Song Shu came back to his senses, "But the old house should have been uninhabited for many years?"
Qin Lou said: "Qin Liang returned to China not long ago and settled there. There has been someone taking care of the house in the past few years. After he returned, he called back all the old people who used to work at home. I went to see it a few days ago, and the environment and air there are still better."
"Then over here..." Song Shu turned around and looked at the 23rd floor.
"I'll have people come up here regularly to clean it. It's just a place for occasional rest and rest."
Song Shu looked back, "I thought you were used to living here?"
"The old house is more comfortable."
"Then why did you move here?"
"…" Qin Lou suddenly fell silent. After a moment, he raised his eyes and smiled, "Because I don't dare to go back."
Song Shu was stunned.
She raised her head and looked into Qin Lou's deep and beautiful eyes. When she heard the word "I dare not", Song Shu seemed to see in those eyes the little madman who would hold her shoulders tightly and whisper in her ear "Only you can hear my cry for help" when she was young.
The figure of that child has been hidden in Qin Lou's heart for so many years, but the adult shell conceals it well, but the little madman from his youth has never left.
He is extremely intelligent, paranoid, irritable, sensitive, fragile, and insecure about everything. He has another devil hidden in his body and heart. During those years when others were naive and ignorant, he was struggling with his own devil, and those invisible wounds made him bleed.
Then she saw it.
Later, even if there were other options, he allowed her to see... Many years have passed, and until today, it has never changed.
Song Shu sighed silently.
"Okay. Now I'll be with you. Let's move back together."
"… "
When it comes to matters concerning Song Shu, Qin Lou has always been a man of action with first-rate execution.
On the evening that Song Shu agreed, he hired professionals to clear out all the documents and other necessities on the 23rd floor, packed them into boxes as quickly as possible, and quickly and methodically arranged to move them to the old house - the whole process was so efficient that Song Shu had to suspect that he had planned it all along.
Qin Lou responded innocently: "They are professionals, and being on call at any time is their first priority."
Song Shu was speechless.
The two of them "moved" when Vio had ended the rush hour, but there were still a small number of employees who were working overtime on each floor of the company and got off work later. In the elevator, they met Song Shu and Qin Lou, who were the last group to leave.
The staff member who came up hurriedly called out "Boss Qin". After looking at Song Shu, the other party hesitated for a moment before cautiously calling out, "Qin... Assistant Qin?"
Song Shu smiled faintly at the somewhat uneasy employee, "Good evening."
Song Shuben was born with a good-looking appearance, and his smile was even more heart-warming. The clerk was stunned for two seconds and was about to smile back when he suddenly felt Qin Lou, who was originally lazy next to him, suddenly raised his eyes and fixed his gaze straight on him.
The clerk froze for a moment, then slowly turned his head with his neck stiff. It turned out to be not his illusion—Qin Lou's pair of dark eyes were staring at him without blinking.
The employee was stared at and felt his entire body go numb. He forced a smile and said, "Boss Qin..."
"Do you want to hook up—"
Before Qin Lou could finish his words, his vision went dark.
—Song Shu reached out and covered Qin Lou’s eyes.
She glanced at Qin Lou warningly, then turned and gave the staff an apologetic smile.
"It's okay, he was just joking."
After finishing speaking, Song Shu turned back, his smile faded, and his voice became softer, "Don't make trouble in the company, we have an agreement."
Qin Lou: "I'm not kidding."
"… "
The staff looked at their boss, who was known for his crazy temper, in fear. Although the woman's white hand was covering his eyes lightly, he was still obedient and motionless without any sign of struggle. He only muttered in a low voice -
Qin Lou's tone was extremely aggrieved, "You haven't smiled at me so beautifully today."
staff:"… … "
No wonder he was almost strangled by the gaze just now. It turned out that he had accidentally fallen into the jealousy of his boss, who was well-known inside and outside the company and was wider than the Pacific Ocean.
The clerk had just calmed down from the shock, but Song Shu was used to it.
She pretended not to hear what Qin Lou said, and when she saw him quietly looking away from the innocent employee, she put her hand down as well.
The elevator slowed down and stopped again. A staff member who was late for get off work came up from the HR department on the 8th floor. He was stunned for a moment after coming up, and nodded to Qin Lou and Song Shu, "Boss Qin, Assistant Qin."
He looked towards Qin Lou and Song Shu and saw the last two boxes. "What is this...?"
Qin Lou finally waited for this question. Before Song Shu noticed and stopped him, he had already said with a wild and bright smile, "Moving."
"?"
"Prepare to live together."
staff:"-??"
Song Shu: “.”
The two clerks maintained their shocked expressions until they reached the first floor and exited the elevator.
Song Shu and Qin Lou were going to the parking lot on the underground second floor, so they had a dozen more seconds of alone time in the elevator.
After the elevator door closed, Song Shu looked back helplessly, "I think this matter will spread throughout the company next week - the employees' gossip time and entertainment life after dinner are all supported by you alone."
Qin Lou immediately "modestly" said: "How can I do this alone? I must have the clam shell with me."
Song Shu: “…”
He is quite proud.
There was a professional team responsible for loading the cars in the parking lot. When they saw Qin Lou and Song Shu coming down, they immediately moved the boxes away, loaded the car, and drove to the old house.
Song Shu got into Qin Lou's special car. Qin Lou gave the driver a day off, so he sat in the driver's seat.
"Do you want to have dinner at home or out?"
Song Shu thought for a moment and said, "Let's go home."
"Um."
The car came out of the underground parking lot and drove a distance away. Song Shu suddenly remembered something and looked back at Qin Lou. "Have you mentioned the matter of moving to the old house to Mr. Qin?"
"… "
The relaxed and joyful mood in Qin Lou's eyes turned cold. After a few seconds, he said calmly: "No need to mention it."
Song Shu said softly, "That's where he lives after all."
"Isn't he living in the townhouse next to your house all day long?" Qin Lou curled his lips and sneered mockingly, "And nominally, all the real estate, equity and other intangible assets of the Qin family are in my name. I don't need anyone's permission to live anywhere."
Song Shu lowered his eyes and said nothing more to Qin Lou.
She knew that Qin Liang's original choice was an unresolved knot in Qin Lou's heart, and the emotions in that knot were too complicated, far more than just one-sided hatred towards Qin Liang.
Qin Lou was blaming himself.
Moreover, the degree of self-blame was so deep that he would not allow others to help him get rid of the guilt. He tortured himself and others he thought were guilty, and he would resist Song Shu if he wanted to intervene.
Don't be impatient.
Song Shu gently clenched his fingers and persuaded himself in his heart: just like the psychological sedative she had cultivated for him to turn the Rubik's Cube, it must be long and patient.
They still have a lot of time, she can take her time...
She would get her little lunatic out of that "cage".
After Qin Lou received Song Shu's confirmation at noon, he notified the old house that they were going to move back.
Most of the servants in the old house today are elderly people who have lived there for more than ten years. It is no exaggeration to say that many of them have watched Qin Lou and Song Shu grow up.
Over the years, this moody little lunatic and the little clam that couldn't be pried open in the house did "trouble" them a lot, but the feelings that allowed them to stay together and live in peace for many years have naturally been preserved, and have been polished by time to become warm and beautiful, which makes people miss them.
So when they heard that the young master and his little ancestor were coming back together, the old people in the house started to clean up and get busy at noon. There was really nothing to do for most of the afternoon, so they gathered in groups of three or four in and outside the yard, in front of and behind the main gate, and along the paths in the garden, waiting for the two to show up.
"After so many years, I'm finally back..."
The gardening helper who was pruning beside the gravel path looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was trimming the untidy and unsightly branches with a pair of large scissors while talking to the housekeeper who was waiting in front of the main entrance with his hands hanging down.
The housekeeper also sighed in his heart, "Yes, it's been too long. I thought I would never be able to wait for this day. I didn't expect that I would have this opportunity to return to this house."
"It's good now. There are fewer messy people. It's much quieter now than before."
"What a messy person?" The housekeeper didn't react at first. He turned back and looked at the gardener, then he understood. Then he shook his head and said, "After all, he is the blood of the Qin family... It's a pity that he grew up a little crooked."
"It's more than just a little crooked." The gardener unceremoniously trimmed off the entire protruding crooked branch. "Wrong things should be corrected in time to avoid causing irreparable mistakes in the future. If they were corrected in time, then those things would not have happened later. It's a pity that Miss Bai is such a good person. With such a good background, I have never seen anyone more kind-hearted and compassionate than her..."
"The past is over, don't mention it anymore."
The housekeeper came back to his senses after a while, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to deepen. He waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it too much in the future. We should keep some people and some things in our hearts. We know whether they are good or bad, and we can take them into the coffin. She never asks for others' understanding for what she did. I think the young master and his friends don't want to be reminded of her sad things again."
"Of course I understand that."
"But..." The housekeeper pretended to smile bitterly, "Once the young master comes back, I'm afraid we won't have peace in the days ahead."
The gardener pouted, "Stop pretending, I see you are clearly very happy."
"Do I?"
"You have managed your facial expressions well, but this tuxedo of yours..." The gardener turned around and looked his old friend up and down. "I remember that this was your most treasured suit. You would never wear it unless it was an important occasion."
The housekeeper was exposed, so he simply admitted it openly, "After all, it is the young master and his little ancestor who are coming back. There has been no one in the house for many years. Now that the master is finally welcomed back, it is only right to be more formal."
"Go away, who would believe you?"
"You're still blaming me. I see the flowers and plants are much neater today than they were a few days ago. Were you lazy these days?"
"Come on, come on, it's obvious that you, old man, are so happy that your eyes are crooked..."
"… "
As the two old men were chatting and joking, the sky gradually darkened, and Song Shu and Qin Lou's car finally appeared at the end of the long road.
Then, as the elderly people all stopped chatting and looking forward to the car, the car drove closer and closer, and finally slowly stopped in front of the gravel path facing the front door of the old house.
The door on the driver's side opened, and the man who got out looked lazy, but his movements did not stop - he walked around the front of the car, walked straight to the passenger seat, leaned over, opened the door, and pulled Song Shu out.
As soon as Song Shu came out, she was immersed in the old people's eyes filled with tears and full of aunt-like kindness and relief. She froze for a few seconds and glanced at Qin Lou with a wooden face.
"I told you, I can come down by myself."
Qin Lou calmly took her hand, hooked his slender fingers into her fingers, and then clenched them into an interlocking position.
Holding it in front of him and looking at it, Qin Lou nodded with satisfaction and turned to Song Shu, "I also said that we need a sense of ceremony for officially living together."
Song Shu turned his face away expressionlessly, "If this is considered living together, haven't we been living together for many years?"
Qin Lou's eyes darkened, and after a few seconds he snorted and laughed coldly, "There were so many rules and eyes blocking me before, and I was also stuck in a clam shell. I didn't know that I was the first to get the moon when I was close to the water. No one can protect you in the future."
"..." Song Shu glanced at him expressionlessly.
Qin Lou felt that he was being looked down upon to some extent. He lowered his eyes and moved closer, deliberately gnashing his teeth and pressing the man against the car door in a threatening manner.
"Once you enter this door, you will fall into a den of wolves. Even if you scream at the top of your lungs, no one will be able to rescue you."
“… … ”
Song Shu was silent for a few seconds with mixed feelings. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and slowly raised his hand in the satisfied and amusing eyes of the old people, then pushed Qin Lou's face away with a slightly disgusted look.
"I've told you to watch less weird TV shows. A nickname like 'genius lunatic' is acceptable, but it would be too unpleasant if you become 'stupid lunatic' in the future."
Qin Lou: “…”
After expressing his disgust, Song Shu thought about it and decided to pull the person back along the tightly clasped fingers.
"I haven't been back for many years, and I almost forgot what the old house is like. Say hello to everyone, and then let's go in and take a walk?"
Qin Lou's mood darkened when Song Shu said "many years". After a moment, he came back to his senses and smiled, "Okay."
"… "
The family also made arrangements in this regard. After the two parties greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries, the housekeeper who stayed behind offered to take the two of them around the old house to familiarize them with the layout that had and had not changed over the years.
The two sides hit it off immediately, and Song Shu and Qin Lou followed the old butler into the house.
Just a few steps into the courtyard, Qin Lou heard the footsteps beside him slow down and then stop.
Qin Lou looked back.
Song Shu stood quietly half a meter behind him, looking up slightly at the main building not far away. Following the direction of her sight, she was probably looking at a window on the third floor.
Qin Lou paused for two seconds, couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth, lowered his eyes and smiled silently.
The butler had walked out for a distance, but he stopped when he heard the voice. Seeing that the two were standing still, he was stunned for a moment and asked, "Young Master? What happened?"
"Nothing." Qin Lou chuckled and pointed to the window on the third floor that Song Shu was staring at. "We met here for the first time."
"… "
Song Shu was probably brought back to her senses by Qin Lou's words. She looked back at him, nodded a beat slowly, and said "hmm" softly to show her agreement.
This steward was not on duty when Song Shu first entered the Qin family. He was not aware of the initial involvement between the two and was a little curious when he heard about it.
"Is it on the third floor? But I remember that the young master didn't like people going to the third floor at that time. It seems that Miss Song has been different to the young master since the beginning?"
Qin Lou raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, and he turned to look at Song Shu.
Song Shu had a dull expression on his face. He only glanced at him and said calmly, "I was downstairs at that time, and he was upstairs."
The housekeeper suddenly realized.
Qin Lou continued the second half of the sentence, and added with a smile, "And at that time I thought she was a little dumb girl dressed up as a doll. She couldn't speak and looked a little mentally retarded, so I seemed to have threatened her."
The housekeeper was stunned for a moment, "Hey? What did the young master threaten the young lady with?"
Qin Lou smiled but said nothing.
He walked back lazily, took a few steps and stopped beside Song Shu. Then Qin Lou stopped, put his hands in his trouser pockets and leaned over slightly. When he came in front of Song Shu, he tilted his head and smiled.
"You are not allowed to go up to the third floor while I am here, or I will break your legs and use them to fill the swimming pool—Yang, Wa, Wa."
"… "
Song Shu's eyes flickered slightly.
The tone of this passage was very different from that time, but every word slowly overlapped with the first encounter in her memory - that was the first encounter that she was unwilling to forget and recalled over and over again for many years afterwards.
It was also because of that first encounter and later, after she changed her name and surname in a foreign country and completely let go of the past, that she was able to remember who she was and why she was living in the middle of the night.
Song Shu suddenly felt some emotion stirred up in his heart by these words and the expression of the man in front of him, and he couldn't suppress it no matter what.
If you can’t suppress it, then don’t suppress it.
The old housekeeper was laughing, "I never thought that the young master had such a tough side in front of the young lady at the beginning?"
Qin Lou didn't take it seriously. "You will have to pay a price for being tough in the beginning. Later, because of this sentence, she really refused to step onto the third floor. At most, she went up to the transfer platform between the second and third floors. As for the remaining steps, she refused to take them even when I knelt on the ground."
"Master is exaggerating again."
"I'm not exaggerating. If you don't believe me, ask her. Little Clam, tell her if what I said is true?"
After Qin Lou finished speaking, he turned around and saw the girl in front of him thinking for a few seconds with her eyes downcast and no expression. Suddenly, she raised her hand and hooked her finger at him.
Qin Lou was stunned for a moment, "What's wrong?"
Even though he asked the question, he instinctively leaned down along the girl's hooked fingers before waiting for the answer.
Before Qin Lou could steady himself, Song Shu raised his hands, hooked them around his neck, and breathed close to him.
"… punish."
"What-"
Qin Lou was puzzled. Just as he was about to raise his eyes, he was bitten lightly on the lips.