Qin Hanyue calmly replied, "I'm relieved to see you're not too upset over this."
As expected of a businessman, his words were both comforting and tactful, perfectly handling her "difficult" questioning.
Indeed, she had to admit his verbal skills far surpassed hers.
Qiao Ying decided not to "pester" him further.
The group first went to a restaurant for dinner.
Qiao Yi had not eaten anything since skipping dinner the night before to study late. His stomach was completely empty.
But despite the enticing aromas, Qiao Yi had no appetite.
Lost in thought, a bowl of hot soup was suddenly placed in front of him.
Qiao Yi looked up to see his sister Qiao Ying had brought it over for him.
Qin Hanyue went on to ladle out a bowl of soup for Qiao Ying as well.
Not wanting her to worry, Qiao Yi picked up his chopsticks and ate some.
"Should we stay the night here in Yun City and continue tomorrow, or drive through the night?" Qiao Ying asked their preference.
Qin Hanyue said, "Let's hear what your brother thinks."
The siblings looked over at Qiao Yi.
Qin Yan felt a bit embarrassed, wanting to hide his face in his bowl: Young Master, aren't you being a bit too attentive? That's her little brother.
Qiao Yi said, "Let's drive straight through."
With things having become such a mess, he felt responsible. Thinking of his honest, simple father and hysterical, "pitiful" mother, Qiao Yi was afraid that if they stayed a night in Yun City, he might change his mind.
After dinner, the group immediately departed for the Capital City.
Qiao Ying said, "Qin, if you get tired driving let me know and I can take over."
Qin Yan, gripping the steering wheel, was moved to tears: Finally someone remembered the injured driver!
Qin Hanyue told Qiao Ying, "I'll handle the driving." Then to Qin Yan he added, "If you can't drive anymore let me know and I'll take over."
With Qin Yan's injury still not fully healed, continuing to drive exhausted would risk an accident.
Qin Yan said, "Young Master, Miss Qiao, don't worry, I know my limits."
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Young Master driving while he sat shotgun.
As long as they didn't die, he would drive like hell.
In the passenger seat, Qiao Yi hugged his backpack, on the verge of dozing off. The scenery rushing by outside the window further lulled him to sleep.
Qiao Yi fell asleep.
His upper body slowly listing to one side, a bump from a dip in the road caused Qiao Yi's head to loll with the motion.
From the backseat, Qiao Ying reached out to prop Qiao Yi upright.
Noticing Qin Hanyue looking over, after readjusting herself Qiao Ying asked, "What are you looking at?"
His eyes remained fixed ahead on her brother.
Qin Hanyue said, "Miss Qiao seems very close with her brother."
Qiao Ying replied, "My brother has fair skin and refined features. He's obedient and quiet―naturally endearing."
Fair skin and refined features? Obedient and quiet? Aside from being quiet, none of those descriptions fit him, at least not around Qiao Ying. He was usually quite talkative with his sister.
Seeing Qin Hanyue suddenly fall silent again, not knowing what he might be thinking about, Qiao Ying paid him no further mind. She closed her eyes to rest instead.
Once the car left Yun City limits, they took an old bumpy road.
The uneven road surface caused the car to jostle roughly.
Qiao Ying's head bounced toward Qin Hanyue. Too lazy to reposition herself, a steady yet gentle hand came up to cradle her chin, palm cupping a good part of her face.
Qin Hanyue shifted closer to Qiao Ying. Moving carefully, he came to support her head to rest against his shoulder.
Qiao Ying's eyes fluttered but remained closed.
Leaning on something was rather comfortable.
Then Qiao Ying heard Qin Hanyue's voice from over her head say softly, "Drive steady."
Qin Yan silently decreased their speed.
Around seven in the morning,
they arrived at the Capital City.
Halfway Qin Hanyue had taken over driving duties from Qin Yan. He personally chauffeured them for over three hours.
The entire stretch beside him, Qin Yan didn't dare make a peep, even when his butt went numb he didn't shift an inch.
He'd assumed he could move to the backseat, though admittedly sitting next to the Blackwater boss was also terrifying. But Young Master had called Qiao Yi from the passenger seat to the back to sit with his sister Qiao Ying. He gave no consideration for Qin Yan whatsoever.
They pulled up at a hotel.
After Qiao Ying exited the vehicle, she moved to unload their luggage from the trunk intending to check-in with her brother Qiao Yi. But Qin Hanyue stopped her saying, "Leave it for now."
Qiao Ying looked at him questioningly.
"I've already had someone start on your brother's enrollment paperwork. He can start attending normally tomorrow. I'll drive you both there," he explained.
Qiao Ying asked, "When did you arrange that?"
Qin Hanyue answered, "Last night before we went to dinner."
Qiao Ying had planned to ask the university president for assistance. She hadn't expected Qin Hanyue to be so...helpful.
She really wasn't one to freely give thanks, and seldom had opportunity to thank others at all. Yet in this life she'd probably thanked Qin Hanyue more times than everyone else combined from her previous life.
"Then thanks for keeping an eye on our luggage overnight," she told him.
Qiao Ying then headed toward the hotel with Qiao Yi. After a few steps she noticed something and looked back to see Qin Hanyue following behind.
"It'd take over half an hour to return home or the office from here either way. No use running around more, so I'll just rest here with you. And it works out since I'm driving you to school tomorrow morning anyway," he explained.
No going home, staying with them at a hotel instead?
Qin Yan thought: I can't even work up the nerve to poke holes in his ulterior motives.
After the explanation, Qin Hanyue strode ahead and got them four rooms, individually handing key cards to the siblings.
Watching Qin Hanyue hurrying about in front of them, Qiao Yi softly asked Qiao Ying, "Sis, does he like you?"
At dinner last night when Qin Hanyue ladled soup for his sister Qiao Yi had wanted to ask. But he wasn't in the right state of mind then.
Qiao Ying: "???"
Qiao Yi: "It's obvious."
Upstairs, Qin Hanyue said, "Breakfast will be sent up. Eat then rest some more."
They each then retired to their rooms.
Qiao Ying hadn't slept at all in the car. And Qiao Yi had only napped about half an hour. After washing up they ate breakfast then turned in.
That evening at dinner, morale recovered, Qiao Yi began scrutinizing Qin Hanyue. The more he looked the surer he became that the man harbored feelings for his sister. As for his sister...Qiao Yi just couldn't deduce her stance.
The two addressed each other formally as Mr. and Miss, their conversation politely maintaining distance. Yet there was an indescribable intimacy between them, a sense that they'd known one another for ages and weathered much together.
The next morning Qiao Yi felt awkward.
His sister hadn't woken up yet when Qin Hanyue came asking him to breakfast.
Seated face-to-face Qiao Yi, already taciturn by nature, was even more tongue-tied facing the mature, worldly man.
As Qin Hanyue passed dishes his way and ladled congee for him, Qiao Yi was at a loss how to react. Accepting them hurriedly he could only bow his head and eat quietly, stiff as a poker.
"Here's my card, feel free to contact me anytime you need anything," Qin Hanyue said, abruptly offering a black and gold business card.
Qiao Yi raised his head to glance at the card then up at the man across from him. "No need to thank me, I can handle things myself. And I still have my sister." He wasn't comfortable accepting kindness from a veritable stranger.
Qin Hanyue smiled faintly. "No need to stand on courtesy with me. Your sister never does."
Qiao Yi considered this then responded, "My sister not standing on courtesy is between you two. If I owe you any favors, she'd be the one to repay them in the end."
Qin Hanyue chuckled. No wonder Qiao Ying doted on her brother, he really was endearing and no fool.
"My apologies for overstepping," Qin Hanyue said.
Glancing at the time he added, "Eat up first. I'll go check if your sister is awake yet then drive you to school later."
Watching Qin Hanyue's departing back, Qiao Yi couldn't shake the odd feeling from his parting words. To an outsider, it would almost seem like this man was his brother-in-law.
Speaking of, was it really appropriate for him to go wake up his sister...?
Upstairs, Qin Hanyue knocked on Qiao Ying's door.
