While Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe were lost in passionate, indulgent bliss in the office, on the other side, Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying were nearly tearing their hair out with worry.
Their project had failed the acceptance inspection, and they were utterly overcome with grief.
If they abandoned the project, all the massive investments they had poured into it in the early stages would go down the drain, leaving them with nothing to show for it.
The three of them were unwilling to throw in the towel, so they could only tinker, tear down and patch up all the structures they had already built.
As a result, they sank even more money into it.
This time, Song Xuanli had even emptied out his life savings that he had set aside for his own funeral. If something sudden happened and he kicked the bucket, he wouldn't even have money for a proper coffin, and would have to be wrapped up in a cardboard box for burial.
Li Cuirou said to him, "Honey, I already sold all my family's ancestral jewelry last time. I really don't have any money left now."
Song Xuanli said, "My dear, you can go take out a loan."
Li Cuirou was dragged by him to the bank against her will, where she took out a huge sum of money and was saddled with a mountain of debt, officially joining the ranks of the "newly impoverished millionaires".
Zhang Yingying said, "Dad, Mom, you two have already gathered enough money, so you don't need me to chip in anymore, right?"
Song Xuanli said, "If we pass the acceptance this time, we won't need you. But if we still fail, you'll have to go take out a loan too."
A month later, the project went through the acceptance check once more.
The result was still: Failed.
So Zhang Yingying also ended up drowning in debt, becoming a member of the "newly impoverished millionaires" club.
The three of them were now treading on thin ice, their nerves stretched taut. They were so distraught that they couldn't sleep a wink at night, and had to rely on sleeping pills every single day.
At the contractor meeting of the Qin Group, Song Xinya ran into Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying.
The three of them walked over from a distance, gaunt and haggard. Song Xinya thought for a second that she was looking at three walking zombies.
"You three really are tied together like three mice on a rope. You even keep the exact same pace when it comes to 'losing weight' — dark under-eye circles, huge puffy eye bags, and dry, brittle yellow hair. Are you planning to stop being human and cross over to become mummies?"
Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou and Zhang Yingying just stared at Song Xinya listlessly, too drained to utter a single word.
They didn't even dare to talk back when she taunted them. Song Xinya was more than satisfied with their half-dead, lifeless state.
After the contractor meeting ended, Song Xinya went up to the 38th floor to find Qin Yuhe. She pushed open the office door, and saw Song Xuanli standing right next to Qin Yuhe, his face full of pleading.
Song Xuanli caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye. He smoothed out his expression, hiding that beggar-like look on his face, and turned to head for the door.
As he walked past Song Xinya, resentment welled up inside him. Song Xinya was his own daughter, and yet when he was in such deep trouble, she wouldn't lift a finger to help him. What was the point of raising a daughter like that? He might as well have drowned her in a chamber pot the day she was born.
He let out a cold snort through his nose.
Song Xinya said, "You'd better watch your step when you walk. You're a thousand-year-old dried-up mummy spirit, your bones are all brittle. Don't let a gust of wind blow you over and make you kick the bucket all over again."
Song Xuanli twisted his head around to snap at Song Xinya, but Qin Yuhe shot a sharp, icy glare at him. Song Xuanli immediately turned his head back smoothly and scurried out of the room.
Song Xinya rested both of her hands on Qin Yuhe's shoulders, stood up on her tiptoes, and parted her rosy, glossy lips slightly. "Thank you, hubby, for standing up for me."
Qin Yuhe leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "It's my duty. No need to thank me."
He then put his hands on both sides of her waist, and gave the soft flesh there a playful, ambiguous squeeze. "Do you want to do it again in my office today?"
Song Xinya had not come to see him today for that kind of thing at all.
"Every time you see me come to your office, you just assume I want to sleep with you, don't you?"
Qin Yuhe said, "To be completely honest, yes. Because I get the feeling you really enjoy our little rendezvous in my office."
Called out so accurately, Song Xinya's face flushed bright red.
"I swear I'm not here for that today. Grandma asked us to go back to the old family mansion for dinner."
Qin Yuhe let out a soft, exaggerated sigh. "Oh, it's not for that? I'm a little disappointed."
Song Xinya laughed. "You keep saying I'm the one who likes fooling around in the office, but you clearly love it just as much, don't you?"
Qin Yuhe said, "I do love it. Because it's so thrilling."
Crown Prince Qin was that straightforward, never hiding his true feelings at all.
Song Xinya's cheeks burned even hotter.
On their way to the Qin family's old mansion, they got a call from Old Madam Qin, saying that Fu Xiaochen's twin kids were there too.
Qin Yuhe told the driver to make a detour, and went out of his way to stop at a toy store. He bought a set of Ultraman gift box for the little boy, and a Snow White gift box for the little girl.
When they arrived at the Qin family mansion, the little girl spread out her chubby, lotus-root-like little arms, ran straight towards Qin Yuhe, and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his leg. "Uncle Hehe, Little Yanxi missed you so so much!"
Qin Yuhe bent down, lifted her up and sat her on his arm, then pinched her chubby, pink little cheek. "What a good girl Little Yanxi is."
Little Yanxi nodded her head hard, and said in her babyish, lisping voice, "I've been so good! I eat all my meals properly, sleep on time, grow up healthy, and think about Uncle Hehe every single day."
She cupped Qin Yuhe's face with her tiny, fleshy hands, and asked, "Uncle Hehe, do you know why I think about you every day?"
Qin Yuhe said, "Because you love Uncle Hehe."
Little Yanxi said, "Wrong answer! It's because I want you to buy me toys, hehehe."
Qin Yuhe said, "What if I don't buy you toys? Then you won't miss me anymore?"
Little Yanxi said, "If you don't buy me toys, I'll get mad at you. And if I'm mad at you, I won't think about you anymore."
Qin Yuhe said, "Oh no, that hits me right where it hurts. I'm so scared now."
Little Yanxi said, "You should be scared! To be liked by a little princess like me is such an honor for you."
Qin Yuhe said, "It's the greatest honor ever. That's why I already got you a present on my way here."
He took out the Snow White gift box. Little Yanxi's eyes lit up instantly, and she squirmed and kicked her feet, trying to get out of Qin Yuhe's hold. "Uncle Hehe, put me down quick! I want to play with Snow White right now!"
Qin Yuhe said, "Uncle Hehe and Snow White — you can only pick one. Who do you choose?"
Little Yanxi answered without a second of hesitation, "Snow White!"
Qin Yuhe covered his chest with both hands, pretending to be hurt. "Oh, Uncle Hehe is heartbroken now."
Little Yanxi patted his head gently. "Uncle Hehe, don't be sad. If you love me even harder, love me super duper much, maybe I'll pick you later!"
Qin Yuhe said, "You're so little, and you've already mastered how to PUA men."
Little Yanxi scratched her head, confused. "Pee-you-en? What's that? Is it something yummy to eat?"
Qin Yuhe said, "You don't need to know that, little one. You're already a total pro at it."
Little Yanxi was even more lost. "Deer fire pure relative? What's that? Is a deer kissing fire? What if the deer gets burned to death?"
Qin Yuhe patted her little head gently. "Go on, go play with your Snow White now."
Faced with things she didn't understand, Little Yanxi just decided not to bother figuring them out, and trotted off merrily to play with her new Snow White toy.
Qin Yuhe turned around, only to see the little boy's two chubby little paws wrapped tightly around Song Xinya.
"Auntie Hua, I'm so happy to see you. I want to give you a French greeting..."
He pouted his little red lips, leaning in towards Song Xinya's mouth. "Muah~"
