Chapter 90: New Year (Part 2)

Return: My Hell and Heaven
Chapter 90: New Year (Part 2)

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Halfway through breakfast, Song Shu and Qin Lou heard the sound of the doorbell from the foyer. A few seconds later, faint voices of conversation drifted in from the direction of the living room, likely after the villa’s main door was opened.

Song Shu paused mid-action. “It seems like we have guests.”

“New Year visitors?” Qin Lou asked.

“Probably,” Song Shu replied, a faint smile rising in her eyes as she thought of something. “Ever since my parents retired, they’ve thrown themselves entirely into social activities. Their network in the country might even be broader than mine now.”

Qin Lou nodded in understanding.

About half a minute later, the dining room door was pulled open, and Mei Jinghan walked in.

“Nan Nan, your dad went to visit a few of your uncles. We have guests for New Year’s greetings at home—finish your breakfast and come out to say hello.”

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Song Shu chuckled softly. “I know you hate these things. We’ll greet them briefly, and then I’ll go upstairs with you.”

Only then did Qin Lou’s expression ease a bit.

When they left the dining room, the living room was lively with chatter.

Mei Jinghan was the first to notice them approaching. She turned and quickly called out, “Nan Nan, Xiao Qin, come over here. This is Aunt Qu and her two daughters—you met Aunt Qu yesterday.”

“Happy New Year, Auntie,” Song Shu greeted the guest sitting on the sofa.

“Ah, same to you!” Aunt Qu, whom they had seen on the path yesterday, quickly nodded with a smile. She then patted the young woman beside her, who was busy soothing a little boy in her arms. “Greet Mei’s daughter, won’t you?”

The young woman, preoccupied with her child, frowned slightly at being prompted but reluctantly raised her head toward Song Shu. “Happy New Year, Miss Qin.”

“Happy New Year,” Song Shu replied with a polite smile.

“And you,” Aunt Qu nudged her younger daughter, who had been staring blankly at the man standing lazily next to Song Shu.

Snapped out of her trance by the nudge, the younger daughter quickly blushed, lowered her gaze, and stammered, “Happy New Year, Sis.”

Song Shu’s gaze flickered briefly before she smiled warmly. “Happy New Year.”

Aunt Qu cast a reproachful glance at her younger daughter before turning back to Mei Jinghan with a smile. “Your daughter and her boyfriend stayed over last night?”

Mei Jinghan nodded. “Yes.”

“How wonderful. I’m so envious,” Aunt Qu said with a sigh. “Even before they’re married, your future son-in-law already spends the New Year at your place. Look at my family—my daughters quarreled for days over whose house to visit for the holiday. In the end, my son-in-law went back to his own home, and my daughter got so upset she brought my grandson here. When my younger daughter gets married, I doubt it’ll be any better.”

Mei Jinghan’s expression turned a bit awkward. She instinctively turned to look at Song Shu and Qin Lou. “…Nan Nan, Xiao Qin, don’t just stand there—have a seat.”

Song Shu glanced at Qin Lou for confirmation. After two seconds of silence, Qin Lou, following Mei Jinghan’s suggestion, led Song Shu to sit on a nearby sofa.

However, the topic Mei Jinghan had deliberately avoided did not end. Aunt Qu, seeing Qin Lou and Song Shu take their seats, grew even more curious and turned to Qin Lou. “Your surname is Qin too, isn’t it?”

Without much emotion, Qin Lou glanced at her and responded dully, “Yes.”

Aunt Qu wasn’t bothered and instead grew more intrigued. “How did you convince your parents to spend the New Year at your girlfriend’s place?”

“…”

A faint smirk tugged at Qin Lou’s lips as he seemed to recall something. He turned his gaze to Song Shu, seated beside him.

Song Shu frowned slightly at Aunt Qu’s question, about to say something, but Qin Lou’s voice interrupted her—

“My parents are both dead. There was no need.”

His tone was casual, and his refined, handsome face carried a hint of nonchalance, almost as if he found the topic amusing. No one except Song Shu had expected such an answer in that manner.

The three Qu family women were stunned.

Mei Jinghan quickly recovered, frowning slightly as she looked helplessly at Song Shu across the room.

Song Shu lowered her gaze, remaining silent.

—Qin Lou had always been willful. And when it came to harmless matters, Song Shu had always indulged him.

Perhaps knowing this, Qin Lou became particularly unrestrained whenever she was around.

In the brief silence that followed, the quietest of the three Qu women, the younger daughter, hesitantly broke the ice. She looked at Qin Lou with a mixture of hesitation and sympathy. “Did your parents pass away in an accident?”

“…”

Qin Lou hadn’t expected anyone to follow up on his statement. Irritation flickered in his eyes, but out of consideration for Mei Jinghan’s presence, he suppressed his frustration.

He raised his eyes to look at the young girl who had asked. Her face was slightly flushed, her expression both expectant and sympathetic as she awaited his answer. Qin Lou scoffed lightly and averted his gaze. “I don’t know. I’ve been an orphan since I was three or four.”

“…”

His response made the young girl’s gaze turn even more sympathetic, her eyes glistening as though she were about to cry.

Aunt Qu finally regained her composure and sighed. “Ah, no wonder you’re spending the New Year here. It’s such a pity to be so young and have no family.”

“‘No wonder’?” Qin Lou’s sharp tone returned as he raised an eyebrow. “I’m here for no other reason than to be with my little clam. Wherever she is, I’ll be. It doesn’t matter who else is around.”

“…”

The Qu family women froze, stunned by the sudden defiance and sharpness of the seemingly harmless young man.

Song Shu remained as indulgent as ever, while Mei Jinghan was the first to react. She gave the two of them a helpless glance and stood up, gesturing toward the back door of the villa. “Old Qu, didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to ask about the flowers in my backyard? Come, let me show you. Let the young ones chat on their own.”

“Oh, oh, okay.” Aunt Qu stood up awkwardly but still reminded her daughters, “Be polite while chatting, alright? It’s New Year’s—don’t upset the hosts.”

Though her final words were spoken in a softer tone, Qin Lou and Song Shu, both with sharp hearing, caught them clearly. Neither, however, reacted.

As Mei Jinghan and Aunt Qu left, the younger Qu daughter couldn’t resist glancing at Qin Lou again. “Mr. Qin… and Miss Qin, what do you both do for work?”

Song Shu didn’t reply—she knew Qin Lou’s mischievous nature all too well. At times like this, it was best to let him have the stage.

Sure enough, Qin Lou chuckled softly the next second, wrapping an arm around Song Shu’s waist. “My little clam is an investor.”

The younger Qu daughter’s eyes flickered, and she stared at Qin Lou uneasily. “And you, Mr. Qin?”

“Me?” Qin Lou laughed quietly, “I work for her.”

Song Shu: “…”

Even the elder Qu daughter, who had been focused on soothing the child in her arms, now raised her head, her gaze brimming with curiosity about the “unspoken dynamics” of a boss-subordinate relationship.

The younger Qu daughter’s smile grew more strained. “Oh, so Miss Qin is really impressive.”

The elder Qu daughter stared at Qin Lou and Song Shu for a moment longer, her expression increasingly puzzled. Finally, she spoke up. “…Are you really surnamed Qin?”

“Elder Sister?” The younger daughter looked surprised. Her sister had been reluctant to socialize all morning, yet she was now voluntarily asking questions.

The elder sister snapped out of her thoughts and introduced herself. “I work in finance as well. I just suddenly felt… the two of you seem familiar. Especially Mr. Qin.”

The younger sister whispered, “Maybe you’ve worked together before? You don’t have to ask right now, though.”

The elder sister ignored her and continued looking at Qin Lou and Song Shu. “May I ask… do you work at Vio Capital?”

“Vio Capital? Is that the super impressive investment firm you mentioned before, sis?” The younger sister froze.

“Yes, the one I told you about,” the elder sister replied, glancing at her sibling with a meaningful expression. “I also mentioned that the chairman and CEO of Vio is a legendary young man, just a year older than you—and coincidentally, his last name is also Qin.”

The younger sister’s face changed. She recalled her sister talking about Vio Capital and knew how formidable the company was in the financial world. If the man before her was truly…

“Ha, you’re joking, right, sis?” She turned her head, forcing an awkward smile. “Mr. Qin clearly said he works for Miss Qin. How could he possibly be the chairman of Vio that you’re talking about?”

The elder sister had already turned back. “I only said Mr. Qin looks a bit familiar. Vio’s Mr. Qin is quite mysterious; there are very few photos of him in public. I’ve only had the rare chance to see a blurry one—that’s why I felt there was some resemblance. If I’m mistaken, I apologize.”

“…”

The living room fell silent.

The unspoken implications of the conversation made the younger sister’s expression grow increasingly uneasy as she looked at Qin Lou in disbelief.

Qin Lou frowned and turned to Song Shu. “What do we do, little clam? I’ve been exposed.”

Song Shu glanced at him with little emotion. “Deal with it.”

Seeing that playing the victim wasn’t working, Qin Lou obediently turned back.

By now, the sisters had no doubt about the truth. After a few seconds of awkward silence, they struggled to process the revelation. Finally, the younger sister forced a complicated smile. “Mr. Qin, you really enjoy joking. How could someone managing such a massive company and its assets say they work for Miss Qin?”

“Because I do work for her,” Qin Lou said without hesitation. “Everything I have belongs to her—Vio included, as well as myself.”

“…”

The younger sister could no longer ignore the deeper meaning in Qin Lou’s words. The smile faded from her face as she looked at Song Shu with a complicated expression, forcing a stiff joke:

“Miss Qin must have saved the universe in her past life to be this lucky… truly enviable.”

“Envious of what?” Qin Lou’s eyes turned cold. “This is what she deserves.”

Song Shu immediately noticed the sharp shift in Qin Lou’s mood. She frowned slightly and called out, “Qin Lou.”

But once a madman’s temper flared, it was hard to stop. Qin Lou’s gaze was icy as he looked at the younger sister. “I hate it when people describe her like that—like being with me is her good fortune. You don’t know us. You don’t even have the right to comment on our lives as bystanders. What gives you the right to say she’s lucky? How do you know that, in this relationship, the truly lucky one isn’t me but her?”

“…”

The Qu sisters were stunned by Qin Lou’s sudden outburst.

After a few moments of shock, the child in the elder sister’s arms began crying loudly, startled by Qin Lou’s raised voice.

This snapped them back to reality.

Realizing the situation had become too uncomfortable, the elder sister apologized awkwardly while soothing the child. She quickly dragged her younger sister out of the room.

The living room returned to silence.

Song Shu sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples in exasperation. “When my mom comes back, let me handle the explanation. Don’t say a word.”

Qin Lou seemed to come to his senses and looked at Song Shu with a pitiful expression. “Did I mess up my first New Year’s visit to my future mother-in-law’s house?”

Song Shu glanced at him, her expression clearly saying, You think?

Qin Lou looked even more pitiful.

—From an intimidating madman to a meekly remorseful puppy, it took him less than five seconds to switch gears.

Song Shu chuckled in exasperation. “Every time I indulge you, it always leads to some trouble, but I never seem to learn.”

Qin Lou’s eyes lit up.

Song Shu sighed softly. “Or maybe I do, but I just can’t bear to see my little madman suffer.”

Qin Lou paused, then smiled. “Standing with a madman will make people dislike you, little clam.”

“Then let them dislike me,” Song Shu said, her eyes curving into a faint smile. “Even if the whole world despises me, I’ll always stand with my madman.”

Qin Lou’s eyes flickered.

After a moment, he leaned in, about to kiss her, but she dodged him.

“One thing you still need to reflect on,” Song Shu said, her expression slightly stern. “Getting angry at adults is one thing, but there was a child present just now. Children aren’t like adults—what if you scared them so badly that something happened? How would you take responsibility?”

“…”

After a long silence, Qin Lou finally muttered, “That’s another reason not to have kids… I can’t stand them.”

Song Shu chuckled at the memory. “Yes, I noticed. You used to bully Song Shuai and Song Ruyu horribly when they were kids.”

Qin Lou turned to look at her. “Except you.”

Song Shu froze for a moment, then smiled. “When I first came to the Qin family, you were pretty hostile toward me too, weren’t you?”

“Did I ever bully you?”

Song Shu thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. You were strange, though. Before entering the main house, you even threatened me, but the moment we stepped inside, you changed.”

“…”

Qin Lou smirked. He reached for Song Shu’s hand, lightly grasping her fingers and lifting her hand to his lips. He kissed the ring on her finger.

As his lips touched the ring, he chuckled softly.

“That day, when I saw you from the second-floor window, I realized you were…” Qin Lou paused, laughing again. Keeping her hand in his, he looked up at her with his teasing, sparkling eyes. “The most interesting toy I’d ever seen.”

Song Shu tilted her head, smiling faintly. “What kind of toy? A doll?”

“Mm. A doll that seemed indifferent to everything, silent and expressionless,” Qin Lou said, narrowing his eyes slightly as if recalling something. “From the very beginning, you were different from everyone else.”

Song Shu tilted her head. “Hm?”

Qin Lou continued, “I hate other people, especially those whose thoughts are transparent, their hidden depravity unmissable… whether adults or children, they’re all the same. They all have something they want, and no matter how hard they try to hide it, that desire reaches out through their eyes.”

“…”

Song Shu thought for a moment before speaking. “But not all desires are negative, are they?”

“Such as?”

“For example, the younger Qu sister earlier. At first, she felt sympathy for you and wanted to help you.”

Qin Lou chuckled derisively. “She’s no different. She’s like so many others I’ve encountered—her sympathy and desire to help come with a price tag. The moment you tell her, as I just did, that I belong to you and there’s no way for her to have me, she’ll back off. That’s how it always is, even when it’s dressed up as ‘love.’”

“…” Song Shu fell silent.

She couldn’t deny that Qin Lou was right. Girls like the one earlier, who extended sympathy and love to someone like Qin Lou, were not rare. But they all sought something in return.

Behind those gestures of kindness, there was almost always a desire to possess him.

Perhaps sensing her silence, Qin Lou stopped and looked up. His deep, dark eyes were unreadable.

“But you’re different from them.”

Song Shu snapped out of her thoughts and gave him a faint smile. “Am I? I’ve never claimed to be.”

“I’ve said before, I’m incredibly sensitive to this. From the very start, I knew you weren’t like them. You have no desires.”

Song Shu sighed softly. “Having no desires isn’t normal.”

“Exactly.” Qin Lou let out a low laugh. “That’s why you and I—we’re not normal.”

“…”

“Once I realized you were like me, I became curious about you. I couldn’t help wanting to tease you, to draw out more words or emotions from you,” Qin Lou said with a wicked smile. “I even thought that once you became like everyone else in my hands, I’d discard you—just like I’ve done with all the other toys I’ve broken.”

Song Shu lowered her eyes and smiled faintly. “Then should I thank you for sparing me?”

Qin Lou’s smile slowly faded.

“No,” he said softly. “It was you who made me like them—someone with desires.”

Song Shu froze slightly.

Qin Lou tightened his grip on her hand, and the depths of his pitch-black eyes held an intensity that sent a shiver through her.

“You are my entire desire, Song Shu.”

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Sansukini: Wow! 10 chapters left. 2 for the main story and the rest are extras.

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