Chapter 66: Dug a Pit

Chapter 66: The Setup

"Ms. Zhao, please try to compose yourself."

Song Shimu poured a cup of hot water for Zhao Siyu. With too many people outside, he led her into a small conference room on the company's first floor, intending to get a clear account of how Song Yinmu had committed murder.

Bodyguards stood guard outside the door. Qin Xu sat beside Song Shimu, his expression impassive, half his face obscured by a mask.

Zhao Siyu was still weeping, her pale face haggard. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes resembled crumpled paper, smoothed out with effort. Dark circles beneath her eyes indicated a long period of sleeplessness. Her almond-shaped eyes were half-lowered, and the pupils in her red-rimmed eyes looked like frosted glass, utterly devoid of spirit.

"I beg you, Shimu... I was wrong before, I knew he was married but still got involved. Now that Song Hongkai is in prison, it’s his retribution, but my son is innocent!"

"Please... can you save him? If you’re willing to save him, I’d even be willing to die!"

Zhao Siyu sat opposite them, shoulders hunched, her eyes filled with desperate pleading toward Song Shimu.

Having been frequently begged by his adoptive parents in the past, Song Shimu felt completely unmoved by Zhao Siyu’s pleas. He calmly asked, "What happened yesterday?"

A pained expression crossed Zhao Siyu’s pale face, her dull eyes growing even emptier, as if she dared not recall.

Song Shimu did not rush her, waiting patiently.

After a long while, Zhao Siyu began to speak in a trembling voice, a hint of sorrow in her tone. "After the news broke, all the projects Songxin and Qianyue had collaborated on were terminated. Xiang Shan blamed everything on Yinmu..."

"Hmm, and then?" Song Shimu asked.

"He seized Yinmu and locked him in a room with several men..."

Song Shimu raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that Xiang Shan hadn’t personally intervened.

Zhao Siyu, recalling the scene she had witnessed just two hours earlier, began to tremble uncontrollably. "When I found him, the room was in complete disarray, and Yinmu was covered in injuries... I tried to take him away, but I couldn’t pull him out no matter how hard I tried. It wasn’t until Xiang Shan appeared..."

"Yinmu snapped, charging straight at him with a knife in his hand. I don’t even know when he got hold of it!"

"His first stab pierced Xiang Shan’s heart!"

"...I did everything I could to save him..." At this point, Zhao Siyu covered her face and broke into sobs, whimpering, "But it was too late. I don’t know what to do! I had no choice but to come to you, Shimu! Please, you’re a member of the Qin family. Saving someone would be a mere word for you! Please, save him!"

Song Shimu’s expression remained cold. "You give the Qin family too much credit."

"There must be a way! It was self-defense! He didn’t mean to hurt anyone!" Zhao Siyu sobbed in agony.

"You’ve already got your story ready, I see." Song Shimu rose expressionlessly and motioned for Qin Xu to leave with him.

"Wait! Shimu! You can’t just abandon us! After what Yinmu has done, the Xiang family will never let this go! Even if Yinmu goes to prison, they won’t rest! Please, for the sake of all the years Yinmu has been with you, help him!"

Seeing Song Shimu about to leave, Zhao Siyu rushed over and tightly grasped his hand, kneeling before him in supplication.

Qin Xu frowned and immediately pulled Zhao Siyu’s hand away, saying coldly, "Are you blind, or are you pretending to be? Don’t you know how Song Yinmu 'followed' him?"

Song Shimu took a deep breath and said, "I don’t know what’s wrong with your thinking. Has your family ever done a single thing to help me or my Mom? What gives you the right to come begging me?"

"I..." Zhao Siyu’s lips trembled slightly as she tried to find an excuse but realized her family was entirely in the wrong...

"Song Hongkai cheated during my Mom’s pregnancy, smeared her name, and after the divorce, not only did he never pay child support, but he came asking my Mom for money. He used her capital to start a company, which the two of you eventually took over. Even after I was recognized by the Qin family, he started eyeing their money."

"You knowingly became the other woman, and even after my Mom divorced that beast, you didn’t leave her alone, spreading disgusting rumors about her. Your son, who took after you, spent his school days spreading rumors about me, getting me bullied for no reason. Right before the college entrance exams, he splashed cold water on me, making me sick. When I started my company, he was always plotting to destroy me, stealing corporate secrets and causing my business to collapse."

"From the moment my Mom met you until now, what have you ever done to help us? What right do you have to beg me? To be honest, the fact that I didn’t laugh hearing about Song Yinmu’s ordeal is already a sign of respect for you." Song Shimu stared at her intently, his eyes filled with indifference.

"But... but Yinmu’s involvement with Xiang Shan is because of you... He killed because of you! You have to save him! Otherwise, I’ll expose you!" Zhao Siyu bit her lip, clutching at what she believed was a valid argument.

Song Shimu’s expression remained unmoved. "Did I instruct Xiang Shan to humiliate Song Yinmu like that? Or did I tell Song Yinmu to kill Xiang Shan? I repaid your malice with kindness by helping Songxin secure projects, and now I’m supposed to be exposed? That’s absurd."

With that, Song Shimu stepped around Zhao Siyu and walked out of the conference room. Qin Xu followed behind him but was stopped after just one step.

"Qin Xu! Please! Please save your brother! He was driven mad before he killed! He didn’t mean to!" Seeing that Song Shimu was unmoved, Zhao Siyu turned to Qin Xu.

Qin Xu stared at her coldly. "As far as I recall, Shimu followed my birth mother, right? From beginning to end, neither of us has a brother. Stop trying to force a relationship."

"No! I beg you! I’m begging you! If you’re willing to help Yinmu, I’ll give Songxin to you! To both of you! Please, save Yinmu!" Zhao Siyu reached out to grab Qin Xu’s clothes, but he dodged her.

Qin Xu said mockingly, "Is Songxin even yours to give?"

With that, Qin Xu walked straight out of the conference room. At the door, he turned to the bodyguards and ordered, "Get her out of here."

"No! I beg you! Please have pity on us— Let me go! I don’t want to leave, I don’t—"

Her frantic pleas were cut off as the elevator doors closed. Song Shimu stood inside the elevator, staring at his reflection in the mirror, silent.

Qin Xu walked up behind Song Shimu, pressed close to him, and reached out to gently rub his face. "You don’t seem happy about this outcome."

"Mm, I have no memory of it, and my Mom is gone. Their downfall has no audience," Song Shimu said.

Qin Xu rested his head on Song Shimu’s shoulder and comforted him, "Perhaps someday, on an ordinary midnight, you’ll recall those past memories."

"I hope so." Song Shimu turned his head, pulled down Qin Xu’s mask, and said, "Kiss me."

Qin Xu lifted his chin, capturing Song Shimu’s lips, slowly moving against them, sucking gently. Just as he was about to go further, the elevator arrived with a ding. Song Shimu immediately broke apart.

"..." Qin Xu silently pulled his mask back up.

"Good morning, President Qin. Good morning, Secretary Song." Employees outside greeted them warmly.

"Good morning, everyone." Song Shimu forced a smile.

Qin Xu remained cool, nodding calmly as he stepped out of the elevator first. Song Shimu followed half a step behind.

Everyone’s eyes followed the two, and the whispers grew more audible as they walked away.

"President Qin is still so cold. It’s hard to believe he cried in Secretary Song’s arms."

"I heard from Yu Hua that it was alkaline poisoning—he didn’t cry."

"Yu Hua got that from Secretary Song, right? The two brothers are close, so having each other’s backs is normal."

"But how did they suddenly become so close? Weren’t they battling for control before?"

"Maybe... they called a truce? Or hardship brings people together?"

"Hardship brings people together doesn’t quite fit. When they got into the car accident, President Qin was the driver, and Secretary Song was the passenger. What kind of situation would lead to that seating arrangement?"

"What situation?"

"Maybe he lost a bet? But it’s also possible they were flirting, like people online say."

"I don’t think flirting is likely... I have no idea how a relationship between them would even develop."

"I actually think it’s possible. As everyone knows, President Qin has never dated, and neither has Secretary Song. Two such handsome, rich, and outstanding men—it’s hard not to suspect they’re gay."

"That actually makes sense…"

In the CEO's office, Song Shimu drafted a schedule for Qin Xu and asked, "Do you have any plans outside work this weekend?"

"A date, perhaps?" Qin Xu replied.

"You have a date, and I didn't even know?" Song Shimu was shocked.

"We go on dates every day—don’t tell me you didn’t realize?" Qin Xu shot back.

Song Shimu curved his lips. "I know that part. I’ll pick the location for the date."

"You got somewhere in mind?" Qin Xu asked.

"Hmm, Pine Hill Cemetery."

"Isn’t that a cemetery? You…" Qin Xu initially thought Song Shimu was joking, but then he remembered—his own birth mother was buried at Pine Hill Cemetery. Qin Xu chuckled. "So, is this you taking me to meet the parents, or me taking you?"

"Let’s meet them together," Song Shimu said cheerfully, typing "Meeting parents with boyfriend" into the Saturday slot of the schedule before sending it to Qin Xu.

Qin Xu chuckled softly when he saw it. He packed up his laptop and walked over to Song Shimu. "Let’s go, time for a meeting."

"I have a role in this?" Song Shimu raised an eyebrow.

"It’s a shareholders’ meeting. You’ll need to get involved sooner or later."

"...Alright." That basically meant he was due for a promotion and needed to build good relations with the shareholders. Song Shimu wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but he agreed anyway.

Staying in the secretary role forever would only make people suspect internal conflict within the Qin family. That might have been true before, but not anymore.

When they reached the meeting room, it was empty. Song Shimu teased Qin Xu, "Learned your lesson, huh? Not cutting it close with the PPT this time?"

"And who’s to blame for that?" Qin Xu gave him a sidelong glance.

Song Shimu took a seat, propping his chin on his hand as he watched Qin Xu connect the projector and set up the screen. "I covered for you, didn’t I? And afterward, all the gossip was about me anyway."

"I told them not to spread it, but they still did?" Qin Xu looked up from his laptop.

"The whole company knows. You really don’t pay attention to what the employees are saying, do you?"

"Too busy. Couldn’t be bothered. What did they say about you?"

"They called me the number one gossip hound, a capable person—the first person brave enough to bring a film into a meeting and present it with a straight face during serious discussions."

Qin Xu tilted his head and let out a low laugh, his sharp features relaxing. "They’re not wrong."

"I need to clarify—I don’t love gossip. Any news I get, I just passively receive it," Song Shimu said.

"Mhm," Qin Xu nodded.

While Qin Xu checked the PPT, Song Shimu went to the break room to prepare a pot of tea. He returned with a tray, chatting with Qin Xu as they waited for the shareholders to arrive.

Over his time at the company, Song Shimu had interacted with some of the shareholders. The conversations were pleasant but not particularly warm.

By bringing him here, Qin Xu had made his intentions clear. As shareholders arrived, Song Shimu poured tea and struck up conversations, gradually building rapport.

Once the meeting began, Song Shimu naturally stopped chatting.

Qin Xu gave a brief opening statement before diving into the annual overview.

He reported methodically—recent project results, ongoing projects, future directions, and finally, the company’s restructuring efforts.

Each section was clear and delivered smoothly.

As the applause died down, the shareholders exchanged thoughts, and soon the meeting concluded. They began to rise and prepare to leave.

Song Shimu was still bidding farewell when the moving crowd of shareholders suddenly stopped.

Puzzled, Song Shimu followed their gaze and saw that the clean, straightforward PPT had been closed, replaced by Qin Xu’s desktop wallpaper—

*Crash!*

Amid the collective shock, Qin Song’s teacup shattered into two pieces.

There, displayed across the large screen, was a man’s sleeping face.

Sunlight streamed like golden dust across pure white sheets. The man lay peacefully under the covers, his light hair glowing with a golden sheen in the light.

His skin was so fair it seemed to gleam, his expression relaxed. Long, fan-like eyelashes cast soft shadows under his eyes, and the glimpse of his smooth, pale shoulder emerging from the blankets carried an indescribable allure.

If they hadn’t known him, they might have thought it was an internet picture. But that face was all too familiar—they could even see it right there in the room—

Song Shimu.

The moment Song Shimu saw it, his fingers clenched involuntarily. So it wasn’t a promotion—it was a trap waiting for him to fall right in!