Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"You—you're talking nonsense!"

Stung by having his secret exposed, Qin Xia stiffened and snapped, angry and humiliated.

It wasn't that he was completely clueless about these things, but feelings and Li Wenguang's smooth-talking had kept him turning a blind eye. Now that someone had called him out to his face, it felt like a slap in public, his cheeks burning with shame.

And soon, an even bigger slap came.

Song Nian's voice drifted out, soft and unhurried:

"If I'm not wrong, that heart-shaped stone necklace around your neck is the exact kind he's selling wholesale."

"Nine ninety-nine for a ten-pack. Want me to send you the link?"

Hearing this, Qin Xia froze, hastily lowering his head to check the necklace. Realizing the gesture only confirmed the accusation, he ground his teeth and shot a glare back.

"Don't glare at me—everyone's had their blind moments. You won't gain anything by sticking up for him. Turn back now before it's too late."

Song Nian snorted, then turned, pulled Li Yanchuan, wheelchair and all, into his arms, lifting his chin proudly.

Like a peacock flaunting its plumage.

"So your idea of turning back is choosing a loser?"

Qin Xia sneered, trying to salvage his shattered dignity with a counterattack.

"He was sent here as a castoff—what power does he really have? Even if I talk to you like this, you wouldn't dare fire me."

It wasn't arrogance, but sheer fact: as a renowned designer, the company's biggest X brand relied almost entirely on him. He was, without exaggeration, the pillar of the firm.

So, as a senior figure, he was sure that Li Yanchuan, new to the scene, wouldn't dare touch him.

But unexpectedly, the man in the wheelchair let out a mocking smile.

"Fire you? I could make you disappear from this world without a trace."

The cold words slipped out, carrying a calm, murderous intent—like a viper, its tongue flicking, its cold eyes locked on prey, fangs poised above the neck, ready to strike with deadly venom.

Startled, Qin Xia shivered.

"You—you wouldn't dare?"

He shouted back, but his voice lacked conviction.

"And why wouldn't I?"

Li Yanchuan shot him an icy glare.

The air reeked of gunpowder. A silent standoff bristled with tension.

Even the secretaries, now onlookers, held their breath.

Though they didn't care much for the arrogant designer, the thought of a full-blown clash with the new boss made it feel like the whole company might fall apart. Say something or stay silent—neither felt right. So they huddled nervously in the office, waiting to see what happened next.

The assistant, who had rushed over from admin and overheard everything, adjusted his glasses. Unlike the hesitant secretaries, he turned on his heel and headed straight for HR.

Winter was coming. It was time to fire someone.

A competent assistant knows how to read between the lines of the boss's words.

Eventually, Qin Xia backed down. He gritted his teeth, turned, and stormed off, convinced he was safe.

But the moment he got back to his office, a termination notice landed on his desk.

To be fair, HR worked fast.

He fumed, tried to reach Li Wenguang for help, but got no response. Seething, he packed his things and left in a huff—what you might call a rapid quit. Well, more accurately, a firing.

In his heart, Qin Xia was certain the company would collapse without him. Little did he know that under Li Yanchuan's leadership, the company would flourish, its market value multiplying several times over, outperforming his tenure.

But that's a story for later.

Back in the hallway, Song Nian only found out about Qin Xia's dismissal afterward. For now, he couldn't care less about that guy's fate—his attention was fixed on Li Yanchuan.

Hands behind his back, he turned to face the man, bending slightly to study him from side to side.

His head tilted side to side like a sunflower, scrutinizing every subtle shift in the man's expression.

"What's wrong?"

Li Yanchuan looked up.

"Husband."

Song Nian suddenly crouched down, cupping the man's face in both hands, speaking earnestly.

"Don't let what that idiot said get to you. He's a fool. You're the strongest, the best—don't believe his crap."

That nasty, venomous talk—what if they hit a raw nerve? Recently, Li Yanchuan's state had improved significantly. He hadn't turned dark like in the original plot. The last thing Song Nian wanted was for a few harsh words to send him spiraling back to day one.

—Little dog is really worried about you, human.

Hearing such worried words, Li Yanchuan froze for a moment, then his icy expression melted into a faint smile.

If you looked closely, the curve was wider than before.

Such small matters wouldn't shake him, but the care behind them touched him deeply.

Light streamed through the glass, refracting into a spectrum of colors. A tiny rainbow seemed to land on their hair and brows.

The sky was a flawless, brilliant blue—clearer and purer than a gem—stretching out like a vast canvas behind them.

Time seemed to freeze. A shutter clicked, capturing only the two of them, locked in a gaze.

The scene was so beautiful that even the secretaries, who had been spectating, couldn't resist pulling out their phones to snap a picture.

The assistant, returning from HR, witnessed that moment. He adjusted his glasses once more, their lenses gleaming with intelligence, then turned and walked toward the CEO's office.

A well-trained assistant knows never to disturb the boss when he's busy with something… nice.

I should find something to do—maybe clean up the office.

————

During a brief meeting between Li Yanchuan and the heads of various company departments, Song Nian was holed up by himself in the office lounge.

Little did he know that, while he was enjoying peace, the company's intranet and outside public opinion had already exploded.

"A: 'Did you hear? Boss Li's first move as the new boss was to fire that annoying designer surnamed Q; it was so badass and satisfying'"

"B: 'And he seems really capable, he's already in meetings to reform the company's system'"

"C: 'Leaving that aside, doesn't everyone think Boss Li is hot? He's much more pleasing to the eye than his younger brother...'"

"D: 'Is that Mr. Song beside him? Are they really in an arranged marriage? They seem to get along very well'"

Then, the candid photo was leaked, instantly stirring up even more discussion.

The scene was too beautiful; Boss Li, who always had a cold face in public, was so gentle when looking at Song Nian.

And the naturally gentle Song Nian was bathed in light, like a soft, fluffy angel.

Their eyes reflected only each other.

Who wouldn't say they're perfect together?

For a moment, the intranet turned into a huge CP-fest, with all employees discussing whether the outside rumors were false, since the two clearly seemed to have great affection.

This photo, originally posted on the intranet for gossip, somehow leaked out to public platforms, unexpectedly flipping public opinion.

Unlike the harmonious company intranet, the outside world was a bloody mess, full of malice.

As soon as the news broke that Li Yanchuan was stepping back in as head of the subsidiary today, pushed by unknown outside forces, it spread rapidly and sparked widespread discussion.

All the paid trolls were mocking the fall of this golden boy, turned into a worthless waste.

Occasionally, a few real users would chime in, saying it was clearly the fault of others in the Li family, with Li Yanchuan being the victim, but they were quickly drowned out by the wave of paid trolls.

There was no doubt who was behind this shady business. Naturally, it was Li Wenguang.

He deliberately picked this day to release the paid trolls, partly to smear Li Yanchuan's image with vicious attacks, and partly out of personal grudge.

But after that intranet photo leaked, online opinion immediately erupted.

Real user comments drowned out the paid trolls, and the trend quickly reversed, from slander and bashing to shipping and swooning over the couple.

"Qi Ze: 'Did you send those paid trolls? [Image.jpg]'"

Seeing his friend's message, Li Yanchuan frowned.

"Li Yanchuan: 'No. I figured you were better at this sort of thing.'"

"Qi Ze: 'I was about to step in, but who knew the tide would turn so fast just as I was ready? I thought you'd set it up yourself.'"

Indeed, despite the photo's effect, the turnaround was way too fast from a PR perspective; someone must be deliberately spinning public opinion in a positive direction.

Who would do this?

He had his assistant look into it, but whoever it was was too professional – no traces left.

Though this person's intentions were unclear, at least there was no malice; he probably wasn't an enemy.

So Li Yanchuan set it aside for now and told his assistant to keep an eye on things.

"Qi Ze: 'But I have to say, this photo is really good. Tsk tsk tsk, you even had that gooey-eyed moment? The way Song Nian looks at you is practically melting with adoration.'"

"Qi Ze: 'You really haven't considered it? How are you two doing now? Any chance?'"

His friend's teasing text pulled him back; he wanted to argue, but his fingers paused over the keyboard, and for once, he said nothing.

Instead, almost unconsciously, he zoomed in on the photo.

He had to admit, the photo really captured it well, perfectly capturing Song Nian's gentleness, calm, and softness.

Then, almost unconsciously again, his finger pressed "Save."

Maybe out of guilt, he glanced up again at the lounge door, confirming there was no sound from inside, and then closed the app.

At that moment, Song Nian was sleeping like a log in the room, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

By the time he rubbed his eyes and woke up, the online commotion had been fully squashed, quiet as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the photo saved on someone's phone proved that any of this had happened.

————

Although Li Yanchuan took on a new position, he still preferred mostly working online, seldom going to the company unless necessary. Life stayed just as peaceful as before.

But today, Song Nian's lie-in wasn't so peaceful.

Because his phone wouldn't stop ringing.

Woken up by the phone again, he frowned, reached out from under the covers, grabbed his phone, and upon seeing an unfamiliar number, he hung up immediately.

How many times is this? Why does it keep messing with his sleep?

He grumbled, turned over to go back to sleep, but the phone seemed to have a quota, refusing to give up until answered; within less than half a minute, it rang again.

Are spam calls this aggressive now?

Fully awake with anger, Song Nian sat up abruptly, fiercely pressed answer, and before the other person could speak, he beat them to it:

"I don't want insurance, no part-time jobs, no training classes. I make 1,800 a month and owe 38,000. I'm at the police station entrance. What do you want?"

After that rapid-fire barrage, the other person was clearly stunned and silent for a long time.

"Um, are you... Song Nian?"

The person on the other end hesitated before asking.

Huh? Are scammers this professional now, even knowing names?

"How do you know my name?"

he asked back.

Upon hearing this, the person on the other end took a deep breath, paused for two or three seconds, then immediately yelled out:

"How do I know your name?"

"I'm your agent, how could I not know?!"

"You're getting way too bold, changing your phone number without telling me, not answering my calls — are you trying to turn against me?!"

No, wait… agent?

Since when do I have an agent?

Song Nian, forced to hold his phone away from his ear due to the shouting, was stunned.