Chapter 21

Confession

On a scorching summer night, two figures suddenly disappeared from the street and then reappeared in a small rental apartment less than 80 square meters.

Compared to Lin Qianyou, Qi Shanglan was extremely tall and heavy, pressing down on her so much that she couldn’t stand upright.

She placed one of Qi Shanglan’s arms around her shoulder and, unsteady on her feet, walked toward the bedroom.

After putting him on the bed, Lin Qianyou finally took a deep breath. She helped Qi Shanglan take off his shoes, turned on the air conditioner, and went out to prepare a cup of honey water for him.

Back in the bedroom, Qi Shanglan was already asleep on her small bed. His long legs hung off the side of the bed, and she couldn’t even tell when he had taken off his shirt!

Lin Qianyou stood frozen at the door, then walked in and lowered the temperature on the air conditioner.

She had made him this hot.

She squatted in front of him, holding the honey water near his face, gently nudging his exposed shoulder, “Qi Shanglan, would you like some honey water? It’s to sober you up.”

He didn’t respond.

Lin Qianyou had no choice but to set the honey water aside. She was about to get up and leave to sleep on the sofa but found she couldn’t move her feet.

The man’s half-naked body before her was incredibly tempting—his handsome face, well-defined abs, and chest rising and falling with each breath, all silently beckoning her.

Lin Qianyou felt like she was becoming more and more lustful. If only she hadn’t discussed handsome guys with Ke Siyu earlier.

She swallowed, then squatted down again, silently admiring Qi Shanglan’s body.

Her hand, without control, brushed over his thin lips, then moved down, landing on the prominent Adam’s apple.

Actually, being kissed by a man like him wasn’t such a bad deal.

She thought this to herself as her fingers continued moving downward.

However, something unexpected happened.

Qi Shanglan suddenly opened his eyes, and his cold gaze locked onto Lin Qianyou, who was acting mischievously, but she didn’t notice.

Before she could react, her wrist was grabbed by Qi Shanglan, and with a powerful pull, she was thrown onto the bed.

In a dizzying whirl, she found herself pinned beneath him before she could process what had happened.

Lin Qianyou almost screamed, but realizing she had been the one acting inappropriately, she immediately shut her mouth.

Qi Shanglan straddled her waist, his broad back blocking most of the light above. His gaze was unclear, his breathing heavy, and he frowned as he looked down at her.

She had provoked him first—she couldn’t blame him.

It happened again, unexpectedly. He suddenly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

In an instant, their lips met.

After a brief moment of shock, Lin Qianyou finally realized she needed to resist, but her hands were firmly pinned to the top of her head by Qi Shanglan, unable to move an inch.

But Qi Shanglan was drunk, and a drunk man was far more dangerous than a drunk woman.

Lin Qianyou’s lips were pried open, and immediately, a hot and soft object pushed its way inside.

Her mouth was instantly filled with the scent of alcohol mixed with a fiery sensation.

As expected from a high-end liquor, it was incredibly strong.

Lin Qianyou couldn’t help but cough, and only then did Qi Shanglan pull back from her lips, his hands braced on either side of her as he breathed heavily, watching her cough in a disheveled manner.

Just now, it seemed she had even stuck her tongue out to respond to him.

Qi Shanglan’s lips curled into a quiet smile, finally satisfied. He got up from her and turned to the side.

Taking the opportunity, Lin Qianyou scrambled off the bed, grabbed the honey water, and drank it down quickly.

“It’s so spicy,” she murmured, fanning her face and rushing to the kitchen to drink several glasses of cold water.

In the bedroom, Qi Shanglan lay in her bed, with her pillow under his head, surrounded by her scent, looking at her ceiling, and thinking about her—who, as of now, still wasn’t his.

Qi Shanglan, oh Qi Shanglan, you’re really something. Getting addicted to messing around, huh?

He sighed and closed his eyes again.

Lin Qianyou dared not return to the bedroom, afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself, and also afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself.

At 23 years old, apart from her brother Lin Bozhi, this was the first time she had ever slept under the same roof as another man.

But the problem was, he was too tempting, and her self-control was weak—she had been pounced on instead.

What’s this called? It’s called deserved, being taken in by lust and getting payback, and losing a kiss in the process.

Although, kissing him was actually quite pleasant, just a bit too spicy.

After a simple wash-up, Lin Qianyou turned off the lights in the bedroom and living room and lay down on the sofa to sleep.

The night passed too quietly, so quiet that the man in the bedroom could clearly hear her steady breathing and the sound of her turning over.

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Shanglan got up from her bed, picked up the clothes by the bed, put them on, and left the bedroom.

In the dim living room, the moonlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the balcony, casting light on her soft form on the sofa.

Qi Shanglan approached, bent down, and picked her up, carrying her back to the bedroom.

He gently placed her on the bed, unwilling to pull his hand away from beneath her for a moment.

The bedroom light was off, and he could only make out her figure by the faint moonlight, studying her intently.

After a while, he released his hand, picked up the summer blanket by the bed, unfolded it, and covered her with it. Then, he placed his hands on either side of her, gazing at her for a while before speaking:

“Lin Qianyou, what would you do if I told you I liked you?”

The response was a long silence.

Qi Shanglan stood up, adjusted the air conditioner temperature higher with the remote, then closed the door and left.

It wasn’t until she heard the door close in the living room that Lin Qianyou, pretending to be asleep, suddenly sat up in bed.

She patted her chest, trying to calm her wildly beating heart, but it was no use.

This was bad, this was really bad. The situation seemed to have completely gone beyond her expectations. How did it end up like this?

Lin Qianyou slapped the bed in frustration, “How did it turn out like this—”

From childhood to now, she had been confessed to many times—through love letters, text messages, and even other elaborate methods—but she had always rejected them with a smile, never feeling so flustered and helpless as she did today.

She had thought that her relationship with Qi Shanglan was purely a friendship, but she didn’t know when that relationship started to change.

At the supermarket downstairs, Qi Shanglan bought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

The street was quiet in the early hours of the morning, with only the occasional sound of a passing car. Under the dim streetlights, his figure was stretched out by the light.

He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, the smoke swirling in the air, and his features, illuminated by the smoke, appeared even deeper and more captivating.

In the past, he had never touched cigarettes or alcohol, but today, he had indulged in both because of her.

Qi Shanglan wandered aimlessly to the earth god temple. The seal on the door was gone, so he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Ah Fu, hearing the noise, poked its head out from the small temple but quickly withdrew it as soon as it saw Qi Shanglan.

“Come out,” Qi Shanglan said flatly.

Ah Fu was scared of him, so it obediently walked out and stood on the steps in front of the temple. Qi Shanglan sat down on the steps next to it, his long legs having nowhere to go.

“How come your broken temple doesn’t even have a trash can?” After finishing a cigarette, Qi Shanglan looked around but didn’t see any trash cans.

“Great deity, this isn’t a broken temple. It’s a earth god temple, the place that Ah Fu protects,” Ah Fu weakly explained. “Also, modern humans rarely come to worship at earth god temples, so there’s no one to maintain and protect it, which is why it’s become so dilapidated and desolate.”

Qi Shanglan couldn’t be bothered to listen to its complaints. He casually glanced to the ground nearby and saw an empty beer can. He picked it up and stuffed his cigarette inside it.

“How long have you been here? A thousand years? Two thousand?” Qi Shanglan asked, lighting another cigarette. “Don’t you feel lonely?”

Ah Fu shook its head. “I’m not lonely. With Great deity here, I’m not lonely at all. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Nothing…” Ah Fu looked at the impatient man in front of it, not daring to tell him the truth.

A thousand years ago, it was this person who massacred the entire city, causing Great deity to be punished by the gods and banished to the human world, which also led to their separation. It wasn’t until a thousand years later that they finally reunited.

Qi Shanglan had no idea what Ah Fu was muttering to itself. It just seemed small and stupid. Did it even understand what loneliness was?

“So we met a thousand years ago?” Qi Shanglan flicked the ash off his cigarette. “Then what about her?”

“Who is she? Is she Great deity?” Ah Fu asked innocently.

“Yes.”

“Well… of course…” Ah Fu lowered its head timidly.

Qi Shanglan furrowed his brow and glanced at it. Talking to it was really exhausting.

After leaving the earth god temple, Qi Shanglan went home.

The aftereffects of the liquor were indeed strong. As soon as he arrived home, he collapsed on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.

Zou Ying was a light sleeper. When she heard movement downstairs, she got up and went to check. She found Qi Shanglan lying on the sofa, still wearing his shoes.

She thought he must have been tired and fallen asleep, but when she approached to wake him up and ask him to sleep in his bedroom, she smelled the strong scent of alcohol on him, along with the overpowering smell of smoke.

She knew her son best. Qi Shanglan definitely didn’t have the bad habit of smoking or drinking. He had always been a worry-free child, never causing any trouble at home, and his thoughtfulness often made people feel both proud and heartbroken.

Why is he suddenly smoking and drinking today?

Zou Ying patted Qi Shanglan’s face, anxiously calling out to him: “Shanglan? Shanglan? How could you get this drunk? Did you drink? Who did you drink with? Who made you drink like this?”

Zou Ying immediately thought of Zhang Zhijian. This Zhang Zhijian, who was asked by the Eastern Army to look after Shanglan at the station, was the one who had taken care of him this way? Knowing he doesn’t drink, yet he let him get so drunk? Tomorrow, she must confront him and demand an explanation!

Unable to carry Qi Shanglan, Zou Ying was about to go upstairs to wake up Qi Dongjun when she suddenly heard Qi Shanglan murmuring.

“Lin Qianyou.”

Zou Ying froze in her tracks. This name… it sounded like a girl’s name.

“Son, who is Lin Qianyou? Your girlfriend? Have you been secretly dating without telling us?” Zou Ying squatted down again to ask him, trying to get him to talk while he was drunk.

But by this time, Qi Shanglan had already passed out.

After Qi Dongjun helped Qi Shanglan back to his room, Zou Ying quietly closed the door and said to Qi Dongjun, “Dongjun, don’t you think Shanglan has been acting strange lately? He never used to smoke or drink, and also, I just heard him mention a girl’s name. Do you think he’s been secretly dating without telling us?”

Qi Dongjun had been woken up in the middle of the night and was so sleepy he could barely open his eyes. He didn’t take Zou Ying’s words seriously and said casually, “Which man doesn’t smoke or drink? Besides, he’s already twenty-three. It’s about time for him to date. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Go back to sleep.”

Qi Dongjun turned over and went back to sleep, but Zou Ying, frustrated, hit him lightly. “Is this how you care about the eldest? No wonder he doesn’t like you.”

Hearing this, Qi Dongjun immediately woke up, sat up with a frown, and said to Zou Ying, “You think I don’t care about him? How much thought have I put into him? But what about him? He insists on becoming a narcotics officer. Does he even know how dangerous that is—”

“Alright, I know, I know.” Zou Ying interrupted him. “We’ve been going in circles with this. Can we change the subject? Besides, the eldest has his own aspirations, and that’s great. What’s wrong with being a police officer? I think it’s wonderful. He’s protecting the peace of the people, such an honorable thing. Doesn’t it bring you pride?”

Qi Dongjun was always unable to win arguments with Zou Ying, so he pulled the blanket and prepared to sleep again. “The eldest knows how to handle things. You’re wasting your time worrying about him. You should be more concerned about the second one. He’s always playing around and causing trouble. In politics, the worst thing is being impulsive. If he could have half of the eldest’s composure, I wouldn’t still be worried about Shanglan—”

“Alright, alright, go to sleep. I don’t want to hear it,” Zou Ying lay down and muttered to herself. “I wonder what the girl Shanglan likes looks like? This is the first time I’m hearing he has someone he likes. I’m really curious about who she is. Tomorrow, I must ask Old Zhang.”

“Mm, do as you wish. It would be best if Shanglan brings her home to meet us. Don’t forget to prepare a little gift for her.”

“I know, I know. I’m waiting for that family heirloom to give to my future daughter-in-law!” Zou Ying grabbed Qi Dongjun’s blanket and covered herself before falling asleep.