His lips were busy kissing her when she kicked his calf gently. Song Yu said, “Go. Take those clothes, otherwise, it won’t be nice if Aunt Yang saw them tomorrow.”

Their undergarments were scattered on the floor just beside the sofa, and it would be embarrassing to let someone else see something so personal!

Even if Aunt Yang knew what they were doing, she should not be allowed to see such a scene!

Qi Chengzhi squinted and stared at her. To think that she dared to kick him. It made him feel as though his status had turned slightly inferior.

Feeling weak after seeing him look at her that way, she tried to endear him by leaning into his embrace and pleading gently with him, “Is it alright if you take them? Please? It’s going to be really embarrassing.”

Qi Chengzhi’s long lashes quivered gently and he gave her that indecipherable gaze once more.

Noticing that she felt flustered and was about to go down herself to tidy things up, he grabbed her waist and said in his rich, deep voice, “Wait here.”

He grabbed a pair of lounge pants from his dressing cupboard and wore them as he went down half-naked.

Every single scattered item of clothing was picked up by him, and last of all was Song Yu’s thin, itsy-bitsy panties. It was incredibly tiny and thin on his outstretched palm—so thin, in fact, that the slightest amount of force seemed capable of destroying it.

His eyes were glowing with red-hot passion when he kneaded her panties in his palm. Then, he turned and glimpsed at the Durex box which he tossed over to the coffee table earlier.

It was a good thing that he went down since it would be uncomfortable for him to go down and take the box while his pillar was erect.

Having gathered everything, he went back up, only to find Song Yu sleeping.

She had been on the move constantly throughout the whole day, and after going through a very excitable night, she closed her eyes and fell asleep the instant he left.

He placed everything down, went up gently onto the bed, then held her in his embrace.

As light as those movements were, she still woke up when he came into contact with her.

Her slightly-curled eyelashes fluttered a few times before she opened her eyes slowly. She smiled apologetically at him and said, “I’m sorry, I fell asleep.”

Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and planted a kiss on her forehead. He pulled her face into his chest and rested his chin on her head, saying, “Sleep.”

…

…

In the morning, Song Yu heard a rustling sound. She opened her eyes and saw the foreignness of the room. Its drabness seemed typical of a man’s place.

Even the sheets were imbued with Qi Chengzhi’s clean, familiar smell.

Song Yu then realized that she was in Qi Chengzhi’s room.

She followed the noise that her ear picked up and saw Qi Chengzhi through the transparent glass of the bathroom. He was shaving by the sink.

Shaving cream surrounded his lips and covered his chin. Three buttons of his dress shirt were open, and he was not wearing a tie. His sleeves were rolled up too, making him look very laid-back.

The shaving blade glided across his skin and swept away the cream to reveal his clean-shaven face.

His movements were precise, and his strong arms were put on display.

It was the first time Song Yu saw a man do something like this. A simple lift of the hand or a minuscule motion was enough to give her an impression of manliness and sexiness.

Song Yu kept on looking at him until he finished cleaning and came out. There was a delightful smell of aftershave on him.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you woke up?” He glanced at her before taking out a necktie from his drawer and tying it in front of a mirror.

Embarrassed, she blushed, sat up, and covered herself with her blanket.

“I don’t have any clothes,” she said awkwardly. She fell asleep immediately after laying down the night before, and when she woke up, she realized she did not even have an extra pair of undergarments.

“There are some undergarments that might suit you in the drawer,” he said as he completed the last knot of his tie. He then walked over to another compartment of the dressing cupboard and opened it. “You can choose your clothes here.”

Song Yu’s jaw dropped as she looked at the wide-open cupboard. An array of women’s clothes were hung just beside Qi Chengzhi’s clothes, and all of them were so new that their tags were not even removed.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and walked strenuously to the cupboard. Qi Chengzhi’s ties, watches, and jewelry were placed in one of the drawers. Below that drawer was where he placed his undergarments, along with those that were meant for Song Yu. It was so intimate that she could feel her face turning red-hot.

Taking any one of them at random, she noticed that the measurements were correct. She then looked at the clothes and discovered that they, too, were in her size.

“You bought and prepared all this?”‘Was he plotting to have me come over all along? Why would he prepare everything so completely if he didn’t?’

“…” He looked at her, took his suit jacket from the hanger, and draped it over his arm. “If you’re ready, go down and have breakfast. You’re going to be late.”

He went down as soon as he finished speaking.

“…” Song Yu was speechless as she looked at him leave. It seemed to be the case that whenever he had a question he did not want to answer, he would ignore it so effortlessly and change the topic.

After breakfast, he sent Song Yu to work. Song Yu felt that something was not right, but it was not until the Range Rover reached the company that she realized what was wrong. At that time, she was just about to get down.

“Where are your spectacles?” She looked at him, then all around him, and noticed that his spectacles were nowhere to be found.

“…” Qi Chengzhi eyes squinted slightly and he replied simply, “I forgot them.”

“I still like you without them,” Song Yu remarked once again and kissed his cheek before getting off.

A smile began to form on his lips. He looked at her and left only when she entered the building.

Upon arriving at Qilin, almost everyone had the same reaction: first, their jaw dropped, then they called out, “Director!”

Cheng Dongge stood up when Qi Chengzhi reached the office, and the former greeted out of habit, “Young…”

The subsequent words ‘Master Cheng’ took a while to come out of his mouth.

Thus, the conversations throughout Qilin’s day—from BBS 1 [1] to rest time—was filled with the same sentence.

“The director is wearing invisible spectacles!”

…

…

As the construction work for the hotel began, Song Yu had to travel to the project site almost daily in order to take a look at the situation there and discuss things with the foreman. Bit by bit, the foundation was established, and she no longer needed to visit the site too regularly, as long as she timed her visits according to the stages in the blueprint.

She was in the midst of looking at the blueprint when Manager Wang hurried over. His face was sullen and he did not even bother to greet her before questioning her, “Song Yu, how did you communicate with Qilin?”

“What’s the matter, Manager Wang?” Befuddled, she placed the paper down and stood up.

“All the construction workers have stopped working. Qilin didn’t pay them. The construction materials and their wages haven’t been paid for, so they don’t want to work and are now going on strike!” Manager Wang did not look happy at all. His face suggested that he was fuming in anger.

“I remember that the first stage isn’t completed yet. We’re owing them for the second stage, right?” Song Yu frowned and asked.

“Yes, that’s correct, but if they don’t receive the down payment for the second stage, they won’t finish up the first stage,” Manager Wang said.

“Have you asked their engineering department?” Song Yu’s expression changed as well.

“They said that the issue was for the finance department, and they felt like there’s a huge problem with our quotation,” Manager Wang explained unhappily.

“Excuses. If it’s really a problem, why didn’t they bring it up when the contract was signed? Both parties cross-checked the quotation.” Song Yu grabbed the telephone handset and called Qi Chengyue’s office.

“Hello, may I ask if Manager Qi is in?” She continued speaking into the phone, “… I’m Chengshi’s architect, Song Yu. I’d like to speak with Manager Qi about the construction materials and the paychecks.”

“…”

Song Yu listened to the other end and frowned. “She’s not in? When will she be in? Okay.”

She hung up with a sour face. Qi Chengyue’s secretary said that she was not in, and had no idea when she would be in. Who would believe such a lame excuse?

It scarcely occurred to her that Qi Chengyue would bring personal matters into professional dealings.

She knew that Qi Chengyue was retaliating by causing her trouble on purpose.

“What? She’s not in?” Manager Wang asked.

Song Yu nodded. “I don’t know if that’s just an excuse. I’ll go and look for her myself.”

“In that case, I’ll inform the construction team,” Manager Wang remarked. Chengshi was unable to support their own engineering department, so the construction team had to be outsourced. Manager Wang was familiar with other teams, but each of them had their own projects, so he had to ask a friend to introduce someone reliable. Turns out they were not too reliable after all.

Song Yu grabbed her bag and phone then rushed to Qilin.

When she reached the finance department, she chanced upon Qi Chengyue coming out of the office to give the secretary some work.

Song Yu suppressed the anger within her and walked over slowly. She pursed her lips, then said, “It seems Manager Qi is back.”

Qi Chengyue seemed to ignore those words and simply continued delegating tasks to her secretary. After that, she looked up at Song Yu and said, “Miss Song, you’re here about the project yes? Let’s talk inside.”

Upon entering the office, Qi Chengyue made a show of looking at some documents. She did not even look up when she said, “I’m very busy, and I only have five minutes. If there’s any problem, state them within that time, Miss Song.”

Song Yu pursed her lips before saying, “This project is Qilin’s. A day’s delay in the work will cause a lot of financial losses to Qilin. Manager Qi, why is it that you didn’t allocate the funds for the project? There must be a reason for doing that, right? Shouldn’t a courtesy call have been made to us if your side is unable to allocate the funds? Now that the workers are making a fuss and going on strike, Qilin’s going to have to be responsible now, wouldn’t it?”

“Amazing, Miss Song, for you to come here and make all sorts of accusations.” Qi Chengyue finally dropped her ‘busy’ charade. She tossed the documents onto the table and leaned back on the chair. She rocked left and right and looked at Song Yu.

“I just want to know why.” Song Yu pursed her lips as soon as she finished speaking. Her flaming rage was vehemently suppressed.

“Why? Didn’t Manager Wang from your engineering department already come and ask that question? I feel that your quotation is inconsistent with your material expenses. The material is expensive. Is there really a need to use such expensive materials? I’ve asked before, and there won’t be much difference if we used something else.” Qi Chengyue twirled a pen in her hand while her eyes casted a stony expression.

“I know that your architects, and those who are in charge of the engineering contracts, always keep each other informed. Both sides will skim some under-table profits, but I’ll have you know that Qilin’s money won’t be skimmed so easily,” Qi Chengyue said coldly.

“Manager Qi, back then, when I submitted my design, I’ve written down the materials and the cost in clear-cut terms. Our engineering department had also laid down the quotation in detail, including where the material came from, how much it costs, and even a price comparison of goods from each supplier. Perhaps it isn’t the cheapest material, but it’s superior in terms of the quality-to-price ratio, and the seller is also the most trustworthy. All this has gone through Qilin’s meetings. We were chosen after our quotation and the quotation of other companies were compared. It was also Qi… Young Master Cheng who approved it himself.”

“All these things are spelled out clearly in the contract, but now you’re telling me, you think there is an issue with the quotation and the materials. This dissatisfaction of yours, are you thinking of breaching the contract?”

Qi Chengyue slammed both her hands onto the table and stood up. She gave Song Yu a cold stare and said, “Listen closely! The contract states that Qilin has the power to make changes according to the actual circumstances, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now! It’s also to prevent Qilin from suffering losses. You said it yourself when you came in: Qilin will suffer countless losses if there’s even a delay of one day in the project. So, rather than cooking up excuses for me, you might as well go back and think about how you’re gonna change the materials that you’re using.”

“Before the project started there were no problems with the pricing and materials. Why is it now a problem after the project is already underway?” Song Yu’s temper was beginning to flare, and she took a deep breath in order to calm herself down. “Miss Qi, I hope you’re not bringing personal matters into your professional life.”

Song Yu’s sentence made Qi Chengyue’s face turn exceedingly ugly.

Qi Chengyue stared coldly at Song Yu, and the former’s expression even had a touch of resentfulness that made Song Yu quite taken aback.

All of a sudden, Qi Chengyue snickered, and her admission caught Song Yu completely by surprise. “I AM putting my personal feelings into my work life. What’re you gonna do about it? The company belongs to the Qi family. I can do what I want. Who’s gonna care? You could’ve had the same chance if your family didn’t go bankrupt, but here you are answering me. If I say that I want to change the materials, you’ll have to change it. If I ask you to lower the quotation, you lower it. If you change the materials and I’m still not happy with it, I can ask you to change it again. And again. Until I’m happy with it.”

“And also, keep in mind the completion date. If it’s pushed back, Qilin will suffer losses—that’s true—but it’ll be Chengshi who has to compensate us for that loss.” Qi Chengyue raised her chin arrogantly and continued her acrimonious words. “I’m using my public position to take revenge for private wrongs. Who told you to seduce Jian Yi so shamelessly? You are constantly trying to steal him from me even though you can’t give him anything.”

Song Yu was so exasperated that she laughed. An indescribable feeling would always come over her whenever she was dealing with Qi Chengyue. “I told you earlier that I have nothing to do with Jian Yi. We’re not even friends. If you insist on dwelling on this and refuse to listen to whatever I say, there’s nothing I can do. You are wrong about one thing though. While the company does, in fact, belong to the Qi family, it does not belong to you. I don’t believe that you have the final say in this, so regarding this matter, I will talk about it with the higher-ups in Qilin.”

Song Yu was fed up with having to deal with someone as stubborn as Qi Chengyue. The latter mixed private affairs with work affairs and went so far as to form her own delusions about those personal issues. Continuing the conversation would have led Song Yu nowhere.

She decided to go down to the site and inform the construction workers to continue the job while she brought the matter up with Qi Chengzhi.

In Qilin’s large lobby, Qi Chengzhi came down to personally send off a client. Qilin’s employees were slowly growing accustomed to the director’s spectacle-less look, but the client still had some getting used to, so they had some polite exchanges.

While they were talking, Qi Chengzhi noticed Song Yu rushing past him. She did not stop for a second, and it seemed as though she did not notice him when she hurried into Qilin.

He frowned, and after sending off the client, told Cheng Dongge, “Find out why Song Yu’s at Qilin.”

…

…

Jian Yi rushed to Qi Chengyue’s office. Moments ago, Manager Wang called him and explained the problems with the project, saying that Song Yu was going to the site and that Manager Wang himself was heading there too.

Song Yu might be getting into trouble because of the construction team’s fuss.

During that time, the whole of Qilin knew of Jian Yi’s relationship with Qi Chengyue, so the secretary did not stop him when he came.

“Chengyue, what’s going on with the hotel project? Why aren’t you giving them the funds?” Jian Yi asked immediately after entering.

Qi Chengyue eyes squinted in dismay. “Why? I was repeatedly told that the both of you were no longer in contact, but why is it that in the blink of an eye, I am now being told on?”

Knowing that she was referring to Song Yu, Jian Yi held in his anger and said, “It wasn’t Song Yu who told me. It was Manager Wang, from Chengshi’s engineering department. Chengyue, I’m telling you I don’t have anything to do with Song Yu. This is a public problem we’re having here. You can’t just play a fool with this.”

“I also have the company’s interest at heart. I don’t see any need to spend so much on the construction materials. These things can be discussed, but she simply turned around and left. She has one hell of a temper, thinking that she’s the best architect out there,” Qi Chengyue said sarcastically and snorted in disdain.

“The construction materials can be discussed, but at least pay the workers’ wages.” Seeing her cold expression, there was no way he was oblivious to her using public office to avenge personal matters.

“Impossible! I still need to get to the bottom of why Song Yu’s using such expensive materials. Jian Yi, I’m the manager of the finance department. The things under my consideration are different from yours. The responsibility that I bear is different, too. Whether you believe me or not, I am doing my job without involving my private feelings.” Qi Chengyue lips were pursed tight, as if she really had been misunderstood.

Jian Yi however, did not believe her, but at that moment someone knocked on the door. When the door was opened, it was Xiao Wei, a staff member from the engineering department. “Manager Jian, everything’s ready and we’re all set to go.”

Jian Yi nodded, prompting Qi Chengyue to ask, “Where are you going?”

“To the site. Chengshi’s Manager Wang said that the workers are going on strike. We can’t have Song Yu going there all by herself,” Jian Yi said. Just as he was about to leave, Qi Chengyue took a big step forward and slammed the door in Xiao Wei’s face just before Jian Yi could go out.

She blocked the door and obstructed him. “It’s her responsibility, why should you go there!”

“It’s not just her responsibility. It’s Qilin’s responsibility. As the manager of Qilin’s engineering department, this project is also under my supervision. Am I not supposed to go and take a look?” Jian Yi had a serious face and he was about to open the door.

Qi Chengyue stubbornly obstructed him and prevented him from going. She snickered in disdain and looked up at him. “Are you going there because of work or because of her? If you’re worried about her, just say it!”

Jian Yi paused and no longer tried to leave. He looked at her intently and his gaze seemed somewhat cold and unhappy.

His look made her heart sank and she said coldly, “What if I say you’re not allowed to go?!”

Jian Yi looked at her quietly for a moment before saying, “Because of this project, I’d still have to interact with Song Yu even though I don’t interact with her anymore. Our work requires us to interact, and I can’t simply ignore my work commitments just for you. I’ve told you that I’m no longer in contact with her, but you didn’t believe me. If you don’t even have the slightest trust in me, I think we need to re-evaluate our relationship and see if we can really continue like this. We have a long road ahead of us. We can’t keep arguing about this trivial issue. We’re not even married yet and you’re already so paranoid. I’m tired of you being constantly suspicious of me.”

Qi Chengyue stared at him incredulously. As if a part of her strength had forsaken her, Qi Chengyue whispered in disbelief, “Jian Yi, you want to break up with me?”

Qi Chengyue stared at him incredulously. As if a part of her strength had forsaken her, Qi Chengyue whispered in disbelief, “Jian Yi, you want to break up with me?”

“I never thought of breaking up with you, but if you keep second-guessing and accusing every woman in my life, I really don’t know how long I can tolerate it. A relationship requires trust on both sides. You have little to no trust in me, and frankly, I’m getting really tired of this. I don’t want to keep arguing with you over Song Yu or some other woman. Chengyue, whether we break up or not, it’s up to you.”

After delivering the final blow, Jian Yi stormed out.

Qi Chengyue gave chase but the sight of Jian Yi leading Xiao Wei out of the building fueled her bitterness. She walked back into her office and slammed the door in vehemence. Anger and resentment boiled in her with no means of escape. In the end, the negative emotions spilled over and contorted her face.

…

…

When Song Yu arrived at the project site, the workers were scattered about doing anything but the actual work. Some were drinking beer and snacking on peanuts while others were smoking and playing poker.

Her presence did nothing to deter them. They simply glanced at her and went back to doing whatever they were doing.

Song Yu went up to someone who seemed more approachable than the others and asked, “Where’s Manager Liu?”

Manager Liu was the person in charge of the site. His name card had the word ‘Manager’ printed on it, so Song Yu respectfully indulged the man.

The worker who previously had an amiable disposition quickly turned stone-faced, he answered in a reluctant tone, “In the house.”

Song Yu took a deep breath and turned away, but her path was blocked.

The crowd in front of her was slowly building. The workers had abandoned whatever activity they were engaged in and were drawing near her.

Song Yu anxiously tightened her grip on her phone and bag. Her palms were starting to sweat despite the cold weather.

“What are you guys doing?” Song Yu took a step back but realized that she was being cornered on all sides.

“What are we doing? We want money!” Manager Liu finally arrived at the scene. With a cigarette in his mouth, he said loudly, “We’re stopping the work. Even my workers need money to eat.”

“Manager Liu, this was exactly what I came here to discuss. This is a big project and we would never intentionally delay payment. We will handle the talks with Qilin Property and keep you up to date. It’s my responsibility to oversee the project, so rest assured. Now, the work for this term is not complete, right? Can your team continue to work on it? I promise before this term ends, the payment for the next term will be on time and not a cent less than what we discussed.”

“No,” Manager Liu flicked his cigarette to the ground, “You don’t leave this site until we get the money.”

Before Song Yu could ask what he meant, her phone had been slapped from her hand. The device fell and hit a rock. It looked like a lost cause, with the screen cracked and the battery dislodged.

A few men snatched her bag and threw it on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Song Yu asked in a high-pitched tone, her calm facade cracked by the show of violence.

The men dragged her by her arms and she heard Manager Liu ordered, “Lock her up! Until we get our payment, she doesn’t leave the site!”

Song Yu stood no chance, especially when there was so many of them. She was thrown into a simplistic wooden room and the door locked behind her.

Inside the room, Song Yu massaged her aching wrists and thought, ‘Didn’t think that they’d be so barbaric.’

If only they had stopped to think about the consequences of their actions. This incident, if pursued, could be dragged into the courthouse and no one from the team would be spared.

As an architect, she had to liaise with the engineering and construction team. This was the case for all the projects she handled before.

Due to the lack of staff in Chengshi, she usually did not trouble her coworkers to accompany her for site visits. However, this incident was definitely a first.

She did not know that these people were prone to violence when it came to payment delays. Normally, these issues would be handled quietly and without much fuss as the debtor does not want any bad press.

If they just wanted to lock her up here, she did not mind.

She only feared any escalation if the payments were not settled today. While they were fine with leaving her alone in the room, that could change later on. The thought filled her heart with dread.

The room was barren and chilly, providing little protection against the cold winds. Song Yu shivered. With her phone gone, she did not have any means to get help.

Song Yu stared out the small window to get a sense of what was going on. Not long after, she saw a car drive into the site and down came Manager Wang.

Song Yu immediately knocked on the window to attract attention but the room was too far away for Manager Wang to notice the noises she was making.

From her limited view, it looked like Manager Wang was in a heated argument with Manager Liu. The workers were circling around Manager Wang, making him visibly uncomfortable though they had not attempted to seize him.

Song Yu felt the chill in her bones. She sustained some injuries to her hands when they threw her onto the ground. Blood dripped from her palms, and the pain prevented her from rubbing her arms to gain warmth.

She kept a close eye on the situation with Manager Wang. Suddenly, a police siren was nearing their location. The police cars entered the site and stopped—police officers strode out from their vehicles. The police officers shouted warnings and threats as the workers tried to flee, but at the end of it, they were all subdued and interrogated.

Song Yu could not catch what the police officers were asking. A moment passed and she saw a slender figure. The figure seemed out of place among the dirty and dusty worksite.

Qi Chengzhi took great, hurried strides across the dirt and sand.

Underneath his black coat, he was dressed in a formal suit. The moment Song Yu recognized him, she let herself breathe a sigh of relief, almost faltering to the ground.

When she was locked up, her heart filled with such fear and dread but she kept the tears at bay. She was afraid that once the tears started flowing, she would crumble.

Now that Qi Chengzhi had arrived, Song Yu’s eyes blurred and the tears streamed down uncontrollably—her sobs no longer contained.

Once she saw him, she realized that Qi Chengzhi was the person that she had been waiting for this whole time.

While she was fearing the worst, she did not cry as she believed that Qi Chengzhi would always be there to rescue her.

‘The person I love is the greatest hero on earth. One day he will ascend the iridescent clouds and marry me.’

The familiar line entered her mind and reflected what she was currently feeling.

Someone unlocked the door and forcefully kicked it down. Qi Chengzhi strode in. Inside the low-ceiling room, his tall frame seemed to take up the whole space and the filthy air became heavier with his breath.

She saw the worry etched deep on his scowling face. His eyes were locked onto her. While his face was cold from being outside, his eyes smoldered—they were filled with concern for her.

Song Yu abandoned all pretenses and ran into his arms with a choked sob.

She felt herself being hugged tightly, like a baby who was lost then found. The strong arms held her in such a tight embrace that her body ached.

However, the unwavering strength was exactly what she needed at the moment.

Her arms circled around his waist and held firm. She buried her face in his chest—her tears staining the well-made suit.

Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace and felt Song Yu’s face pressed against his heart. The woman of his heart was in his arms.

He looked down and saw her tear-soaked eyelashes, which were darker than usual.

A pair of dry and thin lips landed softly on her eye. The dry lips, which were battered by the cold winds, were moistened by the tears.

He kissed all her tears away. The taste of it was warm and sharp on his tongue.

Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and lifted Song Yu into his arms.

Song Yu wrapped her arms around his neck, uncaring of what other people might think. She clung to him with desperation—her face buried in his chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Manager Wang was giving his statement to the police officers as Qi Chengzhi appeared with Song Yu protectively in his arms. Qi Chengzhi said nothing as he stoically carried the woman into his Range Rover.

Manager Wang thought to himself, ‘No wonder Song Yu was the only person that could receive orders from Qilin.’ Sometimes Wang Liwei’s theories were baseless, but this time she hit the nail on the head. It seemed like from now on Chengshi had a new Buddha.

As Chang Lai drove the car, Qi Chengzhi did not let go of Song Yu. She sat in his lap and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

While Jian Yi and Xiao Wei were on the road, a police car convoy passed them in a flurry. In the middle of the convoy, a familiar Range Rover sped down the road.

…

…

Aunt Yang was shocked to see Song Yu being carried in by Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu did not seem embarrassed by the whole affair but looked very weak.

Qi Chengzhi ordered Aunt Yang to get the first aid kit. She dutifully attended to Song Yu’s hand wounds. After the blood had been washed off, a close examination concluded that the wounds were not severe. Aunt Yang disinfected the wounds and covered them with some gauze.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Qi Chengzhi asked as he checked her.

Song Yu shook her head. “Only the cuts on my hands. When they threw me into the room, I fell and injured them. Other than that, I’m fine.”

Song Yu was not used to his gentle and cautious demeanor. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

As she cherished the rare moment of romanticism shown by Qi Chengzhi, he pressed his lips together and his face turned somber.

Song Yu lowered her head like a kid who had been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie jar. Qi Chengzhi’s tone was dead serious as he said, “Don’t do something so stupid again. If you’re going to the site, bring some people along.”

Song Yu mumbled a note of agreement and pressed her forehead against his shoulder.

She felt Qi Chengzhi hug her, and he placed a kiss on her temple. “Stay here tonight.”

Song Yu did not protest. She was shaken up by the incident today and being alone would only bring her nightmares.

…

…

Jian Yi went to the worksite and found it empty. There was not a single person, least of all the one that he wanted to meet. The scene reminded him of the police cars and Range Rover that passed him just now.

On the road back, he dialed for Song Yu multiple times but no one answered. He was worried about her.

He reached home and took out his house keys, but realized that the door was not locked. Someone was already home and he could guess who. He opened the door and a figure bounded toward him. The light scent of perfume permeated the air.

“Jian Yi, you’re back!” Qi Chengyue was dressed in a comfortable long skirt instead of her usual formal attire. Her dimpled smile graced her lovely face.

She retrieved a pair of house slippers from the shoe rack. As she bent down to place the slippers in front of Jian Yi, her long hair fell forward from her back.

Jian Yi quietly looked on. Qi Chengyue bringing the slippers to him was very domestic and gentle. However, he found himself thinking about the idyllic scene with Song Yu in place of Qi Chengyue.

Unconsciously, the figures of Qi Chengyue and Song Yu blurred together.

“Jian Yi, what are you thinking?” He stood at the door in a daze, which prompted Qi Chengyue to wave her hand in front of him.

Jian Yi woke from his daydream and gave a tight-lipped smile, “Nothing much. Just not used to seeing you like this.”

He changed into the house slippers and was dragged to the couch by Qi Chengyue. Seated on the couch, Qi Chengyue grabbed Jian Yi’s hands and started softly massaging his fingers in her lap.

“Jian Yi, I’ve thought about what you said earlier today.” Qi Chengyue raised her head and looked at him sincerely. “It was my fault. I didn’t trust you. I will do my best to change, so please don’t be mad at me. Please?”

She smiled timidly—the dimples appearing on her face made her look especially attractive. “I know I’m stubborn sometimes and have a bad temper. But Jian Yi, I love and care about you. For you, I’m willing to change all the bad parts about me. I never want to break up with you.”

Jian Yi stroked her face with one hand while the other rested in Qi Chengyue’s grip. Her skin was delicate and supple, and her sweet appearance belied her actual age. Nevertheless, she was not Song Yu and would never elicit the strong emotions in Jian Yi’s heart.

“As long as you trust me,” Jian Yi said indifferently.

Qi Chengyue only paid attention to the words spoken but not the tone it was spoken with. With happiness bubbling in her, she took the initiative and kissed him.

…

…

At night, Cheng Dongge came to return the bag that had been snatched in the earlier commotion. Her phone was a lost cause, so he only returned the sim card along with a brand new phone. The phone model was the latest in the market, not even available in China yet. The rich people in China had to go through Hong Kong to get their hands on this model, causing the price to skyrocket tens of thousands of yuan above its original price. To think that Qi Chengzhi allowed Cheng Dongge to buy it for her, he must have spent a lot of money.

Due to the wounds on her hands, Song Yu took a quick bath and avoided scrubbing her skin.

Qi Chengzhi was outside the bedroom balcony talking on the phone when she came out of the bathroom. She overheard the salutation used and surmised that it was Lawyer Song on the call.

Song Yu’s presence did not make Qi Chengzhi lower his voice, the words echoed loudly from the balcony.

“We will sue those people, but don’t let it turn into a media circus. That will impact Qilin and Chengshi’s business.”

“…”

“Yes, consider it as a breach of contract. I plan to get a new construction team. Don’t let their manager run away.”

“…”

“Yes. That’s all.”

He hung up the phone and came in to see Song Yu lying in bed, looking awfully docile.

“Is it about the construction team?” Song Yu heard him utter a sound of admission.

Her eyes followed him as he walked to the side of the bed. Nimble fingers unbuckled the leather belt and the suit pants hung dangerously low on his waist. The fingers went on to slowly unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing, revealing parts of his chest and abs. Each action served to taunt her.

Song Yu subconsciously gulped as her attention was fully focused on the fingers path. Wherever the long and slender fingers landed, her eyesight was sure to follow.

After removing his shirt and suit pants, Qi Chengzhi was left with only a pair of slim-fitting, black underpants clinging to his lean and muscular frame. The popular belief was that men favored long legs on a woman, but now, Song Yu felt that the opposite was also true as she stared at Qi Chengzhi.

Qi Chengzhi got into bed and as if they had done this a million times, pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. His husky voice spoke, “Goodnight.”

Song Yu’s hand lightly brushed across his firm chest. She thought back to his rescue from the room she was held hostage and felt gratitude. Under her palm was the strong and steady beat of his heart—with him, she was safe.

Every woman has dreamt of a knight-in-shining-armor, a man that was the ultimate goal for her.

At that moment, Qi Chengzhi resembled that ultimate goal for Song Yu. He may not have crossed any iridescent clouds but he was already the greatest hero on earth to her.

If she could stay in his embrace forever like this, all would be well.

As this thought formed in her head, Song Yu was shocked at her internal confession. She almost broke into a cold sweat and her body went rigid.

After a second, her body immediately relaxed.

Song Yu breathed in the air of calmness that always surrounded Qi Chengzhi. She snuggled against his chest in an act of complete dependence and affection.

Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed. “What are you worrying about? Be honest.”

‘Why is he being dense again?’ Song Yu mused. She lifted her head and placed a kiss on his jaw. Worried that his five o’clock shadow would irritate Song Yu, he shaved again at night. The scent of the aftershave still lingered on his face. While the scent was not particularly appealing, on Qi Chengzhi’s skin it was alluring and unique.

As he lowered his head, Song Yu’s wide, innocent eyes were looking at him with a glint of anticipation.

The suggestiveness in her eyes coupled with her boldness crumbled Qi Chengzhi’s defenses. The flame in his belly rose up to his throat and his voice deepened, “Teasing me?”

Song Yu’s face slowly burned up—the redness was visible to Qi Chengzhi—but she stayed mum.

“You’re becoming naughtier, aren’t you?” he whispered at the corner of her lips and smiled faintly. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his lips warned, “You’re stoking the fire, so don’t regret it later, I won’t listen. I won’t let you sleep until I’m satisfied.”

“…” Song Yu might have gotten herself way in over her head this time.

…

…

When Song Yu woke up the next day, her whole body was sore. It felt like her body had been disassembled and reassembled, but some parts did not fit as it used to.

Her accusatory glance was countered with an amused look. Qi Chengzhi chuckled as he knotted his tie, “What are you glaring at? You’re the one who lit the flame.”

“…”‘How did she end up with this shameless man?’

Song Yu mumbled in exasperation and changed into her clothes.

She was supposed to take a day off today as Qi Chengzhi did not want her to work. He believed that she should rest after yesterday’s incident.

Song Yu disagreed with him. Yesterday’s incident was indeed terrifying if she were left alone in the aftermath, but after spending the night with Qi Chengzhi she felt much better.

Qi Chengzhi insisted to drop her off in front of the office. Arguing with him was pointless as he had made up his mind. If her opinions had any weight, she would not need to repeat herself.

He was determined to fetch her right up to the office door and no protest by her was going to change his mind.

The office door was just by the side of the road. Jian Yi watched as Song Yu came out of Qi Chengzhi’s Range Rover. Jian Yi gripped the steering wheel so tightly his fingers turned white and the bones looked as if they were going to break the skin.

A hot flash of anger overtook him and his bloodshot eyes bulged. He quickly drove up to the building as Song Yu entered the office.

Song Yu placed her things down at her desk. She took out the essentials from her bag and noticed that she had two messages on her new phone.

The message read, “What happened yesterday? Are you alright?”

The following message was by the same sender, “Did Qi Chengzhi take you back yesterday? Were you with him the whole night?”

Although there was no name to the string of numbers, Song Yu knew who sent the message.

She did not deign to reply and deleted the message.

Jian Yi waited in his car outside the office but received no reply from Song Yu. His mind kept replaying the scene of Song Yu getting down from the Range Rover. The thought of Song Yu having an intimate relationship with Qi Chengzhi colored his eyes red with fury. The leather on the steering wheel squeaked under the pressure of his grip.

…

…

Moments after Qi Chengzhi walked into his office, Qi Chengyue burst through the door.

“Brother, what’s the meaning of this? Why did you force me to take an extended leave?” Qi Chengyue rushed to his desk and interrogated him.

Qi Chengzhi was just about to give Song Yu a call. He put away his phone and looked coldly at his cousin.

The cold stare stopped her in her tracks as her heart tried to resume its normal rhythm.

Back when he still wore glasses, his glare could burn a hole in a person’s heart. Now without the attenuation provided by the glasses, the lethality of his glare increased multifold. She grew nervous under his stare and numbness crept over her scalp.

Qi Chengzhi had no scruples about smoking in front of Qi Chengyue. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag, seemingly at ease with the whole situation. He then said apathetically, “You don’t know my reason or did you think I would not see through your ploy? If it is the former, then you’re the dumb one. If it’s the latter, then you’re calling me dumb.”

Qi Chengzhi inclined his head toward her, as if challenging her to pick who was the dumb one.

His bony and pale fingers tapped the cigarette on the ashtray. “I don’t care about you and Jian Yi’s relationship, that’s your problem. However, if you bring your relationship into the office and let it affect your work, then I may have overestimated your capabilities when I made you the finance department manager.”

“The hotel construction project payments and materials were agreed upon after doing some market research with the construction team. Without notifying the Chengshi team or me, you made your own decision to withhold the payment. When did I give you such a right? Your actions have now led to a delay in the construction project, costing the company a lot of money. The reason why you’re still the finance manager is that you’re my cousin.”

“Letting your personal relationship interfere with work and taking the company’s interest as a joke. If it were anybody else I would have fired them. Now, I’m letting you choose. Either take an extended leave until this project is complete or resign from your position.”

The hotel construction project would take at least a few years to complete, did he expect her to not do anything for so long?

By that time, her position would most likely be filled by someone else.

“If you’re not satisfied, you can get uncle to come and talk to me. I have no qualms about that.” Qi Chengzhi sucked in another breath of nicotine-laced smoke.

Qi Chengyue’s face went through a series of expressions. She knew that this was her own wrongdoing. Although the family pampered her, she would not gain any favors on this issue.

In the end, she could only accept her punishment.

…

…

At night, Qi Chengzhi had a business affair outside of the office and brought along Cheng Dongge and Jian Yi. When Qi Chengyue heard about this, she was elated. She felt that this was Qi Chengzhi giving Jian Yi an opportunity to shine.

After work, as Qi Chengzhi and the others were getting into the car, Qi Chengyue called out, “Brother!” Her hair was messed up as she jogged over to them.

She soothed the unkempt strands and said breathily, “Brother, are you guys going to Dynasty? I have a school gathering there tonight, can I get a ride?”

This current Qi Chengyue had a pleasant demeanor and a smiling face—a stark difference from the daytime Qi Chengyue who was ill-tempered.

Other than Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, the family was basically led by Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengyue was not dumb enough to shed all pretense of cordiality with her cousin. She had upset him in the morning and when she had calmed down, she felt guilty and wanted to show her goodwill.

After a glance, Qi Chengzhi nodded indifferently and got into the car.

Cheng Dongge sat in the passenger seat, leaving the three of them to squeeze in the backseat. Luckily the Range Rover had a wide backseat, though the two men that were sitting next to each other looked constipated.

Jian Yi was uncomfortable with sitting so close to Qi Chengzhi. Every time he looked at Qi Chengzhi, the image of this morning came into full view.

At this point, Qi Chengzhi took out his phone and dialed a number. He did it quickly so Jian Yi could not see who was the person on the other end.

“Done with work?” Qi Chengzhi’s tone was gentle as he spoke into the phone. The abrupt change shocked even Qi Chengyue, whom he had just interacted with the utmost indifference. Could this be the girlfriend from his stories?

“Yes.” Song Yu was just preparing to leave the office when Qi Chengzhi called. She decided to stay in the building to take the call. She noticed the gentle tone he was using and thought it odd. His usual tone when he called had the distinctive coolness and bluntness.

Song Yu blushed and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Then she lowered her head and continued the call.

“I have a business dinner today, so I won’t be able to take you home. You get home safe,” Qi Chengzhi said in an overtly affectionate tone that made Qi Chengyue cringe.

As Qi Chengzhi talked on the phone, he spied Jian Yi’s tightening fist on his knees, to the point where the veins were popping out on the back of his hands.

Qi Chengzhi let out a laugh and said, “Wait at home for me.”

He then ended the call.

Song Yu stared speechlessly at her phone, her attempt to object his statement cut short.

The home he mentioned clearly meant the mansion he owned in Zhijing Park, she was not that dense.

She figured she should go to Zhijing Park first so as to not displease him. They would need to discuss the living arrangements as she planned to stay in her own apartment, at least until the lease was up.

She wanted to take it one orderly step at a time. When the apartment lease was up, she figured they would be at that stage of the relationship where cohabitation was the next ideal step. Now, it was just a bit too much too soon.

While on her way back, she texted him a message after some deliberation, “Don’t drink too much.”

Qi Chengzhi read the incoming message openly, allowing Jian Yi to catch a glimpse of the sender and the content. His fingers clenched even tighter. Qi Chengzhi replied casually, “Alright.”

“Brother, was that your girlfriend?” Qi Chengyue asked curiously, butting past Jian Yi to look at Qi Chengzhi.

“Yes.” Qi Chengzhi smirked.

Qi Chengyue had never seen Qi Chengzhi in such a pleasant mood before. This made her extremely curious about this girlfriend of his. “Didn’t you say you were going to bring her home? When are you bringing her back?”

“When she’s ready, I’ll bring her home. I don’t want to pressure her.” Qi Chengzhi pocketed his phone and pretended to not notice Jian Yi’s response.

“I can’t believe that even you could dote on someone.” Qi Chengyue let slip her tongue and blabbered.

“When you meet someone you love, you will instinctively dote on them. You’ve never seen me like this, it’s because there was never someone special.” Qi Chengzhi shot a profound look at Jian Yi and continued, “How much a man loves you, can be measured by how much he dotes on you.”

Qi Chengyue blushed and looked at Jian Yi with adoration. She slipped her hand under his palm and interlocked their fingers.

…

…

Qi Chengyue parted ways with them when they reached Dynasty. She headed toward the room reserved for the Jixia High School reunion. As she walked in, she heard a feminine voice called out, “Chengyue, you’re finally here. We heard a scandalous rumor just now and we need you to confirm the news.”

“What rumor?” Qi Chengyue walked over and everyone shifted to let her sit.

Xia Kewei said, “Before you came, Qianyi and Lijun said your cousin brother, Qi Chengzhi is dating Song Yu.”

Qi Chengyue’s face instantly turned thunderous. She said coldly, “Where did you hear that nonsense from? That’s impossible.”

Her words made Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun unhappy.

“We saw them with our own eyes. Also, who dares to simply spread false rumors about Qi Chengzhi?” Li Qianyi retaliated in a challenging tone. She sipped her tea and pursed her lips. “We saw them kiss in the Red Roof Club.”

“If you don’t believe us, you can ask Gao Jingqiu or Li Zhuoan. They were also at the scene. Don’t tell me you all don’t even believe Li Zhuoan’s words.” After hearing Li Qianyi’s defense, everyone believed the rumor. Although Qi Chengyue acted like she was reluctant to accept Li Qianyi’s account, a part of her could see how the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Li Zhuoan was not a person to spread lies and false truths. He had strong moral principles and therefore, having him as a witness was proof enough.

“Speaking of this, we’re blaming you for our revoked access to the club, Guan Xiaolin! Last time, we asked you if Song Yu was dating Qi Chengzhi, you swore that they weren’t. So we weren’t all that friendly toward Song Yu that day at the Red Roof Club, and Qi Chengzhi found out. Are you purposely trying to sabotage us?” Li Qianyi brought up the distasteful incident.

Guan Xiaolin gave Li Qianyi a frigid glare. She was about to drink her tea when Li Qianyi turned on the offensive. She set her cup down.

“How long ago was that when you asked me about them? At that point, Song Yu firmly stated that she had no relationship with Qi Chengzhi. How would I know if they ended up together or not? They were definitely not in a relationship when the two of you asked me.” Guan Xiaolin continued in an annoyed tone. “Also, if it weren’t for your habit of kicking people when they’re down, how would Qi Chengzhi even notice you? If you guys wanted to bully people, at least do it smartly and don’t get caught. Getting kicked out of the Red Roof Club is your own doing, so don’t come and blame me for it.”

“So, Song Yu really is dating my cousin brother?” Qi Chengyue turned to face Guan Xiaolin.

“That’s what Li Qianyi saw, not me. I can’t confirm anything. But I can say one thing.” Guan Xiaolin paused and took a deep breath. “You probably know of the architectural design competition between Guanyu and Chengshi for the hotel construction project by Qilin. But what you definitely don’t know is that the design Song Yu submitted was exactly the same as what our firm’s architect drew. However, Qi Chengzhi accused our firm of stealing Song Yu’s design without hesitation and gave Chengshi the construction project.”

Guan Xiaolin laughed mockingly and said, “If there was really nothing between them, that wouldn’t have happened.”

Qi Chengyue’s expression was darkening with each passing second. She thought of the time Qi Chengzhi announced his girlfriend to the family, the time Song Yu was on the phone, the phone call just now in the car. If it was truly Song Yu…

“If he’s really dating Song Yu, I foresee some upcoming drama,” Wu Lijun said enigmatically. “Song Yu was originally engaged to Qi Chengji. After a failed engagement, she latches on to the elder brother. This is going to be such a scandal in the Qi family!”

“If he’s really dating Song Yu, I foresee some upcoming drama,” Wu Lijun said enigmatically. “Song Yu was originally engaged to Qi Chengji. After a failed engagement, she latches on to the elder brother. This is going to be such a scandal in the Qi family!”

“If she were to marry into the family, she’s going to run into Qi Chengji frequently. How would they address each other then?”

Qi Chengyue did not care about the awkwardness between Song Yu and Qi Chengji. She was more worried about the frequent encounters between Song Yu and Jian Yi if they were to become family.

She was not going to allow this coquettish Song Yu to marry into the Qi family.

“Marriage is a bit too early for now. She still doesn’t have any status in the family. And as you all have said, she was once engaged to my younger cousin brother. My uncle and auntie won’t stand for such a stain on our family reputation.”

Qi Chengyue’s mood darkened as she spoke.

“Yes, yes.” The mood had soured and fires were threatening to burst out in any second. Xia Kewei had to quickly smoothened things over before disaster struck.

…

…

At Qi Chengzhi’s table, the glasses were piling up as the people drank with reckless disregard. Having someone of Qi Chengzhi’s stature attending the dinner was very much an honor. Without his glasses, Qi Chengzhi’s sharp eyes and handsome face gave him an aura of aristocratic elegance. Thus, he excused himself from the heavy drinking that was going on around the table.

Other than the few toasts to success, no one dared to pressure Qi Chengzhi to drink. On the other hand, Jian Yi and Cheng Dongge were not spared.

Everyone was happily drinking away. Jian Yi and Cheng Dongge were starting to feel tipsy after multiple rounds of beer.

Qi Chengzhi stood up and excused himself from the table with a slight nod. “Excuse me, I need to make a call.”

Hearing this, Jian Yi’s gaze automatically followed Qi Chengzhi, squinting his eyes in the effort.

“Manager Jian, drink up…” The client beside him raised his glass and pulled his attention back to the table.

Qi Chengzhi stood by the door and dialed the home landline. Aunt Yang picked up the call and informed him that Song Yu was at the house. The news made Qi Chengzhi smile.

He did consider the possibility of Song Yu disobeying his orders and going back to her own apartment, hence he made this call.

“Done with dinner?” Song Yu’s voice sounded distant through the phone.

Her voice had a soothing effect on Qi Chengzhi. He leaned against the wall and put one hand in his pocket. “Not yet, but soon. What are you doing?” he said in a gentle, deep tone.

“Nothing much. Just watching some American drama.” With Qi Chengzhi on the phone, she could hardly focus on the television. She paused the program and gave him her undivided attention.

“If you’re not too tired later, come and pick me up?” Qi Chengzhi asked. His hand went to adjust his glasses and found nothing. He forgot that he had stopped wearing them.

He smiled quietly. It had been a while since he last wore his glasses, but old habits were hard to change.

“What time will that be?” Song Yu did not bring up the fact that Chang Lai was available. Since Qi Chengzhi suggested, she complied. She was happy to make him happy.

After informing her of the time, Qi Chengzhi hung up the phone. He smiled cheerily at himself before going back into the room.

…

…

Song Yu put on her winter coat and headed off. She left Aunt Yang to prepare some soup that was said to cure hangovers. Although Qi Chengzhi was a moderate drinker at best—never drinking past his limits—having some warm soup to drink was better than nothing.

‘There was no need to dress up when it was already so late at night,’ she thought as she took a pair of Vans sports shoes from the shoe rack. They made driving much more comfortable.

Arriving at the entrance of Dynasty, Song Yu texted Qi Chengzhi, “I’m at the opposite cafe. When you’re done, just let me know.”

Qi Chengzhi was just about to reply when Director Wang—channeling some of that liquid courage—teased from the opposite side of the table, “Seeing Director Qi’s expression, talking to your girlfriend?”

While Director Wang was more or less drunk, his assistant retained some sense of awareness and tried to prevent his boss from speaking any more nonsense. Master Cheng’s personal life was simply not a topic for drunken banter.

Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi beamed at the question, his handsome features softened as he said, “Yes. She’s picking me up because I drank.” The usual Qi Chengzhi would have turned away from such a question and left.

“Is she here?” Director Wang hiccuped. “Then let’s not make her wait. We’ll end it here. It was a pleasure to hear of Director Qi’s girlfriend.”

Song Yu received the call from Qi Chengzhi and left the cafe for Dynasty.

She was walking toward the entrance when Qi Chengzhi exited with his colleagues and clients. Song Yu stood back, wanting to avoid unnecessary mingling, but she heard one of the middle-aged companions said, “Director Qi, is that your girlfriend?”

At this hour, the crowd was thin at the entrance of Dynasty. Song Yu stood out like a sore thumb.

Song Yu saw Qi Chengzhi nod and took it as her cue to walk over. She only then realized that Jian Yi was standing next to Director Wang, his face pinched tight.

Song Yu stood in a daze for a while before smiling at Director Wang. Qi Chengzhi moved forward and tangled their hands together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “This is my girlfriend who was worried about my drinking and came to pick me up.”

She smiled awkwardly at that introduction and nodded. She glanced at Qi Chengzhi, ‘This was not what he said on the phone.’

“Haha, a match made in heaven indeed. Don’t forget me when you’re sending out wedding invites,” Director Wang said jokingly.

Song Yu had not planned for a reveal of their relationship tonight and was further stunned by Director Wang’s tease of marriage. Luckily Qi Chengzhi stepped in, “For sure.”

Her heart skipped a beat at that promise. Her hand was starting to sweat in his grip as she instinctively held on tighter.

Qi Chengzhi responded by firming his grip as if his strength could be transferred to her via their linked hands.

As they parted ways, Qi Chengzhi asked Chang Lai to fetch Director Wang and the other clients back. Song Yu stood aside and watched, ‘I guess Chang Lai really couldn’t fetch Qi Chengzhi back.’ While her appearance tonight had an ulterior motive, it was not for that sole purpose.

With the logistics settled, Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu by the hand and left, not sparing Jian Yi a look.

Song Yu followed Qi Chengzhi silently and did not look back at Jian Yi. Jian Yi watched as the silhouette of the couple holding hands grew smaller and smaller. His fists were clenched tight and a scowl was permanently etched onto his face.

Once in the car, Song Yu drove without saying a word. The car rolled to a stop in front of a red light and she turned to face the man in the passenger seat.

His eyes were closed as he laid back in the passenger seat. His features were hidden in the shadows of the night.

“The reason you called me over tonight was that Chang Lai couldn’t send you home, and also partially because Jian Yi was there, right?” She shifted her gaze back on the road as she stepped on the gas pedal.

Few moments passed with nothing but silence, so Song Yu gave up on questioning him. He was probably tired.

“Was he not always suspicious of us? We’ve confirmed his theories today, so hopefully, he’ll stop mooning over you.” Qi Chengzhi’s sonorous voice echoed in the quiet car, the coldness in his tone audible.

“…” Qi Chengzhi’s hint of jealousy made her heartbeat irregularly. She did not know that he was aware of the situation with Jian Yi.

Qi Chengzhi watched Song Yu through heavy-lidded eyes and teasingly asked, “Not happy that he knows about us?”

Song Yu threw him a glance. “If I’m not happy, would I come and fetch you?”

Song Yu was focused on making sure they arrived home safe and did not notice the hint of mischief on the face of a fully-awakened Qi Chengzhi. When the car stopped again at another red light, a pale hand inched toward Song Yu’s waist.

When she came out of the house, Song Yu did not bother to change and just threw a coat over her home clothes. This was made possible by the fact that she had on the beloved classic velour tracksuit by Juicy Couture—a hot pink one at that.

The jacket was on the short side while the pants were low-waisted. Although she wore a tank top beneath the jacket, a strip of skin was still showing at her waist.

Qi Chengzhi’s long finger skittered under the white tank top and started to stroke the soft skin at her waist.

His rough fingertips on her skin felt like electricity dancing across her skin—a paralyzing sensation.

He could feel Song Yu clench her abs. Through the soft glow from the night sky, a brilliant blush flashed on her adorable face which served to only spur Qi Chengzhi on. He slowly inched his hand upward.

“Stop it. I’m driving.” Song Yu moved away from him but the confined area of a driver’s seat made escaping difficult. She was cornered.

“Driving? We’re at a red light.” A quick survey showed that there was sixty seconds before any driving was required. Qi Chengzhi immediately pulled on his seatbelt and rested his chin on her shoulder. His warm breath wafted toward her face.

Her nose picked up the faint smell of alcohol and tobacco. If it were anyone else, she would be disgusted. However, the smells combined with the cologne that he wore made it unique and incredibly sexy.

From the day she met him, she never picked up any scent of female perfume on him. This made her exceptionally happy as it engendered a sense of possession.

His persistent hot breath on her face made her flush. The redness spreads up her ears and scalp.

He followed with a series of wet kisses around her ear and the back of her neck.

“There are cameras!” Song Yu was losing her composure fast. How was she going to drive later?

“At most I’ll pay the fine,” he said with a lowered voice. He made his way to the side of her lips and brushing past her face, he kissed her firmly on the lips.

A sudden loud honk made Song Yu jump and push him aside. The light was green.

The chorus of honks erupted behind them and as the drivers drove past, they gave her the evil eye.

Song Yu’s face reddened with embarrassment and quickly sped off.

As she drove, Qi Chengzhi placed his hand on her hand that was steering the wheel.

“In terms of driving, your skills far surpass mine.” Song Yu pushed his hand away.

He unexpectedly let his hand fall and did not resist.

Song Yu had yet to calm herself before his wandering fingers came for her waist. His fingers danced across the revealed skin and went under the tank top that she was wearing. His hand massaged her waist and gradually inched upward.

Song Yu gritted her teeth as his movements sent bolts of electricity up her spine. She shook in her seat as she felt like ants were crawling on her skin.

She took a chance and quickly slapped Qi Chengzhi’s mischievous hand.

“Stop it.” Her trembling voice lent little weight to her command, even more so when her abs were spasming under Qi Chengzhi’s touch. “Why don’t you come and drive?”

“I drank.” Qi Chengzhi’s lazy voice infuriated her to no end.

“…”

…

…

They made it back in one piece, a feat that Song Yu did not know how she accomplished. She parked the car safely in the garage.

The garage door closed and Song Yu unbuckled her seatbelt to get down. A strong arm pulled her back into the car by her waist.

Qi Chengzhi was in a shirt with his sleeves rolled up, his sinewy forearm bare for all to see. Song Yu did not know when he managed to remove his suit jacket and coat.

She liked to look at his body. He was not overly muscular but exuded a masculine strength and beauty. The sight of his muscles made her want to touch them.

His strong arm wound tightly around her waist. The atmosphere heated up a notch.

A second later, she was pulled back and repositioned on his lap.

Qi Chengzhi held her by the waist and pressed her against the passenger side door. His torso bore down on her as his lips softly nibbled at her earlobe. She could feel the sexy curve of his lips. The air in the car could spark a flame.

“I was happy that you ignored Jian Yi,” he whispered in a deep tone by her ear. She was assaulted from all senses—the unique smell of tobacco and cologne, the sonorous voice in her ear—her body was ready to combust.

He followed up, “But I saw you pause when you looked at him. That made me a bit unhappy.”

His tie was loosened and three buttons were open on his shirt. It revealed the slender neck and collarbone underneath that clean-cut face.

Song Yu pressed her forehead on his shoulder and angled towards his neck. She breathed in the refreshing scent.

“Qi Chengzhi, I’ve said this before. When it comes to relationships, I am serious and committed. Once I’m in, it’s very hard for me to get out. I struggled a lot when I was deciding on whether to date you due to your family background and my past with the Qi family. There were a lot of uncertainties but now I have already decided to be with you despite all the potential risks. I have made my choice and am committed to you. I am not the type of person who thinks the grass is always greener on the other side. When I saw Jian Yi, I was simply surprised and nothing more. That man is not worth my love, so why should I miss him? It’s unfair to both of us.”

She finished her speech and felt the arm around her tightened possessively to the point that she felt pain. The palm on her back radiated heat and she was pressed against him.

His lips left her earlobe and as he distanced himself, she caught sight of the burning passion in his eyes. She felt her heartbeat jump as she temporarily forgot how to breathe.

Qi Chengzhi did not understand how the universe bestowed upon him this woman so dear.

While her words were not coated with honey, they were words of honesty and passion.

He kissed her fiercely without hesitation, pinning her to the car window.

Song Yu cupped his face and returned his fervent kiss.

Song Yu felt a slight chill and caught on to what Qi Chengzhi was planning to do. She hurriedly pushed at his shoulder. “We’re in the garage.”

The heat behind Qi Chengzhi’s eyes was enough to quell whatever resistance that was in her. She felt herself tremble uncontrollably.

…

…

Song Yu laid tiredly in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder. She did not attempt to move as her limbs felt like jelly.

The garage was closed off and the car had little ventilation. As a result, both of them were drenched in sweat.

A few droplets of sweat dotted across her forehead and temple. She could feel the wetness around his neck as she rested against him.

Qi Chengzhi shifted his head and placed a kiss on her hairline, tasting the slightly salty bead of sweat.

He opened the glove compartment with one hand and took out some tissues to clean her up. Meanwhile, Song Yu, too tired and lazy, remained unmoving in his arms.

In the end, Qi Chengzhi gently patted her buttock and said to her, “Lift your butt up, you lazy bum.”

Song Yu did as she was told as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly and spoke into his collarbone, “When we’re doing it, he woos and coos with such good temper. When we’re done, he calls me lazy.”

Qi Chengzhi stared blankly for a moment, then let out an unrestrained laugh. He helped her put on her pants and belt before placing her butt onto the driver’s seat. She sat sidesaddle as he got down from the car. He stood at the passenger door and let her out.

The afterglow was evident in Song Yu’s face and eyes. She looked out at Qi Chengzhi who stood patiently waiting for her. His coat and suit jacket were draped over his arm. His shirt was slightly disheveled without being too obvious.

It was hard to believe that the steadfast and serious man before her was the same man who was in the car with her. The urgency and persistence he expressed were nowhere to be seen now.

Song Yu met his eyes and flushed red. His stoic face belied the fiery desire shone in his dark eyes.

She held onto the passenger seat for support as she stood up but her legs buckled. Her butt landed back onto the passenger seat.

Song Yu held onto the passenger seat for support as she stood up but her legs buckled. Her butt landed back onto the passenger seat.

“What happened?” Qi Chengzhi stuck his upper body into the car and saw her blushing face.

“Just now… I was in the same position since just now. My legs are so stiff now after being curled up for so long. I can’t extend them…” Song Yu mumbled with her face still bright red. She was too embarrassed to look at him, thus she lowered her head until her chin was almost touching her clavicle, “Also… I’m out of energy.”

Qi Chengzhi fixed his gaze on Song Yu with such an intensity that it made her already exhausted body felt even weaker. Her skin started to feel feverish as well.

Then, she heard his raspy chuckle over her head. It was only a brief one, but it was so darn sexy.

Song Yu lifted her head to complain as she thought that Qi Chengzhi was laughing at her, but she saw him backed away. He stood beside the car and said stoically, “Come here, I’ll piggyback you.”

Song Yu was shocked. She gaped at the man outside of the car who was standing with such poise.

It never crossed her mind that he would be willing to do this for her. Such an outstanding guy was able to humble himself and do something so down-to-earth just for her sake.

She always felt that he was always an extraordinary man. He was not the mundane type of guy at all. She could not imagine him carrying someone on his back, neither could she imagine he would be doing this one day.

However, his expression and tone remained stoic, like his usual elegant, subdued self. He stood outside and waited quietly for her.

Song Yu felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. She was so touched that her eyes started to water.

She moved over to the passenger seat silently. Qi Chengzhi had already turned his back towards her and bent his legs, with his back curved towards the front.

Song Yu reached out with her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Qi Chengzhi ended up sitting on the edge of the seat. His nice-looking hands supported her by the crook of her knees. The place that he placed his palm on felt like it was burning.

He straightened his back and lifted her up. Song Yu crouched and leaned on his stable back. Qi Chengzhi passed his coat and suit that he hung on his arm previously to Song Yu.

Song Yu tightened her embrace around him. As he walked, the side of her face grazed gently against the newly grown stubble on his chin from time to time. His thin lips were lightly sealed, looking as cold as ever without a smile on his face. Although he was carrying her on his back, his breathing remained calm as if it was not tiring at all.

Song Yu could not resist but to give a gentle peck on the corner of his lips. Right after that, she was bathing in embarrassment. She found herself becoming more thick-skinned while facing him, always making the first move.

She would never have done any of this back in the day, neither did she thought that she would do it one day.

After they got into the elevator, Song Yu helped Qi Chengzhi to press the floor button as he was unable to free his hands.

The elevator door closed slowly. Qi Chengzhi turned around to look at her with a burning gaze.

Song Yu felt uneasy under his burning gaze. She lowered her head and buried her face into his neck, but she felt his lips pressed against the hairline on her forehead and spoke in a low, raspy voice, “Lift your head up.”

Her hairline was burning hot under the friction of his lips. She lifted her head after hearing his voice. Before she could even have a clearer look, his lips fell onto her soft plump lips and started to pull them into his mouth. Song Yu felt that she almost turned into a woodpecker.

He gently bit her lips with his teeth to prevent her from retracting. His slick, hot tongue filled with the scent of tobacco made its way in after prying open her teeth.

Song Yu did not shy away. She tilted her head and reciprocated his kiss.

It was only until the elevator door reopened that Qi Chengzhi was willing to let her go.

Both of them were out of breath and panted breathily. Their messy breaths intertwined with each other, with their lips basked in it.

His gaze was burning, the flame of desire ignited in those deep, dark eyes. How he wished that he could devour her right then.

Then, she heard him whispered raspily, “We’ll continue when we get back.”

Song Yu buried her face into his neck right after she heard him. She felt that her whole body was bursting into flames.

When they reached the door, Song Yu rang the doorbell before burying her face again.

On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi felt quite pleased with her going in and out of his neck.

Aunt Yang was shocked to see that Qi Chengzhi piggybacked Song Yu home. She never thought that Qi Chengzhi would do something like this. At that moment, she forgot about what she prepared to say before opening the door and just stared at Qi Chengzhi blankly while he changed into his slippers.

She had no second thoughts about who Qi Chengzhi was carrying on his back because Song Yu was wearing the exact same outfit when she left.

He had no intention of putting Song Yu down and planned to carry her back to the bedroom. When he just put on his slippers, he heard a female voice, “Big brother, I heard that you and Song…”

Qi Chengyue’s voice paused in the middle of the sentence. She was surprised to see Qi Chengzhi carrying a woman on his back. She was unable to identify Song Yu as her face was buried in his neck.

Her first reaction was disbelief. She could not imagine Qi Chengzhi did such a thoughtful gesture to a woman. His posture was so magnificent, and the woman on his back was being an eyesore—destroying his exquisite aura and leveling him down from an immortal to a normal human being.

Her second reaction was to feel relieved. Even if there was something going on between Song Yu and him, it was nothing serious. The person that he truly cared for was the woman on his back.

Suddenly, it dawned on Qi Chengyue that Qi Chengzhi’s recent behavioral changes, including taking off his glasses and piggybacking someone, was probably because of this woman!

However, in the middle of her thought, Song Yu grew restless once she heard Qi Chengyue’s voice and struggled to get down from his back.

Qi Chengzhi finally let her down. Song Yu climbed down with a bright red face. She fixed her hair that was messed up by him in the car moments ago. Her nervousness made it seem like she was caught in the act.

This time around, Qi Chengyue finally saw clearly that the woman was Song Yu. Those clear, googly eyes were filled with hatred instantly.

“Bitch!” Qi Chengyue shrieked in anger, “How dare you seduce my big brother after you failed to seduce Jian Yi!”

She charged towards her while she scolded, raising her hand and aiming it at Song Yu’s face.

Nonetheless, Qi Chengzhi was just beside her. He would never allow her to do anything to his Song Yu. He caught her wrist with his huge hands dryly, his fingertips turned white due to the exertion of a considerable amount of force.

Qi Chengyue had tears coming out from the corner of her eyes due to the pain. She crouched her body and twisted her arm around before shouting, “It hurts!”

Aunt Yang had already gone back inside hurriedly to stay away from Qi Chengyue after seeing that she bore no good intentions.

Qi Chengzhi released his grip and forcefully hurled Qi Chengyue’s hand away. Qi Chengyue stumbled a few steps backward and almost fell onto the floor.

She was holding back her tears and massaged her wrist that Qi Chengzhi almost bruised.

“I specially came over to confirm after hearing people saying that you’re with Song Yu. Never thought that I’ll see it with my own eyes. How could you hurt me for such a woman!” Qi Chengyue lifted her head and glared at Song Yu maliciously.

Qi Chengzhi ignored her and walked Song Yu in with his hands on her shoulders. When they passed by Qi Chengyue, he glanced at her coldly.

His glance made Qi Chengyue felt chills in her heart, and was too scared to step up and block their way.

When they arrived at the stairway, he squeezed Song Yu’s shoulder and said, “You head up first.”

Song Yu also did not want to face such an unreasonable woman like Qi Chengyue, thus she just nodded and went up the stairs.

Qi Chengyue chased after them and pointed at Song Yu before screaming, “Song Yu, stay here and confront me if you dare, stop hiding!”

Song Yu had no idea what Qi Chengzhi wanted to confront in her. She did nothing wrong, neither did she betray Qi Chengyue. She came to a halt and snickered, “We don’t really know each other. Who are you to meddle with our business?”

She went upstairs right after finishing her sentence.

Qi Chengyue’s expression twisted in rage. She screamed at Qi Chengzhi, “Big brother, you’re allowing her to be like this?”

“Did she say anything wrong? Why do I need your permission in order to be with someone?” Qi Chengzhi replied coldly while he guarded at the stairs, blocking Qi Chengyue from it.

“Did you forgot about that incident where she seduced Jian Yi? She liked Jian Yi since she was young. Do you think that such a sentiment can be forgone just like that? She turned towards you just because she knew that Jian Yi was with me so that she could get to Jian Yi through you and continue to bother him! Jian Yi and I are planning to get married, that’s why she plotted her way into the Qi family just so that she can be with Jian Yi all day in the future!” Qi Chengyue bellowed, “Can’t you see through such a simple scheme, big brother?”

“If you don’t know how to speak like a human, shut it!” Qi Chengzhi said coldly. Did Qi Chengyue realize that she was scolding him at the same time?

“What do you mean that I can’t speak! I am doing this for your own sake so that you won’t be cheated by her in the future!” Qi Chengyue blurted out of desperation, “Did you know that she admired Jian Yi for thirteen years? Do you think a woman’s feelings can be dropped just like that? She may seem to be with you on the surface, but inside her heart, she’s thinking about another man!”

“That bitch, she’s already a mistress, what else is she capable of doing… Ahh… Big Brother, what are you doing! Let go of me! It hurts!” Qi Chengzhi had a deadly grip on Qi Chengyue’s wrist while she was pointing upstairs with her finger.

This time, Qi Chengzhi dragged her out without saying a word.

“Let me go! It hurts! Let me go! Big brother, you can’t be so selfish. Why can’t you be more considerate for my sake! What if my relationship with Jian Yi is destroyed just because you insisted on being with her! What if she seduced Jian Yi? Break up with her, she’s not the kind of woman that’s worthy of you, worthy of the Qi family! Can’t you be more thoughtful for my happiness?” Tears rolled down Qi Chengyue’s cheeks as her wrist was in much pain while being dragged by Qi Chengzhi, but she kept speaking.

Qi Chengzhi’s lips were sealed tightly. Those ever prominent lines accentuated his cold-hearted expression. His chin also remained taut while he stayed in silence.

“You even muddled your profession and personal matters for her sake. But I’m your family! She’s the source of trouble! Big brother, do you think that our family will agree to your relationship with her? She was engaged to our fourth brother previously, and now she’s messing with you. It’ll create a scandal if the tale of both brothers sharing the same woman gets out! She’s been with both the younger brother and the elder brother, so filthy! Our family will never agree to this!” Qi Chengzhi’s voice became sharper as if it was about to blow the roof off. Qi Chengzhi felt a sensation of pain in his eardrums with her voice banging over and over.

He dragged Qi Chengyue to the entrance and threw her out of the door. Her put on a long face and looked at her with a cold stare, “It’s not filthy at all in comparison to your thoughts.”

After finishing his sentence, the door was slammed shut with a ‘bang’.

Then, he took his phone out to call the security office.

Outside, Qi Chengyue was still hammering on the door, making thumping sounds as she knocked incessantly.

“Big brother, open the door!” Suddenly, she raised her voice again, “Song Yu, let me tell you this. If you’re thinking of marrying into the Qi family, it’ll only happen in your dreams! Don’t ever think of stepping into the door of Qi family in your lifetime! Jian Yi’s mine and you won’t be able to take him away from me! Big brother, think about my situation. Why must you be with someone who tried to intrude into my relationship! My whole body feels uncomfortable just by looking at her!”

Qi Chengzhi looked displeased and turned around in frustration. He was slightly shocked to see Song Yu before his eyes.

“Why did you come down?” he asked in a softer tone. The only reason he was still frowning was because of Qi Chengyue’s yelling on the other side of the door.

Even though this was a double-story house and there was no need to worry about the neighbors overhearing those things that Qi Chengyue mentioned, it was still frustrating with her clamoring outside.

“The noise is bothering me. I came down to have a look because I heard you chase her out.” Song Yu frowned while looking towards the door. “So we’ll just let her make a scene outside?” she asked.

“I’ve already informed security, wait for a while,” Qi Chengzhi held her hand and squeezed it gently. He let Song Yu wait in the house while he opened the door and exited.

Qi Chengyue caught a glimpse of Song Yu in that brief moment when he opened the door.

“Song Yu, come out and face me! Why are you hiding if you’re not guilty! I did guess correctly, the motive behind you getting involved with my brother is to get to Jian Yi! You couldn’t accept the fact that I’m with Jian Yi, and you want revenge!” Qi Chengyue continued to shout at the closed door.

Song Yu felt annoyed and shook her head. She could not fathom what was wrong with Qi Chengyue psychologically.

She saw that the hangover soup was already cooked when she went to the kitchen, but it was a little cold after being out for some time. She warmed it up again.

Qi Chengzhi drank a lot of alcohol that night and he just shared a tender moment with Song Yu. He had no mood or patience to deal with Qi Chengyue.

He grabbed Qi Chengyue’s arm and dragged her into the elevator. Qi Chengyue was still trying her very best to convince him to break up with Song Yu.

“If that’s the case, why don’t you selflessly fulfill me for once.” The corner of Qi Chengzhi’s mouth raised to form a cynically arch. He took her out right after the elevator reopened and dragged her out of the compound. The security guards ran overhastily.

Qi Chengzhi threw Qi Chengyue into the bunch of security guards and said, “Remember this face. Do not allow her to enter if she comes again in the future!”

The security guards agreed repeatedly. When Qi Chengyue arrived earlier, the security office called Qi Chengzhi’s house. It was Aunt Yang who picked up and confirmed that Qi Chengyue was his cousin sister, only then did they let her in.

“Big brother, are you treating me this way just for an outsider? I’m your sister!”

Her words made Qi Chengzhi stop in his tracks, turn around, and walk towards her.

He walked to the front of Qi Chengyue, his tall physique towered over Qi Chengyue’s head, leaving her under a layer of shade. Qi Chengyue could even smell Qi Chengzhi’s refreshing scent. It was a pleasant smelling cologne. The maturity that exuded from Qi Chengzhi was not found on Jian Yi as he still lacked experience.

Qi Chengzhi bent down slightly and perched beside her ear. His scent was even more prominent and concentrated.

“I’m capable of taking my own brother’s fiancee, not to mention that you’re just my cousin sister,” Qi Chengzhi mumbled in a volume that was only audible to Qi Chengyue.

When he straightened his body, his expression was unreadable. The dim street lights illuminated his face in a way where the bright and shadowed parts on his face made it look like he had distorted features.

Qi Chengzhi’s mouth curled up cynically and snickered before turning around to leave. Qi Chengyue was left alone, still stunned by Qi Chengzhi’s words.

Could it be possible that… Qi Chengzhi had his eyes on Song Yu since the beginning?

She did not dare to believe such a thing is possible. How old was Song Yu when she got engaged to Qi Chengzhi?

Song Yu was barely in her teenage years. She was just like a child to Qi Chengzhi, what did he find in her?

Qi Chengzhi was sent away by the guards while she was still in the midst of arranging her thoughts. She sat in her car with her head replaying the way Qi Chengzhi defended Song Yu just now.

With Song Yu being with Qi Chengzhi, even if Jian Yi would not fall for her, she would feel disgusted to see her around all the time.

Moreover, Qi Chengzhi would be the head of the family in the future. If Song Yu really married him, she would be above her and she has to act in accordance to Song Yu’s mood.

She definitely had no intention of letting Song Yu live a good life just for the fact that Song Yu flirted with Jian Yi.

She just wanted to see Song Yu be as miserable as possible in her lifetime!

Before the Song family went bankrupt, she already disliked Song Yu. Her virtuous aura was revolting. At this moment, she turned a notch up from disliking her into despising her.

A fallen sparrow would never be able to become a phoenix!

Qi Chengyue looked at the time before taking out her cell phone and called, “Aunty, it’s me. Am I bothering you?”

“…”

“If not, that’s great. I have something to tell uncle and aunty. I’ve buried it in my heart for quite some time. I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t say it out loud now,” Qi Chengyue said, hatred and vengeance were clearly written on her hideous face, “Okay, I’ll go over now.”

…

…

Song Yu passed Qi Chengzhi his slippers upon his return. She helped him off his coat, “I asked Aunt Yang to prepare a hangover soup before I went to pick you up. Drink it while it’s still hot, it’ll warm your body.”

Qi Chengzhi sat on the sofa and waved his hand. Song Yu headed over obediently and sat beside him, her body leaned close to his while she rested her head on his shoulders.

“What did Qi Chengyue say?” Song Yu asked.

“Don’t bother about her. There’s something wrong with her head,” Qi Chengzhi said nonchalantly. He used one hand to hold the bowl up and drink the soup, while the other hand went on to hold Song Yu’s hand and gently caressed the back of her palm.

“…” No matter what, she was still his sister. He did not hold back at all with his words.

After he finished drinking the hangover soup, Qi Chengzhi left the empty bowl on the coffee table and carried Song Yu by her waist to place her on his thighs.

Song Yu felt as if she was very light since he lifted her up with such ease every single time.

Aunt Yang went back to her room and it seemed like she was not planning to come back. Therefore, Song Yu did not reject and just let him hold her.

The smell of alcohol on him was not as strong as it originally was. It had almost dissipated completely, leaving only his refreshing fragrance and a slight hint of tobacco. His burning palms clasped tightly on her back and pressed her further into his arms. He buried his face into her neck and inhaled, tickling her with each of his breaths.

“We’re not done yet,” his warm, thin lips tread against the skin on her neck. His low voice was slightly muffled as his mouth was pressed on her skin, making it sound very child-like.

Song Yu blushed when she felt the warmth on her neck. She poked gently on his solid chest using the soft tip of her index finger and said quietly, “Not here, let’s go inside.”

She could never see the sofa in the same way anymore. She would recall what she did with Qi Chengzhi once she looked at it.

“Uhm, it’s not that comfortable to do that on the sofa,” Qi Chengzhi said seriously before standing up with her still in his arms.

Song Yu, “…”

…

…

Qi Chengyue drove over to Imperial Terrace, where Qi Zhongliang couple was residing. Xia Wenna had ordered the servants to prepare tea. In actual fact, she was about to sleep around this time. However, Qi Chengyue seemed to have something really important to tell her when she called.

Qi Chengyue drove over to Imperial Terrace, where the Qi Zhongliang couple was staying. Xia Wenna had ordered the servants to prepare tea. In actual fact, she was about to go to bed at that time. However, Qi Chengyue seemed to have something really important to tell her when she called.

Once Qi Chengyue arrived, she acted all secretive and requested Xia Wenna to clear out the servants.

“Uncle, aunty, I think that I must let you know about this. Remember when big brother said that he has a girlfriend now?” Qi Chengyue put on an act and said.

“Yes, any problem with that?” Xia Wenna answered Qi Chengyue’s opening cleverly.

“Big brother’s girlfriend is Song Yu,” Qi Chengyue said.

Xia Wenna’s hand that was holding the teacup jerked slightly and trembled so faintly that it was almost unnoticeable. However, she regained her composure right away.

“Song Yu? Are you referring to the one I’m thinking?” Xia Wenna’s expression became serious.

“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. I attended the gathering of Jixia High School today and heard rumors about it but I couldn’t believe it. I was planning to find big brother tonight to ask him, but I saw him carrying Song Yu on his back and entering the house. Aunty, can you imagine big brother piggybacking someone? I was shocked when I saw that. He chased me away after that. Looks like he’s very serious about Song Yu.”

Qi Chengyue took a sip of tea and posed in a righteous look, “I don’t have the liberty to tell others about big brother’s business. Nonetheless, everybody knew that Song Yu was previously engaged to fourth brother. Also, the bankruptcy of the Song family stirred up quite the news and all those within our circle knew about it. Now she’s with big brother, and if this goes out… there’s no guarantee of how nasty the rumors are going to be.

Furthermore, I’m the one managing the finances of the hotel infrastructures. However, big brother put me on leave and banned me from handling matters related to the hotel just because Song Yu and I had different opinions. Before this, big brother isn’t someone who mixes up his profession with his personal life.”

Xia Wenna listened quietly without saying a word. After Qi Chengyue finished, she said nonchalantly, “We’re aware of this.”

Qi Chengyue looked at Qi Zhongliang with an uncertain expression and proceeded to turn and look at Xia Wenna. Were they going to express their opinion instead of just a simple sentence like this?

However, she dared not say anything further as it may result in a counter-effect. She still could not judge the situation when she left.

After Qi Chengyue was gone, Xia Wenna and Qi Zhongliang went back to the bedroom. Xie Wenna asked, “What do you think about this?

“Chengzhi is not one that will cross the boundaries. About what happened to Qi Chengyue during work, just listen and forget about it,” Qi Zhongliang said as he changed into his silk pajamas.

“I’m not referring to that. I was talking about Song Yu. I’m not bothered about what happened at work as I believe in Chengzhi. Nevertheless, she did mention one thing right. Song Yu’s been engaged to Qi Chengji in the past, and now she’s with Chengzhi. After what happened to Chengze, mum and dad told us not to judge their status or force them into an arranged marriage anymore. Also, Chengzhi is already thirty-four years old and haven’t gotten a girlfriend yet. I’ll be thanking Buddha if he can get married and have kids regardless of the girl’s family background. However, to be with someone who was the fiancee of your own brother, this is…”

“If worse comes to worst, just introduce him to a few decent ones,” Qi Zhongliang replied.

…

…

On the second day, Qi Chengzhi sent Song Yu to the office. She went to the pharmacy and bought some morning-after pills during her lunch break.

He was not prepared when they did it in the car last night, and she had forgotten about it as well.

She heard that the morning-after pill could be taken within 72 hours after having unprotected sex. Hopefully, it would work.

When she got off from work that evening, Qi Chengzhi came to pick her up. Song Yu told him that she wanted to go back to her condominium. She was quite worried as it had been several days since she went home.

Qi Chengzhi glanced at her without a word. In the end, his Range Rover was parked at the basement of Song Yu’s condo.

When they opened the door, Song Yu thought of the keys and she could not help but ask him, “When are you returning my keys?”

“…”, Qi Chengzhi just went straight in and looked around her normal-sized condominium as if he was examining the place. His towering physique looked like as if he filled up the whole room. Finally, he entered the bedroom.

When Song Yu changed into her shoes and checked through the whole house to ensure that everything was fine, she followed him into the bedroom. She saw that Qi Chengzhi was staring at the drawer where she kept her lingerie.

His handsome face looked gentle from the side. The corner of his mouth was curved slightly—seemed like he was in a very good mood.

Then, his slender fingers picked up one of her panties and put it in his hands to examine carefully. It was smaller than both of his extended palms.

Song Yu’s face became flushed instantly. She ran over and snatched the panty from his hands, “What are you doing?”

“Can’t I have a look at it?” Qi Chengzhi chuckled and looked at her teasingly. A spark ignited in his mysterious black eyes when he sized her up from top to bottom, “I saw what you’re wearing inside this morning.”

Song Yu was so embarrassed that she unknowingly rolled the panty in her hand into a ball. The scene of a grown man holding such a skimpy panty was just too provocative.

Qi Chengzhi glanced at her, half-smiling, and circled his arms around in a swift movement. His burning palm pressed against her waist, where she was only wearing a thin shirt that she only wore indoors. He tightened his embrace and locked her in his arms.

He lowered his head. The lines on his lips looked softer as he curled his lips slightly. He pressed them at the corner of his eyes and nuzzled gently, “I didn’t expect you to keep the underwear that I bought last time.”

Song Yu lowered her head and saw the men’s underwear beside her own panties. She could feel her face started to burn immediately.

Qi Chengzhi closed the drawer and turned around to look at her. He circled her with both his arms around her waist and tightened them.

His head was kept lowered, with his burning lips grazing downwards slowly from the corner of her eye to her lips. He sniffed the refreshing scent of her lips as if he would never have enough of them.

He used the tip of his tongue to trace the corners of her lips deliberately, his hot breath wafted on the corner of her lips and cheek, “Since your tenancy is expiring within less than two months, come and stay with me. You’ve stayed at my place for a few nights. I’m sure you’re used to it by now?”

Song Yu did not want to act pretentiously. When she came to think about it, if she did not go over to his place, he would come to hers. There was no difference in doing that. This man would never let her live alone.

She kept this place without moving officially to Viewpark Residence was because she wanted to maintain her own independence.

However, she seemed to be more and more dependent on him as he was always around.

“Pack things up tonight and we’ll come over tomorrow to move the rest, hmm?” His voice sounded deep and smooth, soothing her heart in a way that comforted her.

Those slender, deft fingers pried open the lower hems of her shirt discreetly and crawled up the delicate skin on her back. They moved their way upwards bit by bit, grazing her skin with those rough finger beds. The sensation was so ticklish that it made her body shook violently.

Song Yu could not hold it in and whimpered. Her whole body collapsed in his embrace.

His lips were pressed against hers from the start. When she opened her mouth, the movement of her lips also rubbed against his.

“I was about to tell you that tomorrow is my dad’s birthday. I plan to go home and accompany my parents,” Song Yu said softly, her bright red cheeks felt tingly as if there were electricity coursing through them.

“The day after tomorrow then,” his tone was calm and determined, not allowing any further discussions on this issue.

Song Yu, “…”

At last, she started packing her luggage after his carrot-and-stick approach.

The first thing Qi Chengzhi went for was her lingerie. Song Yu stood aside and looked at him, speechless.

Both of them packed two luggage bags. Song Yu did not own much. She would not bring everything over as this was just a temporary living space.

After packing the two luggage bags, there was not much left. Only a few miscellaneous items remained unpacked. It would be easily cleared in one go if they come over on Sunday.

Qi Chengzhi met with Aunt Zhang who was living next door when he was loading the luggage into the trunk.

Aunt Zhang’s eyes were gleaming with a gossipy expression when she asked laughingly, “You guys are moving or going somewhere for holiday?”

Qi Chengzhi did not say a thing and just stood there in an extravagant stance. The reason he chatted with Aunt Zhang the last time was to get into Song Yu’s house. Since Qi Chengzhi had no demands this time around, there was no need to waste his breath.

Song Yu could not think of how to answer her. Aunt Zhang understood the whole situation when she saw Song Yu blushing, “Moving to live with your boyfriend?”

“Uh…uhm,” since she guessed it correctly, Song Yu did not hide further and said directly, “Aunt Zhang, my tenancy is due in two months time. I’ll drop by from time to time. Can you please look after the house for me when I’m not around?”

“No worries, I don’t sleep as much as before at this age of mine. I’m not a deep sleeper, I can hear even the slightest movement. I can guarantee that it’ll be taken care of when I’m at home,” Aunt Zhang said laughingly. She could not resist it and fixated her gaze on the Range Rover behind her.

“Wow, what a huge car! Definitely costs a lot right? What’s your boyfriend working as?” Aunt Zhang turned her focus onto Qi Chengzhi. This man exuded out an aloof aura that she had never encountered before.

Even the son-in-law of Lao Chen from building two that owned a company did not possess such elegance.

Song Yu withheld the truth from Aunt Zhang and just briefly skimmed through before bidding farewell.

Qi Chengzhi did not drive her back to Viewpark Residence, they went to a French restaurant instead. Song Yu felt that he must be having a great mood, or else they would not be having French cuisine. Although French dining was romantic and refined, it was very time-consuming. A meal might take several hours and Qi Chengzhi usually does not have that sort of patience.

While Song Yu was in the bathroom, Qi Chengzhi received a phone call from home. It was from Xia Wenna.

“Tomorrow?” Qi Chengzhi said stoically.

“Yes, I heard that Dynasty recently hired a three-star Michelin chef when I was playing mahjong today. They invented many new dishes. You haven’t come home for quite some time, let’s gather tomorrow and try out the new dishes at Dynasty,” Xia Wenna held the phone nervously while she waited for Qi Chengzhi’s reply. This son of hers was so intuitive that she was afraid he could sense something wrong through her tone.

Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes and guessed that they probably planned a blind-date for him.

It was expected that Qi Chengyue went to gossip to Xia Wenna as she wished nothing but the worst for Song Yu. He would be rather suspicious if Qi Chengyue did not mention about it.

There would not be such a coincidence for Xia Wenna to call him today when he chased Qi Chengyue out yesterday night.

Nevertheless, since Xia Wenna did not want to tell him, he just played along.

“Okay, I’ll head over tomorrow,” Qi Chengzhi agreed.

Xia Wenna was relieved when she hung up the phone. Luckily he did not notice anything.

…

…

Song Yu woke up early the next morning. Qi Chengzhi was still sound asleep. Originally, he was holding her when they fell asleep but when she woke up, she flipped his arm and he followed the motion and turned on his back while sleeping.

He kicked the blanket off until it was only covering below his abdomen, revealing his muscular abs that looked rock solid. His arms were resting on his abdomen as he continued to sleep soundly.

Song Yu tiptoed over to his side after getting dressed. While asleep, his thin lips were closed relaxedly, but the lines were still sharp. His eyes looked much softer, probably due to the reason that it was closed, hiding away its intensity.

She indulged herself by looking at the man’s features while he was asleep. The more she looked, the more she found him flawless.

Some people looked good on the first impression. However, the more you look at them, you would easily discover the imperfections in their features. She could not find any blemishes on Qi Chengzhi’s face.

Song Yu could not help but stare at the gorgeous-looking face that softened up during sleep. She felt warm-hearted when she thought of him lying by her side every night, cherishing her so caringly in his arms.

She could not resist and lowered her head to plant a kiss on his soft, warm lips.

When she was about to get up, her waist was clamped down suddenly and fell right into Qi Chengzhi’s arms. When she looked up, her eyes met with a pair of bottomless pits.

It was obvious that she got caught red-handed stealing a kiss. Song Yu blushed in embarrassment. She dare not look at his eyes, not to mention his lips and ended up staring at his bare chest.

“When did you wake up?” She asked quietly with a flushed face.

“When you kissed me,” the corner of his lips curled slightly. His voice was raspy and sluggish as he had just woken up. It was as if every sound of his voice tickled her sensitive spot.

“…”, Song Yu was at a loss of words, the man’s voice was so pleasant and sinful at the same time.

“Do you like me that much?” Qi Chengzhi asked raspily. When Song Yu did not answer him, he hugged her closely with his strong embrace and pressed her against him. The burning thing between his legs embedded into hers, which twitched due to his sudden movements.

Song Yu’s whole body tightened as she took a deep breath, matching his with a gush of moisture.

“…”, Song Yu was so embarrassed that she could not utter a single word when she saw his teasing face. This man got such a nerve, the public was misguided by how the magazines described him as a calm and mature person.

She propped herself against the mattress beside him and struggled to get up, “Let me up first.”

Instead, Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace and flipped over suddenly to pin her down on the bed. He pressed her soft body down and buried his face in her neck and inhaled, and continued to pepper her with kisses.

“Accompany me to sleep for a while more,” his face was buried in her neck when he said it. His burning lips grazed against her skin, the stubble that grew overnight scraped across her skin, which caused an itching sensation and a slight soreness.

“You’ve forgotten that I’m going home today,” Song Yu’s voice changed along with her rapid, shallow breathing. Her tummy contracted rhythmically together with his kisses.

“…”, Qi Chengzhi did not say a word. His burning palms slid to her ankles stealthily and hoisted her skirt up.

His thin lips worked its way up from her neck to the corner of her lips, where it gave a few pecks before moving on to the cheeks, the corner of her eyes, followed by her eyes, between her brows, and went back down along her nose. He kept rotating between these places for a few rounds but always avoided her lips.

Song Yu pouted her mouth and leaned forward to press against his lip line eagerly. She did not have second thoughts, some might even say that she was the initiating one.

Qi Chengzhi chuckled against her lips as if he was laughing at her eagerness.

Song Yu could feel his dextrous, slender fingers climb from her ankles to her waist and hook onto her pantyhose. With her eyes half-closed, she could feel the prominent bone structure of his fingers which was elegant and intricate.

Song Yu embedded all ten of her fingers onto his shoulders and could not say a word. She could only make whimpering sounds and moaned gently. Suddenly, she bit down on his shoulder in the middle of planting messy kisses.

“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu hummed.

Qi Chengzhi responded to her call by kissing her more passionately.

Song Yu could not resist and put her arms around his neck before biting into his lips and suck feverishly as if she was going to swallow his lips into her mouth.

“Ha!” Qi Chengzhi gave a throaty chuckle after seeing her reaction.

…

…

When Qi Chengzhi was all dressed up and left the house with Song Yu, his face looked rejuvenated.

Song Yu was beside him where she glanced at him with her wobbly legs. Looking at his mature, restrained demeanor, she thought to herself, ‘Who would think that he’s capable of such indecency in the bedroom this morning.’

Qi Chengzhi drove Song Yu home, but he parked the Range Rover at the entrance of the residence.

While Song Yu was releasing her seatbelt, she saw his hand on the gear with his slender fingers wrapped around it elegantly.

She turned around all of a sudden and placed her hands on his shoulders to prop herself up before giving a peck on the corner of his mouth, “Drive safe and take care.” Then, she proceeded to get down of the car hurriedly.

Qi Chengzhi’s gaze softened while he gazed at her back.

She always said this exact phrase almost every single time. He was really touched by her gesture.

Song Yu received a short text from Qi Chengzhi once she entered the building, “I’ll come over to pick you up tonight.”

It was as if he was worried that she would stay overnight. Song Yu replied to him with an “okay” with a blushing face as she recalled what happened in the morning. She felt that Qi Chengzhi had quite a demand in that area and wondered if the amount was normal.

She took out her keys to open the door when she arrived. She heard people chatting casually inside, but only one person spoke the majority of the time. She was curious about who else would come over.

She never expected it would be Jian Yi’s parents, Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan.

“Song Yu’s back!” Zhou Mingyan said laughingly.

Song Yu smiled and greeted them before sitting down.

Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan just arrived not long ago. Zhou Mingyan took the black purse beside her and placed it on her legs. The purse was quite bulky and it looked rather garish on her legs.

Song Yu glanced at it casually and saw that it was a Hermès Birkin bag. Jian Yi’s parents were just working-class people. Zhou Mingyan used to haggle prices when she bought groceries, how was it possible that she would purchase a bag that costs two years of their combined salary.

One would have known who gave this bag after giving some thought. However, the bag that Zhou Mingyan placed on her legs looked out of place as if a child was carrying an adult bag.

Zhou Mingyan caught onto Yu Qianying’s gaze and boasted laughingly, “Oh, Jian Yi’s fiancée gave it to me. I heard that this costs more than a hundred thousand. I told her that it was too expensive but she insisted on giving it to me.”

After saying that, she held the bag high up and shook her head while making clicking noises with her tongue, “Tsk, tsk… A bag like that costs more than a hundred thousand, such a scam isn’t it? Only that daughter-in-law of mine would be willing to pay for this. It could be that she’s the daughter of a millionaire so a hundred thousand means nothing to her.”