After returning home, Qi Liangqin was ready to deliver his "report."
He was skilled at tattling—never directly saying anything bad about Yan Songwei.
For example, after getting home, he started helping Aunt Chun wash vegetables and prepare dinner.
Aunt Chun stopped him. "No need, leave it to me. I can handle it."
"I'm just passing time. Might as well help out."
Aunt Chun chuckled. "Where's Songwei? Shouldn't he be spending time with you? It's the weekend, isn't it?"
"He's busy. Always out socializing."
"They're both busy, the brothers. Songwei may seem carefree, but when it comes to work, he never slacks off."
"Work is fine, but he's always out drinking and socializing. I just worry he might pick up bad habits. And smoking and drinking all the time—it's not good for his health."
Just as he finished speaking, Yan Yuan walked in. She paused in surprise when she saw him.
"I was wondering who was chatting with Aunt Chun in here. It's you? I just saw Second Brother's post on WeChat. Weren't you two out having fun?"
Qi Liangqin turned his head and said, "I couldn't take all the noise in there, so I came back first. He ran into some old friends and wanted to stay a bit longer."
"Where did you guys go? It looked like a bar."
"Little Chili Bar."
Little Chili Bar—just the name alone made it obvious it was a place men liked to go. But in reality, they hadn't gone there. Tan Qingqing used to work at Little Chili; there was no way she'd go back. Still, there was no way to verify it, and when Yan Yuan and the others heard the name, their expressions immediately darkened. Back when Yan Songwei had insisted on marrying Tan Qingqing, everyone in the family knew about Little Chili.
There was no need to say it outright—Yan Songwei hadn't settled down after marriage and was still entangled with Tan Qingqing.
But Qi Liangqin pretended to know nothing. "He seemed to be having a great time with his friends, so I let him stay a little longer."
Yan Yuan immediately reported this to Madam Yan. "I thought Qi Liangqin was smart, but he's so naive. His own husband is fooling around with another woman, and he hasn't even noticed? Mom, I think Second Brother is still really into that woman. Wouldn't it be better for him to just divorce Qi Liangqin and marry her? At least she's a woman—she could give the Yan family an heir."
"Who knows what kind of woman she really is?" Madam Yan said. "You think just because she's female, she's automatically better? Some women are nothing but trouble. The thing I despise most is someone who comes between a husband and wife. If Songwei weren't married, that would be one thing. But he is, and she still won't leave him alone? A woman like that is nothing but a homewrecker. Bringing her into our family would be bad luck! If Songwei were to divorce Xiao Qin and marry a proper woman, that would be good. But if he divorces only to marry that woman, I'd rather he stay with Xiao Qin."
"Wow, Mom, I didn't expect you to think so highly of Qi Liangqin."
"Everything is relative. When you have to pick the best among the worst, Qi Liangqin looks slightly better compared to that nightclub woman."
"So what do we do? Looks like Second Brother has no intention of settling down, even after getting married."
"Let him be. He won't dare make a real mess. Besides, I'm not entirely happy with the one at home either. Let's just wait and see. Maybe he'll get tired of both of them, come to his senses, and find himself a proper wife."
"I actually find Qi Liangqin quite pitiful," Yan Yuan sighed. "He seems reliable. Even though he looks sharp, he actually feels like an honest person."
"That's exactly what I don't like," Madam Yan said. "You know your second brother's temperament—he needs a strong-willed wife to keep him in check. Xiao Qin is too soft, the type to swallow everything in silence. They don't match at all… He'd be a better fit for your elder brother. Your elder brother is steady and reliable, perfect for someone with Xiao Qin's gentle personality. Meanwhile, that cold and distant sister-in-law of yours would be a better match for your second brother."
Yan Yuan burst into laughter. "Mom, listen to yourself! Are you suggesting they swap partners?"
"You little brat, the way you talk…" Madam Yan chuckled too. She patted the face mask on her skin and said, "Life never goes the way we want. Fate loves playing tricks on people."
Madam Yan didn't press the matter any further, but Qi Liangqin wasn't disappointed. This was never something that could be achieved overnight—he needed to take it step by step.
Back in his room, he started preparing for his bath that evening.
Even though Qi Liangqin had started out as a proper, law-abiding citizen, his flirtatious nature was clearly ingrained in his bones. A few days ago, he had discovered something—Qi Liangqin's wardrobe seemed perfectly normal on the outside, but his choice of underwear was… quite the opposite.
There was no shortage of fabric in his outerwear, but his underwear? That was another story. Among them, there were a few pairs of briefs with nothing but a single strap at the back and a tiny piece of fabric barely covering the essentials in the front—provocative to the extreme.
He picked out a thong from the collection—the exact one described in the novel. Just holding it in his hand made his face burn.
He was a conservative person. Forget thongs—he rarely even wore regular briefs. He preferred boxers, and most of his underwear had been worn for years. Some of his classmates had even joked that his loose, sagging boxers made him look like an old grandpa.
But comfort was his priority. Living alone, it didn't really matter what he wore underneath—no one was going to see it anyway.
Though, he had considered that if he ever found a partner, he would definitely start wearing something sexier.
But that partner… had yet to appear.
"Wouldn't underwear like this feel tight?"
His face flushed as he examined it inside and out, pulling at the thin little strap. Just then, a knock came at the door. He quickly turned around, but before he could stuff it into his hand, Yan Yuan pushed the door open and caught sight of it.
Yan Yuan paused for a second and then said,"Oh wow, so my second brother likes this kind of style, huh?"
Qi Liangqin panicked, trying to shove the underwear back into the wardrobe, but Yan
Yuan grabbed his wrist and, with a swift motion, pulled the wardrobe open completely.
Her sharp eyes quickly brushed past the outer layers of clothing, revealing a whole row of sexy underwear inside. "Wow, so many styles."
Some still had their tags on-brand-new lingerie that had never been worn. These were probably bought by Yan Songwei during their wedding, just for show.
Qi Liangqin stammered, "They're... they're all bought by your second brother. See? I haven't even worn them."
"No need to be embarrassed," Yan Yuan
chuckled. "We're all adults here. You can wear whatever you want."
But Qi Liangqin felt awkward and muttered,"I... I can't accept this."
Yan Yuan turned to him with a teasing smile, clearly not believing a word he said. "You should wear them. Since my second brother bought these, it means he likes them. He wants to see you in them. If you don't wear them for him, those little vixens outside will be more than happy to."
She patted him on the shoulder and said, "Clean up and get ready for dinner."
With that, Yan Yuan left with a smile.
Qi Liangqin stared at the pile of underwear in the wardrobe, quickly covering them with a jacket. When he opened his hand, the black thong he had been clutching was already damp with the sweat from his palm.
He felt like he and the Qi Liangqin from the novel were completely different people. The Qi Liangqin in the story was bold—exactly the kind of person he envied. Maybe it was because he lacked that kind of courage in his own bones that he found himself so captivated by this story. Qi Liangqin felt like a suppressed desire within him, an alter ego he didn't want to acknowledge but knew existed inside his body.
After dinner, once everyone had gone off to rest, Qi Liangqin took the thong and headed to Yan Bozong's bathroom.
In the novel, it was written that Qi Liangqin deliberately left the door unlocked while showering in Yan Bozong's bathroom. His youthful, glistening body stretched out under the warm cascade of water, every inch of him exuding vitality.
But Yan Bozong didn't just happen to walk in—after all, such moments were purely a matter of luck.
Still, Qi Liangqin had a little scheme in mind. He made sure to leave something behind in the bathroom.
He left behind that barely-there thong, hanging on the rack, droplets of water falling one after another.
Qi Liangqin stood there in a daze, staring at the tiny beads of water. He reached out his hand, letting the droplets gather in his palm. But just as the next drop was about to fall, he suddenly pulled his hand away. The droplet landed on the floor instead, creating a barely perceptible splash that sent tiny droplets against his calf. Yet he felt it acutely, as if scalded—a shiver ran through his body like an electric current surging through his veins.
A sudden, blinding image flashed through his mind—a steamy bathroom, hot water spraying in every direction. He was pressed against the glass door by Yan Bozong, his fingers curling helplessly, leaving wet, desperate streaks on the fogged-up surface.
"Do you love me?" Yan Bozong demanded, his voice low, intense, almost dangerous.
Drenched in the downpour, Qi Liangqin struggled to breathe, his eyes squeezed shut, yet his voice rang out without hesitation—"I love you, Yan Bozong! More than anything in this world!"
Hot water streamed down his lips, some even slipping into his throat as he gasped.
Who was the real poison—the person, or the desire? It was impossible to tell.