The villain turns into the infatuated second male lead

With just one sentence, both individuals fell silent. Yin Zhiyi’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t refute Xia Wanshi’s distortion. In the eyes of others, it wasn’t incorrect, and it didn’t harm his mission. Naturally, he chose to remain silent.

Qiu Yiyuan’s pupils dilated as he realized the potential meaning behind those words. He looked at Ling Su, who appeared relaxed and casual, with an intense gaze, as if trying to fill his heart with him. He could hardly conceal the excitement and joy in his eyes.

The mere thought of that possibility filled his heart with a sweet feeling, softening his usually cold demeanor. It seemed he had lost his mind over Ling Su.

“So, why did you suddenly go out?” Yin Zhiyi’s gaze at him was ambiguous as he asked with a slight smile.

“Oh, that’s because I told him…” Xia Wanshi recalled that she hadn’t finished her explanation and opened her mouth to continue.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yiyuan, who had been lost in love, immediately snapped back to reality. He cleared his throat and interrupted her, saying, “Xia Wanshi, Haiyue has a project that they want to collaborate on with your company. Can we find a quiet place to discuss it?”

The elegant and simple music room was filled with a faint fragrance, and Qiu Yiyuan’s tense nerves finally relaxed. He pulled a chair over, sat down, and looked calmly at Xia Wanshi’s pretty, smiling face. He still remembered the subtle feeling he had when he first met her.

Back then, he didn’t understand what it meant, but now he had somewhat figured it out. That special feeling largely came from her resemblance to Ling Su in her demeanor.

However, at that time, because of her gender, he had openly admitted the unusual emotions he felt for her. As for Ling Su, he attributed his feelings to other reasons. The seed of love had been planted much earlier than Qiu Yiyuan had imagined.

Aside from some habits occasionally resembling his foster brother’s, Ling Su was like the bright moon in the sky, untouchable and perfect, beyond desecration. But now, he couldn’t restrain the impulse to be touched by him.

“What project?” Xia Wanshi sat by the bed, glancing at the closed door with curiosity.

Ling Su wasn’t an outsider, so even if it was a business secret, there was no need to be so guarded, right?

Suppressing his drifting thoughts, Qiu Yiyuan took out a phone with a cracked screen from his pocket. The old model made Xia Wanshi recognize it at once as the one her childhood friend had lost.

“Sorry, I lied to you. If you can promise me one thing, I will prioritize collaborating with your company on future projects,” Qiu Yiyuan said seriously, lowering his eyebrows slightly.

“What do you want me to promise? But this phone is broken, right?” She raised her beautiful eyes, then scrutinized the phone in his hand. It was obviously badly damaged and hard to repair, better to replace it with a new one.

He put the phone back in his pocket, thought for a moment, and explained, “I hope you can keep it a secret that I went to find this phone. I will get it fixed and return it to him.”

“Are you planning a surprise for him?” She blinked. Although she had never been in a relationship, she understood a bit about these things. Without waiting for his answer, she had already decided on her own and giggled, “Okay, I’ll keep your secret. But can it really be fixed?”

She had guessed right. Qiu Yiyuan, knowing the phone’s significance to Ling Su, wouldn’t return it in pieces. He would contact an expert to repair it as much as possible once he got home. He could already imagine Ling Su’s surprised expression when receiving the gift.

“Maybe.” Qiu Yiyuan wasn’t an expert in this field, uncertainly replied. Even if it couldn’t be fixed, he would find someone who could.

“It seems unlikely. If it can’t be fixed, I’ll buy a new one for him. It probably hasn’t been discontinued…” Xia Wanshi thought for a while, doubting if the phone could be restored. She suddenly remembered something and laughed awkwardly, “Oh, right, you should be the one to give it to him.”

“A new one?” Qiu Yiyuan’s expression darkened, feeling something off about her wording.

“Yes, it was my birthday gift to him. Ling Su probably likes this model a lot, having used it for so many years,” she nodded naturally.

She spoke openly, but Qiu Yiyuan’s heart sank with each word. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Does he like you?”

This question stumped her. If it was the old Ling Su, she wouldn’t need to think to answer, but her childhood friend had recently found true love, realizing they were only like siblings, not in love.

Her silence made him realize the meaning behind it. He laughed at himself, feeling his recent thoughts were a joke. He had foolishly thought Ling Su might like men, without even recognizing who he actually cared about.

As Xia Wanshi pondered her response, Qiu Yiyuan’s face turned ashen. Realizing she had caused a misunderstanding, she quickly explained, “No, we’re just like siblings.”

However, Qiu Yiyuan was too lost in his own thoughts to hear her.

“Just like siblings?” He almost crushed his molars, clenching his fists, his face turning pale as needle-like pain spread through his heart.

As he was about to leave the room, Xia Wanshi blocked his way and shouted, “You didn’t hear me. Ling Su likes you!”

The sweet, serious voice echoed in Qiu Yiyuan’s ears, resonating like a bell in his soul, lingering for a long time.

“What?” He paused, staring at her, as if confirming if he had hallucinated.

What a joke. If Ling Su didn’t like her, why would he treasure her gift so much?

Moreover, they were engaged, and he had only appeared in Ling Su’s world for less than a month. Why would he like him?

Even though love is often unexplainable and sudden, why him?

The overwhelming joy made him dizzy, blending shock, delight, and fear, distorting his sharp features. He clutched his chest, struggling to contain the excitement, breathing heavily as he awaited the answer.

“You didn’t hear me? He likes you,” Xia Wanshi reiterated, puzzled by his need for confirmation.

Regarding the engagement, she had always been passive, knowing she needed to explain things to her parents.

“He likes me,” Qiu Yiyuan muttered, disoriented by the news. His heart, after a moment of stillness, began to race. Overwhelmed with joy, he clumsily moved towards the door but hesitated before turning the handle.

How should he face him?

Is this real? He wondered, afraid to confront the issue but desperately wanting to confess. He craved closeness to Ling Su.

Outside, Yin Zhiyi, unaware of the assist Xia Wanshi had given, leaned on the sofa, analyzing the situation.

“Is there any project that needs outsourcing recently?” His eyes darkened, ruling out the possibility of Qiu Yiyuan giving her special treatment. Qiu Yiyuan should be busy fighting shareholders for control of the company, not discussing business.

Xia Wanshi knew something he didn’t, and Qiu Yiyuan was reluctant to share. What could it be?

His deep eyes stared at the closed door. He felt he had miscalculated. If he had installed listening devices, he wouldn’t be in the dark now.

As for ethics… what are ethics?

Click.

Yin Zhiyi, contemplating the practicality of listening devices, heard the door lock turn. He looked up to see Qiu Yiyuan and Xia Wanshi exiting the music room one after the other.

His eyes brightened. He stood up, approaching them with a calm demeanor, while subtly observing their expressions.
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