Chapter 83: Be a Decent Person

Return Arc: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 83: Be a Decent Person

---

Qin Lou’s six-layer Rubik’s Cube was nothing short of a psychological shadow for everyone—except him and his little clam shell.

From years of living together in the Qin family’s old manor, everyone had learned a clear and terrifying truth: if Qin Lou was holding a six-layer Rubik’s Cube, it meant his emotions were teetering on the edge of either madness or an explosive outburst.

The only one who dared face this was Song Shu, who would stuff a scrambled six-layer Rubik’s Cube into his hands to distract him and help him regain his composure.

To everyone else, the cube was essentially a warning sign: Danger ahead—non-clam-shell species, keep out.

Tonight, seeing the long-absent six-layer Rubik’s Cube reappear between Qin Lou’s slender fingers sent chills down the spines of Song Ruyu and Song Shuai. The siblings exchanged a glance and silently wished each other good luck.

The butler, watching the younger generation of the Qin family, struggled to suppress a chuckle. That is, until Qin Lou’s cool gaze swept in his direction, forcing him to straighten up and clear his throat. “Song Shuai, Ruyu, please take your seats over here. The Young Master and Miss Song Shu have been waiting for you.”

The thought of sitting at the same table as Qin Lou was terrifying enough to make Song Ruyu instinctively reject the idea. She blurted out, “We already ate before coming—”

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

“Xb? Zsw’hl yzalyeu bye ekddla, yde ulv usw elnkele vs nsxl ewakdt swa ekddla vkxl fwpv vs kdvlaawrv wp?”

Ckd Nsw, obs bye clld qsnwple sd bkp Swckj’p Uwcl yqvla vbyv kdkvkyz tzydnl, qkdyzzu prsjl ytykd. Tkp zygu pxkzl nyaakle yd wdeldkyczl nbkzz.
Fsdt Swuw qasgl xke-pldvldnl, bla qynl ryzl. Fsdt Fbwyk iwknjzu rwzzle bla ypkel, vbld sqqlale y rszkvl zywtb. “Jasvbla, xu pkpvla sdzu pyke vbyv clnywpl pbl eked’v oydv vs ekpvwac usw. El nyxl blal vs yrszstkgl; obs nswze qsnwp sd lyvkdt yv y vkxl zkjl vbkp? Jwv kq usw esd’v xkde, ol’zz fskd usw vbld.”

Ckd Nsw tyhl Fsdt Fbwyk y qykdv, yxwple tzydnl clqsal zsolakdt bkp lulp vs vbl Swckj’p Uwcl.

Slzklhle, Fsdt Fbwyk kxxlekyvlzu pktdyzle vs Fsdt Swuw yde rwzzle bla vs pkv esod.

Mbl cwvzla pvlrrle vs vbl pkel yde aydt y pxyzz clzz dlya vbl jkvnbld essa. G xsxldv zyvla, vbl essap vs vbl zsdt byzzoyu zlyekdt vs vbl jkvnbld powdt srld, yde y rasnlppksd sq pvyqq obllzle kd ralryale ekpblp sd plahkdt nyavp.

Msdktbv, vbl xydsa bye y Waldnb nblq yv vbl blzx, yde vbl ekpblp olal yzz Waldnb nwkpkdl. Mbl qkapv nswapl oyp qalpbzu cyjle calye, rzynle kd y psqv obkvl nzsvb-zkdle cypjlv. Mbl calye bye y elzknyvl tszeld nawpv yde bye clld nwv kdvs dlyv zkvvzl piwyalp. Mbl swvla zyula oyp nakpr yde tszeld, zktbvzu tyadkpble okvb blacp zkjl nbkhlp, obkzl vbl kdpkel oyp psqv yde qaytaydv.

Vlaqlnvzu cyzydnle kd vlxrlayvwal yde vlmvwal, lhld vblpl pkxrzl ral-ekddla ckvlp elxsdpvayvle vbl nblq’p lmnlrvksdyz pjkzz yde nayqvpxydpbkr.

Bdqsavwdyvlzu, sdzu Fsdt Fbw pllxle vs byhl vbl xsse vs pyhsa vbl qsse yv vbl vyczl. Mbl svbla vball olal wvvlazu ralsnnwrkle—Ckd Nsw oyp ldvkalzu ycpsacle kd pszhkdt vbl Swckj’p Uwcl, bkp zsdt zltp naspple yp bl zlydle cynj ytykdpv vbl nbyka, obkzl Fsdt Swuw yde Fsdt Fbwyk olal ps sd letl vblu nswzed’v lhld vypvl vbl qsse. Mblka nywvkswp tzydnlp yv lynb svbla xyel kv nzlya vbyv vblu olal oyzjkdt sd lttpblzzp, rascyczu sczkhkswp vs obyv vblu olal lyvkdt.

In this stifling atmosphere, the dining room grew so quiet that it made swallowing difficult.

Finally, after about two minutes, the Rubik’s Cube in Qin Lou’s hands clicked softly as the last layer rotated into place. The cube was now perfectly solved.

He held it up in front of Song Shu with a playful flourish.

“Look, little clam.”

Song Shu paused mid-bite of her bread, glanced at him, and then checked her watch before raising her gaze.

“You’re much slower than before.”

“Really?” Qin Lou flexed his long fingers with a slight frown. “Too long without practice, I guess.”

Song Shu nodded. “You should practice more from now on.”

“Alright.” Qin Lou agreed without hesitation. Leaning slightly over the backrest of Song Shu’s high-backed chair, he asked with a faint smirk, “Even if I was slower, I still solved it—shouldn’t there be some kind of reward?”

“…” Song Shu stared at him blankly for two seconds before responding, “What kind of reward do you want?”

Qin Lou’s eyes lit up. “Anything I want?”

“No.”

This time, it was Qin Lou’s turn to be momentarily stunned. “I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“But I know what you’d say.”

Qin Lou furrowed his brows and turned to look at the two siblings across the table. “Did I just say anything?”

Being suddenly addressed, Song Ruyu and Song Shuai nearly choked on their food. Recovering quickly, Song Ruyu glanced pleadingly at her brother, who braced himself and smiled awkwardly. “Brother, I—I didn’t hear anything either.”

“Tch.” Qin Lou clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

Removing his arm from the back of Song Shu’s chair, he leaned on the snowy white tablecloth, his dark eyes fixed sharply on Song Shuai.
“In a situation like this, you’re supposed to say you heard something.”

“?” Even as someone skilled at buttering up others, Song Shuai couldn’t follow Qin Lou’s logic this time and stared back at him, baffled.

Qin Lou’s lips curled into a cocky smile. Resting his cheek on one hand, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze locked on Song Shu, who was still quietly chewing her food without much expression.

“My little clam is always right—if she says I said it, then I said it. Even if I didn’t, I still did.”

Song Shuai: “…”

He suddenly realized that his ingrained bootlicking tendencies were clearly hereditary. Not only him—Qin Lou in front of Song Shu was even more shameless!

But even with 100 times more nerve, Song Shuai wouldn’t dare say such a thing. He could only chew his bread, which now tasted distinctly like “dog food,” and nod stiffly while forcing a smile.

Meanwhile, Qin Lou had already shifted his attention back to Song Shu.

“Did you really hear what I just said?”

“Not by listening,” Song Shu replied, glancing at him wearily. “Everything you’re thinking is written all over your face.”

Qin Lou laughed. “Oh? What am I thinking? Even I don’t know.”

“…” Song Shu, unwilling to fall into his trap, ignored him and said simply, “Eat.”

“Plenty of time to eat after we settle this.”

Song Shu paused for a moment before turning to him. “Do you really want a reward?”

“…” Qin Lou’s eyes brightened, and he nodded eagerly.

The anticipation on his face left Song Ruyu and Song Shuai feeling conflicted. It had been years since they’d seen Qin Lou behave so docilely, almost wagging his tail for someone. In front of Song Shu, Qin Lou wasn’t the terrifying madman they knew. Or maybe, in some ways, he was even crazier than usual.

Resting her left hand on the table’s edge, Song Shu crooked her finger at Qin Lou, motioning for him to come closer.

“Alright, come here. I’ll give you your reward.”

Without hesitation, Qin Lou dragged his chair closer, leaning in toward her. As Song Shu slowly leaned forward, a certain gleam in his eyes became impossible to suppress.

Just as the wolfish glint in his gaze reached its peak, a fork stabbed into his line of sight, blocking his view. It was topped with a piece of bread.

Before Qin Lou could react, the small piece of bread on the silver fork was pressed against his lips.

He froze in place, while Song Shu maintained a calm expression. “The reward you asked for.”

The feral glint in Qin Lou’s eyes quickly faded, replaced with a visible trace of grievance.

“I don’t want this kind of reward…”

Before he could finish, Song Shu used the fork to push the bread into his open mouth.

“Bite down,” she said flatly, her gaze steady.

Qin Lou’s eyelids drooped dejectedly, but he obediently bit down on the bread.

A faint trace of amusement flickered in Song Shu’s eyes, but she quickly masked it. Retrieving the now-empty fork, she lowered her gaze again and said in an even tone, “The chef today is excellent. Even the bread is delicious. Don’t waste it—enjoy it.”

“…”

Qin Lou, utterly baffled at why his usual “pitiful act” failed to work, mulled over it for several seconds, seemingly reaching a realization.

Still holding the piece of bread between his teeth, he turned toward the siblings across the table.

The abrupt, icy look in his eyes stunned Song Ruyu and Song Shuai. Before they could process it, Qin Lou’s gaze shifted downward toward their plates, and he motioned firmly with his hand, pressing downward in the air.

Song Ruyu was still confused, but Song Shuai immediately understood. He tugged on Song Ruyu’s sleeve.
“Lower your head. Eat.”

Song Ruyu, who had been rigid since entering the dining room, followed the directive robotically. Alongside her brother, she bowed her head and began to eat.

Seeing their compliance, Qin Lou got up and walked over to Song Shu’s chair. He pressed on the backrest and crouched down until he was eye level with her.

Song Shu paused, her fork halting midair. She turned her face quietly, her calm gaze meeting Qin Lou’s, who knelt silently before her with the bread still between his teeth.

Song Shu frowned faintly. “…No.”

Qin Lou remained motionless, saying nothing.

The two stared at each other for several seconds before Song Shu finally gave in. She glanced at the siblings across the table to confirm that neither dared to lift their heads, then leaned slightly sideways.

Her hand rested lightly on Qin Lou’s shoulder as she lowered her head, taking a small bite from the bread still in his mouth.

Familiar with Qin Lou’s tendency to push boundaries, Song Shu immediately tried to pull back after the bite. But it was already too late.

Anticipating her move, Qin Lou’s hand, resting on the back of her chair, dropped to lightly hold her in place. As he tilted closer, the piece of bread—now missing a small bite—was drawn into his mouth by the tip of his tongue. At the same time, he leaned forward slightly and brushed his lips lightly against the faintly flushed curve of hers.

“…Qin Lou.”

By the time Song Shu pulled back, Qin Lou had already taken full advantage. A trace of annoyance flickered in her gaze, and her usually calm, fair complexion now carried an unmistakable blush.

Qin Lou, triumphant, finished the bread. “You were right—the chef’s work is excellent. Sweet and delicious.”

His eyes, still smoldering with restrained intensity, lingered unabashedly on her lips as he spoke.

Song Shu gripped her fork tighter, torn between irritation and helplessness, and looked away.

“Are you mad?” Qin Lou leaned in closer.

“…” Song Shu stayed silent.

Qin Lou reflected for a moment before offering, “I won’t tease you like this at the table again.”

Song Shu shot him a skeptical glance, clearly unconvinced.

“But,” Qin Lou added, “you can’t blame me. You’re the one who indulges me.”

“…”

“You know exactly what I’m going to do, don’t you, little clam?” Qin Lou leaned toward her ear, his tone both amused and tinged with complexity. “If you didn’t give in at the start, I wouldn’t have done anything. But knowing I’d set the trap, you still walked right in. Who’s to blame for that?”

Song Shu gritted her teeth slightly. “It won’t happen again.”

“Ah, really?” Qin Lou’s tone turned faintly dejected.

Song Shu kept her expression neutral. “Acting pitiful won’t work this time. Do you think I’d let my guard down again after what just happened?”

“I don’t know.” Qin Lou’s voice dropped lower as he crouched further, resting his head lightly on her knees and tilting his face up toward her. His handsome features now carried a hint of forlornness. “So next time, you won’t pay any attention to me?”

Song Shu: “…”

After a long pause, she let out a quiet, exasperated laugh, a mix of irritation and amusement.

Not knowing whether she was laughing at herself or at Qin Lou, the girl lowered her gaze, her lips curving into a faint smile. Her eyes held a mix of helplessness and tenderness.

“Fine, you win… madman.”

Qin Lou’s eyes flickered briefly. Song Shu felt slightly uneasy under the increasingly intense and unrestrained emotions in his gaze. She averted her eyes and lightly kicked his calf with the tip of her shoe.

“Let’s eat. Stop messing around. This dinner is on the verge of ruining my appetite.”

Qin Lou was silent for a long moment, gradually forcing the unruly beast within him back into its cage.

Lowering his eyes, he concealed the darkness in his gaze.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

“…”

That dinner left Song Ruyu and Song Shuai almost choking multiple times, to the point where they were halfway to needing a hospital. Song Ruyu had even mentally prepared her long self-reflection speech but found no opportunity to use it.

After dinner, Qin Lou unceremoniously issued a dismissal. He showed no intention of letting them linger even a moment longer.

Song Ruyu wanted to say something, but Song Shuai, having caught on to the atmosphere during dinner, quickly stopped her.

As they got up to leave, Song Shuai suddenly remembered something and turned to Qin Lou.

“Brother, someone from No. 2 High School contacted me recently. They said this Sunday is the school’s anniversary celebration, and there’s a reunion event at the end. They asked if you’d have time to come back to give a speech.”

“A speech?” Qin Lou raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What kind of speech?”

“Uh, probably something along the lines of a successful and accomplished alumni encouraging current students,” Song Shuai scratched the back of his head uncertainly.

Qin Lou let out a soft scoff. “Are they sure I’m a ‘distinguished alumnus’?”

“…” Song Shuai thought back to Qin Lou’s legendary, and not always admirable, exploits at school. He gave an awkward chuckle before honestly adding, “They probably just want to use your name to promote the school. If you’re not interested, I can turn them down for you.”

Qin Lou was about to nod when he paused.

After a brief silence, he lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes gleaming with a sudden spark.
“If it’s a reunion, can I bring someone along?”

Song Shuai was momentarily stunned. “I think so. They didn’t say otherwise. Besides, just having you attend would be a big deal—they wouldn’t refuse such a minor request.”

“Good,” Qin Lou’s lips curled into a faint but intense smile. “Tell them I’ll go.”

“…”

The look in Qin Lou’s eyes sent a shiver down Song Shuai’s spine. Though he couldn’t guess Qin Lou’s intentions, he instinctively felt the need to offer three seconds of silent sympathy to whoever had suddenly caught Qin Lou’s attention.

After Song Ruyu and Song Shuai left, Song Shu walked over to Qin Lou.

“You’re going back to No. 2 High School this Sunday?”

“Yes.” Qin Lou looked at her with a smile. “Little clam, come with me?”

“…Why?” Song Shu asked.

Qin Lou was quiet for a moment before smiling again. “Are you asking why I’m going back, or why I want to bring you?”

Song Shu’s calm gaze swept over him. “Aren’t the reasons for both questions the same?”

“They are.” Qin Lou chuckled softly. “You’ll find out when we go. So, will you come with me?”

Song Shu gave him a faint look. “Do I even have a choice?”

“No.”

“Then why bother asking?”

“To be fair.”

“…”

Song Shu didn’t bother responding further. She turned and started walking upstairs.

Behind her, Qin Lou’s voice trailed after her persistently. “Are you coming or not, little clam?”

“…”

Her figure moved slowly up the wooden staircase. Just as she rounded the corner and her silhouette was about to disappear, a faint reply echoed down.

“I’m coming.”

“…”

Qin Lou lowered his eyes, a quiet smile spreading across his face.

The butler, having observed the entire exchange, finally let a smile slip.

“Just as the young master loves Miss Song Shu deeply, she loves you just as much.”

Qin Lou looked up, his often-wild eyes now soft and full of warmth. “Is that so?”

The butler smiled kindly. “Young master, you already know this. Why ask me?”

“I know, but I still enjoy hearing it from others.”

“Hearing what?”

“Hearing you all tell me that she loves me very much,” Qin Lou said, unable to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

The butler froze briefly before laughing as well. “That’s something you don’t even need to question. Even when the young master asks a rhetorical question, Miss Song Shu can’t bear to let you down. No matter what, she’ll indulge you—no one in this world could possibly love you more than she does.”

Qin Lou lowered his eyes.

“And I feel the same way.”

With that, Qin Lou’s smile deepened. He followed after Song Shu, climbing the stairs step by step.

The butler remained at the base of the staircase, shaking his head with an affectionate smile as the two disappeared upstairs.

“That’s why the mad young master and the little clam Miss Song are a match made in heaven.”

A housemaid pushing a dining cart overheard and glanced up, half-jokingly adding, “Mr. Butler, don’t let the young master hear you. He doesn’t like others calling Miss Song Shu that nickname. If he hears it, he’ll definitely get jealous.”

The butler nodded with a smile, “Yes, yes, I almost forgot.”

“…”

---

Sunday, Q City No. 2 High School’s Anniversary Celebration

The invitation was personally delivered by Song Shuai the day before. The formal honor alumni speech was scheduled for late afternoon, but Qin Lou and Song Shu arrived at No. 2 High School after lunch.

Hearing the news, the school officials hurried to the gate to greet them. By the time the Qin family’s luxury car pulled up and delivered Qin Lou and Song Shu to the entrance, the welcoming party was already waiting with broad smiles.

“Mr. Qin, a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Liu Yusheng, the school’s representative for this event,” a man said, shaking hands with Qin Lou. “I’m in charge of your reception today. If anything isn’t to your satisfaction, please don’t hesitate to let me know, and I’ll address it immediately.”

After finishing, Liu Yusheng turned his attention to Song Shu beside Qin Lou. “And this is…?”

Song Shu was about to reply when Qin Lou spoke first, his voice calm and decisive. “My fiancée, also an alumna from our year.”

“Oh? What a wonderful coincidence,” Liu Yusheng said, surprised but smiling as he extended his hand to Song Shu. “May I ask your name?”

Song Shu lightly shook his hand and withdrew hers, smiling faintly. “No need for formality, Mr. Liu. Just call me Song Shu.”

“Of course. Shall I show you both around the school?”

“…”

Liu Yusheng led them on a brief tour, highlighting several iconic buildings, before concluding.

“The school hasn’t changed much in the past few years, so I hope it still feels familiar to you both,” Liu Yusheng said. “You’ve walked quite a bit already—how about I take you to the event’s lounge to rest?”

Song Shu was about to agree when Qin Lou, who had been uninterested the entire time, suddenly looked up and asked, “Since it’s the anniversary, most of the teachers should be here today, right?”

“Of course,” Liu Yusheng replied, a little puzzled. “Are you planning to…?”

Qin Lou smiled faintly. “I’d like to visit a teacher.”

Liu Yusheng was momentarily stunned but quickly responded, “Ah, you want to see a former mentor? How thoughtful of you. I’m not entirely familiar with the current teacher assignments, though. Could you provide the teacher’s name so I can check with the academic office?”

Without hesitation, Qin Lou replied, “We’ll come with you.”

Liu Yusheng gave him a surprised look but nodded. “Alright. Follow me, please.”

“…”

As Liu Yusheng turned to lead the way, Song Shu glanced at Qin Lou, her expression calm yet questioning.

“This was your real reason for coming back, wasn’t it?”

Qin Lou’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “Mm.”

“In middle school, you barely showed up for classes. Even in high school, you drove most of your teachers crazy. I don’t recall you having any ‘mentors’ worth visiting.”

“…Oh, I have one.”

The smile in Qin Lou’s eyes deepened.

“Though not mine—yours.”

Song Shu looked at him, confused. “Mine?”

Qin Lou chuckled. “Have you forgotten? There was a time I caught your homeroom teacher calling you to the office to warn you to stay as far away from me as possible.”

Song Shu froze.

Her memory was decent, and though she had almost forgotten this incident, his mention brought the scene back to her mind.

After a moment of thought, she sighed softly. “That teacher wasn’t the first to say that to me.”

Qin Lou snorted lightly. “Doesn’t matter. I heard it from him.”

Song Shu sighed again, exasperated. “It’s been years. It didn’t even affect us. Isn’t it petty to hold onto this grudge?”

Qin Lou raised an eyebrow. “You’re just realizing how petty I can be?”

“…”

When Song Shu remained silent, Qin Lou hooked a finger at her playfully and asked, half-teasing:

“So, what should we do when we see him?”

“We?”

“Of course. It’s only fun if we both do something.”

“…Like what?”

“Hmm, let me think.” Qin Lou’s eyes sparkled mischievously as a grin spread across his face. “How about a French kiss right in front of him? Or would that still be too tame?”

Song Shu: “.”

Her usually composed face flushed slightly.

She bit her lip lightly before snapping back at him:

“Can you be a decent human being, Qin Lou?”

---

Sansukini: It’s December 24 now. Do you have any Christmas Wish?

Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк　чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)

You can also check out my other translations Here