Second-Generation Heir x Illegitimate Son 30

When Lin Sui opened his eyes, dusk had settled outside the window, with only a sliver of lingering light casting into the distance. The room was draped in a faint golden haze, dim and indistinct.

The room was empty save for him; only the robotic vacuum cleaner was diligently carrying out its duties.

It was a spacious, single-story flat done in a light luxury style with no partitions except for the bathroom. The bedroom and living room flowed into one another without dividers, and the space was filled with smart home devices throughout.

Lin Sui raised his hand and noticed the pale gold bracelet fastened around his wrist. A small ornament dangled from it, identical in design to one he'd crafted many years ago, though the material had been changed and the engraving was different.

—'Qin.'

Lin Sui's neck, on the other hand, was bare. The slender chain that had restrained him yesterday was also gold, now wound around the bedpost as a decorative piece.

Perhaps Yan Qin had left in a hurry, or perhaps it was deliberate—the chain was still stained with dried traces of white. Lin Sui pulled it free and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

The trash can closed obediently, looking very much like a certain someone who had been thoroughly sated that morning.

Lin Sui's body was clean, but that didn't prevent the dark cloud lingering on his expression.

The walk to the washroom wasn't far, yet Lin Sui took a full five minutes to get there—every step an ordeal—and by the time he arrived, a thin sheen of sweat had gathered at his temples.

Lin Sui's hand gripped the cup so tightly the veins stood out as he maintained his composure through his morning routine. He didn't have the habit of venting his frustration on objects, so he restrained himself again and again, ultimately managing not to hurl the cup at the recessed mirror before him.

Yan Qin had clearly thought of everything when it came to confining him. There were no sharp objects in the room that could serve as weapons, all knives were locked away, the cups were made of lightweight material, even the glass was protected by a transparent layer, and the windows were sealed shut—impossible to budge by human strength alone.

The kitchen's warming cabinet held food, and Yan Qin had left a note. Lin Sui glanced at it but didn't touch the food, instead circling the entire apartment before finally returning to the dining area.

Just walking one lap had drained his energy considerably. He settled onto a cushioned seat, brow furrowed, and began to eat.

He was already starting to miss the Cultivation World. He even felt that the Human Cauldron Physique wasn't entirely without its merits—although it still hurt when Yan Qin was rough, at least it was never as bad as this.

The System watched Lin Sui, who looked ready to snap his chopsticks in half, its voice dripping with barely concealed schadenfreude: [How does it feel to get what you wished for?]

Having clashed with Lin Sui so many times, this was a rare occasion where it had the upper hand. Watching Lin Sui suffer the consequences of his own actions—the pleasure was indescribable.

Though this source of amusement should by rights have been a source of its own anguish, under Lin Sui's relentless torment, the System had gradually become twisted. Even in a situation like this, as long as Lin Sui was suffering, it felt happy.

Lin Sui had been in a poor mood to begin with, but the moment he heard the System's words, the discomfort in his body seemed to lessen considerably.

[Wonderful. Thank you for your concern, Mother-in-law.]

The way Lin Sui said it, he sounded like a new bride in a feudal dynasty who was supposed to serve tea to her mother-in-law the morning after the wedding—except he'd slept in until he was good and ready before leisurely making his way over, and when faced with his mother-in-law's scolding, responded with a smile.

The System choked, disgusted beyond measure.

[When are you planning to leave?]

The System changed the subject. Though it often didn't understand the deeper meaning behind Lin Sui's actions, it could perceive certain things.

If it were a cultivator with weaker soul force, the System could easily read their thoughts. But it just had to run into Lin Sui—though it resided within his Spiritual Platform, it couldn't glimpse his thoughts unless he let his guard down.

Only now did it realize that Lin Sui had been prepared for all of this from the start. It found him somewhat terrifying, but could only suppress its unease and carry on.

Lin Sui didn't answer the question. Instead, he said: [How much did you see last night?]

Lin Sui didn't think the System had any kind of blocking function. While he didn't particularly mind if the System watched, he still found it somewhat disagreeable.

[What kind of question is that?!?!?!]

The System was scandalized, speaking as though it had been insulted: [You think I would watch?!]

[I wouldn't even deign to!]

The System had no physical form, so witnessing the proceedings couldn't possibly make it feel embarrassed—only furious. Furious that the Child of Fortune had once again gone astray. Unable to stop it, the System simply chose the out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach.

[Oh.]

Compared to the System's agitation, Lin Sui was remarkably calm, even continuing his meal in rather good spirits.

The congee Yan Qin had prepared for him had a wonderfully soft and glutinous texture.

After finishing, Lin Sui rested for a while in the hanging chair. The living room had a bookshelf lined wall-to-wall with books, as though someone had anticipated Lin Sui might get bored and provided them for his entertainment.

Lin Sui's phone was nowhere to be found. Though the apartment was full of smart home devices, there wasn't a computer in sight, and the front door was equally immovable.

The soundproofing was excellent, and the location seemed to be somewhere remote.

A man like Yan Qin—having done something like this—would naturally have made thorough preparations.

In a high-rise building, Yan Qin gazed at the screen showing Lin Sui reading with downcast eyes, his expression gentle.

"Then it's settled. The success of this project is largely thanks to you, Mr. Yan. Let me treat you to dinner sometime. You and my brother are old friends—we can all get together then."

Lin Min looked at the man seated before her and smiled.

She could already foresee the enormous returns the project would bring once fully implemented. Her gaze toward Yan Qin grew ever more appreciative, and in her mind, she'd already half-considered him a brother-in-law.

That there was something between Lin Sui and Yan Qin was beyond question. When Lin Min recalled things Lin Sui had said before, and that impenetrable atmosphere between Lin Sui and Yan Qin that no one else could breach, she felt it was only a matter of time before Yan Qin became part of the family.

"It would be my honor. Whenever you extend the invitation, I will certainly be there."

The corners of Yan Qin's lips curved upward. Seeing Lin Sui's face on the screen, his expression softened further.

There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face for privately keeping the other's family member captive. Looking at the bite mark Lin Sui had left on his wrist the night before, his smile only deepened.

He wasn't worried about Lin Sui being able to contact anyone. Though the apartment's network was running normally, he'd installed a signal jammer outside—this was a completely isolated space. Yan Qin wanted the master he'd imprisoned to be comfortable inside.

Lately, the System had been in a very bad mood, all because of the good-for-nothing Child of Fortune.

It had originally assumed that someone of Lin Sui's temperament would surely kick up a fuss after being locked up. He couldn't possibly accept his fate or be willing to become a plaything. The two of them would torment each other in an anguished love affair, ideally ending in a bitter separation—couldn't be more perfect.

But reality was... the young man half-reclined on the sofa was watching television, while Yan Qin sat beside him peeling grapes. Lin Sui didn't even need to lift a finger—Yan Qin fed them directly to his lips, catching the spat-out seeds in a tissue, the picture of devoted service.

Not only that, Yan Qin also insisted on cooking different meals for Lin Sui every day, massaging his feet at night—more devoted than the most doting husband imaginable. This was nothing like the forced love the System had envisioned. Apart from lacking his freedom, Lin Sui's life was no different from before.

But the lack of freedom was perhaps the biggest difference of all. The System, unable to endure it any longer, asked: [Are you really never going to leave? You're just going to live like this with him for the rest of your life?]

Lin Sui replied lazily: [What's so bad about this? Someone's falling over himself to wait on me.]

That said, Lin Sui still sat up and grasped Yan Qin's wrist, refusing the grape being brought to his lips.

The System did know him to some extent. If this weren't Yan Qin, forget enduring it for a few days—Lin Sui wouldn't have lasted a single minute.

"It's been nearly a week. You've had your fun—when are you planning to let me out?"

"Does Ah Sui want to go out for a stroll?"

Yan Qin's expression remained composed as he twisted Lin Sui's words into a different meaning.

"I might be a bit tied up recently. How about I take you to an island getaway in a few days?"

Yan Qin tossed the tissue-wrapped grape seeds into the trash can, still pinching a single grape between his fingers.

He seemed to be coaxing a lover, smiling as he watched Lin Sui's eyes turn cold.

"It's already been a week. Do you really think the Lin Family won't get suspicious?"

"What does Ah Sui have to do with the Lin Family? Young Master Lin is out enjoying himself somewhere. The only one here is Ah Sui."

Yan Qin brought the grape to Lin Sui's lips and half-forced it into his mouth, his fingertip brushing over the soft red of his lips as it passed. When he withdrew his hand, he licked the moisture from his finger.

"This grape is quite sweet. I should buy more tomorrow."

"What have you done?"

The cloying sweetness of the grape juice flooded his mouth. Lin Sui held the seed between his teeth, brow slightly furrowed.

Given the current pace of things, even if every member of the Lin Family collectively lost their minds and handed Yan Qin a knife, he still wouldn't be able to swallow up the Lin Family's business.

As for what Yan Qin's words implied—had he found a body double?

But Lin Sui didn't think the Lin Family were foolish enough to fail to tell the difference in appearance, temperament, and behavior. Even if others couldn't tell, Lin Min certainly would.

Yan Qin drew out a tissue and unhurriedly wiped the sticky grape juice from his fingers, then held his hand out before Lin Sui, indicating he should spit out the seed he couldn't swallow.

"If the Young Master wishes to know, then find a way to get the answer himself."

The System nearly fainted from rage inside Lin Sui's Spiritual Platform. Only at moments like these did the Child of Fortune have a hint of that proper energy, but couldn't he show even a fraction of that backbone outside the bedroom? In bed, when Lin Sui said no, he went ahead anyway—why couldn't he do the same out of bed?

Infuriating. It refused to watch any longer. Blocked!

Lin Sui wasn't aware of the System's inner turmoil. He of course knew he could easily get the answer from Yan Qin's own mouth, but since Yan Qin had put it that way, he stubbornly refused to do so.

Lin Sui let out a light scoff, as if mocking the absurdity of Yan Qin's delusions. His gaze shifted from Yan Qin to the television, ignoring the hand extended before him. He found the trash can himself and spat out the grape seed.

Though he didn't know what method Yan Qin had used to keep the Lin Family unsuspicious during his absence, it didn't matter.

The Lin Family was not his trump card. His trump card was something Yan Qin knew nothing about.

"Is the Young Master truly not the least bit curious?"

Yan Qin blocked Lin Sui's view of the television, leaning against the sofa as he toyed with Lin Sui's feet.

Amid the laughter of the entertainment program, the sound of fabric rustling was barely audible.

Lin Sui paid Yan Qin no attention, treating him as though he were thin air.

Yan Qin couldn't stand it when he was like this. He would rather Lin Sui belittle and berate him than have Lin Sui's eyes pass through him as if he didn't exist.

"Are you trying to send me to the hospital?"

Lin Sui's brow drew tight. He'd been worn out to the point where he spent most of each day unconscious. He had a clear gauge of his own physical condition.

"Don't be afraid, Ah Sui. I'm just kissing it—the same way you taught me the first time."

Yan Qin was a person of extraordinary talent—in everything he did.