“Heh heh,” Grandfather Qi laughed in disdain. “Who else could it be? Your grandmother must have been showing off just now.”

“What’s wrong with that? I’m going to have a granddaughter-in-law soon! Why can’t I be happy? By the time my great grandkid is born, I’ll be showing him off on the one hand, and Youxuan on the other, every day!” Grandmother Qi had a smug look on her face. “I wonder if there’s any other old lady as impressive as me! Having grandkids isn’t a rarity, but great grandkids!”

Grandfather Qi let out a ‘hmph,’ and said to Song Yu, “Let’s see when your parents will be available for a meal. We have to follow the marriage traditions. We can have a simple engagement ceremony first, where we only invite family members. When it was Chengyue’s marriage, we did the same thing. It’s all fair and square.”

“Your parents are already familiar with the Qi family. It’s more for the two families to reminisce about the past than to get to know each other. We will then discuss the wedding in detail.”

Song Yu nodded.

Qi Zhongliang hesitated a little before speaking, “Dad, I’ve told Chengzhi before—there’s no need for a grand wedding. Just like the engagement ceremony, it will be enough to invite the family and have a simple ceremony. We can book small event space at Dynasty. There’s no need to make it a big thing.”

Grandfather Qi frowned. He carried a stern expression and glanced coldly at Qi Zhongliang before turning to Qi Chengzhi. “What do you mean?”

Qi Chengzhi’s expression remained neutral. He spoke flatly, “I’ve told dad before. I disagree with his suggestion. There’s nothing shameful about Song Yu or my wedding. Why should the eldest grandson of the Qi family have an undercover wedding? Song Yu, too, deserves something grand so that everyone would know officially—that she’s my wife.”

“You—” The color on Qi Zhongliang’s face faded away. He carried a look of disdain as if Qi Chengzhi had become the son that he detested the most versus when he used to be his pride. “Why can’t you consider the Qi family? You can’t just think about yourself!”

“Enough!” Grandfather Qi halted the ensuing argument and responded frigidly, “There’s indeed no need to have a lavish wedding ceremony, but there’s no need to keep it undercover as well. If you want to marry her, do it the right way.”

“I didn’t give my blessing to Chengzhi and Song Yu before. However, now that they’re getting married, we should do it under the sun. Otherwise, people would think the Qi family is in the wrong,” Grandfather Qi spoke unhurriedly.

“That’s right!” Grandmother Qi was an impetuous person. Not able to wait till Grandfather Qi was done, she continued, “We live our own lives! Why should we be bothered by what others think? They’re not related to us—can they dictate our lives or our beliefs? If not, why do we care? Do you want to make your daughter-in-law feel wronged for those people? Qi Zhongliang, is that the way I brought you up?”

“Since I’m starting with this, I will get straight into the matter. I’ve always taught you about equality. You shouldn’t be proud and look down on others. Everyone is equal—we all have our fair share of problems in living. You have your problems, and others have theirs. You’re luckier because you were born in the Qi family. Who are you to look down on others, or to judge and be picky?” Grandmother Qi’s face was veiled with a thin layer of ice.

“You should feel thankful to your dad and me for being able to look down on people today. If we didn’t give birth to you, or if you weren’t born in this family, who would’ve paid you any respect? Life comes in a full circle—the same could happen to you the next day. Stop sitting on a high horse!”

“Both Zhongxun and you, have you not learned any lesson from Chengze’s incident? You’re repeating the same mistake. You’re an adult now, when will you understand these simple principles that even kids could grasp? Have you ever heard any complaints from the kindergarten about Youxuan where he belittles others? Are you no better than a five-year-old kid?”

“Let me tell you, stop bringing up Song Yu and Chengji’s engagement and how it would bring shame to the Qi family. Song Yu is my granddaughter-in-law, and her parents had taken great care in raising her. Now, their precious daughter is marrying into our family and becoming our daughter-in-law. What right do you have to wrong her?”

“Do you think they raised and educated Song Yu for her to suffer from injustice in our family? Just for her to have a wedding behind closed doors? What privilege does our family have to justify such actions? You’re not the one who brought her up! Who are you to neglect her rights?”

“You said that it’s a disgrace for the two of them to date? It’s a disgrace for me to have sons like you!” Grandmother Qi was so angry that she became flustered.

Qi Zhongxun was perplexed. Qi Zhongliang was the person who had sprouted those words, why was he scolded?

“Mom, it’s the big brother’s opinion. Why did you get me involved?” Qi Zhongxun mumbled.

“Hmph! Do you think I don’t know what opinion you hold? You’re just waiting to see your brother make a fool out of himself!” Grandmother Qi exclaimed.

Qi Chengyue glanced at Song Yu and said, “Congratulations.”

Song Yu looked at her with surprise. She did not expect her to congratulate her. While she did not seem delighted, she did not oppose it strongly, unlike the last time.

Song Yu nodded. “Thank you.”

“Why isn’t Jian Yi here?” When Grandmother Qi stepped in, she was still thrilled about the news, and hence she did not notice that Jian Yi was not around. Qi Zhongliang’s statement acted as a distraction to that too.

“He has a business appointment tonight. He will come and pick me up when it’s over,” Qi Chengyue explained.

…

…

“Song Yu is no match for Qi Chengzhi! Why should I give up?” Yu Keyao slammed the chopsticks on the table.

“Do you not understand? Qi Chengzhi had paid a visit to me personally in the office, for the elders in the Yu family to govern your behavior and stop being a disgrace! He’s marrying Song Yu soon, and he wants you to stop dreaming!” Yu Zixiu had to suppress his desire to hurl the dishes on Yu Keyao’s stubborn face.

“He already made it clear, why do you still hang on to it? The reason why we arranged a blind date for you and Qi Chengzhi was to establish a good relationship with the Qi family, and not for him to hate you or to make the Qi family our foul. How can we be on the good side of the Qi family if Qi Chengzhi detests you now?” Yu Zixiu spoke raucously.

“I’ve told you the last time to befriend Song Yu. You refused to because you thought you could beat Song Yu, and you wanted us to give you a chance. Fine, you had it, but what happened? Qi Chengzhi and I had a fall out, in my face! Why should I bear this shame for you?”

“You’ve offended Song Yu. In the future, even if we want to amend this, the Song family might not accept it. Not only did you not bring us closer to the Qi family, but you’ve also burned the bridges for us. Now, you still remain stubborn!” Yu Zixiu’s face sunk. “Even if you don’t care about your image, please do take the Yu family into consideration.”

“Big brother, it’s too much! Keyao is your niece, why are you leaning toward an outsider? It’s not Keyao’s fault to not have laid a good foundation with the Song family. Don’t forget; you’re the first person to draw a line with the Song family when they went bankrupt. You didn’t lend a helping hand, not even to your sister. What right do you have to be talking about how Keyao has ruined the Yu family?”

“It’s all Song Yu’s fault. For a woman who can hook up with both the brothers of the Qi family, Keyao is no competition to her in terms of craftiness. First, the engagement with Chengji and now the engagement with Chengzhi. Big brother, before you speak about the Yu family, can’t you take Keyao’s happiness into consideration? Is it wrong for her to like Qi Chengzhi? What’s wrong about that? All is fair in love and war.”

“She didn’t bring harm to anyone, nor did she play any underhanded tricks. She’s just behaving like a normal girl, who chases after the man she likes. I don’t think she did anything wrong.” Liang Lihua’s voice was harsh and cold.

As a mother, she had to defend Yu Keyao under Yu Zixiu’s harsh criticisms.

Liang Lihua stood up, “Why should Keyao sacrifice herself for the benefit of the family? What can she gain? The only one who benefits is you! Don’t treat all of us as idiots. You know deep down why you’re criticizing Keyao. Don’t you think it’s too selfish?”

“If Keyao can chase Song Yu away, the benefit to the Yu family is much greater than to be in the good books of the Song family. If you go begging for a favor from the Song family, Yu Qianying will reject you out of her character.” Liang Lihua sneered, “Song Yu has the same cunning personality as Yu Qianying. If she does marry into the Qi family, with power, do you think she will let you reap any rewards?”

“In my opinion, instead of blaming Keyao and thinking of ways to get in the good books of the Song family, it’s more realistic to get rid of Song Yu from Chengzhi’s side and make him come to his senses. That’s what you should focus on.”

She would never bow down or apologize to Yu Qianying!

Liang Lihua pulled Yu Keyao up and left.

Yu Zixiu slammed the chopsticks and shouted at Yu Zidong, “Are they your wife and daughter? Where are their manners?”

Yu Zidong ground his teeth. “I will help straighten this out. When the Song family was still booming, Lihua had been under the shadow of Qianying for too long. She felt wronged, and subsequently, with the incident of Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, she felt that she’s suffering from injustice, and thus the reactions.”

“In reality, you can’t blame Keyao on this. Big brother, she’s your niece, and your words were too harsh. Keyao knew Qi Chengzhi first, and Song Yu bumped into them during the blind date. I think Song Yu intentionally snatched Qi Chengzhi away as a revenge to our family. Do you think, for a woman so vengeful, our peace treaty would work?”

Yu Zixiu was in deep thought. He said nothing.

…

…

Jian Yi went to the Qi family’s old mansion to pick up Chengyue at night. When he arrived, he saw Qi Chengzhi’s Range Rover leaving.

Then, Qi Chengzhi had not started the engine yet. When he saw Jian Yi come out from the Cayenne, he did not come down and greet him, but instead, he drove past Jian Yi.

Qi Chengyue saw it at the door and laughed, “Eh, you almost met.”

Jian Yi’s expression was gloomy, and Qi Chengyue ignored him.

She got on the car with smiles. When Jian Yi started the car, she then broke the news in a delightful, relaxed manner, “It’s such a shame you weren’t here today. Big brother brought Song Yu back and announced their marriage.”

Jian Yi looked ahead and said nothing. He did not react but merely held the steering wheel tighter. He loosened his grip subsequently.

Qi Chengyue pretended she did not see that and continued leisurely, “Now I understand why big brother insists on bringing Song Yu to Paris. He had the proposal all planned out. Isn’t a proposal in Paris romantic?”

She turned to look at Jian Yi. Seeing his cold and handsome side profile, she seemed even happier. She hooked on his arm that was dangling off the steering wheel and leaned on his shoulder. “You missed the two-carat pink diamond on Song Yu’s ring finger today. It’s so beautiful, and the color was so dreamy.”

“For an average person, putting the pink diamond aside, a high-quality and sizable diamond is good enough. Big brother had put much thought into it. I wonder how much effort he had to put in to find such a delicate ring. It must have taken a long time as it’s impossible to find that in a short few months. It meant that he has been preparing for this way ahead of time.”

Qi Chengyue frowned. “However, he has only dated Song Yu for a few months, not even half a year has gone by! Could it be that he had planned this out even before he started dating Song Yu, that he knew he wanted to marry her before they even started dating? How unbelievable.”

Qi Chengyue shook off her imagination. It was too unrealistic.

“I admire Song Yu, for being able to be in love with a man like my big brother, who puts in a lot of effort into her.” Her voice was full of envy. “A man like my big brother is likely every woman’s ideal partner, a prince charming that women would crave, but impossible to attain.”

“To be in love with a caring, attractive, and capable man like that, it’s something all women will be envious of! At the very least, that’s how I feel.” Qi Chengyue could feel Jian Yi’s muscle tensing. She did not care, and instead, she kept going.

“Well, he even kept it a secret and broke it out all of a sudden in Paris, such a romantic place!” Qi Chengyue sighed. “It’s something I will keep on reminiscing for many years, even till I’m old. It’s a very precious memory.”

Qi Chengyue took a break and looked up at Jian Yi with a faint smile. “Isn’t it?”

Jian Yi took a glance at her and spoke coldly, “What do you want me to answer?”

“I want you to give up. Song Yu is getting married to my big brother. You can stop hoping.” Qi Chengyue replied in a frosty manner.

Jian Yi was still looking ahead. He said nothing.

He did not say a word all the way home. When he got back, he removed the necktie and walked toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Jian Yi locked the bathroom door and filled the bathtub with hot water. The gushing water from the tap fell on the tub and made a water splashing noise. It could muffle out all other sounds in the bathroom.

He took out a simple, outdated model of mobile phone and dialed Song Yu’s number.

Qi Chengzhi was showering. Song Yu saw the unknown number on the screen, frowned, and picked it up.

“Song Yu, it’s me.” It was Jian Yi’s gloomy voice on the other side.

“What’re you doing changing your number every day?!” Annoyed, Song Yu spoke sarcastically.

When she was about to hang up, she heard Jian Yi screaming, “Don’t hang up! I told you not to get married to Qi Chengzhi so soon!”

“Since when who I marry, or when I marry is a business of yours?” Song Yu was so angry, she laughed. Her fingers were trembling. She was mad at how full of himself Jian Yi was—to think that he had the right to dictate her life?

Trembling, she hung up, and before Jian Yi could call again, she blocked the number.

Jian Yi had been bothering her too much. She was sick of the sight of him and his voice.

“What’s wrong? You look pale.” Qi Chengzhi’s voice rang from the door.

Song Yu looked up and saw him coming out of the bathroom. He was wearing only gray cotton pants. He did not tie the strings at his waist yet, and hence the pants were hanging at his abdomen. Underneath were his chocolate-like abs and the Apollo’s belt.

Following Apollo’s belt and going down, one could see the black, curly hair at the top.

He did not dry himself completely, and hence, there were still water droplets on his chest and abs. Even though he was light-skinned, it did not hurt his manliness. His muscles were toned and lean, but not overly jacked, which could put people off.

Strength was manifesting all over his body.

He covered his head with a big towel. Water dripped from the tips on his hair onto his shoulder, his chest and his abdomen. It continued into the pants and blended into the small tuft of hair.

Song Yu swallowed hard. She could not resist the gorgeous beauty in front of her.

Qi Chengzhi looked at her, smiling faintly and taking in her lust. He dried his hair casually and tossed the towel aside. He sat next to her.

Naturally, he circled Song Yu with his arms. Hugging Song Yu, his thin, burning lips began kissing her eyelids and rubbing against her soft skin. “Why were you so angry?”

Song Yu inhaled the fragrance of shampoo from his body. His upper body remained naked. In his embrace, she leaned against his bare skin. The water droplets on his body wet her pajamas.

She always felt that he was warm. His body felt even warmer after he had a hot shower.

“Nothing much, it was a prank call. The person was nuts.” Song Yu pressed her forehead against his chest. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to get mad at Jian Yi, especially over such a small matter.

He tightened his grip on her waist and carried her up to sit on his lap.

This action made the pants go lower. He was revealing more of what was underneath.

Song Yu quickly looked up. She did not dare to look down, and she was all flustered.

Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at her. He knew she was not telling the truth. He took an in-depth look at her but asked no further questions.

While Song Yu still had her heart at her mouth, not knowing whether she could keep it hidden from Qi Chengzhi, he began speaking, “Are father and mother-in-law free tomorrow? We can pay a visit to them. I want to ask for your hand officially.”

Song Yu could not resist and gathered the courage to look up at him. His expression was normal as if he indeed had let go of the question. She let out a sigh of relief.

Song Yu could not resist and gathered the courage to look up at him. His expression was normal as if he indeed had let go of the question. She let out a sigh of relief.

Relieved, she picked up her phone again. “They should be free. Let me give them a call.”

Just a moment after dialing the number, she said, “Dad, Chengzhi and I are going to drop by tomorrow.”

“…”

“No, we want to discuss something with you.”

“…”

“That’s not it. Stop guessing blindly. You’ll know tomorrow, alright?”

“…”

“No, that’s not the matter at all. You don’t have to get mom on the phone. I… Mom…”

“…”

“Seriously, stop imagining things. You’ll know when we’re there tomorrow. Alright, I need to go. Goodbye.”

Song Yu did not give Yu Qianying any more chances to speak. She hung up quickly.

…

…

Jian Yi was immersing himself entirely in the bathtub when he took out his usual phone. He opened an encrypted folder, and two photos appeared.

Unexpectedly, it was the two photos Xia Wenna had taken stealthily in the reading room of Viewpark Residence — the images of the acquisition documents, which should have been deleted by Grandmother Qi.

Initially, Jian Yi had no clue on how to get about investigating.

However, thanks to the recent incident where hackers had leaked photos of the Hollywood stars, he learned about the cloud. The cloud would have the backup even if the picture was deleted from the phone.

It was a considerable achievement for people at the age of Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi to make use of a smartphone. They would not possibly know about this.

In the recent years, Jian Yi had befriended people from all walks of life. All he cared for were their potential utility — he did not mind if they were involved in complicit activities.

As a result, he made use of his network and got in touch with a well-known hacker. Thinking to try it out, it was a pleasant surprise when the hacker had successfully penetrated Xia Wenna’s cloud and found the two pictures.

The reason why he did not visit the Qi family that night was because he had an appointment with the intermediary.

Hacking into someone’s cloud was against the law, and naturally, the hacker would not appear in person. It was impossible for Jian Yi to even contact him directly. It was always done through an intermediary.

He had just acquired the two photos that night.

However, as the photos only comprised of the first and last page of the acquisition document, he still lacked concrete details.

Fortunately, the company seal on the signing page was distinct enough for him to continue with his investigation.

…

…

The next day, Song Yu decided to go to work. She felt that if this goes on, the idleness would kick in and it would take forever for her to overcome the jet lag.

Besides, she could not possibly shirk everything to Ruan Danchen, so she insisted on going to work.

Qi Chengzhi then sent her to work. When she entered the office, Ruan Danchen was sorting out the work notes. It would help ease the transition for Song Yu.

Song Yu felt so sorry for her. She handed the unwrapped gift to Ruan Danchen — a gift box by a skincare brand.

Ruan Danchen knew the value of the gift box was in the range of five figures when she saw it. Squinting happily, she said, “For your generosity, I’m willing to do another month’s worth of work for you!”

“Stop fooling around,” Song Yu said as she laughed. “You’ve worked hard.”

“Didn’t I tell you? It wasn’t much.” Ruan Danchen handed Song Yu the completed work notes. “This is what you missed out on during your absence. Take a look, and you can take over right away.”

Song Yu took it, and before she could continue, the phone on the desk rang.

Song Yu picked up, and just as she said, “Hello, Cheng —”

“Song Yu, it’s me, Jian Yi,” emitted Jian Yi’s voice from the phone. Over the phone, he had a pleasant voice, mellow and alluring. However, Song Yu felt that his voice lacked the piercing quality of Qi Chengzhi’s.

“Manager Jian, what can I do for you?” Song Yu asked as if she was speaking to an acquaintance. However, she was not as impatient as last night.

Jian Yi strengthened the grip on his phone. The reason Song Yu did not sound impatient was because she was treating him like a client, polite but distant.

He dialed her office number this time because he knew she could not turn him down in the pretext of work. The motive was apparent, and she seemed to have understood the message.

“Song Yu, you can get engaged to Qi Chengzhi, but don’t get married to him so soon,” said Jian Yi.

Song Yu’s face sunk. She defeated her desire to shout ‘Do you know no shame!’ at him and took a deep breath. She kept her cool and spoke calmly, “Manager Jian, you can call me anytime if it’s related to work. However, if it’s about my personal life, can I request you to stop harassing me?”

“Song Yu, it’s for your good!” Jian Yi was on edge. “Why are you so stubborn? Why won’t you listen? I told you Qi Chengzhi cannot be trusted. Do you want to marry him just because he’s going to be the head of the Qi family, and you’re unwilling to give up the position of being the mistress of the family? Or, is it just a form of retaliation on me?”

Song Yu needed an outlet to release her anger after hearing what he said.

He called her in the office, and with so many people around, she could not vent her anger directly.

‘Jian Yi is outright shameless!’

‘He regards himself too highly!’

‘He knows no shame and assumed others would be the same.’

Song Yu was so cross, she could feel an acerbic sensation in her throat, and even her eyes.

It was not due to Jian Yi’s misunderstanding, but rather, how he twisted and smeared her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi.

She had always felt her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi was pure — why did Jian Yi have to impose his vileness on others? What basis did he have to do that?

“You make me sick!” Song Yu spoke, gnashing her teeth. Taking a look at her surroundings, everyone was busy working. She lowered her voice and said, ” Don’t you understand? I’m sick and tired of you. Whenever I see you, I feel repulsed. Do you know what it feels like — to hate someone until you’re sick? Even if Qi Chengzhi had indeed played some dirty tricks, you’re not one to be passing judgment. Who do you think you are? What right do you have to do that?

“In my eyes, even if Qi Chengzhi has done something forbidden by God, he’s still in a better position than you. Don’t even think about putting you two side by side, for you to sprout his name is an insult. By now, you should know my opinion of you. I’m telling you that I don’t care if he has wronged me in the past. My parents are healthy, and we suffered no loss. Why should I care what he has done to me in the past?

“I’m saying this once again — I don’t care about what he has done in the past! You’re free to think that I do this for his status or my revenge on you. If it helps your esteem, think whatever you want, as long as you stop bothering me!”

Song Yu took a deep breath and lowered her voice. It was trembling in anger. “Jian Yi, please, I’m begging you. Can you accept my request and stop bothering me? I don’t hate you, not at all. However, your current action is making me sick. Can’t you just let me live my life? Stop disturbing me. Given how stubborn I am regardless of what you said, why do you persist on bothering me?

“You’re married now, too. Qi Chengyue is your wife. While she can be capricious sometimes, she loves you dearly. For your sake, she is willing to be more tolerating. You should appreciate her more. To be able to find someone who loves you wholeheartedly and doesn’t ask for anything in return, do you know how lucky you are? She knew your motive of marrying her, but she went ahead with it anyway. What more could you ask for?

“Why are you not satisfied with your present life? Why are you messing with others’ lives? Jian Yi, karma will hit you if you don’t cherish what you have.

“Jian Yi, that’s all I have to say. If you have any self-esteem left, please, leave me alone.” When Song Yu finished, without hearing Jian Yi’s reply, she hung up.

Ruan Danchen did not dare to even breathe loudly next to the flaming Song Yu.

Her seat was right next to Song Yu’s. As a result, even though Song Yu had spoken softly, Ruan Danchen could hear everything even if she did not intend to.

Regardless of what Jian Yi said to Song Yu, she could tell that it was exceedingly upsetting. There was no other reason Song Yu would look so troubled, and on the verge of tearing up.

Ruan Danchen sighed. She stood up, went to the restroom, and sent a text message covertly. “Jian Yi called just now. I have no idea what he said, but Song Yu is so mad, she’s on the brink of tears.”

…

…

Jian Yi was still in a daze, looking at his phone that had fallen into silence.

His lips were trembling. He felt a harsh bitterness in his mouth. That bitterness he felt was reflected in his eyes. He was wounded deeply.

Song Yu’s ruthless words pierced through his heart.

He did not expect Song Yu to be so cruel and ruthless. She was so disgusted with him, it was as if he was a bed bug.

Perhaps, in her eyes, he was of a lower status than a bed bug.

Whimpering, Jian Yi gasped for air. Feeling weak, he leaned back on the chair, with his head resting on the headrest. He closed his eyes, enduring the pain in them.

His chest, however, still hurt.

He lifted his hand and covered his chest, pressing it hard.

Why couldn’t she understand his good intentions? He wanted it all for her good, for her not to be deceived by Qi Chengzhi.

Recalling Song Yu’s statement, “My parents are healthy, and we’ve suffered no loss. Why should I care what he has done to me in the past?”

“Ha!” Jian Yi sneered coldly, “Song Yu, do you think your family suffered no loss? Is bankruptcy not considered a loss?”

After saying that, Jian Yi remained static for a long time.

Eventually, he took a deep breath. Picking up the cigarette box on the table slowly, he lit up a cigarette in his mouth. He began inhaling, taking it in deliberately. He then put out more than half of the cigarette in the ashtray.

He picked up the phone and dialed out again.

Song Yu had remained silent for a while. Her anger had yet to subside — she was still upset, and it was hindering her breathing. Her mind was a mess, and she could not focus on work.

It did not take long before she felt irked again.

After much trouble, she finally was able to get into the mood for work. When she was ready to start, the phone on the desk rang again.

She adjusted her state of mind and picked up the call. She spoke politely, “Chengshi Construction, you —”

“Don’t hang up, Song Yu. I have one last thing to tell you. I’ll hang up after that.” On the phone, it was Jian Yi again. His voice was rushed, and it revealed his fatigue and bitterness.

Song Yu held onto the phone tightly. She heard him babble, “Song Yu, I now have evidence about what Qi Chengzhi had done, but it is not concrete yet. Even if I pass you the evidence in hand, I know you still won’t believe me. I will keep investigating until I have the whole truth, and I will lay out the pieces of evidence all in front of your eyes. You’d then know that Qi Chengzhi isn’t trustworthy, and who’s the one that is truly there for you!”

After that, it was Jian Yi who hung up this time.

He shattered her focus again.

…

…

Song Yu was in a better mood when she got off work in the evening.

As she stepped out of the office, while she was still a little affected, the sight of the Range Rover across the road pacified her.

Feeling fuzzy, one could peek the gentle smile at the corner of her mouth. She waited for the road to be clear before running toward the Range Rover.

Song Yu saw the handsome, composed man sitting in the car. Even though the Range Rover was spacious, space still seemed limited for his long legs.

There was a faint smell of tobacco in the car. Even with the windows opened, the scent did not disperse entirely.

Song Yu leaned forward and wrapped her hands around his arm. She sniffed the tobacco smell off his shoulder.

She never disliked the smell of tobacco on him. The familiar tobacco smell made her feel more reassured.

“Did you wait long?” Song Yu asked and smiled. “You’re always here before I get off. I know you’re busy, but you don’t have to rush here. I can wait for you.”

“Hmm,” came Qi Chengzhi’s surprisingly cold reply. He then withdrew his arm from her embrace and started driving.

Although he had always been indifferent and cold, his actions toward her were filled with passion. It had always been that way despite his cold expressions. This was the first time he refused her embrace.

Song Yu took note of this glaring anomaly.

Qi Chengzhi, still with his stone-cold face, said nothing.

Song Yu did not know what had gotten into him all of a sudden. She was slightly irked at his mood swings.

Her day was awful. First, Jian Yi had pissed her off, and Qi Chengzhi was doing the same thing too.

She said nothing. Throughout the ride, the atmosphere in the car was tense.

Despite that, Song Yu could not help but steal glances at him.

Every time she did so, she would find Qi Chengzhi focusing on the road ahead with a straight face.

He had always looked a little scary when he had a poker face on.

While Song Yu was not afraid of him, she still felt a little ill at ease, not knowing the cause of his anger.

The Range Rover finally arrived in the area near the Song family’s house. Qi Chengzhi found a parking spot for the car.

Song Yu sighed in her heart. Shyly, she reached out with her soft hands and grabbed Qi Chengzhi’s hand softly.

This was the limit to her ingratiating initiative. She could not go any further.

It was not about getting tit for tat with Qi Chengzhi, merely that her nature would not allow her to do so.

Qi Chengzhi glanced at her and saw her rosy cheeks. Seeing how docile she looked, he finally held her hand and did not dismiss her.

“Do you have anything to say to me?” he asked in a flat tone.

This time, Song Yu was stunned. She did not know what Qi Chengzhi meant.

“Nothing!” Song Yu answered subconsciously. She really did not know what there was to say.

She was startled to see his grim expression. She then behaved like a pet that was eager to please and spoke softly, “Are you mad?”

“Well, I’m surprised you can see that.” Qi Chengzhi let out a huff.

Song Yu was a little unhappy with his sarcastic tone. First, he got mad for no reason, and after she tried to reconcile with him, he still behaved in such an off-putting way. What was the meaning of this?

He had never behaved in such a peculiar way before.

Anger had gotten into Song Yu. She pulled a long face and retreated her hand. Not saying a word, she wanted to get off the car.

Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrow. Why was she the one making a scene when it was her fault?

Seeing that she had gotten angry and was about to open the car door, Qi Chengzhi let out a helpless sigh. His gaze at the back of her head was filled with compromise and adoration.

Even when he was in a foul mood, he could not bear to see her mad.

Song Yu was about to open the door when he grabbed her waist and scooped her up. He had her sitting on his lap.

“What are you doing?” Song Yu spoke furiously.

He was the one who got mad at her for no reason first. What was he doing, trying to get her back?

“You’re so spoiled. Can’t you even let me throw a little tantrum? Before I even lost my temper, you had already decided to walk out on me.” Qi Chengzhi strengthened the grip on her waist.

“I got this temper from you.” Song Yu was not afraid of him at all, and she countered right away.

Qi Chengzhi was delighted. The corner of his mouth had a flash of smile before he tensed up again.

“Don’t you know why I’m mad?” he asked coldly.

“How would I know? You got cold all of a sudden. I thought you didn’t like me anymore!” While Song Yu intended to irk him, the words pierced through her heart.

What if he lost his passion and no longer liked her?

What if he, all of a sudden, realized that he did not like her as much? That she was not his ideal partner? What would she do if he had decided that she was no longer worth it, and that he was sick of her?

She was terrified when he got mad at her all of a sudden.

Imagining things to take a turn for the worse, she was tearing up.

Qi Chengzhi could not get mad at her when she looked so miserable. He immediately regretted his behavior for having shown his dismay.

“What’s up? Don’t cry!” Qi Chengzhi felt sorry for her, but he was not adept at expressing himself. While he sounded calm, his expression revealed that he was panicking. His fingers brushed through her eyes, to wipe away her tears.

He held her face in both hands and sputtered, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you without explaining. Don’t cry.”

Song Yu felt more wronged hearing what he had said. Her tears began spilling, and drops of them were hanging on her eyelashes.

Song Yu felt more wronged hearing what he said. Her tears began spilling, and drops of them were hanging on her eyelashes.

Qi Chengzhi was in agony. His chest felt congested.

“Alright, alright,” he said as he comforted her, his lips brushing lightly against her eyelashes, kissing the tears away. “My bad, it’s my fault. Stop crying.”

Song Yu’s grieving made him feel heavy-hearted. He kept consoling her gently. He descended from his position and apologized again and again. He was not sure what he did wrong, but the most important goal for him then was to make her feel better. He tried to put her at ease by apologizing and comforting her tenderly.

“What are you talking about that I don’t like you anymore? It’s something nobody would believe.” Qi Chengzhi found her accusation funny.

However, Song Yu’s grieving and how she was trying not to cry with great endeavor was heart-wrenching. Her eyes were red, and her tears only occasionally fell when she could hold it back no more.

“Stop holding it back. If you feel wronged, let it out. You will feel better,” said Qi Chengzhi, thinking about the injustice she had suffered from Jian Yi. He wanted her to vent her anger through this opportunity.

Song Yu whimpered. Her eyes were red as a rabbit’s. Out of frustration, she said, “What do you want? You got mad at me for no reason, but now you’re comforting me. A moment ago, you told me not to cry — now you’re telling me to do the opposite! What do you want me to do?”

“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu raised her voice as she felt wronged, “What’s the matter with you today!”

“…” Qi Chengzhi was speechless. It seemed like he was unreasonable, indeed.

“You were in a foul mood when you walked out of the office today.” Qi Chengzhi wiped away the fresh tears. All he wanted was to keep her in his embrace and soothe her.

Song Yu was stunned. She could not say a word, and her tears halted. She merely stared at Qi Chengzhi blankly with her big, red, innocent eyes.

Qi Chengzhi looked at her expression. He had no other choice but to forgive her.

“I’m mad because you suffered injustice today. You were angry, but you didn’t say anything to me.” He hugged her tightly. “Now, are you going to tell me what happened today?”

Song Yu glanced at him weirdly, did he mean Jian Yi’s call?

How did he know?

Was there anything that she could hide from him?

No wonder he asked if she had anything to say to him.

She took the question at face value. The matter completely escaped her mind, which was why she replied ‘no’ subconsciously.

She figured it was her response that made him mad.

Hesitantly, Song Yu then told him about Jian Yi’s call, but she made no mention of the evidence as claimed by Jian Yi.

Since she had no faith in it, there was no reason to convey that to Qi Chengzhi.

“I’m getting sick of his constant pestering. There’s no end to it. Furthermore, not only had he twisted our relationship, he thinks that I’m dating you for your status, and to take vengeance on him! He thinks that those are the reasons I’m hanging on to the relationship.”

After telling the story, Song Yu realized it was, in fact, no big deal. Why did she feel so annoyed by it, until it had affected her the entire day? She felt sorry for herself.

She was a little embarrassed for her overreaction. She spoke awkwardly, “Well, I was boiling because of him. Who does he think he is to pass judgment on our relationship? He thinks too highly of himself. Also, he’s been bothering for so long, his presence lingers. Now that I think about it, it wasn’t such a big deal.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when you’re upset?” Qi Chengzhi pinched her waist. His faint voice sounded displeased.

“I really wasn’t thinking about it.” Song Yu glanced at him innocently with her red eyes. “I was annoyed, but when I saw your car and thought that you’re there waiting for me, the feeling disappeared. That was why I didn’t relate to the matter when you queried.”

“You’re that happy when you saw me?” Qi Chengzhi asked, with a faint smile on his face.

Song Yu blushed again. She said nothing, implying that was indeed the case.

He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped away the tears on her face.

The handkerchief was made of soft material. He wiped it so gently; her face did not feel hurt at all. Song Yu felt flustered at how affectionate and appreciative he was.

“Alright,” she muttered. Her cheeks had turned rosy. “The neighbors can see us.”

Qi Chengzhi then returned her to the front passenger seat after she tried to wrench away from his lap.

Song Yu continued, “Don’t get mad at me for the same reason next time.”

Qi Chengzhi looked at her affectionately and caressed her hair. His sturdy palm moved downward and locked on the back of her head. With his body leaning forward, his lips brushed gently against hers. He did not act aggressively, unlike previously.

His gentle caress made Song Yu feel weak. Before he began exploring in between her teeth, his tongue stroked through her lips as if he was drawing. Playfully teasing, he sucked on her sweetness.

His kiss did not go deep. The lightness of it could not satisfy Song Yu. She took the initiative and pulled herself closer, but Qi Chengzhi retreated just as she had taken action.

Unable to restrain her emotions, Song Yu hooked on his neck and intended to lug him closer. She advanced toward him, but he took a step back yet again.

She looked at him, not knowing the reason. He just gave her a gentle, faint smile.

“You should never doubt my feelings toward you. Even if it was out of anger, don’t ever mention it again,” said Qi Chengzhi in a deep voice. His deep, hoarse voice pulled on her heartstring. “I’ve already liked you for so long. The feeling won’t disappear all of a sudden.”

Hearing what he said, Song Yu’s heart began beating rapidly. Her cheeks blushed with the statement. Her eyes that were still red were glittering.

“Okay,” she agreed immediately, and she towed on his neck again. Not knowing the reason, she just wanted to kiss him passionately.

“Faster,” she urged him. “Don’t play around like this.” Her scalp was burning as she felt agitated.

“Did I make you grow more lustful each day?” He inched forward, and one could hear the laughter in his voice. His eyes curled into a crescent, as though they were making fun of her.

Still blushing, Song Yu wanted to counter with his statement — ‘Men like women who are slu —, or forward.’

Instead, he was making fun of her!

Just as she was about to speak, before her words of protest could spill out, he covered her mouth.

This time, he was no longer behaving gently. He stopped tickling but went straight and deep with his exploration.

After a while, Qi Chengzhi finally let her loose.

They were in the car for some time. They finally got out after they made themselves presentable.

Fortunately, it was already dark. Nobody could tell Song Yu was all red.

Qi Chengzhi was no longer in a foul mood. He got off the car and took the initiative to hold her hand.

“…” Song Yu looked up at him, still feeling gloomy. He ignored her when he was angry. When his mood recovered, he started holding her hand again.

Regardless, he always had the final say.

Qi Chengzhi took a look at her with no apparent expression. As if reading her mind, he chuckled a little. He strengthened his grip on her hand and said nothing else.

While Song Yu did not want to make a fuss over this matter, she still felt a little annoyed. She pinched on his arm as tit for tat.

When Yu Qianying saw them, she opened the door and let them in.

She immediately took note of Song Yu’s eyes that were still red.

“What’s up with your eyes? Why’re they so red?” Yu Qianying asked. She sounded worried and asked, “Did you two argue?”

Judging from how Song Yu looked, it was apparent she was crying a moment ago.

Being a mother, she was always worried that her daughter would suffer injustice.

Looking at the time just before, she estimated they should be arriving soon. Hence, she went to check at the balcony.

She also saw the Range Rover, which was parked somewhere close by, but the two did not get off until a while later.

Seeing Song Yu’s red eyes, she began to wonder if the both of them had gotten into an argument in the car.

“No,” Song Yu replied in a hurry. She was afraid Yu Qianying and Qi Chengzhi would have a misunderstanding.

The kisses had made her forget what happened just before. She had completely overlooked on how it would look to others.

Yu Qianying took note that the two were still holding hands, and Song Yu’s expression did not show any signs of being bullied. They still looked like an affectionate couple.

She still could not completely let it go. Qi Chengzhi spoke, “It’s my fault. I made her angry along the way.”

Yu Qianying did not expect Qi Chengzhi to bear the responsibility.

Regardless of whether it was his fault that pissed Song Yu off, it was surprising enough for someone with the status and temperament of Qi Chengzhi to admit it.

“Well, you!” Yu Qianying said as she dragged Song Yu in, “Don’t always throw a tantrum at Chengzhi. Always tolerate each other for any problems you have! Chengzhi shouldn’t always be the one to endure your temperament!”

Song Yu was surprised; she glanced at Yu Qianying. “Mom, didn’t you vehemently oppose our relationship before? Why are you on his side now? Is this the case where the mother-in-law is falling in love with the son-in-law?”

“Pfft!” Yu Qianying was slightly flustered despite her age. She let out a hiss and said, “You brat, look at what you’re saying! Go in now, the food is almost ready.”

Song Yu wanted to help, but Yu Qianying sent her straight to the living room. “I didn’t know what time you’re coming, so I chopped up the stuff. I’m just going to make some stir fry, and it will all be ready. It’s going to be quick, don’t worry about it.”

…

…

Over dinner, Yu Qianying brought up her question, “Last night, you mentioned you have something to say to us. It sounded serious. What was it about?”

Song Yu put down her chopsticks and glanced at Qi Chengzhi.

Qi Chengzhi sat up straight and left his chopsticks on the table. He looked solemnly at Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

“Father-in-law, mother-in-law,” he called out politely.

Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were agitated from the greeting.

Even though he never listened to the advice, Song Donglin had to repeat it, “Chengzhi, while we agreed for you and Song Yu to date, there’s no need to refer to us as the in-laws. You two aren’t married yet, and we find it hard to accept it.”

“I still have to say it.” Qi Chengzhi spoke with an indifferent tone, “I’ve already proposed to Song Yu. I’m here today to get your permission.”

Song Donglin almost choked on his saliva.

He and Yu Qianying looked at each other and thought, ‘You are already referring us to be the in-laws. Do you still need permission?’

‘When you call us in-laws, did you ask for our permission?’

“I’ve informed my family about the marriage. My grandmother is delighted, and she had brought Song Yu around yesterday and introduced her to our neighbors. I suppose she has already started to prepare for the wedding. My grandfather thought it would be good for the two families to meet up sometime and have an engagement ceremony. Father-in-law, mother-in-law, it will depend on your availability. The wedding is going to be grand. We won’t let Song Yu suffer from any negligence,” Qi Chengzhi said.

Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were slowly getting used to the honorific of being the father and mother-in-law. They gave up on trying to correct him.

“Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I promise you, I will take good care of Song Yu throughout my life. I will make sure she is never wronged, and I will be there for her always. Can I seek your permission to marry your daughter?” Qi Chengzhi concluded his speech. His solemn expression made his features seem even more severe and hostile.

Song Donglin looked at Yu Qianying. “What do you think? I don’t have anything against it.”

Yu Qianying sighed and stared at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu respectively. “In your current state of the relationship, do you think I have any say against it?”

“We’re both idle. Any time is fine. You can convey that to your family, whenever they’re available.” Yu Qianying smiled stiffly and continued. “Who knew, so much had happened, but we’re still ending up being the Qi family’s relatives by marriage.”

It was still great news the two were getting married.

In reality, after Song Donglin and Yu Qianying accepted Qi Chengzhi, they rather liked him more and more.

First of all, Qi Chengzhi was a brilliant guy. It would be a delight for any family to have a son-in-law like him.

If not because of what had happened in the past, Yu Qianying would have accepted happily without reservation. She, too, was aware that whether it was Jian Yi or someone else, they were of no competition to Qi Chengzhi. To be wed to a man like Qi Chengzhi was probably the ultimate dream.

As Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu’s relationship developed to a point where they were inseparable, she then tried to accept him.

Once she had taken a step back and opened her heart, putting the Qi family’s matter aside, Yu Qianying held a high regard for her son-in-law, Qi Chengzhi. From the depth of her heart, she liked Qi Chengzhi.

Song Donglin too felt glad Song Yu had found someone she could build a home with. He did not care about the matter with the Qi family, as long as Qi Chengzhi could shield Song Yu from it.

He was comforted by the fact that Qi Chengzhi was a responsible man.

Feeling jolly, Song Donglin ran to the kitchen and fetched a bundle of beer from the veranda. He wanted to have a drink with Qi Chengzhi.

Song Donglin was not someone who would keep persuading people to drink, but as he was feeling happy that night, he loosened up. The atmosphere was still cheery. He did not have the intention to get Qi Chengzhi drunk at all.

When they were about to leave, Qi Chengzhi was slightly drunk. One could not tell from the way he walked, but Song Donglin had too much. When he bid Qi Chengzhi goodbye at the door, he was still feeling buzzed.

Song Yu got the key from Qi Chengzhi; she would be the one driving instead.

Just as the car left the community entrance, Qi Chengzhi got a call from Yan Beicheng.

Before Qi Chengzhi had the chance to reply, Yan Beicheng went straight to the point and said, “Why didn’t you reply to all my WeChat messages?”

Qi Chengzhi twitched his mouth. “Why do you have to text me over WeChat? You should’ve just called me. I’m not on the platform often.”

“Are you and lil sis Xiao Yu free? I heard you guys get engaged. Come and celebrate with us,” Yan Beicheng said. Over the phone, it sounded really happening on the other side. He could also hear Wei Ziqian’s voice.

“You caught on to the news pretty fast,” Qi Chengzhi replied and laughed. Yan Beicheng knew about it a day after he broke the news to his family.

“Hey, don’t you know? Your grandmother went all around and told everyone that! She even called up her friends. The only thing she hasn’t done yet is announce it in the newspaper! When Han Zhuoli’s grandmother heard that, she ran straight to his company and pulled her ear — she too wants a granddaughter-in-law!”

Subsequently, Qi Chengzhi could hear someone that sounded like Han Zhuoli shouting, “I feel my ears have become imbalanced!”

It was Qi Chengzhi’s matter to be getting married. Why did he need to advertise it with a loud bang? The worst thing was, he pulled him down!

His grandmother had said, whether it was the ex-girlfriend or the ex-wife of any of his brothers, with a kid or without, she would agree to it as long as Han Zhuoli could get her to marry him!

Qi Chengzhi did not hang up. He turned around and asked if Song Yu wanted to go. If she was tired, they could head straight home. There was no need to entertain Yan Beicheng and the lot.

Yan Beicheng could hear Qi Chengzhi’s words clearly on the other side.

“Qi Chengzhi, are you still a man? Do you need permission from lil sis Xiao Yu to join a gathering? You two aren’t even married yet, and you’re already such a goody-two-shoe. What would you become when you’re married? You’ll probably be slaving away! If any outsider learns this, they will be so shocked!”

As it was too noisy over there, Yan Beicheng virtually shouted at the phone. Song Yu could hear his every word.

Qi Chengzhi did not react. He did not care about Yan Beicheng’s teasing.

Song Yu blushed. She was afraid Qi Chengzhi would be looked down on by others.

She had always agreed to Yan Beicheng’s invitation. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to lose contact with his friends, and she, too, did not want them to think he was her slave.

“We will go,” Song Yu said, somewhat unwillingly.

“Where is it?” Qi Chengzhi asked, putting the phone close to his ear again.

Yan Beicheng spilled out the name of a karaoke box. Qi Chengzhi expressed that he knew the place. Before he hung up, he said, “She heard everything you said.”

Qi Chengzhi gazed at Song Yu and her docile side profile. “If you don’t want to go, there’s no need to force it.”

“It’s okay. We don’t have anything on anyway,” replied Song Yu. She took a glance at Qi Chengzhi. “The next time they call you, you don’t need to ask me. You can make the decision. Well, you can ask me, stealthily. Otherwise, they will make fun of you again.”

Furthermore, he was not a submissive male. The reason he asked for her permission was out of respect.

Qi Chengzhi smiled. He did not respond.

Song Yu knew that it meant he did not agree to it.

…

…

When they arrived at the karaoke box, the waiter brought them to the room as communicated.

The soundproof system of every karaoke room was decent. When one was walking through the corridor, one could hear no singing. When the waiter opened the door, the singing, as though performed by a professional singer, flowed out of the room.

Song Yu did not expect the one who was singing to be Yan Beicheng. He sang ‘Fleet of Time’ in a truly unique way—some would say that his version was much more soulful than the original rendition.

“Those bygone years, we were caught in a rush, abandoned the hard-to-keep promises, and left them for others to honor…”

…

“Those bygone years, we saw so little of the world, only focused on the one you love…”

…

“That year together, we rushed into the relationship, we did not understand that our stubborn promises, were just the foreword of the end…”

…

Song Yu was entranced. She stood at the doorway, listening to Yan Beicheng’s singing voice. It had always been a song of sorrow and regret but his rendition brought tears to her eyes.

Regrets filled her heart. Her hand found Qi Chengzhi’s and she held firm.

Song Yu thought of something Qi Chengzhi once said to her. If she had been with him at the same age, he could see the young and frivolous him who was too immature. Not knowing how to take care of a lady, he would have lost her due to the mistreatment. If that happened, he would have lost the meaning of life.

She had always regretted that they did not get together earlier, that she took so long to understand him.

However, this song made her think that she was lucky. They got together when Qi Chengzhi had matured and was ready to love someone. They reunited when he could swear fidelity to the woman he loved.

Only now did she truly understand the meaning behind his words. He sacrificed time for the chance at a lasting relationship.

During the interlude, the singing paused for the instrumental. During this time, Yan Beicheng noticed Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi at the doorway and skipped the song.

Song Yu was somewhat disappointed. She had wanted to hear him finish the song.

While singing, Yan Beicheng was passionate and sincere—a side she had never associated with the usually thuggish man.

Although the song had been cut off, the atmosphere lingered and Yan Beicheng did not regain his composure immediately.

Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu over to the sofa. Chu Zhaoyang was silently scrolling his phone. He noticed the couple walking toward him and scooted aside to make room.

There was a heavy stench of cigarette smoke in the room. When they entered the room, clouds of smoke were floating in the air. There was a cigarette on every person in the room—be it between their lips or fingers.

Song Yu’s appearance made each and every one of them put out their cigarettes. However, the lack of ventilation in the room meant the smoke lingered.

“I just called Wei Ziqi and he said it was too late. He needs to coax the children to sleep. Qi Chenglin was the same.” Yan Beicheng took the cigarette between his lips and extinguished it in the ashtray. He raised his wrist and looked at the time. He sneered, “It’s only 8.30 pm now.”

Now that smoking was off the table, Han Zhuoli grabbed a lollipop from his pocket. “Can you go back and tell your grandmother to hush? My grandmother came to find me and almost twisted my ear off.”

“Hush? When the time comes for the wedding, your grandmother’s going to find out. She will come for you sooner or later,” Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

The retort made Han Zhuoli shake his head. “You’re proposing fast. You’ve only been together for a few months. Is this a shotgun wedding?”

“We’re abiding the standard protocol: marriage, then children.” Qi Chengzhi’s tone was mocking. “Even if it is a shotgun wedding, it’s not your business. Don’t dwell on the topic of our marriage, I’m not answering questions.”

At that, Wei Ziqian picked up the microphone and requested a song. He was not as good as Yan Beicheng but it was still better than the usual KTV standards.

“Little sister Xiao Yu, how did Qi Chengzhi propose to you?” Yan Beicheng pointed his long finger impudently at Qi Chengzhi. “Does our dark and gloomy boy know how to be romantic?”

Song Yu did not answer. Regardless of what her answer was, she felt that Yan Beicheng would seize the opportunity to crack a joke at their expense.

The mention of the proposal made her recall the event. She had sung Qi Chengzhi a song that day in the restaurant.

Now, as Wei Ziqian sang in the background, Song Yu asked Qi Chengzhi in an impromptu manner, “I have yet to hear you sing before.”

Song Yu was too shy to say it in front of others so she leaned over and whispered into his ear, “How about ‘Forever Love’?”

Ever since she dedicated the song to Qi Chengzhi, he would put it on whenever he fancied. She wondered how was he not sick of it yet.

Based on the frequency he listened to it, he should have mastered the lyrics.

Before Qi Chengzhi gave a reply, Han Zhuoli broke out in laughter. “Him singing? He can only hit one out of five notes. He has a photographic memory but no sense of pitch. He’s basically tone-deaf plus, he also has no sense of rhythm. Hence, he never sings with us.”

“But Qi Chengzhi sang when he was a child.” Yan Beicheng continued, “When I was in junior high, I visited the Qi family with my parents. He was bathing with the bathroom door open. The shrieks and howls that came from upstairs made me think he was being beaten. I will never forget it all my life. At that time, his mother was so embarrassed her face became red and she quickly got the servant to shut the door.

“I was in the same class as him in elementary school.” Wei Ziqian was snacking on a plate of fries as he said, “It was awful during music class. The teacher played the piano accompaniment while the whole class sang ‘Where Is Spring’. Back then, he would sing with a particularly loud voice. As a result, the whole class went out of tune with him. And not just that, even the rhythm was messed up and the teacher’s accompaniment was affected.

Wei Ziqian shook his head as nostalgia washed past him. “The music classes back then were always fun and chaotic.”

“…” Song Yu turned to stare at Qi Chengzhi in disbelief. The man who could do the impossible could not hold a tune?

At this moment, Qi Chengzhi kept a still face and munched on the bucket of popcorn in his arm, seemingly calm.

Song Yu could not help her curiosity. She had some faith in the words of Yan Beicheng and others.

On the outside, these men were low profile and mature but when gathered together, they become childish and mischievous. That did not mean they would simply blurt things out.

In a moment of surprise and disbelief, she gently pulled the sleeve of Qi Chengzhi but he continued to chew on the popcorn and ignored her.

She stretched her neck and leaned over, whispering, “Is it true?”

Qi Chengzhi did not speak but his ears were red. Under the dim light of the KTV, it was not obvious.

Song Yu’s lips were next to his ears and his red ears were visible to her.

Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi also had something that he was not good at. Song Yu was amused. He finally felt like a human being. Otherwise, it would be scary if he was proficient at everything.

“Sing for me when we get home,” she whispered again.

At last, Qi Chengzhi looked at her but his expression was unreadable. She could not tell if he agreed to her proposal.

If other people received that look by Qi Chengzhi, they would have backed down. However, Song Yu only held his arm tighter. Qi Chengzhi let his gaze fall. She held his arm so tightly that it was tucked in her bosom.

Qi Chengzhi’s mouth quirked upwards. It was quite comfortable being hugged this way.

Unable to resist the urge, he intentionally moved his trapped arm.

Song Yu did not realize the effect of her action—holding Qi Chengzhi’s arm was a subconscious decision. The sudden pressure from his arm made her look down at her chest. Only then did she realize her action—akin to that of some indecent women outside—was somewhat promiscuous.

She quickly loosened her hands around his arm. Despite her efforts, the arm remained at its position, embedded in her bosom, rubbing against her.

Song Yu’s face was red while Qi Chengzhi maintained a calm demeanor. His arm was up to no good yet his face revealed nothing but solemnity.

Song Yu thought, ‘Shameless.’ She bravely leaned over and said in his ear, “You are singing for me when we get home!”

She ended her order with a kiss on his red ear.

She wanted to tease Qi Chengzhi as it was rare to see him embarrassed.

To her surprise, her kiss made his ear even redder.

It was such a cute look. Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi with surprise—she did not know his ears could reach this level of redness.

Qi Chengzhi did not sing and they ended up playing a game of dice.

Yan Beicheng’s slender fingers toyed with the die. His thumb rubbed against the side of the die while his other hand threw popcorn into his mouth. He said, “Let’s not change the rules. Instead of drinking, whoever that loses sings a song. How’s that?”

Yan Beicheng’s idea was obviously directed at Qi Chengzhi.

This got Han Zhuoli and the others worked up. They wanted to hear Qi Chengzhi’s tone-deaf and out of rhythm singing. It was a shame that Qi Chengzhi realized his singing was atrocious in the second year of junior high and decided to never sing again. After that, they never got to hear Qi Chengzhi’s singing again. They lost their last chance to tease him.

“That’s a good idea!” Wei Ziqian rolled up his sleeves and picked up the dice cup elegantly. He placed the dice in it and gave it two shakes.

Qi Chengzhi had no objection. He threw his dice into the dice cup and shook it twice. The dice rattled inside.

Chu Zhaoyang looked at them, then at the microphone, and picked up his dice cup.

His thick eyebrows slanted downward, there was only one option, ‘No losing!’

Chu Zhaoyang was quiet to the point of maddening, coupled with his stoic face, he was suited for this game. Even Qi Chengzhi could not read anything from his face.

So even after a few rounds, Chu Zhaoyang truly did not lose.

Singing was a very common activity for the others and did not work as a punishment. Han Zhuoli and the others were happy to sing when they lost the game.

Several rounds passed, Han Zhuoli, Yan Beicheng, and Wei Ziqian struggled with great effort to make Chu Zhaoyang and Qi Chengzhi lose. The three of them were united with a common goal.

Unfortunately, Qi Chengzhi was cunning and did not lose. Even Song Yu lost twice and sang.

Qi Chengzhi looked at the time and said, “It’s getting late.”

“Last round!” Yan Beicheng said. He took out his phone and texted Wei Ziqian and Han Zhuoli, “If we can’t take down Qi Chengzhi, at least we get Lao Chu. Then it’ll be worth it!”

His proposal was unanimously approved by Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian.

After the first pass, Qi Chengzhi picked up on their scheme and raised his eyebrows. He joined in on their collective effort to make Chu Zhaoyang lose.

As a result, Chu Zhaoyang stood no chance and lost once.

“Haha! Lao Chu doesn’t even usually talk, let alone sing. I can’t wait to hear what his singing is like!” Wei Ziqian rapped his thigh happily. “Even though we didn’t get to hear Qi Chengzhi sing today, at least we have you!”

“…” Chu Zhaoyang silently walked up to the KTV machine and scrolled through the songs, his fingertips tapping on the display. Then, he picked up the microphone and stood in front of the big screen.

The name of the chosen song appeared on the screen, ‘My Skate Shoes’.

Everyone was speechless.

Yan Beicheng’s eyes twitched. “This KTV really keeps up with the times, they even have this kind of song.”

Then, they heard Chu Zhaoyang’s monotonous reading of the lyrics on the screen.

“I have forgotten some things, but I still remember…”

…

“Step by step, like claws, like the devil’s footstep, rubbing, rubbing…”

…

The room was silent.

They could not associate the funny lyrics with Chu Zhaoyang. The words sounded wrong coming out of his mouth.

Especially when Chu Zhaoyang had on a stone face from the beginning to the end. He went through the song without any rhythm, just like a robot dictating the lyrics without emotions. It was a strange experience.

“…” Song Yu listened to Chu Zhaoyang’s performance for some time, then said, “Chu Zhaoyang is really…quick-witted…”

When Chu Zhaoyang finished his song, he overheard Song Yu’s comment and kept a straight face. “Ha ha!”

The original intention of the game to make Qi Chengzhi sing was not fulfilled in the end.

…

…

They were back home at night. Qi Chengzhi took a bath and changed into his pajamas. When he walked out of the bathroom, Song Yu was already decent in her pajamas, tucked underneath the covers. She was scrolling something on her phone.

Looking at her comfortably in bed, Qi Chengzhi rashly dried his hair, pulled back the covers, and got into bed. With his back against the bed, he leaned onto Song Yu.

Drops of water from his hair dripped on her shoulders. The water soaked through her pajamas and the cold startled her.

Song Yu’s hand went through the pajamas neckline and wiped the water from her shoulder.

Qi Chengzhi’s approach brought with him the smell of men’s body bath—fresh and pleasant to the nose.

“What are you doing?” The low rumble of his attractive voice sounded beside her ear. It made her heart throb.

As Song Yu was attempting to reply, water droplets at the tips of his hair fell on her shoulder like light rain and a small patch of wetness formed.

The chill got to Song Yu. She pushed him away. “Go and dry your hair. The water is dripping on my shoulder and making me cold.”

Qi Chengzhi squinted and let out a soft huff at her rebuke. He remained motionless on the bed and no matter how hard she tried, she could not push him away.

Qi Chengzhi did not move away. Instead, he turned around and hugged her. Even her arms were trapped in his embrace. With a huff, he said in a somber voice, “You said you will love me even when I’m old and wrinkly and toothless. But now, we’re not even married and you’re starting to dislike me?”

“No- Oh!” Song Yu did not manage to finish her sentence before she was tackled onto the bed.

He rubbed his wet hair directly on her chest in all directions. The chest area of her pajamas was soaked through from the water.

“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu screamed from the sudden cold seeping through her pajamas. How could this man be so childish?

Song Yu shivered as the damp and cold pajamas stuck to her chest. Goosebumps formed on her skin. It was not warm in March, especially at night.

Qi Chengzhi raised his head. Even his face was wet from his antics. Part of his fringe was stuck to his forehead, making him look like a mischievous child.

With Qi Chengzhi’s face tucked against her chest, the cold was less potent.

When he lifted his head, the cold air blew across her chest, making her shiver.

“You’re so childish!” As Song Yu twisted and turned, trying to push him away. She tried to burrow deeper into the covers to warm herself.

Her movements caught Qi Chengzhi’s attention.

Below him, he saw her pajamas clinging to her curves—even her breasts were outlined.

When there were no guests at home, Song Yu did not bother wearing a bra.

Qi Chengzhi remembered the soft bosom against his face and his breath labored. He grabbed Song Yu’s hands away from the covers and pinned them above her head. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her breast directly through the pajamas.

Song Yu inhaled sharply and her body shivered—unsure if it was too hot or too cold.

Qi Chengzhi’s sensual lips latched onto her softness. His hoarse voice echoed, “Let me warm you up.”

He loosened his grip on her wrists. The hands inched down her arms and stopped at her waist. The hands went under the hem of her top and undressed her.

Song Yu’s breathing became heavy. Without much warning, he had taken off her pajamas. The goosebumps on her skin were going away as he warmed up her body. A faint pinkish hue was coming back to her skin.

Qi Chengzhi’s hands dipped down into her pajamas shorts and caressed her gently.

Song Yu gasped breathily. Her hips canted toward Qi Chengzhi. He was busy placing hot kisses on her breasts. Water still dripped down from his hair and the thermal extremes made her tremble.

Qi Chengzhi’s moved upward to find her lips. At the same time, he lifted her waist and thrust into her.

Song Yu could not help herself and deepened the kiss, exploring deeper into his mouth.

Qi Chengzhi moaned with satisfaction. He said against her lips, “It feels good without the rubber.”

Without that layer of protection, he could feel her earnestly. Qi Chengzhi felt like he could die from the experience.

Song Yu groaned. Her face was red from blushing. It truly was a very different sensation. She clung to him and held him in a tight embrace.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi held her in his embrace, seemingly still unsatiated. The elegant hands kneaded hotly across her back. Occasionally, the fingers traveled down south and pinched at her buttocks. Song Yu’s body was red from pinching as she nestled into his arms.

Since Song Yu decided to let nature decide when they have children, he no longer needed to wear condoms—which was amazing.

Just remembering the feeling made his heart fill with joy. He lowered his head and started kissing her shoulder suggestively. He gently nudged her back to kiss her breasts.

“What were you looking at on your phone just now?” Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.

“What were you looking at on your phone just now?” Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.

Song Yu almost forgot about it. She pushed his face away from her chest and turned to retrieve her abandoned phone.

Being pushed aside by Song Yu annoyed Qi Chengzhi. He pinched her buttock without hesitation.

“Aiya!” Song Yu turned around and glared at him. “What are you doing?”

Qi Chengzhi did not speak. After all, he was no longer the apple of her eye.

He hugged her tightly and gave her a hard kiss on her lips. Her lips were being rubbed raw.

It was a while before he released her. There was a fierce look in his eyes as he said, “That’s for pushing me.”

“…” Song Yu almost forgot about the green-eyed monster in Qi Chengzhi—he was upset over such a small matter.

“Then you be gentle as well!” She ranted on, “You’re talking about me? You just pinch me whenever you want.”

“How about you let me massage you then?” Qi Chengzhi said with a serious face.

‘Shameless!’

Song Yu was unable to stop him so she let him do whatever he wanted. The massage soon moved onto places that were less decent. Song Yu’s face reddened but her body would not move.

“What were you doing just now?” Initially, Qi Chengzhi was not curious but Song Yu’s reaction made him wonder. She did just push his face aside to resume the search on her phone.

“I’m looking for a song!” Song Yu found the song, ‘Forever Love’. Qi Chengzhi had always used her phone to listen to the song. A smug and satisfied expression appeared on his face whenever he listened to it.

“Sing it once for me,” Song Yu said expectantly. Her face was sweet and persuasive. “Just this once, I want to hear it from you.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Qi Chengzhi said as he looked at her. She did say she was tired just now.

“I won’t be tired if I hear your singing.”

“You were tired just now. Go ahead and sleep first.” Qi Chengzhi plucked the phone out of her hands and placed it on his side of the bedside table. He pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest.

“Then sing me a song to sleep.” Song Yu changed tactics.

He chuckled light-heartedly and rubbed her back. “You’re an adult now and still want a lullaby?”

Song Yu was getting annoyed. “Qi Chengzhi, don’t play dumb.”

Qi Chengzhi patted her back and nudged her head with his chin. “Quit with it and sleep.”

“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu called out in an angry tone. He could not fulfill such a small request from her?

It did not matter how much she requested, his voice was never showcased.

She raised her head and looked at Qi Chengzhi. His eyes were shut as if he had fallen asleep.

Song Yu pulled his face angrily. She did not believe that he could have possibly fallen asleep so quickly.

It was just one song.

Not wanting others to hear him sing was one thing, now it was only her and he still refused to sing.

It was a sudden penchant for romance which led to her wanting to hear Qi Chengzhi sing her a love song.

She had never been in a relationship. When she was in school, she had never experienced the pure and innocent relationship of first love.

Strictly speaking, that thing with Jian Yi did not even count as a relationship, so Qi Chengzhi was her first.

Hence, she carried with her a schoolgirl’s expectation of romance. This idea popped into her mind at the KTV and the more she thought of it, the more she wanted it fulfilled.

She was also curious to hear the introverted Qi Chengzhi sing.

Who knew he would pretend to fall asleep to avoid her. Song Yu was displeased. She removed his hand from her waist and flung it away from her. She shuffled to the side of the bed with her back facing Qi Chengzhi.

Qi Chengzhi quietly peeked at her through one eye. Seeing Song Yu so far away, He wiggled his way to her side and spooned her from the back.

‘Huh!’

‘Weren’t you asleep?’

‘And now you’re cuddling up to me?’

Song Yu slapped his arm away and kicked at his thigh to dislodge him.

Qi Chengzhi’s arm stubbornly came back. After that kick, he decided to hug her waist. He attempted to lock her limbs.

The more he tried to immobilize her, the angrier she got.

He would not even fulfill such a small request and even faked sleeping to avoid her. Yet, now he was pestering her non-stop.

The fake sleeping was what got to her.

She was immobilized by Qi Chengzhi so leaving the bed was not an option. She could not break his lock. She stayed in his embrace but that did not mean her anger had subsided.

On the contrary, being stuck in his arms, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The negativity leaked out in the form of tears.

Qi Chengzhi saw that Song Yu was no longer struggling and thought that her anger had been placated. He closed his eyes and slept.

Something was not right. He noticed the unusual breathing pattern of the woman in his arms.

Knowing Song Yu’s anger was not quelled, he got up on his arm to look at her. He did not dare to make her turn around.

The tears flowing had stained the pillow beneath her.

Qi Chengzhi let out a quiet sigh and gently turned her over. He kissed away her tears before giving her a kiss on the lips—there was a salty taste to his lips.

Song Yu was very much upset and did not bother to rebuke his efforts. Perhaps it was because of her low spirits, his reassuring presence was needed at that moment.

However, his gentleness only made her feel worse and more tears streamed down her face.

Qi Chengzhi consoled Song Yu. As he did that, he slowly and gently rubbed into her.

Song Yu could only lay helplessly in his embrace and let him rub against her. She gradually entered a state of ecstasy and momentarily forgot the minor grievances that she had in her heart.

In the end, her crying had subsided and she fell asleep. Qi Chengzhi’s reassurance was no longer required.

Seeing the tear tracks on her red face, Qi Chengzhi dabbed away the remaining tears and muttered, “Crying over such a small matter.”

He sat up and carefully bundled the covers around Song Yu. He did not want her to wake from the sudden loss of warmth. Then, he carefully took her phone and left the bedroom.

…

…

The next morning, Song Yu was still ignoring Qi Chengzhi. She did not speak to him.

Qi Chengzhi returned the favor and that was how the cold war started. The atmosphere was heavy-laden and Aunt Yang was at a loss.

Song Yu’s face was cold toward Qi Chengzhi.

Aunt Yang thought, ‘They were fine when they got back yesterday night. They had a fight in the room?’

After breakfast, they said nothing to each other but they climbed into the car together.

Along the way, Song Yu sent a few tentative glances at Qi Chengzhi but his face remained stoic and did not return her gesture.

Song Yu was furious. During the remaining trip, she fixed her eyes on the side window and never looked over.

The car stopped in front of the company. No one said any parting words. Song Yu flung open the car door and angrily strode away.

When she reached the entrance of the company, she could not help herself. She turned around.

The Range Rover drove away without so much as a second glance at her.

Previously, he would wait until she entered the elevator before driving away.

Song Yu turned angrily and walked to the elevator. When she got to her office, she took out her phone from her bag. There was a message. Her phone was on vibrate in her bag, therefore she did not notice the message.

It was a message from Qi Chengzhi—the timestamp was when she got down from the car.

It was probably sent before he drove away.

Song Yu felt relief in her chest. She opened the message.

‘Open your sound recorder.’

Her heart skipped a beat. She opened the sound recorder on her phone with anticipation. There was a sound file titled, ‘Forever Love’.

Song Yu left the office with the phone in hand. She went into the stairwell and opened the file.

The starting few seconds were just static. Then Qi Chengzhi’s voice sounded.

…

“Love is a journey that is long and beautiful…”

“Along the way, there will be rain and mud…”

“That will hinder our path…”

…

“Forever Love, Forever Love…”

“I want to spend my whole life loving you…”

“From today onwards, you are my happiness…”

…

“Your glittering eyes, my solemn voice…”

“Are the concrete evidence…”

“Let me say this again…”

“I love you…”

“Forever…”

…

Song Yu listened to the whole recording. Qi Chengzhi truly was tone-deaf and had no sense of rhythm…

There was truth in the words of Yan Beicheng and the guys.

Qi Chengzhi had a magnetic and attractive voice, yet his singing produced a totally unexpected result.

The thought of the handsome and presentable Qi Chengzhi singing so horribly made Song Yu laugh uncontrollably.

After a while, her face became red.

She thought of her episode yesterday night. She was so upset over such a small thing and even ignored Qi Chengzhi in the morning. She did not even say goodbye when she left the car.

Every time before exiting the car, she would remind him to drive carefully.

Now that she thought about it, she must have been quite adamant about the issue to make Qi Chengzhi acquiesce to her request.

He was rather patient with her and gave her what she wanted in the end.

He was willing to sacrifice his pride to make her happy.

The thought of her outstanding boyfriend made her heart warm. She clutched her phone to her chest. Her eyes and lips could not hold back the sincere smile.

Honestly, she did not know what made her throw a tantrum over such a small matter.

Maybe it was due to Qi Chengzhi’s constant doting on her. Whenever things did not go her way, she would be unhappy.

Unknowingly, small disagreements became a reason to throw tantrums.

To be pampered by someone felt really good. She felt loved.

However, her behavior yesterday night and this morning still made her blush shamefully.

She felt sorry for Qi Chengzhi.

…

…

Before Qi Chengzhi’s eyes was an angry-faced Jian Yi with no regards to manners. Qi Chengzhi could predict the words that were coming.

“I’m not going to France,” Jian Yi’s deep voice grumbled.

Qi Chengzhi held a lighter between his slender fingers. The lighter spun in his hand and produced an illusion of a flower. Then, with a flick of his finger, a yellow flame flickered into existence. He lit the cigarette between his lips.

Qi Chengzhi took a drag and blew out the smoke. He chuckled coldly.

“Were you mistaken? This France trip is a company order. As an employee of Qilin, you are required to obey the order. It’s not up to you to decide. Although you are the son-in-law of the Qi family, we don’t provide any special privileges in the company,” Qi Chengzhi said nonchalantly.

“If the job dictates you to meet a client that you don’t like or leave the country for a posting, it’s your duty to do it. You don’t get to say no just because you don’t feel like it. If you think you can get your way just because you’re the son-in-law, then clearly you have been mistaken.”

“You’re abusing your power to exact revenge on me!” Jian Yi glared at Qi Chengzhi. “You’re just using the company as an excuse to get me far away. I assume Song Yu has told you about the thing that I spoke of. You’re just afraid that the truth will be revealed. What company order? It’s basically just a directive by you alone!”

Jian Yi growled angrily, “You had so many chances to transfer me overseas, but the need only arose after I told Song Yu about it. Your action only confirms my beliefs. I will not stop investigating. Song Yu deserves to know the truth about you!

“You say that there should be a clear line between work and private life, that there are no special privileges. Yet, you hold sole ownership of the whole company and you’re using your position for personal gains!” Jian Yi clenched his fist.

What gave Qi Chengzhi the right to issue these orders? If Jian Yi did such a thing, it would be considered an abuse of power. When Qi Chengzhi did it, it was the company’s directive.

Was the company represented by Qi Chengzhi alone?

Qi Chengzhi took another drag of his cigarette and tapped it against the ashtray. “Who made me a son of the Qi family? The company was always mine, so of course, I have the final say in everything. Sure, I’m abusing my position, so what? What are you gonna do about it?”

“You…” Jian Yi was outraged at Qi Chengzhi’s unreasonable words. It felt like a heavy stone sat on his chest.

A phone ringing interrupted Jian Yi. Qi Chengzhi saw the caller ID on the phone and his eyes crinkled.

He answered the phone in front of Jian Yi.

Song Yu’s soft and apologetic voice came through. “It’s me.”

“Em.” The corners of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth twitched. His tone had a hint of amusement.

Even though Song Yu was not physically here, her voice was enough to make Qi Chengzhi put his cigarette down by the ashtray.

It was working hours and Song Yu was worried that he had some business to tend to. Yet, she was feeling guilty about ignoring him. Her heart was heavy with guilt and she wanted to speak to Qi Chengzhi as soon as possible.

“Are you busy?” Song Yu asked.

Qi Chengzhi did not spare Jian Yi a glance and said, “No, I have nothing on my hands now.”

Song Yu was relieved.

“I heard the recording.” Song Yu walked to the corner of the stairwell and spoke softly, “Thank you, and I’m sorry for my stubbornness. I don’t know what got over me, getting mad over such a small matter.”

“I don’t mind your stubbornness, as long as it’s with me,” Qi Chengzhi said in a gentle tone—he lowered the volume of his voice, making it sound like he was whispering.

This Qi Chengzhi who was whispering sweet nothings into the phone was nothing like the one that said those unreasonable words.

The longer Jian Yi watched the scene, the angrier he got. His frustrations could no longer be contained in his heart and spilled over his face.

Other than Song Yu, who else could make Qi Chengzhi act like this?

To add insult to injury, Qi Chengzhi completely ignored his presence and was whispering sweet nothings to Song Yu.

Hearing Qi Chengzhi’s forgiveness, the image of his handsome face appeared in Song Yu’s mind.

The thought of being accepted and coddled by Qi Chengzhi made her incredibly happy.

“When did you record the song?” Song Yu asked. During the entire morning, they were together although no one spoke a word to each other. There was no time for him to record.

“Last night after I tired you out,” Qi Chengzhi lowered his voice and said with a hint of amusement.

That did not prevent Jian Yi from hearing his words.

From Qi Chengzhi’s tone and expression, Jian Yi more or less knew why Song Yu was tired.

The jealousy coiled deep within his chest rushed up at the thought of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu having sex. The knife twisted deeper into his heart.

Song Yu’s face reddened when she thought of how she fell asleep yesterday night.

Last night, Qi Chengzhi gently coaxed her and kissed away her tears. His kisses were featherlight as if fearing she might break. His tongue curled around hers and swept across the insides of her mouth. His hands moved across her skin as he slowly entered her. He moved at a relaxed pace, to the point where even she got impatient.

Although she was still not on talking terms with him, she silently urged him on.

Qi Chengzhi obliged and picked up his speed—faster than what she wanted. He switched gears in between while holding her tightly in his arms.

Strong arms circled around her and gave her a wordless reassurance. His warmth washed over her from the inside out—she was enveloped by him.

When it was done, she was exhausted. Her body was fully supported by Qi Chengzhi.

Song Yu fell asleep almost immediately—her anger did not manage to reveal itself again.

In the morning, she ignored Qi Chengzhi because of what he did.

The fact that he urged for sex even though she was crying angry tears. The thought frustrated her.

“Qi Chengzhi,” Song Yu said suddenly.

“Yes?” Qi Chengzhi heard the hesitation in her voice. While he did not know what she was going to say, he figured it would be something he liked. His ears perked up and he sat straighter. He spun his chair away from Jian Yi. From the reflection of the glass window, Jian Yi watched him adjust his suit.

“Sorry that I didn’t say goodbye this morning, I love you,” Song Yu said it in the same breath. Without waiting for his reply, the phone call ended.

It was not the first time Song Yu said it, yet her heart was pounding like she just ran a hundred-meter sprint.

Sometimes Song Yu was a bit of a worrywart. She thought to herself, ‘What if something happened to Qi Chengzhi on the road?’ She did not even bid him goodbye because she was too caught up with her own tantrum.

What if that was her last chance to say goodbye?

If something had happened to Qi Chengzhi, their last exchange would be an unhappy one—with Song Yu giving him the cold shoulder. The regret would be overwhelming.

Although real life was not as melodramatic as television, Song Yu made a mental note to reconcile quickly the next time they have a disagreement.

The confession was unexpected to Qi Chengzhi. He was left in a daze, holding onto the phone with the dial tone in his ear.

A few moments later, he chuckled at his phone. He was truly smitten by Song Yu.

Jian Yi heard his chuckle and suppressed the instinct to ask. However, there was no stopping the jealousy he felt in his heart.

What did Song Yu tell him to make Qi Chengzhi so happy?

It was as if they were exchanging sweet nothings right in front of him. This only stoked the resentment in him.

Clearly, Qi Chengzhi was intentionally showing off!

Qi Chengzhi swung back to face Jian Yi. The sincerity from talking to Song Yu had vanished from his face. He looked at Jian Yi with a mocking expression.

“You can always resign if you don’t want to go to France. If you’re not our employee, you won’t have to obey the company’s orders.” Qi Chengzhi eyed the smoking cigarette in the ashtray. He put out the cigarette and leaned back in his chair. “Go to France or resign, your choice,” he taunted Jian Yi.

Before, Jian Yi would not mind resigning.

However, Qi Chengyue had given him an ultimatum—she would not provide him any financial assistance if he wanted to start his own business.

If Jian Yi could not love Qi Chengyue, she would ensure he could never advance in his career.

No matter what Jian Yi said, Qi Chengyue would never give him an opportunity to shine.

Jian Yi gave Qi Chengzhi a death stare. “Do you think you’re safe just because I’m transferred to France? You can transfer or fire me but you will never remove me from Song Yu’s life. As long as I’m alive, I will not give up! I will show her the truth!”

Jian Yi turned and strode out angrily.

Qi Chengzhi frowned. What knowledge did Jian Yi have that made him believe he could destroy their relationship?

An eyebrow perked up. There was one possibility. Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes.

…

…

The engagement lunch was set on a Saturday. The VIP room in Dynasty was booked for the occasion.

In the morning, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to her parents’ house. After some pleasant exchange, he fetched the Song family to Dynasty.

As they got down from the car, they saw Qi Chengji, who took leave from the army, get out from the green train.

Ever since the Song family went into bankruptcy, Qi Chengji never met with Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

Today was Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu’s engagement lunch, hence all the Qi family members were required to attend. Initially, they were hoping the crowd at the table would alleviate any awkwardness. Who knew they would run into each other at the door.

Qi Chengji froze in shock. While he never had any feelings for Song Yu, they had once been engaged to each other. Moreover, during the engagement, he actually harbored feelings for Wei Ran—he felt guilty and sorry for Song Yu and her parents.

Faced with his almost-in-laws, he awkwardly scratched his nose and greeted, “Uncle, Auntie.”

Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were equally uneased. They nodded and gave Qi Chengji a polite smile.

Qi Chengzhi was the only person who was unaffected by this whole ordeal. He took Song Yu’s hand and said in an affirming tone, “Dad, Mom, let’s head in.”

By now, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were used to Qi Chengzhi’s use of those terms. However, it was Qi Chengji’s first time hearing it and there was a moment of silence as he processed the situation.

The correct term was ‘father and mother-in-law’ but his brother called them ‘dad’ and ‘mom’. It was weird, to say the least.

When they got to the VIP room, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya were already there. Seated beside them was Qi Chenglin with his son, Qi Youxuan.

The first thing Qi Youxuan did upon arrival was ordering a plate of water chestnut cake.

At the sound of the door opening, they turned to look. They stood up when they saw Qi Chengzhi walk in with the Song family.

After an awkward exchange of pleasantries, everyone sat down and thought of what to say next.

Asking about how the Song family have been in the past years was too insincere. They had already heard stories from Song Yu, asking now would be akin to rubbing salt into their wounds.

In the tense silence, Qi Youxuan’s chubby hands offered the remaining water chestnut cakes to Song Donglin. “Grandpa, Grandma, try this. It’s really good.”

Yu Qianying had always hoped Song Yu would get married and have children. She longed to have a grandson.

When she went for a stroll in the garden, she would see neighbors of her age pushing baby strollers or holding the hands of their grandchildren. She would watch them with envy.

Seeing the adorable Qi Youxuan offering them cake made her incredibly happy. Yu Qianying smiled broadly at the child and chatted with him. While she wanted to hug Qi Youxuan, she was worried that he would not be happy.

Qi Youxuan’s large, innocent eyes looked around and he wiggled his butt in the adult chair. He rummaged through his small rucksack.

From the rucksack, he pulled out a packet of sunflower seeds, a bag of broad beans, and a bag of popcorn. “Grandpa, Grandma, have some of these.”