SDS: Chapter 35

"Tang Keyi, I’m Done For"

I don’t know how much longer Tang Keyi intended to cling to him. 

If the power grid was down, repairs would likely take a while. 

Were they really going to stay like this until dawn?

Qin Zhiyan wrapped one arm around Tang Keyi’s waist and 

slid the other beneath his knees, lifting him effortlessly.

Adjusting Tang Keyi’s position, Qin Zhiyan settled him sideways on his lap, 

finally making himself more comfortable.

[I want a back pat.]

Qin Zhiyan sighed inwardly. 

Was Tang Keyi treating him like a masseur now?

What else could he do? 

Qin Zhiyan had no choice but to gently pat Tang Keyi’s back.

A thought crossed Qin Zhiyan’s mind—

did Tang Keyi even know who he was holding onto right now? 

Was he in any state to comprehend? 

And when morning came, would he remember any of this?

[Mom.]

For a split second, Qin Zhiyan wanted to toss the person in his arms straight out.

So he wasn’t being treated as a masseur—

he was being treated as a mother.

Fine. 

Mom it is, then.

Wanting his mom at a time like this wasn’t unreasonable.

Qin Zhiyan recalled that Tang Keyi’s parents had passed away when he was very young.

What could have happened to reduce Tang Keyi to this state?

Suppressing his many questions, 

Qin Zhiyan continued patiently patting Tang Keyi’s back

 until he noticed the arms around him gradually loosening.

“Sleepy?”

Qin Zhiyan reached down to slip off Tang Keyi’s shoes, then lifted him again. 

With no free hands to pull back the covers, 

he had no choice but to lay Tang Keyi on top of the blanket.

Right now, Tang Keyi was clingy to an extreme, 

like a child who couldn’t bear to be separated from his mother. 

The moment Qin Zhiyan set him down, 

Tang Keyi immediately turned toward him, arms still wrapped around Qin Zhiyan’s waist.

Left with no other option, Qin Zhiyan leaned back against the headboard, 

half-sitting on the bed, and pulled the other side of the blanket over Tang Keyi. 

His large hand continued its patient rhythm, gently patting Tang Keyi’s back.

Qin Zhiyan silenced both their phones.

“Tang Keyi, sleep well.”

Time passed—so much that Qin Zhiyan’s body grew numb from the awkward position, 

so much that his patting hand ached—before Tang Keyi’s body finally relaxed, 

his breathing steadying into the slow rhythm of sleep.

Only after confirming Tang Keyi was truly asleep did Qin Zhiyan carefully rise, 

stretching his stiff limbs.

A glance at his phone showed it was nearly 5 a.m.

Afraid Tang Keyi might wake suddenly, Qin Zhiyan didn’t dare go far. 

He settled into a chair by the bed and scrolled through his phone.

The power grid had issued a notice: 

repairs were underway, and normal service would likely resume by daytime.

Opening his messaging app, the most recent chat was with Tang Keyi.

Qin Zhiyan frowned at the emoji nickname Tang Keyi had set for himself

 and decided to assign him a proper contact name.

He typed out Tang Keyi, then hesitated—it felt too formal. 

One by one, he deleted the characters.

“Tang Keyi… Yi Ke Tang?”

Qin Zhiyan chuckled at his own odd realization.

His fingers moved, and in the contact name field, 

he entered three characters: 

Yi Ke Tang (A Piece of Candy).

Locking his phone, 

Qin Zhiyan gazed thoughtfully at the curled-up figure under the blankets, 

barely visible in the dim light.

Tang Keyi, who was usually restless in sleep, lay unusually still now, 

curled on his side as if trapped in some frightening dream—

uncharacteristically docile.

Qin Zhiyan raised his right hand, 

fingers brushing over the silver charm bracelet on his left wrist.

His fingertips traced the engraved pattern on the small silver plate.

Closing his eyes briefly, Qin Zhiyan exhaled.

Tang Keyi, 

I might just be doomed by you.

---

When Tang Keyi woke, daylight already flooded the room.

The light brought him a sense of security, and with it, 

his memories and rationality gradually returned.

Oh god.

What did I do last night?

I refuse to remember!

A faint noise came from outside the room. 

Tang Keyi immediately shut his eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

Qin Zhiyan stepped into the bedroom and approached the bed. 

“Still not awake? How can anyone sleep this much?”

[I’m not awake! I’m not awake! Stop looking! Just leave already!]

Qin Zhiyan understood immediately—

Tang Keyi was embarrassed.

Last night, he had clung to Qin Zhiyan desperately, 

but now that he was awake, he was ready to pretend nothing happened.

Well, given how pitiful Tang Keyi had been last night, 

Qin Zhiyan decided not to tease him.

Feigning ignorance, Qin Zhiyan left the room, 

even considerately closing the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Tang Keyi’s eyes flew open. 

He grabbed his phone from the bedside table—nearly 1 p.m.!

He quickly messaged Han Qiuqiu: 

Where are you?

Han Qiuqiu replied instantly: 

Keyi, you’re finally awake! Qin Zhiyan said you were still sleeping and wouldn’t let me disturb you! I’m still at the Empire Building—how could I leave without seeing you? Are you okay now?

“I’m fine,” 

Tang Keyi replied tersely, then added, 

“Help me distract Qin Zhiyan so I can sneak out.”

“Why do you need to sneak out? Is he keeping you there?”

“No, it’s just… I did some embarrassing things last night. I can’t face him right now.”

“Alright. But you’d better tell me everything later.”

Outside the room, Qin Zhiyan received a message from Qin Yulin: 

Han Qiuqiu wants to see you.

Suddenly asking to meet? A diversion?

Qin Zhiyan walked back to the bedroom door and, 

sure enough, 

caught Tang Keyi’s inner monologue.

[Is Qin Zhiyan gone yet?]

[I don’t hear anything…]

[Come on, Han Qiuqiu, do your thing!]

Qin Zhiyan raised an eyebrow. 

Fine, he’d play along this time.

He left the suite, deliberately shutting the door with a loud click.

Hearing the sound, Tang Keyi finally relaxed. 

He bolted upright, shoved his feet into his shoes, and made a swift escape.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” 

Qin Zhiyan sat across from Han Qiuqiu, even leisurely ordering a coffee.

“I asked to meet because I wanted to thank you for taking care of Keyi last night. I thought you might have some questions for me.” 

Han Qiuqiu had prepared his lines in advance.

“Why does Tang Keyi have this kind of psychological trauma?” 

That was the answer Qin Zhiyan wanted most.

“Keyi was kidnapped when he was little. I don’t know the details. All I know is that it was a long time before I saw him again afterward. He didn’t seem to change much—except he became terrified of the dark. To prevent anyone from exploiting this weakness, the Tang family has kept it strictly under wraps. Almost no one knows about it.”

Qin Zhiyan’s gaze flicked to Han Qiuqiu’s phone as the screen lit up. 

The tension in Han Qiuqiu’s expression visibly eased.

Looks like Tang Keyi has already made his escape. 

---

Previous       Menu        Next