Chapter 59: The Real Him

Qin Xiao gave Zuo Yin a cold glance: “I didn’t come here to listen to your jokes.”

Zuo Yin laughed so hard his shoulders shook: “But you really are her brother, no mistake about it. Seriously, Qin Xiao, you’re into some dark stuff. Why don’t you just break up with her?” Seeing Qin Xiao’s glare, Zuo Yin stopped short.

Qin Xiao calmly poured himself a cup of tea and said coolly: “Fourth-generation collateral relatives—it doesn’t count as a real relationship.”

Zuo Yin twirled his pen: “But I feel like Su Ling will still care.”

Qin Xiao’s grip tightened slightly, but he remained silent. He thought of someone—Ni Haoyan. That brat had seemed to have some feelings for Su Ling before, though Su Ling hadn’t noticed. Naturally, Qin Xiao wouldn’t bother warning her.

Su Ling would definitely care. If she found out that the person she considered her younger brother once had improper thoughts toward her, she’d feel uncomfortable no matter what. Ni Haoyan knew this too, which was why he kept quiet.

Ironically, the tables had turned. Now, Qin Xiao was in the same predicament. Knowing Su Ling as well as he did, he couldn’t possibly let her find out about this either.

Zuo Yin furrowed his brow and analyzed the current situation: “So, right now, the only people who know about this are two: your mother, Wen Xian, and Su Ling’s father, who has never shown his face?”

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened, and he nodded.

“No wonder...” Zuo Yin said, “A while back, Zheng Xiaoya suddenly announced that she was your fiancée. At the time, I was curious. With how you feel about Su Ling… how could you suddenly fall for Zheng Xiaoya? Normally, Zheng Xiaoya wouldn’t dare make such an announcement. Does your mother want her to become your wife?”

Qin Xiao smirked coldly, unbothered: “Wen Xian never liked my father when she was younger. She grew up with Zheng Xiaoya’s father, but he looked down on her and married another woman. Wen Xian must’ve been bitter. She hates Yu Qiao and naturally dislikes Su Ling. She wants the daughter of the man she loves to marry me.”

Zuo Yin was speechless. Was this some kind of obsession to become family even in death?

Qin Xiao continued: “Su Ling can’t know about this. Her grandmother and her father’s matters must also be kept from her. She…” He paused for a moment. “She cares deeply about her grandmother—the one who raised her. Her grandmother committed suicide, and it seems she set a trap for Su Ling before she died, leaving behind a letter. In any case, it wasn’t saying anything good about me.”

Zuo Yin understood. If anyone discovered their entire life was a lie, manipulated by those closest to them, they wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“But you don’t want to agree to Wen Xian’s demand to marry Zheng Xiaoya, right? So what do you plan to do?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

Zuo Yin shuddered under Qin Xiao's icy gaze: “What can I do? I don’t know how to handle this. Am I supposed to kill your mother or something?”

“I’ve thought about killing her,” Qin Xiao replied coldly. “But Wen Xian has a backup plan. Unless I agree to marry Zheng Xiaoya and stay away from Su Ling, she’ll find a way to tell Su Ling everything.”

“You’re crazy! That’s your mother!”

Qin Xiao responded indifferently: “She doesn’t act like a mother, so why should I act like a good son? It’s just a game of strategy—let’s see who wins.”

“So what’s your plan? I’m just a psychologist. What help can I possibly give you? Can’t you just leave me alone for a few days, Mr. Qin?”

Qin Xiao smiled, his expression chilling: “No, this matter requires you specifically.” He calmly analyzed: “It’s not impossible. Right now, I need to do two things. First, I need to find Su Ling’s ‘father.’ That man is a ticking time bomb. When I went to L City, I discovered that Su Ling’s uncle’s gambling debts were also connected to him. He’s been pushing Su Ling closer to me with ulterior motives—he needs to be dealt with. Second, I need to neutralize Wen Xian and completely dismantle her influence within the Qin family.”

Zuo Yin listened with a chill running down his spine: “That won’t be easy, will it?”

“Easy or not, it has to be done. But I need time.” Qin Xiao took a sip of tea. “For now, Su Ling mustn’t come into contact with them. About six months. After that, everything will be fine.”

“How do you plan to buy yourself six months?” Zuo Yin had a vague suspicion and prayed that Qin Xiao wasn’t that insane.

Qin Xiao curved his lips into a faint smile: “She seems to recognize another version of me. I have an unreliable theory—it defies science, but it gives me hope. If that’s true…”

Zuo Yin nearly lost it and almost jumped up: “Hell no. I’m not doing it.”

“Hypnotize her. I need to know the truth.”

This was the last resort he could think of. Without letting Su Ling know the truth, and after telling her he wouldn’t marry Zheng Xiaoya, this was his only fallback plan.

________________________________________

Su Ling hadn’t left the house for several days. The box office for The Prisoner had remained at number one for the past few days, and she was officially a sensation.

At first, she was only recognized on campus, but now, whenever she stepped outside, people recognized her. This troubled Su Ling. As a celebrity, her freedom was inevitably restricted.

Fortunately, she was somewhat of a homebody, so staying indoors wasn’t unbearable.

After Zheng Xiaoya posted that Weibo announcement, she fell silent. However, Qin Xiao hadn’t clarified anything either, so Su Ling was still caught in the whirlpool of public opinion.

Regardless, Su Ling had now become the undisputed queen of online attention.

Originally, there was supposed to be a sequel to The Prisoner , but Dong Xu hadn’t made any moves. Su Ling recalled the earlier incident and figured that Director Dong might feel awkward. Perhaps there wouldn’t be a sequel—or if there was, it wouldn’t feature the original cast.

With no updates on The Prisoner , Lin Qing, Su Ling’s agent, couldn’t afford to let her rest. Such popularity needed to be capitalized on.

Thanks to Su Ling’s newfound fame, Lin Qing, her agent, was also basking in glory. After much deliberation, Lin Qing secured an opportunity for Su Ling to audition for a European fashion campaign.

On the day of the audition, the sun was shining brightly.

Su Ling waited outside alongside three other young artists. All four of them were very young.

Su Ling had tied her hair into a ponytail and wore light makeup, looking no older than sixteen or seventeen. She appeared incredibly pure and innocent.

Lin Qing had received insider information that the campaign’s theme was youthfulness and vitality, targeting teenage audiences domestically and mature women aged twenty-five.

The brand’s requirements were simple: wear their clothing and embody the theme. Each artist’s interpretation would naturally differ, and the company would choose from among them.

Su Ling was the last to go. The expressions on the faces of the three artists who came out before her varied.

Since the brand was well-known both domestically and internationally, everyone was giving it their all. Worried that Su Ling might feel nervous, Lin Qing quickly reassured her: “Just be yourself. This brand doesn’t care about current popularity—they focus on temperament and performance. Good luck.”

Su Ling took a deep breath and smiled at her: “Okay.”

She went to change into the outfits first. There were three outfits in total.

The first outfit was a simple white shirt paired with a plaid skirt. When she walked out, a tall, blue-eyed foreigner smiled and held up a sign that read “Lively.”

Though Su Ling’s personality was more reserved, she didn’t dare slack off on her acting. She flashed a bright smile, exuding youthful energy. She placed her hand on her side, pretending to hold a student-style sling bag.

The foreigners began whispering among themselves. Though the word “lively” didn’t quite match Su Ling’s usual demeanor, even if they were dazzled by her beauty, her performance wasn’t as strong as one of the previous contestants.

“Next.”

Su Ling went to change into the second outfit—a casual white dress with a knee-length skirt. On her upper body, a butterfly motif seemed ready to take flight.

The theme was “Innocence.” After some thought, she turned sideways and tilted her head slightly, smiling with a hint of shyness and mostly joy, as if seeing her beloved.

The foreigners nodded approvingly.

“Go ahead!”

That was when Qin Xiao entered. Su Ling had just gone to change into the third outfit.

The supervisor stood up, delighted to shake hands with Qin Xiao: “Mr. Qin.”

Qin Xiao, dressed in a suit, greeted him with a polite smile. Their brand’s Asian partner was none other than Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao sat among them, waiting for Su Ling to appear.

The third outfit was a navy-blue evening gown with a cutout waist, accentuating her snow-white skin.

Before stepping out, Su Ling let her hair down, using it to cover her exposed shoulders. Over the past year, her long hair had grown back, soft curls cascading over her shoulders.

When she walked out, she immediately captured everyone’s attention.

Su Ling was momentarily stunned when she saw Qin Xiao. The foreigners held up a sign that read “Seductive.”

Su Ling calmed herself and wasn’t affected by Qin Xiao’s presence. She knew when a woman was most alluring. She gently bit her lip and brushed her hair behind her ear.

Qin Xiao glanced at her and smiled faintly.

She wasn’t a little girl anymore. In just a year, she had grown more beautiful and matured enough to marry.

Su Ling bowed to them, changed back into her clothes, and walked out.

The foreigners began debating over the scores. Qin Xiao listened silently, refraining from interfering with Su Ling’s efforts since the last scandal.

When Qin Xiao stepped out, Su Ling and Lin Qing were talking outside.

Su Ling honestly admitted: “I don’t think I performed well. It was my first time doing an endorsement, and I felt flustered trying to convey the theme. The results might not be great.”

Lin Qing spotted Qin Xiao first. After the recent scandal, Tang Zi had finally revealed the nature of Qin Xiao and Su Ling’s relationship to her.

However, Lin Qing still didn’t fully understand Qin Xiao’s feelings for Su Ling. Seeing Qin Xiao now, she greeted him with mixed emotions: “Mr. Qin.”

Qin Xiao nodded and looked at Su Ling: “Shall we take a walk?”

Su Ling nodded.

By then, it was evening. The streetlights flickered on one by one, and the trees swayed gently in the breeze, creating a soft and serene atmosphere.

Qin Xiao tucked a strand of hair blown loose by the wind behind her ear. Recalling the third theme from earlier, she blushed slightly: “Did I perform poorly?”

He smiled and shook his head: “You’re perfect no matter what.”

She brightened, winking at him playfully: “I’ll get better in the future.”

“Mm, I believe in you, Lingling.” His movements paused for a moment. “Do you love acting that much? Is it absolutely necessary for you?”

“Not necessarily,” she replied. “It’s become more of an obsession and habit. If my mother’s spirit is watching over me, she’d be happy for me.”

Poor girl. Thankfully, it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

He lowered his eyelids, concealing the emotions in his eyes, and gently embraced her.

A tender hug. “Su Ling, tell me. After all this time, have you fallen in love with me?”

The gentle breeze ruffled her hair, carrying her intoxicating scent—enticing and lingering.

The young girl hesitated, taking her time to respond.

And so, he knew the answer.

Qin Xiao curved his lips with a hint of mockery. Of course. She wouldn’t fall in love with him even in this tender moment—how could she ever love the real him? Just words, perhaps. Next, he could confirm whether she was telling the truth or lying.

Su Ling, welcome to my side.

For the next six months, the real me will keep you company.

Don’t be afraid, my darling.