After tidying up, the two of them quickly headed downstairs.
The kitchen had prepared quite a spread.
The three of them ate quietly.
Luo Xiaoman pretended not to notice their relationship, only offering a few polite greetings.
This made Qin Shou breathe a sigh of relief.
This visit had been so sudden that he hadn’t had time to prepare anything.
Once everything was properly arranged, he would come to formally propose.
That would be more appropriate.
By the time they finished eating, night had already fallen.
Su Yu walked Qin Shou to the door.
The two lingered, reluctant to part.
Su Yu threw himself into Qin Shou’s arms, saying nothing.
He contentedly caught his little boyfriend, and took the chance to kiss the soft crown of his head.
They stood there quietly embracing for a while.
Su Yu’s muffled voice came, “Call me when you get home.”
“Tch, I’ll call you as soon as I get in.”
Reluctant to let go, Su Yu tiptoed up and gave the man a kiss on the lips.
Qin Shou’s eyes darkened, narrowing dangerously.
“That’s it?”
Su Yu smiled obliviously.
“Hurry up and get in the car. Be careful on the road.”
Then he was pressed against the car.
Qin Shou, the big boss, pinned him to the car and kissed him thoroughly.
He patted a certain someone’s backside, satisfied. “Go inside, it’s cold out here.”
Fuming, Su Yu wiped his mouth, ears red, and ran off without looking back.
‘Truly adorable’
***
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s.
The weather in the capital grew colder and colder.
The biting northern wind howled, the sky heavy and gray, with not a trace of sunlight.
It had been over a month since the incident with the car.
Qin Old Master put on a show of lying in the hospital for over a week.
When he saw Qin Shou make no move, and Qin Rui still lively as ever, he finally relaxed a little.
A few days later, he packed up and returned to the Qin Family’s old residence.
Qin Shou saw all of this.
The corners of his mouth lifted as he gently swirled the wine in his glass, the red liquid casting a bloody hue in his eyes.
A blizzard was coming soon.
Who knew if his dear grandfather could withstand it?
There were few pedestrians on the street.
The cold wind howled, carrying snowflakes that drifted gently down.
At the lively banquet, Su Yu seemed distracted.
What was Qin Shou doing right now?
Thinking about the Qin Family’s situation, Su Yu felt a bit guilty.
If he’d known, he would have asked him to spend New Year’s at her place.
Meanwhile, at the Qin Family residence.
Everyone was gathered in the living room, but there was none of the usual New Year’s bustle.
Everyone sat in silence, the atmosphere tense and stifling.
A few days prior, the Qin Corporation’s dairy products had been exposed for excessive X-element.
Fortunately, the news had just broken when Qin Rui found someone to suppress it, so it hadn’t spread widely.
They thought it was just a minor incident.
They didn’t expect it was only the beginning.
Over the next two days, more and more food safety scandals from the Qin Corporation were exposed.
One after another, problems emerged, and negative news poured in.
The Qin Corporation’s stock continued to plummet.
Qin Rui was so anxious he developed a mouth ulcer.
The so-called food safety issues that broke online were open secrets in the industry!
For them to be exposed now, someone was clearly targeting the Qin Corporation.
Who else but Qin Shou would want to see the Qin Family fall?
They had planned to use the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve to have a good talk with Qin Shou, but he didn’t show up at all.
And this was far from over.
While the Qin Family gathered in their old house, a video was posted online.
In the video, a man claiming to be a psychologist tearfully confessed to participating in a murder.
Between his words, he clearly implicated the Qin Corporation’s president in murdering his own sister-in-law.
The internet exploded.
People always paid close attention to the scandals of wealthy families, especially when a life was involved.
Soon, X Wave was full of reposts, and some agitated netizens even @-ed the public security bureau on Weibo.
The authorities quickly stepped in, investigating with unprecedented efficiency.
The news broke at dawn, and by noon it was announced online that the suspect who confessed had already been arrested, with the case under urgent investigation.
As time passed, online attention grew exponentially.
By the time the Qin Family realized what was happening, the news had already spread everywhere.
Qin Rui tried to use his connections to get X Wave to scrub the news, but the platform, which usually just took money, was unusually uncooperative this time.
Qin Rui knew this wouldn’t end easily.
Just a few minutes ago, the phone rang at the old residence.
The caller claimed to be an officer from X Bureau, demanding Qin Rui cooperate with the investigation.
Qin Old Master was so furious, he fainted on the spot.
Qin Rui plastered on a smile, trying to calm the agitated crowd.
Only then did the earlier scene occur.
Anyone able to enter the Qin Family’s old house held significant status.
When the news broke online, some quick-witted guests left immediately—this was clearly aimed at Qin Rui, and they weren’t about to get caught in the crossfire.
Those who reacted too slowly and didn’t leave in time could only sit stiffly in the living room, secretly regretting their decision.
Though they didn’t know all the details of what happened years ago, rumors had always circulated.
With Qin Shou absent today and this news breaking online, even a fool could see—a son had come to avenge his mother.
Those who remained exchanged glances, looking with pity at Qin Feng, who sat silently in the corner.
***
Qin Shou hadn’t chosen to stay at home.
All his plans were already in motion.
Watching the stocks plummet on his computer, the rage in his heart was nearly uncontrollable.
His expression was almost twisted.
He knew he was different from ordinary people.
No matter how well he pretended to be normal, that violent impulse inside him was always there, urging him on.
He’d witnessed his mother’s death, seen his relatives’ hypocritical faces, and even his father—who should have been closest—was utterly loathsome.
So loathsome…he wanted to kill him.
With a manic smile, Qin Shou raised his head and downed a mouthful of wine, his fingers trembling as he sent out command after command, so excited that he could barely control himself.
If anyone else had been present, they’d have been frightened by the Qin Shou before them.
The old Qin Shou, though cold and intimidating, had never seemed truly terrifying.
But now—
His face was pale, a flush of excitement on his cheeks, his dark eyes wild, a twisted smile tugging at his lips.
He looked just like a demon crawling out of hell.
This was why he chose to stay at the company.
He didn’t want this side of himself to taint the home he cherished, nor did he want Su Yu to see him like this.
The Qin Family’s stocks had already hit rock bottom.
He’d gathered up all the loose shares on the market, and most of the shareholders had already sided with him.
The Qin Family was firmly in his grasp.
***
The first day of the New Year.
Qin Rui slumped exhaustedly against his chair.
He’d made countless calls throughout the night, owing favors left and right, but he still couldn’t save the declining Qin Family.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
Most people chose to stand by and watch.
Driven to desperation, Qin Rui’s eyes reddened as he pressed a number.
The phone rang mournfully.
After a while, someone finally picked up.
Qin Rui instinctively tightened his grip.
“That thing you mentioned last time—I agree.”
“The condition?”
“Qin Shou’s life.”
“Deal.”
After hanging up, Qin Rui collapsed against the chair, cold sweat soaking his back.
As long as they agreed, Qin Shou wouldn’t escape.
A surge of satisfaction filled Qin Rui’s heart.
Since you won’t let me off, then…you can go die.
***
Su Qingwen hadn’t been having an easy time either.
Not long ago, he’d joined Qin Rui in investing a large sum in a project.
Now that Qin Shou was in trouble, the project was halted, the funds were stuck, and the rest of his business was naturally struggling.
To make matters worse, the Luo Family brothers were pressing him relentlessly.
Taking advantage of Su Qingwen’s weakness, the Luo Family ruthlessly bit a chunk out of the Su Corporation.
Back when the families were joined by marriage, they had many joint projects.
Even after their falling out, these projects couldn’t be separated overnight.
Luo Jianyang was delighted, but still gritted his teeth in hatred.
It was like someone sent him a pillow just as he was dozing off.
With funding tight, Su Qingwen had no choice but to transfer some projects to the Luo Family at a low price for real cash.
Luo Jianyuan didn’t show up.
Luo Jianyang, rubbing his hands with glee, left Su Qingwen waiting for two days before finally meeting him, and even then, only reluctantly.
Su Qingwen was the one in need, so he could only swallow his pride.
The projects Su Qingwen was eager to offload were all previously co-invested with the Luo Family, each side holding half.
Though these projects had a long cycle, the profits were considerable.
Letting go of such a fat piece of meat was painful, but with the Su Corporation in crisis, Su Qingwen had no choice but to cut off a limb to save himself.
The two of them haggled for nearly two hours.
Luo Jianyang refused to budge an inch.
Su Qingwen was so angry his liver hurt, but in the end, he could only grit his teeth and accept the price Luo Jianyang offered.
He’d considered finding another buyer, but the projects required too much upfront capital—few could take them on in one bite.
Those who could, didn’t want to offend the Luo Family by wading into such muddy waters.
With a beaming smile, Luo Jianyang put away the contract and unceremoniously saw Su Qingwen out.
“Take care, Mr. Su.”
Su Qingwen was so furious he nearly spat blood, flinging his sleeve and storming out.
If he stayed any longer, he might really die of anger.