Chapter 63: A God, Not Shen

After a period of soothing from Qin Chuan, Qin Youyou gradually calmed down. However, her face, which had been kneaded in Qin Chuan’s arms, looked even more disfigured than before, rendering her appearance rather comical.

In truth, with Qin Chuan’s skill in disguise, even such rough treatment would normally pose no issue. The result this time was mainly because Qin Youyou, bored out of her mind, had studied the mask extensively, and in the end, peeled it off altogether. That was why its adhesion was so compromised.

“Old Lan, please give Lan Tian a call and ask him to come to the old house. There are matters he’ll need to cooperate with. There’s no need to let him in on the details,” Qin Chuan said gravely.

Though Lan Weimin did not know Qin Chuan’s purpose in making such a request, he showed no hesitation and dialed immediately.

Lan Jin, on the other hand, seemed to have guessed something. Yesterday, she’d been summoned to school to deal with her unlucky brother’s trouble, then invited to the Splendid Restaurant for dinner, where strange things had occurred—like her inexplicable blackout and memory loss, or Ah Wei’s sudden silence.

Bit by bit, the details of the day connected in her mind, and the confusion in Lan Jin’s large, sparkling eyes gradually gave way to a glimmer of understanding.

“Hurry and take that mask off!”

Lan Jin urged impatiently.

Qin Youyou looked to Qin Chuan. Qin Chuan smiled and nodded; at this point, there was no need to hide anything from Lan Weimin and his family.

The black-robed captain and his group had been abandoned, and the number that had been used to contact Long Tiancheng was now disconnected. In the eyes of those lurking behind the scenes, Qin Chuan had likely rid himself of the “remnant of the Qin family” suspicion, at least for the moment.

Still, to be safe, Qin Chuan intended to give Qin Youyou a plausible reason to approach the Lan family. Alas, this would mean trouble for Lan Tian.

Qin Youyou slowly removed the human skin mask, revealing her true appearance. Lan Jin exclaimed in surprise, “It’s you! It really is you!”

Those two sentences captured Lan Jin’s strongest emotions. For her, discovering that the fake Ah Wei was actually Qin Youyou was both expected and unexpected.

After all, the greatest connection throughout had been the beautiful university professor, Qin Youyou. Lan Jin had long suspected it, yet couldn’t fathom how such a result had been achieved.

“Xiao Chuan, is she your real sister?” Lan Weimin finally could not help but ask.

Qin Chuan smiled, “Closer than a real sister. She’s one of the few truly close people I have in this world.”

He deliberately answered ambiguously, guiding the conversation. On the surface, he denied Lan Weimin’s supposition, but in fact, it was true; he and Qin Youyou were cousins, yet their bond was indeed closer than that of siblings.

“So, how should I address her? Sister-in-law? Or little sister?” Lan Jin, relieved, raised another question.

Learning they were siblings, Lan Jin inexplicably relaxed; the jealousy stirred by their intimate embrace vanished instantly.

Qin Chuan felt a headache coming—how typical of Miss Lan to focus on the most peculiar points.

“You can just call me Youyou!”

Qin Youyou’s face was bright with a smile. She then turned to Qin Chuan, “Brother Chuan, is Miss Lan your wife?”

Good question!

Qin Chuan gave a thumbs-up.

“Well, how shall I put it? For now, she’s your nominal sister-in-law, but whether she becomes my official wife depends on her future performance.”

He paused on purpose, then boasted, “After all, it’s not easy to be the wife of the eldest brother!”

“Hmph! Who wants to be your woman?” Lan Jin’s words were clearly insincere. She turned to Qin Youyou, smiling, “From the moment I saw Youyou, I felt a connection. Must be fate!”

“Me too! I felt as if I’d known Sister Jin forever!” Qin Youyou replied warmly.

Qin Chuan suddenly felt that women were terrifying creatures. The scene of the two sparring at the restaurant was still fresh in his mind, yet now they were acting as if they were long-lost family.

“Old Lan, Jin, I’d rather keep my sibling relationship with Youyou secret for now. I hope you can keep this to yourselves,” Qin Chuan requested directly.

Qin Youyou glanced thoughtfully at her brother. She had many questions, but knew it wasn’t the right time. She could ask him privately later.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Chuan. My lips are sealed,” Lan Weimin assured him first.

Lan Jin followed suit, “I won’t breathe a word. Besides, Youyou and I are like sisters already; how could I betray her?”

“All I hope is that it’s not just a superficial sisterhood,” Qin Chuan thought silently.

He then briefly explained the kidnapping incident, omitting his true background. The reason given was his refusal to hand over several exclusive medicinal formulas.

Lan Weimin believed him without question. With his mastery of medicine, exclusive recipes were plentiful and of immense value, making him a target for criminals.

“Xiao Chuan, does that mean Youyou will face similar risks in the future? Should I arrange for a bodyguard?” Lan Weimin asked worriedly.

Qin Chuan shook his head. “No need for now. If there’s ever a need, I’ll handle it.”

Seeing Qin Chuan’s resolve, Lan Weimin didn’t press further. After some casual conversation, he suggested he and Lan Jin take their leave, sensing Qin Chuan wished to be alone with Qin Youyou.

Once the Lan grandfather and granddaughter had departed, only Qin Chuan and Qin Youyou remained. Unable to suppress her emotions any longer, Qin Youyou burst into tears—tears of joy.

“Alright, no need to cry. See, your brother is fine!” Qin Chuan comforted her with a smile.

Qin Youyou wiped her tears. Though she had a thousand things to say, she didn’t know where to begin. After a long silence, she gathered her thoughts.

“Brother, have you found out who those people were?” she asked solemnly.

Qin Chuan nodded. “We have some clues. Leave avenging the Qin family to me. Living well is the best help you can give your brother.”

He didn’t want Qin Youyou drawn too deeply into these affairs; otherwise, incidents like kidnapping would only increase. He would shoulder the danger alone.

Qin Youyou didn’t respond directly, instead probing the information Qin Chuan had gathered. He didn’t conceal anything, recounting everything he’d learned from the black-robed captain.

“So you’re planning to start with Long Tiancheng’s investigation?” she asked tentatively.

Qin Chuan nodded. There was no need to hide this. Soon, Long Wuhen would come to Binhai, ostensibly to handle the engagement, allowing him to approach the Long family without arousing suspicion.

But Qin Youyou frowned. “Brother Chuan, don’t you think things have progressed a little too smoothly?”

Her words were a revelation. Qin Chuan’s gaze sharpened; he’d felt something was off, but now, with her reminder, he realized how the investigation had led to Long Tiancheng as a prime suspect with remarkable ease.

It was as if someone had deliberately steered him toward this answer.

“But based on my observation, the kidnappers weren’t lying,” Qin Chuan said, furrowing his brow.

Qin Youyou paused in thought. “What if someone made them believe what they knew was the truth?”

Qin Chuan, ever astute, instantly grasped her meaning: Long Tiancheng was merely a scapegoat set up by the true mastermind.

Perhaps Long Tiancheng had been involved, but never at the level of principal conspirator. Qin Chuan had suspected as much—after all, there was still the elusive Mister Shen.

Wait...

“Youyou, have you discovered something as well?” Qin Chuan asked suddenly.

Qin Youyou nodded. “Brother, the black-robed leader referred to Mister Shen, but he actually meant Mister God.”