You're so sweet (GL) - Chapter 23

Su Jingwan and Qin Ziyuan walked over to chat with the boss of a collaborating company. During several breaks, Qin Ziyuan glanced at Qin Luo in the distance, who looked like a beautiful, delicate flower, with a thoughtful expression. After a while, he looked at Su Jingwan next to him, with a hesitant look.

“Just say what you want to say.” Su Jingwan clinked glasses with the person next to her, then turned back to Qin Ziyuan. Qin Ziyuan’s gaze was not concealed, and she naturally saw it.

“I’m just wondering, does my sister have some extraordinary qualities?” Qin Ziyuan was not joking; he was genuinely curious. If Qin Luo didn’t have something remarkable about her, why would Su Jingwan treat her so differently?

It was well known that Su Jingwan was consistently aloof, rarely taking the initiative to talk to people, unless there was a benefit to be gained or the person was particularly special.

She usually ignored him, and they had known each other for over twenty years.

Qin Luo was just a young girl. Even with the Qin family name, there was still a social status gap between her and Su Jingwan. What benefit could she offer? The former was impossible, so it could only be the latter. But as for the latter… so far, his sister seemed to have no special skills or talents other than being pretty. She couldn’t be considered special.

Qin Ziyuan wasn’t sure. After all, Su Jingwan’s attitude just now was very strange, leading him to suspect that he might have been too prejudiced against this half-sister and overlooked something.

It couldn’t just be because of her looks. There were many other beautiful women who looked like Qin Luo. She wasn’t that rare.

“Can’t you see it yourself?” Su Jingwan smiled faintly.

“If I could see it, I wouldn’t be asking you.” Qin Ziyuan was not annoyed. He humbly asked, “If she has some capability, I’ll send her directly to the Qin headquarters, lest she thinks I, as her brother, am blind to talent.”

Although he had known Su Jingwan for more than twenty years, it still took immense effort to guess her thoughts. Qin Ziyuan thought of the balding uncles around him and decided it was better to use his brain less.

“You’ll know in the future,” Su Jingwan slightly tilted her neck and sipped her red wine.

Qin Ziyuan knew it wasn’t easy to pry anything out of Su Jingwan. Hearing her reply like this, he knew there was no hope. He wasn’t in a hurry, thinking, If she won’t say it, then so be it. It’s not like I can’t ask the person herself.

Qin Ziyuan glanced at Qin Luo in the distance again. She was standing next to Chen Zifei, her eyes docile, yet her appearance was so striking that she easily overshadowed everyone around her. The mix of obedience and brilliance didn’t seem out of place, much like the woman he had met back then, the one who almost became his stepmother.

Speaking of which, the Old Lady of their family had been quite concerned about Qin Luo recently. It was one thing to say she should join the company last time, but this time, she even asked Chen Zifei to bring her here, clearly intending to introduce her to people in their circle, letting others know that the Qin family had this girl.

The Old Lady was also a person who liked to deliberate before acting. She wouldn’t be doing this just for the sake of a bl00d relationship; otherwise, she would have brought her back to the Qin family more than ten years ago. Qin Ziyuan seemed to have thought of something, slightly narrowed his eyes, and didn’t speak again.

Many different people attended this birthday party. The host divided the dinner seating based on status, position, and closeness of relationships. Chen Zifei’s seat was not in the same area as Qin Ziyuan and Su Jingwan. Qin Luo didn’t have her own invitation; she came as Chen Zifei’s female companion, so naturally, she sat with him.

According to her observation just now, Chen Zifei didn’t seem to have much malice toward Qin Ziyuan, nor toward Su Jingwan. His words and actions were polite and impeccable.

Could it be that she misjudged him earlier? No, definitely not. Qin Luo was very sure she wasn’t blind. Chen Zifei’s reaction earlier was obvious enough. How could she have misjudged him? But if she hadn’t misjudged him, then Chen Zifei must be covering it up now, perhaps because there were more people here, unlike outside earlier, where people’s attention was focused on Su Jingwan and Qin Ziyuan.

Speaking of Su Jingwan and Qin Ziyuan, they actually came to the birthday party together. Who would believe that they had no relationship? How could Qin Ziyuan be so capable? He was drunk and passed out last night, and now he could show up again.

Qin Luo sat in her seat, looking down at the wine glass in front of her. Her position was quite strategic; she could see Su Jingwan and Qin Ziyuan just by raising her eyes. They were currently sitting together chatting. Their backs alone were inexplicably well-matched.

In fact, ever since Su Jingwan appeared, Qin Luo seemed to see her everywhere she looked, even though Qin Luo didn’t want to look at all.

She really didn’t want to see it. Who wanted to watch Su Jingwan talking to someone else? Qin Luo angrily swirled the red wine glass in front of her.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Luo?” Chen Zifei handed her a glass of orange juice, took away the wine glass in front of her, and said with a smile, “It’s better for young ladies to drink juice.”

“…Thank you, Cousin,” Qin Luo replied speechlessly. Young lady drinking juice, my foot. When she was hanging out at bars in Luocheng, this gentleman probably didn’t know if he was still studying in his ivory tower.

Chen Zifei’s every move could be described as gentlemanly and considerate, but since they weren’t familiar with each other, his actions inevitably felt too deliberate. She didn’t know if it was his nature or if he had ulterior motives.

This was their first meeting today, and their bl00d relationship was extremely distant. There was really no need for this.

Compared to him, Qin Luo actually preferred getting along with people like Qin Ziyuan. Everyone knew what was going on, and there was no need to pretend to be familiar.

However, this didn’t change the fact that Qin Ziyuan was a scumbag.

Chen Zifei didn’t pay much attention to Qin Luo’s absentmindedness and spoke to himself, “Are you bored? It’s like this every time you attend such a banquet. In a crowded setting, only one or two people get noticed. As for everyone else, they will be bored. Unless…”

Unless? Chen Zifei’s subsequent words were very soft, as if he were talking to himself. Although Qin Luo didn’t hear clearly, it didn’t prevent her from imagining things. Chen Zifei looked gentle and refined. He probably wasn’t as calm and collected as he appeared on the surface. But what did it have to do with her? Qin Luo chuckled.

“By the way, are you and Miss Su on good terms, Xiao Luo?” Chen Zifei suddenly asked.

“Huh? Me and Miss Su?” Qin Luo thought she had misheard. Since when were she and Su Jingwan on good terms? Why would Chen Zifei ask that?

Even as she complained in her heart, Qin Luo pondered the meaning behind Chen Zifei’s question. She blinked and said, “Brother and Miss Su are the ones with the good relationship.”

Chen Zifei’s expression changed slightly, then he smiled faintly. “I was a little surprised to see Miss Su actively talking to you today. She usually doesn’t do that.”

“Huh?” Qin Luo didn’t understand. What did Su Jingwan do just now? Didn’t she just deliberately provoke her? What was so rare about that?

Speaking of which, Qin Luo started to feel annoyed again. This Su Jingwan always flirts and then runs off, and her words are irritating. She was truly annoying.

Of course, Qin Luo was even more annoyed at herself for being so irresistibly drawn to such a Su Jingwan. Had she never seen a beautiful woman in eight lifetimes? She was so pathetic. Couldn’t she be a little colder and stop looking at her all the time?

“Xiao Luo, you haven’t been in JC for long, so you might not know about Miss Su. She is famously aloof, and her relationship with the main Su family is generally just okay,” Chen Zifei changed the subject. “But maybe it’s because you are Brother Ziyuan’s sister. Miss Su loves the house and the crow.”

“???” Qin Luo’s head was full of question marks. Su Jingwan loves the house and the crow for her sake? What the heck? Qin Luo strongly suppressed her inner irritation. Just as she was about to refute, she suddenly noticed a strange hostility in Chen Zifei when he talked about Su Jingwan.

Chen Zifei seemed to dislike Su Jingwan. That shouldn’t be right. With all due respect, Su Jingwan’s looks were the type that appealed to both men and women. How could Chen Zifei possibly dislike her, unless Chen Zifei was gay?

If he really was, did he dislike Su Jingwan because she stole his man?

Otherwise, why would he be like this? Su Jingwan had only spoken one sentence to her, and Chen Zifei couldn’t help but come over to plant seeds of doubt. The resentment must have already hit the red zone.

Thinking this way, Qin Luo calmed down quite a bit and even had the mood to talk nonsense with Chen Zifei. “Yes, if Miss Su really becomes my sister-in-law in the future, it’s good to get along with her beforehand. We can take care of each other more in the future.”

She didn’t know if Chen Zifei was disgusted, but she certainly was.

Chen Zifei twitched his lips, about to speak, when the lights in the hall dimmed. The host of the banquet finally came out.

On the way here, Qin Luo had learned that the person celebrating his birthday this time was Li He, the head of the Li family in JC. This Li He had some connections with Qin Luo’s father, and the two groups still had a collaboration, which was why Qin Ziyuan made a special trip.

She didn’t know how Chen Zifei also got an invitation.

Li He and his son, Li Xiuqi, took turns giving speeches. Qin Luo couldn’t be bothered to listen to these high-sounding platitudes. Li He’s speech was shorter than Li Xiuqi’s. When he finished and stepped down, Qin Luo noticed someone walk over and whisper something in his ear, and Li He’s expression changed.

Although she noticed this, Qin Luo wasn’t very interested. She yawned, planning to eat something and then go back to sleep.

Su Jingwan and Qin Ziyuan would probably go back together then. Sigh. If it were anyone else, she would have rushed over to snatch the person away by now. But Su Jingwan was not just anyone. Su Jingwan already had a partner, and she had no power to exert.

In the second half of the banquet, Li He seemed unwell and didn’t appear again. It was normal; at over sixty, he wasn’t as young as thirty or forty, and his body could easily get tired. In any case, the purpose of the banquet had more or less been achieved. Most of the people at the banquet were chatting happily, a successful social event.

“I heard they originally wanted to reveal the Li family’s illegitimate son, but who knew the illegitimate son disappeared halfway through? The Li family is currently looking for him.”

“Disappeared? Was he set up by someone? The water is very deep in the Li family.”

“…” Qin Luo was in a restroom stall and didn’t expect to hear such gossip. She couldn’t help but feel speechless. Why did the Li family also have an illegitimate son? Had everyone agreed on this? It was just, very speechless.

Moreover, why would a living person suddenly disappear? Family drama? Wasn’t there surveillance everywhere now? How could they not find the person? Qin Luo waited for the people outside to leave before stepping out of the stall. She washed her hands and planned to return the way she came, but she felt more and more lost. She couldn’t find her way back to the main hall.

The layout of this Li family villa was problematic. Why did they design everything to look so similar? Qin Luo tried to find a memorable landmark, but after trying for a long time, she just couldn’t find one.

Did she take the wrong direction? Qin Luo thought. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard the sound of an argument coming from the stairs.

“How did you get here? Come with me.”

“It’s none of your business, Qin Ziyuan. Let go of me now.”

“…” Qin Luo. Qin Ziyuan, that scumbag, is ‘forcibly kidnapping a man’ here! This scene felt familiar, and Qin Luo was a little excited. She immediately pulled out her phone from her purse and turned on the video recording function.

If Qin Ziyuan dared to do anything shady, she would make him pay the price—Ugh, when Tiantian suggested this, she was disdainful. But what could she do? She realized she really liked Su Jingwan. She liked her in every way. Giving up now might be very difficult. So, why not make a big move? If she could record evidence of Qin Ziyuan cheating, she would use it to test Su Jingwan’s attitude.

More accurately, it was to make herself give up hope. If Su Jingwan still didn’t mind Qin Ziyuan’s behavior, it meant Su Jingwan truly loved Qin Ziyuan, to the point where she could turn a blind eye to these things. In that case, Qin Luo felt she could give up sooner, to avoid dragging it out and making things messier later.

Thinking about it, this method was a bit despicable, but who cared? It was Qin Ziyuan’s fault for being a jerk.

The two people walked directly to the outdoor balcony. The lights on the second floor were all turned off, leaving only a few hanging lights adjusted to a warm orange color. It was easy for someone to hide. Qin Luo walked over and leaned against a corner of the curtain. Using the vintage hanging lights outside, she clearly saw Qin Ziyuan and another person, the waiter she had seen at the bar before.

Qin Luo’s pupils contracted slightly. It really was him. She was only slightly surprised.

Earlier, when she was in the main hall, she had seen a familiar figure flash past the corridor on the second floor. At the time, she thought she had seen it wrong, but it really was the waiter.

How could a waiter be here? Looking at the clothes he was wearing, he didn’t look like he was working a part-time job. He must be a guest. The people the Li family invited this time were all wealthy or powerful. It was surprising that this waiter could come. And he had just appeared on the second floor. Qin Luo’s mind flashed back to the gossip she heard in the restroom earlier, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

It shouldn’t be what she was thinking, right? Could this young man be the legendary illegitimate son that the Li family just acknowledged? Qin Luo felt like her thoughts were not good. She seemed to foresee the love-hate rivalry among the heirs of several major families in JC.

“Fang Chu, why are you here?” Qin Ziyuan pulled the person into a corner and scanned Fang Chu from head to toe, as if to confirm he was completely intact and undamaged. Seeing that the person in front of him was fine, Qin Ziyuan slightly breathed a sigh of relief, and his temper flared up again. “Did you follow me here?”

Fang Chu heard his words, incredulously shook off Qin Ziyuan’s hand, and took a step back. “Mr. Qin, please have some self-respect. I did not follow you here.”

How could the person who was sleeping so gently last night say such hurtful words? Fang Chu felt a deep bitterness in his heart.

Qin Ziyuan saw Fang Chu’s unhappy expression and realized his question was a bit excessive. He opened his mouth but didn’t know how to explain. “That’s not what I meant. I just…” He was just worried that the innocent Fang Chu would be targeted by someone.

“You don’t need to explain, Mr. Qin. I know what you mean. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind of person who lacks self-awareness. I won’t cling to you,” Fang Chu said coldly.

Qin Ziyuan felt a headache, and his internal irritation grew, but he forcibly suppressed it. What’s wrong? Couldn’t they just talk properly? Why did it have to be like this every time recently? “Calm down first. I don’t want to argue with you.”

Fang Chu scoffed. He was as calm as could be, but in Qin Ziyuan’s eyes, he was always throwing a tantrum. “Mr. Qin, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”

Fang Chu finished speaking, turned to leave, but Qin Ziyuan pulled him into his arms. Qin Ziyuan was about 188 cm tall, and hugging the waiter, who was over 170 cm, made them look like they were tightly interlocked from a distance.

“Let go of me,” Fang Chu struggled in panic, but it was useless.

Qin Ziyuan slightly bent down, pressing his cheek against the side of the person in his arms, slowly moving down to his lips and rubbing them gently. “If you don’t want to calm down, then let’s go crazy together, Xiao Chu.”

Qin Luo, who was secretly watching outside, was instantly made jealous by the scumbag Qin Ziyuan. Her hand holding the phone trembled. Suddenly, she didn’t know whether to continue. What was the point of recording this? She definitely didn’t want to watch it again, and she couldn’t imagine what kind of expression Su Jingwan would have when she saw this.

Could it be that they are true love? Qin Luo naturally wouldn’t object to others finding true love, but what kind of idiotic “true love” was this, achieved by trampling on a third person’s heart? Didn’t they worry about being immoral?

Who could stand this? Qin Luo’s mind was racing. She looked down and suddenly saw a shadow next to her feet. Her heart seized up. She abruptly turned her head, and before she could scream, someone covered her mouth and pushed her against the curtain.

The curtain swayed with the movement. Qin Ziyuan outside noticed it keenly. His eyes darted over like arrows. He almost simultaneously shielded the unsteady Fang Chu in his arms, but hearing no sound, he remained silent for a moment, assuming it was just the wind.

“Shh, don’t let your brother find out.”

Qin Luo’s eyes widened. She stared at Su Jingwan, who was half-leaning on her, completely stunned. What was going on? How did Su Jingwan appear here? Oh no, did she also see Qin Ziyuan kissing someone else? What should she do? Su Jingwan must be very sad…

Qin Luo’s eyes seemed to speak, and any emotion could be clearly displayed. Su Jingwan lowered her eyes and gazed at her, suddenly reaching out to stroke her eyelashes. “What’s wrong? Are you scared silly?”

She looked like she was about to cry from fright.

Su Jingwan didn’t think she looked particularly fierce, but at this moment, she felt a bit like a bad older sister bullying a young girl.

Qin Luo composed herself and whispered, “How are you here?”

“Why not?” Su Jingwan asked in return. In fact, she had left something in the lounge on the second floor and came up to retrieve it, only to unexpectedly run into a certain little cat hiding behind the curtain, secretly watching others date.

Qin Luo was speechless. Why not? It was Su Jingwan’s freedom to go anywhere. She had already seen Qin Ziyuan, so she must know what was going on outside, but Su Jingwan still looked calm, not even seeming angry.

This reaction seemed abnormal, didn’t it? Were Qin Ziyuan and the other person still there? How could Su Jingwan be so calm after seeing her boyfriend kissing someone else? Qin Luo wanted to turn her head to look out the window, but a hand stopped her movement.

“Su Jingwan?” Qin Luo was slightly stunned. What did Su Jingwan mean? Why was she stopping her?

Su Jingwan looked out the window at the two people who were still passionately embracing and whispered, “Little friend, don’t look around.”

“Who’s a little friend?” Qin Luo jutted her chin out at Su Jingwan. She was very angry. Su Jingwan was only a few years older than her, and she had the nerve to call her a little friend. Why couldn’t she look? She had watched the whole thing just now, okay?

The two of them were already close together. With Qin Luo’s movement, their bodies inevitably moved even closer. The woody scent on Su Jingwan’s body awakened the memory of Qin Luo bumping into her arms last time. Their current distance was like that of a couple tightly embracing. Realizing this, Qin Luo’s heart fluttered slightly, and her heart rate immediately became erratic.

Su Jingwan lowered her head, glanced at the person who seemed to be asking for a kiss, and her tone carried a hint of subtle indulgence. “Fine, then big friend.”

Big what? Not knowing what she was thinking, Qin Luo’s cheeks flushed. She was really going to be driven crazy. Qin Luo never liked being in such a passive situation, and unwilling to appear too shy, she suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around Su Jingwan’s slender waist, pulling her forward without showing weakness.

“Who’s your friend, Miss Su?” Qin Luo licked her back molar teeth, her eyes shimmering with a half-smile.

Qin Luo’s move was unexpected for Su Jingwan, but remembering the experience of being aggressively kissed on their first meeting, Su Jingwan relaxed. Sharp-tongued, she just looks well-behaved.

Su Jingwan leaned against Qin Luo, gently reaching out and pinching her cheek.

Qin Luo was dissatisfied that Su Jingwan not only didn’t answer but also played with her face. However, constrained by Qin Ziyuan and the other person outside, she dared not push Su Jingwan away too hard. She could only rage incoherently, “What are you doing? Don’t you have a face of your own?”

Su Jingwan quickly grabbed Qin Luo’s raised hand that was trying to stop her and replied, “Yours is better to pinch.”

Who says? Clearly, her own face was also very soft and smooth and nice to pinch. Qin Luo was truly going to faint from anger. What was wrong with this Su Jingwan? Her boyfriend was practically running off with someone else, and she still had the nerve to tease her.

“Qin Ziyuan is like that, you are just &%#…” With her cheeks pinched tight, she couldn’t even speak properly. “What are you doing, you &%#…”

Qin Luo’s eyes widened, looking incredulously at Su Jingwan, who was teasing her. Where was her cold beauty? This must be her anger overwhelming her, changing even her personality.

“Keep it down,” Su Jingwan’s eyes flashed with a hint of a smile as she restrained the furious Qin Luo. “You wouldn’t want to be discovered, would you? Peeping and secretly taking pictures?”

“…” Qin Luo tightened her grip on the phone. How much did this person see?