Chapter 79: Shock

Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 79: Shock

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In the grand banquet hall where the music had just stopped, a low and steady voice came through the microphone, echoing clearly into the ears of everyone at the annual gathering.

The first to react was Song Ruyu, who stood in the audience. The vindictive smile on her face froze the moment she saw Qin Lou appear. Before she could relish her sense of triumph, her expression turned to shock as the words Qin Lou spoke directly shattered her composure.

She stared in disbelief, her eyes wide, at the woman Qin Lou had pulled into his arms from behind.

“‘Shushu’—that’s a name only Qin Lou uses for Song Shu. How could he…”

A terrifying thought flashed through Song Ruyu’s mind, draining the color from her face. Instinctively, she stumbled a step back, clutching a low table for support as panic overwhelmed her.

When she finally came back to her senses, her expression twisted with disbelief and rage.

“That person is dead! Qin Qing is just a stand-in for her. How could she possibly be Song Shu?!”

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“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I’d say the other explanation is scarier. Wasn’t Song Shu supposed to have died in a car accident ten years ago?”

“Ten years ago, everyone thought Bai Song was the culprit in that case. But after all these years, even that conclusion was overturned.”

“Still, coming back from the dead is way too shocking!”

“I always thought it was strange how President Qin never got close to anyone else all these years, and then suddenly lavished all his attention on someone who looked like her. Turns out Qin Qing is her!”

“This is explosive news.”

“Looks like tomorrow’s headlines are set.”

“Who organized that skit earlier about ‘The CEO’s Stand-in Lover’? They must wish they could crawl into a hole right now.”

“They’ve really offended the future boss’s wife. Thank goodness I never said anything bad about Qin Qing. With how devoted President Qin’s been to her for ten years, whoever crosses her is doomed.”

“Exactly…”

Qin Lou’s one sentence had thrown half the room into an uproar. The shock and astonishment rippled through the crowd like waves, all focused on Song Shu and Qin Lou.

Seeing the nearby employees barely able to suppress their curiosity, Song Shu’s face finally changed. Clenching her teeth, she grabbed Qin Lou by the wrist and swiftly exited through the banquet hall’s back door.

The crowd, restrained by professional decorum, did not dare to chase after them. No one wanted to risk provoking their boss’s wrath, especially now that she was clearly someone untouchable. They could only stay put, lamenting the abrupt end of this dramatic twist.

Even so, the aftermath lingered. No one cared about the rest of the annual event; all attention turned to dissecting this shocking reversal.

Information spread like wildfire, with countless whispers from the banquet hall branching out into various networks and beyond, reaching those still unaware of the stunning revelation.

“…Qin Lou!”

When Song Shu finally stopped, confirming no one had followed them, she turned back to face Qin Lou.

The usually composed girl, whose emotions were rarely stirred, was now noticeably upset, her raised voice betraying her anger. Her pale face was tinged with a flush of crimson—whether from running or frustration, it wasn’t clear—as her unsteady breath quickened while she glared at the man before her.

Thanks to his long legs, Qin Lou had nonchalantly followed her lead, one hand casually tucked into his pocket while the other let Song Shu drag him out of the event hall to the tiled terrace. His gaze never left the back of her head throughout. Only now, as she addressed him directly, did his focus seem to sharpen.

“Hm?”

That utterly lazy and innocent tone only stoked Song Shu’s anger further.

She forced her breathing to steady, then looked up at him. “Didn’t we agree not to reveal this at the company?”

Feigning ignorance, Qin Lou asked, “Reveal what?”

“…” Song Shu stared at him expressionlessly.

Under her emotionless gaze, Qin Lou lasted about ten seconds before he gave in. Turning his face away, he let out a raspy laugh. “You’re breaking the rules, you know. Acting like this, little clam.”

Still, Song Shu said nothing.

Left with no choice, Qin Lou surrendered. “Fine, it’s my fault—I slipped up. I didn’t notice you had the microphone at the time. I’m sorry, my little clam.”

The playful tone at the end nearly drove Song Shu to kick him. Of all people, only Qin Lou could provoke such intense emotional swings in her.

Taking a deep breath, she managed to hold back. “You did it on purpose.”

Qin Lou blinked innocently. “Did I?”

“…”

“Fine, I did.”

Laughing again, Qin Lou gently tugged her closer by the wrist she still hadn’t let go of.

Two rattan chairs sat nearby on the terrace. Meeting Song Shu’s impassive expression, Qin Lou’s voice softened. “I flew overnight to get here and rushed straight from the airport. I’m so tired. Will you sit with me for a bit?”

“…”

Song Shu had to admit, compared to the proud and awkward boy he once was, Qin Lou’s newfound ability to soften and feign vulnerability left her completely defenseless.

Barely lasting two seconds under his gaze, she relented. “…Fine. Sit.”

Relieved of resistance, Qin Lou smirked. Not only did he sit down in one of the rattan chairs, but he also pulled Song Shu into his lap as he did.

Caught off guard, Song Shu tumbled into his arms. Before she could react, his long arms circled her, leaving her no room to escape.

After a moment’s hesitation, she realized it was too late to reclaim the earlier tension for a serious discussion. She gave up and let him be.

Qin Lou, ever perceptive, was the person who understood Song Shu best.

From the subtle shifts in her gaze, he could tell her earlier frustration had mostly dissipated. Lowering his voice, he said, “I know you don’t want this revealed, but I don’t want them talking about you like that anymore.”

Song Shu frowned slightly. “We don’t care what others say…”

“I don’t care what they say about me, but I care about you. If anyone says anything bad about you, I don’t want to hear it—not even a word.”

Her eyes flickered, her last trace of resistance softening.

Qin Lou continued, “And more than that, I don’t want to hide or pretend anymore. I want to tell the world that my little clam is back, that she’s by my side. She’s not anyone’s replacement, nor could anyone replace her—that would be an insult to her. From beginning to end, the only person I’ve ever seen, cared about, or cherished as life itself is her.”

“…”

His voice dropped to its gentlest tone. “Can you forgive me now?”

Song Shu remained silent for a long time before finally lifting her gaze slightly. Her dark, clear eyes held a faint trace of exasperation. “If I didn’t forgive you after all that, I wouldn’t be human, would I?”

Qin Lou paused, then burst into soft laughter.

“Does a clam count as human?”

“…No.”

“Then what does a clam count as?”

“…”

Song Shu decided he wasn’t worth responding to, turning her face away expressionlessly.

Qin Lou, ever the opportunist, refused to let go of his advantage. Seeing that she was no longer upset about his public revelation, he shamelessly held her tighter, his embrace growing even more possessive.

So when Luan Qiaoqing enthusiastically followed the waiter’s directions and ran up to the terrace to find someone, she walked right into the scene of Qin Lou shamelessly holding her cousin and leaning in for a kiss.

Her cheerful expression froze instantly, quickly contorting into one of gritted teeth.

“Qin Lou! How dare you act like a scoundrel in broad daylight with the sky above and so many people watching?!”

“…”

Interrupted from his playful moment with Song Shu, Qin Lou was already displeased. Seeing that the intruder was none other than Luan Qiaoqing—his self-declared lifelong rival—his lips curved into a cold smirk, followed by a scoffing chuckle.

“Little Clam, do people who were terrible at studying in school grow up to misuse idioms like she does?”

Song Shu, accustomed to the perpetual squabbling whenever these two crossed paths, merely gave a light struggle and murmured, “Let me get up.”

“No.” Qin Lou tightened his hold on her even more.

Luan Qiaoqing stormed over to them. “There are plenty of chairs around! Why does my cousin have to sit in the same one as you?”

Without sparing her a glance, Qin Lou replied, “All the other chairs are taken.”

Luan Qiaoqing fumed, “The whole terrace is empty except for you two! If you said it was haunted, I might actually believe you!”

Qin Lou replied matter-of-factly, “Then it’s haunted.”

“…”

Taking a deep breath, Luan Qiaoqing decided to abandon the argument before Qin Lou drove her to a premature demise.

Song Shu, who was generally kind to Luan Qiaoqing, offered her an out: “You must’ve come up here because you had something urgent to say?”

“Not urgent, exactly. I just wanted to share some good news.” With the reminder, Luan Qiaoqing’s expression lit up like a blooming flower. “I have to say, my brother’s shout earlier was really impressive—Sis, you should’ve seen the faces of all those people who used to badmouth you, especially Song Ruyu! I think she was so scared she nearly fainted. Serves her right for what she did to you!”

Song Shu showed no change in expression, clearly indifferent to such matters. After listening, she merely glanced at Qin Lou with mild exasperation. “It won’t take a day for this to spread everywhere. You’ll have to deal with the aftermath yourself.”

Qin Lou nodded nonchalantly.

To him, making it known to the world that the person beside him was his genuine, irreplaceable Little Clam was worth any subsequent troubles. Those were just minor costs.

Luan Qiaoqing slapped her forehead. “Oh, right, there’s something else! After Song Ruyu was scared senseless, I saw her calling someone for help, practically crying as she begged for advice. Who was she calling? Did she reach out to either of you? Don’t go soft on her!”

The question was directed at Song Shu, who looked genuinely puzzled.

She had long since stopped paying attention to Song Ruyu and had no idea who might still be part of her social circle. The only one who might know…

Song Shu turned to Qin Lou. “Do you know who it could be?”

Qin Lou snorted, clearly unimpressed. “Even if she begged the heavens themselves, it wouldn’t make a difference.”

Luan Qiaoqing immediately gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s the spirit! Your so-called ‘sister’ is nothing but a troublemaker. You have to have this kind of resolve to help my cousin win this fight!”

“…If she’s a troublemaker, you’re not far behind,” Qin Lou shot back mercilessly.

Luan Qiaoqing was left speechless.

Song Shu glanced at Luan Qiaoqing as if to tell her to stop stirring up trouble, then turned back to Qin Lou. “Could it be Han Shi? Didn’t he have an engagement with Song Ruyu?”

Qin Lou paused, then let out a laugh. “Do you not remember the chaos Han Shi caused for Ding Jiujiu back then? Do you think he’d intercede for Song Ruyu? It’d be surprising if he didn’t kick her while she’s down.”

Just as Qin Lou finished speaking, his phone buzzed with an incoming call.

He glanced at the screen, the corners of his mouth lifting in mock amusement.

“…Well, well. Look who it is.”

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Sansukini: I finished “Casting Nets to Catch a Husband” today. If you’re interested in Historical slice of life, please check it out.

Also, I will be starting 2 new translations next week.
One is a healing/second chance romance called “The Second Year After Marriage.”
And the second one is a comedy called “The Real Daughter’s Inner Thoughts are Heard,” where the FL transmigrated into a rich daughter cannon fodder. But she has a cheat, a melon-eating system. The only catch is that she doesn’t know that everybody can hear her thoughts so it becomes comedic.

The Second Year After Marriage will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
“The Real Daughter’s Inner Thoughts are Heard” will be posted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

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You can also check out my other translations Here