“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” Qi Zhongliang lost his temper and stood up. “GET OUT! You just had to look for your brother’s ex-fiancée! You’re not even afraid that people will gossip behind your back! We can’t control you anymore, you’ve gone mad with that love of yours! If you don’t want to have children, don’t! We’re not demanding it from you, now are we? Get out!”

Qi Chengzhi really did bring Song Yu and left without saying goodbye. He had earlier predicted that going there on that day would not end particularly well.

If it were not Yu Keyao, he would not have made such a drastic change to his initial plan.

His original intention was to take things slowly, first by persuading his grandparents so that they, in turn, would persuade his parents.

The plan had not changed, but the method of execution had become much harder to implement.

As Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu out the door, Song Yu could hear Qi Zhongliang’s anger when the door behind them had yet to close. “What would people say about our family if they saw this? That we prepared one woman for two sons at the same time? Why the hell is it so hard for the men in our family to find a woman! One is in love with another man’s wife, and the other is in love with his brother’s ex-fiancée!”

Song Yu felt deeply hurt upon hearing the first few lines of Qi Zhongliang’s rant. He said it as though she was a casual woman who went around being with any man.

She looked down in despair and wondered if Qi Zhongliang thought that she was a shameless woman.

Her hand was kneaded gently, and although she did not look up at him, she could hear his mellow voice resounding from the top of her head. “Don’t think so much.”

Song Yu then looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi’s handsome face, only to be interrupted by a scathing remark. “You heard my elder uncle’s words, didn’t you?”

They stopped walking and turned to see Qi Chengyue running over. When she saw that they stopped, she slowed her steps and strutted over with confidence. She had a smirk on her face and she looked at Song Yu with a sideways glance.

“My opinion isn’t just limited to me. Everyone’s thinking the same thing! I told you that from the beginning, but you accused me of targeting you on purpose and looking down on you. Now, even grandpa, grandma, uncle, and auntie have the same attitude toward you. What’s there for you to say? How despicable must you be to get together with the elder brother after being with the younger brother?”

Qi Chengyue felt a chill because her vision shifted inadvertently to Qi Chengzhi. All of a sudden, she froze and was unable to resist looking over at him.

At that point, she dared not even squeak. She felt her heart nearly stop beating under Qi Chengzhi’s frigid glare.

“Go and wait for me in the car.” Coldness turned to warmth when his gaze recoiled and was directed onto Song Yu. The mere sight of that left Qi Chengyue fuming, and her enmity for Song Yu only grew.

What did someone as lowly as Song Yu have that could invoke such feelings of love and protectiveness within Qi Chengzhi?

Qi Chengyue knew the extent of Qi Chengzhi’s temper. The world would turn upside down if there was ever a woman whom he could love so much.

If a loner like Qi Chengzhi, or even an ordinary man for that matter, could love his girlfriend so dearly, it would definitely attract the seething jealousy of many others.

Qi Chengyue could not help but think about Jian Yi—he never protected her like that before.

It was eye-opening to see Qi Chengzhi protecting someone with all his heart.

Song Yu nodded and did not object to his order.

At the end of the day, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengyue were related to each other. It was always going to be easier for Qi Chengzhi to handle things by himself. Moreover, there was no willingness on Song Yu’s part to deal with Qi Chengyue; after all, she regarded the latter was helplessly insane. The reason for Qi Chengyue’s inflated ego was a result of being spoilt all throughout her childhood years, but as egotistical as she may be, there had to be some kind of limit at the very least!

During the course of leaving the courtyard, Song Yu was still able to hear Qi Chengyue’s ear-piercing voice. “Why do you have to protect her so much? What’s there to her? You’re already hurt because I said a few things to her? Is she so precious to you that no one can say anything about her? If you don’t want to be criticized, you shouldn’t have done such a despicable thing! You shouldn’t be afraid of someone talking about it if you were the one who did such a thing!”

“Song Yu, if you have the guts, stay! Stand here and listen to everything I say! Confront me face-to-face and clear things up! You’re always hiding behind men and pretending to be weak! You’re the most disgusting woman I’ve ever met in my entire life! Getting together with the elder brother after being with the younger, it’s not surprising that someone like you would seduce someone’s man and be willing to become a mistress!”

Song Yu went directly to the car, sat down, and closed the door so she could no longer hear Qi Chengyue’s voice.

She did not care too much about what Qi Chengyue said. It did anger her, no doubt, but she would not take it to heart because those words came from a deluded woman.

If she remained outside, she did worry that she would bump into a neighbor who might recognize her.

It was much better inside the car because the windows were tinted.

Qi Chengyue scolded and cursed, but gradually lost her confidence because Qi Chengzhi was doing nothing to stop her—he lit up a cigarette and smoked calmly instead!

With the cigarette between the contours of his fingers, his movements were graceful as he puffed out clouds of smoke. His eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed to be enjoying himself a fair bit.

“Go on, keep shouting. Why did you stop?” Qi Chengzhi exhaled a breath of smoke and remarked sarcastically, “Is your throat dry? I can go back inside to get you a glass of water so you can continue shouting. Your shouts will attract people, and when they come out to see what’s going on, we’ll see who’s really dragging the Qi family’s dignity down the drain.”

Qi Chengyue was red with anger, but since Qi Chengzhi was completely unperturbed by her scolding, she felt herself losing control over the situation.

“Next time, think about Jian Yi if you ever feel the urge to curse at Song Yu. I think the position of Engineering Manager is not his ultimate goal, and neither is it yours,” Qi Chengzhi remarked leisurely and flicked off some ash from his cigarette. “If Qilin fires Jian Yi, no other company would want him. Then you’ll see if he’ll still want you. If that day comes, you’re no longer a goldmine to him. You’ll simply be dirt.”

“Deep down, you know why Jian Yi wanted to be with you. You just can’t bring yourself to accept it. I don’t care whether you love him to infinity and beyond, or you’re so arrogant that you can’t accept that you’re no better than someone else in his heart; after all, you’re going to marry him, aren’t you? You might as well think about whether you’d be able to have that bargaining chip anymore. And also, think about how worthless that bargaining chip is to me.”

Qi Chengyue’s eyes were wide open in disbelief. She never imagined that Qi Chengzhi would threaten her so blatantly!

After all, she was his cousin sister!

She knew early on that he was never a kind-hearted person, but she found it incredulous that he did not hold back against his own family!

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell everyone about how Song Yu seduced Jian Yi? Not to mention Song Yu was your little brother’s ex-fiancée. With her status, they won’t let her into the Qi family, unless of course, she’s getting married to your little brother. Otherwise, the absurdity of a younger brother’s wife becoming the wife of his elder brother is something the family would not permit.” Qi Chengzhi’s threats had stuck her nerve, causing her lips to tremble as she spoke.

“No one in the family agrees to it, and if I told everyone that she tried to get together with Jian Yi, what do you think they’ll say? You heard what elder uncle told you earlier, Song Yu’s a casual woman. If I told them all this, her reputation of being whorish will forever stick with her!”

“Tell them then,” Qi Chengzhi replied indifferently. “Was it Song Yu who seduced Jian Yi or Jian Yi who lied to Song Yu? Whether you’re willing to accept it or not, deep down you know. Who do you think gave you those photographs? Who told you that Jian Yi was having a date with another woman? If you say something, you’ve got to have proof. And that proof? You don’t have it. I do. When the time comes, we’ll see if it’s Song Yu or Jian Yi who will not be allowed to enter the family. Or maybe, you’re at a point where you don’t care if something happens to yourself as long as you’re able to inflict that suffering on her. Perhaps you’ll be willing to put your wedding at stake just to prevent Song Yu from being a member of the Qi family. In that case, it’s a loss for both sides.”

Qi Chengzhi sneered, “I can simply disregard everyone’s opinion and just register my marriage with Song Yu. Can you do that? If you can sever your ties with the family just to marry Jian Yi, what’s going to happen to him? When’s the wedding? It’s coming soon, isn’t it? Next week?”

Qi Chengyue’s face morphed into all sorts of emotions, settling finally on shock as she took a half-step back and stared in terror at her elder cousin brother. He looked as though his patience was tested for the first time.

He had planned everything in detail!

“You’re holding against your own cousin sister?” Qi Chengyue turned hysterical because she was unable to control herself. “I’m your cousin sister, she’s nothing!”

“Hehe.” Qi Chengzhi chuckled, shook his head, and tossed the cigarette on the ground. He stamped on the barely smoked cigarette and crushed it. “If there’s anything you’d like to tell them, please go ahead. If there’s nothing else you wish to tell me, I’m leaving.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Song Yu everything?” Qi Chengyue asked as soon as Qi Chengzhi turned around.

By then, Qi Chengzhi no longer wasted his time explaining things. He snickered at her and proceeded to leave.

The sight of his long legs and lanky silhouette led Qi Chengyue to have a sudden realization: if Qi Chengzhi dared to mention all those things, he could not possibly have cared if she told anyone.

Even if Song Yu knew about it and believed it, she might not blame Qi Chengzhi.

He was confident of her feelings toward him.

Qi Chengyue had a face full of resentment. At first, her expression was merely that of discontent, but it had turned into one that was vengeful.

From time to time, Song Yu had swayed Jian Yi and aroused him, but even then, Qi Chengzhi would be willing to go against his cousin sister just because of Song Yu!

What else was Song Yu going to take away from Qi Chengyue?!

…

…

Song Yu caught a whiff of tobacco on Qi Chengzhi when he entered the car, but she did not ask what he and Qi Chengyue talked about.

Before she entered the car earlier, she heard Qi Chengyue’s shouts and surmised that a few barbs would probably have been traded between the two of them. It was pointless for her to listen to that exchange.

The only thing that replayed on Song Yu’s mind was of the old lady clutching her heart while saying ‘Oh dear’.

“Will Grandmother be alright? She looked pretty unwell just now.”

Qi Chengzhi started the car and glimpsed at her, saying, “Before she retired, Grandmother used to be part of a performing arts group that acts in stage plays.”

Song Yu, “…”

“No wonder you’ve inherited many of her good genes.” Song Yu could not help herself from teasing.

Qi Chengzhi, “…”

Once the car was on the move, Qi Chengzhi stretched over and held Song Yu’s hand. “Is there anything you’d like to eat for lunch?”

His palm was dry, but it gave her warmth when it covered her hands; when she was alone in the car earlier, her hands felt rather chilly.

Song Yu lowered her gaze and focused on his clean hands. The fairness of his skin only served to enhance the purity of his hands.

All of a sudden, she felt guilty because he risked a bashing at the Qi family home just for her sake.

Judging from his look, he did not seem to have the mood to eat out.

“Are you hungry? If you’re not, let’s go home. I’ll do some cooking for you.” She flipped her palm up and slid her fingers in between his so their fingers would be intertwined.

On that day, she simply wanted to treat him well and make him happy.

“In that case, we’ll head home. But I’d prefer it if I do you instead.” Qi Chengzhi glanced briefly at her and rubbed his thumb in the center of her palm.

Song Yu thought that she had gotten used to his unexpected displays of brazenness, but it surprised her that he was still able to tease her even though he was not in a very good mood.

Deciding against showing her annoyance, she blushed and leaned over to him. Her head was placed on his shoulders, and her arms wrapped tightly around his.

Qi Chengzhi tilted his head and looked at her. A glimmer of satisfaction flashed through his pupils.

…

…

Upon their return to Viewpark Residence, Qi Chengzhi’s mood was still no better than it was earlier. Things had not gone according to plan, but his unhappiness was because of what Qi Zhongliang said about Song Yu, and not because he was scolded by his family.

His father insulted her in front of the family.

The instant they entered the door, Aunt Yang knew immediately that something was not right.

Song Yu told Aunt Yang that it was alright and that she could take her rest.

Worried that Qi Chengzhi might have lost his appetite after what happened at his family home, she searched the internet for some recipes that made use of whatever ingredients that were present at home. She placed emphasis on dishes that were sour, spicy, and capable of whetting the appetite.

A single-use gloves protected her fingers as she squeezed lemon juice over some chicken and mixed them up. All of a sudden, her movements came to a halt and her hands trembled slightly—it was because of a warmth emanating from behind her, in addition to that fresh scent of his.

He did not come into full contact with her, but she could feel his shirt brushing against her thin clothes. It was enough to elicit a reaction from her.

Her belly retracted out of nervousness, and his actions of wanting to hug her yet hesitating to do so made her feel very uneasy.

She felt his hot breath on her temples and turned her head ever so slightly. Looking up, she saw his sturdy chin. It usually looked very serious because of his tenseness, but at that moment, there was a distinct gentleness along its contours.

Unable to restrain her emotions, she tiptoed and kissed his stubble-covered chin, tasting it ever so slightly with her tongue at the corner of her lips. It was prickly, but her tongue continued rubbing against his chin, and it felt worthwhile for her tongue to be nicked by his stubble.

“You seem very spontaneous today?” Qi Chengzhi’s fire was stroked by her actions. She licked him in exactly the same way a dog would like its owner.

“Consider it a reward for you.” Song Yu’s ears became hot. She did not dare to look him in the eye, so she gathered her gaze and concentrated on squeezing out the juice from the lemon. However, that simple task became much more difficult because she was unable to fully exert her energy.

“You’re satisfied with my behavior today?” His erotic voice traveled into her ear and he made a point to brush his lips against her ear as he spoke.

“Your words today, you mean to say I’m the only person you’d want to have a baby with?” In uttering those words, Song Yu could feel numbness in her head and hotness in her ears. She continued determinedly, “I…I’m happy. I wouldn’t want you having a baby with someone else either.”

Song Yu failed to spot how Qi Chengzhi paused blankly behind her. His face—always masked with self-control—slipped a rare emotional expression. His eyes increased in passion immediately, and his warm palm slid to her stomach, pressing her tightly against him.

“How about we make one now?” With his lips sticking against her earlobe, he could see her vellus hairs prominently against the red of her ears, and it looked as though her ear was covered in a velvety halo. His hand invaded her thin top and squeezed the softness beneath her clothes.

Song Yu was utterly speechless, but the back of her head was leaning against his shoulders. Earlier that day, she heard how he stated that he would be thirty-five that year, and in the spur of the moment, she wanted so dearly to give him a baby.

Her obedience made the fire within Qi Chengzhi surge forth. He bent his head sideways and kissed her lips while his hand infiltrated her pants.

His fingers made her feel a hollow ache that was hard to describe. He cornered her, kissed her, and when she—in her state of emotional abandon—felt the towering protrusion under his pants zipper, she too was flooding inside her pants.

Her quiet urging was like a sudden injection of medicine into Qi Chengzhi. He bent her body forward abruptly, and with her pants still hanging on her legs, he slid into her.

Eventually, Song Yu was so exhausted that he had to carry her to the sofa.

He was frighteningly violent that day, as if his energy reserves were infinite. With every thrust, he became harder and went in deeper. She felt a certain fullness that was indescribable. Begging him to stop would be futile. He flipped her and did her in different positions while telling her that he was about to come.

Recalling their earlier moment of madness, Song Yu was scared witless. She was shocked that she had the courage to do such a thing because Aunt Yang could have come out of the room at any time.

There was a newly installed mirror in front of her in the kitchen. Her body was bent in such an embarrassing position, and although her whole upper body was pressed against the counter, the mirror gave her a view of his thrusting movements as well as the pleasurable and satisfied expression on his face.

Out of breath, Song Yu was held in Qi Chengzhi’s embrace as he gave her a tender kiss on her lips and forehead. He grabbed her breasts through her shirt and kneaded it.

“Do you still have any energy?” He carried her up and placed her on his lap. The sight of her pinkish lips made him yearn to kiss her, which he did so a good few more times.

Song Yu thought about how she was supposed to make lunch for him, but they ended up doing it instead. She was truly exhausted.

She buried her head in his chest. She spoke with a hint of coquettishness as well as resentment. “I’m too exhausted to make lunch.”

“If you’re tired, does that mean I did you good?” Qi Chengzhi said half-smilingly as his hot palm massaged her waist.

“…” Shameless! Song Yu pinched him directly on the waist.

The flesh on his waist was firm, so her pinching had no effect.

Qi Chengzhi placed her down on the sofa and stood back up.

His shirt was wrinkled and he tucked them loosely into his pants. He left the zipper unzipped and only buttoned the button on the waistband. His belt was hanging down on the waist, and as a whole, he looked insanely laid-back.

Both his sturdy forearms were exposed with a few rolls of his sleeve, and he headed right toward the kitchen.

“Why’re you going to the kitchen?” Song Yu reclined lazily on the sofa and was so drained that she could not move. She turned around slowly and looked at Qi Chengzhi’s back.

“To cook lunch for you,” he said, needing no more than a couple of steps to enter the kitchen.

Song Yu thought she was hearing things. It was not until she heard the banging of pots and pans that she became curious to see how Qi Chengzhi looked like when he was cooking.

As much as she did not want to move a single step with her tired legs, she still went ahead and tidied up the clothes. She then stood up and dragged her sore feet over to the kitchen entrance, where she leaned against the doorframe and observed the tall Qi Chengzhi standing in the kitchen.

He did not wear an apron and merely rolled up his sleeves. He was standing straight and tall, and despite being in the midst of cooking, he looked incredibly sexy.

Song Yu’s eyes darted inadvertently to his muscular back. She knew the extent of handsomeness that lay beneath his shirt, and the thing she most wanted to do then was to rip it off.

Song Yu’s eyes darted inadvertently to his muscular back. She knew the extent of the handsomeness that lay beneath his shirt, and the thing she most wanted to do then was to rip it off.

She shook her head and felt her face turn hot. She had turned into a genuine rascal – a female one – and the only reason for that was because she was always around Qi Chengzhi.

Her legs had a mind of their own, and, soon enough, she was standing behind him.

She leaned against him gently while he was busy cooking, and wrapped her arms around his stomach. She lowered her hands slightly so that they were neither too close nor too distant from his private part; she did not touch it directly, but neither did she move away from it. Upon feeling it growing noticeably, she flicked it naughtily.

‘Who told him to be the one causing trouble all the time?’

“Didn’t you say you were exhausted?” Qi Chengzhi did not turn his head because he would not have been able to see her anyway, due to her short height. Her face was stuck against his muscular back, and he could even feel her breasts pressed against him through her clothing – he became aroused immediately.

His voice became husky, hoarse, and somewhat peeved. The woman just had to stir him up when he was in the middle of something.

“I wanted to come over and see what you looked like when you’re cooking.” Song Yu rubbed her cheek all over her back like a little pussy cat. “You’re always the one to hug me from behind when I’m cooking. I wanted to try how it feels for myself.”

“How does it feel?” he asked, his voice much huskier. He lowered his gaze to her hands at his waist. He could not take it; that they were just placed there, so he decided to pull them down a few inches and into his pants.

Song Yu did not stop him; she allowed her hands to be placed on top of it and she even pinched it slightly.

Qi Chengzhi inhaled sharply and regretted his actions of pulling her hand down.

Song Yu wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and said, “It feels good. I want to stay like this forever.”

Qi Chengzhi actions turned sluggish, but, all of a sudden, he turned around and caught Song Yu by surprise. He gripped her by her waist, lifted her up, and shifted her position. When things calmed down, she was already sitting atop the kitchen counter. He still had her waist in his hands, and he took advantage of the situation to squeeze in between her thighs and plant an immediate kiss on her lip.

“You’re becoming more and more shameless.” Still glued to her lips, his hand grabbed her wrist to make sure that her hands were still inside his pants.

His words made Song Yu blush, but, for some reason, she felt a surge of enthusiasm. The teasing no longer made her shy away like before, and, instead, she advanced courageously and gave him a passionate kiss.

She decided that there was no need for her to be demure in front of a man who was willing to roll up his sleeves and boil soup for her.

Looking at him holding a wok and spatula intensified her desire to kiss him. She wanted to do whatever she wanted to him, and, even those that she could not do, she wanted to try her best, at least.

Qi Chengzhi did not expect her to be so fervent in taking the initiative. In that moment of sheer surprise, he would have come if he did not stop her.

He took a deep breath and resisted coming. He removed her hand from his pants, then tore her pants off. He pressed to her waist, moved forward, and straightened his back in order to preserve his last shred of his dignity.

Song Yu lifted her arms and held him tightly. Her eyes looked on as he repeatedly grinded inside of her.

They reached a point where she was drenched in sweat and hanging onto his body. His shirt stuck to his skin because of her sweat, and he decided it was better to take it off and throw it somewhere on the floor. Her forehead, adorned with beads of sweat, leaned intimately on his sweat-soaked chest.

Song Yu had never enjoyed the smell of a man’s sweat, since her work required her to go to the construction site and interact with construction workers.
It was slightly better during wintertime, but, if it was summer, the strong stench of sweat would permeate the air from their bodies. Coupled with that was the smell of smoke that was so pungent, it was as though no amount of washing could remove it. The result was a malodor that was very hard to bear.

Other than that, a similar smell was present whenever she entered the public bus or train. Although it was not as stinky as that from the construction site, it was still enough to make her wrinkle her nose in disgust.

Qi Chengzhi’s sweat however, smelled salty, but was not unpleasant at all. Mixed with his crisp, fresh perfume, it had a certain masculine magnetism to it.

Her lips were pasted against the sweat from his skin, and, when she pursed them and tasted them, she found it to be salty, and it felt good.

“What smell is that?” Song Yu stopped suddenly. She sniffed the smell and asked, “Why is there a burnt smell?”

“I forgot I was cooking!” Her disruption had caused him to forget what he was originally doing, and when he turned around, the chicken inside the wok was already burnt dry.

“Told you not to disturb me.” There was nothing he could because it felt to him like he was dealing with a mischievous girl. He wanted to get angry, but could not, so he gave her a pinch.

Then he brought her down from the kitchen counter.

Song Yu may have been exhausted earlier on, but she was still able to take a few steps. After the second round, she was completely unable to walk, and her backside was numb from sitting on top of the counter.

Qi Chengzhi placed her on a seat in front of the bar. He let her sit there and helped her straighten her clothes, then gave her some tissues to clean herself up. He subsequently went to look at the food he cooked.

“If it’s burnt, we’ll just eat them like that,” Song Yu remarked from behind him. She was propping up, her cheek with her elbow on the table. Unlike before, both his button and his zipper were left undone. His pants simply hung there, as if it would drop down from his firm buttocks at any given moment.

Song Yu gulped. His actions caused his pants to flop about, and she wished that they would fall down as soon as possible.

Qi Chengzhi was busy making observations at the wok, and it was only after a while that he asked, “Where’s your phone?”

“In the living room.” He went there as soon as she finished speaking and returned with her phone in his hand.

“Take a picture and post it to your WeChat Moments. Say that your boyfriend made lunch for you.” He placed the phone into her hands.

From Song Yu’s angle, the only thing that would be captured was his silhouette. Those charred ingredients in the wok would be hidden from view, and no one would know the truth behind the picture.

Momentarily speechless, Song Yu then replied, “You’re always posting pictures on my Moments. You’re obsessed, and we have to get it cured, you know that?”

Qi Chenghi squinted at her and turned around without saying a word. With a wok in his left hand and a spatula in his right, he struck a pose and ordered, “Quick. Take a picture.”

Song Yu had no choice but to hold up her phone and take a picture. She had no idea what drove his compulsiveness.

He then sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Since he was shirtless, his exposed chest aroused her even though they had just completed an intimate session.

Her reddened face enticed him to plant a few kisses on her cheek. He was truly in awe at how she blushed so readily and so often.

Nonetheless, he was glad that her scarlet face was due to him going close to her.

“Time to post the picture after taking it,” Qi Chengzhi urged.

“No,” she refused outright. She then gazed at him, and, not wanting to cause a misunderstanding, she explained, “You’re showing too much in this picture. Your butt is almost falling out of your pants, and your butt crack is so clear. Am I supposed to let other women salivate over you?”

‘Yu Keyao is still a problem that hasn’t been solved!’

Qi Chengzhi’s enigmatic eyes stared deeply into hers, and there was a glimmer of delight in the depth of his gaze.

Song Yu found herself unable to look away from his handsome gaze. Curiously, he did not continue to insist on it, but instead kissed her with a loud smack and said, “I’ll cook another dish, and I guarantee it won’t be burnt this time.”

His belt remained unfastened, although he did button up his pants and leave it hanging at his waist. The only thing on display was his muscular waist, and it conjured up a desire to tear those pants down and marvel at the firm flesh underneath.

As he was busy stir-frying in the wok, the muscles of his arm appeared briefly whenever he was making use of the spatula.

Song Yu took out her phone and snapped a picture surreptitiously. It was for her own personal use and she had no intention of posting it on her Moments.

“When did you learn how to cook?” Song Yu wondered as she continued resting her cheek on her hand. “You probably don’t have much opportunity to cook since you were born in the Qi family.”

“When I was studying overseas, I’d cook once in a while if I got tired of eating out.” Qi Chengzhi brought over the cooked mustard greens to the bar and placed them in front of Song Yu. It would be nice to sit closely with each other and eat at the bar, since it was only the two of them anyway.

Song Yu looked at his movements and how his long fingers held the plate. She could not help but wonder if he was as mature and as serious in college as he was now.

Most women fancy men who were as mature and as serious as he was. If he was exactly like that when he was in college, how many women would have been attracted to him?

University days were days where boys would spend their time fooling around and hooking up with girls. She wondered what Qi Chengzhi was doing back then.

She felt rather weird when realized that she was still in primary school when he was at college.

‘He must have had a girlfriend at that time, right?’

He might already have experienced love while she was still naive. His charm might be different from what it was now, but girls would still be attracted to him. She felt uncomfortable and uneasy when she imagined him being involved with some other girl during the exuberance of his youth.

That helpless regret – that she was born much later than him – was precisely what she was currently feeling.

At that moment, she really wished that he was the same age as her. It would have been so much better if she could experience him in his youth, his immaturity, his uninhibitedness, and his adolescence, up until the dignification, the maturity, and the magnificence that he now had.

She wanted to have made a mark in each step of his life.

“What is it?” he asked, after seeing her in a blank stare.

He held her and sat parallel to her in front of the bar. At that moment, Song Yu directed her gaze upward at him, and his hands – still warm from the heat of the pan – reached over and covered the back of her neck.

Still with cheek in hand and elbow on the table, she asked somewhat inquisitively yet regretfully, “What were you like during your university days?”

Qi Chengzhi looked at her and remained silent, leading Song Yu to think that her question was not clear enough. She asked again, “When I was at university, the boys were always messing around, playing games and getting together with girls. What did you do during your university days?”

He gazed deeply at her and smiled strangely.

“What’s wrong?” His smiled rattled her so much that she touched her face subconsciously.

“You want to know how many girlfriends I had when I was at university?” He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her.

Song Yu regarded his smile as being too self-indulgent. She blushed, kept quiet, and used her chopsticks to take some of the vegetables, which she took a small bite out of.

That was exactly the thought that she had in her heart. Her inability to seamlessly ask an indirect question was perhaps a result of her having no experience in love, since she’d never dated anyone before. It could also be because Qi Chengzhi was a smart man who would always notice even the most indirect things that she did.

She was, admittedly, rather flustered when she realized he had seen right through her.

Her continued silence lead him to lean over toward her. The expression in his eyes was somewhat pleased, and the earlier abstruseness had been replaced with a glimmering warmth. His eyes crinkled slightly, and his thin lips inched closer to hers without ever touching them. “If I had anyone, will you get angry?”

An intense hotness was present on Song Yu’s face, and her lips trembled due to his breaths landing on them. She looked down and fluttered her eyelids.

“I won’t get angry. Everyone has a past, and, back then, you wouldn’t have known what was going to happen in the future. You wouldn’t have known that you would be together with me when you were thirty-four years old. You couldn’t have imagined what could possibly happen in thirty years’ time. If you didn’t experience anything, you probably wouldn’t know which woman suited you best,” Song Yu said softly. “It’s just… it’s just such a shame that I couldn’t experience all of that with you. From your wild, youthful days to your maturity in adulthood, I was never right by your side to experience all that with you.”

“I really…” Song Yu licked her lips and gulped. “…really want to be by your side throughout your whole life.”

Qi Chengzhi’s heart pounded much faster than before.

At that point, he had a singular desire to knead Song Yu into himself, so that the both of them could assimilate into one. In that way, their bodies and their souls would never be separated.

His long fingers had been rubbing the back of her neck gently, but they soon slid to her face and he could not stop himself from lowering his head to kiss her.

While lingering on her lips, he uttered huskily and softly, “I’m actually really glad that you’ve become mine only now that I’ve reached my current age. It’s not entirely because you’re still young, but that’s part of the reason too. I don’t desire you on account of your age, I’m just glad I have the chance to pamper you when you are at this age.”

“If you were with me every step of the way and if we were the same age, you’d have seen me at my craziest. I was not mature enough at that time, and I might have treated you badly. In my younger days, I might not have known how to treasure you or pamper you properly, and I might have lost you due to youthful ignorance. If that had happened, I’d have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I’m much more mature now, and I have the proper ability to love you, to protect you. I feel lucky too, because I can show you my mature side – this is my good side, a side that is only present today because of years and years of polishing myself. This way, you wouldn’t hate me, and I will never be inferior to any other man.”

“When Qi Chengji fell for Wei Ran, he was too young and did not have the capability to assume that responsibility. That was why he was sent to the US. Unlike him, even if they wanted to stop me, they can’t. If I were younger, I couldn’t possibly have protected you like how I’m doing now.”

Song Yu listened, but among all the words he said, one word stuck in her mind.

Love.

His words ‘to love you, to protect you’ made her heartbeat increase drastically.

“You just said you’ll love me, pamper me, and protect me.” Her face was red and her ears were burning, but she mustered the courage to look at him in the eye.

Qi Chengzhi fixed his eyes on her and allowed his enigmatic gaze to pierce into her eyes. A glimmer of delight flashed across his pupils and his voice became hoarse. “Didn’t you say you want to spend your whole life with me?”

Other than love, there was nothing else that could motivate her to desire spending her whole life with him.

Song Yu was so shy that she could only blush and keep quiet.

Qi Chengzhi chuckled and did not insist that she say out those words. He stood up and went to discard the burnt pieces of chicken, but Song Yu stopped him before he could do so.

He asked her, “Why are you still eating it when it’s burnt?” She had already picked up a piece using her chopsticks, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed it slowly. “It’s still good! Don’t throw away what you cooked.”

Qi Chengzhi looked at her half-smilingly, and there was a bit of glee in his rich voice. “You’re unwilling to throw it away because I cooked it?”

He did not expect Song Yu to admit it so blatantly even though her face was red. “Mm, I hate to part ways with anything that’s yours.”

Qi Chengzhi’s expression changed abruptly, and his strong hands wrapped around her waist and pressed her into his embrace. His breaths were heavy when he asked, “Do you still want to eat?”

Song Yu threw the chopsticks, giggled, and threw herself flirtatiously over him. She placed her hands gently behind his head, looked up, and although her lips were oily because she had just eaten her meal, she gave him a fat kiss on the cheek.

“Are you sure don’t want to eat anymore?” He narrowed his eyes, locked her in his arms, and hoisted her up to his thighs so he could give her a forceful kiss.

Song Yu turned away coyly, and replied red-faced, “Stop it, let me eat my lunch.”

“Then why did you tease me?” His hands traveled up and grabbed her breasts through her clothes.

Having done it twice earlier, Song Yu’s bra had been taken off. The shirt she was wearing was extremely thin, so the fabric aligned itself with the curves on her body, accentuating the luxuriant outline of her breasts. His stimulation made her nipples hard, forming a pair of small, bean-like protrusions on her top.

Song Yu’s cheeks were flushed scarlet and she buried her head under his neck. Her voice was soft and pleading, “Three times is too much. I can’t take it anymore. Let me have my lunch.”

Her act of sticking herself onto him stirred Qi Chengzhi’s heart; her obedience was something that he loved dearly.

Qi Chengzhi’s face moved closer into her neck, and he inhaled her scent deeply. It was only then that he placed her back onto the barstool and allowed her to eat in peace.

…

…

“Young Miss…” As soon as Aunt He opened the door, Yu Keyao kicked the shoe cabinet with the high heels she had been wearing with a look of anguish on her face. Infuriated, she ran into the living room and then upstairs into her room, where she flung her bag forcefully onto her bed.

Her bag struck the soft bed, bounced off it, then landed down once more.

Soon after, she screamed loudly.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Liang Lihua ran over hurriedly. Aunt He had already told her that Yu Keyao was not in the best of moods. Liang Lihua was just walking over when she heard Yu Keyao’s scream from the walkway.

Not long after, Yu Zidong also ran out from his study room, no doubt because he heard Yu Keyao’s piercing wail.

Yu Keyao looked up with a face full of tears. She threw herself dismally and unwillingly into Liang Lihua’s embrace and began crying.

“Mom, we’ve been tricked. We’ve all been tricked!” Yu Keyao leaned on Liang Lihua’s shoulder. Her howls and cries echoed strongly in Liang Lihua’s ears.

“What actually happened?” Liang Lihua tilted her head the other way because Yu Keyao’s deafening shouts had hurt her eardrums.

“Song Yu! The Song family tricked us all! Song Yu is Qi Chengzhi’s girlfriend!” Yu Keyao finally let go of Liang Lihua, crying and grumbling with the utmost dissatisfaction.

“What?! Impossible! That’s absurd” Liang Lihua was shocked, but she did not believe it at first.

“Why is it impossible? Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu back to his grandparents’ place today! Because of that, his dad scolded him, and Xia Wenna chased me out, saying that it’s a family matter and it’s inappropriate for an outsider like me to be there.” She was still crying, but the anger within her compelled her to narrate the entire sequence of events.

“Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to meet the family. And because of that, there was a confrontation with his dad. Even I got kicked out of the house by Xia Wenna because they didn’t want outsiders eavesdropping,” Yu Keyao cried. Her bubbling anger compelled her to spill the beans on the drama that happened in the Qi house.

“Song Yu must have known that we were on a matchmaking session at Dynasty that day and decided to interrupt. I should’ve known there was something going on between them.” Hackles raised, Yu Keyao looked as if she wanted to claw at the walls while picturing Song Yu’s face as the target.

“She’s vile, that girl. First, she gets engaged with the younger brother and now she dates the elder brother. Does she have no shame?” the pitch of her voice climbed steadily.

“Hold your horses,” Liang Lihua placated her. “Did you see the Qi family’s reaction to this news?”

“Well, they objected of course!” Yu Keyao rambled on, “If word got out, they would be the laughing stock of high society. One woman with both brothers. If the Qi family had any sense, they will never agree to the relationship—even commonfolk would disapprove of such practice. From being the wife of one son to the other, imagine the tension and stress it will bring to the family if they got married.”

“Then, doesn’t that work in your favor? The family will never accept her. They just need some time to separate Qi Chengzhi from Song Yu. Just be patient. Xia Wenna personally picked you. Clearly, she sees you as a match for her son. Without the family’s approval, Song Yu will never amount to much. If she continues to stay by Qi Chengzhi’s side, she’ll only be losing her dignity with nothing to be gained.”

“Now, we’ll just watch from the sidelines. The witch has been served on a platter for the Qi family. While this is a minor roadblock for you, the same can’t be said for the Qi family. They will not let Song Yu win this,” Liang Lihua surmised. Who knew that even after her family’s financial downfall, Song Yu was still the center point of drama and scandal.

“Ugh! But I don’t get it, why her? Looks-wise, we’re equal but I’m younger than her and I come from a much better family. So why does Qi Chengzhi like her and not me?” Yu Keyao said with resentment. “Qi Chengzhi doesn’t even bat an eyelash at me. He probably rushed off to bring Song Yu over because he saw me in the house. The whole time they were holding hands and being all lovey-dovey.”

“She’s worth nothing. All she has is her pretentious moral high ground and fake values. Disgusting, that’s what she is,” Yu Keyao said in a shrill tone. The sight of Qi Chengzhi protectively holding Song Yu’s hand made her quake with anger.

Liang Lihua patted her hand and turned to Yu Zidong, “After the bankruptcy, we cut ties with them to avoid negative associations. Did you follow up on where they moved to?”

“No. We weren’t on speaking terms so I figured there was no point.”

“Go look into it.” Liang Lihua’s attention turned back to Yu Keyao, “Let’s not be hasty and go straight to the Song family. If the Qi family found out, they would think bad of us. Only when the situation turns dire will we pay them a visit.”

Yu Zidong nodded, “Well, that didn’t take too long. Song Yu is now in charge of the design for Qilin’s hotel project. It’s quite a huge deal.”

“As long as Song Yu doesn’t marry Qi Chengzhi. If she does gain the Qi family’s wealth and power, the Song family might decide to take revenge on us for abandoning them during the bankruptcy.” Liang Lihua chewed on her lip, “I don’t want to see her snide, victorious face. Once Keyao marries into the Qi family, they’ll have no other avenues.”

A heavy breath was exhaled by Yu Zidong as he said, “We need to stop them on all fronts. Keyao’s marriage to Qi Chengzhi will bring us many privileges and deny the Song family of any. We led the decision to kick Yu Qianyin out of the family. If she wanted revenge, we will most definitely be the number one target.”

Liang Lihua gently rubbed Yu Keyao’s arm to reassure her, “Don’t worry. Dad and mom will take care of this. With our family background and finances, a downtrodden girl like Song Yu is no competition.”

Yu Keyao clenched her jaw and said, “I will not lose to Song Yu.”

…

…

On Monday, Song Yu expected Ruan Danchen to be the first person to pester her about her Valentine’s celebration. However, as she placed her bag down, the new architect in their firm ran over to her desk.

“Song Yu, I saw your WeChat Moments. Was that your Valentine’s gift from your boyfriend?”

Song Yu sat down and looked appraisingly at Yang Yunshu. Although a smile graced her face, Song Yu did not feel the sincerity behind it. In fact, Yang Yunshu’s question sounded a bit probing.

She had learned to read people during business dealings. Yang Yunshu’s facade did not fool her.

Song Yu gave her a polite smile and nodded. She proceeded to switch on her computer, acting as if she was going to start work. Despite her efforts, Yang Yunshu stayed at her desk, “So many flowers was in such a big greenhouse. Your boyfriend must be quite rich. What does he work as?”

“Just an ordinary white-collar worker. He’s in a related field as us,” Song Yu replied apathetically.

“Oh? He must be pretty high up.” Yang Yunshu leaned over her monitor and lowered her head, “How did you meet him? Is he local? You probably meet a lot of bosses when you’re talking business. Was that how you two met? Last Friday you received that giant bouquet of blue roses. Seems like you have a lot of suitors. Anyone suitable that you can introduce to me?”

“I’m new around here, so I don’t really have many clients. Maybe you can bring me along when you’re dining with some clients?” the woman suggested giddily. “That way I can meet some potential suitors.”

Song Yu peered at her questioningly, “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Ah. He’s just a potential suitor. He hails from beyond the city with a monthly income of ten thousand yuan. You can’t even afford a toilet in B city with that kind of pay. His family background is average at best. Plus, my family is also not local. If my boyfriend has a similar financial status as me, how will he support my expenses here?”

“I figured in our line of work, we get to meet those high-ranking managers and directors. Who knows, I might meet a suitable partner,” Yang Yunshu said and chuckled as if they were best friends chatting about their personal lives. “Do you know any bachelors with good criteria?”

Truth be told, Song Yu did know a bunch of eligible bachelors. Those men in the 8×8=64 group were some of the most eligible bachelors in the city.

The real question was, ‘Was Yang Yunshu up to par?’

“My usual clients that have their own businesses are mostly in their fifties, with sons and daughters, and some even have grandchildren. If they took a liking to you, you’d be their mistress at most. They won’t abandon their families for a mistress so you’ll just be a fling for them. You’re okay with that?” Song Yu challenged.

“Moreover, their children would never allow a mistress to butt into matters such as the family inheritance. How long would you last as a mistress? Do you think you’ll get a house? A car? That’s just a fantasy. When you’re old, you’ll have nothing to your name then.”

“Most of the young bachelors here are non-locals toiling for the future. With the current property prices, even local bachelors wouldn’t be able to afford a house. Instead of prioritizing money, why not just be with someone you love and work hard together. You want to find a rich husband, you think his family isn’t looking for a daughter-in-law of high standards as well? ”

A shadow passed Yang Yunshu’s face, “Song Yu if you don’t want to help me, just say it. You don’t have to justify yourself. I have a good job and a good face, why can’t I find a good husband? Do you think only you can find a good suitor? Just because I’m asking you for help, that doesn’t give you the right to look down on me.”

The woman huffed angrily and eyed the ring on Song Yu’s finger. “Your boyfriend is probably not that rich anyway, judging from that shoddy excuse of a ring.”

With those parting words, Yang Yunshu stomped back to her own desk.
Song Yu feared no reprisal, hence the words were spoken in all honesty. Qi Chengzhi’s blasé attitude had rubbed off on her and she no longer felt the need to navigate each conversation with utmost caution. She could shed the pretenses and vain formalities that were unnoticed by her until today.

If there was something she did not like, she would just say it out loud.

Perhaps she had placed emphasis on the wrong things while advising Yang Yunshu, which made her uncomfortable so she ended up accusing her of being arrogant.

If she was a person worthy of a recommendation, Song Yu would not hesitate to help her.

However, her blind ambition for money was a clear warning sign.

“What’s with her today?” Song Yu whispered into Ruan Danchen’s ear.

Ruan Danchen shook her head, “Triggered by your WeChat Moments. She was in a good mood on the morning of Valentine’s Day until you got that bouquet of flowers. Then, at night, with that huge greenhouse filled with flowers. Let’s just say she’s not the type who knows how to be happy for others. A classic green-eyed monster, so just ignore her.”

Ruan Danchen side-eyed Song Yu, “That Valentine’s WeChat Moment, was it posted by Qi Chengzhi?”

The post seemed a tad too showy for Song Yu. It resembled that other post she made when Song Yu was in Hong Kong. Through logical deduction, Ruan Danchen guessed that such a move could only come from Qi Chengzhi.

Seeing Song Yu speechless and red in the face confirmed her theory. Ruan Danchen clicked her tongue and said, “Can you convince him to keep a low profile? You might just offend everyone in the company with all this public display of affection.”

‘Luckily I managed to hold him back yesterday.’

…

…

When Song Yu got off work, a call from Qi Chengzhi informed her that he was waiting for her across the office street.

Now, Song Yu did not bother to hide their relationship. The news had already spread like fire on her social media, so what was the point of hiding.

She got into the car. Qi Chengzhi did not drive off towards the direction of Viewpark Residence, which prompted Song Yu to ask, “Where are we going?”

“Today is Wei Ziwei’s son’s hundredth-day banquet. It’s a private occasion with only their family, so they called a few of us close friends for dinner at the Red Roof Club,” Qi Chengzhi answered. “The two Wei family children and Youxuan will be there, along with my other bachelor friends.”

The last time when they had breakfast at Dynasty, Song Yu had just started her relationship with Qi Chengzhi. She was still awkward about the situation and thus, did not chat much with Wei Ran.

As the host and hostess of the event, Wei Ziwei and Wei Ran were already at Red Roof Club, and they had booked the usual room. Qi Chengzhi mentioned that the room was specially reserved for Yan Beicheng and his friends. Every gathering they had in Red Roof Club was held in this room.

At this gathering, there were two men that she had never personally meet before, Wei Ziqian and Han Zhuoli. Another two of their friends could not make it due to work and sent presents ahead.

When Song Yu arrived with Qi Chengzhi, little Muran was collecting red packets for her baby brother. Muran held a sizeable stack of them in her small hands. The red packets appeared to be thin but Song Yu speculated that a check laid in each one.

These men were generous with their wealth and would give gift money that would not fit in the flimsy red packet if presented in cash.

Qi Youxuan eagerly trailed behind little Muran. His eyes gleamed as he watched the bountiful red packets in Muran’s hands. “How much money? How much? Let me count!”

Muran gave him a judgmental look before handing the neatly-stacked pile of red packets to her mother.

The slight made Qi Youxuan huff and run to his father. His meaty hands tugged at Qi Chenglin’s arms forcefully, “Dad, when it’s my birthday next month, can we invite all the uncles for my party too?”

Qi Chenglin stayed silent.

Qi Chenglin’s silence forced Qi Youxuan to take matters into his own hands. He turned around and announced to the whole room, “To all the uncles in this room, next month is my birthday and you’re all invited to my party!”

“Your son is quite the money-grubber. Whom does he take after?” Wei Ziqian said while munching on sunflower seeds.

The presence of children today prevented the adults from breaking out the cigarettes. Hence, some junk food was prepared to stave off the addiction.

Qi Chenglin chuckled lightly and pulled his son to his side on the couch. “I, myself, am curious as to whom he takes after.”

Qi Youxuan only stayed on the couch for a moment. When Song Yu walked in, he shouted animatedly, “Auntie!”

He wiggled down the couch to go to her but was held back by his dad. Qi Chenglin pulled his son into his lap and made him sit still. Did Qi Youxuan not see that his eldest uncle was not in the mood to deal with him?

Unable to escape his dad’s grasp, Qi Youxuan took out a lollipop from his pocket and unwrapped it with his chubby fingers. The sound attracted Han Zhuoli.

“Little one, do you have another lollipop?” The ban on smoking was making him eat way too much junk food for his comfort. He figured a lollipop would keep his mouth occupied with a lower calorific sacrifice.

“This is the only one. My dad doesn’t let me have more than one.” Those big, innocent eyes darted between Han Zhuoli and the lollipop in hand. His mind made up, Qi Youxuan was willing to die protecting the lollipop from this uncle.

From across the room, Qi Chengzhi’s eyesight swept past his young nephew. He tugged on Song Yu’s hand and led her further away from Qi Youxuan. He did not need his nephew interfering in his relationship with Song Yu.

Song Yu had met his friends on multiple occasions. While not on familiar terms, she looked to be more at ease now. Only Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian were unfamiliar to her.

Song Yu did not participate much in the WeChat group. She felt a bit out of place as she was not a close friend of these people and did not want to put her foot in her mouth.

Even now in this gathering, she found herself struggling to engage in conversation with these people and remained politely cautious.

In the end, Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian introduced themselves first. The combined effort of the two men—calling her ‘lil sis Xiao Yu’ and asking about her—made Song Yu less nervous despite her reddening cheeks.

However, when she saw that Wei Ran was free, she excused herself from Qi Chengzhi and his friends.

A baby stroller stood off to the side of the room, cradling a baby boy who was just waking up to the noise of the crowd. Perhaps sensing the lack of attention, the baby opened his mouth and let out a loud cry.

Wei Ziwei rushed to the stroller and picked up his son. The baby had gained about a pound since his birth, thanks to his mother’s nutritious breast milk.

Wei Ziwei took every opportunity to let his wife rest since childbirth. These small things such as rocking his son to sleep were handled by him.

“Look at Ziwei, he’s practically a professional nanny.” Wei Ziqian turned to Qi Chengzhi and grinned slyly, eyebrows dancing, “When is it your turn?”

“I heard your family was not happy about this?” Han Zhuoli mumbled with a lollipop in his mouth. An overpriced lollipop that cost him fifty yuan. “And Song Yu’s family will probably not agree as well. The path you two chose is one of many obstacles. Might as well make it a shotgun wedding so no one can object.”

Han Zhuoli took the lollipop out and smacked his lips. “Aren’t your grandparents extremely partial towards their great-grandchildren? Especially Grandma Qi. Youxuan is spoiled rotten by her. If Song Yu had a child, your grandma would never let the kid grow up as a bastard child. One word and you two will be off to the altar, regardless of what your parents say.”

“Your solution is only fixing the symptom but not the cause and it’s unfair for Song Yu,” Qi Chengzhi said. His grandmother’s protection would only last so long.

If his family did not truly accept her, there would be countless ‘accidents’ and ‘coincidences’ to make her feel unwelcomed. Even Qi Chengzhi could not block every bullet.

Wei Ziqian let out a huff of disapproval. He reckoned the ends would justify the means but Qi Chengzhi’s overprotectiveness over Song Yu was in the way of their happy ending.

Qi Chengzhi ignored his friend. His soft gaze fell upon Song Yu, who was talking with Wei Ran.

Song Yu felt pinpricks on her neck and looked up instinctively. Their eyes locked on to each other across the room.

His warm gaze made Song Yu blush and she took out her phone to text him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

The reply came instantaneously, “Nothing much. You’re a bit far off and I couldn’t resist staring.”

His words made her heart jump with joy and her blood rushed through her veins.

“Stop staring. Later they’ll tease.” Song Yu texted back but to no avail, Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian were already smirking at the two of them.

Qi Chengzhi smiled and relented, turning his gaze away from Song Yu.

The room was now filled with people. Little Muran needed to pee but the ensuite toilet was occupied. Seeing Wei Ran stand, Song Yu quickly volunteered to follow the mother and daughter to the outdoor toilet. After being the butt of Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian’s joke, she needed to cool off her embarrassment.

Song Yu stayed at the hand washing area as Wei Ran took Muran into one of the toilet cubicles. She washed her hands and stared into her reflection. There was nothing amiss.

Song Yu stayed at the hand washing area as Wei Ran took Muran into one of the toilet cubicles. She washed her hands and stared into her reflection. There was nothing amiss.

The main door to the toilet opened and a woman walked in. Song Yu did not pay heed to the incoming patron and was caught off guard. “Song Yu?”

It was her maternal aunt, Liang Lihua.

Song Yu shut the water tap and gave her an icy stare.

It was as much of a surprise for Song Yu as it was for Liang Lihua. It had been a few years since Liang Lihua had to worry about running into the Song family in any of the upscale establishments.

There was a charity organization founded by the rich ladies of upper society. Tonight, Liang Lihua and some of the board members were here for a small meeting. Who knew that she would run into Song Yu.

“Why are you here?” Liang Lihua said unkindly. Reminded by her earlier conversation with Yu Keyao, Liang Lihua’s face darkened. “You’re here with Qi Chengzhi?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Song Yu replied. She did not bother to greet her with the appropriate salutation.

Yu Zidong was the second son of the Yu family. Ever since her maternal grandparents passed away, the major share of the Yu family company fell into the hands of the eldest son, Yu Zixiu. In the earlier years, Yu Zidong had little dedication to the company. Although he had a high ranking position, he wielded no real power. Everyone in the company knew that Yu Zidong was only a figurehead. He was well-paid simply because he was born into the right family.

His wife, Liang Lihua, was no spendthrift either. She urged Yu Zidong to branch out and start his own company. They attempted to borrow money from Yu Zixiu for the starting capital but the request was naturally rejected. In the end, Yu Zidong sold off a portion of his shares in the company—just enough so that he still retained the benefits.

The remaining money, they got it from the Song family.

For that period, Liang Lihua visited Yu Qianying every day and lamented about their financial struggles. Yu Zidong also came to her often. He vented about the way their eldest brother sidelined him in the family company and the difficulties in financing the new company. There was a general buffer period before a new company starts to make money. Hence, a large sum of money was needed in the initial phase for investment.

While Yu Zidong was at work, Liang Lihua would visit Yu Qianying. It always ended with Liang Lihua in tears due to the financial difficulties her family was experiencing. At that time, Yu Qianying was at a good spot in life. Her husband’s company was doing well so she asked Song Donglin to provide them with some monetary assistance.

Liang Lihua would drag Yu Qianying out for meals and entertainment, of which none she would pay for. There were feeble attempts to fight for the check but Liang Lihua never took any money out from her purse.

When the Song family went on vacations, Yu Qianying would invite Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua to join them—all expenses paid. Tens of thousands of yuan was nothing compared to the few millions that had already been lent out. However, contrary to Liang Lihua’s belief, Yu Qianying’s help was not a matter of course. She felt that it was Yu Qianying’s responsibility to help out her brother and his family unconditionally.

Every time Yu Qianying gave them the money they requested, Liang Lihua would put on a facade of gratitude and appreciation that would not last a few days. Her true self would burst through the cracks of her facade and then, it was back to the whole-world-owes-me attitude. She thought her life to be the most arduous of all.

After all the crocodile tears and financial assistance, Yu Zidong’s company managed to rise to a good footing. As the company grew bigger, the visits by Yu Zidong and his wife became less frequent.

Then, a snap of fingers by fate and the Song family crash-landed in bankruptcy. Unsurprisingly, Yu Zidong’s family cut ties with the Song family without any hesitation.

Therefore, with regards to her uncle and aunt, there was no love lost between them and Song Yu.

“I know about your business with Qi Chengzhi,” Liang Lihua sneered. Haughtiness was written all over her aging face that was caked with beauty products. She was hardly the same person who came to their house years before, with all the sob stories and requests for money.

Seeing her now, one would not think that she was once a pitiable housewife.

“Why don’t you two just break up and not waste our time? Don’t tarnish the Yu family’s image.” Song Yu stayed silent and Liang Lihua took it as a cue to continue her barrage, “First, you got engaged to the younger brother. Now you’re dating the older one. Do you know no shame? You’re ruining not only the Yu family’s reputation, but the Song family’s as well. Although your family is now bankrupt and ejected from upper society, this news will still be a scandal.”

“We have cut ties with the Yu family, so rest assured, your reputation is safe.” Song Yu decided to cut short their conversation, it did not matter anyway. “We’re in public now, so you might want to keep it down if you don’t want the scandal to spread. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave.”

There was no point in showing respect to someone like Liang Lihua. She sidestepped her aunt to exit the ladies. Wei Ran must have heard all this drama while she was in the toilet cubicle.

Liang Lihua blocked her path and got up into her face. “You admit that this thing is a scandal and you still won’t back down? Song Yu, just break up with him. I’m saying this for your own good. Don’t be a fool!”

“Your advice has been noted. No need to repeat yourself.” This conversation was starting to get on her nerves and a hint of annoyance flashed across her face as she said, “Please step aside, you’re blocking my way.”

“You insolent child!” Liang Lihua exclaimed and fixed a murderous stare at Song Yu. “I am just being a good aunt and pre-empting you. Your parents will never accept this. You’re basically stealing your cousin sister’s husband!”

Song Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry at this woman. When Liang Lihua kept coming over to the Song family’s house begging for attention and money, Song Yu already felt that her aunt was truly a breed of her own. Today was clear evidence of that hypothesis.

“Stealing her husband?” Song Yu settled for chuckling at her aunt.

Liang Lihua rambled on as if her iteration was the only valid one, “You saw yourself! Keyao went for a matchmaking date with Qi Chengzhi and the family loves her. Why are you standing in the way? You have no chance of marrying into the family so just break up with Qi Chengzhi.”

Song Yu pursed her lips and took a deep breath to calm herself. She spoke with composure, “Firstly, I do not have a cousin sister. The Yu family has long since cut ties with us. Secondly, my relationship with Qi Chengzhi started long before any matchmaking ordeal involving Yu Keyao happened. They went for one matchmaking date and Chengzhi was tricked into it by his family. After that one date, he did not contact Yu Keyao or expressed any liking for her. So why am I the one at fault here? If we’re being honest, Yu Keyao is the one who is standing in the way of us.”

“Also, whether my parents accept us is our business. It has nothing to do with you or Keyao. We don’t need your holier-than-thou attitude or your self-importance butting into our private life.”

“Song Yu! I’m being nice to you and you repay me with this? When did you skin grow so thick? Look at your current status, do you really think you’re a suitable match for Qi Chengzhi?” Liang Lihua glared derisively at her. “If I were you, I’d go far, far away and never get involved with the people of this circle. If you knew your place, when Keyao and Qi Chengzhi get married, I can send your family some money to help you guys with the business. Your family can start a new company, a small one.”

“Song Yu, what’s happening?” Their heated exchange was interrupted by Wei Ran, who had little Muran in tow. The inquiry appeared innocent but Wei Ran was half aware of the situation.

Liang Lihua’s demeaning words were audible from the toilet cubicle.

Luckily, the public bathroom of Red Roof Club had low traffic as every private room had an ensuite toilet.

Initially, Wei Ran did not want to interfere with Song Yu’s personal matter as she was nothing but an outsider. However, as Liang Lihua’s words became more venomous, she could not help herself.

Wei Ran’s appearance made Liang Lihua froze.

In their social circle, Wei Ran was a rare but well-known face. She was the beloved wife of Wei Ziwei. Even their precious daughter, Muran, had a certain recognition in the upper echelons of society. While Liang Lihua had never come in contact with the Wei family, she could recognize them immediately.

“I heard some loud voices. Something about you breaking up with Chengzhi?” Wei Ran took out her phone, “Do I need to call Ziwei and Chengzhi over?”

At the first sign of an actual fair fight, Liang Lihua let out a disgruntled noise and left without saying a word.

After she left, Wei Ran asked Song Yu, “Are you alright?”

Song Yu just shook her head and replied, “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

When they got back to the room, Song Yu and Wei Ran spoke nothing of the incident.

This was Song Yu’s personal matter and Wei Ran did not want to overstep.

As for Song Yu, Liang Lihua’s words were too ridiculous for her to regale. She had no intentions of breaking up with Qi Chengzhi so there was no point in feeding him such nonsense.

Song Yu returned to Qi Chengzhi’s side. The encounter made her long for his company.

She pressed her body against his arm for warmth, looping her right arm around his left arm, and allowing her hand to roam exploratively towards his palm. Her fingers softly probed at the space between his fingers.

Finally, she interlocked their fingers. Her grip was firm. Her fingers rubbed against the back of his hand and she could feel the tendons beneath his fragile skin. She let her thumb toy with the knobs of his index finger.

Her left arm was draped demurely on at the crook of his elbow as she leaned towards him. Her whole image was that of a well-behaved and loving wife.

“What’s wrong?” Her behavior was out of the ordinary. Song Yu was usually reserved around his friends and now with the unfamiliar Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian, it was abnormal for her to be so openly affectionate.

Before this bathroom trip, she blushed like a schoolgirl after just a glance from Qi Chengzhi. Now she was pressed up against his side without shame. Something must have happened.

“Nothing, don’t worry.” Song Yu shook her head and avoided his eyes. She was worried that he would see through her lie. She rested her head on his shoulder and mumbled, “I just missed you.”

His previously relaxed hand tightened around hers. His fingers drummed on the back of her hand. “Shall we leave?”

He spoke softly against her forehead—his deep, alluring voice making her heart flutter. She could feel the warmth of his breath in the pauses between each spoken word.

Song Yu did not need to lift her head to know that the dark eyes looking at her were filled with desire.

The tips of her ears burned. She wanted to clarify that she said she missed him, not his body and that he should be less presumptuous.

“I didn’t mean that,” Song Yu muttered under her breath and pinched his palm. “I just missed you and wanted to be next to you. Not… I didn’t want to do that.”

“But you pressing up so close to me makes me want to do it.” Qi Chengzhi’s unoccupied hand snaked under his left arm and pinched at the soft skin of her tummy.

Song Yu tried to evade his hand but there was nowhere she could move to. Her skin buzzed where it had been assaulted.

Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and brushed his lips across her forehead. With half-lidded eyes, he saw the blooming redness on Song Yu’s cheeks.

Being in close proximity, Qi Chengzhi could smell the faint perfume on her. He lowered his head and planted a wet kiss on her forehead.

There was pin-drop silence in the room and Song Yu’s face turned bright red. Everyone in the room was looking at them.

Wei Ziwei had covered Muran’s eyes while Qi Chenglin did the same for Qi Youxuan. They were too tender of age to be exposed to the explicit romantic gestures of adults.

For the sons, it did not matter much. On the other hand, the daughters might be taken advantage of.

Wei Ziwei side-eyed the couple who so unabashedly displayed intimacy in such a public setting.

There was no saving Song Yu’s face now. She clung onto Qi Chengzhi’s arm and buried her head into his shoulder, unwilling to meet anyone’s eye. The suggestion to leave early seemed incredibly enticing now.

Qi Chengzhi surveyed the scene and whipped out his phone. In the WeChat group, he texted, “Stop staring. She’s shy.”

Everyone’s response, “…”

Yan Beicheng fake coughed and cleared his throat before changing the topic. The atmosphere enlivened and everyone diverted their attention from Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief and removed her head from Qi Chengzhi’s shoulder. Her left hand ran through her long, silky tresses that were slightly messed up.

She attempted to move her right hand but Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip.

Her hand was held hostage until the waiter served the first dish.

During dinnertime, Qi Chengzhi made no move to do anything eye-catching, much to Song Yu’s relief.

When everyone was done with the food, the three children were already tired. Baby Muche was sound asleep in the baby stroller while Muran was in Wei Ziwei’s lap trying to sleep but failing due to the noisy surroundings. Her eyelids fought to stay open.

Qi Youxuan said into his dad’s ear before falling asleep, “Dad, remember to invite these uncles to my birthday. Those who can’t attend should pass on a red packet.”

Qi Chenglin shook his head and said, “Go to sleep.”

Hence, the crowd did not stay any longer.

Wei Ran invited Song Yu over to the Wei family’s house when she was free. They were in the lobby bidding farewell when six women walked in.

“Eh? Isn’t that Qi Chengzhi? I heard your daughter was on a matchmaking date with him. Does he have a girlfriend?” one of the women asked.

Liang Lihua squinted her eyes, her face froze when she saw the interlinked hands of Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

“Heh, who knows what relationship they have between them? It might be a random fling. If not, why would his family arrange for a match?” Liang Lihua smiled coldly. “Hold on, let me go and greet him.”

She took a breath and walked straight toward Song Yu. Her beady eyes locked on the happy couple.

“Oh it really is a fling?” someone asked after Liang Lihua left. “I don’t think so. Qi Chengzhi hasn’t been seen with a woman for so long, not even a rumor of it. It’s unlikely that he’s out with some random woman.”

“If I had a daughter, I would want him as my son-in-law too.”

“Yeah. So I think Lihua will not give up so easily. A man of his family background and conduct is not one to be let go.”

Liang Lihua angrily stomped across the lobby, the knowledge that the ladies would be talking behind her back fueled her.

‘Song Yu really is shameless!’

Hanging around Qi Chengzhi despite her low status, she would be the talk of the town.

Song Yu spotted Liang Lihua first. She quickly squeezed Qi Chengzhi’s hand to alert him but as he turned around, Liang Lihua was already standing in front of them.

“What a coincidence seeing you two here,” Liang Lihua greeted with no warmth in her voice. Her icy stare landed on Song Yu, a silent warning for her to keep her mouth shut.

Qi Chengzhi nodded but said nothing. He only looked on appraisingly.

Liang Lihua knew that the other board members were only a stone’s throw away and could hear their conversation. She angled her body so that they could see her expression and laughed, “Chengzhi, come over and have lunch with us when you’re free!”

“Sorry, I don’t have the time.” Qi Chengzhi continued aloofly, “I’m finding a time to visit Song Yu’s parents.”

“Is it?” The tenuous smile on her face froze, “Do your parents know of this?”

Qi Chengzhi clicked his tongue and said, “Miss Yu did not tell you?”

“Chengzhi, as your elder, I advise you to be less showy with your affection. It will not bode well for the two of you.” Liang Lihua’s sight dropped to the linked hands.

“Goodbye,” Qi Chengzhi nodded in reply and walked away with Song Yu.

His posse walked out of Red Roof together. They even looked over their shoulders before departing and stared at Liang Lihua as if she was some psycho.

Liang Lihua’s face was tensed with suppressed anger.

Qi Chenglin nudged his son. Qi Youxuan immediately shouted, “Goodbye uncle, auntie!”

It went without saying, Liang Lihua’s expression darkened a few shades.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi drove for a few miles before asking, “You ran into Liang Lihua in the bathroom, didn’t you?”

‘Was there anything this man couldn’t find out?’

Song Yu felt a bit unhappy that she could never hide anything from Qi Chengzhi.

Left without a choice, she summarized the events of the night to him.

“This Saturday is Jian Yi and Chengyue’s wedding. Come with me.” A pause which followed with, “The Yu family will be there too.”

Song Yu contemplated for a while, then agreed. “Okay.”

It was now a habit for Qi Chengzhi to hold her hand during drives. His pale, large hand covered her small hand and kept her grounded.

She once saw a shared message on WeChat moments. It was along the lines of, “When men show these small signs of affection, they truly have you in their heart. If you have a man like this, you should treasure him.”

Reaching for your hand while driving was listed as one of the small signs of affection.

Previously, Song Yu would worry that it affected his driving but after seeing that message, the gesture was very much welcomed.

Previously, Song Yu would worry that it affected his driving but after seeing that message, the gesture was very much welcomed.

Song Yu’s left hand was holding his with their fingers laced together. She took his hand to her lips and planted a kiss softly on the back of his hand.

The sensation he felt on the back of his hand was very comfortable as her lips were soft and moisturized.

Song Yu thought back to the first day when both of them confirmed their relationship, and he did the same thing to her.

…

…

Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue’s wedding ceremony would take place in Dynasty. Even though Qi Chengyue was marrying Jian Yi, who came from a normal family, the whole of Dynasty was reserved considering the prominent status of the Qi family. They also invited influentials from various sectors.

Precisely because of the disparity of their status, they did not follow the tradition where both parents of the bride and groom should be sitting together at the same table. Instead, both families sat separately.

The Qi family’s side included Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, Qi Zhongliang and his wife, Qi Zhongxun and his wife, as well as Qi Chengzhi and Qi Youxuan. There were two empty seats, as Qi Chengji would be late because he was in the army.

Jian family on the other side had both of Jian Yi’s parents, together with his extended paternal family.

Even though Zhou Mingyan was not very pleased with the arrangement made by the Qi family—as she felt like they were looking down on them—she dared not show her dissatisfaction.

There were not many family friends on their side even though they had invited all of the people they knew of. That included colleagues from Qilin and Jian Yi’s schoolmates.

The Qi family outnumbered them by a whole lot. Not only the whole Qi family turned up, but other families also made an appearance to show respect to Grandfather Qi.

Zhou Mingyan felt very nervous in front of all these big shots. This was her first time attending an event with such ostentation. She wore her best outfit together with the Hermès Birkin bag that was gifted by Qi Chengyue and sat on the chair while she kept her focus towards the direction of the main entrance.

“What are you looking at?” Jian Shifu tugged at Zhou Mingyan’s sleeve and asked quietly.

“I’m checking to see if Song Donglin and Yu Qianying came,” Zhou Mingyan shook him off impatiently as she extended her neck to look further.

Jian Shifu shook his head and ignored her.

After a while, Zhong Mingyan got bored and made a cold humph, “I think they don’t have the guts to attend. They knew most of the people here, they would be disgracing themselves if they do show up, wouldn’t they? How could Yu Qianying blame the Qi family for not helping them? Why should they offer help in the first place! How unreasonable of her.”

Right after she finished talking, the whole place started flooding with whispers. It was not very loud individually, but it became a substantial volume when they collectively whispered at the same time.

“What’s happening?” Zhou Mingyan looked over puzzledly. She saw Qi Chengzhi holding Song Yu’s hand and entering from the main walkway, “Why is Song Yu here? Who’s that man beside her?”

The man had similar features with the Qi family.

Wang Yifeng and Jian Yi were college roommates. After graduating, they stayed in contact. The bunch of them—who were either from B City or had found a job in B City—would usually gather once in a while. Therefore, all of them were invited to attend Jian Yi’s wedding. They also tried to use this as a networking opportunity to build connections.

One of the schoolmates from the same table just finished distributing cigarettes. Wang Yifeng was about to light them up when he saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu walking in together. “Clank”, the cigarette lighter dropped onto the table.

‘Isn’t the guy with Song Yu the same lunatic who knocked his car!’ He thought.

Then, they saw Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to the main table where the Qi family was sitting. Qi Chengzhi even chivalrously helped Song Yu to her seat, “Sit here.”

“Why is she sitting at the main table!” Zhou Mingyan cried out in shock and anger.

Fortunately, the surrounding murmurs were loud enough to drown her voice out.

“Who gave her the rights to sit with the Qi family!” Zhou Mingyan lowered her voice. She was so furious that her shoulders were shaking, “We’re the groom’s parents and we didn’t even get to sit there. How dare she sit over there!”

Qi Zhongliang’s face dropped. He never thought that Qi Chengzhi would choose such an important day where all of the guests were present to make a public appearance with Song Yu!

Most of the people there were acquainted with Song Yu. ‘Isn’t he announcing their relationship publicly the way he acted?’ He thought.

How could the Qi family endure this!

“Chengzhi, what are you doing!” Xia Wenna’s voice was tightly wound, where she spoke with a taut face and minimal lip movement.

“I’m attending a wedding!” Qi Chengzhi replied calmly. He poured a cup of tea for Song Yu, each action of his showed a lot of care and consideration.

“Do you want me to put it so blatantly? I don’t agree with your relationship!” Qi Zhongliang said coldly, his stony gaze turned towards Song Yu and said, “Song Yu, I always thought that you’re an understanding child. It’s not like you’re unaware of today’s event. You also clearly know the consequences of showing up here together with Qi Chengzhi, but you still did it. Are you trying to shame our family on purpose?”

“Don’t blame her,” Qi Chengzhi said nonchalantly. “It’s my idea to bring her here. I want everyone to know that she’s my girlfriend. She was always the only one and will remain that way. You guys don’t need to introduce women to me anymore and stop misleading others as well. If you don’t like it, I can just leave with her now.”

Qi Zhongliang clenched the muscles around his chin. If Qi Chengzhi left with Song Yu this instant, it would make the spreading rumors worse!

“Enough!” Grandfather Qi voiced out and sipped his tea, “Since you guys came, sit down nicely. Why are you guys bickering on such a blissful occasion!”

Qi Zhongliang quieted down with a long face without mentioning anything further since Grandfather Qi intervened.

There was another family looking worse than Qi Zhongliang’s expression.

Yu Keyao secretly jabbed Liang Lihua who was sitting beside her. Due to the presence of other guests on the same table, Liang Lihua retrieved her gaze from the Qi family’s table and patted Yu Keyao’s hand, signaling her to endure it.

…

…

Qi Chengyue was in the dressing room where the makeup artist was doing some finishing touches on her look. There were several knocks on the door of the dressing room before Guan Xiaolin entered.

“Chengyue, you look so beautiful today,” Guan Xiaolin walked over and scanned her from top to bottom, “It’s true that a bride will always be the prettiest.”

“Thank you,” Qi Chengyue smiled so gleefully that both of her dimples were blooming, “Is everything going well outside?”

“Not bad, all of the guests have arrived. Many people are out there having a good time, the atmosphere’s very jolly. Each of the families also showed their support by showing up, including a lot of important individuals,” Guan Xiaolin said, before throwing a glance at Qi Chengyue with hesitation and showing an awkward expression—as if she was about to say something but she was holding it back.

“What, what happened?” Qi Chengyue frowned and shoved the makeup artist who was powdering under her neck away.

“It’s… your big brother brought Song Yu here. They’re sitting at the main table of the bride’s side. The other guests were quite surprised as they didn’t expect Qi Chengzhi to arrive with Song Yu. Even those at my table could recognize Song Yu. They were also wondering: isn’t she Qi Chengji’s ex-fiancée? Why did she resurface together with Qi Chengzhi holding hands after going radio silent for so many years after their bankruptcy? These were their exact words,” Guan Xiaolin placed her hand on Qi Chengyue’s exposed shoulder and comforted her softly, “However, you don’t have to worry about that. You are the star today, she can’t steal your limelight.”

Qi Chengyue sprung up and glared at Guan Xiaolin angrily, “How did my uncles react? Didn’t they chase Song Yu out?”

“This… our table is quite a distance from the main table. That’s why I’m not very clear about what happened exactly. I only saw them conversing for a while and Song Yu just remain seated the whole time. When I came to find you, she was still there. I’m guessing that she won’t be leaving anytime soon.”

“Get me my parents!” Qi Chengyue told one of the makeup artists.

“Since aunty and uncle are coming over, I’ll stay out of your private matters,” Guan Xiaolin left together with the makeup artist.

The makeup artist went to the main table and scooched down to whisper into Guan Liya’s ears. Guan Liya’s expression altered slightly and glanced at Song Yu before standing up to leave with the makeup artist hurriedly.

Once she entered the dressing room, Qi Chengyue ordered the staff members of the wedding reception to leave the room.

“Mum, why don’t you guys chase Song Yu away? Today’s my big day, my wedding, but she came to make a scene and became the hot topic of the evening. What is this? Is she stirring up trouble on purpose?”

“This matter concerns your big brother’s family. It’s beyond our control, how can we interfere? Also, your uncle already said that she’s not welcomed here. Who knew that she was so thick-skinned and would continue to sit there. No one can do a thing as she’s under the protection of your big brother. Even Grandfather Qi said let them be if they want to stay. If you chase them away, the rumors will be even worse,” Guan Liya explained in disgust.

How dare Song Yu appeared on her daughter’s big day to disrupt her wedding!

“We can only settle this matter after the wedding’s over,” Guan Liya comforted Qi Chengyue by rubbing her shoulders. “You should calm down first, don’t bother about Song Yu. Today is your wedding day, don’t ruin your mood for someone so insignificant. The bride must look gorgeous, you can’t walk down the red carpet with such a gloomy face. It’s not nice for others to see you like this. You have to value your big day, understand?”

Qi Chengyue sat back down the chair after being pressed down by Guan Liya, but she could not manage to put on a smile.

“Just one smile,” Guan Liya tried her best to coax and persuade her. She even called for the makeup artist to freshen her up. “Jian Yi’s waiting outside. If you walked down the red carpet with your dad putting on this same face, how would Jian Yi feel?” she asked.

“Jian Yi’s outside? Has he seen Song Yu?” Qi Chengyue’s expression changed immediately.

“No, how can he be out there. The wedding hasn’t even started yet.” Guan Liya wondered why Qi Chengyue reacted so strongly to this and continued, “He has just arrived at the entrance of the red carpet, waiting outside for the wedding to start.”

After much effort, Guan Liya managed to calm Qi Chengyue down and was going to leave her alone. When everything was ready, someone came to cue for the bride. Guan Liya accompanied Qi Chengyue to the entrance of the red carpet where Qi Zhongxun was waiting to walk her in.

Jian Yi was standing at the end of the red carpet. He saw Song Yu before they played the Wedding March. However, Song Yu was sitting with her back facing him. She did not even look towards his direction.

When he lowered his gaze, he saw them holding hands under the table.

In that moment, it was way past the time required to provide heating in B City, but the venue still had central air conditioning. Thus, the temperature was rather comfortable. Song Yu’s palm started sweating since they were holding hands. She felt embarrassed as it was getting moist and wanted to let go, but he did not want to release them.

“My palm is sweaty,” Song Yu said softly.

Qi Chengzhi’s expression remained unchanged. He took her hand and wiped it on his pants a few times. Then he did the same to his hand before holding her again. Song Yu stole a glance at him. She thought to herself, ‘Why does this man have to hold her hands wherever they go?’ and blushed.

When she turned around, her eyes met with Grandfather Qi who was glaring at her. He saw a blushing Song Yu right after both of them murmured something in secret. His face dropped, with a suppressed voice, he said displeasingly, “What are you guys sneaking around with your hands under the table! Aren’t you ashamed if someone sees this!”
Song Yu wanted to take her hand back once she heard him. However, Qi Chengzhi maintained his tight grip and moved their hands from his lap to the tabletop. He then held her hand openly on the surface of the table.

“We’re not sneaking around, I’m just holding my wife’s hand,” Qi Chengzhi said it in an indifferent tone and squeezed her hand after he was done.

“Who are you calling your wife. You guys haven’t even gotten married yet!” Grandfather Qi glared at both of them.

“That’s only a matter of time,” Qi Chengzhi pouted.

“We’re already stretching out limits, allowing Song Yu to sit here. Don’t push it!” Qi Zhongliang felt as if the people around were staring at them and saw how affectionate Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu acted.

“Sure, if you guys can’t take it, we can leave at once,” Qi Chengzhi said nonchalantly. Qi Zhongliang was speechless at his comeback.

They would have let them leave just now if they could. There was no need for them to wait until the last moment when the wedding was about to start.

Qi Chengzhi was about to stand up when Guan Liya rushed back. She sensed the atmosphere was not right and asked, “What happened?”

“Sit nicely!” Qi Zhongliang said with a warning glare.

Qi Chengzhi’s bottom that was lifted midway returned to its position. He pouted and continued to hold Song Yu’s hand.

At that moment, the Wedding March started playing, and the main door at the end of the red carpet opened, where Qi Zhongxun walked in together with Qi Chengyue.

Guan Liya felt a gush of warmth in her eyes when she saw her daughter dressed in a snowy white wedding gown, looking so innocent and elegant. She felt that it was only yesterday when she was still a toddler, drinking milk on her lap. Yet, she was marrying somebody today and would have her own children one day, forming a new family unit.

She took the tissue on the table to wipe off her teary eyes discreetly.

Even Song Yu had to admit that Qi Chengyue looked ravishing today. When she looked at her, her stunning looks almost made her forget how bumptious she acted on ordinary days.

No wonder people said that the bride would always be the most beautiful person.

Qi Chengyue’s gaze was fixated on Jian Yi. She had totally forgotten about Song Yu in the moment. When she saw that Jian Yi’s eyes were also focusing on her, she let out a breath of relief.

She was relieved when Jian Yi said “I do”, her eyes misted over as she could not hold back the urge to cry.

When it was her turn, she said “I do” without hesitation. Then, both Jian Yi and her exchanged rings.

While watching them, Song Yu could not help but imagine if she and Qi Chengzhi would share a moment like this one day. She was immersed in it and her thoughts began drifting away.

All of a sudden, she felt a slight pain on her arm where someone had pinched her. “Screech”, Song Yu exclaimed and came back to her senses. She saw Qi Chengzhi looking at her with a displeased expression on his face. His pair of deep-set eyes were as dark as the night, sharp but with a hint of mockery. His hands that were holding hers moved to her waist and cradled her, not before giving her a pinch.

“Envious of what you see?” Qi Chengzhi said into her ears. There was a certain degree of coldness in his mellow tone.

Nevertheless, the way both of them interacted portrayed a very loving sight to the others. They looked like they were lovers who were whispering intimately.

Song Yu’s hand crept up to the back of his waist and pinched with force as a revenge of his jealousy and payback for pinching her just now. Although he did not exert much strength in pinching her, she was still quite crossed about his misplaced jealousy.

“I’m admiring her that she gets to wear a wedding gown!” Song Yu said softly. Her face blushed instantly when she looked at Qi Chengzhi’s charming face, “Just now, I was thinking…”

“What were you thinking?” Qi Chengzhi saw how her blushed face blossomed gorgeously, her eyes were glazed with a layer of mist. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her embarrassed look, which made him softened his expression. His sharp eyebrows lighted up gradually like ink smearing over.

“Nothing,” Song Yu nudged to escape from his arms but failed.

His burning lips seared the root of her ears, grazing the fine hairs on her skin. He asked again, “What were you thinking about just now?”

Song Yu glanced at him, where she was met with his devilish taunting smile. Her face burned even redder as if he could see through all of her thoughts. She was stunned and sealed her lips shut without saying a word.

“Could it be that you were imagining how it feels if we were in their shoes?” Qi Chengzhi could feel the rising temperature on the top of her ears with his lips when he said this. His stern lips slowly drew into a gentle curvature.

When he saw that Song Yu remained in silence, he teased in a deep voice, “You want to marry me so badly?”

He guessed exactly what Song Yu was thinking about. When she was watching Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi exchanging rings and saying “I do”, she had no sense of discomfort at all. Instead, she could not help but to imagine them as Qi Chengzhi and her, thinking how would it be like to marry Qi Chengzhi.

At that very moment, she was so embarrassed that she could feel her face on the verge of exploding. She lowered her head to the extent where it could not be lowered anymore and wanted to bury her head into his neck out of habit. She had forgotten what event they were attending under his teasing.

Since he had his hands wrapped around her waist, she was almost laying in his arms. All she could see was his firm chest, her senses immersed with his refreshing scent. She felt light-headed as she was so deeply enthralled, losing her sense of direction completely.

“Ahem!” Grandfather Qi coughed roughly suddenly and warned angrily with a suppressed voice, “Respect the occasion!”

Song Yu immediately came to her senses and realized that her whole body was almost cradled by Qi Chengzhi’s arms. Song Yu felt so embarrassed that she could feel her scalp going numb. She dared not look at the other faces of the Qi family on that table as she knew that their expression would definitely look unpleasant.

Perhaps they were only one step away from yelling “Shameless!” out loud.

Song Yu shoved Qi Chengzhi’s hand away from her waist hastily. Nonetheless, many of them had caught a glimpse of how intimately both of them acted moments ago.

Zhou Mingyan gnashed her teeth in anger when she heard the chatters from the table beside, saying that the one who Song Yu entered holding hands with was the eldest grandson of the Qi family, who was also the future heir. If the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji went through successfully, he would be her brother-in-law.

In spite of that, both of them got together in the end.

“I never thought that Song Yu was this kind of person!” Zhou Mingyan just could not let this go. Her eyes kept staring at the both of them, judging their public displays of affection and the disrespect for the occasion. “Before this, didn’t Yu Qianying said herself that she is interested in Jian Yi? She also kept visiting our place back in the days. Everyone thought that she likes Jian Yi. Now, Jian Yi just got married and she already found someone else! Such a fickle person!” Zhou Mingyan continued.

As a result of Jian Yi marrying the lady of the Qi family, Zhou Mingyan had a sudden boost in confidence as their family received the glory that they had never experienced before, and all of their relatives were trying to get on their good side.