Chapter 28
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On Saturday night, Ling Rong came to the Qin family dinner with Qin Zhaoyang in the Huo family's car.
"The master is back with a friend," the butler reported.
Hearing this, Qin Yi's good mood instantly evaporated. "He remembers to come back? Does a Qin who spends all his time at the Huo house even recognize his father?"
Chen Yanyan was secretly delighted to see Qin Yi angry, but knew she needed to keep up appearances. "Children are rebellious at this age, it will get better as they grow up."
"Rebellious? Xiaomu isn't much different from him. Why does Xiaomu give me peace of mind? Look at the kind of people he brings home! Since when did the Qin family welcome such riffraff?"
Qin Yi only heard from Qin Chaomu that his older son was friends with a former gangster and naturally associated this image with Ling Rong.
"Calm down; it's his birthday, a day to be happy. Don't let it upset you." Chen Yanyan was pleased that she had achieved her goal and, with a gentle, wife-like manner, comforted her husband. This seemed to soothe him.
The appearance of Qin Zhaoyang and Ling Rong quickly caused a stir. High society figures aware of the family's drama were watching with interest. Ling Rong's outstanding looks also caused a sensation. Many people speculated about his relationship with the heir of the Qin family.
Although he had no choice but to return, Qin Zhaoyang had no fondness for this place. Feeling bored halfway through the banquet, he led Ling Rong to his childhood room.
"This is where my mother used to live, but she's no longer here..."
Every year, at this time, is the only time Qin Zhaoyang would come back to commemorate his mother. But now, the entire Qin household had been tainted by that woman, Chen Yanyan. Only this room remained untouched by her. Because his mother had died in this very room, Qin Yi and Chen Yanyan considered it unlucky, so they never set foot in here. Consequently, it became the only place Qin Zhaoyang could preserve his mother's memory.
"You have me," Ling Rong said. Any other words would sound hollow, and all she could offer was her company.
On the other side, Chen Yanyan was questioning her son, "Are you sure they both went into that room?"
Chen Yanyan had long known about her stepson's yearly habit of secluding himself in Huo Qiao's old room until the end of the banquet. It used to irritate her, but now she found a way to use it to her advantage.
"I saw them walk in with my own eyes, and the door has been closed ever since. No one has come out," her son assured her.
"Is everything else ready?"
Qin Chaomu nodded, "I've directed all the servants around that area to work on other tasks, and they are all on the first floor now. When the time comes, if we lock the door, no one will hear them regardless of how much they scream."
"Excellent. Go lock the door now. Without us unlocking it from the outside, no one will be able to get out!"
________________________
After sitting quietly with Qin Zhaoyang for over five minutes, Ling Rong suddenly twitched her nose and asked, "Do you smell something?"
At first, it was faint, but it quickly became more potent, to the point of causing dizziness after prolonged exposure.
"I smell it too." Qin Zhaoyang nodded, but as he tried to investigate, he heard the sound of a lock falling into place. He rushed to the door, only to discover that they were locked in.
Quickly seeking the spare key that was usually left in the room, Qin Zhaoyang was shocked to find its usual location empty. Since servants usually opened the door for him, he didn't carry a key, so they were effectively trapped!
"We've been set up." Ling Rong concluded quickly, her face expressing a seriousness that couldn't be described.
Despite their caution, they hadn't expected Chen Yanyan to strike using a room they typically never entered.
Qin Zhaoyang's face looked terrible. Whether it was due to stress or something else, he suddenly felt an intense wave of heat. Trying to calm himself with a gulp of cold water, he found the heat not only didn't subside but was instead escalating.
Not ignoring his body's alarming reaction, Qin Zhaoyang became panicky. His usually pale face turned bright red.
"What's wrong with you?" Ling Rong, alarmed by his abnormal flushed face, asked with concern. She reached out to touch Qin Zhaoyang's forehead, only to be greeted by an alarming heat.
"Do you have a fever?!" No, that's not right. How could he suddenly be down with a fever?
[The male lead has been drugged with an aphrodisiac. The scent you smelled earlier is a new kind of adult novelty item — an aphrodisiac candle. The candle burns out quickly leaving no trace, approximately in about five minutes, but it emanates a scent that can induce lust. Not just that, the water he just drank also contains aphrodisiac substances. The villain must have planned everything!]
Upon hearing the system's explanation, Ling Rong got even more enraged, [Then why wasn't I affected by the scent? And why didn't you say anything earlier!]
The system felt wronged, [As soon as the scent appeared, I tried to shield you from its effects, so its impact on you was minor. Furthermore, as a system, I cannot predict the future. Since the male lead's death has been averted, we're off-script now. Of course, I couldn't predict it.]
[Okay, sorry for blaming you. What should we do next? Do you have anything that can help?]
While Ling Rong was talking with the system, Qin Zhaoyang gradually became lethargic. The cool touch of anything on his forehead felt immensely comfortable, and he couldn't help but want to seek more from the person next to him.
All of a sudden, Ling Rong's whole arm was seized. Qin Zhaoyang held her hand and rubbed it against his cheek, muttering, "It feels so good," intermittently.
However soon, the cooling sensation couldn't satisfy the teenager whose desire spiked due to the drug. Qin Zhaoyang couldn't help but lean closer to Ling Rong as if he wanted to embrace her entirely but was artfully avoided by her.
Ling Rong perhaps could guess Chen Yanyan's intentions now—trying to use her to disgrace Qin Zhaoyang with a scandal, even to the point of forcing him out of the closet. Such lofty thoughts.
Only that Chen Yanyan had miscalculated one point — she was a woman.
Of course, if it was exposed that Qin Zhaoyang was fraternizing with a woman, it wouldn't sound great either. In a hurry, Ling Rong had to make Qin Zhaoyang regain his consciousness first.
She pinched hard on his arm, and only when she saw his eyes clear a bit did Ling Rong ask, "Can you recognize who I am now?"
The young man nodded obediently.
Ling Rong continued to explain, "You've been drugged. I will take you to the bathroom to cool down. Be cooperative."
Indeed, Qin Zhaoyang obediently followed Ling Rong towards the bathroom. Given the weather wasn't hot, Ling Rong didn't dare to use cold water. Instead, she moved him to the bathtub, allowing the cool surface to soothe him.
She didn't forget to wet a towel and place it on Qin Zhaoyang's arms and forehead, physically helping him to cool down.
Possibly because of the discomfort and intense embarrassment, Qin Zhaoyang unusually showed his vulnerability. When Ling Rong was about to change the towel, he caught her arm and called out softly, "Ah Rong..."
Such a decent atmosphere, but unfortunately, it was directly interrupted by the system. Like it wanted to redeem itself for not detecting Chen Yanyan's plot earlier, the system forgot its purpose of matchmaking Ling Rong with the male lead and insensitively said: [Host, rest assured, the drug taken by the male lead isn't the kind that requires sex to counteract. He'll be fine if he just holds on or vents in some way.]
[Additionally, according to my estimation, there is a 90% chance that Chen Yanyan will arrive at the scene to catch you 'in the act' in five minutes. The best option is for you to leave as soon as possible.]
[If I leave, what about Qin Zhaoyang? And the room is locked, how can I leave, fly out?]
Despite the situation, Ling Rong quickly analyzed that as long as she wasn't present when Chen Yanyan and her crew came to catch her in the act, the crisis could be resolved on its own. To leave...
Well, they were on the second floor. Not to mention, she had noticed a grass field outside the balcony which could provide a safe way out.
So the only problem left was Qin Zhaoyang.
Gently grasping the youth's hand, Ling Rong reassured him while explaining, "Someone is trying to set us up. To foil their plan, I must leave first. Do you know what to do?"
Qin Zhaoyang was the male lead — she believed he could handle this situation.
The young man leaning against the bathtub lowered his eyes, his flushed face showed no other expression. But before releasing her hand, he gripped it tighter.
"Alright."
"Take care of yourself, I'll be back soon."
Returning to the balcony, she found it to be the perfect escape spot, just as Ling Rong thought. Protecting her head, Ling Rong instinctively used various techniques to safely jump from the balcony onto the grass ground without a scratch.
She had to blend back into the crowd quickly.
Moments after Ling Rong left, Qin Zhaoyang, with reddened eyes, abruptly stood up from the bathtub. He walked straight to the showerhead, turned on the cold water, and let the chilling liquid pour over him, drenching him cold.
Thanks to the cold water, Qin Zhaoyang's eyes became clearer. But the clearer his mind, the more pain and embarrassment he felt.
While his body might have been responding to the drug, his heart couldn't lie. When desire flooded him, the one he wished to pull into his arms, to kiss and bewitchingly love… was Ling Rong!
Qin Zhaoyang could no longer deceive himself. The so-called brotherhood, not wanting to see Ling Rong like any girl just to avoid losing a good friend, he finally understood that his heart fluttered and his blushes only for Ling Rong. Those things he’d willingly do for Ling Rong, it was all because he liked him.
He was willing to lower his pride for him, surrender to him. He wanted to hold that person tightly in his arms, kiss him, please him, and wished for his smiles to bloom only for him. He wanted to be the only person in his sight.
Thinking about all these, Qin Zhaoyang felt his desire rising again. Helplessly, he groaned and increased the water flow, allowing the cold water to gush down more fiercely.
The cold water made his mind clearer and calmer. Even if his loved filled his heart to the brim, he had to carefully hide his unspoken affections and guard his thoughts.
Ling Rong, not only of the same gender but saw him only as a good friend. How could he express such forbidden feelings?
Perhaps he didn't mind the strange looks and rumors from others, but what about Ling Rong? He's a normal boy who might have a happy family in the future. How could he ruin his future?
He didn't want him to be unhappy, and he feared that he might be frightened and distance himself if he confessed his feelings!
After a long while, Qin Zhaoyang let out a sigh of mixed feelings, his voice suppressed in his throat.
"Ah Rong..."
Unaware of Qin Zhaoyang's inner turmoil, Ling Rong had successfully made his way back into the banquet hall.
"How's our protagonist now?"
"Don't worry, host. Our protagonist's will is, of course, robust and won't be defeated by such insignificant drugs."
Hearing the system reassure her, she finally felt somewhat relieved. However, this scheming vendetta could not be overlooked.
"Tell me where Qin Chaomu's room is?"
An eye for an eye, the only way to treat someone is with their own methods.
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Thanks for the translation!
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