Chapter 18

Impulses Are the Devil

After signing the contract in the afternoon, Lin Qianyou went to the hotpot restaurant to wait. When Qi Shanglan received her message, he immediately rushed over.

He was still wearing a black sports casual outfit, tall and slender, with a model-like figure. His face, especially, attracted the attention of most of the women in the restaurant as soon as he walked in, including Lin Qianyou.

Qi Shanglan calmly walked over and sat down across from Lin Qianyou, facing the shy and excited gazes of the women. A hint of jealousy and disappointment flashed in their eyes.

“Have you ordered?” he asked. Lin Qianyou finally snapped out of her thoughts and replied, “Not yet, I’ll order after you arrive.” She handed him the menu, but he merely glanced at it without taking it.

“You order. I don’t have any food restrictions, I’ll eat anything,” he said, looking over at a table nearby where three or four girls were staring at him with infatuation, one even holding up her phone to take a picture. When she saw him looking back, she quickly lowered her phone.

Qi Shanglan cast a cold glance at them, and those girls quickly turned away, their gazes falling.

“Huh? Don’t you have something you want to eat? I’ll order for you,” Lin Qianyou took the menu back as the waitress approached.

Qi Shanglan replied, “No, just order what you want.”

The waitress couldn’t help but compliment him: “You’re so good to your girlfriend, other people must be envious.”

“Huh? I’m not his girlfriend,” Lin Qianyou explained with an awkward smile.

The waitress hadn’t expected that. She had just assumed they were a perfect match and had said it without thinking.

In the end, Lin Qianyou ordered the restaurant’s signature hotpot. After the waitress left, the two of them sat across from each other, waiting for the food to arrive.

Lin Qianyou, being chatty, felt uncomfortable if she didn’t talk for a while. She quickly started talking again in her “^[1]“Master Tang” (唐僧) is a playful reference to Tang Sanzang (Tripitaka) from Journey to the West, a famous Chinese classic. In modern slang, calling someone “like Master Tang” means … Continue readingMaster Tang” mode—first thanking Qi Shanglan, then complimenting the restaurant’s decor.

Qi Shanglan leaned back lazily, quietly listening to her.

She was wearing a white strapless French-style cake dress, light makeup, and possibly curled hair. Her long hair gently framed her face, with a few strands of hair resting on her exposed collarbones, slightly revealing her chest line below.

She was quite smiley, at least since she started talking, smiling many times. Her smile revealed a small dimple, perfectly beautiful and captivating, making it hard not to stare at her.

“Qi Shanglan? What do you think?” she suddenly asked. Qi Shanglan raised an eyebrow, realizing he hadn’t been listening to her properly earlier.

Seeing his dazed expression, she leaned forward with her hands resting on her exposed knees, which pushed her cleavage into clearer view.

“Don’t you think the decor in this place is nice? What do you think?” she asked again.

Qi Shanglan’s Adam’s apple slid gently as he answered along with her, “Mm, it’s pretty nice.”

Hearing his response, Lin Qianyou nodded in agreement, flicked her long hair back, and reclined again in her seat.

Qi Shanglan quietly exhaled, finally deciding to explain what happened last night to her because, from the looks of it, she clearly didn’t remember what had happened.

“Um, there’s something I need to clarify with you—”

“Sister Qianyou?!”

Qi Shanglan’s words were interrupted by another man’s voice from behind him. Lin Qianyou turned her gaze and saw it was Zhou Ziqing.

“Zhou Ziqing? What a coincidence that you’re here,” she greeted him with a smile, her dimples becoming more noticeable.

Zhou Ziqing walked over and stopped beside her, lowering his head to speak to her. “Yeah, what a coincidence. I just signed a contract and came to eat. I heard Director Sun Dong say you went too?”

“You mean that variety show? Yeah, I just signed the contract this afternoon. What a coincidence! I thought no one would want to go,” she said excitedly, unaware of Qi Shanglan’s displeased expression across the table.

But Zhou Ziqing, being another man, noticed the change in Qi Shanglan’s mood.

“Who is this…?” Zhou Ziqing asked quietly.

“Oh, he’s Qi Shanglan, my friend—the police officer I told you about yesterday,” Lin Qianyou explained.

The two chatted for a while longer. Zhou Ziqing mentioned that he was eating alone, and Lin Qianyou immediately invited him to join them. She scooted over to make room for him.

At this point, Qi Shanglan’s expression soured even more.

Seeing Qi Shanglan’s stiff face, Zhou Ziqing didn’t dare speak further with him. He only politely introduced himself, and Qi Shanglan replied with a few polite words before falling into a brief silence.

Lin Qianyou, however, didn’t notice the awkward atmosphere at the table. She continued talking non-stop, with Zhou Ziqing responding to her every comment, while Qi Shanglan coldly observed them both.

The two of them were sitting very close, and their conversation was quite in sync. Zhou Ziqing occasionally told a joke, making Lin Qianyou laugh and pat his shoulder while covering her mouth. As she bent over laughing, her well-toned figure became even more apparent.

Qi Shanglan silently watched the two of them, growing increasingly frustrated. He couldn’t eat another bite.

By the end of the meal, Qi Shanglan couldn’t take it anymore. He found an excuse to step outside to make a phone call and took care of the bill. When he came back, the two were still chatting away.

He overheard Zhou Ziqing saying, “It’s such a shame. I was hoping this drama would be a hit, but after all this, it’s all ruined.”

Lin Qianyou nodded in agreement, also expressing her regret.

Zhou Ziqing continued, “After being scolded by Director Li yesterday, I went home and studied how to kiss. Who knew my first on-screen kiss would go down the drain like this?”

“On-screen first kiss? Is it your first time doing a kissing scene?” Lin Qianyou asked in surprise, not even realizing that Qi Shanglan had already returned and sat down.

“Yes, not only my first on-screen kiss, but I’ve never kissed anyone in real life either,” Zhou Ziqing said with an embarrassed smile.

Lin Qianyou was so surprised that she covered her mouth and lightly said, “Ah, what a coincidence, I’ve never kissed anyone either.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Qi Shanglan, who had been drinking water to calm his nerves, suddenly “pffft” and almost sprayed his drink everywhere.

Never kissed anyone? Was last night’s kiss a dream?

Lin Qianyou quickly grabbed some tissues and handed them to him. He took them and wiped his mouth, finally unable to hold back as he spoke to them. “Something came up at the office, I’ll leave first. You guys eat, I’ve already paid the bill.” He stood up and left without waiting for a response from them. Lin Qianyou quickly grabbed his wrist.

“Wait! Why did you pay? Didn’t we agree that I would treat you?” Lin Qianyou said with some shame. She had promised to treat, but in the end, she ended up troubling him again.

“I’ll transfer the money to you,” Lin Qianyou said, pulling out her phone and getting ready to transfer the money. “How much was it?” she asked carefully.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a small amount,” he said coldly.

At this point, Zhou Ziqing also felt a bit awkward and came up with another solution. “How about next time, Sister Qianyou treats? And the time after, I’ll treat?”

Lin Qianyou thought this was a good idea and agreed, but Qi Shanglan, sitting across from them, watched them like they were performing a comedy routine and curled his lips in disdain.

“There’s no need to make it so complicated. I’m leaving now.” Qi Shanglan raised his foot to leave, and it was then that Lin Qianyou realized something was off with his mood. She quickly stood up to chase after him, not forgetting to apologize to Zhou Ziqing as she left.

Zhou Ziqing, who hadn’t been wronged in any way, generously made a gesture, signaling her not to worry about him, and Lin Qianyou felt relieved to chase after him.

However, Qi Shanglan walked too fast. By the time Lin Qianyou ran outside, he had already covered quite a distance from the restaurant.

In a moment of panic, Lin Qianyou shouted his name.

“Qi Shanglan!”

Qi Shanglan didn’t have time to respond. He had already suddenly appeared in front of her, as if transported by her shout. Lin Qianyou froze, looking in shock at the back of Qi Shanglan, who was standing right before her.

Although he had his back to her, Lin Qianyou could still clearly feel the intense pressure around him, which gave off a chilling vibe, making her shudder involuntarily.

People kept walking by them in the mall, and Lin Qianyou was somewhat at a loss for what to do. She was about to ask him what was wrong when Qi Shanglan suddenly turned around, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into the stairwell on the right. With his other hand, he forcefully closed the fire escape door behind them.

He lifted her wrist, pushing her against the wall. Lin Qianyou, shocked, kept stepping back.

Qi Shanglan’s eyes were dark and intense, almost as though he was about to devour her.

“Lin Qianyou, do you find playing with me amusing?” Qi Shanglan suddenly spoke in a cold voice. Lin Qianyou furrowed her brows, not understanding what he meant. Qi Shanglan didn’t expect her to understand.

A drunk pervert who blacks out isn’t likely to get what he’s saying.

Lin Qianyou was frightened by his demeanor—he had never been like this before.

The stairwell was filled with an oppressive silence. Without warning, Qi Shanglan leaned in, pressing towards her.

Lin Qianyou saw his eyes fixated on her lips, and he got closer and closer, until she could hear his heavy breathing.

Seeing that he was about to kiss her, Lin Qianyou panicked and quickly turned her face away. His kiss landed on empty space.

However, Lin Qianyou did not notice the slight curve of his lips.

“You’re still trying to hide? When you were being a jerk to me last night, you weren’t acting like this,” Qi Shanglan’s voice was cold, laced with a hint of teasing.

Seeing her face turn red, Qi Shanglan finally let go of her, then opened the fire escape door beside him without looking back, leaving Lin Qianyou frozen in place, stunned.

Back at the station, Qi Shanglan was still in a foul mood. Captain Zhang, seeing his anger, casually asked, “What happened? You were fine when you left, why are you like this now? What did you go do?”

“What else? Argued with my girlfriend,” He Chuanan said nonchalantly, as though it had nothing to do with him.

“Did you get dumped?” Qi Shanglan shot him a cold glance, grabbing a can of Coke from the desk. With a “bang,” he popped open the tab and tilted his head back to drink it, the Adam’s apple moving up and down as he chugged. In six or seven seconds, he finished the can carelessly.

At this point, Captain Zhang still didn’t understand what was going on and didn’t want to provoke the prickly Qi Shanglan, so he quietly asked He Chuanan, “Did he really argue with his girlfriend? Didn’t he say he wasn’t dating anyone?”

“He probably just got upset because he didn’t manage to get her,” He Chuanan replied.

“He Chuanan!” Qi Shanglan suddenly yelled at him, causing He Chuanan to immediately make a “shut up” gesture.

Qi Shanglan’s gaze shifted back to the can of Coke. Suddenly, veins bulged on his hand, and in the next second, he squeezed the can, distorting it.

They say that impulse is the devil, and Qi Shanglan had already been impulsive twice when it came to her.

The way he acted earlier, without any warning—he must have scared her to death.

Damn it, Qi Shanglan!

He cursed himself inwardly.

Lin Qianyou absentmindedly took a taxi home. On the way, she was still thinking about what Qi Shanglan had said.

What did his words mean? What really happened last night?

After returning home, Lin Qianyou was still confused. He had clearly tried to kiss her forcefully, but then called her the one being inappropriate.

So, did she really do something she shouldn’t have to him last night while drunk?

Sitting on the couch, Lin Qianyou could still feel her heart beating clearly in her chest.

Just now, if she hadn’t turned away, would Qi Shanglan really have kissed her?

She didn’t dare to think further. Since they had met, she had always considered him a friend. He wasn’t talkative, and she just thought of him as aloof, but she never imagined that he might have feelings for her…

Lin Qianyou shook her head in frustration. Her gaze accidentally fell on the security camera at the ceiling by the door to the master bedroom.

That camera had been forcibly installed by her brother, Lin Bozhi, when she rented the apartment. He had said it was to ensure her safety, being a girl living alone, so he would feel more at ease with surveillance.

However, Lin Qianyou had never paid attention to the camera and had gradually forgotten about the one in the living room.

It really saved her life.

Lin Qianyou immediately took out her phone and logged into the security system to check the footage from last night.

The video showed that last night, Qi Shanglan had carried her back to the apartment. After entering, he went straight to the bedroom, and then he came out to make her a cup of honey water before going back into the bedroom.

The surveillance could only capture the living room and not the bedroom, so Lin Qianyou watched with great anxiety, fearing that something inappropriate might have happened.

Fortunately, a few seconds later, Qi Shanglan came out of the bedroom. It seemed like he said something, but it was hard to hear clearly.

After he came out, Lin Qianyou followed him out.

The moment she saw herself coming out of the bedroom, Lin Qianyou widened her eyes in disbelief. She was only wearing underwear!

What happened next was crystal clear in the surveillance footage, and she could hear the lewd words she had said with unsettling clarity.

Finally, she saw that when Qi Shanglan became frustrated, he directly carried her back to the bedroom. A few minutes later, he came out again, then strode out of her house, slamming the door with evident anger.

Lin Qianyou stared at the screen in shock as she watched the whole video, finally understanding why Qi Shanglan had said she was being inappropriate.

Oh my God, had she actually harassed a police officer? Was she going to end up in jail?!

Lin Qianyou closed her phone in despair and collapsed on the couch, feeling utterly hopeless.

Then, another thought crossed her mind.

Could the blood under her nails be his?

In the video, she had carelessly reached into his pants. Was it then that she had scratched him?

“Ah—!”

The whole room was filled with Lin Qianyou’s mortified scream.