Chapter 17 (continued)

Yan Tingshen said, "Then he didn't reveal anything important."

Qin You was surprised. "Are you pleading on his behalf?"

Given the target's personality and background, he should have understood Qin You's actions rather than making such a pointless effort.

The system, however, was genuinely pleading for Cui Ling: [Host, isn't this far too risky? Supporting characters are useful too, especially this one. He's the most useful one to you. Are you really going to send him away?]

Qin You said, [Did I send him away?]

The system was confused. [Huh... Then what are you doing now, host...?]

Qin You said, [This is called the adjustment necessary for working together.]

They had worked together long enough for him to see that Cui Ling was indeed capable. Otherwise, Qin Hengzhong would not have entrusted the original owner to him.

It was probably that sense of having been entrusted with the original owner that made it hard for Cui Ling to see where he stood, leaving him always wanting to do something for Qin You. And whatever he did, regardless of his intentions, reflected a certain attitude.

When Cui Ling thought something was good for him, he could choose to do it on his own, even if it went against his instructions.

Cui Ling was a highly competent assistant. That he had developed such an attitude showed he did not regard Qin You as a competent boss.

Perhaps he really did see Qin You as a helpless child entrusted to his care, or perhaps he really was simply thinking of Qin You's interests—

But Qin You had no need for unnecessary personal feelings outside of work.

Since it would take a lesson to teach his assistant to be careful about what he said and did, it was naturally necessary to give him one.

The system muttered, [Adjust... together...?]

It didn't understand much else, but it could follow the simple exchange it had just witnessed.

Was the host really adjusting together with Cui Ling? That was clearly one-sided oppression...

But there was absolutely no way it would stand up for the supporting character.

The host had looked down on it ever since they were bound. If it made him angry and he had it replaced with a new system too, it wouldn't even have time to cry.

If the host thought it was mutual, then it was mutual...

At that moment, Yan Tingshen spoke as well. "The Qin Group is a tangled web. Without help, your situation will be even more complicated than it is now."

Qin You chuckled. "So you're worried about me."

Yan Tingshen paused and looked at him. "I—"

"Don't worry."

Qin You said, "When the time comes, he'll come looking for me himself."

He had just visited the original owner's father, and Qin Hengzhong had said something similar.

Cui Ling was a helper Qin Hengzhong had carefully chosen to help him establish himself at the Qin Group more quickly.

It was also from Qin Hengzhong that he learned why Cui Ling was loyal to the original owner.

Cui Ling came from a poor family and had only been able to complete his education thanks to the Qin Group's financial support since childhood.

To repay that kindness, Cui Ling had turned down every offer after graduating and resolutely submitted his résumé to the Qin Group.

His excellence soon earned him his superior's appreciation. Eventually, the story behind it happened to reach the president of the Qin Group, the original owner's father. He admired Cui Ling greatly and made exceptions to promote him at every step, allowing him to hold an important position at a young age.

So even if Cui Ling had complaints about being transferred to the original owner's office, his sense of responsibility outweighed them. He wanted to turn the original owner into a true General Manager to repay the president's appreciation.

A person like that would not resign himself to his fate over a word or two.

When the day came for him to return, Qin You hoped Cui Ling would learn to put his personal feelings aside at work.

Yan Tingshen said nothing more.

He and Qin You walked slowly back to the bedside together. As they sat down, Yan Tingshen saw Qin You looking at the vase on the bedside table.

Vivid roses clustered in the slender vase, each flower opening to a different degree.

Qin You smiled and lifted a finger to brush a drop of water from a petal. He turned to Yan Tingshen. "Did a nurse arrange these flowers for you?"

Yan Tingshen said, "It was your assistant."

Cui Ling?

Qin You's smile did not fade. He withdrew his hand and said, "I didn't know he had that skill."

Yan Tingshen watched him, his gaze narrowing slightly.

When Cui Ling had come in earlier, he had busied himself with a number of small tasks before getting to the point. He had mentioned the previous night as though by accident, then brought up that Miss Liu.

In particular, Cui Ling had pretended to make small talk as he lowered his head to arrange the flowers, repeating word for word the things Qin You had said after meeting Miss Liu in the car.

"I have no plans to start a family for the time being. I came today to complete a task."

Qin You had made himself clear right from the start.

That blind date had merely been a task from Qin Hengzhong that he had to deal with.

Yan Tingshen glanced at Qin You again.

In their two meetings since the accident, Qin You had not mentioned a word of it. Did he think it unnecessary, or was there some other reason?

And what had Cui Ling been thinking, that he would rather risk Qin You's blame than clear up this insignificant misunderstanding?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Qin You turned and met his gaze. "Something you want to ask me?"

Yan Tingshen looked away. "No."

Qin You said, "It's not that I didn't tell you about Miss Liu. It's just that—"

Yan Tingshen looked at him again.

Qin You sat down beside him and said with an air of seriousness, "I was worried that mentioning my love life in front of you would remind you of what happened that night."

That night.

Yan Tingshen's expression darkened slightly.

"But now that you know, there's no harm in my mentioning it."

Qin You added, "Don't worry. No matter how many Miss Lius the old man finds, I won't date any of them."

With that, he looked at Yan Tingshen with a smile. "I don't need to say more about why, do I?"

The system trembled with fear. [Host, now that the truth is out and you've explained it to him yourself, what if the target's favorability shoots up?]

Qin You said, [Has it gone up?]

The system said, [...It hasn't changed so far.]

Qin You said, [Then what are you so worried about?]

Data always revealed the root of the problem best.

Judging by the changes in favorability, the blind date had no effect on the target. On the other hand, the night of the confession had affected him the most, enough that he had tried to flee early the next morning without even saying goodbye.

This proved that only the confession could really have any effect.

Of course, he still could not bring himself to confess to a man again.

But reminding the target of it only took the words "that night."

Paired with the original owner's relentless pursuit, which had already been proven absolutely effective in the original story, those words should make lowering his favorability easy.

Beside him.

Hearing this, Yan Tingshen had no intention of discussing the subject further and simply put some distance between himself and Qin You.

Qin You looked at the target, who had once again let his words go in one ear and out the other, and laughed. "See? I knew you'd be unhappy if I said it."

Yan Tingshen paused, then changed the subject. "Was it Old Qin who came to see you just now?"

Qin You suppressed a smile. "Yes."

Cui Ling had even told him all about something as private as the blind date. Qin You did not believe he would have failed to mention why Qin Hengzhong had come.

It was such a clumsy change of subject. The target really did shy away from any mention of "that night."

But since he had resorted to such a clumsy pretext, Qin You went along with him and continued, "He came to see my dad."

Yan Tingshen said, "So President Qin is recuperating here."

"Everyone in the Qin Household recuperates here."

Qin You turned to meet his eyes, his tone suggestive. "In the past, there were no exceptions."

When those eyes were not smiling, they always seemed intently focused, with an unusual depth to them.

Yan Tingshen looked away again. "If it's inconvenient for me to stay here, I can transfer to another hospital at any time."

"No need. As long as it's you, it's convenient here at any time."

Yan Tingshen's thin lips pressed together slightly.

He got to his feet. "President Qin, if there's nothing else, I have a meeting. I won't see you out."

Qin You smiled. "Sending me away again?"

He raised his wrist to check the time. "Never mind. I'll go see if the old man has come out. You sit down."

Yan Tingshen did not respond.

Only when he heard the footsteps recede and the door open and close did he turn around, his gaze first passing over the roses on the table, so out of place.

Like the person who had sent them, they had been placed here despite being a poor fit, leaving them only to stand out.

Before long, a nurse hurriedly knocked and came in.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Carrying her supplies, the nurse explained as soon as she entered, "I was helping a colleague find something to apply medicine to Mr. Qin, so I'm late."

Yan Tingshen frowned slightly. "Qin You?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes."

Yan Tingshen asked her, "The stitches in Qin You's wound were removed a week ago, and there's no infection. Why does he need medicine?"

The nurse had barely had time to be surprised that he could describe the state of the injury's recovery so precisely before she remembered that Mr. Qin had made an exception to bring him here to recover. However she looked at it, they must be close, so she did not hold anything back. "It's not the stitched wound. It's the bruising on Mr. Qin's right arm, shoulder, and back. It needs to be treated as soon as possible."

His right arm?

Yan Tingshen thought back to the previous night, his frown deepening.

To help him, Qin You had fallen to the ground with him. Bearing the weight of a grown man must have been a strain.

"Where is he?"

The nurse was taken aback. "Right next door."

Yan Tingshen was already turning toward the door.

At the closed door next door, he raised his hand and knocked twice, then opened it.

Inside.

Hearing the noise, Qin You frowned and picked up his shirt from the armrest of the sofa. "Who is it?"

Before he could put it on, a familiar voice came from behind him.

"It's me."

Qin You turned around and was surprised to see Yan Tingshen. "What brings you here?"

Yan Tingshen did not look at his bare upper body. His gaze rested on Qin You's right arm, covered in large bruises, and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.

Qin You followed his gaze down and smiled. "It only looks serious."

Yan Tingshen did not entirely believe him.

He looked at Qin You's left hand, which was still difficult for him to use, then watched him make to put on his shirt. "Have you finished applying the medicine?"

Qin You slowed slightly and said only, "There's no rush."

Yan Tingshen walked over slowly and raised a hand in front of him.