this unusual.

In the past, whenever the two had disagreements, it was always the younger son who diffused the tension. This time, however, the elder son seemed to be struggling to say something, his gaze constantly darting towards the younger, as if he had something on his mind but couldn't voice it.

After lunch, their suspicions were confirmed.

The younger son had barely set down his chopsticks after finishing his meal when the elder son followed suit. As the younger son left the dining room, the elder son trailed right behind him.

Once the two were out of sight, Tan Manjin turned to Qin Song, and their eyes met, reflecting mutual concern.

"Can Qin Xu’s face really charm anyone over?" Tan Manjin couldn’t help but ask.

"In terms of looks and actions, yes. But when it comes to his expression, that’s a challenge," Qin Song replied, shaking his head.

Upstairs.

"Hey, I’m about to sleep. Why are you coming in?" Song Shimu stood behind the door, blocking Qin Xu's entry.

Qin Xu pressed a hand against the door. "We need to talk."

"Just two guys alone—aren’t you, a straight man, worried it might be unsafe?" Song Shimu leaned against the doorframe, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Qin Xu remained unfazed. "You can’t beat me."

"That confident?" Song Shimu raised an eyebrow, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over Qin Xu’s physique. He wore simple, solid-colored loungewear, its loose collar revealing half of his sharply defined collarbone, like sculpted ridges gently rising and falling with each breath.

His chest muscles were full and prominent, exuding both power and sensuality. Below, the fabric draped naturally, hinting at a firm waistline and the highly suggestive abs and hip lines hidden beneath.

His long legs stood ramrod straight, with strong, well-defined lines that were both powerful and aesthetically pleasing—the classic "looks slim in clothes but is well-built without them" type.

Song Shimu recalled that in the original story, the antagonist had studied martial arts and boxing. So, indeed, he couldn’t win in a fight. But… "I should remind you, I can electrocute you. And my task isn’t just about raising favorability; it also involves physical contact and changes in status. Aren’t you afraid I might shock you unconscious and then force myself on you?"

Qin Xu fell silent for two seconds before retorting, "Didn’t you say you wanted a Platonic relationship?"

For a moment, Song Shimu’s eyes darted away, but he quickly regained his composure. "It’s different now. We’ve leveled up."

"How so?" Qin Xu stared at him intently, taking a step closer. "Can you control the electric current now?"

Until yesterday, Qin Xu had always assumed Song Shimu could control the electric shock at will. But yesterday, Song Shimu mentioned he’d been pulled onto the bed and fainted upon skin contact, suggesting that Song Shimu didn’t intentionally discharge electricity—it happened automatically upon touch.

And it only worked on him.

Song Shimu smiled faintly. "Yes, I can control it now. Otherwise, why would I have asked you to kiss me during the day? Did you think I wanted to harm you?"

Qin Xu’s dark eyes stared unblinkingly at Song Shimu, as if trying to discern whether he was telling the truth or lying.

But then Song Shimu slowly leaned in, getting within inches of his face. "Actually, I’m quite controlling. When it comes to that, I prefer the other person to lie still and let me have my way."

"…………You’ve done it before?" Qin Xu asked, parting his lips.

Song Shimu choked slightly and retreated to a safe distance. "No one likes that method. Do you want to give it a try?"

Qin Xu frowned slightly. "I thought you didn’t want to be in a relationship?"

"...That was just an excuse for not finding the right match," Song Shimu argued evasively.

"So, are you still coming in?" Song Shimu asked with a smile.

"…………You’re not that kind of person," Qin Xu said after a two-second pause, stepping inside.

A flicker of surprise passed through Song Shimu’s eyes. Over the past two months of interaction, he had come to understand what kind of people Qin Xu disliked—those who only thought with their lower half were the ones he looked down on the most.

So, he had deliberately said those things earlier to drive Qin Xu away. Who would have thought Qin Xu didn’t believe him at all?

Song Shimu smirked. "You think that highly of me?"

"If you really wanted to find someone, you definitely could. But given how stingy you are, you probably wouldn’t want to pay for it. Still, if you just said the word to Gu Wenrui, he’d definitely offer himself up willingly."

"………………"

"Tch." A sound escaped Song Shimu’s throat.

Qin Xu walked into the room and closed the door behind him, leaning lightly against it as he looked calmly at Song Shimu. "I want to discuss Gu Wenrui’s task with you."

Song Shimu replied, "If the products that were exposed aren’t problematic, then he isn’t either."

"Is that so?" Qin Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, maintaining a skeptical tone.

"Mhm." Song Shimu nodded.

"You’ve been around Gu Wenrui for so long. You must have noticed that his hostility toward me is even greater than his hostility toward the Song family, right?" Qin Xu asked.

Song Shimu nodded. "All I can say is, I definitely wasn’t pretending to be pitiful at the beginning. But he never believed me—he always kept telling me how wronged I was, almost as if he wanted me to relive my previous life: start a company, grow it, make it powerful."

Qin Xu pondered for a moment before asking, "Is he also reborn?"

Song Shimu shook his head. "Not sure. What I am sure of now is that he will continue targeting you."

Qin Xu remained calm, having expected this long ago. "You should know he’s definitely not targeting me for your sake."

"Uh, it is for my sake."

"……" Qin Xu frowned. "If it were for your sake, he should’ve taken down the Song family first.……Unless you told him not to?"

"No, this matter concerns his position," Song Shimu said euphemistically.

For now, he didn’t want to tell Qin Xu that this world followed a plot. He hoped Qin Xu would come to realize his own feelings on his own.

Qin Xu frowned. "What position? Does he think that by marrying you, he can secure his position as the heir of the Gu family more firmly?"

"Maybe," Song Shimu replied dismissively, walking further into the room.

Qin Xu followed Song Shimu’s steps and sat down on the chair in front of the desk. "He’s an only child. Why would he worry about that?"

"What if there’s an illegitimate child?" Song Shimu yawned, flopping down onto the bed.

"Gu Wenrui’s parents have a good relationship. You shouldn’t say things like that in the future," Qin Xu said.

Song Shimu nodded and said, "Okay."

"So, what position? Song Shimu, do you think it’s appropriate to only say half of what you mean?"

Song Shimu smirked. "You’ll have to use your clever brain to figure that out. I don’t want to tell you."

The bedroom fell into a long silence. Song Shimu waited a while but heard no response. Just as he grabbed the edge of the blanket and was about to roll into bed, Qin Xu's deep voice broke the quiet.

He asked a question unrelated to their earlier conversation: "Why do you have a mission to seduce me?"

Song Shimu stared at the ceiling and replied in an innocent tone, "How should I know?"

"Then do you want to complete it?"

"..." Song Shimu sat up, a sly grin on his face. "How?"

Qin Xu realized the ambiguity in his words and rephrased, "Do you want to complete the mission?"

Song Shimu got out of bed, walked over to Qin Xu, placed his hands on the back of the chair behind him, leaned down, and looked into his eyes. "What do you think?"

Qin Xu looked up at him. "Do you like me?"

Song Shimu smiled faintly. "You, a straight man, asking me that—aren't you afraid of making things awkward?"

"..." Qin Xu pressed his lips together and changed the subject. "In novels, seduction missions are usually broken down into many small tasks completed step by step. What are yours?"

This question caught Song Shimu off guard. He tapped 073 and asked, "Why don’t I have any missions to seduce him?"

"Because all missions are targeted at Gu Wenrui, but the affection increase depends on Qin Xu. So the main system locked away all related missions." After a brief pause, 073 added, "Actually, another reason is that the system detected the antagonist’s initial affection level was much higher than expected, so it decided to let things develop naturally, believing progress might be faster without mission interference."

"Fair enough." Song Shimu accepted the explanation but said, "I won’t tell you the details, but I can say one thing—I’ve never left a mission unfinished."

Qin Xu narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What kind of missions do you even have? Are they all about teasing me?"

"Mm, what you’re implying is..." Song Shimu picked up on the subtle meaning behind Qin Xu’s words. "You feel something every time I tease you."

"...You’re overanalyzing. I was just objectively analyzing your behavior toward me." Qin Xu retorted stubbornly.

"You still won’t admit it." Song Shimu laughed.

"...Believe whatever you want." Qin Xu turned his head away, avoiding eye contact.

Song Shimu kept his gaze fixed on Qin Xu until the man beneath him swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Only then did Song Shimu straighten up. Under Qin Xu’s surprised stare, he said, "I can’t control your will. If you don’t like me, that’s fine."

With that, Song Shimu returned to the bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down.

Qin Xu watched him, following his every movement—lying down, pulling up the blanket, closing his eyes to sleep.

After a while, when Qin Xu saw Song Shimu’s breathing become deep and even, he got up, walked to the other side of the bed, and lay down on top of the blanket.

He turned onto his side, eyes fixed on Song Shimu’s sharp profile. Moonlight from outside filtered in, illuminating Song Shimu’s smooth, glowing skin. Up close, even the fine hairs on his face were clearly visible.

Usually, Song Shimu was always smiling—gentle and polite. But asleep, he looked colder, more distant. The white blanket draped over him made his skin appear even paler, giving him an almost ethereal aura.

The faint scent of orchids around him was intoxicating, drawing the eye and making one long to be noticed in return.

Qin Xu stared at Song Shimu for a long time before slowly reaching out. His fingertips gently brushed Song Shimu’s cheek—the soft, smooth sensation barely registered in his mind.

The next second.

His hand dropped lifelessly. Qin Xu closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

Half an hour later, Song Shimu drowsily opened his eyes and found a face alarmingly close to his. Almost instinctively, he raised his hand and threw a powerful punch.

Midway through the punch, he lifted his leg to kick—but stopped just in time as the system screamed in his head, "Wait, wait, wait! That’s Qin Xu!"

"..." Song Shimu halted his kick and looked closer. Sure enough, it was Qin Xu’s handsome face—now bruised.

Coincidentally, whether awakened by the punch or the pain, Qin Xu’s eyelashes fluttered, and his deep, dark eyes slowly opened.

Song Shimu clearly saw the flash of alertness in Qin Xu’s gaze the moment their eyes met—but it vanished the next second, as if he remembered where he was.

"..."

The two of them stared at each other in silence. Qin Xu sat up, rubbing his sore eye, and asked, "Are you done hitting me?"

Song Shimu, feeling justified, straightened his back. "What were you doing sleeping in my bed? Don’t you know how terrifying it is to wake up and find someone right beside you?"

"...I was testing what you said. You clearly can’t control the electric current on your body." Qin Xu glared at him resentfully.

"...I turn it on automatically to protect myself from harassment. Is that not allowed?" Song Shimu shot back.

"There’s no reason. You only shock me, and you know I’m not interested in you. There’s no need to keep it on while sleeping." Qin Xu said.

Song Shimu snorted. "So what if I can’t control it? It’s not me getting shocked. You passing out just happens to suit my preferences. Maybe it’s even more exciting to do it while shocking you."

"……………………"

"Affection level 91"

"Huh? Why did it announce if the affection level didn’t change?" Song Shimu asked 073.

"While you were asleep, Qin Xu got into bed and was captivated by your beauty. It rose by two points, but now it’s dropped back." 073 explained.

Song Shimu smiled slightly, leaning back against the headboard. "Well, well, someone claimed they weren’t interested in me, yet ended up crawling into my bed."

"..." Qin Xu pressed his lips tightly, got out of bed, and muttered, "It was a test," before leaving.

Song Shimu watched his retreating figure, sensing a hint of inexplicable panic, and couldn’t help but laugh.

At 5 p.m., Qin Feng issued an official statement denying the allegations about selling substandard products. They released inspection reports, clarifying that the claims labeling their products as defective were entirely false, and that all products met production standards. Serial numbers were verifiable, with no evidence of forgery.

They also announced they had gathered evidence against those responsible for the defamation and would pursue legal action.

Two months earlier, Qin Xu had already conducted a thorough investigation of the branch company and found no issues at the time. Still, unsatisfied, he raised production standards and implemented strict oversight.

Back then, employees had complained about the boss’s excessive attention to detail. Now, faced with baseless rumors, they appreciated his foresight and couldn’t help but speculate about the source of the rumors.

No one could have imagined that the rumor’s originator, after spreading lies all day, would show up at their boss’s house that evening, smiling, for dinner.

"Uncle, Aunt, sorry to intrude. These are gifts I picked out for you." Gu Wenrui held four or five gift boxes, handing two to Tan Manjin and Qin Song first.

"Oh, you really didn’t have to bring gifts just for a meal," Tan Manjin said, surprised.

"It’s just a small token. I was treated yesterday; it wouldn’t be polite to come empty-handed today." Gu Wenrui said humbly.

"That’s very thoughtful of you. Come in, it’s cold outside," Qin Song said with a warm smile.

"Okay," Gu Wenrui stepped in, changed his shoes, and glanced around. "Where’s Shi Mu?"

"We're in the dining room with Qin Xu. You've come at just the right time—dinner was just ready," Qin Song replied.

A strange glint flashed in Gu Wenrui's eyes. "Shi Mu and Qin Xu made dinner together?"

"Shi Mu was the head chef; Qin Xu just assisted," Tan Manjin said.

"Let's go eat," Qin Xu said.

Gu Wenrui nodded, and the three of them headed to the dining room.

Qin Xu and Song Shimu had just finished setting the table. As soon as Gu Wenrui entered, he walked over to Song Shimu and handed him a gift.

"Shi Mu, I bought this gift for you."

Song Shimu wiped his hands with a wet wipe, smiled, and accepted it. "Thanks."

"No need to be so polite. This is for Qin Xu." As he spoke, Gu Wenrui turned slightly and handed the gift to Qin Xu over Song Shimu's shoulder. When he saw the bruising around Qin Xu's eyes, he paused. "Your face?..."

"Don't mention it." Qin Xu accepted it with a terse reply and showed no intention of explaining the injury on his face.

Tan Manjin chimed in, "The two brothers are always clashing—small squabbles every few days, big blowouts every week or so. Don’t mind them."

Gu Wenrui nodded understandingly, secretly pleased. If he hit him that hard, it shows Shi Mu has no feelings for Qin Xu.

Outwardly, he glanced at Song Shimu a few times and asked, "You’re not hurt, are you?"

"No, I’m fine. Sit down—freshly cooked food tastes best," Song Shimu said.

Seeing that Song Shimu was unhurt, Gu Wenrui smiled. "I’d never turn down anything you make."

Song Shimu laughed. "No need to be polite—just be honest."

Gu Wenrui looked at the table full of dishes, each appealing in color, aroma, and taste, and praised, "Just looking at this spread, I won’t hold back on compliments."

"Xiao Gu, you’ve got a silver tongue. Sit, sit—Shi Mu’s cooking speaks for itself." Tan Manjin and Qin Song had already taken their seats and urged them to stop being so formal.

"Yeah." Song Shimu and Gu Wenrui sat down next to each other, while Qin Xu took the seat on Song Shimu’s other side.

As soon as Song Shimu picked up his chopsticks, he saw another pair of chopsticks place a piece of meat into his bowl.

Song Shimu: "?"

He followed the chopsticks to their owner, Qin Xu, with a puzzled look, silently asking, *What are you doing?*

Then he heard Qin Xu suddenly act uncharacteristically considerate. "You worked hard cooking—eat more."

"???"

Tan Manjin and Qin Song exchanged confused glances. *Are they still not on good terms?*

*No idea.*

Seeing this, Gu Wenrui panicked and immediately reached out with his chopsticks to take the meat away, but Qin Xu rapped his knuckles with his own chopsticks.

Gu Wenrui looked up and saw Qin Xu staring back at him challengingly, accompanied by a sharp retort: "There’s plenty in the dish. This is for Shi Mu."

"Ugh," Hearing Qin Xu use such an intimate term, Song Shimu broke out in goosebumps and shot him a *knock it off* look.

Gu Wenrui gritted his teeth, his mind racing with doubt. Qin Xu hadn’t acted like this toward Song Shimu before. Logically, after being hit, Qin Xu should be in a bad mood toward everyone. Yet here he was, specifically dishing out food for Song Shimu and being so thoughtful?

…Had he realized something?

"Eat some of this too—it’s nourishing."

As Gu Wenrui was lost in thought, he saw Qin Xu place another piece of meat into Song Shimu’s bowl. And that wasn’t enough—he went on to serve several more dishes, piling Song Shimu’s bowl sky-high.

"...Enough. Do you want me to only eat what you’ve given me?" Song Shimu said, unable to hold back any longer.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Wenrui immediately said, "Shi Mu, I like these dishes. My bowl hasn’t been touched yet—want to swap?"

Without a second thought, Song Shimu shook his head. "It’s fine—you eat yours."

"…………"

Gu Wenrui’s eyes darkened, a sinister glare flashing beneath his lashes.

On the other side, Qin Xu noted his glare and unhurriedly added another helping to Song Shimu’s bowl, earning himself a warning look.