Seeing Qin Zishi raise his glass in their direction, Zhou Linlin was taken aback. Qin Qing smiled and nodded in return, though he had no champagne to raise. Qin Zishi narrowed his eyes at Qin Qing, took a sip of his drink, then turned back to Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi, saying something that made everyone laugh. His humor seemed to charm many people, drawing hearty laughter all around. Even Qin Guangyuan and Ji Mingtang, who had been slowly distancing themselves from him, now showed kind smiles.
Qin Guangyuan patted Qin Zishi’s shoulder and said something to Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi. Qin Huaichuan nodded repeatedly, his smile full of relief. Qin Zishi waved his hand with a slight blush, his smile tinged with modesty. Qin Qing didn’t need to read lips to know that these relatives, who had once been his, were now praising Qin Zishi for being filial, capable, and having great potential for future growth. As for the fact that Qin Zishi wasn’t a Qin by blood, everyone seemed to have conveniently forgotten it.
Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi responded politely, one expressionless and imposing, the other smiling warmly yet distantly. The fact that they were standing here patiently was the greatest affirmation and support for Qin Zishi. Who still remembered that this banquet was held for Qin Qing? Who still cared about Qin Qing’s feelings? Qin Qing was supposed to be the star of the banquet, but in the end, he wasn’t even allowed to attend. Qin Qing looked down at the lively, glamorous scene on the first floor, then at the cold, quiet second floor, and sighed.
Two waiters silently walked over and stood at the top of the stairs. They were stationed there to guard Qin Qing; if he tried to go down, they would stop him. No one could expose the fact that Qin Zishi was a fake young master today- not in front of Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi. His reputation was their reputation. Qin Qing smiled mockingly. His originally calm eyes began to gather dark glints.
Zhou Linlin, snapping out of her daze, said fiercely, “Was Qin Zishi just provoking us? Damn it! He stole your life, and now he has the nerve to toast you? Qin Qing, aren’t you angry at all?”
Qin Qing blinked his dimmed eyes and said softly, “Anger is meaningless.”
“Don’t be so passive, okay? Go for it! Seduce Cang Ming away from him! You’re the most handsome person I’ve ever seen. The moment you show yourself, everyone downstairs will be stunned!” Zhou Linlin turned to look at Qin Qing.
A huge crystal chandelier hung from the third-floor ceiling, passing through the second floor. Qin Qing stood right beside it, enveloped in shimmering light. Yet these dazzling light spots were completely reduced to his backdrop. A black suit, a single white rose- such simple attire, yet it exuded unparalleled elegance. Qin Qing shouldn’t be hidden in the darkness like this, enduring such neglect. He should be radiant! Zhou Linlin gave Qin Qing a shove.
Qin Qing caught her wrist and soothed, “Don’t cause trouble.”
Then he crooked his finger at the two waiters standing at the top of the stairs.
The two waiters looked nervous. Qin Qing simply said calmly, “Could you bring us two glasses of champagne?”
The two waiters found two other waiters to guard the stairs, then went down to get the champagne.
Zhou Linlin trembled with rage. “They’re treating you like a prisoner! This is your home! You don’t even have the freedom to show your face? Damn Qin Zishi!”
Qin Qing kept his eyes lowered, his expression calm. Soon, two glasses of champagne were delivered to Qin Qing and Zhou Linlin. Zhou Linlin took a big gulp, while Qin Qing sipped slowly.
He glanced back into the depths of the hallway. As expected, 996, having caught the scent of alcohol, emerged, jumped onto the railing, and asked drooling, “Is the champagne good?”
“Delicious.” Qin Qing smiled mysteriously, then nodded toward the champagne tower downstairs. “Go get yourself a glass. The one in the very center tastes best.”
996 was a bit afraid of Cang Ming, who was standing in the banquet hall, but couldn’t resist the temptation of fine wine. After hesitating for several minutes, it muttered, “I’m going down.”
During those few minutes, a waiter climbed a ladder to refill the champagne tower. A giant birthday cake was wheeled out; the name “Qin Qing,” written in cream, had been hastily scraped off and replaced with “Qin Zishi.”
Qin Huaichuan gently patted Qin Zishi’s back, signaling him to cut the cake. Everyone knew this banquet was for Qin Qing, but everyone had conveniently forgotten. Qin Zishi picked up the knife, cut two slices, and handed them to Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi.
Cang Ming set his cake aside carelessly, his cold face still expressionless. Xu Yizhi accepted the cake with a smile, said “Happy Birthday,” his already handsome face radiating a charming elegance.
Qin Zishi, suppressing his pride, walked to the champagne tower to fetch drinks for the two men. Just then, 996 darted swiftly into the banquet hall, jumped onto the table, and stretched out its chubby paw to steal the glass of champagne from the center of the tower. Qin Qing leaned against the railing, watching the scene with a smile. Then came a clatter of crashing glass, followed by women’s sudden shrieks. The towering champagne tower had inexplicably collapsed. Qin Zishi, standing directly beneath it, was showered with glasses, the ice-cold champagne giving him a thorough drenching.
He stood there dumbfounded, drenched and disheveled. Guests around him retreated in panic, except for Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi, who remained standing. The shattered glasses and flowing champagne seemed to actively avoid these two men. Cang Ming wiped a drop of champagne from his temple with his fingertip, a hint of impatience flashing across his cold brows. Xu Yizhi pulled out a white handkerchief, fastidiously wiped a few drops of liquid from his face, then casually tossed the handkerchief onto a waiter’s tray. Realizing its blunder, 996 slipped away as fast as its legs could carry it. Throughout its frantic escape, the glass of champagne it held in its mouth didn’t spill a single drop. Qin Qing covered his face with his jade-like hand, only his smiling eyes visible above his fingers.
Zhou Linlin: “…Pfft, hahahaha!”
Hearing laughter from the second floor, Qin Zishi looked up. There, Qin Qing raised his glass in a toast from afar. No one could claim that this accident was caused by Qin Qing, who was far away on the second floor. Yet Qin Zishi had that feeling. His pale face flushed red in an instant, and the fury in his eyes nearly burst forth. Everyone present was busy avoiding the spilled wine or calling for cleaners. No one noticed the exchange between Qin Zishi and Qin Qing except for Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi. The two men turned their heads toward the second floor.
Beside the massive crystal chandelier, bathed in radiant halos, stood a person as gentle as moonlight. He leaned lazily on the railing, one hand propping his cheek, the other holding a glass, looking down with a smiling gaze. He took a sip of champagne, and his pale lips took on a soft, moist sheen. Xu Yizhi blinked, then smiled. Compared to his previous warm yet coldly perfunctory smile, this one was far more genuine.
“Did you see that?” he murmured.
Cang Ming gazed expressionlessly at Qin Qing, his voice cold and deep: “Another one.”
Another what? They withdrew their gazes, sharing an unspoken understanding. The fingers holding Qin Qing’s glass were stiff. Only he knew how terrifyingly perceptive and intimidating those two men’s stares were. Were they truly mortal? Was the world’s constant restart really just because of Qin Zishi’s repeated death, or did these two have something to do with it? Qin Qing tilted his head back and drained the glass. 996 dashed up to the second floor with a huge piece of ham in its mouth.
“Holy meow, that nearly scared me to death! You have no idea how terrifying Cang Ming’s gaze is! When I jumped on the table to steal the wine, he seemed to look right at me. But that must be my imagination; he’s just a mortal, he couldn’t possibly see me.” 996 gnawed on the ham while comforting itself.
Only Cang Ming’s gaze was terrifying? That Xu Yizhi, who smiled so gently and beautifully, radiated the same chilling aura. But the little fat cat didn’t seem to have noticed. Was I overthinking? Qin Qing toyed with his glass, contemplating. Zhou Linlin leaned on the railing, cackling uncontrollably. Zhou Yourou, desperate to show off in front of Cang Ming, had also been standing under the champagne tower and got drenched! She’d been convicted of assault and given a suspended sentence; her reputation was already ruined.
“Hahaha, that’s hilarious! Trying to steal the spotlight? Go ahead! What a wonderful spotlight that turned out to be!” Zhou Linlin clapped her hands in glee.
Soaked to the bone, Qin Zishi was led away by Ji Lan. Cutting the birthday cake was supposed to be the grandest moment of the banquet, but the collapse of the champagne tower had rendered the moment somewhat comical. Cang Ming didn’t bother comforting Qin Zishi. He set down his glass and turned to leave. Qin Huaichuan chased after him, apologizing profusely, but couldn’t coax even a hint of a smile from Cang Ming. This man seemed born without any emotions.
Xu Yizhi smiled and said a few farewell words, then unhurriedly walked out of the hall. As for whether Qin Zishi would be upset or needed comfort, they didn’t care at all. Qin Huaichuan stood at the door, seeing them off with utmost respect. When he returned, his expression was darkly grim. The collapse of the champagne tower certainly wasn’t Qin Zishi’s fault, but it was hard not to shift the blame onto him.
The image of Qin Zishi standing dazed under the tower, pelted by countless glasses, was simply too humiliating! The honored guests were gone, the star of the show had made a fool of himself, and the banquet ended in an anticlimax. No one had expected that after such a spectacular entrance, Qin Zishi would leave in such a sorry state.
996, still relishing its ham, finally realized belatedly: “Meow, did I mess up the plot?”
“As long as we got the plot points, what happens after doesn’t matter.” Qin Qing comforted gently.
Somewhat guilty, 996 sniffed the ham under its paws and immediately felt justified again. “Right. As long as we get the plot points, it doesn’t matter if it’s not in the script.”
Unknowingly, it had been brainwashed by Qin Qing’s logic.
“What’s the next plot point?” Qin Qing asked casually.
“The next plot point is—”
Suddenly alert, 996 swallowed the rest of its sentence, looked at its smart brain, and said with ill intent, “Don’t worry about the next plot point. Just focus on doing your work.”
Focus on work? So the next plot point involved work? A supporting character’s work life was never smooth sailing, was it? Qin Qing pondered, then narrowed his eyes. Time passed quickly. Qin Qing had been working at Qin Corporation for over two months. One day, Qin Huaichuan handed him an important project and said earnestly, “I’m ready to promote you, provided you can close this project.”
“What would my position be?” Qin Qing took the folder.
“Vice President.” Qin Huaichuan gave him a deep look.
Qin Qing opened the file and glanced at the title, frowning slightly. This project was difficult; new high-tech products were generally hard to market. But he had to get that Vice President position because he had already said he would protect what rightfully belonged to him. Flowers always anchor themselves to the soil with their roots. This habit never changes, no matter where they grow.
While Qin Qing was thinking, Qin Huaichuan stressed, “Becoming the Qin family’s heir depends on your own abilities. You and Zishi are both candidates. I won’t pave the way for you just because of blood ties.”
“I understand. I’ll close this project.” Qin Qing stood up. “I have the authority to build my own team, right?”
“Who do you want?” Qin Huaichuan frowned.
“I want Zhao Youran.”
“Zhao Youran? He was demoted for plagiarizing someone else’s marketing plan. Are you sure you want him?”
“I’m sure.” Qin Qing nodded firmly.
“Fine. Ask whoever you want. As long as they’re willing to help you, I have no objection.” Qin Huaichuan waved his hand dismissively.
Ten minutes later, Qin Qing called Zhao Youran into his office and said bluntly, “I’ve taken on the POC case. You’ll be my assistant.”
“Are you sure, Young President Qin? POC’s marketing budget is substantial- hundreds of millions, right? Are you sure you want to entrust this case to me? Do you know why I was demoted?” Zhao Youran was incredulous.
“I know. People say you plagiarized Fang Hao’s marketing plan. If it weren’t for that, you’d already be a director.”
“You know that, and you still want me? You should go to Fang Hao. You’re the crown prince; he’d definitely give it his all for you.” Zhao Youran smiled bitterly.
“I don’t need a plagiarist’s help.” Qin Qing shook his head.
“What?” Zhao Youran was stunned.
“I know he plagiarized you, not the other way around. He graduated from Harvard and won many awards, but those credentials don’t prove his talent. He’s a native-born American. He can’t have such deep understanding and insight into our culture. I’ve read his marketing plan. A banana who speaks nothing but ABC- what does he know about poetry and ancient charm? What does he know about the simple, restrained beauty of the East? Others know he plagiarized too, but they don’t call it out, because he’s Qin Zishi’s college classmate, and he has Qin Zishi as his backing.”
Qin Qing looked straight at Zhao Youran and laid out his bait: “Now, I can be your backing too. And I have 100% faith in your character and ability. Close this project, and I’ll make you a director, with a one million annual salary, minimum.”
Zhao Youran clenched his fists, forced to admit he was tempted.
But he suppressed that impulse and said, “I’ll help you, but you have to get my team back. After I was branded a plagiarist, everyone on my team was reassigned. I need them. If we close this project, the whole team gets promoted, not just me. If you can’t accept that condition—”
Qin Qing said decisively, “I can. I promise your entire team will be elevated.”
“Then I have no problem. Once we have everyone, we’ll start work.” Zhao Youran stood up and reached out his hand, barely containing his excitement.
Qin Qing rose and shook it. 996 walked into the office with a cigarette in its mouth, saw the two men shaking hands, and said with a sly smile, “Good luck, you two, meow! I believe in you!” With that, it squinted its green eyes and chuckled deviously.
Qin Qing saw Zhao Youran out, closed the office door, and turned to look at 996, who was puffing smoke rings.
“When did you learn to smoke?” He opened a drawer and took out a pack of cigarettes.
996 lay sprawled on the desk, crossed its legs, flicked ash, and said knowingly, “Learned it from you. It’s easy to pick up bad habits.”
“You adapted pretty quickly.” Qin Qing lit a cigarette and chuckled lowly.
“Monkey see, monkey do.” 996 retorted, then smirked again: “Good luck, meow! You’ll definitely close this project!”
So Qin Qing knew that closing this project would inevitably involve some setbacks. The grueling work began. Although Qin Qing had built a team, he always took charge himself. He might not have a diploma, but he wasn’t incompetent. Nearly nine months of high-intensity study had taught him all the skills and rules of business warfare. He did the research himself, held meeting after meeting, revised the plan again and again, giving his all for this project.
Driven by his example, every member of the team pushed forward with full force. The day before the project presentation, Qin Qing collapsed from exhaustion in his office. Fortunately, everyone had stayed late to work and discovered him lying on the cold floor. The next morning, Qin Qing woke up in the hospital, an IV needle in his hand.
“Back to the office!” He sat up halfway.
“Young President Qin, please rest. The doctor said you’re overworked! Your stomach condition is also serious. I’ll do the presentation. Don’t worry.” Zhao Youran worriedly held Qin Qing down.
“Today is the most important day. I have to be there.” Qin Qing held the IV bag in his hand and walked out in his hospital gown.
Watching his weary back, Zhao Youran felt a mix of emotions. At first, he had thought this project would be entirely his work, with the young president taking all the credit. But the reality proved him wrong. Throughout the project, the young president had worked the hardest and contributed the most. His ability surpassed everyone else’s. If he became the helmsman of Qin Corporation in the future, he would certainly be no worse than Qin Zishi!
What a pointless test! Qin Huaichuan knew nothing about his own son! Someone like Young President Qin didn’t need any test; trusting him was the right thing to do! Zhao Youran caught up and took the IV bag from Qin Qing’s hand. By the time the car arrived at the company, the IV bag was empty. Qin Qing pulled out the needle, straightened his tie, and strode into the lobby with steady steps. No one could tell that just a day earlier, he had been hospitalized from exhaustion. Qin Qing entered the conference room and began his presentation. 996 sat on the podium, grinning widely. It was waiting for another important plot point.
Seeing the little cat’s knowing smirk, Qin Qing expected trouble. But when it came time to sign the contract, nothing unexpected happened. The client looked satisfied, took out the contract, and said simply, “I wish us a happy cooperation.”
“President Li, we’ve always had a happy cooperation.” Qin Huaichuan shook the client’s hand, beaming.
Securing this major project would significantly elevate Qin Corporation’s standing in the industry. With marketing fees in the hundreds of millions this year, growing incrementally in the coming years, profits would roll in. Thinking of this, Qin Huaichuan’s smile grew even brighter. Everyone applauded. Zhao Youran and his team were especially happy; closing this project meant promotions and raises!
“President Li, thank you for your appreciation.” Qin Qing extended his hand.
President Li shook it, a hint of subtle mockery in his eyes. “I’m not appreciating you. I signed this contract because of Qin Zishi’s influence.”
A quiet, contemptuous laugh rippled through the room. President Li tightened his grip on Qin Qing’s hand and continued, “You know, Lanyu Technology is our upstream supplier. Without Lanyu, there would be no POC. Zishi’s influence is something I had to respect!”
The once-lively conference room fell deathly silent.
Qin Qing’s expression didn’t change. “President Li, do you mean you don’t think much of me?”
“Is there anything about you worth appreciating? I heard you only have a high school diploma?” President Li looked Qin Qing up and down, then made a show of slapping his forehead in exaggerated realization.
“Oh, right, your face is quite good-looking.” He nodded toward Qin Huaichuan and joked, “Huaichuan, you should find your son a well-connected girl to marry. That would be his biggest contribution to your family. Don’t laugh; a pretty boy like him, plenty of girls would like him.”
President Li laughed and patted Qin Qing’s shoulder, like a kind elder. But every single word he said was laced with humiliation. Qin Huaichuan couldn’t retaliate, so he could only nod stiffly with a forced smile. in Qing remained silent.
Just then, 996 let out a very loud snicker: “Meow meow meow! I’ve been waiting months for this scene! Qin Qing, the conference room humiliation plot point is completed! 10 points awarded!”
Qin Qing tightened his grip on President Li’s hand and narrowed his eyes. Zhao Youran and the others, who had been jubilant moments ago, now turned pale, their hearts churning with shame and anger. Months of painstaking work on a brilliant marketing plan, and in the client’s eyes, it was worth less than Qin Zishi’s influence? Bullshit! What was Qin Zishi anyway? Did President Li say this on his own, or was he following Qin Zishi’s instructions? Saying such insulting things on such an occasion was utterly despicable!
But regardless of who had said them, those words had already caused a chemical reaction in many minds. Zhao Youran looked worriedly at Qin Huaichuan, and indeed, the man showed a mix of embarrassment and pride. Embarrassing that his biological son had been so belittled in front of a client; proud that his adopted son had such powerful connections. Who should Qin Corporation truly belong to? Qin Huaichuan’s internal scales had likely tipped, hadn’t they?
Zhao Youran turned to look at Qin Qing, a pang of pain in his heart. Having been so publicly humiliated, Qin Qing must be the most hurt of all.
Yet Qin Qing was still smiling. He gripped President Li’s hand even tighter and said slowly, “Are you certain you chose to sign with Qin Corporation to do Qin Zishi a favor, rather than because you were impressed by our marketing plan?”
“A plagiarized team, my tolerance for even having you here is already at its limit. Without Zishi’s influence, I wouldn’t have even glanced at your marketing plan.” President Li winced in pain, but kept up a brave smile.
Zhao Youran clenched his fists, struggling to contain his blazing fury. Such humiliation was simply…
Fang Hao, who was also in the conference room, wore a gloating smile. Hahaha, what a wonderful show. Think you can ride Qin Qing’s coattails to success? Dream on! Look at who’s backing Zishi!
Qin Qing squeezed President Li’s hand once more until the man let out a muffled grunt of painbefore slowly releasing it and nodding with a smile. “I understand.”
No one could glimpse a trace of emotion from his calm eyes. He took the contract, carefully read every clause, found nothing unfavorable, and handed it to Qin Huaichuan.
“Your cooperation will surely be very pleasant.” Qin Qing said meaningfully.
President Li rubbed his slightly reddened wrist, his expression sour. Qin Huaichuan stepped in to apologize and said many flattering words before seeing the client off.
Qin Qing waved at Zhao Youran and the others, speaking lightly: “The project is secured. The promotions and raises I promised will be delivered. Go back now. I’m giving you all a vacation from today. You’ve worked hard these past months. Go home, get some rest, and recharge.”
Zhao Youran wanted to offer some comfort, but Qin Qing raised his hand and waved it slightly. He didn’t say he was fine, didn’t utter a single complaint, just curved his thin lips into a faint smile, as if nothing had happened. Zhao Youran fell silent. He could sense that Qin Qing’s strong heart hadn’t taken this setback to heart at all. In a few days, he would recover.
Everyone dispersed. Qin Huaichuan returned to the conference room, looked Qin Qing up and down, and said flatly, “Don’t take President Li’s words to heart. What he said wasn’t wrong; without Zishi’s connections, such a big project wouldn’t have fallen to us.”
Qin Qing pulled out a chair and sat down slowly, his fingertips lightly brushing over the needle mark on the back of his hand.
“The Vice President position—”
He had barely started when Qin Huaichuan cut him off. “The Vice President position will remain vacant. Zishi will be working at Lanyu for a few more years.”
The implication was clear: the Vice President position would be kept open for Qin Zishi. When he was there, the company was his. When he wasn’t, no one at Qin Corporation could touch anything, including Qin Qing. Qin Qing smiled mockingly and didn’t argue.
“I want to give Zhao Youran and his team promotions and raises,” he proposed a second request.
“Impossible. The project is secured. They can go back to wherever they came from.” Qin Huaichuan refused coldly.
“Without their marketing plan—”
Qin Qing was interrupted once again. “Without their marketing plan, given President Li’s relationship with Zishi, this project would still have been secured. I’ll have Fang Hao handle the rest. You and your team should hand over all documents and materials to Fang Hao’s team.”
Qin Huaichuan walked toward the conference room door, his tone icy. “If I handed my position to Zishi, he would inevitably lead the company to greater heights. You can’t do that. You don’t have his connections or resources. Don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’m thinking of the company.”
So even the right to be heir had been stripped away…
Qin Qing looked up at Qin Huaichuan’s retreating back and said calmly, “I understand.”
Believing his son had truly accepted this, Qin Huaichuan nodded and left the conference room. Deep down, he looked down on this son’s cowardly, non-confrontational nature. But Qin Huaichuan had no idea that the moment he stepped out, a cold, never-before-seen smile appeared on Qin Qing’s face.
“W-why are you smiling like that?” 996, who had keen instincts, suddenly felt uneasy.
In an instant, that cold smile transformed into serene gentleness. Qin Qing covered his frosty, dark eyes with his slender fingers.
“Nothing. I just thought of something interesting.”
He had forgotten to tell 996 that although he was a flower that drifted with the wind, he also possessed sharp, poisonous thorns.
TN: Now that updates for this book have stabelized, I am shamelessly promoting my other translation work, “The Guide to Unrequited Love “. It’s a QT book with a very captivating plot. It has slightly long chapters, so udated will be every two days instead of daily. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there. You can check it out on my profile, or directly through this link:https://freenovels.net/the-guide-to-unrequited-love/
Just vibes, late nights, and coffee keeping this translation project alive. If you want to help fuel the next chapter, Ko-Fi and PayPal are linked below.
