The villain turns into the infatuated second male lead

“Was the food too spicy?” Yin Zhiyi asked casually, not falling for her trick. He glanced at the bright red meat in the female lead’s bowl.

“Seriously, can’t you show a bit of concern for me?” Xia Wanshi wiped away the tears that had come from the spiciness, realizing her trick was exposed. She felt regretful that she couldn’t ship her friends’ CP firsthand, but since he wasn’t playing along, she’d just endure it.

Qiu Yiyuan, seeing the two bickering but in a very different atmosphere from normal flirtation, felt relieved. He struggled for a moment, then awkwardly picked a dish that Ling Su had taken most frequently and placed it in his bowl. Unsurprisingly, he met a pair of slightly surprised black eyes.

He nervously pressed his lips, pretending to be calm. “What’s wrong?”

In his limited understanding of love, his mother often helped his father with dishes. Although there were often people fawning over him at banquets, he rejected them due to his cleanliness obsession. Now that he was determined to pursue Ling Su, he had to take action.

The harmonious scene of the three having dinner together deeply hurt Yin Miaoyan, who was sitting uncomfortably on the sofa. Every emotion Qiu Yiyuan showed for Ling Su stung her, even without him serving that detestable man. She could see from his eyes, which seemed to stick to Ling Su, what was going on.

His gentle and affectionate look was a scene she had never witnessed. Yin Miaoyan, angered to the extreme, turned her head away, her hands unconsciously swiping on her phone, unwilling to leave despite the discomfort. Since she could remember, her father always told her that she and Qiu Yiyuan were the perfect pair. Their fathers had a good relationship, and even though they didn’t meet until they were twelve, she felt familiar and close to him.

Her father was right, Qiu Yiyuan was the best, and she deserved the best. But no matter how hard she chased the moonlight, she could never catch up.

Her patience reached its limit when Ling Su cleaned up the dishes and Qiu Yiyuan volunteered to help. She ignored Xia Wanshi, who had gone to the music room, and suppressed her anger, “Yiyuan, I need to talk to you.”

Yin Zhiyi had already heard her coming, smiled calmly, and nodded slightly at Qiu Yiyuan’s questioning gaze. He didn’t care what she thought; she failed to get together with the male lead in the original story, and now it was even less likely with the plot completely changed.

All she could rely on was Qiu Tongfu’s support. Even with his special care for his ‘adoptive father,’ that old man wouldn’t live long even if he rested well.

“Shall we talk outside?” Qiu Yiyuan’s face was stern, his deep eyes scrutinizing her. Noticing her unstable emotions, he immediately suggested.

“Fine.” She gave him a cold glance before walking to the end of the hallway in her high heels.

“Why did you bring her here?” Yin Zhiyi ignored Yin Miaoyan’s implicit provocation, finishing the dishwashing by putting everything into the dishwasher. After they left, he started analyzing the male lead’s actions.

Based on his understanding of Qiu Yiyuan, the latter always avoided Yin Miaoyan. What could have caused this situation? His cheap brother had clearly contacted the Qiu family. Could it be that he needed her for something that couldn’t be revealed to the Qiu family? After all, this woman would prioritize his words.

Yin Zhiyi couldn’t figure it out. He had no idea Qiu Yiyuan simply wanted to find his lost phone, which led him to be entangled with Yin Miaoyan back to the apartment.

Returning to the hallway, Yin Miaoyan chose an obviously empty room to stop. She bit her lip and got straight to the point, “When are you coming home? Uncle is very worried about you.”

“Is that all you want to ask?” Qiu Yiyuan frowned, his usual indifferent tone saying, “I’ll go back in a few days when the situation stabilizes.”

“In a few days?” Her face darkened, unsatisfied with his answer. She didn’t need to guess to know the absurd excuse was for a reason. She couldn’t help but sneer, “What are you still worried about? My dad has already agreed with Uncle Qiu that our family will fully support you. Before that, we should get engaged.”

She emphasized the last two words as if reminding him of something.

As the person involved, Qiu Yiyuan’s eyelids twitched violently. Not only was he unlikely to agree to an engagement with her because of Ling Su, but her blatant threat touched his nerve. He looked at her with increasingly cold eyes, “I never agreed, so I won’t get engaged to you.”

Hearing such a resolute answer from her beloved, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She had waited for this rare opportunity for so long, only for it to be ruined by some unknown guy. The little hope she had faded completely when she saw the determination in his eyes.

All because of a man?

She couldn’t understand what kind of magic Ling Su had used on Qiu Yiyuan, making him act as if possessed, making such ridiculous decisions. She couldn’t allow or accept him being with another man. Her emotions peaked, gradually losing control, and she shouted sharply, “Are you going to go against your father’s wishes just for that pretty boy? You claim it’s for a noble cause, but it’s really just to satisfy your own desires. Aren’t you afraid of angering Uncle Qiu to death? Aren’t you disgusted with yourself?”

Her near-hysterical words made Qiu Yiyuan’s eyelid twitch. He ignored the highly insulting part and looked at her in disbelief, “How do you know?”

“Afraid to be known?” She sneered, unclear if she was pleased or saddened by his rare loss of composure, “It’s written all over your face. You think you’ve hidden it well, but do you think everyone else is a fool?”

Her words hit him like a bolt from the blue, leaving him stunned. Hoarsely, he asked, “Everyone can tell?”

If she could see, Xia Wanshi seemed to understand, then what about Ling Su?

Did Ling Su know his dirty thoughts?

If he knew yet still treated him like this, what did it mean?

He felt immense fear and helplessness at his greatest secret being exposed. He wanted to rush to Ling Su and ask, hoping for the answer he desired but also fearing that once the veil was lifted, they could never return to before.

He gripped his hair, struggling so much that he didn’t hear Yin Miaoyan asking about the engagement again or see her leaving in anger. His mind was filled with the thought that Ling Su might know his feelings, and he was in turmoil.

The shouting from the hallway didn’t disturb the peace inside the apartment. By the time Yin Zhiyi finished washing up, it was already 8 PM. He wanted to ask Xia Wanshi if anything had happened while he was out, but she was practicing piano.

“We have to get up early tomorrow.” He flipped through the schedule, estimating that it would take about 50 minutes to get to the hospital from here. They needed to rest early, and Xia Wanshi’s commute to her company was even longer. He guessed she wouldn’t stay overnight after practicing.

After about an hour of intermittent playing, the music room finally opened. Xia Wanshi’s face was full of satisfaction, treating this rare leisurely time as a reward for her hard work.

“Xiaoshi, are you going home?” Yin Zhiyi closed the novel he was reading and stood up with a gentle smile, “Shall I take you?”

“That’s too tiring. You have to work tomorrow, it’s not good to be running around.” She was tempted but shook her head, considering that Ling Su’s vacation was over.

“Then be safe on the way.” Yin Zhiyi wasn’t upset by the refusal. He smiled softly, as usual, gently reminding her.

Then, as if remembering something, he casually asked, “By the way, I didn’t expect Qiu Yiyuan to bring a friend over.”

Xia Wanshi scrutinized her friend, assuming he was jealous, even if he didn’t show it. Anyone would find it hard not to mind if their lover brought home a pretty rival.

With a sly smile, she remarked, “I didn’t expect it either. That pretty sister came back with him. From my keen observation, she definitely has feelings for Qiu Yiyuan.”

Yin Zhiyi raised an eyebrow, detecting the teasing in her words. If she knew he was more aware than she was, she wouldn’t be laughing. He hid the darkness in his eyes, feigning surprise, “He went out? Isn’t it dangerous outside?”

“Oh, you didn’t know.” Xia Wanshi suddenly realized and was about to explain why the dignified heir of Haiyue risked his life for an old, broken phone, but before she could say a word, the door opened.

“You two?” Qiu Yiyuan, having calmed his emotions outside for a long time, entered to see the two looking at him. His heart skipped a beat upon meeting Ling Su’s gentle gaze. He tried to stay calm and asked in a low voice.

“We were just chatting.” Xia Wanshi didn’t notice his oddity, smiling, “He’s really concerned that you brought back a pretty sister after going out.”