The townhouse where Qin Qing's parents lived was a small two-story building. The bedrooms were all on the second floor, and the first floor was the living room, tea room and other guest rooms.
Luan Qiaoqing sat on the sofa in the living room in a daze, alone. She still didn't understand what had happened.
A minute ago, Aunt Mei, who loved to laugh, went to the kitchen. She came back with a solemn expression and pulled Uncle Qin aside and whispered a few words to him. Then the solemnity was transmitted to Qin Yuzheng's face.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, then turned and walked towards the kitchen at the same time.
A few seconds later, Luan Qiaoqing clearly saw that "Qin Qing" was led to the second floor by Mei Jinghan, and Qin Lou followed Qin Yuzheng with a rare sense of discomfort and entered the small tea room next to the living room.
Luan Qiaoqing was left alone, sitting on the sofa in astonishment. For a long while, her mind, which had been overwhelmed by the news that Qin Qing's parents did exist, was filled with confusion about "who am I, where am I, and what am I doing here?"
At this time, upstairs, Song Shu was in the bedroom reserved for his family.
Mei Jinghan pulled Song Shu to sit on the bed. She hesitated for several times before finally speaking: "Nannan, isn't Mr. Qin the general manager of your company?"
Song Shu was at a loss for words, so he could only answer, "Yes."
"Mom can understand you, really. He is really good-looking, like a little star, and tall. And he is so young to be the general manager of such a big company, so his personal ability must be outstanding... But, mom still thinks that we can't follow some emotional concepts in foreign countries, what do you think?"
"Mom, actually Qisheng and I..."
"Mom knows that Qisheng is busy with work and doesn't have much time to spend with you. He is also very career-oriented. If you really have something wrong, just tell him about it." Mei Jinghan sighed, "Qisheng came to see us last week and didn't seem to have any opinions about you. Mom guessed that you two didn't break up, so this is why you are not suitable. You are still engaged, even if it really comes to the point of no return, you have to tell Qisheng before..."
Thinking of the scene of a man and a woman hugging each other intimately in the kitchen, Mei Jinghan stopped talking, but sighed even longer.
Song Shu looked embarrassed for the first time.
She wanted to explain to Mei Jinghan and her husband that she and Yu Qisheng were only in name only for convenience, but whether her parents would believe it was another matter.
And in order to relieve them from worry, Song Shu did not tell them the real purpose of entering VIO - it is not difficult to expose the engagement, but it is much more troublesome to fill the subsequent holes.
So after thinking it over again and again, Song Shu had no choice but to accept the engagement. She spoke with some difficulty: "Mom, actually Qi Sheng and I have... broken up."
"Ah?" Mei Jinghan looked up at Song Shu in surprise, "Then why haven't I heard Qi Sheng mention this matter at all?"
Song Shu said: "We, um, broke up peacefully, and because we were both busy with work, we thought we could tell you about this later, so..."
Mei Jinghan's expression changed several times, and she asked nervously, "Did you break up because of Qin Lou?"
"… "
Song Shu choked and smiled stiffly, "No, no, Mom. This matter has nothing to do with Qin Lou."
"Really?" Mei Jinghan obviously didn't believe it.
Song Shu nodded with difficulty.
"Does he know that you are still engaged?"
Song Shu hesitated, "I know."
"Then he still—"
"But actually," Song Shu hurriedly explained before Mei Jinghan could speak, "in fact, Qi Sheng and I got engaged very hastily. There was no real process. It was just a verbal agreement."
Mei Jinghan looked hesitant. After thinking for a few seconds, she stood up and said, "I need to hear Qi Sheng's opinion on this matter."
"Just ask him directly and he will tell you."
Mei Jinghan nodded, "You can't leave the room before I come back."
"OK."
Mei Jinghan went out with peace of mind to get the landline extension to call Yu Qisheng to confirm.
Song Shu, who was sitting alone in the room, breathed a sigh of relief.
She believed that Yu Qisheng could do a good job of coaxing Mei Jinghan, as coaxing elders was one of the things her friend had been very good at over the years.
Just downstairs...
Thinking of the stalemate or confrontation that Qin Lou and his father Qin Yuzheng might face at this moment, Song Shu immediately felt a headache.
What Song Shu didn't know was that Mei Jinghan didn't come back directly after going out to make the call, but instead secretly met with Qin Yuzheng, with whom she had an appointment to "meet" in advance, in the stairs leading to the first floor from the second floor.
Mei Jinghan first listed her "information", "Nannan said that she and Qisheng had broken up peacefully. I asked Qisheng and he said that was true. It doesn't sound very pleasant, but it shouldn't have caused any ugly scenes."
Mei Jinghan finished speaking and asked, "What about you, the young man named Qin Lou, how do you feel?"
Qin Yuzheng was silent for a few seconds and shook his head.
Mei Jinghan asked worriedly, "Unreliable?"
“It’s hard to say.”
“… I’m sorry, why are you shaking your head? You scared me.” Mei Jinghan glared at him.
Qin Yuzheng was dissatisfied, "Since it's hard to say, I can't nod my head either."
"Forget it, it's not important. Why is it so hard to explain? Is he very cunning?" Without waiting for Qin Yuzheng to answer, Mei Jinghan frowned worriedly, "He is so young and sits in the position of general manager. I'm afraid his mind is almost the same as that of an old man, right? Our daughter is smart, but she doesn't like to play tricks on others. Will she be fooled by this young man?"
Qin Yuzheng couldn't find a place to interrupt for a long time. After Mei Jinghan finished her worried muttering, he frowned and asked, "Do you want me to speak or do you want me to speak?"
Mei Jinghan glanced at him with disdain, "You say."
"In general, this young man has a resolute character, takes an unconventional approach, and is smarter than most people, but he is definitely not cunning. At least he doesn't try to hide it in front of me. He is very straightforward and never tries to be evasive when asked questions. If he can't tell me, he tells me directly that I can't tell him. And..."
"And what?"
Qin Yuzheng hesitated, "Besides, he said it, it's not that he can't tell us. As long as our daughter agrees, he can tell us all his life stories in front of us."
Mei Jinghan was stunned for a moment, "You listen to Nannan so much?"
Qin Yuzheng suddenly realized, "Yes, he is obedient, too obedient - it makes me feel a little strange - it stands to reason that Nannan has just returned to China, even if they knew each other on the first day, then they have only known each other for a few days? I think he likes Nannan very much, and it doesn't seem like he is pretending at all."
Mei Jinghan was stunned. "You mean, they have known each other for a long time?"
"I never say anything without evidence." Qin Yuzheng said righteously, and after hesitating for two seconds, he lowered his voice and added, "But this possibility does exist."
Mei Jinghan thought for a while, but to no avail.
"Forget it, there's no need to rush. Since there's no problem with Qisheng, I'm relieved. Let's wait and see."
"Yeah, okay."
Half an hour later.
Lunch was served and the five people sat down in the restaurant on the first floor to eat.
Luan Qiaoqing still didn't know what the four people were doing when they disappeared from her sight, but she could see one thing - this pair of "adult and adulterous couple" did not even hide their true colors in front of Qin's uncle and aunt!
The two elders were flirting with each other, so is it not possible to make eye contact
Luan Qiaoqing gritted her teeth in anger.
If she were in another place, she would have been unable to bear the anger, but the Qin family's parents were kind and considerate. They were very caring when chatting with her around noon. They didn't have the airs of an elder but were very warm. In front of these two people, no matter how unhappy she was, she had to suppress it.
So the food that entered her mouth was bitten by Luan Qiaoqing angrily, making a crunching sound.
During the meal, Mei Jinghan casually asked about work matters, "Mr. Qin, how is our daughter doing in the company? Is she causing you any trouble?"
"You're welcome, Auntie. Just call me Qin Lou." Qin Lou glanced at Song Shu with a smile in his eyes. "Qin Qing is currently working on a very important project in the company. The person in charge told me that she performed very well."
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing on the opposite side secretly curled her lips.
With King Rex of Chu's dog mouth that can't spit out ivory, it's impossible for him to praise anyone in his entire life except to disparage another person.
Thinking of this, Luan Qiaoqing immediately remembered Chu Xiangbin's words that night -
"In terms of work ability alone, she is too strong to be a relative. In this respect, you two are indeed different."
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing's expression suddenly became even more dull, and she bit the vegetables even harder.
Qin Yuzheng and Mei Jinghan looked at each other at the two main seats. Mei Jinghan deliberately wanted to test Qin Lou. Her eyes moved and she suddenly asked without any warning, "So, after we get married, how are you going to arrange things at work?"
"… "
The table was silent.
A few seconds later.
"Cough cough cough—" Luan Qiaoqing, who was the least involved, was the one who was choked the hardest. She coughed so hard that her face turned red and she was almost in tears.
Mei Jinghan could see that Luan Qiaoqing was frightened by her words, and felt a little uneasy for a moment, "Nannan, doesn't she know about your situation? I thought the three of you came here together, so you must be very close friends."
Song Shu was handing Luan Qiaoqing a tissue and a cup of water when Qin Lou glanced at her indifferently and replied without any hesitation, "Don't worry, Auntie. She's my sister and knows our relationship. She's just stupid and tends to overreact to everything. It has nothing to do with you."
Luan Qiaoqing, who was coughing so hard that she couldn’t refute, said: “…”
Mmp.
He forgot about his old love when he found a new one, and even dissed his old love's sister in front of his new one - Qin Lou is still the beastly and inhumane Qin Lou! He hasn't changed at all since he was a child!
Luan Qiaoqing was coughing so hard that she was almost unconscious and cursing in her heart. A glass of water was handed to her at the right time. Luan Qiaoqing took it reflexively and drank two sips to suppress her cough. "Thank you, sister—"
The voice stopped abruptly.
The one who thanked and the one who was thanked, both stood there in a daze.
But Song Shu came back to her senses faster, and she curled the corners of her lips in a gentle smile.
"You're welcome."
"… "
Luan Qiaoqing seemed to be stunned, and even forgot to cough. After a few seconds, she slowly came to her senses, without looking at anyone, and put down the water cup with stiff hands.
Noticing that the atmosphere was inexplicably a bit weird, Mei Jinghan was silent for a moment, then smiled and greeted, "Let's eat, don't let the food get cold."
Qin Lou took the initiative to pick up the topic again, "Aunt, you just asked about our plans for work after marriage?"
"..." Song Shu couldn't help but glance at Qin Lou.
Mei Jinghan was curious, "Have you thought about it?"
"I think about it every day." Qin Lou looked at Song Shu, "I just want to see when she is willing to marry me."
Song Shu: “.”
Song Shu was a little worried about the reaction of Luan Qiaoqing, who had obviously been deceived by the existence of Qin Qing's parents. However, what surprised her was that Luan Qiaoqing, who was sitting diagonally opposite her, looked a little numb, as if she didn't hear Qin Lou's words at all.
Mei Jinghan didn't pay attention to the reaction here, and only asked: "What do you think?"
Qin Lou said: "Qin Qing is still a little distant in the Legal and Compliance Department. I want to promote her to the position of Special Assistant to the General Manager after this project. This way we can be close to each other - as for future work, she can do whatever she wants."
"…Are you kidding me?"
Qin Lou signaled to Luan Qiaoqing who had already started playing dead, "After we go back, the Human Resources Department can draft the appointment letter, and I can sign and agree to it and it will be executed."
"… "
Mei Jinghan was stunned. After several seconds, she looked at Qin Yuzheng and smiled hesitantly, "This sounds like it's against the rules. Let's not talk about other employees in the company, there will be some bad rumors in the board of directors, right?"
Song Shu showed some hesitation.
Qin Lou also turned around and looked at her at this moment, "Can I say it?" the man asked in a low voice.
Mei Jinghan and Qin Yuzheng paused, and turned to look at Song Shu at the same time. Song Shu was helpless, and after thinking for two seconds, she simply spoke up, "Mom, Qin Lou is not only the general manager of Vio, but also the controlling shareholder of the company and the chairman of the board of directors. So he has absolute say in personnel appointments."
“…?” Mei Jinghan’s expression froze for a moment.
Qin Yuzheng reacted faster. He glanced at Qin Lou with a deeper scrutiny, "You're taking over the family business at such a young age."
Worried that his parents would think Qin Lou was a second-generation rich man who had gained something for nothing, Song Shu paused and explained in the softest voice, "Vio Capital was transformed and reformed under his leadership six or seven years ago. Over the years, it is not an exaggeration to say that he single-handedly helped it get on the right track."
"… "
The couple's eyes suddenly turned towards Qin Lou with more scrutiny.
At their age, they have lived a more transparent life and the most obvious truth is that there is no free lunch in the world, let alone golden pie in the sky.
Nor will you get a rich husband.
So they obviously began to doubt whether this wealthy son-in-law who looked so glittering had some ulterior motives towards Song Shu.
Song Shu knew his parents well and could tell what they were thinking at a glance, but when it came to the past, he had no way to explain for Qin Lou.
Both sides can only appear happy on the surface and cover up this problem temporarily.
The lunch finally ended in agony for all parties.
Qin Lou was probably the only person at the table who had no psychological pressure at all. He was calm and composed from beginning to end. After he no longer had to worry about Qin Qing's parents not knowing, he was even more open about his feelings for Song Shu, which could be seen in his eyes and actions.
Qin Yuzheng and Mei Jinghan were a couple who were observing in secret, and the more they watched, the more complicated their feelings became.
Mei Jinghan hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Qin Lou, can you help me clean up the dishes and bring them into the kitchen?"
Song Shu wanted to speak, but Mei Jinghan glanced at him lightly, so he had to sit back.
Qin Lou seemed unaware of the temptation and test involved, and nodded without any hesitation.
"good."
Watching Qin Lou being "hostage" into the kitchen by Qin Yuzheng and Mei Jinghan one after another, Song Shu withdrew his gaze with a headache.
Before she could think about anything, she met Luan Qiaoqing's strange eyes.
Song Shu was slightly startled, then smiled faintly, "Minister Luan, are you used to having dinner at my house today?"
The bad words that Luan Qiaoqing was about to say suddenly lost most of their momentum. She turned her head and hummed in a muffled voice, "Not bad, not bad."
"That's good."
Luan Qiaoqing struggled with her eyes for a while, then turned around and said, "I admit that you and my sister are indeed a bit alike. Sometimes even I am confused by you."
"Really?" Song Shu smiled faintly and did not respond.
Luan Qiaoqing frowned and looked at her, "But my sister certainly wouldn't be like you now... Never mind. Since Qin Lou has been so determined to promote you to the assistant secretary group on the 22nd floor in front of your parents, I don't intend to stop you."
Song Shu was indeed surprised by this, but he did not say anything. He just waited quietly for Luan Qiaoqing's next words.
Sure enough, Luan Qiaoqing was silent for a while and then said, "But marriage is absolutely impossible. Don't even think about it. I—"
"Minister Luan, don't worry too much." Song Shu said calmly, interrupting Luan Qiaoqing's words, "At least for the next few years, I have no plans to marry anyone."
Luan Qiaoqing was stunned, "Really?"
"Um."
"What about Qin Lou—"
Song Shu smiled, "Minister Luan doesn't really think that President Qin will really ask for the opinion of a fake like me before saying anything, right?"
—I may do other things, but I definitely won’t show off my ownership of territory to others.
Song Shu added woodenly.
After Song Shu's words, Luan Qiaoqing was silent for a long time. She raised her head and scanned the rooms on the first floor.
"You have a very good and warm home, and your uncle and aunt are very nice people... You shouldn't have entered Vio and you shouldn't have been around Qin Lou."
Song Shu's eyes flickered slightly and he smiled, "Why did Minister Luan say that?"
"I kind of believe that you approached him because of Qin Lou. I think your family situation doesn't require you to take risks for money. But if it's for love, then Qin Lou can't give you anything..." Luan Qiaoqing and Song Shu looked at each other with sad and resolute eyes, "He is in the abyss that he can't climb out of, what do you want him to give you?"
Song Shu's figure paused slightly.
After a few seconds, she lowered her eyes and smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" Luan Qiaoqing frowned.
"Nothing, I just think Minister Luan is still very naive in thinking about things."
Luan Qiaoqing's expression suddenly changed. She never thought that she would be attacked by the other party even though she gave up the provocation: "You—"
"With a family like mine, I wouldn't take risks for money?" Song Shu interrupted her mercilessly, his eyes cold and clear, "Then you are so wrong, Minister Luan. The more people experience the privileges that money can bring, the more they can't give up money. Their desires are much more difficult to satisfy than ordinary people - so when they face huge temptations, they dare to do things that trample on the law and even despise human life!"
Luan Qiaoqing's anger froze on her face and her figure stopped.
She had rarely seen this woman's emotions so volatile, and this was the second time.
The last time was...
Without waiting for Luan Qiaoqing to finish thinking, Song Shu let out a breath, calmed down, and sat back in her high-back chair.
But his eyes remained cold and calm. "Sorry, I got a little excited. I just remembered some bad things. But if Minister Luan sits in a high-level position like Vio and still has such naive ideas about human nature, it's only a matter of time before he suffers a big loss."
Luan Qiaoqing felt a little embarrassed after being scolded. She wanted to get angry but couldn't because what the other party said seemed to be right.
After a long awkward moment, she could only snort coldly, "So you admit that you joined VIO for profit?"
"No, I did it for Qin Lou."
“…” Luan Qiaoqing looked back at her angrily.
Song Shu curled the corners of his lips and smiled brightly, "I like him, but I also have a sense of propriety. I will maintain the distance that should be maintained, and I will never cross the boundaries that should not be crossed. With someone like me by President Qin's side, those thoughts of having affairs will be completely cut off. Shouldn't Minister Luan be happier?"
Luan Qiaoqing choked.
Song Shu didn't want to argue with Luan Qiaoqing about this issue anymore, so she stood up.
"If Minister Luan has nothing else to say, then I will..."
"Do you know what your sister calls me?" Luan Qiaoqing, with her head down, suddenly asked a question without any warning.
Song Shu froze for a moment, then he pulled up the hair that fell by his ears and chuckled, "Qiaoqiao?"
"!"
Luan Qiaoqing raised her head suddenly, but heard the voice beside her quickly connect with her, "Boss Qin mentioned it to me."
Luan Qiaoqing froze there.
After a few seconds, she came back to her senses. The feeling of completely shattered hope in her heart made her expressionless and numb. "He even told you this?"
"I just didn't mean to mention it."
"... Don't think that you have entered his heart just like this."
Song Shu smiled and said, "I didn't think so."
"You probably haven't seen his left arm." Luan Qiaoqing suddenly said, "No matter how hot the summer is, he never shows his left arm to other people - do you know why?"
"… "
Song Shu's thoughts were blocked for a moment.
As soon as Luan Qiaoqing finished speaking, she recalled the first day she entered VIO, when she felt the blood on Qin Lou's hand in the darkness on the 23rd floor.
At that time, she thought it was a bump caused by being drunk or an accidental injury caused by being angry. Could it be... isn't it
Seeing the unprecedented panic in Song Shu's expression, Luan Qiaoqing mistakenly thought that it was the panic of being poked in a sore spot, and she finally smiled.
"Originally it was a bite mark left by a little girl - why don't you go and see what the words are that are carved over and over again in a bloody mess?"
"!"
Song Shu's expression changed instantly.
At that moment she didn't think twice and ran into the kitchen.
She suddenly pulled open the kitchen door. Qin Lou, who was standing in front of the sink washing dishes awkwardly, was startled for a moment and looked up.
Song Shu's eyes fell directly on Qin Lou's left hand—
Even at this moment, the last button on his sleeve was still tightly fastened, refusing to expose any skin on his wrist.
"Nannan?" Mei Jinghan was also stunned, "Why did you come in too?"
"… "
Song Shu's eyes were filled with tears. She bit her lips and didn't say anything, fearing that she would choke up as soon as she opened her mouth.
She walked a few steps to Qin Lou.
Qin Lou noticed that something was wrong with her, and his voice suddenly dropped, "What are you—"
Before he finished speaking, Song Shu pulled his left hand, ripped off the cufflinks, and pulled up his cuffs with force.
The author has something to say: I thought I could update at 8 o'clock today, but it turns out that every Sunday after finishing math and English tutoring, I may need to slow down my brain.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2019-12-15 00:35:18~2019-12-16 10:12:31~
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