Volume 1 Chapter 10 Absurd Affairs  

Qin Ya finished the painting she had been working on yesterday, adding a few simple strokes to outline the silhouette of a person in the scenery.  

When she set down her brush, she instinctively wanted to write something.  

But upon closer thought, she couldn’t recall what it was.  

She decided to leave it as it was for now.  

Qin Ya had sent Shi Jianchuan a message in the morning, and he had selectively replied with a couple of lines.  

Neither of them said much, but Qin Ya didn’t mind and continued sending him messages.  

Qin Ya: [I just saw a really funny joke.]  

[Once upon a time, there was a very short duck. Everyone called it Short Duck. One day, Short Duck was walking along and fell into a mud pit. And then it became: Short Mud Duck.]  

Shi Jianchuan: […]  

Qin Ya was about to reply with something else when she suddenly received a message from someone saved in her contacts as [Qin Xiao].  

She tapped to open it.  

Qin Xiao had sent her a photo.  

It was a fairly young man who, at first glance, bore some resemblance to Shi Jianchuan—especially in the cold aura he exuded.  

Qin Ya sent a question mark in response.  

Qin Xiao: [He’s back in the country.]  

Qin Ya’s mind was filled with confusion—what was this about? Who was he? What did his return have to do with her?  

The name Qin Xiao rang a faint bell. She had seen it before in gossip news.  

She typed Qin Xiao’s name into the search bar, and the first trending topic that popped up was:  

[Qin Xiao Returns, Intending to Seize Qin Corporation?]  

Qin Xiao’s grandfather and Qin Ya’s grandfather were brothers. Qin Ya’s branch of the family had flourished over time, leaving Qin Xiao’s relatives dependent on them for survival.  

According to gossip media, Qin Ya and Qin Xiao had been on good terms as children.  

But later, for some unknown reason, they had turned against each other.  

Qin Xiao had even tried to compete with Qin Ya for control of Qin Corporation, but unfortunately, he failed and was exiled abroad.  

Qin Ya sent Qin Xiao a message: [Who’s this? Your boyfriend?]  

Qin Xiao was so furious that she immediately sent a voice message. “Qin Ya, don’t play dumb with me. He’s back in the country to find you. You’d better think about how you’re going to explain this to Shi Jianchuan.”  

“You absolute idiot. I shouldn’t even bother with you.”  

Qin Ya, now full of questions, tried calling her.  

Qin Xiao hung up on her.  

But patience was something Qin Ya had in abundance.  

She called Qin Xiao again.  

After a long wait, Qin Xiao reluctantly answered.  

“What?!” she snapped, her tone rough. “Oh, so Miss Qin finally has time to talk to me today.”  

Qin Ya said, “Um, I have amnesia.”  

Qin Xiao scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh wow, look at the time, look at the script—what year is it? Even TV dramas don’t use such clichéd plots anymore.”  

“Next time, come up with a better excuse before trying to brush me off, okay?”  

Qin Xiao had a fiery temper and promptly hung up again.  

Qin Ya had to explain repeatedly, even sending her hospital discharge records and medical reports, before Qin Xiao reluctantly accepted that Qin Ya truly remembered nothing.  

Qin Xiao called her on video.  

Qin Xiao bore a slight resemblance to Qin Ya, though she wasn’t as delicate in appearance—her features carried a more imposing air.  

She studied Qin Ya for a moment before clicking her tongue. “You really have amnesia. You’re not even calling me ‘sis’ anymore.”  

Qin Ya replied, “Even if I don’t remember, I’m sure I never called you ‘sis’ before.”  

Qin Xiao muttered under her breath, “Still the same stubborn attitude.”  

Then she said, “I don’t know much about you either.”

“I stayed with the Qin family until I was eighteen, then went abroad. The only time I went back was when your parents passed away last time.”  

She observed Qin Ya’s expression and noticed no significant change, which made her secretly relieved. Overnight, several family members were gone, forcing this once pampered little princess to grow up abruptly.  

This outcome was still quite good.  

“What’s the deal with that man in the photo?”  

Qin Xiao replied with a sarcastic tone, “Your college sweetheart, the one who pursued you for over a month—forgotten? He came back specifically to see you this time.”  

Qin Ya widened her eyes. “Wasn’t Shi Jianchuan the one I liked in college?”  

Qin Xiao twirled a lock of her curly hair. “Exactly. Our Miss Qin has always had a consistent taste. After securing Shi Jianchuan, you set your sights on your faculty’s heartthrob, Wan Li, and chased him for over a month.”  

Qin Ya gasped. “No way, was I that terrible?”  

Qin Xiao shrugged. “I don’t know much myself. Most of it is hearsay. We had a few fights over Shi Jianchuan back then, so most of this is just rumors.”  

“Why did we fight over Shi Jianchuan?”  

Qin Xiao rolled her eyes. “The moment you saw Shi Jianchuan, you became obsessed, shamelessly following him around while he couldn’t stand you.”  

“Back then, you were still the Qin Family’s Eldest Daughter, surrounded by a bunch of sycophants who came up with all sorts of ridiculous ideas. There was even one time they kidnapped Shi Jianchuan and threw him onto your bed.”  

“Did we… sleep together?”  

“No!”  

“You may have been terrible, but you still had a shred of decency. I told you to cut ties with those hangers-on, but you didn’t listen. We fought a few times, then I went abroad again. What happened after that, I’m not too sure.”  

Qin Ya blinked her innocent doe eyes. “I’ve completely cut them off now. No contact whatsoever.”  

“Why did you tell me to think about how to handle Shi Jianchuan?”  

Qin Xiao smirked. “I’ve only met Shi Jianchuan a few times, so I can’t say much, but he doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. Tomorrow, Wan Li is representing a foreign organization to negotiate a collaboration with Shi Jianchuan. Tsk tsk, love rivals meeting—sparks are bound to fly.”  

“What love rival? Shi Jianchuan is my husband. Don’t talk nonsense.”  

“A zombie opened your brain, shook its head in disappointment, and walked away. Even with amnesia, you’re still this protective of him. I’m hanging up now. Don’t bother me unless it’s important.”  

Qin Ya paced anxiously.  

Shi Jianchuan already didn’t like her much to begin with, and now some random love rival had appeared.  

If they really met, and that Wan whatever guy spouted nonsense, would her husband even let her through the door?  

No way, no way.  

Perhaps because of her conversation with Qin Xiao earlier, Qin Ya actually had a dream that night.  

Outside, a noisy crowd surrounded her, pushing her toward a room.  

“Miss Qin, we’ve prepared a surprise for you this time—guaranteed to satisfy.”  

“Hahaha, we went through a lot of trouble. Go on, take a look.”  

They gave her a shove. Qin Ya couldn’t describe the emotions swirling inside her as she reached out and pulled open the door.  

Her gaze locked directly with a pair of eyes—black obsidian, crystal clear yet veiled in mist, the whites tinged with pink, the corners flushed red.  

A young man, bound and thrown onto the bed, stared back at her.

She seemed to hear a faint sound.

The dream felt so real that she couldn’t tell whether it was just a dream or something that had truly happened.