Chapter 9#
“You will definitely like it.”#
Jian Yunchen did not dodge or hide. He let out a low laugh, his eyes curving like crescent moons filled with starlight—a sight as enchanting as a field of chaotic blossoms. He pulled Qin Mu’s hand away, his gentle voice carrying a captivating allure: “It’s not because of me; it’s because of you.”
“I can help you get what you want.”
“Make him fall in love with you, become obsessed with you, until his eyes and heart hold no one but you.”
Jian Yunchen looked at him sidelong, feeling certain of Qin Mu’s agreement. Before coming here, he had specifically investigated Qin Mu. The noble-born eldest son of the Qin family was a profligate heir who had been obsessed with Jiang Yunhan for years. The public’s perception of Qin Mu differed slightly from the few brief encounters Jian Yunchen had with him, but everyone was unanimous regarding his obsession with Jiang Yunhan.
To drag “the flower on the high peak” down from its pedestal was an irresistible temptation for Qin Mu. Jian Yunchen believed he would agree.
After his hand was pulled away, Qin Mu was in no hurry to retract it. He lowered his eyes, his fingertips brushing against the other’s chin—the skin was soft and delicate. He repeated his previous question: “What makes you think you can pull that off?”
Jian Yunchen curled his lips, ignoring the movement of Qin Mu’s hand. “You should already know my true identity. All I need is to return to the Jiang family.”
He suddenly grabbed Qin Mu’s collar, their breaths intermingling. The ambition in his eyes was no longer concealed, his tone dripping with determination: “As long as you help me return to the Jiang family, I will help you. Jiang Yunhan will definitely be yours.”
Qin Mu wordlessly stroked his chin until the skin there grew slightly warm and flushed a faint red. He raised his eyes to meet the other’s gaze.
In this moment, the layer of feigned fragility and harmlessness in Jian Yunchen’s eyes had completely vanished. His aggression was laid bare, unexpectedly brilliant and dazzling.
“Him—I want.”
Qin Mu tilted the other’s chin up slightly. “But you—I want as well.”
Jian Yunchen grabbed his wrist and let out a cold, mocking laugh, teasing softly, “Young Master Qin is quite greedy. I wonder if you have the appetite to swallow it all?”
“That is not for you to worry about. Just say it—will you give yourself to me or not?”
From Jian Yunchen’s perspective, the expression on Qin Mu’s face was a half-smile—seemingly gentle and affectionate, yet extremely manipulative.
Jian Yunchen flung the other’s wrist away, stood up, and retreated a few steps, leaving only a faint scent lingering around Qin Mu.
Standing not far from the sofa, Jian Yunchen wore only a thin white shirt. He raised his hand and began unbuttoning it from the top with efficient movements. His slender, pale fingers moved nimbly under the light, gradually revealing the even paler, cold-toned skin beneath.
Outside the window, the winter wind howled. Qin Mu laughed softly, though there was no mirth in his eyes as he watched the display in silence.
Within a few breaths, the buttons were all undone, and the shirt fluttered to the floor.
Jian Yunchen appeared thin, yet his body was covered in a layer of smooth, lean muscle. But before any romantic or lingering tension could rise, the atmosphere was shattered by the sight of scars of varying severity exposed under the light.
Qin Mu’s gaze froze, and the smile on his lips vanished completely.
Jian Yunchen was very pale; because of that whiteness, the scars spread across his body appeared all the more hideous and jarring. Dark red, linear welts crisscrossed one another—they looked years old, like a piece of exquisite white jade riddled with countless cracks.
“Does Young Master Qin still have the interest after seeing this?”
Jian Yunchen lowered his eyelashes. On the surface, he looked as if he didn’t care at all, but his body was trembling slightly. Only his voice remained steady through sheer effort.
Qin Mu turned his head away, yet the image in his mind refused to fade. His Adam’s apple bobbed. The emotion surfacing in his eyes wasn’t disgust, but something he couldn’t quite define… a sense of shock.
“Put your clothes on.”
Jian Yunchen let out a low laugh and bent down to pick up his shirt.
He put it back on while it still held his body heat, unhurriedly fastening the buttons as he increased the stakes:
“Young Master Qin, I guarantee that no third party will ever know about the deal between us. This is purely beneficial for you.”
“Once I successfully return to the Jiang family, I will act as your eyes and ears. I will use any means necessary to deliver Jiang Yunhan to you. Right now, he already has a new person he’s interested in. If you don’t act now, it will be too late.”
“This deal is definitely not a loss for you.”
Qin Mu narrowed his eyes and watched him silently. After a long while, the corners of his lips quirked up. “Alright.”
“I’ll help you return to the Jiang family.”
Having received a satisfactory answer, Jian Yunchen let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. He stepped forward two paces and slowly tucked a prepared slip of paper into the breast pocket of Qin Mu’s shirt.
His fingertip pressed against the location of the left chest through the thin fabric.
Qin Mu raised his eyes.
“This is my phone number,” Jian Yunchen smiled, the expression faint. “I’ll contact you next time.”
He turned and left. The door closed gently, and his silhouette disappeared completely from Qin Mu’s sight.
Qin Mu took the card out of his shirt and looked at it several times. Even the phone number had been prepared in advance…
He gave a soft, mocking laugh.
As soon as the person left, System 77 hurriedly asked: 【Host, your mission is to suppress him! You should be stopping him from returning to the Jiang family!】
77 didn’t believe for a second that this was for Jiang Yunhan’s sake. The original host was the one with the unrequited love, not this man. This Great Villain’s blood was cold; how could he truly fall for someone?
Qin Mu retracted his gaze and leaned his head back against the chair, placing the slip of paper over his face to block out the stinging light. He hummed a confused “Hmm?”
After a moment, he said lazily, “Don’t you think he resembles someone?”
77 was confused.
77 didn’t understand.
【Who?】
Qin Mu didn’t answer. His gaze fell upon the lamp, his focus slowly blurring.
Me.
The next day, Qin Mu had a reasonably good sleep.
As he was leaving, Qin Qiaosen happened to come out of his room. Their rooms were adjacent, and the younger man stood at the door staring straight at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu closed his door, blocking the other’s prying eyes from looking inside.
“Brother!”
Over the past few days, Qin Qiaosen felt that his relationship with his brother had improved. He caught up to Qin Mu’s pace, winking and nudging him.
The teasing in his eyes was impossible to hide: “Brother, that insanely pretty college student you’re keeping—how come he didn’t come out with you?”
Qin Mu’s footsteps paused slightly, and he glanced at him.
“You’re the one who let him in?”
Qin Qiaosen nodded proudly and patted Qin Mu’s shoulder. “That little lover of yours is quite savvy.”
Qin Mu let out a dry laugh but didn’t refute it.
“Did you ever stop to think what would happen if you were being scammed?”
“Eh… how could that be?”
Qin Qiaosen recalled the person’s appearance, smacking his lips. “That little lover of yours was wearing a mask and only showed his eyes, but I knew just by looking that what he said must be true.”
“Those eyes… they look so much like Yunhan’s.”
He shot Qin Mu a knowing look: “You will definitely like it.”
Qin Mu smiled but didn’t respond. The elevator arrived, and the two walked in side by side.
Not getting a response made Qin Qiaosen feel a bit unsure. He studied Qin Mu’s expression. “He… isn’t your little lover? Then why did he go to your room? It couldn’t be…”
“He didn’t have ulterior motives toward you, did he?”
Qin Qiaosen nervously grabbed Qin Mu’s shoulder, his voice dropping lower: “Brother, what did you do to him? Did you beat him into the hospital or send him to the police station?”
In those few seconds, several tragic endings for the visitor flashed through Qin Qiaosen’s mind. If it were the old “Qin Mu,” he might have just gone with the flow, but the current Qin Mu’s temper was nothing like before.
Qin Mu tilted his chin up, the other man’s image taking shape in his mind.
The polished mirror surface of the elevator clearly reflected his figure. Qin Mu’s voice was very soft, carrying a lingering, rhythmic quality.
“Neither. You were right.”
Ding. The elevator arrived, and Qin Mu stepped out first.
Qin Qiaosen remained in place, silently pondering the parting words.
Right…
Which part was right?
Was it beating him into the hospital, or…
“You will definitely like it”?