Chapter 126: Set a Thief to Catch a Thief!

If there were a poll for it, Qin Luo would undoubtedly be voted "Most Tragic Man of the Year."

Last night began with Lin Wanxi crying in his arms, followed by him holding and caressing her. Then, they were tangled together, exploring each other. In the heat of the moment, without Qin Luo’s explicit authorization, his right hand took the liberty of slipping inside Lin Wanxi’s pajamas, stirring up a storm.

It was just a touch, lasting less than two minutes. Before Qin Luo could even savor the sensation, Lin Wanxi caught him. That hand, having committed such a grave sin, was promptly pulled out, and he was pushed right out the door.

Qin Luo felt his left hand was truly hateful; had it not been so impatient, he might have been able to kiss her longer and get her better prepared. He knew that once a woman’s body was ready, it became much harder for her to say "no."

He showered his hand, which still held a lingering scent, with frantic kisses, only then feeling a slight release of his pent-up frustration. But was a mere two minutes of contact really worth the price of marriage? Many men have fathered children only to kick their partners to the curb later. Of course, Qin Luo dared not voice such thoughts.

He would be more than happy to marry a beautiful, mature woman like Lin Wanxi. Once he brought her home, he could have her wear office attire whenever he liked, or perhaps a nurse’s uniform—and on a whim, he could even have her play the role of a female pirate. He just felt that since they had only just reconciled, rushing into marriage seemed a bit too hasty.

As Aunt Li approached with a steaming bowl of mung bean milk and heard Lin Qingyuan’s words, she beamed with joy. "That’s wonderful. This is truly wonderful. You’re finally becoming one family."

Though Lin Wanxi was cool and aloof by nature, she wasn’t a bad person and never made things difficult for the staff. As for Qin Luo, he was a lovable young man. So, seeing the two of them together made Aunt Li very happy.

"Indeed. I think so too," Lin Qingyuan said, delighted to have Aunt Li’s agreement.

Qin Luo glanced at Lin Wanxi, who was buried in her meal. Though her face was slightly flushed, she showed no intention of speaking. Qin Luo had to pipe up, "Grandpa Lin, isn't this a bit too fast?"

"Fast? How is it fast? I’m the old man here and I don’t think it’s fast. Why would you young people think so? Isn't this ‘lightning marriage’ thing all the rage now?" Lin Qingyuan countered. He was itching for Qin Luo and Lin Wanxi to get their marriage certificate tomorrow, have a baby the day after, and another the day after that.

"It’s called a 'flash marriage,'" Aunt Li corrected from the side.

"Right, a flash marriage. The kind where everything happens in a blink. You meet one day and marry the next. You and Wanxi have known each other for quite a while now, haven't you?"

"But..."

"Don't you like Wanxi?"

"That's..."

"Then there you have it. What difference does it make to marry a day early or a day late? A man should establish a family before his career. You can just as easily pursue your career after you're married. Wanxi is a little older than you; she’ll surely be a wonderful, virtuous wife. Plus, she’s quiet and doesn’t like to go out and party; she can help you with the cooking and cleaning..." Lin Qingyuan sold his granddaughter to Qin Luo like a merchant promoting a product.

Seeing Qin Luo looking at her in distress, Lin Wanxi finally raised her head, looked at her grandfather, and said, "I haven't decided yet."

"..."

The wicked are always tamed by the more wicked. Lin Qingyuan had rendered Qin Luo speechless, but Lin Wanxi shut him down with just one sentence.

After breakfast, Qin Luo and Lin Wanxi headed to the university together. Sitting in the passenger seat, Qin Luo occasionally glanced at Lin Wanxi’s flawless profile.

Expressionless!

Darn it, how could she be like this? Could it be that she had forgotten about last night’s intimate encounter? Had she already forgotten their lingering, ambiguous embrace? How could this woman be so utterly devoid of a sense of responsibility?

"What are you looking at?" Lin Wanxi asked, her gaze fixed straight ahead. She had finally taken the initiative to speak to him.

"Looking at you."

"..."

Because of their recent conflict, they hadn't commuted together for days. Now that they had rediscovered that feeling, and their relationship had grown even closer than before, both felt a small, sweet joy. The feeling of happiness does not fade with age; people of any age have the right to seek their own joy.

The BMW pulled up to the Biology building. As Lin Wanxi unbuckled her seatbelt, she said, "I have a meeting at noon. I probably won't be back for lunch."

"That's fine. I won't be back either," Qin Luo said with a smile. He had to rush over to accompany Chen Sixuan. She had flown all the way from Taiwan just to help him with an advertisement; as the boss, he had to play the host. Besides, they were preparing to shoot the video spot in the afternoon, and he needed to get a feel for the camera. Filming for video was quite different from print ads.

Lin Wanxi nodded and walked toward the office building with her bag.

Since it wasn't time for class yet, Qin Luo decided to head to the office. He didn't get along well with some of his colleagues, so he avoided the office whenever possible. Sometimes he wouldn't show up for days, and his desk would be covered in dust.

Before he even stepped through the door, he heard a buzzing sound of conversation. The discussion was intense, the voices rapid, yet someone was keeping their tone low, so Qin Luo couldn't quite catch what they were saying even at the entrance.

As usual, the moment Qin Luo appeared, the chatter died abruptly. Professor Zhu glanced at him, then lowered his head, looking embarrassed, and began scribbling something in his notebook. What struck Qin Luo as odd was that whenever the group discussed something, it usually revolved around Professor Zhu. Today, however, the center of gravity had shifted, leaving Zhu isolated—he had become a lone wolf, just like Qin Luo.

Xiao Min walked over, smiling. "Professor Qin, you promised to have a casual meal with my classmates. When are you free?"

Qin Luo remembered. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Great! I'll tell them right away. Don't go back on your word! Several of them are medical students who have been following the reports about you in the papers lately. They admire you so much," Xiao Min said happily.

Qin Luo glanced at the office out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Has something happened in the department?"

Xiao Min looked at him, surprised. "Such a huge event, and you don't know?"

"I rarely come to the office. I just go straight to the classroom for lectures. How would I know?" Qin Luo replied with a wry smile. It seemed he really was disconnected from the school. If he had any real career ambition, a personality like his would ensure he never got a promotion. If you don't proactively report to your superiors, how are they supposed to know you have talent?

"At least I don't rely on this for a living," Qin Luo thought to himself.

"I thought you knew, which is why I came to see you at the office. You’re rarely here, after all," Xiao Min said.

"I just happened to be passing by," Qin Luo explained.

Xiao Min glanced toward Professor Zhu’s desk and whispered, "Director Guo is being transferred."

"Transferred? Why?" Qin Luo was taken aback. He had hoped for Guo Renhuai’s departure—after all, it was difficult to work under a supervisor who disliked you. Their conflict had become public, and they had openly clashed during the bet against Han Mo. Still, he was surprised to hear he was actually leaving.

"Rumor has it he's being moved to the First Hospital for administrative work. It’s just a rumor, nothing certain. As for why he's being transferred... you really don't know?" Xiao Min’s eyes scanned his face behind her glasses, looking thoughtful.

"I just found out about it. How would I know why?" Qin Luo asked, bewildered.

"Well, everyone is saying... that you were the one who forced him out," Xiao Min said timidly.

*I forced him out?* Qin Luo stared blankly. What on earth was going on?