Chapter 7#
Denying everything before the pants are even off?#
The air suddenly froze.
Jian Yunchen seemed to realize he was in the wrong; his resistance weakened significantly.
After a long time, his rapid heartbeat finally settled. His voice was laced with a hint of hoarseness when he spoke: “I didn’t ask you to save me.”
The subtext was: you were just meddling in things that didn’t concern you.
Qin Mu let out a huff of laughter, not at all surprised by the other’s attempt to draw a line: “Denying everything before the pants are even off?”
Jian Yunchen: “…”
They were both adults; Jian Yunchen couldn’t fail to understand the implication in those words. He uncomfortably turned his head away and shifted his legs. Qin Mu simply stood up and sat down casually on a nearby single-seater sofa, as if the person who had just been pinning someone down wasn’t him.
Click.
A flame flickered from the metal lighter.
Qin Mu had a cigarette between his lips. He tilted his head to light it. The warm yellow glow flickered across his handsome profile, his jawline sharp and relaxed. His eyes were downcast, lashes casting faint shadows. His slender fingers held the cigarette to his crimson lips; his thin lips parted and then pressed together.
In the unventilated room, the air grew hot and dry. Qin Mu snapped the lighter shut and exhaled a cloud of smoke. He casually took off his suit jacket and tossed it aside. His shirt, which had only two buttons undone, opened further during the movement, revealing the faint outline of his chest muscles.
Jian Yunchen sat silently on the edge of the bed, rubbing his wrists, quietly observing him from the corner of his eye.
Truly…
The gaze felt substantial. Qin Mu held the cigarette between his fingertips, a layer of ethereal white mist blurring his expression.
“What are you looking at? Looking costs money.”
Shameless…
Jian Yunchen didn’t argue and turned his head away.
But his gaze didn’t withdraw for a long time, tracing the thin figure on the bed.
Jian Yunchen felt a shiver down his spine from the stare. He looked up and glared: “Didn’t you say I’m not allowed to look?”
Qin Mu exhaled another puff of smoke, his voice lazy: “Yeah, but I didn’t say I wasn’t allowed to look.”
Jian Yunchen’s temple throbbed, his jaw tightening. His dark, moist eyes stared directly at him, carrying a hint of unconscious aggression.
“What are you doing here?” Qin Mu was the first to break the silence.
Jian Yunchen was startled, his eyes flickering.
“The ‘him’ you mentioned just now… who is it?”
Seeing him with a tense face, Qin Mu couldn’t help but feel like teasing him. He propped up his chin, looking at him lazily. His thin lips moved, his tone carrying a smile: “It wouldn’t be… Jiang Sheng, would it?”
This point was never mentioned in the original novel. In the original text, the story was narrated from Jiang Yunhan’s perspective. The villainous younger brother came and went mysteriously. It was never explained when Jian Yunchen learned about his heritage or what he had done privately with his father.
Sure enough, at the mention of Jiang Sheng’s name, Jian Yunchen stiffened for a moment and turned his head, though he didn’t refute it.
Tsk tsk… unloved by father and mother, no wonder he’s the villain.
Thin smoke drifted between them, making the distance feel ambiguously intimate. Qin Mu narrowed his eyes, a half-smile on his lips.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
The waiter’s voice outside was respectful yet clear: “Young Master Qin, President Qin is looking for you everywhere.”
Qin Mu let out a dissatisfied “tch,” while Jian Yunchen quietly breathed a sigh of relief at this sudden interruption.
Qin Mu stood up, grabbed his wrist, and couldn’t help but rub it twice with his thumb. He leaned in close, narrowing the distance: “What, planning to run again?”
He hadn’t forgotten the last time. With him, there was no such thing as coming and going as one pleased.
Jian Yunchen gave a weak smile, raising his moist, bright eyes to plead softly: “Young Master Qin, you’re gripping my wrist so hard it hurts.”
Qin Mu paused, loosened his grip slightly, and snorted. “Wait for me to come back. I still have questions for you.”
Jian Yunchen nodded obediently.
Before leaving, Qin Mu handed over the half-finished cigarette. Jian Yunchen lowered his eyes and submissively lowered his head to take it in his mouth. His dry lips brushed against Qin Mu’s fingertips. Qin Mu pinched his own fingertips. “Say thank you.”
Jian Yunchen: “…”
The crimson spark flickered in the dim light. Jian Yunchen flicked the cigarette, ash falling like snow. He whispered softly: “Thank you.”
With a click, the door closed again. Qin Mu looked at the waiter and instructed in a low voice: “Stay here. Watch him well until I return.”
The waiter nodded in agreement.
The light from the crystal chandelier spilled onto the cold marble floor, reflecting several faces with different expressions. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Qin Mu’s footsteps paused as he discreetly sized up the scene.
Qin Yanchen sat on the sofa with a foul expression, surrounded by an aura of displeasure. Two young men stood before him. Seeing Qin Mu’s late arrival, Qin Yanchen’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Qin Mu ignored his sour face, picked a spot neither too close nor too far to sit down, and glanced at the two people in front of him.
The two men hunched their shoulders, not daring to make a sound, only casting secret looks for help toward him.
Aren’t these… the original owner’s group of fair-weather friends?
Qin Mu looked around but didn’t see the two protagonists. He thought for a moment and had a few guesses about the current stagnant atmosphere.
He smiled and turned to Jiang Sheng, who was sitting firmly on the other side. He spoke casually: “Where’s Yunhan? Why don’t I see him?”
Jiang Sheng’s face was cold and solemn, his features handsome. His gold-rimmed glasses reflected a cold light, making him seem particularly distant. He nodded slightly, his tone indifferent: “He went to accompany Qin Zheng…”
At this point, his brow furrowed slightly, and he stopped speaking.
A dark-faced Qin Yanchen snorted heavily and interrupted: “You have the nerve to ask after the mess you’ve made?”
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow and unhurriedly crossed his legs. He looked over lazily, neither refuting nor admitting anything. His purely spectator-like expression made him look truly ignorant of the situation.
Standing there was Qin Qiaosen, the original owner’s nominal cousin. He had been close to him since childhood and obeyed the original owner’s every word. Hearing Qin Yanchen’s questioning, he curled his lip with disdain in his eyes. “Uncle, it has nothing to do with Brother. It’s me who can’t stand the sight of him.”
An illegitimate child who couldn’t see the light of day had actually entered the Qin Corporation openly, with a position even higher than his. Everyone knew Qin Mu liked Jiang Yunhan and had been chasing him for years, only to be beaten to the punch by this bastard who came out of nowhere. Qin Qiaosen had long been disgusted by the other’s hypocritical act.
Qin Yanchen slammed his palm onto the coffee table, making the teacups rattle. “You still have the face to say that? If he hadn’t instigated it, would you have the guts to touch Qin Zheng?”
Qin Qiaosen’s face turned pale as he squeezed out: “I didn’t…”
Qin Mu, who was originally acting as if it had nothing to do with him, had his eyes light up. He looked over with interest, his favorability toward this blockhead rising instantly.
He laughed, adding fuel to the fire of Qin Yanchen’s burning rage. “I told Qiaosen to do it. Do I need a reason to find him an eyesore?”
Qin Mu nodded thoughtfully, the smile on his lips deepening. “If I must give a reason, I could say it. I’m just afraid that if you hear it, you won’t be able to save face, President Qin.”
The last two words were articulated slowly and softly, sounding distinctly malicious.
People in high society valued face above all else. Qin Yanchen looked at him with a heavy gaze, and Qin Mu met it without backing down.
A few seconds later, a phone rang abruptly, breaking the silent confrontation. Qin Yanchen answered the phone, his expression softening slightly after a few words. He stood up and warned the others with his eyes.
“Qiaosen lacks etiquette. He should stay home for a while and learn. We’ll let today’s matter slide. Qin Mu, as the older brother…”
He articulated clearly: “You should be more magnanimous.”