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

“Good boy! Youxuan is five this year right?” Yu Qianying was very pleased—her eyes crinkled as she smiled.

“That’s correct. He’ll be attending elementary school next year,” Guan Liya replied.

Yu Qianying looked around and only saw the few of them. She asked, “Chengyue is not coming?”

“She…” Guan Liya smiled awkwardly and told the truth, “No matter what, Song Yu and Jian Yi had a past together. I was worried that having them today would make things uncomfortable.”

Yu Qianying was uncertain if the words were sincere or Guan Liya was hinting at something else. “There’s nothing to be awkward about. When we were bankrupt, Jian Yi helped us a lot. It’s fate that we’re becoming relatives now.”

“Haha!” Guan Liya laughed dryly and did not comment any further.

Yu Qianying turned her attention back to Qi Youxuan.

After a while, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi arrived. Trailing behind them was Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna.

Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were very respectful toward the two Qi family elders.

As everyone took their seats, Xia Wenna ended up beside Yu Qianying.

Hesitation crossed Xia Wenna’s face but she whispered, “Qianying, if we became family, you can rest assured. Our family, along with Chengzhi, will never do anything that might harm your family again.”

Yu Qianying did not catch the operative word, ‘again’.

They were childhood friends who drifted apart after the Song family bankruptcy incident. To say that there were no friendly sentiments between them was a lie.

Hence, because of their close relationship, the fallout hit Yu Qianying twice as hard.

The words from Xia Wenna’s mouth were apologetic. It was not easy for someone of her stature to say such things. It had been many years since the incident. Yu Qianying thought of their shared past and friendship, and now with this joining of their families, it was hard for her to be angry.

She made the first move after a moment of hesitation. She took Xia Wenna’s hand.

Xia Wenna’s eyes teared up and held onto Yu Qiangying’s hand. “Qianying… Does this mean you forgive me?”

Yu Qianying let out a sigh. “We’re soon to become family. There’s nothing to forgive. It’s not like we can avoid each other in the future.”

Grandmother Qi spotted Xia Wenna’s expression and nodded wisely. “Alright, alright. Today is a day of happiness, not a place for tears. Have we ordered the dishes?”

“Dynasty has a meal package for engagements. We’ve already ordered it,” Qi Chengzhi answered.

Grandmother Qi had a satisfied look on her face. She smiled heartily. “Fate ties us together again after many twists and turns. We’re meant to be in-laws! Because of that undeserving grandchild of mine, we overlooked Song Yu. I already gave him a good scolding. Song Yu was such a good granddaughter-in-law and we lost our chance. I thought, which lucky house will get to have Song Yu as their in-law?”

“Who knew, it was my eldest grandson who lived up to my expectations and brought Song Yu back into the family!” Grandmother Qi exclaimed ecstatically.

Yu Qianying was at a loss as to how she should respond to Grandmother Qi’s enthusiasm when the door opened.

“Grandpa, Grandma, sorry we’re late,” Qi Chengyue greeted in a lively tone.

Guan Liya did not expect Qi Chengyue to show up. Grandmother Qi had advised her to convince Qi Chengyue to stay home, worrying that Qi Chengyue’s lack of manners would disrupt the banquet and Jian Yi’s presence would make it awkward for the Song family.

Guan Liya had little control over her daughter. She knew that confrontation would only backfire when it came to Qi Chengyue so she hid the event from her and secretly came with her husband. Alas, Qi Chengyue found out.

Grandmother Qi smiled and said, “You’re always late. You have all of the elders here waiting for you. When will you pick up some etiquette and manners?”

“Grandma, it was due to the traffic jam. We left quite early and would have arrived early if it weren’t for the traffic.” The waiter brought in two chairs and Qi Chengyue pulled in Jian Yi to sit. “How could we miss such an important day?”

“Jian Yi is happy for Song Yu’s marriage to our big brother. They were childhood friends, so he has a soft spot for her.” Qi Chengyue tugged at Jian Yi’s arm and said, “Don’t you?”

Jian Yi gave a tight smile. He was attending the event against his will. Qi Chengyue was persistent about coming today. She wanted him to witness with his own eyes, Song Yu’s engagement and marriage to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengyue wanted him to watch Song Yu love another man and to give up on Song Yu.

Give up on Song Yu?

Jian Yi’s heart was at a crossroads.

He knew that his dream to be reunited with Song Yu was a lost cause but he could not stand to watch Song Yu fall into Qi Chengzhi’s arms.

Even though he could not have Song Yu, he wanted to break them apart.

Identity, social status, power, money, these were elements that Qi Chengzhi was born equipped with. Meanwhile, Jian Yi sacrificed his love and still had none of the above.

Qi Chengzhi already had many good things in his life. Why was he deserving of Song Yu’s love? Why was he granted a perfect life?

Qi Chengzhi had so many things, and now he was taking the one thing that Jian Yi once could have had.

Song Yu was the only part of Jian Yi’s life that Qi Chengzhi did not have.

Yet, now, Qi Chengzhi got hold of even that!

Grandmother Qi’s voice broke his train of thought.

“Xiao Yu, since we’re meeting today, why don’t we take this time to discuss the wedding?” Grandmother Qi continued, “We were thinking of a grand wedding here at Dynasty. What’s your opinion on this? Come, share your thoughts. We can discuss.”

“I have no particular requests, just that our Song Yu can proudly marry into your family with friends and family as witnesses. Not a quiet wedding that no one knows about,” Yu Qianying spoke assertively.

“Of course!” Grandmother Qi nodded in agreement and pulled out the Chinese calendar.

Yu Qianying suspected the old woman carried the calendar everywhere she went.

“Xiao Yu, I’ve picked out some dates from within. Have a look.” Grandmother Qi passed the calendar to Xia Wenna, who gave it to Yu Qianying.

As Yu Qianying flipped through the pages, Grandmother Qi spoke, “Once we have a date, Chengzhi can speak to Xiao Yunqing to block out Dynasty. We’ll have the whole restaurant to ourselves for the day.”

“The whole Dynasty? You’re really going all-out with the expenses!” Grandfather Qi glared at her with his nostrils flaring.

“And what? My eldest grandson is getting married and deserves a grand, opulent wedding! We’ll get a helicopter for some aerial photos,” Grandmother Qi shouted back. She was not afraid of her husband.

“I’ve been thinking, now, weigh in if you have reservations, we can have the day session in Dynasty. Chengzhi knows Xiao Yan so we can have the reciprocal banquet at Red Roof Club. We’ll book the whole club. I think the booking fee won’t be a concern and Xiao Yan may just cover it on our behalf.”

“We’ll get Xiao Han to take care of the wedding ceremony. We won’t need to use the ones provided by the wedding company. Xiao Han’s company has several famous hosts and hostesses, we’ll let him pick one for us. The music and audio effects can also be delegated to Xiao Han.”

Grandmother Qi counted on her fingers. “Let’s not invite those celebrities. They may take this as a chance to frolic among the young and talented. It paints a bad image for the wedding.”

“Hm? Talking about this, let’s get Xiao Han to bring in Director Wu from his company, along with that famous photographer. What’s his name again? He always works with Director Wu. They can be in charge of the wedding’s videography. Their company can also provide top-notch editing services. The wedding video will be as good as a movie.”

As Grandmother Qi got more and more excited, her ideas fell into unreasonable territories. Grandfather Qi commented, “Are you done? People have work to do, you can’t just order them to come. It’s just a wedding, there’s no need to make such a big hoo-ha!”

“I will get Xiao Han to give me a list of available staff. His company has a bunch of famous directors, there will be someone available for sure. I think we won’t consider using the ones from the wedding company, we just need to provide them with a masterplan. We can get a makeup artist from Xiao Han too. One that will make Song Yu the prettiest of them all!”

All this while, no one had the chance to speak out. Grandmother Qi mulled over something and said, “Maybe I can find time to pay a personal visit to Xiao Han’s company, to let him know about this.”

This meal was making Yu Qianying sweat. She felt that Grandmother Qi was taking it a bit too far with the wedding plans.

Jian Yi watched all of this with a disinterested look. His phone rang in his pocket and he excused himself from the table to take the call outside.

“You have something?” Jian Yi asked straight after answering the phone.

He frowned after hearing the reply.

“And the company’s legal person?” he asked in a low voice.

“…”

“I know, quickly look into it.” A thought struck Jian Yi and he said, “If possible, look into Qi Chengzhi’s status that year.”

…

…

Guan Xiaolin was at a Jixia High School alumni gathering. They were using Li Zhuoan’s room as he was the only one here that had a VIP room in Dynasty. The room lacked standards compared to the one frequented by Qi Chengzhi and his friends.

As the group came out of the room and turned a corner, they saw Jian Yi in the corridor. He had just ended his call.

Jian Yi did not go back into the room immediately. He leaned back against the wall and lit a cigarette. He took a long, deep breath.

Guan Xiaolin said softly to the others, “I’m gonna go say hi.”

She walked toward Jian Yi. He seemed to not have realized her presence—his sullen gaze was fixed upon the door across the corridor.

Guan Xiaolin’s brows furrowed, ‘When did Jian Yi start smoking?’

He did not look like his usual self. There was a sense of gloom as he smoked.

The door facing Jian Yi opened suddenly as she was opening her mouth to greet him. Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun walked out of the room, followed shortly by Qi Chengyue.

Guan Xiaolin figured it was their family gathering and greeted, “Auntie, Uncle.”

“Xiaolin?” Guan Liya saw her and smiled, “Why are you here?”

“Having a catch-up with a few of my friends from high school. I saw-” Guan Xiaolin broke off when she saw Song Donglin and Yu Qianying walk out of the room.

Then, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna exited the room, followed by Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu followed suit, ending with the two Qi family elders, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi.

The whole Qi family was out in action.

Surprise gripped Guan Xiaolin. The presence of Song Donglin and Yu Qianying combined with the whole Qi family could only mean one thing.

It could only be an engagement party. Why else would both sides of the family be present with full attendance?

It was just shocking that the Qi family so readily accepted Song Yu and that Song Yu’s parents did not object to the marriage.

Even the grandparents came to witness in person.

Was the marriage between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu that important to them?

“Xiaolin? It’s been some time since you came over to our place. Busy days?” Yu Qianying asked genially.

Guan Xiaolin was the only person who stayed friends with Song Yu after the bankruptcy, therefore Yu Qianying was particularly fond of her.

Before the bankruptcy, Yu Qianying did not really like Guan Xiaolin but now she realized the girl was not a snob—the fact that she did not unfriend Song Yu due to the bankruptcy. Such friendships were rare.

Yu Qianying was not aware of the things that Guan Xiaolin had done behind Song Yu’s back. Song Yu kept her mouth shut. If it were not for Jian Yi’s sudden appearance at her house, she would have never told her family about what had happened with him.

Guan Xiaolin watched Song Yu with a curious eye but avoided Qi Chengzhi. He radiated omnipotence and her sins were all laid bare. She dared not meet his gaze.

Song Yu was expressionless and did not bother to greet Guan Xiaolin. She turned around and started chatting with Grandmother Qi.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” Guan Xiaolin could only give a vague answer.

The interaction or lack thereof between Song Yu and Guan Xiaolin was noted by Yu Qianying and she promptly figured out the situation. Yu Qianying was not a fool.

She had faith in her own daughter’s character—she had raised her after all. Song Yu never lacked manners and was the type who would repay a dime with a dollar.

When Song Yu considered someone a true friend, it meant she was willing to take a knife for the person.

If the friendship had soured, it meant the friend had done something despicable.

At that moment, Yu Qianying smiled and let go of Guan Xiaolin’s hand. The smile on her face remained but it was no longer warm and sincere like before.

Guan Liya asked in a surprised tone, “Xiaolin and Song Yu are friends?”

It was rare to have the whole Qi family gathered in one place, especially the grandparents. Guan Xiaolin wanted to leave a good impression.

Although Guan Liya was her aunt, Guan Xiaolin’s access was limited to her aunt only. Qi Zhongxun was always neutral toward her, not a hint of warmth. As for the Qi family, she had little hope to gain their favor.

In their small neighborhood, the grandparents were known to be approachable but they were a rare sight.

Hence, she wanted to make a good impression today.

Guan Xiaolin planned to ignore Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu and act as if she was Song Yu’s good friend. However, before she could open her mouth, Song Yu stated without feeling, “She’s just an ex-schoolmate.”

This line confirmed Yu Qianying’s suspicions.

Guan Liya was surprised by Song Yu’s coldness.

Hearing Song Yu’s words, Grandmother Qi nodded lightly. Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi returned Guan Xiaolin’s warm greeting with a polite but aloof greeting.

The friends of Guan Xiaolin flocked toward them. They were not about to pass up a chance to interact with the Qi family. Polite greetings were extended to the Qi family elders.

Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were humble and entertained their pleasantries but without much enthusiasm.

Qi Chengzhi saw Li Zhuoan walking over. He also caught an eye of Gao Jingqiu who he assumed had hidden away to avoid him.

Qi Chengzhi gave Li Zhuoan a slight nod and smirked. Then, Qi Chengzhi turned around and tucked a lock of Song Yu’s hair behind her ear.

The movement was affectionate. The gentleness in his eyes was meant only for Song Yu.

The gesture was natural and intimate, performed in spite of the crowd surrounding them.

“Let’s go,” he spoke in a calm voice. Qi Chengzhi guided Song Yu with a hand on her hip.

“Xiao Yu, that time we invited your family to our house but you never turned up. I was waiting for you at home,” Grandmother Qi waved Yu Qianying over. She held Yu Qianying’s hand tightly, “Today, we finally had that meal and caught up with both our families. Come on, let’s go back to our house and continue the conversation.”

Yu Qianying thought the words were just a courtesy, but Grandmother Qi was serious.

With Grandmother Qi clutching her hand, Yu Qianying would feel bad if she rejected so they all headed toward the Qi family manor.

Grandmother Qi noticed Yu Qianying’s fondness for Qi Youxuan and smiled, “Don’t worry. When Chengzhi and Song Yu get married, you will soon get a chubby grandchild.”

Guan Xiaolin was rooted in her spot, watching the backs of the Qi family members becoming smaller and smaller. She overheard that last statement by Grandmother Qi.

“That was the Qi family and the Song family? They-” Wu Lijun walked up to Guan Xiaolin’s side, a look of disbelief on her face. She spotted the retreating Qi family around the corner, amidst the group were Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

“Why are they together?” Li Qianyi, too, came over and asked.

Were not the two families like oil and water?

When Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, everyone was dead set on the fact that both families would never accept the pair.

Guan Xiaolin’s face was sour as she said, “From the looks of it, seems like marriage is not far away. Both families have accepted their relationship. It was probably for their parents to meet.”

“Grandmother Qi seemed really taken by Yu Qianying. Even Xia Wenna and Yu Qianying looked as if they were very close. What’s happening?” Li Qianyi asked in disbelief. Her question might as well be rhetorical as Guan Xiaolin could not provide an answer.

Since the beginning, none of them thought Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu would last.

They even thought Qi Chengzhi was only toying with Song Yu.

“If it was for their parents to meet, why would the whole family be here?” Wu Lijun commented. Another possibility came into her mind and she exclaimed, “Could it be an engagement?”

Wu Lijun’s words made everyone turn to look at the direction of the departing Qi family.

Although there was nary a soul, they kept staring into the empty corridor.

Guan Xiaolin thought of the tender love shown by Qi Chengzhi. A pang of jealousy hit her. She wondered how it felt, being loved and protected by a man like Qi Chengzhi.

As Guan Xiaolin looked on absentmindedly, Li Qianyi was muttering to herself, “Unthinkable… Unthinkable…”

It was just a word but everyone knew what she meant.

It was unthinkable that Song Yu was going to marry Qi Chengzhi.

The full attendance of the Qi family and the rare appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Song Donglin pretty much confirmed the forthcoming nuptials.

While Li Qianyi was silent, her heart was envious.

The sentiment was shared by many.

…

…

There was a prayer ritual for the first shoot of Han Zhuoli’s company’s television series. Grandmother Qi’s status exempted her from joining in with the cast and crew.

The last time Grandmother Qi rang up Han Zhuoli, she got the role as the female lead’s mother with ease.

Though she was old, her complexion was well-maintained and nabbing the role of the female lead’s mother was not far-fetched.

The role did not demand a lot of screen time. Most scenes were filmed in their courtyard and Grandmother Qi did not even leave the manor’s estate. She would just stroll out of the house to meet the team and when her scenes were done, she would just walk back home. Sometimes, she even went out just to chat with the cast and crew.

Initially, the role was taken up by another actress—she was the sister-in-law of an established actor in the entertainment industry. She also relied on her contacts to get the role.

However, since Grandmother Qi was interested, Han Zhuoli gladly acquiesced.

While others may have prioritized the actor’s request, Han Zhuoli showed no hesitation in switching the role over to Grandmother Qi.

The actress, of course, complained to her brother-in-law. He personally came to dispute with Han Zhuoli and was promptly dismissed. Meanwhile, Grandmother Qi was kept in the dark.

The first Saturday after they had the engagement lunch was Grandmother Qi’s first day on set.

Grandmother Qi hid her identity from the team. She did not want the actors and actresses flocking to her as she was too tired to deal with the attention.

She also wanted to be treated like everyone else. She wanted to test her acting skills.

If they knew her identity, they might give biased feedback. Even if she was terrible, they would still compliment her.

However, Han Zhuoli was also worried that Grandmother Qi would be bullied by the team. If her identity was not known, the team might treat her with disrespect and take advantage of her. Therefore, Han Zhuoli discretely told the director about her true identity.

The director understood then. No wonder Young Master Zhuo came multiple times personally to inquire about the filming despite it being only a television series.

The director made a point to look out for Grandmother Qi..

The director made a point to look out for Grandmother Qi.

Since it was her first day on set, Qi Chengzhi dropped by to see her.

He owed her one as she had been supportive of his relationship with Song Yu.

On that particular day, Song Yu was working overtime. Chang Lai would be picking her up after she was done with work and have her sent home. By then, however, the old lady would be done, and since Qi Chengzhi had nothing to do in the day, he decided to make a trip to the home earlier, by himself.

He parked the Range Rover at the entrance, got off, and entered the house. In the meantime, Aunt Liu was busy in the kitchen, getting everything ready. She prepared tea for the old lady, as well as a thermos filled with hot water, some snacks, and a bit of fruit.

“Young Master!” Aunt Liu was surprised to see him. “Why are you here today?”

“Since this is Grandmother’s first meeting with the cast and crew, I’ll send her.” Qi Chengzhi walked over with his hands placed on his pockets. His gaze swept across the various foodstuffs that nearly filled the entire bar counter.

“Does Grandmother want to bring all this with her?” Qi Chengzhi asked.

“Yes!” Aunt Liu smiled. “Madam’s afraid of getting bored and hungry while waiting for her turn, so she wanted to bring some snacks. Youxuan wants to follow too, so his snacks are packed in too. I suppose there will be water provided for the cast and crew, but you know how Madam doesn’t like drinking mineral water, especially from sources she doesn’t know. She prefers to boil her own water and make tea for herself.”

“Is everything ready, Xiao Liu?” The old lady sported the sunglasses that Song Yu gifted her, though it was not a good idea to wear it indoors. It obscured the light from reaching her eyes, and she nearly bumped into a chair as a result.

A fleece overcoat was draped over her arm—she feared that she might feel too cold when outside. She noticed Qi Chengzhi as soon as she entered the room, after which she looked left and right as if to look for something or someone. “Where’s my dear Song Yu?”

“She needs to work overtime today. She’ll come at night, after work,” Qi Chengzhi explained.

“And why did you come here today?” the old lady asked gleefully.

“Isn’t today the first day of your introduction to the cast and crew? I’ll send you there and take a look at things while I’m at it.” Although he looked unemotive when he spoke, Grandmother Qi felt overjoyed that he would do such a considerate thing for her.

“Oh, you little joker. When did you learn how to make people happy? You’re only doing this because of dear Song Yu, aren’t you?” Grandmother Qi rolled her eyes at him.

There was no denial on Qi Chengzhi’s part. He stretched out his hand and took everything that Aunt Liu had prepared.

“Since there’s lots of stuff, just put it all in the car. I’ll drive everyone there,” Qi Chengzhi said.

Qi Youxuan ran over with his backpack and stuffed all his snacks into his bag. He also took two bottles of freshly pressed fruit juice, placing them into the bottle pockets on either side of the bag.

It took no more than a ten-minute walk to reach the courtyard that the production team rented. Compared to the little park where Grandmother Qi frequented for plaza dancing, the courtyard was much nearer.

By car, it seemed like they reached there barely seconds after leaving the house.

A scene had just wrapped filming when they got there, and preparations for shooting the next one was ongoing. The cast were either rehearsing their lines, resting, or having a chat amongst themselves.

The director was watching the earlier scene through his camera when he heard one of his staff members shout rudely, “They’re filming inside. You’re not allowed to come in. If you want an autograph, wait outside!”

That staff member looked at the three of them—a man, an old lady, and a kid—and thought that the man was bringing an old lady and a little boy to meet with some celebrities.

The old lady looked just like any other old lady because she did not wear anything too fancy. Meanwhile, the kid’s clothes seemed to be from one of those small stores owned by foreigners. The man looked most proper out of the three, but then again, plenty of youngsters were absorbed in their vanity, so it was not out of the ordinary for them to wear branded goods.

At that point, many people began surrounding the courtyard. With camera in hand, they were all hoping for the chance to snap a photo of some celebrity.

Grandmother Qi’s mood turned sour after seeing the staff member’s attitude. Modern movies usually allowed actors and actresses to prepare their own clothing, which was why the old lady went there with ordinary store-bought clothes.

As for Qi Youxuan, the old lady may spoil him rotten, but when it came to clothes, she felt that it was a waste of money to buy branded clothing for him. Children grew nonstop, and it was especially so for Qi Youxuan, who increased not only in height but also in width. Now and then, he would need to get new clothes, and although the Qi family might not mind it if those clothes were all branded, it was still too much of a waste of money.

Spending money needlessly was unwise. What if Qi Youxuan’s values and morals were distorted?

The old lady took off her sunglasses and wanted to lecture the young fellow on judging people by their looks, but someone called out, “Young Master Cheng?”

Shu Li could not believe her eyes. She had wanted to look for the director, but midway through her walk, she heard the staff member shouting as though someone was trying to sneak onto set.

Veteran actors were aplenty there and many had their own loyal following, but in terms of personality and popularity, no one else could match hers.

She still had to maintain her image with her fans, so she went over intending to put on a show of being a mediator, thereby elevating her public perception. Perhaps she could even make the news with that little action of hers.

It came as quite a surprise to see Qi Chengzhi standing at the entrance.

Her eyes darted to the old lady and the chubby kid, after which she walked over while wondering to herself.

“Young Master Cheng, why are you here?” Shu Li did not hide her admiration. She looked at how straight he stood and how elegant he looked, and she just could not keep her eyes off him.

A simple nod from Qi Chengzhi and he said, “I’m sending my grandmother to film some scenes.”

“Film some scenes?” Shu Li was startled. She looked at the old lady and deduced that it was probably the grand matriarch of the Qi family.

“So, it’s you, Madam.” Shu Li allowed her dimples to make an appearance as she smiled sweetly at the old lady.

It was pleasing to see Shu Li smile, for she had a natural doll-like face. Though she may have been a bit late in making a name for herself, she looked very young for someone of her age, hence the large prospects in her line of work.

The old lady remembered that Shu Li was the lead actor in the movie, playing the role of daughter to the old lady’s character.

Previously the old lady did take quite a liking to her, but seeing how she looked at Qi Chengzhi made the old lady reconsider the earlier opinion.

“Madam, you’re filming? In the movie, you’re…” Shu Li thought for a moment before recalling that there was one empty space in the name list for actors—that blank column was for the role of the main character’s mother.

“Madam!” The director ran over. “Young Master Cheng.”

“He doesn’t know that you came to shoot a scene. Please don’t hold it against him,” the director said, before turning to chastise the young man.

Of course, the old lady did not take it to heart, but she commented nonetheless, “Everyone has their struggles. No matter what a person’s status is, it’s always best to show some respect to each other.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” The director then said, “Youngsters nowadays aren’t too understanding.”

He cautioned the young man once more and sent him off. “Madam, we’ll be shooting two scenes before you’re up. Let me bring you to the makeup artist.”

“Director, the next scene will be starting soon. You should go ahead. I’ll take care of Madam.” Shu Li volunteered.

The director looked at the time and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Alright. Madam, Shu Li will bring you over. She’s the lead in this movie and she’s your character’s daughter. This is perfect timing for you two to know each other better and work up some chemistry.”

The old lady told the director to get going, which he did after saying a couple more things.

“Madam, after you.” Although she was showing the way to the old lady, she feigned inattentiveness and walked beside Qi Chengzhi.

Ever since their acquaintance during the officiating ceremony for Qilin’s hotel project, she no longer had any contact with Qi Chengzhi. She attempted to get closer to him during the dinner, but he treated her rather indifferently, and at the end of the evening, Qi Chengzhi disappeared from the event completely.

She never expected the Qi family’s matriarch to have a role in the film, and since the chance was already in front of her, she did not want to let it slip by yet again.

Qi Chengzhi had money and looks after all. He was exactly the kind of man she wanted. Men like him were rare, and she must seize the opportunity now that it was dangling in front of her.

“Young Master Cheng, we’ve not bumped into each other since the dinner at Qilin. I didn’t expect fate to bring us together again. Such luck to have Madam play my mother in this movie.” Shu Li looked at his stern-looking side profile and could not resist imagining what it was like to be his girlfriend. She wondered if she would have the chance to see another side of him.

Qi Chengzhi did not respond; rather, it was his grandmother that looked unhappy.

Shu Li’s motivations for making her acquaintance were all too obvious.

The old lady was not one for having a sectarian bias, but she loathed modern-day celebrities. Be it in moral quality or otherwise, they were far more inferior to the celebrities of yesteryear.

A prime example was the one in front of her—a pure face but with impure intentions.

“I think you and I are the fated ones.” The old lady chuckled. “According to the age gaps in our characters, you’re much older than Chengzhi. He should be calling you auntie.”

Shu Li’s smile cramped up before she laughed dryly. “Oh, you’re so funny, Madam. I’ll be taking advantage of him then, wouldn’t I? I wouldn’t dare to do that.”

“Madam, why did you decide to act in the movie?” Shu Li had the feeling that the old lady did not like her that much.

It was only the first day that they met, and despite being unable to wrap her head around why she felt that way, Shu Li trusted her judgment. After all, mingling in such a circle required a sufficient amount of slyness, otherwise, nothing would have been left of her.

“It’s my interest,” she responded curtly.

The reply was not technically a frigid one, but Shu Li just found it hard to continue the conversation.

“Madam, this is the makeup room.” Shu Li introduced her makeup artist to the old lady. “Brother Jin, Madam will be playing the role of my mother. Please take care of her makeup needs.”

Other members of the cast had their makeup done by the director’s makeup artist. Shu Li was the only one who brought along her makeup artist and she had every intention of utilizing that to get on the old lady’s good books.

Naturally, Grandmother Qi did not refuse. She dragged Brother Jin’s hand and sat down on the mirror, saying, “Make me look pretty, young man. What’s important is that you cover up all my wrinkles.”

“Don’t you worry, Madam. Brother Jin is the makeup artist of choice for all those red-carpet stars. It wasn’t easy to convince him to tag along with me.”

“Oh, really? No wonder you look so beautiful onscreen, so much more beautiful than in real life,” the old lady said while smiling. When she saw that Shu Li was smiling awkwardly, she felt a bit embarrassed and covered her mouth quickly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you don’t look good in person, I’m just saying you’re a natural onscreen.”

“Oh dear!” The old lady then waved her hands feeling slightly ashamed. “I’m making things worse! What I meant was, you look good in person, but even prettier on screen.”

“Hehe!” Unable to find a proper response, Shu Li could only laugh dryly.

“Speaking of which, my eldest grandson’s fiancée is really pretty. I think she’s even prettier than most celebrities, but she’s just too quiet. My eldest grandson is really protective of her and he doesn’t like it if she involves herself in people from this industry. Guys tend to take advantage of women when filming.”

Shu Li went blank for a moment. ‘Isn’t Qi Chengzhi the Qi family’s eldest grandson?”

‘Eldest grandson’s fiancée…”

‘I don’t remember hearing anything about marriage?’

On one occasion, during dinner, she heard rumors that Qi Chengzhi had a stable girlfriend. Not a lot of people had seen her before though, so Shu Li did not think to give it much thought.

During the dinner, one of the young masters from the Eight Great Families were present. Even though he was not one of the more prominent ones, many of the big bosses were respectful of him because of his status.

News of Qi Chengzhi’s relationship came from precisely that person, but he too, did not know any more than that.

He only heard whisperings that Qi Chengzhi’s girlfriend was an ordinary person, someone from the working class who did not seem to have any status at all.

Shu Li thought to herself that Qi Chengzhi must have gotten together with an ordinary girl just to try out something new and see what it was like to be with a normal girl.

Perhaps the girlfriend was also a scheming one that knew how to pretend; the only reason he let that girl be with him was that she may have let Qi Chengzhi see that she was different from the masses, someone who was absolutely not a gold-digger.

Surprisingly, even the old lady knew of that girl’s presence, and it seemed as though the old lady liked his girlfriend quite a bit. Were they already preparing for marriage considering she referred to the girl as her ‘eldest grandson’s fiancée’?

Nevertheless, Shu Li did not seem to care. As far as someone like Qi Chengzhi was concerned, Shu Li did not have too much hope that he would marry her, considering the status she had. Still, she would be undoubtedly elated if he did, and with that goal in mind, she had nothing to lose even if she used various underhand tactics and eventually failed in her quest.

Shu Li regarded his current working-class girlfriend as someone insignificant.

Appearance-wise, Shu Li was confident that she was better than the girlfriend, despite never meeting the latter.

In terms of reputation, she definitely far surpassed any average woman.

A man of Qi Chengzhi’s eminence would find it much more convenient to bring someone like her to business discussions.

There was nothing that the commoner could do for him, and she believed that Qi Chengzhi would soon get tired of that ordinary girl.

Even if they got married, what of it?

Would his circle suddenly have fewer celebrity women?

Shu Li could roughly interpret the old lady’s thoughts. It was likely that the old lady knew what Shu Li was up to, so she protected that girl and hinted at Shu Li to back off!

Shu Li did not believe that she was no match for an ordinary girl. The commoner might be prettier, but Shu Li definitely had more character than his current girlfriend.

All those thoughts were kept concealed in her heart, leaving nothing discernible on the surface of her expressions.

“Is Young Master Cheng married?” Shu Li continued smiling tenderly and exhibiting a very calm appearance. “Forgive me for not knowing, as I haven’t heard anything about it from anyone. I never read any reports either. Maybe it’s because everything was done quietly? In any case, I must congratulate you.”

The old lady let out a huff in her heart. Shu Li’s display of fakery was truly a testament to her good acting!

“We’re not married yet, only engaged.” Qi Chengzhi continued, “When I marry her, it will be the grandest wedding ever, not a low-profile one.”

Shu Li lowered her gaze, smiling.

“Speaking of my granddaughter-in-law, Chengzhi, where is my granddaughter-in-law?” The old lady knew the answer to that question but asked anyway.

Qi Chengzhi looked at his grandmother with a curious expression. She had asked about Song Yu’s presence back at home, and he did not believe that her memory was that bad.

It was clear that she was helping Song Yu shoo off a pesky vixen!

A hint of glee twinkled in his cold eyes knowing that his grandmother was protecting Song Yu.

He played along with her and said, “She’s working overtime today. She’ll come later tonight.”

“What do you mean working overtime? Just ask Chang Lai to pick her up for lunch. Let her boss give her less work to do.” The old lady made her stand known. Using her status to gain privileges was not something she did often, and she did not seem particularly confident when she uttered those words.

“I’ll call her later. She doesn’t like it when I bother her at work,” Qi Chengzhi explained just as a tiny smile was beginning to form on his face.

From Shu Li’s observations, she figured that her guess was correct—perhaps the girl’s aloofness was what made Qi Chengzhi so intrigued.

“Oh yes, do you have my granddaughter-in-law’s picture in your phone?” the old lady asked. She was unsure whether he really did have it, but it was more likely than not that young couples would have pictures of their significant others in their phone.

In fact, Qi Chengzhi not only had a few, he even created a special folder specifically for Song Yu’s pictures.

He found some pictures and handed his phone to his grandmother. She then showed it to Brother Jin. “Look! My granddaughter-in-law is pretty, isn’t she? She pretty enough that she doesn’t need makeup to look good.”

Shu Li felt as though the old lady was ridiculing her with every single sentence.

Brother Jin nodded. “She really is beautiful, and even in the business, there aren’t many like her. What’s most important is that her character stands out. You can’t pretend to have the kind of character that she has.”

Grandmother Qi was bubbling with happiness after hearing Brother Jin’s flattery.

“You should head back first instead of just standing around. I’ll be with Youxuan here, and when he’s had his fun, you can come pick him up,” the old lady suggested. She wanted Qi Chengzhi to leave as soon as practicable to prevent Shu Li’s constant flirting.

“Well, in that case, Young Master Cheng, is it okay if you leave your number? If Youxuan wants to go home, I can give you a call,” Shu Li used the moment to her advantage. She had been wanting to ask it since earlier but was afraid that it was too sudden and too obvious.

The opportunity was practically gift-wrapped to her, and it would be a shame for her not to seize the moment.

“I have a phone. I’ll just call my uncle when I wanna go home.” Qi Youxuan had been ignored since the beginning, but at that moment he fished out a Totoro-shaped toy phone. He held it in his chubby hands and showed it to Shu Li.

The fat boy just had to ruin her opportunity. Shu Li’s heart was thinking of only one thing: to tell that fat little kid to scram.

It just so happened that the fatty was Qi Chengzhi’s nephew, someone whom she should not offend at all costs. She suppressed her anger to the best of her ability and did not show the slightest expression of being displeased.

“Hey lady, don’t assume that this is a toy phone!” Qi Youxuan exclaimed.

“…” Shu Li felt defeated. She wanted to comment that the phone was a toy one.

After that, Qi Youxuan looked left and right and suddenly ran over to the makeup counter. His chubby hands held onto the chair and he tried dragging it with him, but he was too weak to lift the chair up. The friction between the chair legs and the floor made an ear-piercing screech.

Qi Chengzhi was hardly able to stand it. He asked, “What are you trying to do?”

Then he took the chair from the little boy.

Qi Youxuan’s fat little finger pointed to a spot near Shu Li. “Uncle, help me carry the chair there.”

Qi Chengzhi frowned and wondered what the chubby little boy was up to, but still, he carried the chair as requested.

The boy then placed his palms on the chair and climbed up.

Shu Li was not very tall, and when Qi Youxuan stood on top of the chair, he was roughly the same height as her.

Shu Li was not very tall, and when Qi Youxuan stood on top of the chair, he was roughly the same height as her.

His fleshy fingers swiped across the screen a couple of times before he placed the phone to his ear.

…

…

Song Yu was at the construction site during that very moment. She was holding her design plan and engaging in discussions with the foreman. All of a sudden, her phone rang, and when she took it out, she was surprised to see Qi Youxuan’s name on the screen.

Puzzled, she went to one side and picked up the call. “Youxuan? Is there something wrong?”

“Auntie, stay on the line. Some lady who likes Uncle wants to talk with you.” The line fell silent after he said that.

Song Yu blinked her eyes incredulously. It took her a while to come back to her senses.

She had no idea how to respond after hearing such an unexpected statement from him.

‘What does he mean by ‘some lady who likes Uncle wants to talk to me’?’

‘Was it Yu Keyao?’

‘Or was it some other woman from God-knows-where? And why must Qi Youxuan become the messenger?’

Shu Li was equally shocked, and before she could even process what was happening, Qi Youxuan shoved the phone close to her ear.

“Here lady, you can talk with my auntie and see that my phone’s not a toy one.” Qi Youxuan sported a huge smile and let go of his hands.

Shu Li was mortified and worried that the phone might fall to its demise on the ground. If that fatty put all the blame on her and bawled, it was inevitable that she would be painted as the bad guy.

She grabbed the phone immediately and heard a soft voice on the other end. “Youxuan? Youxuan, are you still there?”

Shu Li felt so awkward and did not know whether to answer or give the phone back to the boy. If she were to hand it back to Qi Youxuan, it would seem far too rude and much too undignified—it would make her look exactly like someone who was guilty and feared the wrath of the seducee’s true partner.

She looked at Qi Chengzhi, but the man’s back was facing her and he seemed to be concentrating on the makeup artist applying makeup on the old lady.

She was not buying his apparent ignorance of what happened, but there was no indication that he was going to help her out of her predicament.

Shu Li straightened her back and felt no need to tone her character down when dealing with whoever was on the line.

After all, his girlfriend was no more than an ordinary woman who might know who Shu Li was. Better still, the woman might even be a fan of Shu Li’s. If that were the case, then the woman might feel honored to have had the pleasure of speaking with Shu Li.

It was perfect timing for the woman to see the disparity between their status, which in turn would imbue a sense of inferiority in the mind.

Perhaps that could spark a misunderstanding between Qi Chengzhi and the woman. She might argue and get into a fight with Qi Chengzhi, making him unhappy and speeding up the breakdown in their relationship.

Shu Li stood confidently and smiled slightly, allowing her dimples to make a brief appearance.

“Hello, I’m Shu Li,” she introduced herself with confidence.

Song Yu went blank for a moment. “Shu Li?”

The name rang a bell, and with further thought, Song Yu realized that she had the same name as the actress who stood on the platform during the officiating ceremony for Qilin’s hotel project.

Song Yu had no doubts that the person she was speaking to was the same as the actress from the dinner.

The only question that remained was why the actress was with Qi Youxuan.

“Miss Shu, hi,” Song Yu responded plainly. “Is something the matter?”

It was Shu Li’s turn to feel perplexed. The person on the other end of the line sounded so inanimate instead of being taken aback.

Shu Li smiled. ‘No wonder she got the old lady’s blessing.’

A woman who could nail Qi Chengzhi down would surely be someone who was not to be messed with.

“I’m sorry, Youxuan misunderstood.” Shu Li put on a smile. “I’m going to be acting with his grandmother in a movie. Young Master Cheng and Youxuan are both here. I’m guessing this little boy is a bit sensitive, that’s why he misunderstood.”

“Oh, I see. So, Qi Chengzhi is beside you somewhere, isn’t he? Can you put him on the phone?” Song Yu requested.

Song Yu was never skeptical of Qi Youxuan’s IQ. Anyone who wrote him off because of his age would end up regretting it.

Qi Youxuan’s phone call indicated clearly to Song Yu that the celebrity actress was eyeing up Qi Chengzhi.

Song Yu still remembered how Shu Li was brazenly flirting with Qi Chengzhi on the night of the officiating ceremony.

It surprised Shu Li that Song Yu simply dismissed her like that. Under normal circumstances, the other party would definitely have plenty of questions.

Many of Shu Li’s friends got involved with other people’s relationships, and the conversations between the third party and actual partner usually started with plenty of questions thrown at the third party.

Song Yu, however, was different from the rest. Shu Li had an entire conversation ready in her head but was not even given an opportunity to say a single word.

Nevertheless, Shu Li did not consider it a failure. At the very least, seeds of mistrust would have been sown in her rival’s mind even though her rival did not say anything to her. There must be some level of suspicion present, for the other party would not have asked to talk with Qi Chengzhi after barely a few sentences.

A polite and courteous expression graced Shu Li’s face as she nodded. “Sure.”

The phone was then handed over to Qi Chengzhi, and when he took it, his stern facial expression became gentle. He spoke with extreme tenderness, “What is it?”

Shu Li was so startled that she simply gawked at him. It was then that she realized how the girlfriend had dismissed her so effortlessly without even a simple introduction.

Jealousy began manifesting in Shu Li at the mere thought of their intimacy; the expression on his face was an affectionate one, and his girlfriend even called him by name.

Qi Chengzhi placed one hand into his pants pocket while the other held the Totoro-shaped phone. It should have been a ridiculous spectacle to see his elegant fingers grasping the childish phone, but his magnificent and elegant mannerisms were compelling enough to make one ignore the odd-looking mismatch.

“I’m at the construction site. I’ll be done in about an hour. Just ask Chang Lai to pick me up here, so I don’t need to go back to the company again,” Song Yu suggested. She did not ask about Shu Li because she could not care less about that actress.

If Qi Chengzhi wanted to be with a female celebrity, he would have found one long ago. Shu Li’s turn would never arrive since many other female stars would come in waves just to get to him.

Why would he suddenly want a female star as his companion if he never sought one out from the beginning?

“Alright. Did you go there alone?” The incident involving those workers was still fresh in Qi Chengzhi’s mind.

“I didn’t. I remember what you told me, so I brought some of my male colleagues from the engineering department.” Song Yu held down her wind-blown hair and noticed that the workers, as well as her colleagues, had all stopped discussing because they were waiting for her.

“We’ll talk later. I need to get back to work.” Song Yu was quite pleased when she left him with a final message, “Help me say thank you to Youxuan.”

She hung up immediately, leaving no time for Qi Chengzhi to respond.

He lowered his gaze and chuckled softly to himself while looking at the phone.

Shu Li’s heart sank when she realized that the situation was not as advantageous to her as it originally seemed.

Qi Chengzhi really seemed to like that woman. His tenderness toward her was something that no one else had ever seen.

When Qi Chengzhi finally looked up, his face resumed its usual sternness. He passed the phone back to Qi Youxuan, and even toward his nephew, there was no sign of that gentleness and warmth.

If he was already so affectionate despite being separated by two phones, how much more affectionate would he be if he were to be with his girlfriend in person?

“Your auntie says thank you.” Qi Chengzhi returned the phone and helped Qi Youxuan down from the chair.

“She should.” Qi Youxuan stood straight and thumped his fist on his chest. “I side with my auntie.”

He even shot Shu Li a glance after finishing his sentence. Shu Li wished that she could just kick the boy out.

Qi Chengzhi said his goodbyes to his grandmother, intending to take his leave for the moment. The old lady was happy, of course, since she could not stand the sight of Shu Li putting on an act just to try and tempt Qi Chengzhi.

Similarly, Qi Youxuan did not want to hang around anymore as he felt that it was pointless to watch the filming. He decided to follow Qi Chengzhi.

Shu Li gnashed her teeth and had one goal in mind—to utilize an opportunity that would soon to be given to her.

The old lady’s attitude toward her was not too favorable, and it was obvious that she could not set her plan in motion by currying favor with the old lady.

She mustered up the courage and ran up to him. “Young Master Cheng!”

Qi Chengzhi halted his footsteps and looked at her insipidly.

Shu Li handed him a piece of paper with her number on it. In a moment of desperation, she had written it down using an eyebrow pencil that was lying on the makeup counter.

“This is my phone number.” Shu Li and her pink-tinted fair cheeks looked at Qi Chengzhi. Her appearance was like the purest of maidens and—likely due to anxiousness and shyness—was biting her lip. There was also a slight pitiful look that would touch the soft spot of most men and capture their hearts.

“If there’s anything at all, you can find me at any time,” Shu Li remarked. Her slight smile allowed her dimples to disappear as quickly as they appeared. “No matter what it is, I think I’ll be able to help you in one way or another.”

Qi Chengzhi looked at the delicate fingers that held the piece of paper. They were well taken care of, and the fingernails even had red nail polish painted on them with the utmost perfection. Neither a blemish nor a wrinkle was present.

Song Yu’s was different—her nails were always short and without any nail polish, making for a very clean look.

“I’m sorry, my fiancée doesn’t allow me to accept phone numbers from other women.” Qi Chengzhi’s voice was indifferent. He gave her a simple nod and left, caring not that Shu Li was standing motionlessly with her hand still holding out the piece of paper.

Qi Youxuan looked up at the embarrassedly red-faced Shu Li and shook his little head exaggeratedly. He shrugged her off with his upturned palms and turned his back on her, leaving her with the sight of his jiggling bottom as he ran to catch up with Qi Chengzhi.

A thousand invisible tentacles stretched out from Shu Li’s heart to grasp at Qi Chengzhi. She looked at his handsome and elegant silhouette, knowing that a man with his magnificence was not someone she could forget easily.

“Madam, please don’t laugh, just relax.” The old lady was grinning from ear to ear, causing her face to bunch up at her eyes. Brother Jin implored to her because he simply could not work with her if she continued smiling.

Eventually, the old lady gathered herself together, but she still could not help but curl her lips up somewhat. Qi Chengzhi’s attitude toward Shu Li made her overjoyed!

…

…

After completing discussions with the workers, Song Yu put away the design plan and began walking with her male colleagues.

When they were reaching the side of the road, Song Yu saw a black Range Rover parked behind the company’s black Buick Regal.

“I’ll leave directly. I won’t be going back to the company,” Song Yu informed her colleagues.

Just as they wanted to ask her how she was leaving the place, they saw the Range Rover and immediately understood. Without further ado, they headed to their vehicles.

While walking with them to the roadside, Song Yu found it odd that Chang Lai did not get down from the car. He would usually get down and wait for her as soon as he spotted her, even if she was still a hundred meters away.

Her mind was still filled with that exact thought when the car door swung open. It was Qi Chengzhi who stepped down from the car—his exquisite looking fingers were placed on the inner side of the door and he sported a pair of sunglasses, looking at her direction.

The eyewear enhanced his stern look even more.

He was clothed in a V-neck sweater with blue and white stripes, but his trousers were not seen because the car door blocked them from view.

Full-body casual lent him a look that was different from his usual business suits.

“Young Master Cheng!” One of her colleagues became incredibly flustered and blurted out excitedly.

To meet Qi Chengzhi there was like meeting him in his personal capacity, and his little secret with Song Yu became all the more exhilarating.

It did not occur to Song Yu that Qi Chengzhi would drive over himself. Two of her colleagues turned to her and said, “Well, we’ll be going now.”

They also made sure to say a respectful goodbye to Qi Chengzhi before getting into their Buick Regal and leaving.

“Why did you drive here?” Song Yu felt touched. It was rare for him to get a day off, and yet there he was, having driven all the way there just to fetch her.

“Well, since I had nothing to do, I won’t ask Chang Lai to pick you up,” Qi Chengzhi answered bluntly and had a simple smile on his lips. His long fingers gently combed a few wayward strands of hair that were blown by the wind.

“Auntie, I think Uncle’s guilty. That’s why he’s making it up to you by coming to fetch you.” Qi Youxuan’s little round head popped up from the rear windows, frightening Song Yu.

Qi Chengzhi pulled a long face. He drove Qi Youxuan home immediately after leaving the set, but the boy questioned why Qi Chengzhi was not getting off. After finding out that he was going to pick Song Yu up, Qi Youxuan re-entered the car and wanted to tag along.

The boy reasoned that he should not let his auntie be deceived by Qi Chengzhi’s dishonest rhetoric—he wanted to recount the cold hard facts to his auntie regarding Qi Chengzhi’s ability to attract the attention of some woman celebrity.

Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi with teasing eyes and went to the back seat to sit with Qi Youxuan.

“What’s he guilty about?” Song Yu asked smilingly.

Qi Youxuan was busy munching on some potato chips and his fingers were fully coated with powdered flavoring. He was just about to begin his story when Qi Chengzhi sat back in the car.

The man started the car and glared at the boy.

It seemed to choke Qi Youxuan up. His little face had a greenish tone and he could no longer spit out the words he intended to say.

Qi Chengzhi mocked him. “Go on then! Why are you keeping quiet? What were you going to tell Auntie?”

The little boy’s face looked exactly like the Chinese character for ‘Jiong 1’. His chubby body was shivering when he muttered, “Auntie, Uncle is scaring me!”

He then nuzzled into Song Yu’s embrace and remained there.

“You little brat! Don’t you take advantage of your auntie!” Qi Chengzhi was thoroughly unhappy when he saw the boy nestled in Song Yu’s bosom!

The boy was being more and more unreasonable!

Qi Chengzhi stretched over to the back, wanting to pull Qi Youxuan out of Song Yu’s embrace. Song Yu, however, hugged Qi Youxuan even tighter and told him off, “Why are you scaring the boy!”

Qi Chengzhi’s displeased expression soured even more. Song Yu looked at him suspiciously, “Is it because you really are guilty?”

A firm, solid stare was shot at Song Yu, causing her hair to stand on its end. Her lips trembled slightly and her confidence diminished. “You’re not going to drive anymore?” she asked softly.

His continued staring at her briefly before letting out a teasing chuckle and driving the car away.

With a twist of his body, Qi Youxuan finally wiggled away from Song Yu’s grip. His hunger pangs returned after all that shock his uncle inflicted onto him. A couple of potato chips later, he took out Aunt Liu’s freshly pressed fruit juice and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

“What was it you wanted to tell me?” Song Yu rubbed his soft hair. She enjoyed being with the smart little boy that he was.

Like an adult who had finished a glass of beer, he ahh-ed in delight and retold the entire sequence of events that happened at the set.

“Auntie, you have to keep your eye on Uncle. He’s very capable of seducing countless women.” Qi Youxuan took out another potato chip from the bag and ate it in one go.

Qi Chengzhi shot his nephew a look. Such a small boy he was, and yet he already knew how to use the words ‘seducing countless women’.

Everything was retold down to the very last detail, including at the very end when Qi Chengzhi rejected Shu Li’s number. Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengzhi to do that, with Song Yu as his excuse.

She did not mind it at all, but there was still some concern that his image would be tarnished if it gave people the wrong idea that he was a henpecked partner.

His actions meanwhile, elicited a warm smile from Song Yu, and she could not resist taking a peek at the back of her man’s head.

Song Yu patted Qi Youxuan’s soft hair, which was akin to the fur on a little pet. It was particularly pleasing to the touch.

Qi Youxuan’s face was slightly reddened and he felt bashful.

“Youxuan, thank you for helping Auntie chase away all those women.” Song Yu smiled and praised him warmly.

Since Qi Youxuan was already in the habit of calling her ‘auntie’, Song Yu was also brainwashed into addressing herself as so.

Hearing her profess herself in that manner, Qi Chengzhi looked at her. Though the sunglasses hid his eyes away from view, she could still make out the glimmer of happiness in his charismatic pupils.

Song Yu felt a burning sensation on her cheek. When she looked at Qi Youxuan, he too was blushing and lowering his head shyly. He looked at Song Yu for a short moment and said, “Auntie, just make sure you’ll help me next time when I’m getting married.”

“Don’t worry.” Song Yu continued patting his head. “I’ll definitely be on your side.”

“I’m relieved.” Qi Youxuan felt as though a stone-like burden had been extracted from his heart. Relaxation filled his entire body and his appetite seemed to perk up even more. He mumbled to him, “My future father-in-law looks like he’s hard to handle. But with you, my future mother-in-law will be persuaded easily, and then my future father-in-law won’t be a problem anymore.”

“…” Song Yu looked at him and wondered. ‘Did he really find his future wife already? He even seems to know who his future in-laws are.’

Song Yu did not take it too seriously of course. Qi Youxuan was only five-years-old, and his declaration of finding a wife should rightly be taken in jest.

In spite of that, Song Yu was curious about who his crush was.

“Who’s your future in-laws? Do I know them?” Song Yu asked, intrigued. Qi Youxuan’s mumbling suggested that they were people whom Song Yu knew well.

“It’s Wei Ziqi!” Crunching sounds were heard as the boy munched on his potato chips. “You’re on such good terms with my future mother-in-law, and my future father-in-law always listens to his wife. When the time comes, as long as my future mother-in-law says something, my future father-in-law wouldn’t go against her, right?”

Qi Youxuan addressed them as his future in-laws so fluidly and naturally.

Song Yu was speechless.

…

…

The Range Rover was parked at the entrance to the home. Qi Youxuan grabbed his bag and was the first to get out of the car. He ran into the house and shouted, “Nanny Liu, I’m hungry!”

The Range Rover was parked at the entrance to the home. Qi Youxuan grabbed his bag and was the first to get off from the car. He ran into the house and shouted, “Nanny Liu, I’m hungry!”

Qi Chengzhi removed the car keys and got off. Song Yu then proceeded to get off as well, but she barely stepped foot out of the car when Qi Chengzhi blocked her at the door.

His lanky figure obstructed the door completely, preventing any light from outside to come in.

Song Yu looked up and met his penetrating gaze.

It had been a fairly long time since she saw such an expression. Thus, came her flustered feelings.

She recalled their first meeting, way back before they were involved with each other. Using work matters as an excuse, he came to her house and assailed her with that very gaze. She could not go against it at all and simply allowed herself to be led by the nose.

A simple look from him and she immediately felt much weaker and less authoritative than earlier.

“What is it?” she asked meekly, hoping that it would paint her as tame and docile.

“Sit back inside,” he ordered.

Song Yu shifted her position immediately, looking as obedient as she possibly could.

Qi Chengzhi refrained from letting a smile leak out. He sat inside and locked the door after closing it behind him.

Leaning close to Song Yu, his actions compelled her to move backward, up until her back was leaning against the car door. With nowhere else to retreat, Qi Chengzhi continued to inch closer, allowing his breath to brush over her lips and nose.

His handsome features were magnified, and although she had been together with him for quite some time already, she would still blush whenever she met his direct gaze.

“What are you doing?” Song Yu asked softly. The windows were tinted but Song Yu still worried that someone might see them in such a position.

“Did you say I was guilty just now?” He cocked a brow and teased her, while his scorching-warm hands instinctively went to caress her waist. “What did you say I was guilty for?”

“I was just saying it,” Song Yu mumbled.

Qi Chengzhi’s lips curled up. “What did you talk to Shu Li about?”

He was privy only to one side of the conversation, that of Shu Li’s. He had not the slightest idea of Song Yu’s part.

He did, however, hear Shu Li declare her status to Song Yu, so he wondered if Song Yu had asked something of that sort through the phone.

“Nothing much. I was a little shocked when she told me who she was, but when I asked her what was going on, she just explained everything to me.” Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi’s nearing face. “I have no interest in who she is and what she wants from you, so I simply told her to pass the phone over to you.”

“No interest, eh?” Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes and gripped her waist with more force. Has her nervousness toward him waned that much already?

“It’s not like you’ll want her anyway. If you really wanted a female celebrity, you wouldn’t wait until now to find one. Shu Li’s turn would never have come.” Song Yu’s lowered her gaze and marveled at his chest, placing her hands on them.

She could feel his breaths coming closer and closer. In the meantime, his soft, thin lips would briefly rub against her forehead every now and then.

Song Yu’s heartbeat quickened and became irregular. Her hands slid across his chest in opposite directions, going past his armpit and linking back together behind him.

“Are you really that assured when it comes to me?” Happiness was seeping through his low voice, and even his dark pupils were tainted with a hint of warmth. At the corner of his eyes, his elatedness was noticeable.

His eyes shifted downward and he looked at Song Yu, the docile woman that made his heart ache so terribly. Her long lashes were obscuring her eyes slightly, and her straight nose was positioned right beside his mouth. Below her nose lay her pink, cotton-candy-like lips, while her cheek seemed so moist and pink that a gentle squeeze would allow one to obtain water from them.

That meekness was the catalyst that induced his desire to be one with her right then.

His question engendered a blush on her entire face—a redness that seemed to increase exponentially—and made her look even more delectable.

She nodded at him, with her redness flowing slowly to her ears. “Mm,” she uttered. “I feel reassured when it comes to you. No matter which female comes to you, no matter how high her status is, and no matter how beautiful she may be, you won’t even bat an eye at them. You’ve already liked me, and you’ve been liking me for so long already.”

Song Yu felt her heart race and she became more nervous when she spoke. The only thing that her lungs were breathing in was his fresh scent, and the warm manly breath emitted by his breathing.

Reddened, she lifted her head slightly and kissed him on his lips. The heat from his lips transmitted onto hers and the numb heat still remained even when her lips had released itself from his.

“I never thought I’d be with a man whom I can place all of my trust in. It’s every woman’s dream to have this kind of companion.” Her distinctly monochrome eyes glimmered with a certain radiance, and she felt emotional upon laying eyes on the ever-closer Qi Chengzhi.

Rare indeed was a man like him. He had all the right qualities and such high prestige, yet he could commit to her wholeheartedly and go to great lengths just to do that.

Song Yu felt that there was only one person like him in the entire world.

No other man would have done what he did.

It was also because all his actions—even those from the very beginning of their interactions—were designed to give her that unwavering sense of security. He never spoke of her with any inferiority in front of other women, and with his chest held high, he made sure to preserve her pride at all times.

Her source of pride was wholly gifted by the man right in front of her.

As soon as she finished her sentence, she felt a little shudder and noticed an added intensity in Qi Chengzhi’s expression.

Those black eyes seemed to burn like a black flame, making Song Yu tremble under its heat.

“Ahh!” In a flash, he hoisted her up and laid her down on the back seat, pressing himself on her.

“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu was startled because they were inside the car in broad daylight. Though the outside world could not see what was going inside because of the tinted windows, sunlight could still penetrate through the windows and make the whole interior look bright.

Save for Song Yu’s words, nothing else filled his thoughts and his heart. Her trust in him, and her shyness when she intimated her trust, stirred him emotionally to no end.

Her blushing mien and shy demeanor only sparked his excitement even more, causing him to lose himself completely.

“We’re outside!” Song Yu chastised weakly. It was of no use, as Qi Chengzhi was not going to listen to her no matter what she said.

Song Yu let out a soft huff. Her uncontrollable blushing and half-closed dazed eyes sent Qi Chengzhi’s breathing into madness.

Qi Chengzhi was so aroused that his heartbeat turned erratic. Her lustful looks fueled his lack of self-control every single time. It was like he had been transported into the mindset of a young man fresh in love. He lowered his head and kissed her red cheeks—her satiny, almost poreless skin was something he absolutely adored. The heat from her cheeks brought a warmth that augmented the scent emanating from her body.

He glued his lips to hers and caressed them, saying, “How could I ever think of anyone else if you’re always so seductive?”

Blushing and trembling, she let out a sudden huff. “Knock it off.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Qi Chengzhi answered firmly and resolutely, though he was unable to suppress his raging passion. “I’ll never get enough of you. Even if you wring my energy dry, there will always be that tiny little itch in my heart. When it comes to you, I’m what you call ‘a person whose eyes are bigger than his stomach’.”

His muscular arm wrapped Song Yu tightly, almost to the point of lifting her up from her seat. She was trapped in his embrace, bombarded by a fervent kiss on the lips.

Thinking straight was something she had always failed to do when she was in his arms. Her doll-like yearning look and helplessly lovable appearance stroked the flame within Qi Chengzhi, arousing him greatly.

Song Yu too was aroused by his masculine aura, and a quickening heartbeat was inevitable.

In a moment of impetuousness, she nearly requested to be taken back to Viewpark Residence. The only thing on her mind was to tear her man’s clothes apart and devour him with all her might.

“We can’t go out with me like this.” Qi Chengzhi’s voice was breaking. He could not resist the temptation of her lips even when he was speaking.

“…” Song Yu was speechless. Who should be to blame for that?

She remained quiet, and Qi Chengzhi stretched over to his neck to grab her hand.

“Mrs. Qi. It all depends on you.” Qi Chengzhi’s thin lips were placed on her warm cheek. He looked as though he would not move a single muscle if she did not deal with him, and yet he said those words with a reverence that appeared much more serious than it actually was.

He had already pressed Song Yu’s hand on his shaft. Refusing him was not a thought that appeared in her mind, especially since he called her ‘Mrs. Qi’.

The sight of a suffering Qi Chengzhi was not something she could bear to see.

Her small hand trembled while she grasped him. Song Yu’s face reddened even more when she heard his loud and satisfied breathing.

Gritting her teeth, she commenced her motions shyly and slightly resentfully, giving him his release.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi lay down on her with all his weight, and all he wanted to do was hug Song Yu for a round of shut-eye.

Her small hands, however, began pushing his chest. She was red-faced and exclaiming, “Come on, get up. I can’t breathe.”

Unconcerned, Qi Chengzhi was in post-release bliss. A satisfied look graced his face as he reached for her other hand that was lying to one side.

He adored her tremendously, especially since she could help relieve him despite having a more profound sense of shame.

From the storage box, he took out some tissues and wiped Song Yu’s hands clean. Then, he took her hands and began kissing them front to back.

His strong scent still remained on her hands, making her feel uncomfortable to see him kissing them all over.

“Do you have any strength to step down from the car?” Qi Chengzhi carried her up and placed her on his lap, running his slender fingers through her soft hair. Be it in actions or words, his gentleness was truly unparalleled.

“Other than a sore wrist, I’m mostly okay,” she chided, still red-faced.

Knowledge of her sore wrist made Qi Chengzhi cup her hand and massage the wrist area, feeling the silkiness of her skin using his thumb.

Qi Chengzhi began to tidy his clothes only after he made sure that Song Yu’s wrist felt better.

It was then Song Yu’s turn to make sure her clothes were alright, and once she was done, he opened the car door.

There was still some hesitation to leave the car on Song Yu’s part—she was still worried about how she looked. Afraid that someone might see her in such a state, she did her hair again and tidied her clothes. When she looked outside, Qi Chengzhi was still standing at the door, waiting for her.

He stretched out his hand in her direction and implored, “Come.”

Rascal though he was when inside the car, he was standing outside with his elegant half-smiling look that masked all traces of his earlier shameless actions.

Song Yu’s blush had yet to dissipate. She placed her hand on top of this, but she hardly expected him to pull her out of the car just as she was about to get down.

The suddenness made her lose her footing, causing her to crash into his embrace. He then wrapped himself around her.

At the very next second, she was pushed onto the car door.

Song Yu could not utter even a word of protest, as his lips came assailing her own. It was a brief kiss, one that went as quickly as it came.

It would be the subject of endless teasing if someone saw them; after all, they were in public, and at his grandparents’ home of all places.

Song Yu’s face was suffused with scarlet and she pinched him surreptitiously.

His actions were so quick that perhaps those who saw it might only see a blur; there did not seem to be any human voices either and there were probably not many people on the road. Those thoughts calmed Song Yu down.

Qi Chengzhi chuckled. He helped tidy her hair that was messed up from moments ago. A warm smile crept across his lips, and the warmth in his eyes was like a cup of warm water. It was incredibly pleasant, like being in the middle of a blowing spring wind.

He found her irresistible, kissing her after he finished doing her hair. Her forehead and nose were all planted with kisses. It seemed as though he would feel uneasy if he was deprived from kissing her. Song Yu could only blush in silence.

“Ahem!” An awkward dry cough was heard.

Song Yu was frightened and she could feel her blood run cold. A swift turn of the head and she saw Grandmother Qi staring at them, grinning from ear to ear. Beside the old lady stood a woman, whose face was equally red and embarrassed. The woman looked at Qi Chengzhi in disbelief, hardly believing her eyes that the reserved and elegant Qi Chengzhi would have his moment of intimacy.

He was no different than an ordinary man who kissed his girlfriend in public without paying attention to the time and place.

Shu Li felt envious but at the same time, she felt a twinge of despair. She knew that she could never ever pry Qi Chengzhi away from his fiancée no matter how hard she tried.

There was also the fact that Qi Chengzhi had been always maintaining a frosty disposition in front of her. She had given her phone number voluntarily—an act which was already hinting at something more—but he did not give a damn. Without even a single look, he dismissed her simply by telling her that his fiancée forbade him from receiving other women’s numbers.

For all she knew, he might not even look at her even if she climbed onto his bed.

Unfortunately for Shu Li, a man with his qualities remained out of reach.

She stood beside the old lady, having accompanied the latter home.

Song Yu was so shy that she was speechless. Her face was red hot and she felt unable to face the old lady anymore.

On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi remained calm and indifferent, without a single hint of embarrassment showing.

“Hehe, oh Xiao Shu, such a coincidence. You see, my grandson has a wonderful relationship with his fiancée. He’s so clingy with her, just look at his hand. He’ll never get his hands off my future granddaughter-in-law as long as she’s beside him.” The old lady smiled happily, disregarding completely the abundance of wrinkles on her face.

Song Yu then realized that Qi Chengzhi’s hand was holding her waist the whole time.

Shu Li could only muster a stiff smile due to the embarrassment she felt. In fact, it was becoming increasingly hard for her to even smile.

The old lady had finished shooting her scenes for that day and it just so happened that the next two scenes did not involve Shu Li. The latter’s brazenness led her to insist on accompanying the old lady home.

Earlier on she heard that Qi Chengzhi was sending Qi Youxuan home, so she knew for certain that he would be around. Being able to visit the place and recognize its whereabouts was an opportunity she was hellbent on seizing. Chances like that were not only hard to come by, the Qi family residence was also a mystery to many people.

She hoped that it could be her stepping stone to get closer to Qi Chengzhi.

Her undying persistence forced the old lady into capitulating, and in the end, Shu Li was allowed to tag along.

When they arrived at the entrance, she did not expect to see Qi Chengzhi bringing Song Yu back.

She was just about to call him when he pressed Song Yu onto the car for a kiss. It was not a very passionate one, but his then-expression was enough to make one blush.

He had a sentimental look, one that Shu Li had never seen before.

Song Yu’s face seemed familiar, but Shu Li could not put a finger on when or where she had seen Song Yu before.

“Grandma,” Song Yu greeted shyly, lowering her head without looking the old lady in the eye.

Qi Chengzhi stood there expressionlessly—all traces of his warmth had vanished into thin air.

“Hehe, you’re back!” The old lady remained glued to the spot because she knew Song Yu was feeling awkward. “This is the lead actress from our cast. She’s playing the role of my daughter in the movie. She insisted on sending me back even though it’s just a ten-minute walk and there was really no need for her to do so. Hehe, she’s too polite.”

“Hehe, you’re back!” The old lady remained glued to the spot because she knew Song Yu was feeling awkward. “This is the lead actress from our cast. She’s playing the role of my daughter in the movie. She insisted on sending me back even though it’s just a ten-minute walk and there was really no need for her to do so. Hehe, she’s too polite.”

Shu Li smiled. “Not at all, Young Master Cheng has always treated me kindly, and since you and I are in the same cast, it’s only right that I take care of you. I’m worried that Qi Chengzhi might not be too happy with me if I did something wrong.”

“Hehehe!” the old lady chuckled half-heartedly.

Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu’s waist and guided her over to where the old lady was.

Song Yu was still red-faced and feeling slightly awkward, but even so, she did not cower down in any way whatsoever. She made a point to stand in front of Shu Li and act as though she did not know Shu Li at all, making the latter feel low in spirits.

“Come here, let me introduce you.” The old lady underwent a drastic mood change—she held Shu Li’s hand with such friendliness that it was vastly different from her earlier frostiness. “Xiao Shu, this is Song Yu, my future granddaughter-in-law. Song Yu, this is Shu Li.”

Song Yu’s reaction suggested that she had only just realized that the woman in front of her was Shu Li. She smiled plainly and said, “Miss Shu, I suppose you’re the one I spoke with on the phone just now.”

Shu Li felt a sudden feeling of guilt, the kind that would be felt by a mistress when coming face-to-face with her fellow adulterer’s wife. An awkward smile later, she said, “Youxuan must have misunderstood me. He was jumping to conclusions. I’m so sorry.”

Song Yu shook her head. “Not to worry. Children are a bit more sensitive, but because of that, Youxuan’s intuition is a good one. On previous occasions, he’s always been spot-on. Still, I won’t take all that he says too seriously as Chengzhi has shown me that I can trust in him. He’s never let these things made me unhappy.”

She felt a squeeze on her waist as soon as she finished her sentence.

Song Yu looked up and saw a half-smiling Qi Chengzhi gawking at her.

The veiled threat in her words was her way of showing off her strength to the ill-intentioned Shu Li.

Song Yu felt her face heat up. Her sole intention was to tell Shu Li to back off, but in that brief moment, she forgot that Qi Chengzhi was right beside her.

She wondered if he regarded her as a jealous woman, considering his half-smiling expression and all those words she said in front of him.

His teasing look made her turn her head away shyly.

The couple’s antics seemed just like flirtation from the perspective of both Shu Li and the old lady.

Qi Chengzhi has never revealed that side of himself in front of anyone else.

Naturally, the old lady was elated, and it really touched her heart when she heard what Song Yu had to say.

“Hehehe, well we’ve reached my house. You don’t need to keep me company anymore. Go on and head back to the set!” The old lady sent Shu Li on her way with a big grin on her face. She had no intention of even inviting Shu Li in for a cup of hot tea.

Without waiting for Shu Li to respond, the old lady entered her home compound.

Left in the cold, Shu Li looked at Song Yu from head to toe. She could not believe that Song Yu was actually really pretty, with a quietness and steadiness that was different from what she originally imagined.

“Well, I’ll head back then.” Shu Li smiled and glanced at Qi Chengzhi.

The man attention, however, was wholly focused on Song Yu. He was looking at Song Yu with such single-hearted devotion that Shu Li was forgotten altogether.

Song Yu felt a slight unease at Qi Chengzhi’s insistent stares and could only nod at Shu Li. The latter seemed reluctant to leave, and after some hesitation, she finally turned and left for good.

Once Shu Li left, Song Yu’s shifted her gaze to Qi Chengzhi’s face.

He coiled up around her and brushed his lips against her reddened ears. “Didn’t you say you trust me? And that you won’t get worried even if plenty of women are throwing themselves at me?”

“I do trust you, but it doesn’t mean I don’t give a hoot about all those women offering themselves up to you! If I didn’t see them do that in person then so be it, but if I see them do it right in front of me, I can’t just let them ignore my presence.” Song Yu shot him a frosty stare. “You’d better make sure that no woman will ever get to touch you, not even a tiny touch. If they did touch you, it’d be best for you to keep it a secret, because if I found out where they touched you, I’ll never let that area come in contact with me ever again!”

Qi Chengzhi cocked his eyebrow. “Not even holding hands?”

She glared at his masculine hands and said, half-smiling, “Try it if you dare!”

To her surprise, the cheerful glimmer in his eyes intensified and he let out a soft chuckle out of sheer delight. She found it pleasing to hear his sexy and sonorous voice.

She looked at him cynically and wondered why he was smiling. All of a sudden, she felt her feet leave the ground—he had lifted her entire body up.

His strong arms supported her by the waist and he moved in to give her a good long kiss.

He gave her an intense stare after breaking the kiss. “I dare you to stop me from touching you!”

“Ahem!”

Another dry cough, and Song Yu looked embarrassedly in that direction. At some point, Qi Chengji had entered the compound and was staring at them.

She pushed Qi Chengzhi frantically in an attempt to make him place her back down. He did not. With a lackadaisical look on his face, he held her much tighter than before, to the point where he could feel the heat emanating from her cheek. It was only then that he placed her down slowly.

Qi Chengji looked at them with befuddlement. He brought his closed fist to his mouth and coughed once more before mumbling, “I think I might need a bit more time to get used to seeing the both of you being so lovey-dovey.”

Despite the fact that he and Song Yu had no romantic feelings, he still treated her as a good friend.

She was younger than him by one year, and for Qi Chengji, it felt as though his own brother was in love with his own sister. Seeing them hugging and kissing every week was something that he had to take time to get used to.

“You seem to be quite coming back quite a lot recently. Is it because you have a lot of free time?” Seemingly averse to Qi Chengji, Qi Chengzhi led Song Yu into the house.

“Well, there really isn’t anything going on. Over the next few days, I’ll use up my leave for this year and I’ll have a month and a half of rest.” Qi Chengji smiled. “You’ll be seeing me every day when that comes.”

Qi Chengzhi snickered and led Song Yu into the house.

“Chengzhi, do you have a lighter? Lend it to me for a while.” The old lady stretched out an open palm the instant she saw them coming in.

Upon returning home earlier, the first thing she asked Aunt Liu was for a lighter. Unfortunately, no one who lived there smoked, and even if Qi Chengzhi or whoever came, smoking was not permitted at all. A lighter was not the sort of thing that was needed in the house.

“No,” Qi Chengzhi replied.

“Hm?” The old lady found it rather odd and she looked at him with suspicion. “You? A heavy smoker? Without a lighter?”

“I’ve quit,” came his curt response. He did not even have cigarettes on him, much less a lighter.

At that point, it was Song Yu’s turn to be shocked. The old lady did not have to question him further, because Song Yu was the one who asked, “Why did you suddenly quit?”

Cigarettes used to stick to his fingers like glue. Their relationship made him stop smoking, but only in front of her; she knew that he was still smoking like a chimney in her absence.

Cigarettes were practically a part of him, so it came as a surprise that he suddenly quit.

Song Yu sniffed him thoroughly and realized that the familiar tobacco smell was completely absent from his scent.

“Only for a while,” was his simple reply. No further explanation was given.

“Quitting is a good thing, but why did you suddenly think of quitting?” Knowing that it was only for a moment, the old lady’s mind began to wonder. If Qi Chengzhi wanted to quit, he would have done so already. There was no need for him to wait to do it.

“Song Yu wants a child,” he dropped the bombshell suddenly and brought Song Yu over to sit on the sofa.

She did not expect that to be his reason for quitting. Her face was beginning to warm up and she had a look of stupor as she admired his handsome face. He did not seem to have any inkling of how sudden and shocking the consequences of his words were.

It also did not cross her mind that he had quit all of a sudden without telling her.

He had never smoked in front of her for quite a long time already, so if he had not told her, she would not have found out about his quitting.

Her wanting a child was reason enough for him to quit smoking.

“Really? Well that’s good then!” The old lady’s face lit up. She ran over to Song Yu and leaned over, exclaiming, “Good girl, such a good girl! In that case, I’ll have great-grandchildren to hold soon enough, right? Oh dear, that means we need to hurry up with the wedding. Or maybe the both of you can register for your marriage certificate first? In case something happens.

“My dear Song Yu, do you know when you’ll be having one?” There was no shortage of excitement from the old lady. She desperately wanted Song Yu to get pregnant right away.

“We’re going with the flow, we haven’t…” Song Yu did not know what else to say. Her ears were already scorching red.

“Grandma, I have one.” Qi Chengji words saved Song Yu from embarrassment. He fished out a lighter and handed it over to the old lady.

Then he asked, “Why do you need it for?”

She blinked a few times and waved him off. “I need it.”

After that, she scampered off to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. From her pocket she took out a piece of paper—it was the same piece of paper that Shu Li offered to Qi Chengzhi. It contained her number, and it was the very same one that he declined to accept.

When it was time for the old lady to return home, Shu Li insisted on giving her number to the old lady. She told the elderly woman to call her should the need arise, be it in matters relating to the film or anything else.

Of course, the ‘fiancée excuse’ was not available to the old lady. That, and in addition to Shu Li’s stubbornness, left the old lady with no other choice but to take the paper.

The old woman knew all too well that Shu Li was hoping for a chance to get in touch with Qi Chengzhi.

“Hmph! You little minx. Don’t even think about it!” The elderly lady cursed, lit the fire, and burnt the paper up.

Just as the fire was about to hit her finger, she dropped whatever that remained into the toilet bowl, tugging on the flush and sending it down the sewer.

…

…

Back in the living room, the couple was there with Qi Chengji as the only other person. Song Yu turned to look at Qi Chengzhi’s calm face. As stern as he looked, the things he did were incredibly heart-warming.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you quit smoking?” She put her arm under his and held his slender fingers, all while looking warmly at him.

Qi Chengzhi turned and gave her a nonchalant gaze. “It wasn’t something really important, so I forgot about it.”

Song Yu was about to ask how he could even forget such a thing, but she then noticed his ears turning red.

After a few occasions, Song Yu could discern the moments when Qi Chengzhi felt embarrassed, and those moments did in fact occur once in a while. It was not something too noticeable, for it was only the tips of his ears that reddened.

In addition, the tips of his ears were his most sensitive area. Back when they were at the KTV, it only took a little peck on his ears to make them increase in redness. The cuteness was simply too much for her.

She surmised that his quitting was not as insignificant as he put out to be. Rather, he had a habit of doing things quietly, and perhaps he found it a bit awkward to bring it up!

“When did you quit?” Song Yu could not help herself from leaning over to him even closer. As long as she was beside him, she simply could not resist clinging onto him.

Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips, seemingly unwilling to say it out loud. All he did was look quietly at her.

“Come on, tell me!” Song Yu urged softly.

A twitch on his lips, and he began telling her everything. “I started when you told me you wanted kids. We were still in Paris at that time. But because I’ve been smoking for so many years, it’s not like I can just quit immediately. I was holding it in for a few days already, and when I really can’t stand it, I’ll smoke one. I’m trying hard to stop it, but as of now I think I can pretty much control myself.”

Warmth began surging in Song Yu’s heart. She felt an unspeakable emotion, and in a moment of spontaneity, his fresh scent prompted her to kiss him on his ears. Qi Chengji’s presence was completely ignored.

Qi Chengji felt quite stunned since he had yet to come to terms with seeing the couple engaging in public acts of affection.

Song Yu used to be scared of Qi Chengzhi.

Qi Chengji recalled how Song Yu was still in primary school when Qi Chengzhi was already an adult. During Qi Chengzhi’s tenure as Jixia’s headmaster, Song Yu was not even an adult yet—she was still a high-schooler then.

The age gap was essentially too large, and by virtue of his long-lasting first impression on both Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Qi Chengji felt that Song Yu was a child when compared to her male counterpart.

Nevertheless, Song Yu was leaning into Qi Chengzhi and canoodling with him at that very moment. She even forgot where she was and kissed him on his ear.

Qi Chengji knew that the couple would have done everything that the birds and bees would do; a child was their goal, after all. Still, it still did not diminish the fact that he found it very unnerving.

Qi Chengzhi felt equally shocked, for it did not occur to him that a meek woman like her would just kiss him on a whim.

His ears were still red due to her kiss, and the tame little expression on her gentle face seemed to suggest that he was all that her eyes and heart were focused on.

A pounding in his heart made him ignore Qi Chengji’s presence too. He lowered his head and gave her a big kiss on her lips.

Qi Chengji facepalmed because the couple was simply turning a blind eye and deaf ear to his existence.

They did not seem to mind that they were treating him like an inanimate object.

Song Yu’s blushing and amorous demeanor was characteristic of a woman madly in love. He never saw anything like that in his entire life.

Song Yu aside, Qi Chengzhi’s tender expression was more than a sickening sight.

Qi Chengzhi had never been one to look too kindly on his own little brother. He had never held back his bullying, even.

With Song Yu, however, he had a near-angelic temper. Qi Chengji just could not bear the sight in front of him.

Moments later, a soft murmur from Song Yu was heard. “Do you want a son or a girl? I heard that the chances of getting a girl are higher if the parents are smokers.”

Qi Chengzhi got up without a single word. With no clue as to what his intentions were, Song Yu’s first reaction was to tug onto him. “Where are you going?”

“To get a pack of cigarettes,” Qi Chengzhi replied plainly.

“…” Song Yu froze blankly. Once she finally reacted, she had a look of disbelief as she pulled him down. “You want a girl that badly?”

“Mm.” He nodded earnestly without a second thought. “If I had a son, he’ll go against me if he isn’t obedient and I’ll get angry. A daughter would be much softer and more considerate.”

Qi Chengji touched his nose, thinking how Qi Chengzhi was practically describing himself with that statement.

Ever since Qi Chengzhi got together with Song Yu, he managed to rile his parents up countless times.

“It’s okay, just let it come naturally. If this one’s a boy, I’ll give you many more, until you get a girl.” Song Yu smiled.

Qi Chengzhi could not help but chuckle. His coarse and handsome palm emanated heat as he came into contact with her belly. “How many children do you plan to give me?”

Song Yu had a scarlet-red face and was momentarily unable to give any response. Then, she heard the old lady giggling happily upon coming out. She immediately released herself from Qi Chengzhi and sat up properly.

The elderly woman returned the lighter to Qi Chengji, leaving the latter with a questioning gaze. ‘Why did she bring the lighter into the bathroom? It could not possibly be because she was hiding in there to smoke, could it?’

Barely seconds after taking her seat, the old lady stood up once more and went into her bedroom.

Sometime later she brought out a palm-sized wooden box and sat beside Song Yu.

“My dear Song Yu.” The old woman opened the box, revealing a green ancestral jadeite bangle. It was lustrous and glossy, with a small glimmer of fluorescence. “Long ago, I got these jadeite bangles for each of my grandsons. They were waiting to be given to my future granddaughters-in-law, once my grandsons found suitable candidates.”

The old lady took the bangle out and placed it on Song Yu’s left hand, explaining, “Actually this is my dowry. In the olden days, our family was among the great ones, and our ancestors were imperial officials, so they collected many things. When instability came, we were fortunate that our ancestors had the foresight and managed to protect all these things. Antique jadeite artifacts were passed down, generation by generation.”

“It’s been years and years since I took care of this dowry. This jadeite bangle is as antique as antique can get.”

Song Yu accepted it because it would be bad manners to reject it.

She was going to marry Qi Chengzhi anyway and the bangle was a gift from the old lady’s heart. The old woman was not going to like it if Song Yu declined the gift.

Song Yu’s wrist was too small however, and no effort was needed to push her hand in. Worse still, it seemed as though it would slide off her hand at any given moment.

“Oh no, it’s too big.” It was evident from the old lady’s eyes that she was disappointed, but she continued, “I chose the smallest one available, but never mind, just keep it at home. When it’s time, you can pass it on to your daughter-in-law. I’ll bring you to get another one later, I think only a Guifei 1bangle would suit you.”

Song Yu smiled and accepted the bangle, saying, “Even if I could wear it, I’d be reluctant to wear it. I’d definitely be keeping it at home.”

‘That’s right, that’s right. I’d be reluctant too. It’d be so heartbreaking to knock it against something. The one I’m wearing is store-bought too. Those that are passed down are just too precious,” the old lady remarked.

…

…

The couple remained at the Qi family residence until after dinner. The next was a Sunday, and they had agreed on visiting the Song family that day.

In recent times, Song Yu would visit her parents every weekend if there was nothing going on for her. Even if she could not stay for a whole day, she would at least go back for a few hours.

If Qi Chengzhi had no work to do, he would always accompany her as well.

At home, Song Donglin was busy mopping the floor while Yu Qianying was washing some fruits in the kitchen. They were both waiting for Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi to arrive.

The doorbell suddenly rang while they were still busy, eliciting a loud shout from Yu Qianying, “They’re here!”

She opened the tap and washed her hands before wiping them on her apron. Running over to the door, she opened it with a smile. “Why are you both so early today?”

Footnotes:

Ch 155 Footnote 1

贵妃 – it roughly translates to ‘Imperial Consort’, but more appropriately it is the highest rank for imperial consorts during the Tang Dynasty. This design originated from the Tang Dynasty where Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环), one of Emperor Tang Xuanzong’s (唐玄宗) consorts, came up with an innovative oval-shaped bangle.