Chapter 16#
I’m Really Expensive#
“Beg me,” Qin Mu’s voice was languid: “I’m really expensive.”
Jian Yunchen unhurriedly cut off a small piece of steak, chewed it a couple of times, and only spoke after swallowing: “I thought I had already paid the fee.”
The USB drive given to Qin Mu contained all the illegal evidence from Ma Huidong’s operation of the club.
Jian Yunchen didn’t pay much attention to the follow-up, but as far as he knew, not only did the Lin family break off the engagement, but it seemed even “Fantasy” had closed for renovation. He didn’t believe that Qin Mu wasn’t involved in this.
Jian Yunchen glanced up; the person opposite, whose very sitting posture exuded laziness, was absolutely not as simple as the rumors of being uneducated and debauched suggested.
Qin Mu’s lips held a playful smile, propping his chin, he looked at him: “What do you need me to do?”
“Qin Zheng seems to be investigating me.” Jian Yunchen’s voice was flat. “Don’t let him bother me.”
“Alright,” Qin Mu readily agreed.
Confronting the protagonist of this world head-on.
Qin Mu found the thought stimulating.
77【……】
After dinner, Qin Mu drove Jian Yunchen back to school. Jian Yunchen got out and stood by the car, his face full of unsaid words.
Qin Mu leaned forward: “What’s wrong? Can’t bear to part with me?”
Jian Yunchen: “……”
He casually threw the golden card in his hand back, swallowing back the few strands of guilt that had just arisen in his heart.
“About what I promised you last time, give me a little more time.”
The card, embroidered with gold edges and subtle patterns, was casually tossed onto the seat cushion, as if no one cared about the value it represented.
After all, it was just a string of cold zeros.
Qin Mu thought for a while before remembering what Jian Yunchen was talking about, what exactly that matter was.
He suppressed a laugh and said: “Hmm, then you’d better hurry up,”
“I’m waiting to seize the opportunity.”
Jian Yunchen: “……”
The car door was shut with a bang; Jian Yunchen’s retreating figure exuded a hint of exasperation.
Not until that figure disappeared into the school gate did Qin Mu slowly retract his gaze. He reached out and picked up the card; the hard card spun between his fingertips, casting black afterimages in the light, his movements fluid and beautiful.
Suddenly, a phone ringtone broke the silence.
Qin Mu rested his elbow on the car window and answered.
On the other end of the phone was Qin Yanchen; the moment it was connected, the suppressed rage seemed to pierce through the screen:
【Go home immediately.】
Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then readily agreed: “Alright.”
Qin Yanchen, who had expected to have to argue, fell silent instead. A moment later, he hung up the phone.
Qin Mu’s car slowly started, drove forward, and merged into traffic.
Jiang Yunhan stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly as Qin Mu’s car drove away, until it was out of sight.
The Qin family was a large clan. Old Master Qin did not allow the family to split, so apart from the younger generation, they all lived together in the old mansion.
However, since Old Master Qin was hospitalized, his control over these matters had greatly diminished, and Qin Yanchen had not returned for many days.
Although Qin Mu was entering the Qin residence for the first time, relying on the original host’s memories, it wasn’t unfamiliar, and he walked directly to the living room.
In the living room, Qin Yanchen was already sitting on the sofa, waiting.
Having been in a high position for a long time, his demeanor was constantly shrouded in an undeniable dominance. When his gaze swept over, the first thing that arose,
was disgust.
Qin Mu seemed not to notice and went straight to sit on a single sofa on one side. He casually picked up an orange from the table, leaned back against the chair, crossed his legs, completely undisturbed by Qin Yanchen, and ate happily.
“Mr. Qin, why did you suddenly think of me?”
The original host and Qin Yanchen were at odds. Qin Mu had no interest in helping him repair this broken father-son relationship. As long as he didn’t bother him, his feeling for Qin Yanchen was, at most, dislike.
Hearing this address, the sternness on Qin Yanchen’s face intensified. Seeing his disrespectful manner, the anger in his heart burned even fiercer. He heavily slapped the documents next to him onto the table; the resulting shock swept the orange peels off the table.
“Is the Jiang family also someone you can investigate? Do you know that they’ve already warned me?”
“Normally, no matter how much you fool around, I’ve never said anything to you. But, is the Jiang family someone you can investigate?”
Qin Yanchen’s voice gradually rose, “If it weren’t for Mr. Jiang giving me face, you wouldn’t even know how you died!”
He tossed the documents, which were all sorts of information about Jian Yunchen, much more detailed than what Qin Qiaosen had found.
Qin Yanchen seemed to be seething with anger; he reached out and loosened his tie, leaned back, and said coldly: “Come on, anything you want to know, just ask me directly, so you don’t run around like a headless fly, poking around everywhere.”
Qin Mu swallowed the orange in his mouth, his eyes narrowed slightly at the sourness blooming in his mouth.
He picked up the document closest to him, which was about Jian Yunchen’s high school period, and coincidentally, it mentioned “bullying.”
Except it wasn’t him bullying others, but him and a teacher exposing someone bullying him, which ultimately came to nothing due to insufficient evidence.
Qin Mu’s gaze fell on the final “came to nothing”; he frowned slightly, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the paper surface.
“Ask, aren’t you very curious?”
Qin Mu didn’t stand on ceremony and indeed asked: “What exactly is the relationship between Jian Yunchen and the Jiang family?”
Qin Yanchen saw that he actually dared to ask, his chest heaved violently for a moment in anger, “There’s no relationship whatsoever!”
“All of Jian Yunchen’s information from childhood to adulthood is here. Even where he was born and his mother’s ancestral home are listed. He has no relationship with the Jiang family whatsoever. It’s just a coincidence of similar appearance. I didn’t know your curiosity was so strong.”
“Oh…?” Qin Mu gave a playful laugh, drawing out a long “oh” with no sincerity, clearly indicating disbelief.
Qin Yanchen abruptly stood up, pacing back and forth in front of the table for several steps. He tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest and could only stare dryly at Qin Mu. Even though Old Master Qin was hospitalized, he would occasionally remind him, implying that Qin Mu’s status was more noble than Qin Zheng’s.
Noble?
The Qin family members all had a natural sense of awe towards Qin Mengsong. Whenever Qin Yanchen recalled Qin Mengsong’s gaunt face and unyielding, undeniable gaze, all the words he wanted to say could only be swallowed back.
The marriage between him and Qin Mu’s birth mother, Tang Yanxi, was a forced union orchestrated by Qin Mengsong.
The two had no emotional foundation together, and their marriage was completely unhappy.
Even though he was now the nominal chairman of the Qin Group, the real power had still not fully fallen into his hands.
He tried to calm his breathing and strived to maintain decorum, but a closer look at his eyes revealed they were still a bit red: “What will it take for you to stop meddling in the Jiang family’s affairs? No matter who this Jian Yunchen is, in the end, it’s their family’s business. When did you become so benevolent?”
Qin Mu’s sitting posture remained unchanged, his tone languid: “No choice, really. Who told me I’m too idle every day? If I have nothing to do, I’ll find something to do myself.”
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent for a moment.
After a long time, Qin Yanchen sighed lightly, as if compromising: “You’ll return to the company tomorrow, then. That should keep you more settled, right?”
Qin Mu curved his lips into a smile, all his outward sharpness instantly receded, his tone became light, even docile: “Of course, no problem.”