Perplexed, she stared at them with a vacant gaze. Grandmother Qi’s eyes were red. She waved at Qi Chengyue. “Chengyue, come, have a seat. No matter what happens, you’ll always have us! It’s going to be okay!”

“You all know about this?” Qi Chengyue was shocked, and all of a sudden, she dreaded facing her own family.

Jian Yi was the husband of her choice, but then all the calamities happened a mere few months after the wedding. She felt guilt-ridden and was afraid to even look at her kin.

“I told them,” admitted Qi Chenglin. “I have evidence on Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin. There’s no reason to keep dragging this further.”

He then turned his head to Qi Chengyue, looking incredibly stern. “You do plan to divorce, don’t you? Even if you still have hope in him and decide not to divorce, we’re not going to accept it. That man has to leave the Qi family.”

Qi Chengyue took a deep breath, grasped her fists tightly, then spat out four words, albeit with some difficulty. “I want a divorce.”

She felt as though she was about to collapse after finishing her sentence.

Guan Liya placed her arm around Qi Chengyue’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry, Chengyue. We’ll get back at them for all the wrongs that you suffered! I never thought Guan Xiaolin would be so shameless! She’s no longer my niece if she could disregard our ties and do this kind of thing to you!”

She completed her sentence and looked at Qi Chengzhi, seeking his approval through her silence.

As long as it involved company matters, Qi Chengzhi was considered to be the one who had full control.

His gaze swept across everyone in the room, and he noticed that their attention was entirely focused on him.

Keeping a cold expression, his rich voice began resounding. “Get the divorce done and make sure Jian Yi leaves with nothing. Then we’ll focus our attention to the Guan family.”

Qi Chengzhi looked at Guan Liya. “Auntie, will you be alright if we go all-out against the Guan family?”

“Not a problem!” Guan Liya then continued yakking without a second thought, “The Guan family has nothing to do with me anyway. They’ll only remember me if they need something. That’s when they’ll treat me politely and courteously. If Guan Xiaolin had the nerve to do something like that behind my back, she clearly doesn’t care that I’m her aunt, and since that’s the case, I’ve no reason to care about the Guan family!”

A nod from Qi Chengzhi. “That’s settled, then.”

“Chengzhi, thank you for all this. I know that isn’t easy to go against another company, even for the Qi family,” said Guan Liya. Qi Chengzhi agreed to do it so happily, and the sight of the entire family working together to help Qi Chengyue made her feel touched.

“We’re a family,” came Qi Chengzhi’s curt response.

“Big Brother, Song Yu,” Qi Chengyue began speaking suddenly, “I’m sorry for how I treated you last time.”

Her words were very earnest, and the redness in her eyes was a sign that she was sincere in her words.

Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengyue to say that in front of everyone. In fact, she actually treated Qi Chengyue’s change of attitude as an apology, letting bygones be bygones.

However, with Qi Chengyue apologizing before the entire family, the feeling was much different—after her words, it was like everything that happened in the past truly did stay in the past.

Song Yu did not make any ostentatious remark, for Qi Chengzhi had already proclaimed his stand. She merely took out a recorder and placed it on the table, saying, “This is what Guan Xiao Lin said to Qi Chengyue this afternoon. I recorded it with my phone and transferred it in here. This isn’t the best thing to use, but in case something doesn’t go according to plan, this may be useful.”

Qi Zhongxun picked up the recorder and played back the recording of Guan Xiaolin’s boastful words, allowing everyone to listen to what was said.

Guan Liya was so angry that she almost looked like she could run up to Guan Xiaolin and exact vengeance.

She knew, though, that the main focus was the divorce. Jian Yi would not agree to the divorce so easily, not when he got nothing out of the marriage. The main objective in everyone’s mind was to make sure that he would not gain a single thing from the Qi family!

“Thank you, Song Yu, for being with Qi Chengyue during this time,” Qi Zhongxun remarked earnestly.

He used to be neutral toward her marriage with Qi Chengzhi, and even after the couple had registered their marriage, he did not particularly see Song Yu as truly becoming a part of the Qi family.

That had all changed, however, and he now truly regarded Song Yu as his niece-in-law.

“I just accompanied her, that’s all. Nothing much,” Song Yu replied.

“Chengyue, come home with us tonight. You’ll stay with us from now on. You can choose to sell or keep the home with Jian Yi, but I don’t think you’d want to go back there even after the divorce.” Guan Liya put her arm over Qi Chengyue’s shoulder and said.

Qi Chengyue nodded. “Sell it off. I don’t want anything to do with him ever again.”

That night, she returned home with her family.

…

…

Jian Yi came to the company the next day, but as he headed to the engineering department, weird looks were shot at him by employees from other departments

Most of them seemed to be acting rather coldly.

His status as Qi Chengyue’s husband allowed him to receive respectful treatment from the subordinates and even from some of the company’s higher-ups. The cold treatment was thus a first for him.

“Manager Luo,” Jian Yi greeted as he saw the approaching Luo Yushu.

Luo Yushu seemed to be in some shock, however. After being briefly stunned, he mustered a smile. “Hehe, Jian Yi, you came a bit late I see!”

“Mm.” Jian Yi frowned. ‘Luo Yushu always addresses me as ‘Manager Jian’, and don’t I usually arrive at the company around this time?’

“I’ve got something to attend to so I’ll be heading off. We’ll talk later.” Luo Yushu said a few words just for the sake of it and left hastily.

Jian Yi looked on curiously as Luo Yushu’s figure scurried off in a hurry. He entered the engineering department with a frown and saw that most of the employees were already present. They were busy chatting about something, but the whole room fell silent immediately after they noticed him entering.

They looked at him with all sorts of odd expressions and none greeted him voluntarily.

Jian Yi’s gaze swept across the room before he entered the office.

The second he closed the door, the chattering continued outside.

“Judging from his look, I think he doesn’t know about it yet.”

“I think he probably argued with the Qi family and fell out of favor with them. Why else would they just fire him so suddenly?”

“I heard Miss Qi hasn’t come to the company for a few days now. Do you think they’re facing problems in their marriage?”

A female colleague then let out a gasp. “Could they have already gotten a divorce?”

She shut her mouth immediately after giving her opinion.

The others were also quiet, but that did not last long when someone opined, “In fact…we can’t know for sure. Otherwise, why would the Qi family resort to something so drastic?

“Fact is, it was only because he got close to the Qi family that he managed to get promoted so quickly. It benefits us if he isn’t around anymore.”

Jian Yi could not hear the discussions going on outside. He switched on his computer, and not long later, an email notification popped up.

He opened it and saw that it was from Human Resources. Getting up from his seat, he walked past his desk to the door, opened it forcefully, then walked out of his office.

None of the other employees dared to make a peep until he left. “Why do you think he went out for?”

“I think he doesn’t even know what was going on. He’s probably going to try and reason with someone.”

…

…

Jian Yi clenched his jaw tightly. His expression was so tense that his face might just crack at any time.

He dashed to the top floor, and after getting out from the elevator, took large strides toward Qi Chengzhi’s room, all while suppressing his anger.

Cheng Dongge was not surprised that Jian Yi came. The former neither greeted him nor stopped him, simply allowing him to barge into Qi Chengzhi’s office.

A loud ‘slap’ was still heard on the door despite it being able to absorb sound. Jian Yi went in and slammed the door behind him. “Qi Chengzhi, what’s the meaning of this?”

“What exactly are you talking about?” Calm and unruffled, Qi Chengzhi leaned back in his chair and sported a very cold expression.

“Why did you fire me without even informing me?! What’s the reason?” Jian Yi asked angrily. The email stated that his dismissal was effective immediately.

“Chengyue will talk to you about the specifics regarding the divorce,” Qi Chengzhi explained coldly. He then picked up the phone on his desk. “Dongge, tell security to clear up the things in Jian Yi’s office.”

Jian Yi’s eyes were wide open. “Divorce?”

Qi Chengzhi looked at him expressionlessly before narrowing his eyes and speaking in his cold voice. “Did you think that you could keep hiding your affair with Guan Xiaolin from us? Chengyue and the Qi family will not accept you, you humiliating thing.”

Jian Yi froze immediately, unable to say a single word as of that moment.

“Just to let you know, everything that you have now is given by Chengyue. But, since you’ve already made preparations to become the Guan family’s son-in-law, you probably won’t care much for a meager manager’s position at Qilin.” Qi Chengzhi’s tone was devoid of emotion, but full of derision. He pointed at the door and ordered, “Get out.”

Jian Yi’s hand formed a tight fist. His dark eyes stared intently at Qi Chengzhi, and his voice became much graver. “If I’m fired and Qi Chengyue divorces me, there’s nothing you can hold against me anymore. I’ve nothing more to lose. I’ll just tell Song Yu’s parents that you’re the one who caused their bankruptcy! If I can’t have it good, I’ll make sure you suffer, too!”

He expected his words to provoke Qi Chengzhi and make the latter’s expression crack, but Qi Chengzhi’s mien did not change at all. A calm statement came instead. “Song Yu’s pregnant.”

Jian Yi was completely stunned. He clenched his jaw so strongly that he nearly crushed his own teeth.

A simple sentence was all it took for him to ascertain what Qi Chengzhi was hinting at. Nothing else needed to be said.

Since Song Yu was pregnant, her parents would not let her divorce him in that condition, regardless of angry they might be. As parents, they had to take into account their daughter’s feelings, and for them, they would rather suffer the injustice rather than letting their daughter suffer the same.

The one thing Jian Yi really wanted to do was to punch Qi Chengzhi directly in the face.

In the end, though, he turned away in ire and stormed out of Qi Chengzhi’s office.

He did not go back to his department, but rather, to the finance department.

The secretary at the door stood up and greeted him, “Jian…”

“Is Qi Chengyue in?” Jian Yi cut her off before he even stopped walking.

“Yes,” came the response, and Jian Yi barged into Qi Chengyue’s office immediately. Qi Chengyue was just placing a man’s handkerchief on the table. Jian Yi glanced at it briefly before looking at Qi Chengyue.

“You’re divorcing me?” Jian Yi asked mockingly.

Qi Chengyue supported herself on the back of her chair and looked at him. The thought of him sleeping with Guan Xiaolin and fathering Guan Xiaolin’s child brought about a feeling of disgust as well as disappointment. Her heart was in so much agony that it could stop at any time. Her abdomen was retracted as well.

Her face was somewhat pale, but she took a deep breath and said, “Find a time, get all the necessary documents, and we’ll go to the Civil Administration Bureau.”

“If I don’t agree?” Jian Yi’s lips twitched vindictively and he smirked. “If I keep delaying you just like how you kept delaying me last time? Do you remember what you told me then? If you can’t give me happiness, then I won’t give you happiness either. Since you insist on divorcing me to get your own happiness, I’ll make sure not to let you have it.”

“In that case, we’ll go to court.” Qi Chengyue gripped the back of the chair so forcefully that her fingers were looking pale. “Since Guan Xiaolin’s already pregnant, she wouldn’t let you delay this too long.”

A soft chuckle from Jian Yi. “It’s not that we can’t go ahead with the divorce. I want half of the shares you own in Qilin. If you give that to me, I’ll agree immediately. I’ll even wait for you at the bureau tomorrow.”

Qi Chengyue tightened her grip on the chair even more, to the point where her arm was trembling.

Even until the very end, his conditions were all to do with money and more money!

“Jian Yi, all throughout our relationship, you pursued me and you married me. All this time, was your love for me only the size of a pinhead?” Qi Chengyue released her grip from the chair and asked.

Jian Yi snickered. “If you’re willing to give me what I want, I’m happy to give you what you want. Even if it’s all faked.”

Qi Chengyue’s pupils widened, and all of a sudden, she walked past her table and raised her hand to give him a tight slap. Unfortunately, he grabbed her wrist just as she was about to hit him.

He knew not how to cherish her or even acknowledge their relationship as husband-and-wife. His grip on her was so hard that it hurt her.

Qi Chengyue frowned but did not want to show any sign of weakness. Jian Yi then flung her hand away.

“Jian Yi, I won’t agree to it! With this divorce, you’ll leave the Qi family just as you came. Don’t even think about getting a single cent from our family!” Qi Chengyue’s disgust was unimaginable, and she looked at Jian Yi as if he was just some filthy little insect. “You’re way too shameless! These things originally belong to the Qi family, and yet you have the decency in wanting to take all that away.”

“If you don’t give it to me, then you’d better not expect me to sign my name so happily. My request is simple, which is half of your shares. If you give them to me, I’ll divorce you immediately. If not, then keep waiting! In truth, I’m an easy problem to settle as long as you give me the money, so why don’t you just do it?” Jian Yi laughed derisively and did not seem to care that he was displaying his greed so openly in front of her.

“I won’t do it! Why must I give my family’s things to a disgusting person like you! You want to skim whatever you can from me with this divorce, am I right? Keep on dreaming! I was stupid in the past to let you take advantage of me, but from now onward, don’t even think about getting anything from me! My family has worried enough for me, and I won’t ever let them give a single cent to people like you! If you can’t even be a man and divorce me properly, then I’ll see you in court!” Qi Chengyue looked directly into his eyes and exclaimed resentfully. There was an unwavering determination in her voice, and she gave him no leeway to twist her words.

Jian Yi shot her a glance and mocked her, “Let’s wait and see, then.”

Once he finished, he left without even looking at her.

He slammed the door, with the resulting sound stopping Qi Chengyue’s hearts in her tracks.

She could never forget Jian Yi’s completely emotionless eyes—they turned a murderous red just because he did not get what he wanted. He was no doubt a greedy animal!

Qi Chengyue crouched down helplessly, with her back leaning against her work desk. Tears began flowing out without the slightest warning.

How could she ever have been attracted to that man?

The sobbing started, prompting her to lower her head and bury her face in her palms.

…

…

No words could accurately describe the flaming inferno inside of Jian Yi’s heart. He worked hard for everything, yet ended up with nothing.

Dejected, he walked to the elevator and smashed the up button. The door opened and Cheng Dongge was coming out, but the latter stopped for a moment after laying eyes on Jian Yi. He glanced momentarily at Jian Yi and retracted his gaze, then walked out of the elevator and past Jian Yi.

Before entering the elevator, Jian Yi turned and looked briefly at the direction Cheng Dongge was heading.

…

…

Qi Chengyue felt a hand touching the back of her hand. She kept her head buried in her hands and said, without looking up, “Leave me alone.”

“Young Master Cheng told me to come down and tell you that Jian Yi’s been fired as of immediately. Security is clearing out his office.” Cheng Dongge’s voice seemed very close to her.

Qi Chengyue froze for a moment before wiping away her tears in haste. There seemed to be no use, however, as her face was still wet.

“Why must you always see me at my ugliest? Can’t you just silently leave if you see me like this?” Qi Chengyue was peeved, for the man did not seem to know how to comprehend a woman’s state of mind.

He gave her another handkerchief as she vented. It was the same brand as before, but differed in having a brown-and-white checkered pattern.

His thumb was laying on top of the handkerchief, and even his thumb seemed much longer than the short and stout thumb of countless other people. His nails were neatly cut, and the base of his pinkish nails even had a white moon-like shape.

Without a doubt, his hands were very beautiful.

Qi Chengyue took the handkerchief and was somewhat annoyed that he did not go away when he saw her at her worst. Whatever that happened the day before was embarrassing, but he had seen her during times where she was much uglier than that.

She used the handkerchief to wipe away all her tears, then placed it to her nose and blew her mucus into it. A loud sound was produced, making her feel disgusted at herself. She turned away from Cheng Dongge, but his expression was so vacuous that she wondered if he even felt disgusted by her.

Qi Chengyue blew her nose a few times and cleared it thoroughly, but her voice still sounded a bit muffled. “Why didn’t you knock before you came in?”

“I did. You just didn’t hear it,” Cheng Dongge cocked a brow and replied honestly.

Qi Chengyue was silent.

She stood up, looked at the sorry handkerchief, and remembered the one he gave her the day before. She already had it cleaned and was prepared to return to him. She grabbed it from her table and handed it to him, saying, “Thank you for yesterday. And this one…”

Qi Chengyue then raised the snot-filled handkerchief and remarked bashfully, “I’ll wash it for you.”

Cheng Dongge took the clean one and nodded before leaving her be.

…

…

Wei Minghao’s birthday celebration was also the day that Qi Chengze’s death was remembered. He was the most inferior amongst all the grandchildren, at least compared to Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin. Qi Chengji was too young back then for a proper comparison to be made. There was nothing positive about Qi Chengze, other than his upholding of the Qi family name.

Be that as it may, he was still a part of the Qi family—their grandson, son, and sibling. He was already dead, and no one held any grudge against him for what he did during his lifetime. On the morning of his anniversary, the entire family went to visit his grave.

Wei Minghao’s birthday coincided with Qi Chengze’s death anniversary, but because it was the birthday of the Wei family’s patriarch and by virtue of both families’ status as part of the Eight Great Families, it was impossible for the Wei family not to invite the Qi family over. In the same vein, the Qi family could not decline that invitation.

Wei Minghao’s birthday coincided with Qi Chengze’s death anniversary, but because it was the birthday of the Wei family’s patriarch and by virtue of both families’ status as part of the Eight Great Families, it was impossible for the Wei family not to invite the Qi family over. In the same vein, the Qi family could not decline that invitation.

After visiting Qi Chengze’s grave in the morning, the family went to Dynasty that night.

Due to the pregnancy, Song Yu wore shoes with very short heels. Her sapphire-blue knee-length dress made her skin look much fairer.

Her skin was very healthy, to begin with, so Song Yu skipped the makeup in light of the pregnancy. A bit of lipstick was all she put on. Nevertheless, she was in glowing spirits, with a pink blush radiating from her cheeks.

The old lady walked into the hall, saw the other families’ elderly matriarchs, then went to join them. Song Yu could clearly see that they were trying to avoid the old lady once they spotted her.

Both the old lady and the old man went in search of their respective friends, while Qi Zhongliang and the others were socializing with their own peers.

“Can you, like, control your old woman?” A grumbling voice came reverberating out of the blue. Song Yu was frightened, but she soon realized that it was Han Zhuoli, who moved over to them rather stealthily.

His face was gloomy and he did not look too happy. “My grandmother has been showing me plenty of pictures these past few days. She wants to set up a blind date. Your grandmother is being a bit excessive, isn’t she?”

Han Zhuoli pointed toward a particular direction. Song Yu’s gaze followed his finger, and she saw that the old lady was tugging at Grandmother Han’s hand rather animatedly. It was almost certainly because she was flaunting off her granddaughter-in-law.

Song Yu knew full well that there was a large number of pictures. After she went home the other day, she did mention it to Qi Chengzhi as well.

Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips. “Well, it’ll all be done if you just picked one.”

Han Zhuoli, “…”

All of a sudden, the three of them heard an arrogant laugh. They turned and saw Grandfather Qi laughing like nobody’s business. The old man then raised his voice, as if afraid that no one could hear him clearly. “HAHAHAHA, my eldest grandson isn’t special. He found a wife much later than other people, but at least he’s finally getting married!”

“You’re annoying us on purpose, aren’t you?” Grandfather Yan was starting to get angry. His eyes scanned across the room in search of Yan Beicheng, whom the old man then proceeded to glare at.

“Not at all, not at all. Ever since he got married, he insists on bringing his wife over to the home. You know that I like to play chess, but because they’re always coming over, I can’t play my chess in peace. If they have a child next time, I’d have to take care of my great-grandchildren! I have enough of a headache taking care of my great-grandson. If they gave me another great-grandchild, I’m going to be tired to death!” With that intonation of his, he was not so much speaking as he was shouting—he was so loud that the entire hall could hear him. His mouth may be complaining, but his face seemed to be quite excited, and his pride was far more infuriating than the old lady’s.

“Agh, I’m not talking to you again, you bloody old man! Who the bloody hell is going to believe you when you say you’re not happy! You’re just showing off with every sentence you say!” Grandfather Gui stared at him in anger.

“Exactly! Just look at how smug you are. Lao Wei already has two great-grandchildren, but you don’t see him being as cocky as you!” Grandfather Yan exclaimed in irritation.

Grandfather Wei smiled contentedly after his name was called out. He looked like he was just keeping a low profile.

…

That night, Qi Chengyue arrived alongside Qi Chenglin. Ever since she told Jian Yi she wanted a divorce, Jian Yi would not cooperate, and that prompted the Qi family to contact Lawyer Song. Lawyer Song did not specialize in divorces, and so introduced Lawyer Ge—an expert in that area.

“Cheng Dongge’s here, too?” She was surprised to see Cheng Dongge’s presence when she scanned the surroundings.

“Dad and Uncle are going to retire soon. Sooner or later, our big brother is going to return to Qilin Technology, and I’ll be the one who takes up the director’s position at Qilin Properties. The general manager’s position will be empty then, and our big brother wants Cheng Dongge to fill the position. That’s the reason he wanted Cheng Dongge to attend events like these, to expand his connections,” Qi Chenglin explained.

“I know that Big Brother wants him to become the general manager, but I didn’t expect Big Brother to think so highly of him,” Qi Chengyue responded in awe.

Qi Youxuan was holding her hand until that point in time, but he suddenly let go of her and ran off.

Qi Chengyue was not worried that something might happen to Qi Youxuan, but she stared in shock as he just bolted away. Only then did she realize that Wei Ziqi’s family had arrived. The chubby little Qi Youxuan was running directly toward Wei Muran.

“…” Speechless, she looked at her nephew dashing off with his wiggling butt. She had not forgotten what he told her earlier.

“Auntie, don’t worry, I’ll be by your side the whole night!” Back in the car, Qi Youxuan made that solemn vow while thumping his chest using his fist.

They had arrived for barely a few minutes, but the boy had already forgotten his promise completely.

“I think Qi Youxuan will grow up to be someone who will change his heart easily when he sees something new,” Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes and remarked.

Qi Chenglin pursed his lips, and together with Qi Chengyue, they walked over to Wei Ziqi’s family. Qi Chenglin wanted to get his son back.

While they were talking with Wei Ran and Wei Ziqi, someone suddenly jumped on Wei Ran’s back.

“Wei Ran!” A woman hugged Wei Ran’s neck from behind. She then saw Wei Ziqi cocking his brow and looking at her in silence.

Wei Ran need not turn around to know who it was. Controlling her desire to squeal excitedly, she eventually turned and hugged the other woman. “Nanxi!”

The two excited women continued hugging each other before finally letting go of one another. Wei Ran looked all around herself and asked, “You didn’t bring Niannian over?”

“We’re actually here on official business to solve a case, so we didn’t bring the child with us. We took some time out today to come join in the celebrations,” Lu Nanxi explained.

The man beside her dressed in a well-cut suit. His character was distinct, but his hair was so messy that no amount of combing could seem to tame it. As a result, he looked like someone who was constantly feeling sleepy.

Fang Boran greeted Wei Ziqi and handed over a gift. “Wen Ren had an assignment and couldn’t come. He asked me to bring this for you.”

“Is Jiaran alright?” Wei Ran asked.

“She is. She’s pregnant again, so she’s now in confinement at Lanshan Courtyard. Wen Ren went away on assignment, so he didn’t allow her to come here by herself.” Lu Nanxi smiled, then leaned over and whispered, “Because of the pregnancy, Wen Ren wanted to prevent any prenatal influences, so he searched for all the porn films and Hentai comics that she hid. He took all of them away so she couldn’t watch or read them. You know, when Wen Ren dispatched the undercover bodyguard to search the entire courtyard for all those things, he searched energetically for them and found all those materials in heaps. In the end, even the straight-faced bodyguard couldn’t keep it together anymore.”

Wei Ran could not help but smile when she thought of Fang Jiaran’s rather unique hobby.

“Jiaran couldn’t keep a straight face as well after the search. The entire Lanshan Courtyard knew of her little pastime, but just imagine how she felt when it was laid bare in front of everyone. She was so embarrassed that she refused to come out and meet anyone for a few days. Because of that, she got so mad at Wen Ren that she came running to our house just to sleep at our place for a couple of days. Wen Ren had to keep begging her for her to return. Then he promised her that he’ll bring her to Japan after the child is born. She’ll have the freedom to choose all the films, comics, and anime that she wanted, and bring them all home.”

Lu Nanxi was troubled because she spent the past few days dealing with a case, thereby robbing her of the time to speak with Wei Ran. The urge to gossip was just boiling inside of her, and when she finally got to see Wei Ran in person, she felt like she was transported to the past—that was when she spent most of her time gossiping to Wei Ran.

Fang Boran stood on one side, massaging his temples. Lu Nanxi’s busybody tendencies were all inherited from her mother, and as the years went by, her penchant for gossiping was getting more and more out of hand.

The two women were enjoying themselves very much, and since Fang Boran did not want to bother them, he started a conversation with Wei Ziqi and Qi Chenglin.

Capitalizing on the fact that Wei Ziqi’s attention had been diverted to Lu Nanxi and Fang Boran, Qi Youxuan took out a ring-shaped candy from his pocket and said to Wei Muran, “This is for you, Muran.”

As he spoke, he placed the candy into Muran’s ring finger.

By the time Wei Ziqi saw it, little Muran had already raised her hand to eat the ring-shaped candy.

Wei Ziqi finally had enough of Qi Youxuan’s harassment. He kept his voice low and asked Qi Chenglin, “Can you please control your son?”

Qi Chenglin looked at the two young ones and raised a brow, saying, “I’ll let him take the responsibility when he’s older, but as for today, let’s treat it as their engagement.”

Wei Ziqi, “…”

The entire Qi family were a bunch of audacious people.

No one expected Qi Youxuan to hear what his father said. He swayed his indistinct waist shyly, and while blushing, he said, “Mm, I think that’s quite okay y.”

Wei Ziqi, “…”

Wei Ran, “…’

Qi Chengyue, “…”

“Brother, I’m going to the washroom for a bit,” Qi Chengyue told Qi Chenglin softly.

She could not sustain a conversation with the three men, and because Wei Ran and Lu Nanxi were close friends since young, the two definitely had much to talk about after a long period of not meeting each other. It would be awkward for Qi Chengyue to butt in, as it would then cause the two of them to be unable to fully talk without restraint with each other. Moreover, she was not close to either of them, and she would only be speaking a few courteous words at most. It would be rather untoward of her to just enter into their conversation, and it probably would have spoiled the mood.

Feeling out-of-place, she took the opportunity to leave for a brief moment.

Qi Chenglin nodded but still felt worried for her.

Qi Chengyue’s divorcing of Jian Yi, after being married for barely a few months, was something that could not be kept hidden. The news had spread out.

Wei Minghao’s birthday celebration was a grand event, and members of the Eight Great Families were not the only invitees. Also invited were those with significant status from the upper-circle, so the attendees were more varied than usual. It was inevitable that they would gossip and badmouth her behind her back.

“Call me if you need anything,” Qi Chenglin told her.

Qi Chengyue smiled and walked past the hall, looking left and right—Qi Chengzhi was talking with Yan Beicheng and the others. Qi Chengji met a fellow comrade and congregated with his army buddies, who all came from various prestigious families. Song Yu was being dragged and flaunted around by the old lady.

With nowhere for her to go to, she decided to head to the washroom.

When she reached the washroom and opened the door slightly, she heard the voices of three women, all of which were tending to their makeup. One of them she could distinctly recognize—it was the Gui family’s Gui Rongxuan. Another, surprisingly, was Guan Xiaolin!

The remaining voice belonged to Li Qianyi.

The Guan family was not considered one of the higher-status families, but the Wei family invited them over as courtesy to Guan Liya.

Even though she could not conceal the news of her divorce with Jian Yi, the man’s affair with Guan Xiaolin was known only to the Qi family, no one else.

“Did you see how Qi Chengyue looked today? Her complexion is just terrible. She looks jaded even though she applied makeup,” Li Qianyi remarked as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“Could her complexion be any better? She’s only been married for a few months but she’s already asking for a divorce. From what I see, she isn’t the type who can keep her man. What use is there to have the Qi family’s prestige over her head?” Gui Rongxuan was not applying any makeup. She merely looked at the bright big mirror and stared narcissistically at her own face. Left and right she admired her cheeks from every possible angle.

“Hehe, I didn’t really believe it at first, but since she came here alone today, I think the two of them will divorce for sure!” Guan Xiaolin exclaimed smugly and pretended not to know the entire situation.

Qi Chengyue saw that Guan Xiaolin wore flats and was holding tight on the door handle. Was Guan Xiaolin afraid that the others knew not of the pregnancy?

“Is continuing the marriage even an option? I was never optimistic for their marriage when I knew she’s getting married to that Jian Yi.” Gui Rongxuan then continued to make cutting remarks. “Qi Chengyue’s a stubborn girl spoiled by her family. No man can be patient with a temper like hers. If her husband was on the same social status as her, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stand her. Did she think that if she found someone ordinary like Jian Yi, she could just boss him around?”

“I say, since he’s an ordinary person, then he probably viewed her only for her money and status. She still jumped into the marriage like an idiot though. Could it be that she wants to divorce because she finally realized the truth after getting married?” Li Qianyi put her powder puff away. Their subject of conversation did not actually concern her at all, but as if there was not enough havoc already, she said, “That’s why those who have high statuses like us must look for a partner on the same level. At least if we’re taken advantage of, we can do the same to them. It won’t be a one-sided situation where we’re completely being taken advantage of.”

Guan Xiaolin’s action of opening the tap came to a halt and all of a sudden, she held onto the spout with all her strength. It was but a brief moment, and she once again resumed her action of opening the tap to wash her hands.

The other two did not notice that something was amiss, as Wei Rongxuan was busy looking at the mirror while Li Qianyi was still doing her own makeup.

Guan Xiaolin then said, “If something like this happens to me, I’ll definitely be ashamed to show up at this kind of event. Everyone who’s anyone will be here, and they’ll be laughing at me if I showed my face. Her mental strength is pretty impressive!”

With much force, Qi Chengyue pushed the door open immediately. The result was a loud bang as the door slammed onto the wall, startling all three of them.

“One, I didn’t have an affair. Two, I didn’t steal someone else’s husband. And three, I didn’t spread lies behind other people’s back. Why should I be ashamed?” Qi Chengyue stood at the door and asked.

“It’s only my first divorce. I’m still far behind you, Miss Gui,” Qi Chengyue said bluntly.

All three had a sour expression, with Gui Rongxuan’s face turning stiff. She divorced twice already and was currently in her third marriage. In her first marriage, both she and her husband cheated on each other and had their respective affairs. In the second, she slept with a married man and was discovered by the man’s wife, who then exposed the affair to the world. The third and current marriage was with that same married man, who divorced the wife in order to be with her.

Both she and the current husband were both players, and after the initial feeling of love was gone, they got tired of each other. Nevertheless, they both endured the marriage because they had rather good financial backgrounds. Divorce was a subject that was never brought up, but both sought the company of people outside of their marriage.

Her husband was embroiled in scandals involving celebrities and young models, while she kept a young boy just for herself.

In fact, the entire upper-class circle was well aware of Gui Rongxuan’s situation.

Regarding Qi Chengyue’s jibe of ‘stealing someone else’s husband’, Guan Xiaolin knew that it was aimed at herself.

“Miss Guan, I heard you got pregnant. Who’s the father? And when’s the marriage? Oh, do tell!” Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes and stared goadingly onto Guan Xiaolin’s tummy.

Qi Chengyue was spot-on in deducing that Guan Xiaolin would keep her relationship with Jian Yi under wraps. After all, it was not something particularly pleasing to talk about. Qi Chengyue’s guess was that after the divorce, Guan Xiaolin would wait out for a bit before getting married to Jian Yi. Then, after a few months, she would reveal that she was pregnant. Once the child was born, people would sense that the timing did not add up, but everything would have been a foregone conclusion by then.

If Guan Xiaolin were to say it all out now, it would add on to what was already a massive scandal.

Sure enough, the other two turned immediately to look at Guan Xiaolin’s stomach, right after Qi Chengyue finished speaking. Gui Rongxuan and Li Qianyi both had excessive attention to detail. Qi Chengyue’s words led them to notice Guan Xiaolin’s reaction, and they knew instantly that Guan Xiaolin had done something utterly shameful. It was unlikely that the child’s birth would be a grand affair.

Guan Xiaolin’s expression turned stiff, and after looking stupefied for a moment, she pursed her lips and retorted sarcastically, “I’ll make the announcement myself after some time. According to old customs, we can’t simply tell anyone about the pregnancy during the first three months.”

She walked over to Qi Chengyue, and said smugly when she was beside the latter, “When the time comes, I’ll definitely give you a wedding invitation.”

Gui Rongxuan and Li Qianyi felt awkward as well, and they left angrily.

Qi Chengyue’s words offended both of them thoroughly.

After they left, she leaned listlessly on the door frame. Breathing out a few deep breaths, she prepared to leave after some time had passed.

She knew that gossip would be aplenty during that day, and therefore, she had been mentally prepared for that outcome. The more they gossiped, the more she wanted to stand strong. After all, was it not just a few sentences from them?

They could say whatever they wanted, for she knew she did nothing wrong. Those who should be feeling ashamed were Guan Xiaolin and Jian Yi, but surprisingly, Guan Xiaolin was still brave enough to show herself at such an event!

Resilience began coursing through her body. She clenched her hands into fists and was adamant on not showing any weakness.

She stood upright and was about to leave, but she spotted a figure coming out from the men’s washroom.

Upon seeing who it was, she was left shocked.

‘Why is it always Cheng Dongge?’

He was rubbing his nose. Earlier, he was about to come out of the bathroom, but suddenly heard the conversation between Qi Chengyue and the other ladies. The door to the ladies’ room was wide ajar, and knowing that he would have to pass there if he were to go out, the women would almost certainly find it awkward. All he could do was hide at the door and leave only after the women had left.

He heard some footsteps, followed by the absence of any other sound. Thinking that they had all left, he stuck out his head cautiously.

Seeing Qi Chengyue in front of the ladies’ room stunned him for a moment.

“Miss Qi,” Cheng Dongge greeted calmly, and his expression seemed oblivious to what happened.

Qi Chengyue did not buy that look of his, and so narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t hear the conversation just now, did you?”

Cheng Dongge, “…”

“Couldn’t you wait until I left before coming out of the toilet? You’re always seeing me at my most embarrassing moments!” Qi Chengyue’s face was red-hot, and she felt extremely shy.

“…” A moment of silence was followed by Cheng Dongge pointing to the men’s room behind him. “Do you want me to go back in and wait for you to leave before coming out again?”

Qi Chengyue, “…

“Do you really think deceiving yourself is going to fool anyone?” Qi Chengyue rolled her eyes, and seeing that happen on her baby-face elicited a smile from Cheng Dongge.

“Ah yes.” Qi Chengyue looked down and took out a white-and-brown checkered handkerchief, which she handed to Cheng Dongge. “This is yours.”

Cheng Dongge was curious. He did not take it yet, but asked her, “You knew I was coming today?”

Qi Chengyue began to blush. She did not know of course, but for some reason, she was always bringing it around with her since that day.

She would not admit it though, so she waved her hand and said, “Yes, I knew. My brother told me.”

Cheng Dongge nodded and took the handkerchief back. His other hand, however, was lifted up, and his fingers touched her cheek.

Qi Chengyue was startled. She could feel the warmth and slight roughness of his fingertips. They traced across her cheek, sending a snake-like electric current that trickled all over her face. It was numbing, causing a shiver to come over her immediately.

A red blush appeared in the exact spot that he touched, and it soon began spreading through her entire face. It complemented her baby-face as well as her large, exotic-looking eyes, creating a look that could stir one’s heart.

The silky feeling of her skin was like the smoothest of fresh butter.

Cheng Dongge gulped. He wanted to let his finger stay there without moving, but at the same time, he wanted to keep them going and feel even more of that silkiness.

His movements came to a grinding halt and he retracted his hand immediately. He knew that his actions were a bit too brazen and could fuel a misunderstanding. Letting out a dry cough, he showed her the tip of his index finger. “There was an eyelash on your face.”

Qi Chengyue looked down and saw that long and delicate eyelash. She did, in fact, misunderstand a few moments ago, but after seeing that Cheng Dongge had no other intentions, she felt her face turned even redder.

Even though Cheng Dongge also lowered his head, he could make out her reddening ears. Seeing them made his heart skip a beat.

He retracted his hand and was about to flick the eyelash away, but Qi Chengyue grabbed his wrist. Her palm was smooth and soft—a complete contrast from his. Despite being held by the wrist, his heart was beginning to melt.

“Wait, don’t get rid of it!” Qi Chengyue called out. She pulled his hand back again and carefully took the eyelash from his finger.

Cheng Dongge remained silent while his dark pupils observed Qi Chengyue’s movements. His masculine fingers were the perfect complement to her feminine ones. The softness of her fingers could be perceived clearly when they brushed through his fingers with feather-like lightness.

She picked up the eyelash and placed it on her palm before wrapping her hands into a fist. She then lowered her head, planted her lips on her fingers, and closed her eyes. Her serene appearance was very beautiful—all traces of her usual headstrongness was completely gone.

Moments later, she opened her eyes and spread out her fingers. She then blew on the eyelash and said, “They say doing this can make your wishes come true. Apparently, it’s very effective.”

Qi Chengyue raised her gaze at him and noticed his eyelashes. They were thick and long, but not as upcurved as hers.

“If you find an eyelash on your face, you can try it too.” Qi Chengyue smiled. She no longer had the foul mood that she had when she bumped into Guan Xiaolin. Her two dimples even made an appearance on her face.

Cheng Dongge was smiling too when Qi Chengyue ordered, “Give me your arm.”

He cocked a brow at her never-ending demands. In the past, he often despised her excessive and oftentimes inconsiderate requests.

At that time though, he unwittingly stretched his hand to her before his brain could even process her request.

She looked at his outstretched hand and laughed. “Pfft, not like that.”

With both hands, she grabbed his forearm and bent it down. It was only after coming into contact with them that she noticed how robust and firm he was, possibly the result of regular training.

She wrapped her arms around his and began dragging him along. “You don’t have a female companion, right? Well, accompany me out. This way, I won’t lose my ego.”

…

…

Qi Chengzhi was busy speaking to Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli when someone tugged on his arm. A waft of perfume permeated the air at the exact same time.

“Big Brother Chengzhi!” A crisp, tender voice reverberated within the ears of all three men.

The expressions of Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli perked up immediately. They looked at Qi Chengzhi with teasing eyes and waggled their brows. Half-smirking, they began sizing up the woman that had interrupted them so suddenly.

“Why are you here?” Qi Chengzhi asked unenthusiastically. He freed his arm from the woman’s grasp, then grabbed a glass of champagne from the trays of one of the servers. He gave the drink to the woman, preventing her from having any idle hands which she could use to grab him with. His movements were so smooth that it did not give away his actual intention.

“I’ve graduated, so I followed my brother back to the country.” Mu Sisi smiled and stared admiringly at Qi Chengzhi. She made no effort to try and conceal that admiration. “Our family’s company is cooperating with Wu Feng, so Wei Ziqi invited us over.”

She lifted her hand to obscure her smile, and although her buoyant character was bizarre, she was nonetheless a beautiful woman who could attract the attention of most men.

In the opinion of both Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli, Mu Sisi was more childish, lacking the staid that Song Yu had. Standing beside him, she did not look like a good match for Qi Chengzhi, and overall, she seemed unable to sustain the aura Qi Chengzhi possessed.

Song Yu seemed like a gentlewoman who led a simple life. Put her with Mu Sisi, and Song Yu’s character might appear slightly dull—pair her with Qi Chengzhi, and she became a silent magnetic force that absorbed Qi Chengzhi’s imposing aura, turning it into nothingness.

As long as Song Yu was beside him, his formidable energy dwindled automatically, causing others to fear him much less.

“It’s been a week since I came back, but I told my brother not to tell you. I knew you’re going to join in the celebration too, and I really wanted to surprise you here.” Mu Sisi wanted to hug Qi Chengzhi’s arm again, but as she was just about to stretch her arms, she realized she was holding a champagne glass, and was left with no choice but to halt her movements.

“You’re a meanie, Big Brother Chengzhi. You never reply to my WeChat messages or text messages,” Mu Sisi frowned and grumbled. Her tender, coquettish voice made her frown look particularly adorable.

Be on WeChat or through text, Qi Chengzhi never replied because he blacklisted her number long ago.

Qi Chengzhi found it annoying that Mu Sisi always texted him. What if Song Yu saw those texts and misunderstood?

Qi Chengzhi found it annoying that Mu Sisi always texted him. What if Song Yu saw those texts and misunderstood?

“Chengzhi.” At that point, a handsome man walked over, smiled, and fist-bumped Qi Chengzhi. “You joker. You never came to see me even after I returned to the country.”

Qi Chengzhi flashed him a plain smile. “If you came back, does this mean that a decision has been made to expand within the country?”

“That’s right.” Mu Huaisheng nodded. “My father has decided to expand all throughout Asia, and naturally, the first step is to go back home.”

Qi Chengzhi nodded. “I’ll introduce you.”

When he was introducing both Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli to Mu Huaisheng, Mu Sisi handed her glass over to her brother. Empty-handed at last, she hugged Qi Chengzhi’s arm and looked flirtatiously at him. “Big Brother Chengzhi, I’ve been staying in the US since I was in primary school, and this is the first time I came back after so many years. It’s all very foreign to me here, so you have to bring me around and get me familiarized with this place!”

“Sisi, Chengzhi’s very busy with work and he has his own things to do, too. Don’t bother him,” Mu Huaisheng voiced out his disapproval.

“It’s no big deal, isn’t it? Back in America, I always followed both of you out to have fun.” She scrunched her nose at her elder brother and turned to Qi Chengzhi. “Big Brother Chengzhi, do you still ice-skate?”

…

…

Song Yu, meanwhile, was called over by the old lady to get acquainted with the matriarchs of a few other families.

When the old lady brought Song Yu to visit Grandmother Han previously, Song Yu only got to meet her as well as Grandmother Gui and Grandmother Yan. Many others were still unacquainted, more so those of Xia Wenna’s generation.

Thus, the old lady tasked Xia Wenna with bringing Song Yu around. They went from family to family, and she was introduced to everyone older than her.

Just as the old lady was reveling in her good mood, Grandmother Han’s eyebrows twitched. She pointed at Qi Chengzhi’s direction and said, “Oi, why is your grandson getting really close with that girl over there?”

As soon as the sentence was completed, the old lady turned swiftly. What she saw was a young woman hugging Qi Chengzhi’s arm and clinging intimately to him.

The old lady noticed that the young woman’s attire was not too revealing—at least her breasts were well-covered and not in full display. Nevertheless, she was pressing them vehemently onto Qi Chengzhi’s arm.

The old lady’s gaze sharpened and her temper exploded, leading her to curse out, “Youngsters nowadays are just too thick-skinned. Does she even have any her dignity when she’s throwing herself all over a man!”

In fact, the old lady originally wanted to say, ‘Why not just prostitute yourself then if you’re throwing yourself all over a man?’

Realizing that she was in a public place with so many people, she modified her words and maintained her composure.

After she was done being angry, she turned to look at Song Yu, fearing that the latter might misunderstand and get into an argument with Qi Chengzhi.

“My dear Song Yu, let’s go! Follow me to chase away that little minx. When we get home, I’ll give that little brat a smack!” the old lady exclaimed undauntedly.

Song Yu was speechless.

“Grandma, Chengzhi’s not an idiot. He wouldn’t do something that’ll disappoint me, especially in a situation where I’m here and the entire family is here, too. Maybe it’s someone he’s on good terms with. It wouldn’t be good if he just went away,” assured Song Yu.

His feelings toward her enabled her to trust him a hundred percent, but it still could not stop jealousy from bubbling inside her.

She said all that just to comfort the old lady and prevent someone old like her from fretting too much about her grandson.

Despite that, there was still some anxiety deep down in Song Yu’s heart.

No woman would be happy to see her husband in such close proximity with another woman.

Song Yu had just completed her sentence when she saw Qi Chengzhi take a glass of champagne from the server, thereby breaking free of Mu Sisi.

He held it in his hand without drinking it, and Mu Sisi was no longer able to bother him.

Once he spotted Song Yu and the old lady coming over, the corner of his eye twitched. He shoved the glass to Yan Beicheng and stretched out his hand to Song Yu.

Song Yu looked at his outstretched palm and smiled tenderly, but did not return his gesture. Ignoring it, she walked to the front of the crowd and stood beside him without touching him.

Deep inside her heart, the old lady was already beginning to cry out disaster. Song Yu made light of things when she spoke, but she was clearly still a bit peeved at him.

The elderly lady understood that even though the blame was put wholly on that other woman, Song Yu’s heart could still not be at ease. He was lucky Song Yu did not show her anger at him in public.

Calm and composed, Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu by the waist and pulled her close to him. His warm palm had a tight grip on her, as if afraid that she might escape.

Song Yu had no intention of getting into an argument with him. One look was all she needed to see that the woman in front of her lusted for Qi Chengzhi. If Song Yu kicked up a fuss in public, she would be revealing her weakness in front of that woman.

She looked up at him in a half-smirk.

It used to be Qi Chengzhi who gave her that look all the time. The role reversal prompted Qi Chengzhi to pinch her waist slightly.

Ever since Song Yu’s presence, his eyes never looked at anyone else. He lowered his head and asked, “Are you tired from standing so long?”

Although Song Yu did not want him to look bad, she was in no mood to entertain him.

Luckily, the old lady opened her mouth in exasperation, “Little brat. Your extremely old grandmother has been standing with your wife for the same amount of time. Why didn’t you ask me whether I’m tired?”

Then, the old lady turned to Mu Sisi and said, “My grandson spoils his wife too much, hehehe!”

Song Yu knew that the old lady—now thoroughly irked—was trying to hint at Mu Sisi that Qi Chengzhi had a good relationship with his wife.

Song Yu could not help but smile and marvel at how adorable the old lady was. She felt that she never needed to worry about being bullied or wronged, as long as the old lady was there.

On the other hand, Mu Sisi was shocked, with her expression turning sour in a flash.

She subsequently straightened her back and put on a cute smile. “You’re Big Brother Chengzhi’s grandmother, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Mu Sisi and this is my brother, Mu Huaisheng.”

The old lady smiled, albeit not genuinely, and said, “Okay.” Mu Sisi then turned to Qi Chengzhi and asked, “Big Brother Chengzhi, this is?”

“Let me introduce her.” Qi Chengzhi hugged Song Yu even tighter. “This is my wife, Song Yu. We registered our marriage a few days ago. The wedding will be next month, and since both of you have returned to the country, do join.”

Mu Sisi felt her blood drain out of her body. Her feet and legs ran cold. Without drawing too much attention to her actions, she held Mu Huaisheng’s arm to prevent herself from collapsing.

“Your wife?” Mu Sisi asked. Then, she remembered something. “The other day you posted the picture of a marriage certificate on your WeChat Moments. That’s yours?”

She then continued, “I thought that was your friend’s.”

She always thought he would not get married, because he treated everyone coldly during his university days in America. Campus girls were not the only ones that liked him. Others, whom he encountered in his daily life, also liked him.

Those American-born women were usually much more open-minded, and they would confess their liking of him without the slightest hesitation. Regardless, Qi Chengzhi never even looked at them.

Back then, Mu Sisi was the only odd girl out who could approach him.

At that time though, she was still in junior high, and it was only because of Mu Huaisheng that she got to know Qi Chengzhi.

For whatever reason, she was the only girl who could get close to Qi Chengzhi. Perhaps it was because she was the only one who had the opportunity to do so.

It was not entirely accurate to say that Qi Chengzhi was very close to her during that period. He always maintained an invisible distance, and no matter how she tried to come close to him, it seemed as though she could never get him. It was almost as if there was a red tape cordoning her off from reaching him.

Nevertheless, she made use of her position as his friend’s sister to get near him. She would use every given opportunity to engage in physical contact with him.

She did, however, think about the possibility that he might meet other women while she still had to continue her studies.

Mu Huaisheng kept in touch with Qi Chengzhi during that span of time, so Mu Sisi frequently asked her brother about Qi Chengzhi. She was constantly aware of the fact that Qi Chengzhi never had a girlfriend for all those years, not even a fun fling.

She always regarded him as someone whose standards were so high that no woman could even enter into his thoughts.

In that respect, she was rather self-confident. She was young and beautiful, while her father was the founder of a fashion brand that encompassed everything from cosmetics to luxury goods. He may be Chinese, but he still succeeded to get himself into America’s upper-class society. When Mu Sisi was nineteen, she even participated in New York’s International Debutante Ball, treating it as her coming-of-age ceremony. Amongst those debutantes who attended the ball at that time, she was the sole person with Chinese ethnicity.

In terms of status and background, she would surely be a cut above everyone else present during the birthday celebration!

Her family’s decision to expand their products across Asia came at just the right time, and they were in the process of discussing cooperation with Wu Feng. Since Mu Sisi studied fashion design, she intended to work as a fashion designer for her family’s company after completing her studies.

With another month to go before she graduated, she immediately followed Mu Huaisheng home when she knew that he was going back to the country.

For many years prior, Qi Chengzhi never used WeChat, but she used it frequently to chat with her primary schoolmates. Many of them added each other there. Suddenly, near the end of last year, she noticed another person in her address book. It was Qi Chengzhi, and she added him immediately without any hesitation.

She tried messaging him on WeChat but never received any reply. It was the same with her texts.

That day, when she saw him post the marriage certificate on his Moments, she felt a sudden thump in her heart, which apparently stopped when she laid eyes on that photo.

She did in fact wonder if Qi Chengzhi had gotten married after not seeing him for so many years.

That was why she sent him a message to test the waters, asking if the certificate belonged to his friend.

As expected though, he never replied.

She then asked Mu Huaisheng if there was any news from Qi Chengzhi, because if Qi Chengzhi were to marry, he would surely tell Mu Huaisheng.

The relationship between the two men went back to when they were in university. They had a friendship so good that they were practically inseparable. If Qi Chengzhi really was getting married, Mu Huaisheng would definitely be in the know.

Her doubts were thus cleared.

Therefore, it came as a surprise to her when he personally proclaimed his marriage in such a public place.

“Of course not. My Big Brother treats his WeChat Moments as a place to display his affection. He wouldn’t care about whether his friends marry or not, since he can’t even get enough of showing off all his own lovey-dovey antics there,” a woman’s voice rang from the crowd.

Mu Sisi never met that woman before, but she already disliked the woman after merely hearing the woman’s tone of voice.

Song Yu looked over and saw Qi Chengyue, who had her arm around Cheng Dongge and was walking over.

The two of them had actually stood behind the group for quite some time, and they heard what Mu Sisi had said earlier.

No one in the group noticed because their gazes were all fixed toward Song Yu and Mu Sisi. Everyone seemed curious to see what would happen next, so none of them noticed the presence of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge.

For the old lady, her granddaughter’s words were right on the dot. She nodded approvingly. “Exactly, exactly!”

Song Yu smiled then looked at Qi Chengzhi. Her monochrome eyes seemed to warn him, ‘I’ll settle this with you when we go home.’ After that, she asked, “And these two are…”

Qi Chengzhi looked at her wryly, seemingly to punish her for giving him the look earlier. He grasped her waist even tighter and allowed her to lean herself on his body, whether intentionally or otherwise. He was worried that she stood too long and got tired.

“Mu Huaisheng, my classmate from university and a good friend. This is his sister, Mu Sisi,’ Qi Chengzhi introduced them in a clear voice.

“Hehe, nice to meet you. When Big Brother Chengzhi was in university, I always followed him and my brother to have fun.” Mu Sisi grinned like a cat.

Yu Keyao’s negative impact on Song Yu made her dread hearing the words ‘Big Brother Chengzhi’. Such a term of endearment sent waves of unease throughout her body.

“Big Brother Chengzhi, do you still remember when I came to work at your company during the holidays? Everyone said that I didn’t know anything and was making things worse, so all everyone let me do was photocopy papers and pick up phone calls.” Mu Sisi stuck out her tongue and continued flirtatiously, “I’m much better now, not like the little girl who knew nothing last time. Will your company accept me now that I’ve changed for the better?”

“Mu Huaisheng told me that you’re going to work as a designer in your family’s company. I can’t possibly be poaching talent. Also, there aren’t any suitable jobs for you in our company,” Qi Chengzhi responded bluntly.

“If you hire me, then I can choose not to work at my family’s company!” Mu Sisi then added, “Designing is just a hobby for me. It’s not like I can’t do anything else. Oh yes, Big Brother Chengzhi, do you need a personal assistant?”

Qi Chengzhi kept mum, but shot Cheng Dongge a glance.

Cheng Dongge came to his senses immediately and stood straight, clearing his throat. “Ahem, my apologies, Miss Mu. I’m his assistant.”

At one side, Mu Huaisheng was quietly observing the situation. He did not join the conversation as his attention was focused on Song Yu instead.

He could not refrain himself from being shocked when he heard Song Yu’s name.

A connection was immediately made between Song Yu and the company—named ‘Feather’—that Qi Chengzhi once established.

Mu Huaisheng was indeed a very smart person. If that were not the case, he would not have been able to befriend and keep pace with Qi Chengzhi

Once he had that suspicion, he suddenly remembered the events that happened after Feather became a strong enough company. Qi Chengzhi spent six years dismantling another company, whose owner, if Mu Huaisheng remembered correctly, was also surnamed Song.

Mu Huaisheng recalled the multitude of women who made their affections to Qi Chengzhi known. Not a single one received another look from Qi Chengzhi. Even those who were bold enough to throw themselves all over him were rejected in the harshest of manners.

He once asked Qi Chengzhi if—having had countless admirers during the four years of university—there was ever a woman who managed to capture his heart.

Mu Huaisheng remembered the clear yet sudden pause in Qi Chengzhi’s movements. The latter’s long and fair fingers lowered the book he was holding. His bespectacled eyes looked out at the window. Warm sunny rays were illuminating his body, covering his face in a golden veil.

Qi Chengzhi answered him plainly. “Someone’s waiting for me back in the country.”

“Your girlfriend?” Mu Huaisheng asked a question that seemed normal in that circumstance.

The reply came after a pause. “She’s the woman I want to marry in the future.”

Mu Huaisheng looked at Song Yu and was doubly certain that she was the same woman Qi Chengzhi spoke of in the past.

He stretched his hand toward Song Yu, saying, “Just call me Huaisheng, like how Chengzhi calls me. He’s older than me by two months, so I think it’s proper that I call you sis-in-law.”

Song Yu looked at the smiling man in front of her and felt a distinct similarity with Qi Chengzhi.

When Qi Chengzhi took off his glasses, his gaze was frighteningly sharp, causing his entire aura to turn even more unwelcoming.

Mu Huaisheng was different in that he had scholarly mannerisms. His gaze was tender and far from intimidating. Song Yu knew, however, that Mu Huaisheng was not as well-tempered as his looks suggested—he was definitely not someone that should be provoked.

“Chengzhi and I were university classmates, and I was also his business partner.” Mu Huaisheng smiled.

Song Yu knew what he was talking about, but she still turned to Qi Chengzhi and asked, “Business partner?”

“Yes, didn’t you know? When Big Brother Chengzhi was studying in America, he founded a company with my brother. It did pretty well and even made a small name for itself in the industry,” Mu Sisi explained. She was beaming because she felt like she knew much more about Qi Chengzhi than Song Yu.

Mu Huaisheng smiled warmly and said, “I was a partner-in-name only. In truth, I was only just helping out a bit. It was a concept Qi Chengzhi proposed. I had time on my hands. And because I look up to his abilities, I invested some money into it. It wasn’t much, and strictly speaking, the company belonged to Qi Chengzhi entirely. I just hitched on his success. Now that I think about it, the company’s name was Feather, and isn’t your Yu the character for feather?”

Mu Sisi was shocked. She could not believe that Qi Chengzhi would set up a company just for Song Yu.

During that period, Mu Sisi put in a lot of effort for Qi Chengzhi, hoping she could make him notice and pay attention to her.

“Yes.” Song Yu nodded. She was rather surprised as well.

Mu Huaisheng then turned to Qi Chengzhi, seemingly full of questions.

Qi Chengzhi asked instead, “Since your family’s company will expand their range of products into the domestic market, you’d surely need a place to work, right? Have you identified a site, yet?”

“We’re still looking. Recently we’ve been doing work from the hotel,” Mu Huaisheng said. He did not press on with his questions because Qi Chengzhi had changed the topic.

“Big Brother Chengzhi, we’re staying right here at Dynasty. Don’t forget to come look for us!” Mu Sisi exclaimed. She then reached for Qi Chengzhi’s hand and grabbed it right in front of everyone there, flinging it coquettishly.

Qi Chengzhi pulled his hand back and retorted, “If I have the time. We’re preparing for the wedding, so it’ll be a bit busier.”

Mu Sisi looked at her own empty palm and bit her lip. Sunken though her expression was, she forced out a happy smile and said, “I never thought that you’d get married so early!”

“Not early enough I say. My grandson’s already thirty-five. If this is early, then how late is late?” The old lady waved her hand and was itching to ask, ‘Are you going to say that it’s better if he got married to you?’

“No, Grandma, I just thought… I just thought…” Mu Sisi looked askance at Yan Beicheng and the group, who was standing there to watch some drama instead of leaving. “Back in America, no other girl except me could approach Big Brother Chengzhi. He never looked at any of those women, so I thought that Big Brother Chengzhi wouldn’t get married so early.”

“I don’t suppose you thought my big brother was going to wait for you?” Qi Chengyue had no reservations about being blunt. The old lady could not do the same as she had to maintain her prestige, and so was unable to make any stern comments toward Mu Sisi.

“When my big brother was at university, you were nothing more than a kid, so of course my big brother wouldn’t care if you followed him. If you’re at your current age at that time, just try and see whether he’d let you follow him,” Qi Chengyue jibed. “Even if he did let you tag along, it’s only because your elder brother is his friend.”

Qi Chengyue then snickered. “My big brother did, in fact, wait for one particular woman to grow up, and isn’t he married to that woman now? That woman isn’t you, sadly. But she’s right in front of you.”

Grandmother Qi was immediately elated! It was the first time she ever admired her granddaughter’s cutting words.

In the past, she often felt that Qi Chengyue’s words were too nasty and unkind, but at that moment she was absolutely loving her granddaughter’s scathing remarks!

Keeping up appearances, however, the old lady pulled Qi Chengyue close, then said to Mu Sisi and Mu Huaisheng, “I’m so sorry. My granddaughter is just too direct. She says what’s on her mind and only speaks the truth. Her words can sometimes be unpleasant.”

Everyone fell silent.

Perhaps it was the old lady’s words that were truly unpleasant.

Finding it hard to control herself, Qi Chengyue nearly burst out laughing. She immediately grabbed her grandmother’s arm. “Grandma, how could you say that about your own granddaughter!”

“Don’t you act all coy with me. If I don’t tell you off, you’ll say whatever you want without being aware of the time and place. Huaisheng is your big brother’s friend and you still have to respect him!” The old lady never even mentioned Mu Sisi throughout the conversation.

Mu Huaisheng smiled and said, “Grandma, my sister was in the wrong. She didn’t think properly before speaking.”

“Hehehe, little kids, no one will take what they say to heart.” The old lady waved her hand and looked at Mu Sisi as if the latter was an immature girl who did not understand anything.

Mu Sisi was fuming, but she did not show it out in front of Qi Chengzhi. A doleful and repentant look was suddenly displayed on her face. She imitated Qi Chengyue and held the old lady’s arm, swinging it while acting coyly, “Grandma, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be mean. I just said what’s on my mind, that’s all. It’s just facts and I didn’t actually mean anything by my words, but others can easily misunderstand them too.”

“Hehehe.” The old lady chuckled. She then appeared to spot something, and so turned away and said, “Oh dear, Lao Han’s calling me. I’ll be going now!”

Having said that, she broke free of Mu Sisi’s grip and hurried over to where Grandmother Han was.

Song Yu gave Qi Chengyue an appreciative glance, for she did not expect Qi Chengyue to come to her aid so willingly.

Song Yu gave Qi Chengyue an appreciative glance, for she did not expect Qi Chengyue to come to her aid so willingly.

Many things that were inappropriate for Song Yu to say had been said by Qi Chengyue, who said them without a care and was evidently trying to help her.

Being on the receiving end of the glance, Qi Chengyue was embarrassed, too. She blushed, said nothing, then led Cheng Dongge away.

Song Yu smiled, then whispered to Qi Chengzhi, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“I’ll come with you.” Qi Chengzhi did not raise or lower his volume intentionally. It was an odd spectacle because he spoke in a deadpan manner despite having a magnetic voice.

Song Yu knew that it would not end well if he tagged along, but then again, she did not want to leave him there to be bothered by Mu Sisi. She looked up and met the warm gaze emanating from his dark pupils. In a flash, her face began to heat up.

She clearly wanted him to follow her although she was hesitant and shy. It made Qi Chengzhi want to hug her really badly.

A blush took over her face, and she then nodded almost imperceptibly, uttering, “Mm.”

…

…

Unnerved by Song Yu’s gaze, Qi Chengyue departed the scene in haste. She did not even notice that she was still holding on to Cheng Dongge.

She came to the realization only after hearing some chattering.

“Isn’t she married? Why is she dragging along another man in public?”

“Didn’t you know? They’re getting a divorce!”

“Eh? Could this be the new toy? Was it because of this third party that they wanted to divorce?”

“He looks very much like Qi Chengzhi’s special assistant. What’s his name already? I can’t recall it now.”

“He’s using Qi Chengzhi to get a position?”

“I think it won’t be easy for her to find a well-matched partner even if she divorces. Which one of these families do you think will even accept a divorcee? She has no choice but to look for all these underlings.”

“He’s not using this as an opportunity to get a position, is he?”

Qi Chengyue let go of Cheng Dongge’s hand abruptly. She turned toward the direction of the voices and saw a group of women. They were all huddled together and were of the erroneous belief that they were speaking in a low volume.

“I’m sorry to put this burden on you,” Qi Chengyue remarked austerely. She seemed to be trying very hard to control herself from not barging over and giving those women a piece of her mind. “Let’s go our separate ways.”

After finishing her words, she walked toward the group of women without waiting for Cheng Dongge to answer. Her attitude suggested that she was going to tell those women off.

The group was still talking, but one of them finally realized that Qi Chengyue was coming to them. Their expressions turned stiff and their awkwardness made them flustered.

Barely two steps had been taken by Qi Chengyue when a warm palm grasped her arm.

She turned around to see Cheng Dongge, who said in a straight-face, “It’ll be some time before the banquet starts. Let’s go get something sweet to eat.”

Qi Chengyue pursed her lips stubbornly and told him, “I’m not hungry.”

“Let’s just go. I don’t mind everything. It’s not like you can hold a conversation with them anyway. Gossiping is like a pastime to them. If you joined them, it’ll only give me more things to gossip about. This is a perfect time for you to experience how it feels to keep a gigolo.” Cheng Dongge pulled her to the dessert section.

“I’ve already kept a gigolo before,” Qi Chengyue said abruptly.

Cheng Dongge was momentarily stunned, but he maintained his hand on her arm and continued dragging her away without saying anything more.

She wished she could just bite off her own tongue for saying that, but she continued, “What I meant was, don’t lower yourself down to his standards, you’re not…

“…like him.” She blushed.

“Hehe, I didn’t say anything,” Cheng Dongge looked askance at her and remarked.

“…” Qi Chengyue felt like there was some kind of hidden meaning behind those words.

“Did you spend too much time with my big brother?” Qi Chengyue could not help but ask.

“Why do you say that?” Cheng Dongge took a bite out of a piece of cake.

“You’re just like him, turning all mysterious so easily.”

Cheng Dongge, “…”

He quietly placed a slice of cake onto Qi Chengyue’s plate. It was just the right size for her to eat it in a mouthful, but just as she put it into her mouth, she felt someone tugging on her dress. She looked at Cheng Dongge but saw him holding a plate in one hand and a fork in the other, thoroughly enjoying his cake.

“What is it?” he asked, curious.

Qi Chengyue simply kept silent and turned around suspiciously, but she saw no one. A few subsequent tugs on her dress prompted her to look down, where she noticed Qi Youxuan gazing up at her while pulling her dress using his tubby hand.

“What are you doing?” Qi Chengyue cocked a brow and asked indifferently. She was expressing her protest at how he completely forgot about her once he saw Wei Muran.

“Auntie, I wanna pee,” the red-faced boy exclaimed.

“Go tell your dad,” Qi Chengyue scoffed. “You didn’t think about me when you saw Muran just now, right? You only thought about me when you wanna pee, is that it?”

“He’s talking with a bunch of uncles,” Qi Youxuan answered meekly. He would be made fun of if he were to approach the group of uncles and tell his father he wanted to pee. With his auntie, at least, there was only one other person in Cheng Dongge, so even if he were made fun of, it was only one person instead of a group.

From her cocked brow, Qi Youxuan knew that Qi Chengyue was still bearing a grudge against him. He covered up his crotch area and said urgently, “Auntie, come on, I’m going to pee in my pants.”

Qi Chengyue, “…”

…

…

“Big Sis,” Guan Youbo came over and called out.

“Is something the matter?” Guan Liya said coldly.

“This…matter involving Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin, we only knew about it. Xiaolin’s a kid who doesn’t understand things. Please don’t hold it against her,” Guan Youbo said softly.

“Do you think having an affair with a married man is something you can just brush off by saying she doesn’t understand things?” Guan Xiaolin looked at the married couple in front of her and got even angrier. “You’re the ones who can’t control your own child’s inappropriate behavior, so what do you intend to achieve by looking for me?”

“Big Sis, how can you say that kind of thing? I know that you’d be angry because of what Xiaolin did, but we want to make amends with you. Our familial ties aren’t going to change because of this, right? What Xiaolin did was indeed wrong, but she…” Guan Youbo leaned closer and lowered his volume even more. “She’s pregnant. I can’t do anything about it, and I can’t let her just abort the child.

“I know you’re angry, and we’re angry with her too,” Guan Youbo said.

Guan Xiaolin’s mother, Yao Huimin, interjected, “That’s right. When we knew, Youbo immediately pulled Xiaolin’s hair and was about to hit her. If I didn’t stop him, Xiaolin might need to be hospitalized.”

“Why did you stop him? She’s always calling me ‘Auntie’, but who knew she went behind our backs and slept with my daughter’s husband. Doesn’t she have any sense of shame?” Guan Xiaolin lowered her voice as well, for she was also afraid that others might hear the conversation.

“Yes, yes, we know. We really did punish her,” Guan Youbo asserted. “But with children, we can’t really control much when they grow up. Big Sis, I’m just hoping that this won’t affect our relationship as siblings.”

“About this, we haven’t told Dad yet. He’s still in the hospital, and if we told him, he might not be able to take it. If he knew, he won’t be able to forgive Xiaolin too,” Yao Huimin added.

“Are you using Dad to threaten me?” Guan Xiaolin raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to see the extent of his forgiveness if he knew. Is this how you show sincerity in your apology?”

“Just like you said, Big Sis, I know that this made you angry and I understand that. I feel ashamed to even face you now,” Guan Youbo lamented. “But everything has happened, and we can’t change that. How about this, I’ll definitely bring Xiaolin over to your home and let her kneel down to apologize to you, and to Chenyue!”

“And then we can all treat it as though nothing happened at all? So, all it takes is a few words for us to simply forget about all the hurt that Guan Xiaolin caused us?” Guan Liya snarked.

“Then what do you want us to do, Big Sis? Tell us, and we’ll do our best to get it done,” Guan Youbo pleaded.

“That’s easy. Just tell her to abort the baby, and even though Chengyue and Jian Yi divorced, Guan Xiaolin cannot get married to Jian Yi. If you can do this, then we can all treat it as though nothing happened,” Guan Liya replied coldly.

“This…” Guan Youbo’s expression changed in an instant. “Big Sis, it’s a bit too forceful of you. This is the life of a child we’re talking about. How can you just say that? No matter what, this thing between Jian Yi and Xiaolin has already escalated. What’s going to happen to our Xiaolin if they’re not allowed to get married?”

“To tell you the truth, Big Sis, we don’t support them being together at all. If we could stop it, we would’ve done so already. My husband once grabbed a stick, wanting to hit Xiaolin. He told her that she couldn’t be with Jian Yi. But we can’t control her anymore now that she’s done this kind of thing! She’s already pregnant now, and if she doesn’t get married, people will talk bad about her if word spreads out! Who’s going to take her as their wife after that?! Elder Sister, please consider my feelings as a mother!”

“Then why didn’t you ever consider my feelings? Chengyue got married to Jian Yi, and within this circle, which family do you think will ever accept a divorcee like her?” Guan Liya gnashed her teeth and said.

“Elder Sister, you can’t put it like that because Chengyue and Xiaolin are different,” Yao Huimin protested. “Can you compare the Qi family with the Guan family? If it was Xiaolin, most families would not even look at her because there are plenty of other families on the same level as us. They might as well just look for another pure girl. Chengyue is different, she’s the Qi family’s princess and the sole granddaughter of the Qi family. Even if they really did mind that Chengyue married once before, they would still be able to accept her because she came from the Qi family.”

“Are you suggesting that Chengyue has nothing else to offer except for her family background? She’s already suffered once because of her background. Do you really think that we’d let her suffer again? To let another man see her just for her background, instead of truly loving her and treating her well?” Guan Liya narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Yao Huimin corrected hastily. “But… But at least in this aspect, more people will have sympathy for Chengyue as the victim. With Xiaolin and Jian Yi, if they know what happened and they found out that Xiaolin didn’t get married to Jian Yi, no one else would want her anymore.

“Elder Sister, Xiaolin is your niece. Can’t you forgive her just this once?” Yao Huimin implored.

“I can,” came Guan Xiaolin’s reply.

Yao Huimin was in disbelief that Guan Liya would actually agree to it, but soon after the latter continued, “Like what I said earlier. Abort the child and don’t get married to Jian Yi. Then I’ll forgive her.”

“Isn’t this… Isn’t this just coming back to square one?” Yao Huimin was getting so anxious that she was practically on the edge.

“You have a daughter, and so do I. You’re not willing to see your daughter be treated badly, and I too, don’t want to see my daughter getting bullied. If you can’t do what I asked, then don’t look for me anymore. As for the Qi family’s ties with the Guan family, consider them severed in the future. Don’t come looking to us for help. I feel sick at heart, so I can’t help you with anything.” Guan Xiaolin left as soon as she completed her words, giving the couple no chance to try and reason with her again.

…

…

At the other side of the room, Qi Chengzhi left with Song Yu to the restroom. Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli then spotted Chu Zhaoyang and Gui Zhiqian arriving. The duo then said their goodbyes to Mu Huaisheng and his sister before going over to Chu Zhaoyang and Gui Zhiqian.

Leaving only Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi alone together, the elder brother sported a sullen look and chastised his younger sister, “Can you be mindful of the situation? Qi Chengzhi’s already married. Why the hell did you do all that in front of his wife and other people! No matter how much you like him, he’s already married! What are you trying to achieve by throwing yourself over him in front of Song Yu? Do you even have any dignity! What impression will people have of you after you did all those things in public?”

Mu Sisi clenched her hands into fists, then looked obstinately at her elder brother. “What did I do? You’re always keeping in touch with him. You couldn’t possibly have no idea he’s married! You’re the one who’s deliberately hiding it from me. Do you know how hurtful it is to only know about it today, when I finally see him?

“The only reason I was willing to continue studying and graduating in America was because you told me that Big Brother Chengzhi was always single and hasn’t married yet. That’s why I had peace of mind. He posted about his marriage certificate, but when I asked you if he’s already married, you didn’t confirm it because you wanted me to stay in America. Now that I’m finally able to come back, I was really excited because I’ll get to see Big Brother Chengzhi after so many years. I wanted to show him that I’m all grown up, that I’m a woman now instead of the little girl last time. I wanted to become his woman because he’s never had one all these years.”

“Enough! Stop talking nonsense here. If you insist on doing so, you’d better go back to your room! Don’t come out here and make a fool of yourself!” Mu Huaisheng interrupted brashly. His affectionate and handsome face turned much sterner, and his amicable gaze became as sharp as a knife. “I don’t give a damn what you thought before. Now that he’s married, you’d better stop thinking about it. He’s already someone else’s husband, regardless of what you think. Your concern will only make others regard you as someone with no sense of shame!”

“Brother, how can you say that about me when I’m your little sister! Can’t you try to understand me? I was so happy to see him, but in the end, I was told that he’s married! What am I going to do now? I couldn’t do anything last time because I was still young, but I’m grown up now. How else could another woman enter into empty life if not for all those years that I wasted? If none of you stopped me all those years, and if you allowed me to come back home, I could’ve been beside him and showed him how good I am! If that happened, then I’d be his wife now! That woman is nothing but a third party who took the opportunity to enter into his life when he’s feeling empty! If she knows the meaning of shame, she should rightfully return Big Brother Chengzhi to me!” Mu Sisi’s hands were still in tight fists as she stretched out her neck and argued with her brother.

Mu Huaisheng clenched his jaw and dragged Mu Sisi to a corner, saying, “Qi Chengzhi was never yours to begin with. You mean to say that we’ve wasted your time, am I right? You’re implying that if you came back into the country earlier and was always beside him, you’d now become his wife, yes?”

Mu Sisi huffed angrily in silent admission.

Mu Huaisheng sneered and let go of her wrist, explaining, “I never told you this, but back when we’re still studying, many girls went after him. Once, I asked him if there was anyone that he ever fancied, even a little bit.”

With eyes wide open, Mu Sisi never knew that Mu Huaisheng had asked that question before. She was curious about the answer even though Qi Chengzhi was already married.

What she got was a taunting gaze from her brother, who explained, “He said that someone was waiting for him back at home. I thought it’s his girlfriend so I asked him if she was, but he answered me by saying that he’s going to take her as his wife. That wasn’t a direct answer to my question though. It was only until now that I realized Song Yu was the exact same girl that he spoke of long ago.”

“How can you be so sure?!” Mu Sisi was angry. A sudden thought then popped up in her mind, to which she asked, “Are you basing that just on the fact that the company name was Feather?”

“That, and also because her surname is Song. I didn’t truly know that she existed, but at the same time, I sort of knew. You don’t need to know about the details,” Mu Huaisheng said. Back when Qi Chengzhi began to slowly take over the Song family’s company, he had done a background check on that family. The emphasis, however, was on Song Donglin, and as for Song Yu, all Mu Huaisheng knew was that Song Donglin had a daughter, whose name Mu Huaisheng did not pay attention to.

He connected all the dots after meeting her.

In essence, he kind of knew of Song Yu’s existence, albeit not categorically.

“When I saw her today, I’m very sure that she’s who Qi Chengzhi spoke of last time. She looks twenty-six this year, older than you by two years. At the time I asked Chengzhi, she’s probably already in high school.” Mu Huaisheng stared solemnly at Mu Sisi. “Which means that at the very least, he’s waited for her since she was in high school. It’s not that he never looked at any other woman—it’s just that he never looks at anyone other than Song Yu. You thought you could come back earlier and stay by his side so he can look at you longer, but in fact, he wouldn’t look at anyone else—you included—because he already had Song Yu. If he had his heart set on her, he wouldn’t waver at all, so the only possibility is that he was talking about Song Yu at the time.”

“Impossible… That’s impossible!” Mu Sisi could not accept that reasoning at all. “You’re just guessing! This is all just speculation! What you say isn’t necessarily true.”

Mu Huaisheng’s face remained impassive, and his steely expression made Mu Sisi grit her teeth in spite.

“I can tell you this. He’s willing to do anything for Song Yu, even the most unspeakable of things. So, don’t you be stubborn by trying to interfere with them,” Mu Huaisheng cautioned in a low voice.

Mu Sisi felt aggrieved and her face turned red. “Are you still my brother? Don’t you want me to be happy? Why aren’t you supporting your little sister?!”

Mu Huaisheng narrowed his eyes and lowered his warm voice, making it appear much colder. “I’m only letting you see the truth. Don’t do something that’ll make others hate you, or else you might not even get the luxury of being friends with Chengzhi.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you!” Mu Sisi then continued dejectedly, “If the only way I can be beside him is to be his friend, then I’ll do that. You don’t need to repeat yourself!”

Mu Sisi exclaimed and turned away, with her eyes already beginning to turn red. Mu Huaisheng however, frowned when he saw the direction at which she was heading to.

…

…

“You wanted to go to the restroom, didn’t you?” Qi Chengzhi asked half-smilingly. He held Song Yu by the waist as they reached the restroom, but Song Yu did not go in.

“…” Song Yu shot Qi Chengzhi an angry stare. He knew she had no intention to actually go into the bathroom in the first place and simply wanted to avoid Mu Sisi, yet he still asked the question on purpose.

Song Yu gave him an annoyed look for asking that question. He knew she did not want to use the toilet at all, as she had only wanted to get rid of Mu Sisi.

The corner of his lip slanted slightly upward, giving him a cunning demeanor.

Song Yu pulled his hand off her waist and said begrudgingly, “You just wait here then!”

She then attempted to walk into the cubicle. But as she took her first step, she was dragged back by Qi Chengzhi – his long, powerful arm wrapped around her and pulled her into an embrace. His body pressed against hers pushed her against the wall, but his arm remained on her back shielding her from the cool wall.

“Qi Chengzhi, what are you doing!” demanded Song Yu, her voice was rough with embarrassment and annoyance. She tried to struggle but to no avail.

“You don’t even want to use the toilet. So why come in?” His voice, low and guttural, brushed across her lips in a huff of warm air, as he lowered his head; his forehead touching hers.

Her lips trembled as she whispered, “You knew I didn’t even want to go and yet you still asked that question. Wasn’t that on purpose?”

“Are you jealous?” Qi Chengzhi laughed. He looked at her delicate lips and kissed them.

“If I hear another ‘Brother Chengzhi’ I will vomit,” Song Yu growled.

Her dark eyes shimmered with mischief, making her look more like a teenager as she rolled her eyes.

“Brother Chengzhi, so how many little sisters do you have?” she bared her throat as her voice rose into a comical pitch. Despite the joking nature of the question, she had not managed to hide her jealousy.

Qi Chengzhi watched her expression flit from annoyance to a tightly concealed hurt. A part of him flushed with guilt-laden happiness; his arms winding tighter around her waist. Warmth spread through him when she did not shrug out of his embrace.

“Stop it,” he said softly, as his lips brushed against hers. “Mu Huaisheng is quite a good friend of mine. It’s because of him I cannot be too rude to his sister. I’ll talk to Mu Huaisheng about it and let him handle it. On my side, I’ve already blocked her phone number, messages, and stuff.”

Struggling in his embrace, she shot at him. “You’re married! How can you still flirt with those other girls! These things shouldn’t still be happening.”

Qi Chengzhi flexed his arm harder and gripped her tightly as he said, “You thought you never made me worry? Jian Yi, Kai Meirui, name cards.”

Song Yu was speechless.

“Alright, alright, stop being angry,” Qi Chengzhi said softly; his voice was a low rumble, barely audible. “I’ll love you right when we go back, just like last night.”

He gripped her as he pressed his lips to hers, parting them as he delved deeper into her.

She was lost in the taste of his champagne kisses and the scent of him. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t into it.

Their tongues waged a battle, a dance of dominance. She burned as he sucked on her tongue.

Hearing his words brought back a flood of memories: The feel of his tongue, wet against her heated skin; the hot searing shot of pleasure that followed each slow lick.

Her breaths came in short sporadic gasps. Her thoughts jumbled. She thought she was going to pass out.

Tiny scattered zephyrs brushed across his lips, tickling, when he finally broke away.

“Someone might come,” Song Yu said between her gasps. She could barely complete her sentence.

“I’m just kissing my wife, how could anyone criticize me for it?” Qi Chengzhi mumbled–his raspy voice was more captivating than a cello. He peppered kisses along the length of her mouth, giving her dimples a small lick.

When her feet gave way, Qi Chengzhi easily swept her up. A part of Song Yu warned her that he should not be taking such liberties with her, but she could not muster the strength to voice those objections.

At the end of the walkway from the toilet to the event hall, Mu Sisi’s soft fingertips gripped onto the wall – the veins on the back of her hand popping out.

To Qi Chengzhi, she was just the sister of a friend; nameless. He had always addressed her as Mu Huaisheng’s sister, and never by her name.

She knew he had not replied to a single one of her messages, not because of his schedule, nor was it due to his aloof disposition, it was simple as disinterest–he had never ever read any of her messages, he never even got them, he chose to block her.

Mu Sisi’s hand was shivering. Her shivers wracked her whole body.

She clenched her teeth. It had not occurred to her that he might not have been interested!

She thought about the messages she sent him in the past: what she had done in school, how she had been jealous over him, had talked about who was pursuing her, who had kissed her, who had a crush on her. And he had not read a single one of them.

Why had he spurned her love!

How could he ignore her and have feelings for Song Yu?!

Mu Sisi clenched her jaw and thought angrily, ‘It is not fair, it really is not.’

“I’m not going to give up just like that! Qi Chengzhi, since I have feelings for you, you have to like me too!” she said softly, angrily.

“Walk faster, don’t you really need to pee?” Qi Chengyue dragged a slow-walking Qi Youxuan.

Qi Youxuan’s steps were really too small, and he walked way too slowly. For every step Qi Youxuan took, she had to stop for half a second – her rhythm was constantly interrupted. It was tiring to walk with him.

“I don’t dare walk any faster than this. I might not be able to hold it,” Qi Youxuan held onto his pants as he whispered.

Qi Chengyue was speechless.

Mu Sisi heard noises and turned around to see Qi Chengyue and Qi Youxuan walking towards her.

Qi Chengyue was shocked to see the hate written all over Mu Sisi’s face.

“What are you looking at!” hissed Mu Sisi, glaring at the newcomers. Walking to Qi Chengyue, she punched her in the shoulder.

In ordinary circumstances, Qi Chengyue would not have tolerated such an act, especially not from Mu Sisi, whom she despised with a passion. But Qi Youxuan needed to go to the washroom and, so, it would have to wait.

Watching Mu Sisi slither away was not an easy feat for Qi Chengyue.

As she angrily stared at Mu Sisi’s back, her hand was squeezed by Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengyue looked down at him.

“Don’t get angry Aunty, there will be more chances for you to take revenge in the future. I am definitely on your side, let me finish peeing and I’ll help you to take your revenge,” Qi Youxuan’s round face seemed serious.

Hearing her nephew’s heartfelt declaration, Qi Chengyue continued towards the washroom. “Looks like I didn’t waste my time in accompanying you to the washroom.”

Qi Youxuan was speechless.

Upon entering the corridor, they spotted a couple embracing each other. Looking closer they identified the lovers as Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

‘Only Qi Chengzhi would do such things,’ thought Qi Chengyue.

“Aiya!” gasped Qi Youxuan, snapping both the lovers and Qi Chengyue back to reality. It was then that Qi Chengyue realized that she should have been covering his eyes.

“Let me down,” gasped Song Yu.

Qi Chengzhi slowly put her down, but his arms were still around her waist. He was not letting her run.

“Haha, what a coincidence,” Qi Chengyue said in embarrassment. She did not know what to say.

Just as she finished her sentence, she felt a warm body burying itself into her abdomen. Looking down, she saw poor Qi Youxuan push himself into her. “Uncle, Auntie, why are you doing this in public? I shouldn’t be seeing this! Auntie, I think maybe you should spend less time with Uncle. He is teaching you too many bad things,” said Qi Youxuan into Qi Chengyue’s dress.

Qi Chengzhi was speechless. Song Yu blushed, thoroughly embarrassed by Qi Youxuan’s declaration.

Qi Youxuan continued, “Aiya, I can’t look at you anymore!”

Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu kept quiet.

Qi Chengzhi kept a tight hold on Song Yu’s waist and glanced at Qi Youxuan as they walked past him. Qi Chengyue sensed that Qi Chengzhi might be planning on getting his revenge soon.

After the couple left, Qi Chengyue flicked Qi Youxuan on his forehead and said, “What are you pretending for? Usually, when you see kissing scenes on TV your eyes are wider than anyone else’s, and you wouldn’t even let Grandma cover your eyes!”

Qi Youxuan wiggled out of Qi Chengyue’s embrace, pursed his lips and said, “It’s not every day I get to tease Uncle.”

Qi Chengyue was speechless. “Do you still want to use the washroom?!”

“Yes!” Qi Youxuan continued to the toilet with Qi Chengyue.

He entered into the washroom, and within a short span of time he exited; his pants unbuckled

Qi Chengyue helped him with his pants before the made their way back to the hall. All the guests were seated, and, to her surprise, she found Cheng Dongge seated beside her.

Another empty seat, clearly belonging to Qi Youxuan was open next to his.

As he ate, Cheng Dongge realized there was a pair of eyes staring at him – it was making him uncomfortable.

He turned around to find Qi Youxuan staring at him.

After getting caught, Qi Youxuan climbed down from his chair and walked over to Cheng Dongge. He held out his chubby finger and signaled Cheng Dongge to move closer, “Uncle Cheng.”

Cheng Dongge lowered his head and moved over in silence as he waited for Qi Youxuan’s question.

“Uncle Cheng, what do you think about my aunt?” Qi Youxuan had been staring at Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge since the moment he had announced his need to go to the washroom.

Cheng Dongge was speechless.

“Even though my aunt has a bad temper, but she is alright in other departments, but most importantly, she is pretty,” Qi Youxuan said.

Cheng Dongge could not respond.

Qi Youxuan stretched his neck to look at Qi Chengyue beyond Cheng Dongge. Seeing how she did not hear their whispers but seemed curious about their conversation, he said softly, “I can accept you as my new uncle, but I want an Optimus Prime.”

“What are you talking about?” Qi Chengyue finally asked.

Although Qi Youxuan was intelligent, he had not anticipated the suddenness of the question and therefore could not come up with an immediate answer.

“Haha,” Cheng Dongge laughed while glaring at Qi Youxuan. “He wanted me to help him get that huge piece of chicken leg.”

Grandma, overhearing the conversation, said, “Don’t give it to him. Youxuan you need to eat more vegetables. Lose some weight.”

Qi Youxuan had not expected Cheng Dongge to be that cunning. He whispered, “Do you not want to be my uncle?”

“Be a good boy and I will invite you over for dinner,” Cheng Dongge said while ruffling Qi Youxuan’s gelled, curly hair.

Qi Youxuan realized it would not be easy to deal with Cheng Dongge.

Whilst the exchange was taking place, Qi Chengyue’s phone rang.

Picking it up, she saw Jian Yi’s name on the caller ID; piercing nausea flooded her chest.

She excused herself and walked out of the hall to take the call.

“What is going on?” Qi Chengyue said coldly.

“You’re still at Wei Minghao’s birthday party right?” Jian Yi’s voice came through the phone; his voice still as warm as when they had first met. She recalled how that voice had enchanted her. Its low dulcet tones were music to her ears.

But she now knew them to be the illusions that they were.

“Is there any problem?” Qi Chengyue asked coldly.

Jian Yi wore a calm but cold expression as he stared, from his window, at the magnificent sprawling city.

If all had gone well he would have been attending the party alongside Qi Chengyue.

Wei Minghao’s party was one of those events which only the elite were privy to. As long as you were a member of the upper-class you would receive an invitation. An invitation that even the most famous would not turn down unless they had absolutely no choice.

Putting the others aside, the chance to meet the Wei family alone would have been an invaluable experience for him.

Even being a former son-in-law to the Qi family had not been enough to secure the right to a meeting with the Wei family.

The fact that he was supposed to be conversing with the Wei family at this very moment incensed him.

But after Guan Xiaolin had met with Qi Chengyue, he had lost the right to everything he had painstakingly worked so hard to achieve.

He had not known that Guan Xiaolin was meeting with Qi Chengyue.

He had not even known about Guan Xiaolin’s pregnancy.

He only found out about it when Qi Chengyue’s lawyer got in contact with his.

Truth be told, Jian Yi still did not know about Guan Xiaolin’s attempt to impress Zhou Mingyan.

He had never planned to give Guan Xiaolin anything. He had never planned to divorce Qi Chengyue in order to marry Guan Xiaolin. She had merely been a means to an end.

He was not an imbecile. He was aware of the chasm between the power the Qi family commanded and the power held by the Guan family, but Qi Chengyue had refused to help him. And so he had to seek alternatives, but it was never his intention to divorce her, after all, she still had her uses.

He could have maintained his marriage with Qi Chengyue whilst exploring other alternatives.

The truth was he abhorred Guan Xiaolin, but he couldn’t afford to anger the Guan family, especially since his fall from grace.

If he could not retain his relationship with the Guan family, he would be left with nothing.

It was only because Qi Chengyue had filed for divorce did he ask for half the shares.

“Your lawyers have already shown me your so-called evidence,” Jian Yi watched the night sky. He felt delirious.

“Really?” Qi Chengyue said and pursed her lips. “Since that’s the case, you should know that if this goes to court, I will definitely win the case. Your lawyer should have told you by now that regardless of my status, the judge will be compassionate towards me. There is solid evidence of you cheating. Even if you want to, you won’t be able to deny it.”

“Ha,” Jian Yi smirked and said, “You think you’re the only one with evidence? Qi Chengyue, the things you have done are not that much better than what I did. You claim that I cheated, but, to be honest, we’re two peas in a pod.”

“What kind of crap are you talking about!” Qi Chengyue angrily asked. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession at Jian Yi’s accusation.

Was he insinuating that she too had cheated on him during their marriage?

Qi Chengyue was enraged by his accusations.

“I’m talking crap?” Jian Yi laughed. “You can’t deny it. I have the evidence on my phone. Even if it goes to court you won’t have that much leverage over me.”

“Jian Yi, I’m telling you, ever since we got married, I’ve never done anything to betray you. There’s no use of you accusing me!” spat Qi Chengyue. Her hands shivered, tightening the grip on her phone.

How could she have been so blind? How could she have married a man who was so selfish and avaricious that he would use his own wife as a tool to achieve his goals? How could she have married a man so relentless that he did not even think about spitting such lies, clinging onto them till the very end?

He was heartless!

“Accusing you? If I had no evidence, then it would be an accusation. I have evidence, therefore it becomes the truth,” Jian Yi said coldly before adding, “You say I cheated. I’m fine with it. I have no status or background, so it would not heart me as much as it would drag your reputation down through the mud. I am a simple man who made a mistake that anyone would have made. But you’re different. You’re the daughter of the Qi family. Even if you don’t care about your reputation the Qi family still has a name to uphold. So, when this blows up and the rumors start circulating think of the Qi family and the damage that it would do to their name. Would you be the one to allow the ruin of their name? Not to mention, if you do no one in your circle would even want to marry you.

“I meant what I said. If you’re willing to settle this amicably and give me half of your shares, I will sign those divorce papers in a heartbeat. You can even announce my infidelity and I won’t lift a finger in retaliation. You and the Qi family will get to keep your reputation. Although, feel free to ruin your precious reputation.”