Chapter 80: Living Together

Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 80: Living Together

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Qin Lou’s phone screen wasn’t hidden from Song Shu’s view. In fact, given his insistence on keeping her wrapped in his arms, it was hard for her not to see it.

However, the incoming call displayed no contact name—clearly, this number wasn’t saved in Qin Lou’s address book.

Song Shu was used to this. Qin Lou had an uncanny sensitivity to numbers; memorizing a phone number was quicker for him than saving it to his phone. A string of 11 digits was nothing more than light work for his mind.
Having long given up trying to compete with him on memory, Song Shu glanced at the unfamiliar number and asked, “Whose call is it?”

Qin Lou simply smiled and didn’t answer. Instead, he casually accepted the call and tapped the speakerphone button.

“Brother, brother, brother—”

The voice on the other end of the line burst out in rapid repetition, pitiful and pleading, as though the speaker might burst into tears at any moment.

Unfortunately, Qin Lou was a master at being cold, especially toward anyone other than his Little Clam. So, hearing the desperate string of “brother,” he ruthlessly cut the caller off mid-plea.

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“Nkvvzl Uzyx kp aktbv blal okvb xl. Rq usw byhl psxlvbkdt vs pyu, pyu kv vs bla.”

Mbl hsknl sd vbl svbla lde nbsjle.

Ohld Nwyd Ckysikdt, obs bye sdzu clld pvydekdt cu vs ldfsu vbl pbso, nswzed’v blzr cwv aszz bla lulp yde xwvvla wdela bla calyvb, “Uyd bl byhl ydu zlpp pbyxl? Ekvb bla cu uswa pkel kp sdl vbkdt, cwv sd usw? Vlsrzl xktbv tlv vbl oasdt kely yde vbkdj usw’al eskdt psxlvbkdt kdyrrasrakyvl.”

Jlqsal pbl nswze qkdkpb, Ckd Nsw eked’v alynv, cwv bla nswpkd, Fsdt Fbw, pbsv bla y nbkzzu tzydnl. Nwyd Ckysikdt kxxlekyvlzu gkrrle bla zkrp okvb y rydvsxkxle tlpvwal yde pbaydj yoyu.

Fsdt Fbw vwadle cynj vs Ckd Nsw okvb y pktb. “Rp vbyv Fsdt Fbwyk sd vbl svbla lde?”

Gv vbyv xsxldv, vbl hsknl sd vbl rbsdl—lytla yde shlazu qyxkzkya—nsdqkaxle okvb y dlahswp zywtb, “Fkpvla?”

Mbkp pkdtzl osae pvyavzle Fsdt Fbw.

Fbl eked’v alrzu, cwv Ckd Nsw zlv swv y nsze nbwnjzl, vyrrkdt vbl rbsdl alpvkdt sd vbl vyczl okvb bkp pzldela qkdtla. “Rq usw’al tskdt vs vyzj, vyzj rasrlazu. Psd’v vyjl zkclavklp—obs’p uswa pkpvla?”

“Well, technically, by blood, she is my sister…” Song Shuai’s voice turned aggrieved.

Luan Qiaoqing couldn’t hold back. “What nonsense! She’s my sister. What does she have to do with you?”

Before Song Shu could say anything, Luan Qiaoqing wisely ducked to avoid the inevitable scolding.

Song Shu felt a headache coming on. It was as if she’d stepped into a preschool full of children disguised as adults.

Meanwhile, Song Shuai ignored Luan Qiaoqing’s interruption and cautiously probed, “Then… should I call her sister-in-law?”

Song Shu: “…”

From her crouched position, Luan Qiaoqing grumbled, “What kind of bizarre family dynamic is this…”

Unexpectedly, Qin Lou raised an eyebrow, his expression pleased. “That’s an interesting take. I like it.”

Song Shu gave him a blank stare.

On the other end, Song Shuai, sensing he’d struck gold, immediately seized the chance to apologize profusely.
“Sister-in-law, I’m so sorry! My actual sister doesn’t have much sense, as you probably already know. How could she guess you were the real deal? It’s partially my fault—I vaguely remember my brother hinting at it a while ago, but I got busy and forgot to remind her. Did she upset you?”

“…”

Song Shu fell silent for a moment, then turned to Qin Lou. She didn’t bother with the fact that the speakerphone was still on, instead pointing at the phone and asking, “When did he start acting like this?”

Qin Lou raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

Song Shu considered her words carefully. “…Obedient.”
Luan Qiaoqing chimed in from the side, “Sis, you’re being too nice. That’s not obedience—it’s flattery. He’s been like this with my cousin for years.”

Qin Lou dismissed the comment entirely. “He’s always been fairly obedient.”

Song Shu redirected her warning gaze away from Luan Qiaoqing and replied dryly, “That’s only because you used to scare him.”

“Hmm, then I suppose it’s instinctual at this point.”

Song Shu: “…”

Despite their unabashed conversation, Song Shuai on the other end of the line didn’t dare to voice any complaints.

That familiar feeling—being physically in the same space but entirely excluded by an invisible barrier created by certain individuals—was something he hadn’t experienced in years. He wondered if his masochistic tendencies had awakened recently. Why else would he, of all things, miss this dynamic?

Holding onto his phone obediently, Song Shu lamented internally while waiting for the two to return from their “private chat channel.”

Qin Lou was the first to address him. “You don’t actually think that whatever Song Ruyu has done in my absence can be resolved with a single phone call, do you?”

“Of course not!” Song Shuai responded immediately, his flattery game strong. “Even if you agreed, I wouldn’t approve of something so careless and insincere.” Then, seamlessly pivoting, he asked, “So, what do you think would be the best way to handle this?”

Qin Lou chuckled coldly. “She’ll need to apologize, admit her mistakes, and reflect thoroughly. Have her write a self-critique of at least 10,000 words—remember, it must be done face-to-face.”

“…”

Song Shuai let out a sharp hiss, like someone with a sudden toothache.

Qin Lou raised his tone slightly. “Do you have an opinion on that?”

“No, no, no! None at all!” Song Shuai hastily assured him. “This is already a huge favor on your part. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she follows through immediately.”

“Hmm.”

After exchanging a few more polite words, the call ended.

Beside them, Luan Qiaoqing cautiously raised her head and asked Song Shu, “Sis, can I get up now?”

Song Shu regarded her seriously. “Don’t let it happen again.”

“Got it…”

Upon receiving permission, Luan Qiaoqing immediately stood up, rubbing her sore knees and legs.

Only now did Qin Lou seem to notice her presence. He glanced at her briefly, his cool expression carrying a hint of schadenfreude. “Still keeping up your fine tradition of squatting when you curse? Impressive.”

Luan Qiaoqing rolled her eyes at him.

Qin Lou turned to Song Shu with mock grievance. “She was definitely cursing me in her head just now. Let her keep squatting, Little Clam.”

Song Shu dropped her gaze in exasperation. “Can you try acting like an older brother for once?”

Qin Lou thought about it and then shook his head. “Too much work. I’d rather just not have siblings.”

Song Shu: “…”

Switching topics, Song Shu asked Luan Qiaoqing, “Have the staff all left?”

“Yes, the year-end party ended, and everyone was already heading out when I came up. There shouldn’t be anyone left now.”

Song Shu nodded. Turning back to Qin Lou, she raised the hand she had finally managed to free from his grasp during his call and tapped his wrist.

“Can you let go now?”

“No.”

“We need to leave.”

“I haven’t seen you in an entire week. Let me hold you a little longer.”

Song Shu hesitated.

Unable to bear it any longer, Luan Qiaoqing rubbed her arms dramatically. “You two are going to give me diabetes.”

Before she could finish her complaint, she was met with a death glare from Qin Lou that silenced her instantly.

Luan Qiaoqing swallowed her words and, adhering to the principle of “out of sight, out of mind,” bolted off the terrace. As she ran, she shouted back without turning around:

“Sis, remember, don’t forgive Song Ruyu too easily! She’s just awful!!”

Her voice trailed off as she disappeared through the terrace doors.

Qin Lou snorted softly. “She’s running so fast because she’s afraid you’ll punish her again, isn’t she?”

Song Shu corrected him. “It’s because you’re too harsh on her.”

Qin Lou sneered. “The word lenient has never been in my dictionary when it comes to rivals.”

“…”

Song Shu had no idea where this sudden jealousy came from, but she knew better than to argue with Qin Lou’s temper.

She reached out and ruffled his neat black hair. “Was E Country tiring?”

“Hmm.”

“You’ve worked hard, little madman.”

“…!”

The childish emotions in Qin Lou’s eyes froze for a moment and then slowly dissipated. He lowered his gaze slightly and let out a soft, helpless laugh before leaning his head on the girl’s shoulder.

“You’re really breaking the rules here, Little Clam.”

“Am I not allowed to?”

“Of course you are… For you, nothing is off-limits.”

“…”

As expected, the news about Qin Qing’s identity spread like wildfire within the investment circle within days. While the overt gossip was quickly suppressed by the professional PR team Qin Lou had arranged, private chatter was impossible to control.

No one could resist speculating about the romantic history of two legendary figures. When these gossip enthusiasts pieced together fragments—some true, some false—of Qin Lou and Song Shu’s past from various channels, the two were quickly dubbed the “golden couple” of the industry.

However, the capital market is never short of new distractions.

This bit of gossip was ultimately just a fleeting amusement. Outside of Vio Capital’s internal environment—where rumors about the assistant general manager’s supposed “feigned indifference” turning into wholehearted devotion were common—the outside world quickly moved on from the drama.

Taking advantage of this, Qin Lou became even more shameless in his public “pursuit” of Song Shu at the office. And not long ago, he picked up a new habit: instead of having lunch on the 23rd floor penthouse, he began frequenting the company cafeteria.

His justification? “Equality at all levels.”

But anyone with eyes could see he was simply flaunting their relationship.

Vio Capital’s policies never prohibited office romances; potential issues were mitigated by other regulations, such as strict confidentiality clauses. Thus, workplace couples weren’t uncommon—but being as high-profile as a certain someone? That was rare.

Passing by the couple with a tray in hand, Luan Qiaoqing deadpanned, her voice dripping with disdain, “What’s with the cafeteria chefs lately? Every dish reeks of dog food these days.”

“…”

Song Shu rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

Across from her, Qin Lou rested his cheek on his hand, his lazy gaze fixed on her movements—looking utterly uninterested in anything except his “territory.”

Under the anguished stares of her colleagues, Song Shu finally sighed, took a few quick bites of her meal, and dragged the troublemaker back up to the 23rd floor.

Inside the elevator, Song Shu turned to face him.

Before she could speak, Qin Lou beat her to it. “Let’s move back to the old house.”

Song Shu froze, stunned. It took her a few seconds to process his words. “We…?”

Qin Lou nodded, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes. He lowered his gaze and smiled.

“Yes. Just the two of us.”

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Sansukini: I have two new novels out this week. Please support me by adding them to your reading list.
The Second Year After Marriage
The Real Daughter’s Inner Thoughts are Heard

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