SDS: Chapter 14

The Tender Young Master Tang

At that moment, 

Qin Yulin returned, sporting a visible slap mark on his face and a split lip.

"Tang Keyi, Qiuqiu says you two are heading back."

Tang Keyi noticed Qin Yulin’s grim expression and quickly excused himself from Qin Zhiyan. 

Stepping outside, he found Han Qiuqiu with noticeably swollen lips.

"Qiuqiu, looks like things got pretty intense, huh?" 

Tang Keyi raised an eyebrow, gesturing at Han Qiuqiu’s mouth.

"He forced a kiss on me! I slapped him!" 

Han Qiuqiu snapped, tugging Tang Keyi toward the changing room. 

"I’m not in the mood to stay. Let’s go."

"I think Qin Yulin still has feelings for you. Are you really over him? I heard he’s been single since your breakup. That’s not his usual style."

"Who cares about his style? I’ve had enough of that playboy! Flirting is in his nature—old habits die hard!"

Tang Keyi ventured cautiously, 

"Maybe give him another chance?"

"No!" 

Han Qiuqiu stopped walking and glared at Tang Keyi. 

"Whose side are you on? You’re actually defending him?"

Seeing Han Qiuqiu’s displeasure, Tang Keyi immediately switched allegiance. 

"Of course I’m on your side! Forget about him! Let’s talk about Li Mingxing—seems like he’s set his sights on Qin Zhiyan."

Han Qiuqiu’s expression eased slightly at the topic change. 

"Told you people would start scheming. And Li Mingxing has always been competing with you. If he manages to snag Qin Zhiyan, not only does he ‘win’ against you, but he also gains the Qin family. A flawless deal."

"Qin Zhiyan didn’t even take a liking to me. Why would he go for Li Mingxing?"

"Who knows? Maybe he’s into artificial additives!"

---

"President Qin..."

Back in the sauna room, 

Li Mingxing had just opened his mouth to strike up a conversation 

when Qin Zhiyan stood up without so much as a glance and walked out. 

Qin Yulin followed, leaving Li Mingxing alone, awkward and unsure what to do.

"Zhiyan, leaving already?"

"Your target is gone. Why stay?"

Qin Yulin rubbed his face in frustration.

Qin Zhiyan eyed him with amusement. 

"Got hit?"

Qin Yulin stubbornly retorted, 

"It’s called foreplay. You wouldn’t understand."

"Persistence isn’t your usual style."

"It’s called determination. And I know Qiuqiu still has feelings for me—my instincts are sharp." 

Qin Yulin sounded confident. 

"But based on my years of experience in romance, I don’t think Tang Keyi likes you all that much. The way he looks at you is off."

Not sharp enough. 

He doesn’t like me at all, 

Qin Zhiyan thought.

"My guess? Maybe after interacting with you, he realized you two aren’t compatible." 

Qin Yulin grew more convinced. 

"Even if you like men, you’re the dominant type. Yet he wants to ‘marry’ you? That’s a clash of roles—doomed from the start."

Qin Zhiyan ignored him, turning the doorknob to his private lounge. 

"Aren’t you worried something might happen between him and Han Qiuqiu?"

Qin Yulin followed him in, unfazed. 

"If something were going to happen, it would’ve happened by now. I can tell there’s nothing between them."

Qin Zhiyan didn’t respond, 

grabbing his change of clothes and heading into the shower.

Steam filled the bathroom as hot water poured down, 

outlining a powerfully built physique where every muscle exuded raw strength.

Qin Zhiyan closed his eyes under the spray.

That delicate Young Master Tang… 

a clash of roles?

Somehow, I don’t buy it.

---

Qin Corporation.

"Why are there two proposals from the Wang family?" 

Qin Zhiyan skimmed through them. 

"And the content is different."

Tang Keyi shook his head, clueless. 

"Front desk delivered them."

Qin Zhiyan checked the business cards attached. 

"Both are from the Wang family. Are they asking me to choose between the two?"

A suspicion formed in his mind. 

"Cong Qiao, look into these two. I won’t be used as a pawn in the Wang family’s games."

Tang Keyi’s gaze dropped to the business cards on the desk. 

Before Cong Qiao could pick them up, he snatched them first. 

"I know these two."

Having been abroad for years, Qin Zhiyan wasn’t as familiar with the social circles of the capital as Tang Keyi, who was a constant presence in high society. 

Coincidentally, these two were recent gossip fodder.

Qin Zhiyan motioned for Cong Qiao to wait and turned to Tang Keyi. 

"Go on."

"Wang Dahu, early thirties, the Wang family’s eldest son. I’ve met him a few times."

Tang Keyi waved the other card. 

"Wang Luosheng, though, has been making waves lately. The old Mr. Wang’s illegitimate son. His wife passed away this year, so he brought the kid home and even legitimized the mistress. With only these two sons, the power struggle has begun."

Once on a gossip roll, Tang Keyi couldn’t stop. 

"Wang Dahu doesn’t strike me as capable of taking over the Wang family. Rumor has it old Mr. Wang invested heavily in grooming the illegitimate one—top university graduate and all."

As Tang Keyi spoke, Qin Zhiyan speed-read both proposals.

"Wang Dahu’s proposal is more polished and precise. Clearly the work of an experienced hand."

Tang Keyi blinked. 

"Huh? Guess he’s been hiding his skills."

Qin Zhiyan tossed the documents aside. 

"Or rather, a team of experienced hands."

Tang Keyi caught on. 

"Oh! So Wang Dahu hired ghostwriters!"

"Proposals are typically team efforts. Can’t call it ghostwriting. What’s interesting is that Wang Luosheng’s proposal seems like his own work."

"So Wang Luosheng is the more sincere one."

"Naive." 

Qin Zhiyan smirked. 

"Wang Luosheng is the more calculating one."

"What do you mean?" 

Tang Keyi was puzzled.

"Wang Luosheng just returned to the Wang family. He likely has no reliable team in the company. Even if he outsourced the proposal, it wouldn’t compare to Wang Dahu’s in-house team, which knows the company inside out. So he opted to do it himself—showcasing his skills and grabbing my attention."

"Old Mr. Wang probably wants to gauge your stance by having both sons submit proposals. Illegitimate children aren’t exactly favored in our circles." 

Tang Keyi grew curious. 

"So will you pick Wang Luosheng’s proposal?"

Qin Zhiyan’s gaze sharpened as he made his decision. 

"Call Wang Dahu. Set up a meeting."

Tang Keyi was slightly surprised. 

He’d assumed Qin Zhiyan would favor the underdog with actual talent, Wang Luosheng. 

But he didn’t question it, simply nodding and pocketing the cards.

Seeing Tang Keyi’s surprise but no internal grumbling, Qin Zhiyan felt inexplicably pleased. 

After a pause, he said, 

"Join me at a banquet tonight."

Tang Keyi glanced at his office attire. 

"I’ll need to go home and change."

"No need. I’ll be changing too. We’ll grab dinner and shop together."

"Alright."

---

Cong Qiao had already reserved a boutique. 

The store had prepared selections for Qin Zhiyan and Tang Keyi in advance, 

closing early for their private shopping session.

As a regular client, Tang Keyi’s measurements and preferences were on file.

He chose a silver-gray pinstripe suit—fresh and elegant, just like always.

---

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