Chapter 49: The Battle Intensifies

Just hearing the words “last night” was enough to drive Lin Xi mad, let alone the rest of his sentence. She struggled to steady herself, her spine taut, and the hand hidden in her pocket clenched tightly into a fist.

It was as if she were being held over burning coals, her skin prickling with pain wherever his gaze touched. “You’re speaking nonsense, Third Brother.”

His expression was dark. “You’re the one speaking nonsense.”

“I…” she began.

He cut her off, “I meant last night.”

Lin Xi was stunned; he did remember what had happened. She dared not meet Qin Yu’s eyes, but they were too familiar with each other. Afraid he’d see through her anxiety, she forced herself to look straight at him.

“I don’t really remember what happened last night,” she said. She had drunk some wine too, though nothing as excessive as Qin Yu—just enough to count as a light drink. At this point, it was the only explanation that could keep things calm.

At first, she had thought about asking Qin Yu what he meant; that kiss had been outrageous. But reason quickly prevailed—what good would it do to ask? She had no desire to become entangled with him; whatever answer she received would be meaningless, only adding to her troubles. It was better to treat it as a simple lapse brought on by drink. She had it all figured out: as long as Qin Yu didn’t remember or pretended not to, just as she would, it would be the best outcome for both of them.

But Qin Yu, stubborn as ever, insisted on making her uncomfortable, deliberately dragging up everything he should and shouldn’t mention. It was infuriating.

Her gaze moved away from the mark on his lips; she knew it was from her own fierce bite the night before, but she refused to admit it.

In the end, Lin Xi fled, spending the entire afternoon outside the laboratory. She had no idea when Qin Yu left Feiyun. When she finished work, she saw in the company group chat that someone had spotted Cheng Si arriving, leaving together with Qin Yu.

—

On the sofa in the private room, Qin Yu sat in the middle, taking a cigarette from Cheng Si’s hand.

“I have to say, Third Brother,” Cheng Si said as he lit his cigarette, analyzing the situation, “you really went overboard this time—kind of lost your head.”

“With that little temper of Lin Xi’s, tsk, you’re lucky she even talks to you.”

The overhead lights flickered, and the man leaned languidly against the chair, his face unreadable in the shadows. Cheng Si stared for a few seconds at the scab on Qin Yu’s lips before quietly looking away.

“To exaggerate a bit, you could usually drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, so why’d you lose your mind last night?”

“This really isn’t like you at all.”

If only Qin Yu had been this direct in previous years, none of these messy affairs would exist now. But, as things stood, this sudden, ambiguous, heavy-handed move on Lin Xi was bound to backfire.

“Nowadays, it’s nothing for people to kiss or even jump into bed after meeting. But Lin Xi isn’t like those other girls.”

At this point, Cheng Si chuckled, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. “Wait, Third Brother, knowing that girl, she should have slapped you after you kissed her last night.”

Cheng Si continued, “She just bit you instead—you got off easy.”

Qin Yu lifted his eyes and gave him a cold look.

Cheng Si wasn’t afraid, laughing so hard he doubled over.

There was a noise at the door to the private room, and Cheng Si’s laughter paused. Seeing who entered, he scoffed, “Well, our esteemed lawyer is back.”

The newcomer tugged at his tie, handed his suit jacket to a waiter, and approached, greeting respectfully, “Third Brother.”

Qin Yu didn’t look up, just tapped his cigarette, gesturing for him to sit.

Cheng Si stretched out his leg and kicked the man’s trouser leg, snapping, “Bai Xu, didn’t you see me?”

Bai Xu ignored him, taking a seat in the empty spot and signaling the waiter to pour him a drink.

Cheng Si snorted, “You’ve got issues.”

After a sip to moisten his throat, Bai Xu replied slowly, “You’re sitting right there—how could I not see you?”

“Seeing me and not greeting—bad habit.”

Bai Xu was the fifth in the family, a renowned partner at one of the country’s top law firms, with offices in both the capital and Hangzhou. Notably, he was an only child, spoiled since birth, indulged by his family into a host of bad habits, and his temper was no better.

Simply put, among their group—aside from Cheng Si and the second brother—none of the others could be considered normal.

The eldest of the Lin family was famously ruthless. Third Brother Qin Yu was the most capable. Bai Xu was the most eccentric; to say he was mentally unstable wouldn’t be far off—he was masterful at manipulating people.

Outsiders might say Cheng Si was a playboy, but compared to Bai Xu, he was nothing—Bai Xu was the real piece of work.

Years ago, Bai Xu was so wild that his family nearly couldn’t keep him out of trouble. Now, he’d reined himself in a bit, appearing respectable.

And then there was Lin Xi—the hardest to deal with. In her younger years, she had the typical temper of a privileged girl, nothing unusual. But after spending time with Qin Yu, she became more and more like him; sometimes, even Cheng Si couldn’t outplay Lin Xi.

He often felt that he and the second brother were too simple and good-natured for this group, utterly out of place.

Regardless, Bai Xu was his fourth brother; cursed as he was, Bai Xu took it meekly, never snapping back. After all, only Cheng Si thought himself harmless, while in everyone else’s eyes, Cheng Si was a fox not to be trifled with.

To hold his own alongside Qin Yu in the capital, it couldn’t possibly be just family connections.

His gaze flicked to Qin Yu, who sat to one side. Bai Xu halted his gesture to toast. “Third Brother, where did you go last night? Looks like… the battle was fierce.”

Like Cheng Si, Bai Xu immediately noticed the mark on Qin Yu’s lips. But having just returned to the capital and not kept in touch with Qin Yu lately, he didn’t know as much as Cheng Si.

Mentioning it made Cheng Si laugh again, “Only you would dare say it—truly fearless.”

“First time seeing Third Brother in a situation like this, I’m just curious,” Bai Xu said with a faint smile, sipping his drink.

He ran through his memory, considering possible candidates, and chose the one he thought most likely. “Was it that Song Ning girl?”

“What made you think of her?” Qin Yu hadn’t replied yet, but Cheng Si was already restless.

Bai Xu still didn’t know the engagement between the families had been called off. “Weren’t Third Brother and she planning to get engaged?”

As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Yu, his tone half-serious, half-mocking, “Third Brother, your taste really is mediocre. That woman’s no good. If you want to marry her, you really need to see an eye doctor.”

In their circle, only Lin Xi and Bai Xu dared insult Qin Yu like this.

Cheng Si had his complaints, but he knew his limits. These two, however, were different. Bai Xu and Lin Xi, though, were not quite alike.

Lin Xi could afford to be fearless. Bai Xu, aside from recklessness, had another tie to Qin Yu: he was Qin Yu’s cousin, his father and Qin Yu’s mother being siblings.

(End of chapter)