Chapter 66: Lan Jin, Are You Playing Me for a Fool?

Inside Qin Chuan’s bedroom.

Awei lay on his back, staring lifelessly at the ceiling, uncertain how long he’d been unconscious. All he knew was that upon waking, his entire body was numb. He couldn’t move a muscle, nor could he make a sound. If it were only boredom and loneliness, he might have managed. But as time dragged on, no matter how strong his willpower, he could not resist the swelling urge to urinate. And so, nearing forty, he experienced the long-forgotten humiliation of wetting the bed once more.

But what shattered him even more was the realization that he was lying half-naked, clad only in his underwear, and a certain bodily organ ached dully. The mortification was almost too much to bear.

Fragments of memory pieced themselves together, and Awei drew two terrifying conclusions: First, Mr. Qin’s preferences were decidedly abnormal. Second, he himself had almost certainly been subjected to Mr. Qin’s bullying.

A mixture of emotions churned within him. He did want to cling to Qin Chuan’s coattails, and he truly wished to become his right-hand man, but never did he imagine he would become his kept plaything.

“This isn’t the life I wanted!” he screamed silently in his heart.

Perhaps it was psychological, but at that moment, certain parts of his body throbbed with even greater, fiery pain. Tears of humiliation slipped from his eyes, and once they started, they would not stop.

So, when Qin Chuan opened the door, he was met with the sight of Awei weeping like a forsaken concubine, drenched in sorrow—a woman scorned with no one to whom she could pour out her grief.

After Qin Chuan removed the silver needles from several key points on Awei’s body, he finally regained control of himself. Awei folded his arms over his chest, gazing at Qin Chuan with such deep reproach that Qin Chuan felt his scalp tingle and a shiver run down his spine.

“Awei, are you… all right?” Qin Chuan gently touched his forehead. There was no sign of fever, but Awei’s gaze was so odd—as though he were confronting a husband caught cheating.

At the thought, goosebumps prickled up Qin Chuan’s arms.

“Mr. Qin, how could you treat me like this?” Awei’s eyes brimmed with mist, his voice trembling as if he would burst into tears at any moment.

What the hell!

Qin Chuan was flabbergasted. If those words and that expression had come from a woman, he might have understood, but coming from Awei, a grown man, it was simply uncanny.

“All I did was knock you out! Is that really worth all this crying?” Qin Chuan asked, half amused, half exasperated.

Awei grew even more aggrieved. “Is that all you did? You knocked me out, yes, but you also…” The rest of the words stuck in his throat, but Qin Chuan easily caught his meaning, especially seeing how Awei now sat at a forty-five-degree angle, his posture confirming Qin Chuan's suspicions.

“Awei, have you considered that maybe your hemorrhoids are acting up?” Qin Chuan retorted irritably.

Awei was instantly struck dumb.

Half an hour later, Awei had composed himself and dressed properly. Once he confirmed his suffering was indeed due to hemorrhoids, the embarrassment was so overwhelming he wished he could sink into the floor.

Still, given Awei’s “outstanding” contribution during the recent kidnapping incident, Qin Chuan decided to let bygones be bygones and assigned him a new, arduous task—escort Lantian in search of the source of happiness.

Upon learning that Lantian was heading to Wonderland to seek the true meaning of love—and especially after Lan Weimin promised to cover all expenses—Awei’s embarrassment vanished in an instant, replaced by renewed enthusiasm.

With those matters settled, Qin Chuan turned his attention to approaching Long Wuhen: first, to pave the way for Lin Wanyu and Liu Qingcheng, and second, to investigate Long Tiancheng’s situation.

Ever since he’d learned from Qin Youyou about the mysterious “Mr. Shen,” Qin Chuan felt an urgent need to look into Long Tiancheng. He had a persistent feeling that delay would only invite complications.

If his suspicions were correct, Long Tiancheng might have already been abandoned as a pawn. If that lead was lost too, uncovering the true culprit behind the Qin family's downfall would become nearly impossible.

Another pressing matter was to mend his relationship with Lin Wanyu, who was highly likely the possessor of the Xuan Yin Physique. This made the reconciliation all the more urgent.

Though this was no easy task, the one thing working in his favor was that Lin Wanyu’s parents were quite supportive of him, which gave Qin Chuan a sliver of comfort.

That afternoon, after lunch, Qin Chuan sought out Lan Jin. Sensing someone approach, Lan Jin quickly hid her phone behind her back.

“No point hiding it. I’ve known about your relationship with Lin Wanyu for ages. I was just waiting to see when you’d confess,” Qin Chuan said with a gentle smile.

Lan Jin was straightforward and made no attempt to deny it. “That’s right, we’re best friends. So what?”

“So what? I’m here to ask for your help, of course,” Qin Chuan replied in an unusually mild tone, which made Lan Jin sense a hint of scheming.

“What kind of help do you need?”

Lan Jin immediately grew wary, teasing, “You’re the master of pulling off elaborate schemes all by yourself. At best, I’m just an extra who never even shows her face. What help could I possibly offer?”

Though several days had passed, Lan Jin still resented having been used and kept in the dark by Qin Chuan last time.

As a result, she’d stopped calling him “Brother Chuan.” She now addressed him by name, or simply as “you,” “him,” or “certain people.”

Qin Chuan knew exactly why Lan Jin was displeased. If it were any other time, he’d teach her a lesson until she called him “daddy.” But now, with the situation as it was, he had to swallow his pride and ask for her help with the right attitude.

“Miss Lan, your insight is unmatched, your wits are sharp, you’re both clever and magnanimous…”

“Stop, stop! Enough with the flattery. Just say what you want. Whether I help or not depends entirely on my mood,” Lan Jin cut him off, more convinced than ever that this was no simple matter. Otherwise, given Qin Chuan’s usual style, why would he be so deferential?

Qin Chuan maintained his gentle smile. “I just want to know what Lin Wanyu likes.”

“Didn’t you already break off the engagement? Why are you suddenly so interested in Sister Yu?” Lan Jin asked, puzzled.

Qin Chuan sighed softly. “I was too impulsive back then. Now I want to make amends. Since you’re such close friends, why not share a bit? You wouldn’t want to see your best friend wronged for no reason, would you?”

Lan Jin looked at him in astonishment. “Did the sun rise in the west today? Qin Chuan, what’s your game?”

“How could someone as pure and simple as I am have an ulterior motive? Jin, for friendship’s sake, or at least for all the free medical care I’ve given you, help me out!” Qin Chuan pleaded, and only when Lan Jin’s expression softened did he breathe a little easier.

Lan Jin nodded in satisfaction. “Since you’re being so sincere, I don’t mind sharing some inside info. Yu’s favorite thing is… toys. You know, those kinds of toys.”

“Lan Jin, you’re messing with me!”

“Qin Chuan, you started it!”

“What will it take for you to tell me?”

“Call me good sister and warm up the atmosphere!”

“…”