Song Yu was still unable to utter a word. She could only stare blankly when the folder was handed before her.

“Take a look,” said Jian Yi. “These are the evidence. I’ve warned you not to trust Qi Chengzhi and marry him too soon. I knew that he’d hid something from you. I knew it was something serious but I didn’t have any evidence at that time. So, I could only warn you about it to prepare you for what’s coming,” he spoke calmly and this time with a little pride.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it if I couldn’t provide any evidence. That’s the reason why I didn’t tell you about what he’d done. Even I find it hard to believe, let alone you. Now, I’ve finally found the evidence.”

Song Yu finally regained focus. Her mind was also starting to work again. However, her hands were still unusually cold.

“Don’t you want to take a look?” Jian Yi urged as Song Yu was still not taking any action.

“The bankruptcy of the Song family was all plotted by Qi Chengzhi. After bankruptcy, you had suffered a lot. Uncle and auntie had to undergo many hardships and stress. All of this happened because of Qi Chengzhi.

“If it’s not because of him, the Song family would have still been the same. You wouldn’t have to be mocked by Wu Lijun and the clique. Auntie wouldn’t have to be bullied by Liang Lihua and the others. She wouldn’t have to be placed at a disadvantage end while facing them. You wouldn’t have to lean over and backward to make a living, running around busily and putting up a mask on the drinking table, you…”

“That’s enough.” Song Yu interrupted coldly. “You don’t have to say anything more. All those talking are just so that I’m convinced to look at these, isn’t it?”

Song Yu opened the file but she was hesitant to take out the documents.

She thought of the soft gaze of Qi Chengzhi when he looked at her. Those expressions that he had never given to others.

She thought of the mellow voice of Qi Chengzhi and how it had comforted her when she was anxious.

She thought of his cozy hug and gentle palm. How they had brought her calmness while they lingered on her body.

At that moment, all she wanted was just to call Qi Chengzhi. She wanted to hear his voice, to ask him personally if he had done it.

He could not have done her wrong!

That man had loved her so much!

Song Yu reached into the file and retrieved the documents with trembling hands. As she read, she heard Jian Yi spoke.

“Qi Chengzhi is the person behind this company.”

“The company was founded in the United States. At that time, he used an English name and is not very well-known in our country. That’s the reason why the people didn’t know much about it. Besides, no one paid attention to the legal person of the company.

“The Song family went bankrupt eight years ago. You were seventeen years old whereas Qi Chengzhi was twenty-six. The company was founded in the United States when he was eighteen years old. It took him six years to break your company apart, bit by bit.

“Here is the information about the company and also the legal person.” Jian Yi went on. “You could do verifications if you want to be sure.”

Jian Yi smiled sarcastically. “I couldn’t help but acknowledge the talent of Qi Chengzhi. At the age of twenty, he had already graduated with a Ph.D. At the age of eighteen, he founded a company. In two years, his company was able to gain a reputation in the United States. Then, with patience, he took six years to ruin the Song family.

“Tell me… What animosity was he feeling toward the Song family? Why did he need to be so cruel? He is now showing such passionate love toward you. Who would have thought that he was the culprit of the Song family’s downfall? Or, is it possible that his attitude toward you now is just compensation for the things that he had done?”

When Jian Yi saw the page Song Yu was at, he sneered.

“Do you still remember the first time Grandmother Qi went to your house? She called Xia Wenna out for a talk, didn’t she? I’ve told you a long time ago that I heard their conversation. The two photos in Xia Wenna’s phone are the evidence. The photos that you are looking at are the copies of the photos in Xia Wenna’s phone. Though Grandmother Qi has deleted the photos in Xia Wenna’s phone, they still exist in the backup of the cloud. I contacted a hacker and had him hacked into Xia Wenna’s backup. That’s how I got these photos.

“These two photos were being taken by Xia Wenna on the sly. They were in the documents given to her by Qi Chengzhi. So, you may discover some things if you go into his study room.”

Song Yu trembled and shivered uncontrollably. She was feeling a chill in the air.

At this particular moment, she was clueless about who she could trust. She did not even have confidence in Qi Chengzhi anymore, the one who she had always had faith in.

Had he been lying to her?

He ruined the Song family and the life of her parents.

She had always been grateful that the Song family went bankrupt. She had never regretted but she knew that she should not have brought her parents along into this mess.

When she was in senior high school year, she had to focus on her studies. Therefore, she could not go to work. That was the hardest year of Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

Song Donglin, the former chief executive officer of a company, had to earn a living as a taxi driver and had a restless life. He had to overcome his status transition and pride.

He used to be the one whom people please and gratify but at that time, he became the one who begged on bended knee.

Whenever Song Donglin had to work night shift, Song Yu and Yu Qianying would be insomniacs due to worrisome. They would be concerned about Song Donglin’s safety.

On the other hand, Yu Qianying, the former noblewoman who had never needed to prepare coffee by herself, had to do all the house chores.

That very year, she had to be a part-time house-keeper. She had to work in one place in the morning and another in the night. Due to the constant bending over during her job, she would be too exhausted to straighten her back when she came home.

Since then, Yu Qianying had developed lumbar strain. She would have back pain whenever she overworked. It would be so excruciating that it brought her difficulty to stand.

Recently, Liang Lihua came to their house to humiliate them because she knew that her parents fell into disgrace. Back in those days, she would not have the nerve to do so.

Looking at the evidence in her hand, Song Yu just wanted to ask Qi Chengzhi why did he have to do that?

“The things that Qi Chengzhi has done to your family may not make you two into irreconcilable enemies, but they are absolutely unforgivable! He says that he loves you, he has even gotten you by his side. But the truth is, he has been deceiving you all this while. Money and women, he’s got both! You have been sleeping with your enemy all this while… You have been saying ‘I love you’ in the arms of your enemy!” spoke Jian Yi coldly, with a little sarcasm in his tone.

“I’ve warned you to not believe in him. Now that you recall what you’ve done, are they not ironic?”

Jian Yi curled his lips. “After knowing what he has done, can you still marry him in peace? Song Yu, if you marry him, there’s no difference in marrying an enemy.”

Song Yu returned the documents into the file. Her hand was on the car door handle but she was not able to open it.

“I want to get out.” The look on Song Yu was expressionless and cold. She sounded in despair.

“Song Yu, don’t you have anything to say about this? Do you still plan to stay with him?” Jian Yi observed her pale face. She disappointed him by not showing any resentment.

“Unlock it, I want to get out,” Song Yu spoke again. She sounded soft but cold.

“Where do you want to go? Let me fetch you,” said Jian Yi.

“I don’t think I should leave you alone, I’m concerned about your emotion at this moment.”

“Unlock the door.” Song Yu had nothing else to say, but to repeat, “I want to get out.”

Her tone was as cold as her expression, like ashes of the dead.

Jian Yi kept quiet for a while then sighed. He tolerated and said, “I know that this is a heavy cross to bear. The man whom you loved is the culprit of your family’s bankruptcy. It’s okay, go home and steady your nerves. Then, think about your next course of action,” he spoke sincerely and unlocked the door.

Silently, Song Yu got out of the car with the file held tight in her hands. She did not even glance at Jian Yi when she closed the door.

When she left the parking lot, the file in her hand had already been squashed out of shape. The thick kraft papers were then soft and crumpled, sound of crumpling papers in her hands could be heard.

At the same time, cold sweat from her palms soften the material of file.

Song Yu trembled. It was as if everything became unfamiliar and foreign to her.

She did not know how to differentiate the truth and lie anymore.

The reliable smile on Qi Chengzhi’s handsome face appeared in her mind. The first thought was to rush into his arms. She hoped that he would tell her that these were all made-up.

She hoped that he would tell her that all of the evidence were made-up, that Jian Yi was accusing him, that he loved her with all his heart, that he had not done anything wrong to her, that he was still the Qi Chengzhi that she could trust, that he was reliable and persistent, that she was always in his heart…

He had never laid his eyes on the other ladies when they were dating, not even a glance.

Not even Guan Xiaolin, Yu Keyao, and Shu Li, or many others that she did not know about.

To the general public, Qi Chengzhi concealed his emotions and treated outsiders with a stern face that gave them shudders. On the inside, however, he was a calm and reserved. That being said, he would turn into an easily jealous, petty man when he was around her.

He tolerated and pampered her for whatever mistake that she made. He would get mad but would also forgive her in the end.

Qi Changzhi’s eyes would only be filled with tenderness when he looked at Song Yu and he could change his expression in shocking speed. He could change his expressions in a split second when he looked from Song Yu to another person. Song Yu had lost count of the times he was able to pull that off flawlessly.

Song Yu could not believe that his behaviour toward her were just an act of compensation. She could not believe that his affections toward her was merely to compensate for what he had done eight years ago.

The words that had been spoken by Qi Chengzhi might not be promises but they had been engraved on her mind. She could not believe that those words were spoken out of guilt.

Song Yu strolled aimlessly as her mind was in a complete mess.

She turned over to look for a taxi but all she saw was Jian Yi’s black Cayenne. She did not notice that she was being stalked.

Her lips formed a thin line and she had butterflies in her stomach. All she wanted to do was to smash his car.

Why did he have to investigate? Why did he have to tell her these?

Why would he not leave her alone, to let her live that peaceful life she had always wanted?

It bothered her so much that she wished that she could be kept in the dark for the rest of her life. She refused to learn about the truth.

She stopped walking. There was no point to wander anymore. Jian Yi’s Cayenne had stopped by the roadside not far away from her.

Song Yu refused to look at Jian Yi. She waved to stop the taxi that was passing by. She did not head to Qilin but Viewpark Residence instead.

On the journey to her destination, she received a call from Ruan Danchen.

“Song Yu, why haven’t you come back to the office? Is everything alright?” Ruan Danchen finished her lunch and could not find Song Yu in the cafe. She went back to the office but neither was Song Yu there.

She thought Song Yu had gone for lunch after sending off Yu Zixiu. In fact, Song Yu had not come back, even when the afternoon shift had already passed thirty minutes.

“Something has arisen. Please help me to ask Director Zhao for a leave of absence,” said Song Yu with her lips pursed. She frowned at what she saw in the rearview mirror. Jian Yi was still pursuing her.

“Song Yu, are you alright?” Ruan Danchen sounded worried on the phone.

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to take a rest at home,” in the rearview mirror, the Cayenne was still pursuing behind.

Ruan Danchen promised her without any hesitation. Song Yu’s leave of absence was not difficult to ask for. Director Zhao had not dared to raise any objection.

It was just that Ruan Danchen felt like there was something wrong through Song Yu’s tone, but she could not get any confirmation from Song Yu.

She could only remind her, “If there’s something going on, you are welcome to call me.”

Song Yu promised and ended the call. She glanced at the rearview mirror once again, lips tightly pursed, before she slid upon a number and called.

“Jian Yi, if you don’t want to get a slap in the face, don’t follow me anymore! Don’t you ever think that I would treat you better after you’ve given me this evidence! This is between Qi Chengzhi and me. There’s no place for you! No matter what kind of relationship we would end up, it is none of your business! About what you have done, I would only be more despise and sick of you. Since I’ve seen the evidence and you’ve reached your goal, from now on, get the hell out of my life!”

Initially, Jian Yi was still a little excited to received a call from her. However, when he heard about what Song Yu had said, he glowered, almost throwing his phone out of the car.

Since the incident between him and Qi Chengyue was revealed, Song Yu had been showing animosity towards him. She was always scoffing at him, but had never used rude words towards him.

This time, she had even used the word ‘hell’.

Jian Yi gripped on his phone until his knuckles were white, “So, are you going to ignore this evidence and stay beside Qi Chengzhi? Even when he had done something wrong to you? Are you going to ignore the feelings of your parents and stay with him? Song Yu, have your love to him made you lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong? Or-”

Song Yu cut him off by ending of the call.

Jian Yi was caught off guard. He flung the phone to the seat next to him. However, the phone was smashed on the car door and bounced to the bottom of the seat.

From the rearview mirror, Song Yu saw the Cayenne made a change of direction all of a sudden, and stopped by the roadside. It was not trailing her anymore.

…

…

Aunt Yang was surprised to see Song Yu. She asked for the reason why she had come back so early.

Song Yu simply made up a reason for her, while her hand was still holding onto the file. It was supposed to be light, but she was feeling heavy.

She subconsciously hid the file behind. She did not want anyone to find out about it.

Aunt Yang did not suspect anything and got back to her work.

Song Yu grasped onto the file and went into Qi Chengzhi’s study. She was not afraid of being seen by Aunt Yang.

Even if Aunt Yang had seen her, she would not be suspicious too. Qi Chengzhi had never forbidden Song Yu into the study. She was free to roam around every corner of the house.

Song Yu closed the door of the study but she did not let go of the crumpled file in her hands. There was a funny feeling that the file would be misplaced and risking revelation of the information contained within.

She grabbed the file in one hand and opened the door of the bookcase. There were specialized books and files. Song Yu looked out whether there was anything in between the pages of each book while opening each file to take a look.

In the end, the whole bookcase was searched all over, but she had not found anything related to what she was looking for.

Song Yu looked around, and her eyes landed on the desk.

Song Yu moved slowly towards it and sat on the swivel chair. Her eyes glanced through the objects on the desk and landed on the drawer.

She instinctively felt that she was going to find something here. However, when her hand came into contact with the drawer handle, she hesitated.

She was fearful of discovering some pieces of evidence that would be a disadvantage to Qi Chengzhi.

If she saw them, what should she do?

Song Yu was feeling a little withdrawn. Until the sweat in her palm had completely wet the folder, the other hand of hers was then put on the drawer handle. She pulled out the drawer steadily.

There was nothing but a thick book lying inside. It looked like a notebook.

Song Yu took the book out, and looked out whether if there was anything in between the pages, just like how she had checked the specialized books and files earlier.

Then, her heart skipped a beat, almost getting a muscle spasm due to her nervousness.

In fact, she did find something in the book.

With her shaky hands, Song Yu had no choice but to leave the folder on the desk. She glanced once again at the folder as if to make sure it was safe to do so.

Only by then, she flipped to the page where the item was being kept. However, it was not any secretive file that she had expected. It was only a plain white paper that had turned yellow.

The paper had deckle edges on one side. It was obviously being torn from another book. Its yellowish color showed that this paper had had a few years of history.

On top of it was poor handwriting of the two words “Jiang Yuan”. It was written with a bright blue colored sign pen.

Bright blue color. Her favorite color.

The poor handwriting looked immature. It was undeniable that it was written by a child who had just started to learn writing. Even the horizontal lines were as crooked as earthworms.

It dawned on Song Yu, that these two words were written by her.

When was it?

Song Yu frowned and tried to recall. She remembered that it was not long after she had started learning to write her own name.

At that time, she was still in kindergarten, but she could not remember how old she was. It was a vague memory.

Yu Qianying was going to teach her to write her name. That would be the first two words she learned to write since birth.

That day, Xia Wenna brought Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengji to play. On the other hand, Yu Qianying was taking out a book and a bright blue colored sign pen which was Song Yu’s favorite. Right before Yu Qianying started to teach, Xia Wenna and her two sons arrived.

So, Yu Qianying had to put aside the teaching lesson and give Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengji the nod to play with Song Yu.

That time, she had already felt that Qi Chengzhi was like an adult, who was years elder than her.

However, she was not afraid of him. She was rather relied on him, treating him as a dependable big brother.

Qi Chengzhi noticed the book and pen in her fair, soft hands, and asked her what she was planning to do.

Song Yu spoke gloomily, “Before you came, mom was planning to teach me how to write my name.”

Song Yu pouted and looked unhappy.

She had only known how to write numbers like one, two, three, four. It was finally time for her to learn how to write words, just like an adult would. This had excited little Song Yu very much. She was more excited than getting to learn numbers as she always had the curiosity for learning new things.

However, due to the arrival of Xia Wenna and her two sons, the lesson had to be rescheduled.

The problem was that if she was not to write then, she would be uncomfortable. Her heart would be aching for it with her mind being unable to let go of it.

“I can teach you.” She remembered that he was just about ten at that time. However, Qi Chengzhi was already a more reserved child compared to the other children his same age.

“Really?” The little mouth of Song Yu which was pouting earlier immediately turned into a bright smile.

Qi Chengzhi nodded, but Qi Chengji who was at the side of him showed dissatisfaction. “But I want to play!”

Qi Chengzhi drew out a Chinese hacky sack from his pocket and threw it at him. “Go on, play it in the garden.”

Qi Chengji caught the Chinese hacky sack with both hands. Surprisingly, he was easily dismissed – he had stopped complaining and ran to the garden to play by himself.

“Where are we going to write?” Qi Chengzhi asked.

Little Song Yu eagerly reached out her fair soft little hands and pulled Qi Chengzhi to her bedroom.

Her bedroom was a little too big for her age. To his surprise, it was not in pink like other girls, which he had anticipated at first. It was only in warm beige color which made him feel comfortable. He did not have to be blinded by the color pink.

In spite of that, there was something that could not be avoided. Dolls that piled up over the table and bed.

In between the bed and the door, there was a space where a coffee table was placed. If they were to sit on the soft rug, the height of the table would be just fine for them.

Qi Chengzhi sat beside Song Yu, sneaking one arm around her. His other hand held hers that was holding the pen. Bringing her soft little hand to write down these two words:

Jiang Yuan.

For an eleven-year-old, Qi Chengzhi’s handwriting was really beautiful. Though it was not as smooth as it would normally be since he was holding Song Yu’s hand. It was neat and firm, foreshadowing how strong his handwriting would be in the future.

“What is this?” Song Yu blinked. She did not recognize those two words. “Is this my name?”

“This is my name.” He was still holding her in his arm.

“But your name has three words!” Song Yu pouted. “I may be very young, but don’t you lie to me.”

Qi Chengzhi laughed at her reaction. “I’m not lying to you. This is really my name. It is my other name.”

“You have two names?” Song Yu opened her mouth in shock. This was her first time discovering that one could have two names. “Why do you have two names?”

“The members of my family all have two names,” answered Qi Chengzhi patiently. “Of course, only our Qi family has. This is my other name, Jiang Yuan.”

Qi Chengzhi taught her how to pronounce them. After making sure Song Yu had recognized these two words, he said “this name is a secret. I’ve only told one person, which is you. You can’t tell anyone.”

“Okay.” Song Yu nodded and promised him.

Qi Chengzhi chuckled as if to hint something and said, “I’m not sure if you will remember it or not in the future.”

Then, he tore the page out, laying it at the side of the book. “Write these again according to it.”

This time, Song Yu’s fair, soft little hand held the pen by itself and wrote them down without the help of Qi Chengzhi. The handwriting was of course crooked. The two dots on top of the word Jiang were flying out of shape. The three horizontal lines were as crooked as earthworms. The word “Nu” at the bottom was far away from the upper part, leaving a big gap in between, looking like two words.

Despite that, the word “Yuan” was smaller in size than the word “Jiang”. Plus, it did not look like it was well-aligned.

Upon finishing her writing, Qi Chengzhi also tore out that page. Folded it neatly and put it in his pocket.

…

…

Song Yu was now holding that paper which had turned yellow. It seemed to have become thin and fragile from time. It was as if it could be effortlessly broken down into pieces.

Looking at two of the misaligned words “Jiang Yuan”, her memories became clearer.

She remembered Qi Chengzhi who told her in confidence that this was his other name.

When she was small, she was still unaware of The Great Eight Families. She did not know that other than their given names, they would have courtesy names too.

The Great Eight Families originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. When the Qin Dynasty defeated the six states, their ancestors, who were the aristocrats then, had a narrow escape. With the help of the National Teachers of Wei, the aristocrats of the seven states all came together. They concealed their identities to continue their lives. Along with the continuous war, they had established unimaginable cultural conservation.

As they were unable to use their surnames when they were supposed to remain hidden, they had taken their states’ names as their new surnames to continue making a living. They kept their actual surnames as their courtesy names. From one generation to the next, the surnames had been passed on lest they forget their origins.

“Jiang”, was the surname of Qi state’s aristocrats.

Song Yu was unaware of this. Even when she was engaged to Qi Chengzhi, she had no inkling of the courtesy name of Qi Chengzhi.

She had never connected those ancestors’ surnames to The Great Eight Families.

This was because the courtesy names of The Great Eight Families were only made known to the wives.

Only then Song Yu knew about the culture of The Great Eight Families, fully aware that each of them had been holding different courtesy names. Other than that, she remembered what was initially forgotten – of what Qi Chengzhi had told her when she was small.

By recalling what Qi Chengzhi had said in the past, she could easily understand the meaning behind these two words.

Song Yu could not help but cry in shock. Her hand trembled while holding onto the piece of paper while gasping for air at the same time.

She had not expected Qi Chengzhi to have told her about his courtesy name at such an early age.

She was very young then. The memories she had of that age were vague. She could only remember bits and pieces from that incident with most of the details faded away.

How could he be so confident that she would remember his name?

What if she had forgotten?

Before discovering the paper, she had really forgotten about its existence. She did not remember his courtesy name. Surprisingly, he had not brought it up to her too.

Song Yu did not understand. Why did he tell her his courtesy name when she was in such an early age. This was something that was only supposed to be divulged to his wife.

Her fingers shakily caressed the ugly and misaligned words, before folding it back gently.

Twenty years came by and he was still holding onto it.

She placed back the paper to where it was supposed to be. Only by then, it dawned on her that the book was a diary. The place that was keeping the paper, was the last page of the diary.

Song Yu recognized it. The strong but reserved handwriting. It was the handwriting of Qi Chengzhi.

The last diary entry wrote:

Song Yu accepted my proposal. She will be my bride. Finally.

It was short, but it surprisingly met the personality of Qi Chengzhi. No matter if it was his speaking or diary scribblings, they were always simple and straightforward.

She was unaware of the reason but Song Yu could still feel his excitement and agitation through his words despite it being short and simple.

While caressing the lines of words with her finger, the charming face of Qi Chengzhi appeared on the paper.

It was as if he was watching her carefully and concentratedly at that moment.

Song Yu turned to the first page of the diary and began reading.

…

…

‘Today was the first day of Song Yu being in elementary school. It was her very first time wearing the school uniform of Jixia School. I saw her passing through the school entrance with a careful expression.’

…

‘Today, we came across each other. Song Yu seemed to have become afraid of me. She lowered her head and left without greeting me.’

…

‘Song Yu is now in fourth grade.’

…

‘From tomorrow onwards, I will be studying abroad in the United States. I would not know how Song Yu would look like when I come back. Would she be gorgeous?’

…

‘Today was the very first day that I am not able to see Song Yu.’

…

‘Today was the second day.’

…

…

She kept turning the pages forward. Qi Chengzhi did not have any other sort of entries. The rest were constantly counting on how many days he had not seen her.

…

‘Today was the second month and the tenth day I was not able to see Song Yu.’

…

‘Today was the fifth month and the seventh day I was not able to see Song Yu. I had founded a company here. I named it Feather.’

…

‘Today was the second year, third month and the third day I was not able to see Song Yu. She had been engaged to Qi Chengji.’

…

‘Today was the second year, third month and the fourth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I gave my family a call. They insisted on the engagement. They would not regret it in any case.’

…

‘Today was the second year, third month and the fifth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I have made a decision. Whether I would be spending a long time, or making a big effort, even if it required me to be unscrupulous, I must destroy the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji.’

…

‘Yesterday, I met Song Yu. At long last. However, she was not aware of it. I found her drowning. As long as I was here, I would never let her get into any accidents. Only when she was in my embrace, I realized that my Song Yu had grown up.’

…

‘Today was the fourth year, seventh month and twelve days I was not able to see Song Yu. If she knew about what I had done, she would hate me.’

…

‘Today was the fourth year, seventh month and the twenty-fifth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I do not regret the things I had done to the Song family. Or else, she would have been the bride of another person.’

…

‘Tomorrow I would be returning to my homeland. I will be able to see Song Yu.’

…

‘My family had allowed me to work in Qilin. I chose to be the principal of Jiaxia School so that I could see Song Yu every day.’

…

‘Today, I saw Song Yu from the window of my office. She was having P.E. lessons in her sportswear and it was a beautiful sight.’

…

‘Today, I saw Song Yu walking to the restaurant from my window.’

…

‘Today, I saw Song Yu going to school.’

…

‘Chengji is in trouble. The engagement was called off. The bankruptcy of the Song family is exposed. I wanted to remedy this situation, but it was too late.’

…

‘Song Yu is working part-time. I hate myself for letting her suffer.’

…

‘Song Yu is furthering her studies in B University. I will wait for her graduation.’

…

‘Song Yu had chosen architecture as her major. I have begun to pay attention to the trends in the property markets.’

…

‘Song Yu went to Chengshi. I requested to be transferred to the Qilin Property. We will meet.’

…

‘Today I met my Song Yu. Finally, I could meet her face to face again. At that moment, it felt like I was alive again. I could feel my heart beating and blood warming up. I felt human again.’

…

‘I have finally kissed Song Yu. However, I could only pretend that I was dreaming of another lady. She was furious yet still beautiful. She did not know that it was my first kiss. I had not had any other lady in my life aside from her.’

…

‘She confessed to me today, but it was meant for another man. At that moment, I felt like my heart had stopped beating. It was so uncomfortable, I felt the pain.’

…

‘Song Yu adores another man, but the man is worthy of it.’

…

‘I was just in front of her, but she could not see.’

…

‘My Song Yu, she is finally my Song Yu.’

…

‘I fear that she would know about the truth behind the Song family’s bankruptcy. I am afraid that she would leave me if she finds out.’

…

‘As long as she does not hate me and would continue being by my side; as long as she agrees to be my wife, I would be willing to give up the entirety of the Qi family, just to repay her one Song family.’

…

‘I care for neither the Qi family nor the Song family. I only want Song Yu. Her taking up my surname and becoming my wife, in this life, forever.’

…

‘I want to propose to her, my Song Yu. Finally, it is worth waiting for.’

…

…

Song Yu almost lost her breath. Looking at the strong handwriting on the pages, her chest felt like it had been blocked by a rock, her eyes felt sore and warm. Eventually, with one droplet following another, tears dripped onto the paper.

Every diary entry of his was short, with only a few sentences. Regardless, every day, every page was dedicated to her.

He said he had never been with any other lady. He had been waiting for her. He went so far as to keep his first kiss for her.

A man with such few words, even his diary had little to say. However, the strong handwriting of his showed his untempered emotions.

Song Yu held onto the diary dumbfounded, still feeling astounded by the words in his diary.

She could not help but think about how Qi Chengzhi was when he was writing the diary. What kind of emotions he had running through him, what kind of impressions he had on his mind.

Day by day, he had been counting the days that he could not see her. There was no more than the words which were noting down days that he could not see her.

It could have been such a simple sentence, but it was making her heart ache. It seemed like his daily life had been revolving around her. Constantly taking notes of how long it had been since he last met her, how long he would need to wait before going back to meet her.

His words made her feel like she was his whole world, his only world.

Without her, he would be nothing.

This kind of love was too overwhelming. She thought that she had already loved him a lot. She thought that hers was already enough to return his love. Now only did she know that her love for him was still far shallower from his.

She did not know that he had been watching her for such a long time.

She did not know that the existence of such an innocent man in the world was still possible. Clean on both inside and out while retaining himself in the purest state, just for her.

When she encountered him again, her first impression of him was the clean temperament on him. Now only did she realize that it was not just his appearance.

What if before all these happened, she was to have a boyfriend? What if she had been married? What if… she had given her first time to another man? What would he do? Had those thoughts never crossed his mind?

Would it be unfair to him?

Her fingertips kept caressing on his strong handwriting. She could not comprehend how he had done it. How he could wait for her for such a long time, with such patience.

He was so reckless. Plotting all these, just for her.

Song Yu closed her eyes. His clean face again appeared in her mind again.

At that moment, she missed him very dearly.

Her chest was in pain. She carefully closed the diary and pressed it onto her chest, a place where it closest to her heart.

“You are a foolish, idiotic man,” she whispered while unable to stop holding back her tears. “I am sorry that I haven’t been there for you. I am sorry to have been engaged to Qi Chengji before.”

If it was not for that, he would not be forced out of his hand to the extent that he had to destroy the Song family to marry her.

She was supposed to resent him, but now she possessed nothing but resounding love for him.

‘I would be willing to give up the entire of Qi family, just to repay her one Song family.’ Having read that sentence, she was not able to carry on resenting him anymore.

She knew that he was sincere. As long as she did not hate him, he was willing to sacrifice anything. Even if she had requested for the world, he would also not hesitate to get it for her.

She had never known that one person could love her to such an extent.

Song Yu placed the diary back into the drawer gently, before closing it. With hesitations, she opened the cupboard under the drawer again.

Lying inside was a safe box. Strangely, she knew that what she had been looking for was inside of the safe box.

Song Yu moved and squatted in front of the safe box with her fingers touching the lock softly.

With her fingers shaking after some time, they left the lock.

Forget it. He had written it clearly in the diary, why should she try to open the safe box again?

Song Yu stood up once more, grabbing the folder she had placed on the table.

Her eyes stared on the folder without blinking and seemed to be making an important decision.

Suddenly, her grab on the folder tightened and she left the study room. She had not come across Aunt Yang. If she was, she would be misunderstood if she were to be seen holding onto a folder while walking out of Qi Chengzhi’s study room.

She ran up to the second floor immediately and headed to the dressing room.

She went to the edge where it was specially purposed for accessories and pulled out the drawer, there were lighters belonging to Qi Chengzhi laying inside.

Though he was not smoking then, it was only temporary. The lighters were still being kept as they were either branded or limited edition.

Song Yu did not appreciate the novelty value of the lighters and simply took one of them and proceeded to head back to the bedroom.

Upon opening the door and entering the bathroom, she cautiously closed the door behind her and locked it. Only by then, she pulled out the folder that had been crumpled in her grasp. The creases on the paper were permanent and were incapable of being smoothened out anymore.

She lit up the lighter and set the folder on fire without hesitation. The flame started to spread from one of the corners while engulfing the documents contained within, it turned the edge to black ashes.

Once the flame was nearly reaching the corner where her fingers were holding, Song Yu threw the folder which by then was only a corner into the toilet bowl. While the small corner fell into the toilet bowl, the flame had completely devoured it.

She breathed a sigh of relief. After making this decision, her whole body felt lighter. It was like all the weight pressing down on her body was lifted.

She returned to the living room where Aunt Yang had started preparing for dinner.

Song Yu realized that she had not informed Qi Chengzhi about her early return. She had been in such a hurry before. If he had not been informed, he would still go and wait for her at the entrance of Chengshi.

Thus, she made a call to Qi Chengzhi and told him that she had already arrived home.

“Ok.” To her surprise, the response of Qi Chengzhi seemed to be one of indifference. He did not even ask her about the reason for being home early before hanging up the call.

Song Yu was taken aback. Looking at her phone, she knew that Qi Chengzhi’s attitude was unusual to say the least.

Song Yu stared blankly at the phone, knowing full well that Qi Chengzhi was acting weirdly.

At the beginning of their relationship, misunderstandings would sometimes occur when he responded similarly out of habit while with her on the phone. As their relationship progressed, those incidents began lessening gradually.

At present, however, Song Yu was certain that she heard a coldness in his voice.

She placed her cellphone down, knowing full well that he was angry but clueless as to the reason behind that anger.

Less than an hour later, Qi Chengzhi came home.

Song Yu stared at him in surprise as he entered the house. “Why are you back so early?”

She took his slippers and laid them beside his feet, watching as he changed his shoes.

His handsome face attracted her attention, and she could not stop her mind from recalling the things he wrote in his diary. Indifferent though he seemed, beneath his surface lay a man whose love was unimaginably vast.

A surge of warmth appeared in her heart when she looked at him. He stood up, giving her time to put away his shoes.

These things used to be Aunt Yang’s job, but ever since Song Yu was around, the latter was the one who did those tasks. She quite liked doing them in fact, since it made her feel like she was centering her life around him.

His face was stern and intimidating, and she still had no idea what made him angry.

Song Yu stood up and was about to leave, but he remained rooted to the ground.

She extended her hand out to him but was met with his frostiness. “I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you back so early?”

Song Yu dragged him into the bedroom and took out some home wear.

Qi Chengzhi’s lips were pursed tightly. He wore his clothes only after staring at her for some time.

“What’s really going on?” he came over and asked after changing into something more comfortable.

Song Yu remained silent. He was standing in front of her; she was sitting. Her line of sight focused directly on his abdomen, and the presence of a layer of clothes did not prevent her from imagining the strength that lay underneath his shirt.

She adored the chunks of muscle on his stomach. Whenever he entered her and became one with her, her hands took on a mind of their own—they went in search of the area where both their bodies connected. From his chest, she slid down to his abdomen and went through his black bush, stopping only when she found the place where they joined into one.

Song Yu wrapped her arms lovingly across his thighs, pressing her face onto his stomach. A slight pressure was all it took for her to bury her entire face into him, immersing herself in his delicious scent.

“Qi Chengzhi, how about we register our marriage now?” Song Yu then continued while her face was still pressed on his abdomen. “We don’t have to choose any special date like one-three-one-four, five-two-zero 1 or whatever. I don’t really mind it. I just want us to register as soon as possible. Is that okay?”

She feared that Jian Yi would do something to her if he found out that she continued her relationship with Qi Chengzhi.

Preventing unintended things from happening was best done by getting their marriage registered. Once that was done, those wanting to break them up would realize that it was too late to do so—the only option left was getting them to divorce each other.

By virtue of their marriage, it would make it doubly difficult for anyone to try and break them up.

Qi Chengzhi lowered his gaze and observed her nuzzling into his abdomen. Only the top of her head was visible to him, and it was a heartwarming sight.

He softened his glare and placed his palm on top of her head, gently caressing her hair.

However, the second his hands came into contact with her, she flinched. It was so minute that it could easily be overlooked, but it would never slip past his attention.

He frowned. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean ‘what’s going on’? Don’t you want us to register our marriage earlier?” Song Yu wrapped herself more tightly around his thighs, as if that was the only thing that could provide her with solace.

Qi Chengzhi’s eyes sank. His hands continued to massage her hindbrain, albeit with increased intensity compared to before.

Oftentimes she would close her eyes contentedly, like a kitty whose lower jaw was being scratched.

On that occasion, however, the extra pressure produced shockwaves of pain, making her shudder severely. The pain nearly made her cry, and although she attempted to hold it in, her slight tearing-up still stained his clothes.

Qi Chengzhi’s hands were touching the exact spot that was subjected to Liang Lihua’s attack. The burning sensation was still present even without any form of contact, and she dreaded having to lay her head on the pillow when she slept later that night.

Feeling the sudden warmth, he knit his brows even more tensely. With a firm grip on her shoulders, he removed her from him and he tilted her head up slightly, forcing her to look up at him.

The tears in her eyes tugged on his heartstrings.

“What’s going on really?” his hoarse voice asked, penetrating deep into the abyss of Song Yu’s heart.

She grasped the back of his shirt and fired back a question. “You don’t want to marry me?”

A sigh from Qi Chengzhi. “Are you really going to do this right now?”

He sat beside her and carried her up onto his lap. His hands locked her waist in place.

“When I went to the company to look for you this afternoon, I saw Liang Lihua.” Qi Chengzhi answered rather curtly. “I don’t think she went to the café at your company building lobby just to get a cup of coffee.”

Song Yu kept quiet, finally realizing that the unhappiness she heard through the phone was because he was unhappy at her for keeping it from him.

“Are you planning not to tell me?” Qi Chengzhi whispered. His husky voice entered her ear and made her feel warm.

Fed up with the world, Song Yu buried her head into his neck, hugging him tightly. His embrace seemed to be the only place in the world where she could relieve herself of her stresses.

“I’ve had enough with them! Everyone’s coming to me, thinking that what they’re doing to me is right, trying to control and manipulate me. How could they be so unashamed of themselves?”

Qi Chengzhi tested the waters by touching her head again. Song Yu did not attempt to conceal her trembling because the pain was akin to having her entire head split open.

When Liang Lihua initially pulled on her head, the pain was intolerable, but not by much. As the day progressed, the pain came in waves, becoming more and more unbearable.

Qi Chengzhi parted her hair as fast as he could but making sure to be extremely careful when doing so. He saw red streaks on her scalp.

His expression and voice turned cold. “Did Liang Lihua do this?”

Song Yu wanted to hide it because she knew he would be worried, and he was.

Although there was no concealing it anymore, she was still a bit hesitant.

“Do you want me to check the CCTV footage from the café?” He stopped touching her hindbrain but instead hugged her tightly.

“I think she’s crazy,” Song Yu finally blurted out. It was rather traumatizing to recall Liang Lihua’s dementedness. “Yu Zixiu was the first to come to look for me this afternoon. He heard the news that we were going to get married, and he wanted to make amends with me so he could get to you.”

Song Yu told him everything that transpired earlier that afternoon, including the fact that Jian Yi helped her.

A good heart-to-heart talk would be pointless without honesty.

“So, were you in his car when I called you this afternoon?” Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow rather mockingly.

“I didn’t want you to get worried. If I told you the truth, you’d want to know every single detail from the very beginning.” Song Yu then continued weakly, “To be honest, I didn’t want to tell you about everything that happened in the afternoon. You already have enough to think about, and ever since we got together, you’ve always been the one who endured all the bad things, whether it was from the Qi family, the Song family, or someone else.”

Neither weariness nor annoyance was present in his expression. Song Yu looked up at him and noticed how he did not look irritated at all. His handsome face seemed to be reassuring her.

Song Yu gave him a peck on his lower jaw. His stubble was nearly unnoticeable because his jaw looked smooth to the naked eye. When kissed, however, she could feel how prickly and masculine it was.

“I don’t want you to be burdened by the useless Yu family. It’s not something you should be thinking about at all.” Song Yu loved the man dearly and hugged him even tighter. “If possible, I want to shoulder some burdens for you too, so you have one less thing to worry about. There’s plenty of things I can’t help you with, and most of the time all I can do is just stare at you while you do everything for me. I’m just worried that you’ll get tired of always fighting my battles. If there’s anything I can help with, I too, want to stand in front of you and let you feel the feeling of being protected.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you the truth this afternoon. Liang Lihua was pulling me so badly that I got really angry and my mind just went blank. I didn’t think much because Jian Yi just pulled me away. At that time, I really couldn’t think. It was like my soul just left my body. If you didn’t call me, I wouldn’t have realized that I was in Jian Yi’s car.” During the course of recounting the day’s events to him, she finally managed to relax under his warm gaze. She continued nestling in his embrace, feeling very much at peace.

She also released her tense grip on him, moving upward to the back of his neck, brushing gently against his neat short hair. They seemed to be resisting her touches.

“After talking with you on the phone, I immediately got down from the car.” Song Yu regarded her words as the truth, notwithstanding the deliberate leaving out of some details of what happened in between.

The only thing that filled Qi Chengzhi’s brain was the sight of Liang Lihua pulling on Song Yu’s hair. Although Song Yu said it without much ado, he knew that Liang Lihua would not hold back if she wanted to make a move. If she was gentle, it would not have left Song Yu writhing in pain.

Her reddened eye sockets left Qi Chengzhi feeling heartbroken. He lowered his head and left countless kisses on her eyes.

“Are you mad at me because I didn’t tell you everything?” Song Yu looked up. Qi Chengzhi could no longer be angry after looking at her pitiful look and reddened eyes.

Qi Chengzhi hugged her tightly and lowered his head close to her face. As she spoke, her warm breaths bounced off from his face and back onto her own, accompanied by his fresh scent.

“Qi Chengzhi,” Song Yu called out while remaining glued to his chest.

“Mm?” he responded. His hands stayed clear of her hindbrain but massaged her neck to make her feel at ease.

His expression turned cold immediately after thinking about how much force Liang Lihua used on Song Yu—the pain caused was so severe that Song Yu dared not touch her scalp, not even slightly!

“You’re the best,” Song Yu blurted out emotionally.

“I’m still not good enough.” He tilted his head down and planted the most delicate of kisses on the corner of her eyes.

His lips caressed her there slowly, and in his deep voice he remarked, “We’ll get ourselves registered tomorrow.”

“Yay!” A brief inability to control her excitement led Song Yu to rejoice rather loudly.

A huge boulder seemed to have been taken off her shoulders after hearing him accept her proposition and even agreeing to do it the next day.

Her true moment of relief would only come after obtaining the little red book 1.

Qi Chengzhi looked at her half-smilingly, with a hint of teasing in his slightly cocked brow. “Why are you suddenly so eager to register our marriage? I actually wanted to wait till May the twentieth to register.”

“…” Song Yu pushed her face even deeper into his chest, staying silent throughout.

“Are you really that excited to become Mrs. Qi?” A slight curl crept through his lips. His face was not filled with any emotion, but he looked extremely pleased and content.

Song Yu tilted her head sideways and used his shoulder as a pillow. She admired his handsome jaw and the warm contours of his face that resulted from his slight smile.

“You don’t look like you’re excited for me to become your Mrs. Qi,” Song Yu responded moodily.

“I originally wanted to make it a day worth remembering. Don’t women place a lot of importance on this kind of thing? But I’m okay if you don’t mind it,” he whispered with a hint of glee while his lips were touching her earlobes.

“That’s an insignificant detail that we don’t need to consider,” Song Yu said. “With you, any date is a good date. Only those who feel like they don’t have a steady relationship will want their registration to be on those so-called meaningful days. They need that little bit extra just to feel reassured.”

Qi Chengzhi smiled, feeling as though he simply could not love her more.

He pressed his lips onto the corner of her eyes, then her cheek, and finally the corner of her lips. It was never enough for him.

Song Yu fluttered her eyebrows. She cupped his face spontaneously and kissed him on the lips.

Passion and urgency characterized her kiss, and despite previous displays of spontaneity, it was the first time she was bold enough to give him a deep kiss. Her tongue explored the inside of his mouth with complete abandon.

The only thing that kept running in her mind when she was in his embrace were the things she read in his diary. His face made her combine the impression she had from the diary with the impression she had of him then. She allowed herself to imagine how he looked like when he wrote his diary, and she desperately wanted to melt into him until she merged with his bones.

Afraid of exacerbating her pain, Qi Chengzhi did not flip her over and press her down. Instead, it was Song Yu who was pressing him down.

“Why are you so spontaneous today?” He moved his head to one side and nibbled on her earlobe.

“Do you like it?” The thought of his deep love made her lose all sense of control. She breathed in his scent deeply, kissing his chin and his neck.

All of a sudden, she remembered him mentioning in his diary that he gave her his first kiss.

That was back in Hong Kong, and it was a first for both of them.

The more she thought of it, the more she loved and treasured him.

An abrupt surge of emotions made her rip off his clothes without warning.

“…” Qi Chengzhi was speechless. He felt as though he became a passive party and was nothing more than a meek little lamb who was utterly helpless.

Then, she kissed him without even a heads-up.

“You don’t need to do this.” His voice cracked as though he was about to lose it. Song Yu have never heard such a cracked, husky voice from him before.

Nevertheless, she continued to lock his arms down, and when she looked up, her face was drunkenly-red and no less adorable.

Even after being with him for so long, she remained as shy as ever and her habit of lowering her head never went away.

Qi Chengzhi tensed up and felt his body tremble uncontrollably. By the time he could not take it anymore, he pulled Song Yu into his embrace rapidly. It was then that he realized she was still fully clothed.

He gnashed his teeth and reined her in, though he made sure to be careful so as not to accidentally cause pain to her scalp. His warm hand entered her pants and brutally ripped them off her. Unable to contain himself any longer, he entered her with his shaft.

…

…

Qi Chengzhi let Song Yu continue laying in his embrace. Her motions made him come the instant he entered her. She wrapped herself around him tightly without giving him a chance to move, and the comfort he felt was just so overwhelming that a deep sigh was all he could do.

He tilted his head downward and used his bony fingers to lift up the strands of hair on her forehead. Her hair was sticking to her forehead because perspiration made them slightly wet. He moved those strands aside, exposing her shiny forehead and allowing him to see the still-lustful look in her eyes.

With eyes half-closed, her long lashes were tear-stained due to her intense emotions. The moisture made her lashes look dark and thick, and she fluttered them instinctively.

The scarlet color of her cheek was accompanied by some heat. After parting the hair on her forehead, his fingers slid down to the outer corner of her eyes, eventually finding their place on her reddish and tender cheeks.

His coarse but moist thumb caressed her cheek repeatedly. He then bent down and kissed her without restraint—first on her eyes, next her cheek, then her nose.

Seemingly unsatiated, he lifted his neck and shoulders off the bed just so he could come into contact with her lips.

Song Yu could sense his intent. His brief contact with her lips made her eyes glimmer in delight. She slowly inched upward to let him kiss her.

“You’re really bold today, aren’t you?” Qi Chengzhi seemed pleased as he murmured and asked her. Their lips were still in contact with each other, and the words that he spoke entered into her lips as well.

Red-faced, she sucked on his lips with gusto and licked him with the tip of her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to cling with him, more so than before.

“Qi Chengzhi, tell me the truth. Have you ever been with another woman before me?” With his front chest as her pillow, she nestled her forehead into his neck.

Her nose touched his jaw when she lifted her head. Greeting her nostrils was the scent of freshness and sweat—a very masculine combination.

She could not resist rubbing the tip of her nose on her stubble-filled chin. The prickling was a rather curious feeling.

Qi Chengzhi’s eyes shifted downward and he watched as she rubbed on him teasingly like a cat. His body reacted in response to her stroking.

His silence prompted her to bite his jaw softly. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask Yan Beicheng and the others. They’ll be more than happy to tell me about it.”

Footnotes:

Ch 163 Footnote 1

For the uninitiated, 1314 (一三一四 = yī sān yī sì) and 520 (五二零 = wǔ èr líng), when pronounced number-by-number instead of the entire value (e.g. saying five-two-zero instead of five hundred and twenty in Mandarin), is often used as a code or slang for saying ‘forever’ (一生一世 = yī shēng yī shì) and ‘I love you’ (我爱你 = wǒ ài nǐ), respectively. This is because the number sounds similar to the intended phrase (they are near-homophonic), with 1314 demonstrating this particularly well. They are both popularly used, and 520 has even evolved from being simple internet slang to a full-blown unofficial lover’s day on the 20th of May every year.

Ch 163 Footnote 2

小红本 – translated as little red book. Though it can be used to refer to a variety of things (such as passports or more commonly, a certificate of health examination required for students studying abroad), it is used here to refer to China’s marriage certificate, which—unlike most certificates that come in the form of a piece of paper—looks very much like a passport.

---

His silence prompted her to bite his jaw softly. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask Yan Beicheng and the others. They’ll be more than happy to tell me about it.”

Qi Chengzhi could only chuckle quietly. He pressed her down forcefully onto him after feeling his bulge increase in size.

Song Yu’s sudden inhaling intensified the redness in her cheeks. Her red flush now extended from her head to the tips of her toes.

“Why did it pop up in your mind all of a sudden?” He slid his hand into her top. He was too focused on removing her pants earlier that her upper body remained completely clothed.

Qi Chengzhi adjusted his posture. They were originally at the edge of the bed, but a simple maneuver was all it took for them to be repositioned in the middle of the bed. He was busy trying to get her completely naked.

Song Yu did not stop him. After allowing him to strip her bare, she said, “If you don’t give me a straight answer, there are only two possible reasons. One, you have too many women and you’re afraid to tell me because you don’t want me to get angry. Two, you’re a virgin who’s never even been with anyone before, and you’re ashamed to say it. Am I right?”

“Have you been reading a lot of detective novels recently?” Qi Chengzhi looked at her suspiciously with his eyes remaining as charismatic as ever.

By now, Song Yu was used to his habit of dodging questions by throwing out another question. She paid no mind to it and asked, “If you don’t answer me directly, I’m going to guess that you never had anyone before. You said it yourself that you’ve always liked me, right?”

“…” He cocked a brow. He felt as though she had the upper edge when he gave her free rein to be the dominant party.

“Since you’re keeping quiet, I’ll take it as a yes.” Song Yu smiled like a cat as she rubbed her fingers all over his prickly jaw.

Qi Chengzhi continued keeping quiet and looked at her loftily, with his unconjecturable appearance making her heart beat rapidly.

She chickened out readily in the past, but it was his reddening ears that caught her eye. Despite reading his diary earlier that day, there was still a certain excitement bubbling in her heart when she saw him divulging his secrets indirectly. The thrill and anticipation she felt were simply indescribable.

Her exhilaration was so uncontainable that it showed on her face. Both her crescent-shaped eyes seemed to have a lustful glow, and Qi Chengzhi especially enjoyed the red blushing on her cheek.

His hands traveled upward from her waist to her face; he cupped her cheeks in his hands and caressed her silky skin.

“So that means you had your first time with me?” Song Yu asked.

Silence.

“But you seem to be doing it really well that time like it wasn’t your first time at all. Where did you learn it?” Song Yu asked again, this time softly kneading his nipples.

More silence.

“Qi Chengzhi, where did you learn about it? Books? Adult films? Tell me the truth, do you have porn on your laptop?” Song Yu seemed to be getting more and more excited.

Qi Chengzhi still did not answer.

“I know that all men watch porn and they’ll jerk off while watching,” Song Yu remarked. “How about you?”

“…” Qi Chengzhi had a mocking smile on his face. “I don’t jerk off. I f*ck.”

Before Song Yu could process his words, Qi Chengzhi was already pressing down on her.

She inhaled sharply and suddenly, with her face blushing as soon as she fully comprehended his words. His response singularly destroyed any hope she had of making a comeback.

…

…

The next morning, Song Yu was already awake, but she was a bit sluggish and unwilling to open her eyes. She felt as though her cheek was laid against the exquisite softness of satin. It was very comforting, and what made her feel even more at ease was the familiar scent wafting all around her.

She fluttered her eyelashes gently and rubbed her cheek on the silky-smooth firmness. The coziness induced in her a desire to close her eyes in satisfaction. When she was deciding whether or not to get up from her slumber, her nose was pinched, causing her to gasp for air.

Song Yu was left with no other choice but to open her eyes—the first thing she saw was two slender fingers moving away from her nose.

Next, she felt a moistness at the corner of her lips. She had a pretty good guess on what it may be, and so she lifted her head to confirm her hunch. A pool of transparent fluid had puddled up in his shoulder at exactly the spot where she laid her head down.

She drooled so profusely in her sleep that it dribbled all over his shoulder.

Red-faced, she hurriedly tried to wipe it away but saw his teasing look.

Her redness increased even more, and she felt extremely embarrassed.

“I thought we agreed to register our marriage today? Why did you get up so late?” Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow.

Song Yu glanced at the bedside clock. The time was slightly over nine o’clock, so it was not technically very late. Nevertheless, they still had to go back to her home and get her Hukou booklet 1.

The minute she remembered it was that day, Song Yu was excited and nervous at the same time. She got up in a hurry, but Qi Chengzhi pulled her.

“My shoulder’s numb from being your pillow the entire night.” Qi Chengzhi pulled her back down.

“Why didn’t you let me go then?” Song Yu asked, then massaged the numb parts.

He responded by asking her a question instead. “Does your scalp still hurt?”

Although he did not verbally answer her, she could decipher his answer through the question he asked.

He was worried that her scalp would feel pain if he placed her head on the pillow.

Her heart felt such a surge of emotion that she did wonder if she could love him even more.

His subsequent frown was a signal that his numbness had disappeared, and was replaced by a biting pain.

“Was it uncomfortable?” she asked self-deprecatingly.

Qi Chengzhi’s right hand—the one that did not go numb—held her waist. The caresses from his coarse thumb made her feel slightly ticklish.

“Kiss me,” he implored.

A voice that has just woken up from slumber was bound to be hoarse, and that was exactly the case with Qi Chengzhi’s. His entire body was feeling rather languid.

His eyes were half-closed when he spoke to her: a far cry from the sternness that was usually present. Meanwhile, in place of his penetrating stare was a look of tender adoration.

The corners of his lips were slightly upturned too, softening the contours of his face.

Song Yu massaged his shoulder with one hand and placed the other on his face, letting her fingers and palm slid across the stubble that had grown overnight.

Having just woken up, his keen perception had yet to make an appearance, and his face was filled with nothing but innocence as well as boyish mischievousness.

Despite the boldness she put on the previous night, his innocent and boyish looks made her feel bashful, in addition to feeling somewhat embarrassed.

She thought to herself how she would never forget Qi Chengzhi’s confession, the one he wrote in his diary.

His face was a handsome reminder of how deeply he loved her.

She lowered her head and kissed his stubble-covered chin, after which she moved to the corner of his lips. She was practically skimming the edges of his lips, and his impatience finally led her to kiss him on his lips.

It was but a brief peck, and soon after she continued massaging his shoulder with both her hands, saying, “I don’t dislike the smell.”

Qi Chengzhi caressed her waist. “Are you saying that I smell?”

Song Yu smiled. “Not at all.”

A gentle smile from Qi Chengzhi was followed by him pulling her into his embrace. He gave her a deep and passionate kiss. Their lips rubbed against each other and the kiss was a very intoxicating one.

It took him a great effort just to control himself from accidentally running his fingers through her hair. One stopped right on the back of her neck and the other, on her breast.

When he broke the kiss, his lips went up to her earlobe. His raspy, sexy voice awakened every nerve and cell within her body. “I’m no longer numb.”

Song Yu blushed and pushed him off the bed. She had to do away with tying her hair since her scalp was still rather painful.

After getting everything in order, they went downstairs for a simple breakfast and left for the Song family home.

Since it was not a weekend, there were not a lot of people within the residential area. Most of them were retirees since the rest of the residents had either gone to work or school.

At home, Song Donglin was wiping the floor. Yu Qianying put on her glasses and watched television. With a pen and paper in hand, she was jotting down the recipes introduced by the channel’s food program.

She was so busy writing everything down that her eyes never left the television even though the doorbell was ringing. She shouted to her husband, “Lao Song, get the door.”

Song Donglin leaned the sponge mop against the wall and grumbled, wondering who it was that came looking for them. He half-jogged to the door and opened it.

Upon seeing Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, he was so surprised that he stood there blocking the door. “Why are you here? Don’t you guys need to go to work?”

Reaching the doorstep, Song Yu hesitated on telling her parents that they were there for the Hukou booklet.

Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu into the house. “Dad, Mom, we came to get the Hukou booklet. I’m going to register with Song Yu.”

“Register?” Song Donglin briefly did not know how to react. “Register what?”

Then his eyes widened. “Marriage?”

Their conversation led Yu Qianying to cast aside the recipe she was copying down. She took off her glasses, tossed the paper and pen aside, then walked over to them. “Register? Why so sudden?”

“We’ve actually just decided on it yesterday. Before this, we haven’t decided when to register because I wanted to wait for a special day, but Song Yu said any day is fine. Since there’s no need to choose a date, we decided to get it done today.” Qi Chengzhi kneaded Song Yu’s hand and looked at her reddish face from the side. “The sooner I marry her, the sooner I’ll worry less.”

Yu Qianying thought it was rather sudden. She did not have any other opinions about it since Song Yu was already living with him anyway and it was practically the same as being married.

For a woman, getting the certificate would not only justify them living together, but it also came with a sense of security. As a result, Yu Qianying had no objections.

“Give me a moment.” Yu Qianying went to the bedroom and rummaged through the drawers to get the booklet, which she then handed to Qi Chengzhi. “Have you already gotten the other necessary things?”

“Yes,” Song Yu replied.

“We’ll get registered and come back for lunch later,” Qi Chengzhi added. “We’ll go back to my grandparents’ place tonight.”

“Okay.” Yu Qianying then turned to Song Donglin. “Go to the supermarket later and buy some stuff. I’ll write down a list for you, just buy according to the list.”

…

…

Luckily for the couple, not many people went to register on that day. The two of them stood in line outside.

Song Yu had her arm around his. Their fingers intertwined and she was sandwiching his hand in between her palms.

She was touching his slender fingers with one hand and the back of his palm in her other hand. She could feel the well-defined bones that lay underneath his skin.

His hand was lean and very attractive. Song Yu could not resist drawing lines all over it using her thumb.

Unlike the roughness of his fingertips, the back of his hand was exceptionally delicate and had a near-glossy quality to it. It differed from hers however, in that a certain robustness was present. Every part of his body was different from her due to the masculine toughness that he possessed.

“When I was still a little girl, you taught me to write two words. Is that your name?” Song Yu looked down and avoided his gaze. She already knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to make sure of it.

Qi Chengzhi held her hand even tighter. “You remember that?”

“I didn’t understand what you told me at that time because I was still little, but now I understood.” She looked at him with a gaze that oozed with warmth. “If I didn’t remember when were you going to tell me?”

“If you remember that, then you should also remember me telling you that in the future, I’d ask you to check if you still remember.” Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand and kissed directly at the area where her fingers were touching the back of his hand.

“That name, only the wives are supposed to know that, right? I was still so young at that time and you already taught me how to write it.” Song Yu looked at him half-smilingly. “I was so young that I don’t even remember anything. Did you already like me since then? Isn’t that a bit too perverted of you?”

Qi Chengzhi looked at her as if what he did was the right thing to do. “One must hold on to one’s wife from her baby days to know if she is suitable for oneself.”

Song Yu was speechless.

Did he really plan on making her his wife since his childhood days?

She looked up at his handsome face. It was difficult for anyone else to even get close to him, so it was not easy to fathom that he already had his eyes on her from young.

Their fate, it seemed, was inextricably linked to each other ever since they were children. It was ineffable and mystifying when she thought about it, and she found it to be really sweet as well.

Looking at him then, she could not recall how he looked like when he was young.

“Do you still have a picture of you as a child at home?” Song Yu gawked at his handsome adult face and tried imagining his appearance when he was still an innocent young boy.

“You wanna see?” He kneaded her hands and cast her an askance look.

“I don’t really remember how you looked like when you were young, so yes, I do want to see,” Song Yu answered bluntly.

Qi Chengzhi was just about to answer her when their turn arrived.

He led her to the office window and gave all the necessary documents.

When they were done, each of them had a little red booklet in their hands.

After getting into the car, Song Yu requested to see Qi Chengzhi’s certificate. She opened it and saw his name on the top.

His picture was also on the top—she had the same picture in her booklet, and on the bottom, there was a photo of the two of them from the waist up.

Qi Chengzhi did not have that big of a smile despite it being their wedding certificate. His expression though was much softer than usual, and in that respect, his mien was vastly different from the stern introversion that so often characterized his magazine photos.

His slender hands wrapped around her shoulder as opposed to most other newlyweds, who would usually pose by leaning the heads toward the middle close to each other.

Qi Chengzhi sat fairly upright and did not lean his head at all. He gazed straight ahead with a look that was firm but tender at the same time. His eyes and his expression indicated his silent pledge to persevere in the marriage and to always protect her.

Song Yu was nestling herself on him, with her face on his shoulder, almost treating it like her pillow. Her hair touched gently against his ear in a silent expression of intimacy.

Her teeth did not reveal themselves in her smile, but it was a pleasantly warm smile nonetheless. Her monochrome eyes were shaped like a crescent moon because of her grin. Happiness and loving adoration filled her face.

Song Yu felt emotional as she smiled and touched the photographs. She glossed over both their faces but hovered longer on Qi Chengzhi’s.

She still found it hard to believe that this handsome man was now her husband.

Qi Chengzhi looked at her and noticed her smiling like a fool at the marriage certificate.

He was planning to start the car, but he decided to shelve those plans for the time being. He slid his chair to the back immediately and carried her over to his lap.

Although he had done that many times in the past, he never once gave Song Yu time to prepare herself. She always found herself being slightly startled.

The pavement just outside the car was bustling with pedestrians.

Song Yu’s back was facing the sidewalk and she felt secure because his arms were wrapped around her.

Her face was tinged red as she looked at Qi Chengzhi’s photo, then at the man himself.

Photographs for a marriage certificate were considered a kind of official photograph, and they would usually not be as good-looking as the person in real-life. With Qi Chengzhi however, that was different.

He could make even the most mundane of official photographs look like it was a picture from a magazine. Song Yu wondered if his resident identity card was equally as good-looking.

Without a single word, Song Yu directly placed her hand into his jacket pocket. Her hands rubbed against his muscular chest and she fished out his wallet.

A pleased look could be seen in Qi Chengzhi’s eyes. He did not know what she was going to do, but he liked it when her actions toward him are of an intimate nature.

His droopy eyes had a warm gaze akin to the afternoon sun on a cold winter’s day. Gently, his long slender fingers began combing through her hair.

Her hair was much suppler at that time, and he did not worry too much about pulling on it and hurting her scalp.

Song Yu was leaning comfortably against his chest.

He tilted his head down and touched his nose to her silky-soft hair. As he breathed, he took in the fragrance from her hair. It was a fresh, light scent that was not overpowering—a direct parallel to Song Yu’s persona.

Qi Chengzhi watched as she opened his wallet and dug up his identity card. She placed it side-by-side with the marriage certificate and compared the two photographs.

“Well, if the person’s good-looking, any photograph will look just as good. Your official photographs aren’t that different from you in real-life,” Song Yu smiled and said.

“Let me see yours.” There was a slight excitement in his husky voice when it resonated in his throat.

Song Yu leaned forward and grabbed the bag from the front passenger seat.

Her bottom wiggled on his thighs, causing him to utter a soft grunt. Instinctively, he moved his palm to her butt cheek.

“Don’t move so much.” His voice was cracking and he pressed her down on his erect rod.

Song Yu froze for a moment and looked at him while blushing. He knew full well that letting her sit on his lap would bring about such a reaction, yet he seemed to have done it for precisely that purpose!

She took out her purse and from it, her identity card.

It was a second-generation identity card 1, and on it was the picture she took when she was eighteen. She was much younger then and her skin was much fairer because the world of cosmetics was not introduced to her yet. Her eyebrows, though undrawn, still looked beautiful, especially since it was a natural look.

She was eighteen when Qi Chengzhi missed his chance with her.

Qi Chengzhi stroked the face on the photograph, wondering what could have been if he was beside her at that time.

As he was immersed in her identity card, Song Yu lost herself while looking at their marriage certificate.

Qi Chengzhi’s lips curled up slightly, and with his hands still glued to her butt, he chuckled. “You like it that much?”

“Mm.” She answered unhesitatingly and looked up at him, gazing deep into his pupils. “Qi Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I won’t leave you. Always remember that.”

“Mm,” she answered unhesitatingly and looked up at him, gazing deep into his pupils. “Qi Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I won’t leave you. Always remember that.”

Qi Chengzhi’s eyes twitched a little. Her words caught him completely by surprise.

He looked at her sincere face and kissed her without a second thought.

Song Yu was pressed onto the car door, but it was slightly painful for her even though he used his hand as a cushion.

It was a fervent kiss, one that sucked up all the sweetness from her mouth and nearly extracted her soul too. His strong arms hugged her waist tightly so he could press her firmly onto him.

He continued pressing himself onto her, letting her thighs stick hard against his stomach. She could even feel his rod poking her.

The kiss was strong and had a numbing quality. Her lips trembled as a result and she felt weakened in his embrace.

Their lips were swollen after breaking free from the kiss. His urgent breaths were smothered all over her face, causing her lips to twitch and tremble.

Song Yu’s hands were originally holding the marriage certificate and identity card, but at some point during the kiss, she let go of them and left them squeezed between their bodies.

Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and began pecking her gently on her silky-smooth face. Every single area that he came in contact with set fire to her face.

As he rubbed and caressed, he made sure to also suck lightly on the corner of her lips, then back and forth on her upper and lower lip.

Song Yu’s eyes were still half-closed like a tender baby, and she allowed him to kiss her as he pleased.

Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her, knowing full well that he would hardly be able to control himself from kissing her dry.

He took in a deep breath, which enabled Song Yu to feel his chest expanding.

The outline of his robust chest was imprinted on his shirt, and Song Yu found herself unable to resist feeling it. Softly but surely, her fingers touched his resilient and robust chest.

Song Yu felt his chest muscles shudder and tighten. The next moment, he was giving her a passionate kiss.

When he released his kiss from her yet again, he grabbed her hand—the one that was placed on his chest and giving him goosebumps—in order to give her fingers a good nibbling. He showed them no mercy, tickling each and every one of them with his perfect teeth.

Qi Chengzhi nibbled her soft fingertips and replied, “Don’t be naughty. If I can’t control myself, you’ll be blaming me again.”

Song Yu blushed and leaned her forehead on his shoulder. She looked down at both the marriage certificate and the identity card that was lying on her thighs and looked up excitedly at him again.

Qi Chengzhi smiled because he could never get enough of kissing her. It was always her hazy blushing face that made him want to kiss her even more.

His lips brushed against the corner of her eyes for a couple of moments, and when he felt her face warm up, even more, he chuckled softly and reached for his phone.

“Grandmother. Yes, it’s me. Tell everyone to come home tonight. I’ll bring Song Yu over for dinner and I’ll have something to announce,” Qi Chengzhi stated.

Once Song Yu realized he was speaking to his grandma, she shifted her gaze away from the marriage certificate and looked at him.

“Don’t guess.” A smile crept over his lips. “You’ll know tonight.”

He hung up and looked down. Her upward-tilting head made it convenient for him to kiss her, which he did. After that, he carried her and placed her down on the front passenger seat.

…

…

Waiting in line for registration took quite some time. It was already one-thirty by the time they reached the Song family home.

Yu Qianying had already seen Qi Chengzhi earlier that day, but there was a stark difference in her mood now compared to the morning.

While she acknowledged Qi Chengzhi as her son-in-law, she had always looked at him as her daughter’s boyfriend because the couple had yet to register their marriage.

Qi Chengzhi entered the house with a new status: her legitimate son-in-law. It was like she suddenly had a deeper familial connection with him.

“All done?” Yu Qianying had a look of anticipation as she stared at Song Yu’s handbag.

Song Yu took out both marriage certificates and showed them to her mother. “Mm, it didn’t take long actually.”

Yu Qianying was happy, and her eyes were fixed onto the marriage certificate. She mumbled to herself, “That’s good, that’s good. It’ll also justify both of you staying together.”

“Dad, Mom, registering our certificates were done quite suddenly, but I promise the wedding will not be done on a whim,” Qi Chengzhi declared. His rich voice had a solid quality to it that made people really trust in him.

Yu Qianying nodded acceptingly. “I understand.”

Before their marriage, they were uncomfortable when he called them ‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’. His insistence on doing so made them fed-up with voicing out their discomfort, and they just allowed him to continue calling them that.

Yu Qianying no longer felt like that though, because the marriage had cemented his status as their legitimate son-in-law.

“Come and have lunch.” Yu Qianying thought about food and urged them on. “You went out a little late this morning, and I assumed that you won’t be home too early because you’d have to wait in line to register. I just managed to finish cooking before you came back.”

Qi Chengzhi got up and went to the dining room. He waited until everyone sat down before saying, “Dad, Mom, have you ever thought about moving someplace else to stay? Previously when I was still Song Yu’s boyfriend, you probably wouldn’t stay in a home that I bought just for the both of you. But now that I’m your son-in-law, it’s only right that I do these things for you.

“The both of you were also used to staying in a large house, and as things are, I have the ability to give you a much better life. If you’re willing, I can hire a helper so Mom doesn’t need to work too much at home. Whether it’s washing clothes, mopping the floor, or cooking meals, the helper will do it for you so you can rest and relax.”

Song Donglin and Yu Qianying both looked at each other. The former then said, “Chengzhi, I understand your intentions for doing this, but we’ve been living here for too long. We’re comfortable and we’ve gotten along with the neighbors. The environment might seem average, but life here is convenient. We only need to take a couple of steps to get the stuff that we need. We’re also really close with the neighbors, and we can all help each other if it’s needed.”

Song Donglin chuckled. “To be frank, we’re actually really used to this kind of life. If you were to hire a helper for us, we won’t find it too comfortable to speak or do other things, since there’s an extra person in the house.

“Besides, if we change into an upper-class environment, we won’t be that used to it since the neighbors don’t really mingle much with each other. The people who stay in those kinds of places all have their own careers, don’t they? We’re retirees, and we won’t be able to chat with them. Hanging around with our current elderly neighbors is much more comfortable.

“It’ll also be awkward if we meet those people we used to be acquainted with,” Song Donglin explained.

“Dad, have you ever thought of building your company back up again?” Qi Chengzhi asked after hearing what Song Donglin said.

The elder man shook his head and smiled contentedly. “It’s not that I don’t want to consider it, I just don’t want to go back to doing it. I’m old, and I’ve already spent a few years idling at home. I don’t have the energy nor the strength to deal with all that double-crossing and backstabbing. If you ask me to get back into the business world and sit at the drinking table, I don’t think I can play with those players anymore. Seven years is a long time, after all.

“I’m used to living a relaxed life with Song Yu’s mother. We tidy our home every day, cook our own meals, go hiking or for a walk in the park. If there’s any exhibition or temple fair, we’d go and have a look. There’s no pressure at all and we really enjoy this simple life.”

Song Donglin breathed out a drawn-out sigh. “I’m actually glad that I don’t have the company at this old age. It gives me time to enjoy my life. If the company was still alive and well, I don’t think I could have ever let it go. Maybe the only time I’ll finally relax is when I’m dead.

“In fact, the bankruptcy was a good thing, since Song Yu can find her own happiness. It’s all good like this. Us old people don’t like change, we’re afraid of it.” Song Donglin chuckled.

Qi Chengzhi did not say anything further.

After lunch, Song Yu wanted to take over the dishwashing duties, but Yu Qianying forbade her from doing so. Still, Song Yu joined them when they were doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

The kitchen was cramped with the three of them having little room to maneuver. A step here and one would bump into another person, making it difficult to execute any large movements.

“Dad, do you really not care about the bankruptcy anymore? I mean, are you really happy about it?” Song Yu took a just-cleaned bowl from Yu Qianying and wiped it dry using a cloth.

“Really.” Song Donglin was looking up and stretching his arm to clean the kitchen hood, but he paused and looked at Song Yu when she asked him that question. “The bankruptcy was our breaking point, but we’re really happy with how it turned out. We might not have a big house and a servant, but we’re free from worry. Although we had everything in the past, it was exhausting for our hearts. It’s like there was nothing that could make us happy.”

“Well… If… And I’m saying if…” Song Yu hesitated. She made sure to observe her parents’ reaction down to the very last detail. “If you knew the reason behind the bankruptcy, and who did it, what would you do?”

Yu Qianying shot her a suspicious look. “Why are you asking this all of a sudden? We’ve been bankrupt for eight years now and this is the first time you’ve asked this question. Is there something that you know, Song Yu?”

“No, I’m just saying what if.” She became cautious immediately and tried putting on a nonchalant demeanor. “You said you were happy about the bankruptcy because you wouldn’t have experienced a different life otherwise. I was just curious.”

She then waved her hand and poked fun at herself. “I don’t even know why I thought about that. It just popped up in my brain all of a sudden.”

The warm smile on Song Donglin’s face seemed to suggest that he did not suspect anything. “We won’t know what will happen if these hypothetical situations did not happen for real. It’s been so long since the incident. Wouldn’t it be such a coincidence if the culprit was suddenly found? Even if we have found the person, this kind of thing is all part and parcel of business. I’m not as skilled as the others. I can’t possibly go up to them and scold them, right? It’ll make me look bad, plus, I don’t even know who the person is. What can I do?”

Deep down, Song Yu felt apprehensive, and Song Donglin’s reply only aggravated it further.

She tried relieving herself of the pressure by saying, “There’s no need to be shy with Qi Chengzhi, you know. Giving you a new home, hiring a servant, Qi Chengzhi won’t take it the wrong way and he won’t feel like you’re taking advantage of him. He genuinely wants to treat you both well.

“He may look unfriendly but in truth, he has a heart that’s much bigger than most others. If he treats you like family, he’ll want to do good to you without expecting anything in return. He won’t ever feel like you’ve taken advantage of him or anything like that. It’s just that he doesn’t show much in his expressions. He’s a silly man, you know. Sometimes, he does something really touching, but he chooses to keep it from you.” Song Yu spoke and spoke, yet she seemed to be distracted. Her mind was filled only with Qi Chengzhi, and the mere thought of that man-made her smile lovingly.

“We actually decided to try for a child, letting it come naturally. Then, all of a sudden, he quit smoking secretly. He quit just like that even though he’s been smoking for ten plus years already. If his grandmother hadn’t asked him for a lighter the other day, we wouldn’t have known about it at all.” Song Yu’s smile was most tender, and it could be seen from her face that her thoughts were already very distant. Then came her rebuke, a loving one nonetheless. “He didn’t even tell me.”

From Song Yu’s expression, Yu Qianying could see that she loved Qi Chengzhi to death.

It was never like that with Jian Yi, and clearly, no one would ever succeed in separating Song Yu from Qi Chengzhi.

Yu Qianying felt content knowing that Song Yu loved, and was loved by that man.

She placed the clean dishes to one side and smiled. “I know he treats you well and I know he wants to treat us well too. He’s being filial to us and won’t hold it against us when it comes to this kind of thing. And because of that, he genuinely wants our life to be more comfortable.

“But Song Yu, we’re not afraid that Qi Chengzhi will be unhappy or begrudge us. We’re worried that his family will say stuff behind our backs. Although they are not Qi Chengzhi and won’t be too involved with us, I’m still worried about them saying that our family is taking advantage of Qi Chengzhi. It won’t be good for you because you’ll be a part of the Qi family.

“I don’t know what attitude Xia Wenna will have in the future, but Qi Chengzhi’s uncle’s family, especially that Guan Liya, doesn’t seem very civil. Even if Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna aren’t too concerned, Guan Liya will keep gossiping to the family, and that won’t benefit you at all.

“Your elder uncle came to our house the other day and told us that he wanted to help you with your dowry. I said no because I know he’s only doing that to try and get closer to Qi Chengzhi.” Yu Qianying sighed. “But some of the things he said made sense. We can’t give you a worthy dowry to let you marry grandly into the Qi family. Even if we spend all our money and buy you a car, it might not be worth anything to the Qi family. We could even sell off our house and they still won’t find it worthy.

“If his relatives know that he gave us a house and hired a servant for us when we can’t even give a good-enough dowry, they’ll definitely say that we’re shameless. They’ll say the same about you, too. We’re perfectly fine as we are now and there’s no reason to give others a chance to gossip about us.”

Yu Qianying rubbed her hands dry and patted Song Yu on the shoulder. “We can’t give you a grand marriage, but we absolutely can’t let others badmouth you.”

“Mom…”

Yu Qianying smiled, pulled Song Yu’s arm, and patted the back of the latter’s hand. “Don’t keep thinking about it. Your father spoke for the both of us when he answered Qi Chengzhi. Everything he said was from the heart. Even though what I said about you was also a reason, your father and I have no intention of moving at all.”

“It’s also because I want the both of you not to tire yourselves too often,” Song Yu remarked.

“It’s not like the house is big. What’s there to be tired of when all we do is mop the floor, buy veggies, and cook our meals? Your father and I don’t need to take care of anyone older than us and we’re already relaxed enough. We’ll get angsty if we just sit around doing nothing. How about this, your father and I love to travel, so maybe the both of you can pay for our expenses? Would that be okay?”

Traveling was not going to incur too much expenses, and Song Yu knew that Yu Qianying was only saying that to make her feel better.

“Alright, stop cramming yourself in here with us. You’ve been blocking here for a long time already. You just left Qi Chengzhi there alone feeling uncomfortable. Go be with him.” Yu Qianying had already pushed Song Yu out of the kitchen.

Song Yu could not resist poking fun at her own mother. “Mom, you’ve been a very considerate mother-in-law to your son-in-law recently.”

“Go!” Yu Qianying was in no mood for jokes; she shooed Song Yu away immediately.

Song Yu went back to the living room but found no trace of Qi Chengzhi. Almost by intuition, she headed to her own bedroom.

The minute she entered, she spotted him sitting cross-legged on her bed with his shoes off. With his back against the bedhead, his hands were holding a photo album and his face was expressionless.

Song Yu walked to him, stepped over his legs, and sat beside him. “What are you looking at?”

Her gaze landed on the album as she spoke. She noticed that he was looking at her photo with Jian Yi.

That was when she fell into the water. They took pictures of themselves when they were playing beside the lake. Their smiles were carefree and very natural.

Jian Yi’s smile, in particular, was like a breath of fresh air. Immersed in the sunlight, his vitality was pure, and his smile did not betray the presence of any ill-will.

Song Yu did not know whether that ill-will really was present and whether he was using her at that time. In the present, Song Yu had no intention of letting herself fret over it.

It happened much too long ago, and it was pointless to look into it further.

However, Qi Chengzhi’s eyes remained fixed on the picture. He stared at it without flipping to the next one. Song Yu chuckled guiltily and asked, “Looking at pictures?”

It was then that Qi Chengzhi turned to look at her. Song Yu realized that it was the first time he actually looked at her ever since she entered the room. There wasn’t any reaction before that at all.

If she leaned against him like that at other times, he would have hugged and kissed her before doing anything else.

Qi Chengzhi then cocked a brow and snickered. “Feeling guilty?”

“What for?” Song Yu responded stubbornly, though she really did feel a bit guilt-ridden.

She seemed intimate with Jian Yi in the photo. They did look very much like two innocent playmates in love.

Qi Chengzhi knew full well that she used to like Jian Yi.

He stared at the picture as though he discovered the truth about her and her ex-boyfriend. The discovery of the photograph made her feel guilty even though nothing had ever happened between the two.

“How would I know why you’re guilty? Maybe you can enlighten me on why you’re feeling guilty?” Qi Chengzhi’s eyebrow remained cocked and he snickered at her, hesitant to smile.

“…” Song Yu remained quiet and wondered if he could carry on a normal conversation. “I’m not guilty.”

Qi Chengzhi shot her a look and scoffed. It was obvious that he did not believe her.

His slender fingers flipped to the next page. Lo and behold, it was another picture of her and Jian Yi.

This one was during a picnic. The two of them were sitting on a picnic blanket with lush greenery surrounding them. Jian Yi’s arm was wrapped around her shoulder and the two of them were leaning toward each other.

In the picture, Song Yu’s long flowing hair was blown by the wind. A few strands stuck on her lip, making her reddened lips look even more luscious. Her fair skin was so incredibly delicate, and the slight smile on her lips was a true personification of her pureness.

Jian Yi’s head was barely inches away from Song Yu’s, and although he was looking at the camera, his feelings toward Song Yu were all too clear.

Anyone who saw that photo would have had no doubt that they were lovers.