SDS: Chapter 36

 "This Is Love"

"Alright, I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." 

Qin Zhiyan stood up, not wanting to waste any more time here.

Han Qiuqiu followed Qin Zhiyan out but noticed he didn’t head toward the suite. 

Instead, he pressed the elevator button directly.

"President Qin, aren’t you going to check on... Tang Keyi?"

Qin Zhiyan kept his gaze forward, his tone indifferent. 

"There’s no one in the suite. What would I be checking? Ghosts?"

The elevator doors slowly opened. 

Qin Zhiyan stepped inside, then glanced at Han Qiuqiu. 

"Are you coming?"

Under Qin Zhiyan’s gaze, 

Han Qiuqiu felt as though his and Tang Keyi’s little scheme was laid bare. 

He didn’t dare step in and quickly waved his hand. 

"No, no. President Qin, you go ahead."

Qin Zhiyan pressed the button to close the elevator doors. 

"Remind Tang Keyi for me. He has these two days off to rest properly. Make sure he’s back at work on time the day after tomorrow."

"Got it. I’ll remind him."

Only after the elevator descended did 

Han Qiuqiu let out a sigh of relief and press the elevator button again.

"Qiuqiu, finished talking with Zhiyan?" 

Qin Yulin, who had deliberately stepped aside earlier 

while Qin Zhiyan and Han Qiuqiu were talking, 

returned.

"Yeah." 

Han Qiuqiu responded coldly.

"After all, I did help you and Tang Keyi. Now that it’s over, you’re treating me so coldly?" 

Qin Yulin put on a wounded expression.

Han Qiuqiu softened his tone slightly. 

"I troubled you last night and today. And please keep Tang Keyi’s matter confidential."

"Don’t worry. I won’t blab." 

Qin Yulin smirked. 

"Anyway, neither of us has had lunch yet. How about we grab a meal together?"

"No, I’m too tired. I just want to go home and sleep."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Han Qiuqiu decisively walked in. 

Qin Yulin quickly followed.

"Then let me drive you back."

"I’ve already called my family’s driver to pick me up." 

Han Qiuqiu paused, then added, 

"Besides, you drank a lot last night too. You shouldn’t be driving."

"Then how about you give me a ride?"

"Take a cab." 

Han Qiuqiu showed no mercy.

---

The Qin Residence.

Qin Zhiyan stood by the window, 

sunlight filtering through the panes and casting dappled shadows on his face. 

His eyes, hidden in the shade, 

made his already deep and cold features seem even more inscrutable.

His long fingers tapped lightly on the windowsill. 

Tang Keyi’s matter weighed heavily on his mind—

the memory of Tang Keyi trembling in his arms last night was still vivid.

Tang Keyi had been kidnapped before? 

What exactly happened?

But this was Tang Keyi’s private affair.

"I... I’m so scared..."

Qin Zhiyan’s thoughts drifted back to Tang Keyi’s faint whisper.

In the end, 

Qin Zhiyan dialed Cong Qiao’s number.

Ever since the day Qin Zhiyan could hear Tang Keyi’s inner thoughts, 

Tang Keyi had no privacy in front of him.

Qin Zhiyan was, by nature, a man of intense possessiveness. 

Besides, it was Tang Keyi who had thrown himself into his arms—

he had to pay some kind of price for that.

"Cong Qiao, look into Tang Keyi’s childhood kidnapping incident for me."

"President Qin, if we investigate Young Master Tang’s affairs rashly, it might alert the Tang family."

"It’s fine. If they have any objections, they’ll come to me directly."

"Understood, President Qin."

A knock sounded at the door. Qin Zhiyan called out, 

"Come in."

It was Qin Yulin.

"What’s up?" 

Qin Zhiyan turned to face him.

"The servants said you’ve been holed up in your room since you got back and didn’t even eat lunch. That’s not like you."

"It’s nothing. Just something I’m trying to figure out."

Qin Yulin stepped closer, keeping a few paces away as he lightened the mood. 

"Though it might be presumptuous of me, can I help?"

He expected Qin Zhiyan to tease him, but instead, 

Qin Zhiyan let out a low chuckle.

"You actually can. Tell me—how do you know for sure if you’ve fallen for someone?"

Qin Yulin froze. 

He’d never heard such a greenhorn question come out of Qin Zhiyan’s mouth. 

He tried to read Qin Zhiyan’s expression, 

but with Qin Zhiyan backlit by the window, 

his emotions were unreadable.

"When you ask that question, the person you’re thinking of is the one you like." 

Qin Yulin probed, 

"So, who came to mind?"

"I just don’t know if what I’m feeling is love or possessiveness."

Qin Zhiyan’s tone was calm, but it carried a weight of seriousness and caution.

"Love is selfish—it definitely includes possessiveness. But if it’s just pure possessiveness, the goal is only to own the other person. You wouldn’t care about their feelings, whether they’re sad or hurt. You’d just force your way to satisfy your own desires."

Qin Yulin paused, then continued, 

"But love is careful. You’d fear hurting them, consider their feelings, and hope for the same emotional reciprocation."

Qin Zhiyan fell silent, 

deep in thought.

---

The Tang Residence.

As soon as Cong Qiao began probing into Tang Keyi’s affairs, Tang Kexing caught wind of it.

Since it concerned Tang Keyi, 

Tang Kexing immediately reported it to the Tang matriarch.

After a long silence, 

the old lady finally said, 

"Let him investigate. When Qin Zhiyan starts wanting to understand Keyi, it means Keyi has already found his way into his heart."

---

Tang Keyi rolled around on his bed, trapped in a cycle of embarrassment and awkwardness.

He had initiated a hug with Qin Zhiyan?

And held on so tightly?

For so long?

How was he supposed to face Qin Zhiyan at work next time?

Would Qin Zhiyan think he was just taking advantage of the situation? 

After all, he still had that "admirer" label hanging over his head.

Tang Keyi covered his burning face but couldn’t help reminiscing.

But Qin Zhiyan had been so gentle last night.

His voice was gentle, his embrace was gentle, 

and he even patted his back.

So gentle it hardly matched the ruthless business tycoon known in the corporate world.

How did he manage to hit every single one of Tang Keyi’s preferences?

Tang Keyi moved his hand down to press against his chest.

What should he do?

He might be... 

a little smitten...

---

Qin Zhiyan had expected Tang Keyi to remain awkward for a while longer, 

but when he returned to work, 

Tang Keyi greeted him with surprising ease, 

as if nothing had happened that night.

[If I just pretend to have blacked out and act like I don’t remember anything from that night, who’s to say whether I remember or not? Hah!]

Tang Keyi mentally applauded his own cleverness.

He decided to strike first. 

"I didn’t cause you any trouble on New Year’s Eve, did I? I woke up the next day with no memory of the night before—must’ve blacked out from drinking."

Qin Zhiyan: 

This guy’s sharper than a monkey.

But the devil may be cunning

yet the righteous are wiser.

"You caused me a lot of trouble. How do you plan to make it up to me?" 

Qin Zhiyan had no intention of letting Tang Keyi off so easily.

Tang Keyi, now accustomed to Qin Zhiyan’s bluntness, refused to be cornered again. 

"But since I don’t remember, how do I know you’re not just scamming me?"

"I’m scamming you?" 

Qin Zhiyan’s eyebrow arched. 

This guy had really grown a backbone—daring to bargain with him now. 

"Then let me refresh your memory on what you did. Maybe that’ll jog your recollection."

[Holy shit! Qin Zhiyan is seriously next-level!]

---

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